Eldritch Horror Theatre

Wen Li's earnest attitude was trustworthy. In truth, her recreation was likely already accurate enough.

The main reason Fu Qian asked her to repeat it was simply to verify it one more time.

To verify if certain details matched what he had in mind.

Sage, wielding the Golden Staff, guide to the Gold Saints, inheritor of the Ancient Blind-Eye Society...

They said music triggered memories, and it was true. At that moment, a figure brimming with wisdom surfaced directly in Fu Qian's mind—Old Man Sage, who had once explored the Astral Clocktower alongside him.

In the mission that had ultimately earned him the Eye Within the Eye, he had played the role of a Saint in Sage's team. Together, they explored the Underground Ruins of the Blind Eye Society, a journey where he even encountered the Pure White Angel.

Relying on the knowledge inherited from The Society, Old Man Sage had served as their absolute commander throughout the entire expedition.

For instance, when they were finally searching for the Clock Tower Hall that housed the Holy Grail, a Statue of a weeping figure covering its face had blocked their path.

The method to unlock the Statue was rather unique: it required a specific melody provided by Sage.

...

An emotional rhythm stirring within the Claudora Flesh—one that couldn't even be definitively proven as human—was somehow known by an ancient organization dedicated to exploring forbidden knowledge from at least several centuries ago?

The prestige of the Blind Eye Society just kept rising.

Those early pioneers led by Laurence truly took a wild, unconstrained approach to exploring the world.

It was just a pity that Old Man Sage had already passed away, leaving no way to ask him about the exact origins of this melody.

Did it represent some supreme transcendent secret, or was it merely stumbled upon by chance and used as a passcode after they realized it had little practical value?

Such was life—full of regrets at every turn.

"...It should be more accurate this time."

As Fu Qian mused over this, Wen Li finished the melody once more. She nodded, watching his reaction to gauge his thoughts.

"It is indeed more accurate."

To her mild surprise, her listener gave a slight nod, instantly affirming her words.

It wasn't empty praise. With this second rendition, Fu Qian could clearly identify every subtle adjustment she had made, each one drawing the tune closer to the melody etched in his memory.

It really was the exact same melody.

"Have you heard this before, Professor Fu?"

For the ever-observant Wen Li, his candid response easily sparked her imagination.

"I have. In an ancient ruin. It was used as a passcode to open a door."

Fu Qian remained completely honest, watching as Wen Li's eyes slowly widened.

Even if she had never heard of the Blind Eye Society, she could still grasp just how absurd this revelation was.

"How is that possible? How could something from so long ago have listened to the emotions inside Professor Claudora's body?"

Her brow furrowing, Wen Li couldn't help but look back at that unsettling mass of flesh.

In just those few moments, it had actually grown more active.

Twisting and squirming, fleshy tendrils rose up, struggling as if trying to crawl out of the cylinder—Clack!

Unfortunately for it, the attempt was instantly shut down.

With a crisp snap, Fu Qian sealed the container shut once more.

...

"Actually, if you think about it, that possibility does exist."

It naturally wasn't appropriate to tell Wen Li about the tragic incident involving the Academy Exploration Team from all those years ago.

But in response to Wen Li's subconscious exclamation, Fu Qian still proceeded from a logical standpoint and expressed a certain degree of agreement.

"You just have to assume that the origin of this emotion doesn't actually have much to do with Professor Claudora."

It seemed Professor Lisa thought rather highly of her demigod assistant.

Although Classmate Liushuang knew more, they weren't the type to show off confidential information. Since Wen Li could call out Claudora's name directly, Professor Lisa must have taken the initiative to explain what Fu Qian had taken after he left.

And judging from Wen Li's expression when she mentioned Claudora, she was deeply moved by the professor's dedication to research.

It was just a pity that he had to rule out some of that subjective initiative when analyzing their current findings.

For this melody to perfectly match one that had existed centuries ago, the likelihood of these emotions actually originating from Claudora dropped significantly.

In other words, this anomaly didn't prove that her will was still alive. It was either a byproduct of her current state, or the manifestation of a curse she had once contracted.

He couldn't forget Claudora's own account: the place where the Academy Exploration Team was tainted by the Crystal Blessing was also an ancient ruin, and similarly, a place dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge.

The melody had been hidden within that curse, and Professor Claudora had merely brought it back to the Academy with her.

Viewed through that lens, everything made much more sense.

Though the biggest question here remained unsolved—

"True... Since divinity is involved, persisting over a long period of time seems reasonable. But if that's the case, what exactly does this melody mean?"

Continuing her stellar track record, Wen Li quickly voiced the very question on Fu Qian's mind.

...

"Exactly. What does it mean?"

At that moment, Fu Qian toyed with the metal cylinder in his hand, pondering that core issue.

The Crystal Blessing was the most obvious answer.

Throughout his journey, he had encountered quite a few things involving crystals, hinting at much deeper waters beneath the surface.

But he had seen plenty of bizarre curses, and these specific side effects were simply too strange.

The true nature of the Crystal Blessing could be relatively clearly gleaned from Claudora's experiences—

It involved the research of some ancient sect. It appeared capable of completing Sublimation to enhance Transcendent Tier abilities, even allowing one to attain divinity.

But simultaneously, it was a curse. Upon reaching a certain threshold, it would begin eroding the self, blurring the boundaries of flesh and blood until even the victim's will dissolved into a haze.

Everything up to that point made perfect sense. It was the aftermath of that blurred will that felt a bit too abstract.

It made him wonder what this power truly represented at its core.

He wasn't just idly playing twenty questions. He couldn't forget that the goal of his upcoming expedition was to trace the exact footsteps of those Academy predecessors—

"Let me show you a magic trick."

Lost in thought, Fu Qian suddenly spoke, turning his head to look at Wen Li, who was sitting there quietly without interrupting him.

"Huh?"

That phrasing felt seemingly familiar. Wen Li almost couldn't resist reaching up to touch her earlobe.

The last time Mr. Fu had said that, she had lost a piece of jewelry.

Although as a student this time, she was relatively unadorned and had nothing to lose.

Clink—

With a soft sound, Professor Fu placed the metal cylinder he had just taken back onto the table once more.

He casually popped the cylinder open once more. With a single glance, she saw that it was completely empty.

The terrifying mass of flesh was completely gone, leaving not a single trace behind.

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