Eldritch Horror Theatre

That was more like it.

He hadn't just answered loudly. A bright smile actually bloomed across the Black Doctor's face, making him look genuinely thrilled.

It was as if their entire exchange up to this point had been solely for this moment—so he could savor the reaction of a self-righteous outsider hearing the news.

That vile disregard for his own life instantly reminded Fu Qian of another old acquaintance: Clown.

It was a pity, though. In true history, Clown had been killed by Fu Qian the instant he showed his face. All their prior interactions and mutual growth had long since been rendered false.

"Heh... you can try to kill me. As many times as you want.

"Though I'm honestly not even sure if I'll resurrect if I die in here."

But the fleeting melancholy in Fu Qian's heart seemed to be slightly misunderstood. The Black Doctor rushed to continue, practically impatient to expose his own weakness.

"To be honest, I'm amazed you actually managed to connect me to that door. As a reward for your confidence—watch closely."

The gray hue covering his skin suddenly seemed to take on physical form, writhing rapidly.

It didn't fade. Instead, it expanded, bleeding into the air like a mist—the exact same mist that lurked behind the door.

In the blink of an eye, the Black Doctor was completely engulfed by it.

It was indeed a trick he hadn't displayed earlier. Seeing it now, combined with his words, his meaning wasn't hard to grasp:

"The door itself isn't important. The important thing is the mist behind it?"

Fu Qian made no move to dodge. Instead, he reached out to touch the mist, though there was no reaction.

"You could just call it poison. That suits me much better, doesn't it?"

Faced with such boldness, the Black Doctor refused to be outdone and eagerly continued his explanation.

"But you're right. The door is just a cheap trick. The core of it all is coming into contact with what lies behind it. Honestly, I never imagined I'd be able to control something like this. That's why I said it: you people know far too little about this cage."

Looking around, the Black Doctor's gaze dripped with arrogant disdain.

"In short, you being here can be thought of as a hallucination brought on by inhaling my poison. Unfortunately for you, I only received the formula for the poison. There is no antidote."

...

Now that sounded like a true Dimensional Poison.

Honestly, while the Black Doctor was quite enthusiastic in his sharing, the metaphor felt a bit clunky at first glance.

Fortunately, as an academic pioneer with a wealth of experience, Fu Qian's reading comprehension was rock solid.

A hallucination caused by poisoning? It made it sound as though everything here was suddenly completely unreal. There were also plenty of logical holes in how such an ability would operate.

For instance, why would a hallucination physically transport their real bodies instead of just making them stumble and fall off the roof?

But he couldn't forget the suspected core essence of Unseen Hill—the physical manifestation of Old Man Ji Feng's will.

Once elevated to that level, nothing here was truly "real" anyway. The outside of the door versus the inside could simply be compared to a dream within a dream. It was just a difference in Depth.

Under those circumstances, using a hallucinogenic trigger to shatter "reality" and cross dimensions wasn't entirely unimaginable.

So, on this particular point, Fu Qian leaned toward believing the Black Doctor's explanation.

"So, some unfathomable intelligence appeared in your mind, and by digesting it, you gained this ability?"

What he actually cared about was the process by which the Black Doctor had acquired the "formula."

"It wasn't that unfathomable. I merely did exactly what the Prophet did. I tried to establish a true connection with this cage."

The Black Doctor shook his head, finally revealing why he had brought up the Prophet earlier.

"My own power could never accomplish such a thing. This is His power. I believe it might even be His direct will. You people understand absolutely nothing—and that includes your so-called Prophet, who has never once managed to interpret it correctly."

...

So, was this a reward for aligning with the will of the world? A supervillain attaining a supreme weapon through the enlightenment that the whole world is drunk while I alone am sober?

Listening intently, Fu Qian felt he was actually learning quite a bit.

At long last, a genuine clue regarding the cause of this mission had surfaced.

Had Ji Feng shared this version of Dimensional Poison with the Black Doctor while he was attempting to achieve the Unity of Heaven and Humanity?

A person was free to twist their own inner mental world however they liked, but this reflected a rather troubling mental state.

The situation in Unseen Hill had definitely grown more complicated.

As for the Black Doctor's harsh critique of Yuan Fang, it was honestly hard to refute. After all, the man was currently sitting upstairs like a living corpse.

This also made Fu Qian think of someone else: the Lord.

He belonged to the evil faction, yet he spent his time fighting crime. Fu Qian had previously marveled at the Lord's behavior, which was so anomalous it defied logic.

Could he have been in a similar situation?

"So, how exactly did you establish this connection with the city? You didn't just dial a phone number, did you?"

Fu Qian asked directly after a brief thought.

"Of course not. It was more like I was the one being called. But sadly, as an outsider, I doubt you'll ever be able to experience it yourself."

The Black Doctor sneered and shook his head.

"That is exactly why I'm certain the Angel of Death is nothing like you. I learned that title through that very same unique connection.

"Well, that concludes my explanation. I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to do next."

...

He was called, and by responding, he comprehended the power of a Deity?

If that was the case, had the Lord's strange crusade against crime also been a response?

Even though he was essentially being told to drop dead, Fu Qian was actually thoroughly satisfied.

Special connection aside, it wouldn't even be weird if Ji Feng had just screamed directly into these people's brains. Aside from proving that Ji Feng was becoming rather active, Fu Qian didn't see any mechanical impossibilities here.

This framed all of those unnatural behaviors as responses to that "call." Suddenly, the Lord's bizarre actions made perfect sense.

Was this happening everywhere? A massive giveaway of divine fortune? And were there even traces of A Wei mixed in with it all?

What exactly was Ji Feng trying to accomplish? Or rather, what in the world had gone wrong with that senior this time?

"Alright. Thanks for sharing. In that case, I won't hold back."

Even as he pondered, Fu Qian didn't forget his manners. He thanked the man politely as a wisp of golden light ignited in his hand.

It wasn't Commandment Residue, of course. It was the Flame of Frenzy, meant to incinerate the mind.

"What are you doing... I told you, there's no antidote! Are you deaf?"

The action clearly provoked a reaction. The Black Doctor frowned deeply.

"I heard you perfectly," Fu Qian said. "I just don't believe you."

Shaking his head, he reached out and clamped his hand tightly around the man's throat once again.

Hmph. A clumsy imitation.

Did he really think just anyone could mimic Brother Clown's unique aura?

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