Eldritch Horror Theatre

The brightness, which had dropped when the Commandment Residue was shut off, surged again in that moment.

Fu Qian's grab wasn't actually that fast, but the Black Doctor put up little resistance. The next moment, his neck was firmly caught in a vice-like grip.

"Urgh—"

This was the downside of being uncultured. If he had recognized that golden flame, he probably wouldn't have tried so hard to maintain his composure.

In the end, the Transcendent-tier criminal who had looked death in the eye only held out for a second before beginning to struggle.

A seemingly familiar distortion began to appear across his body as he desperately tried to stop the spread of that wisp of golden flame.

Unfortunately, it was completely useless.

"The antidote."

Casually shattering an incoming bone projectile, Fu Qian simply repeated his demand.

Even while thrashing in agony, the Black Doctor couldn't help but squeeze a hint of mockery through his teeth.

"Too mediocre."

Fu Qian merely sighed at that. The Frenzied Flame continued to burn, and his evaluation of the Black Doctor remained unchanged.

"Some things are very difficult to capture the true essence of through mere imitation.

"It's obvious you desperately want to play the thrill-seeker, but honestly, even if I put myself in your shoes, there were so many more entertaining choices in your series of actions than just repeatedly forcing this persona."

Fu Qian even offered professional guidance on a concrete, operational level.

"To sum it up, your performance from start to finish makes it impossible for me to believe you have the guts to chug poison when there's no antidote... There might be someone in this city who could, but it isn't you."

......

Entering the game as a piece wasn't something just anyone could pull off.

The gap between a true thrill-seeker and a thrill-seeker wannabe was simply too vast.

Fu Qian's meaning was simple: someone like the Black Doctor might have the nerve to meddle with a power he couldn't control, but he would never just use it directly on himself.

He likely lacked the resolve to step onto the Road of No Return himself first just to torture the minds of the group in the Unseen Hill.

So there had to be a way back. Going by the poison metaphor, that would be the "antidote"—oh, it actually existed?

"...Take it!"

Facts proved that even against a deliberately subdued Frenzied Flame, the Black Doctor couldn't hold out for long.

At a certain point, one of his hands rapidly stretched out and deformed. However, it wasn't to launch an attack at Fu Qian, but to burrow into the pile of human bodies at their feet.

Crack!

With a crisp snap, another skull was forcefully pried open, and something was pulled out from within and handed over.

A single glance revealed it to be a small transparent bottle. A pale pink liquid sloshed inside, looking very much like an oral dosage vial.

"Thank you."

Casually taking it and tossing the man aside, Fu Qian didn't forget to maintain his politeness.

This just went to show that his thrill-seeker persona was purely manufactured for show. It was obvious that after arriving, he had secretly made quite a few preparations.

Besides the body double right in front of them, he had even prepared a designated medicine cabinet.

"Just drink it... But it's only enough for one person. This is all I have right now."

Temporarily out of harm's way, the Black Doctor didn't forget to remind them that it couldn't be split.

However, it was hard to say this stemmed from good intentions. Instead, it once again highlighted his strong desire to survive.

After all, on the one hand, this meant that one of the two of them—Fu Qian or Amber—had to stay behind. On the other hand, if the one left behind ever wanted to get out, then the Black Doctor definitely couldn't die—Ah!

The words had barely left his mouth when the golden flames flared up once more, completely devouring him from head to toe.

Operating at a visibly higher intensity than the slow-roasting simmer from before, it left the Black Doctor with only enough time to let out half a wail before he was truly reduced to ashes.

......

"Did you think he was lying to you?"

The sudden turn of events had been truly overwhelming. It wasn't until Fu Qian fiddled with the Lantern beside them, making it slightly brighter to cast its final glow, that Amber finally recovered her ability to speak, expressing disbelief at his actions.

"No, I believe this thing is real."

Running his fingers over the antidote, Fu Qian didn't even turn his head. He just stared up at the sky at a forty-five degree angle.

The eruption of flames had only illuminated the area for a split second before quickly sinking back into silence, leaving the dark night unchanged.

"Then why did you still kill him? To vent your anger? Honestly, I didn't peg you as the type to act on impulse."

And his answer clearly left Amber even more puzzled.

"How could I? Although his acting was a bit clumsy, the mere fact that he stayed in the pot instead of making us search everywhere for him makes me quite satisfied with his performance."

Fu Qian wasn't surprised by her question, offering an honest evaluation of the situation.

"Weren't you hesitating about whether to go back earlier? You shouldn't need to hesitate anymore."

Uh...

Amber hadn't seemed to realize that implication so quickly, falling silent once again.

So there was still no reaction?

Still ignoring her reaction, Fu Qian simply marveled at the surrounding darkness.

Of course he wasn't just venting his anger. A classless character like the Black Doctor was truly a waste of a second glance.

As for helping Amber make up her mind? That was merely a side effect.

As a Demigod who was more "attuned" to the will of the Unseen Hill, if he were killed directly—and by means of the Frenzied Flame, no less—would good old Ji Feng react in any way?

This was the question Fu Qian was truly interested in.

It was also, in his eyes, the only area where His Excellency the Black Doctor could truly demonstrate his value.

What a pity. It seemed that even after making such a sacrifice, there was still no reaction at all.

......

"I hope you have a fruitful harvest over here, in whichever aspect it may be."

After waiting a short while, Fu Qian was clearly no longer prepared to waste any more time. He finally turned his head and offered his blessing to Amber.

"Regarding what was said about Akasha, although I don't think His Excellency the Black Doctor was lying, frankly speaking, that guy wasn't very smart. Some things might not be reliable even if they aren't lies."

Not only that, he even provided her with a goal to strive for, giving her something to mentally wrestle with whenever she felt bored here.

"But..."

Seeming to realize something, Amber still looked as though her doubts hadn't completely faded.

Looking deep into the Unseen Hill, she hesitated to speak—and then she completely lost her chance.

In the corner of her eye, the outsider had already popped open the vial of medicine and drained it in a single gulp.

......

It really was the antidote.

It had absolutely no taste upon entering his mouth; it was just like a vial of colored water.

Yet in the blink of an eye, Fu Qian realized that his surroundings had shifted, and Amber had silently disappeared.

The process didn't even carry that exaggerated sensation of waking up from a dream. It was just as bland as the taste.

Though that low profile was washed away in the next moment by a cluster of multicolored neon signs.

He really was back. Even though it was also nighttime here, the area was undeniably far more bustling.

He had even returned to the very starting point.

Fu Qian scanned his surroundings, growing increasingly certain that his earlier understanding of the poison's mechanics had been correct.

Indeed. He was quite confident that the place before him was exactly where this mission had begun.

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