Eldritch Horror Theatre

Just as expected of the Dean. There was a reason for Apocalypse's diligent, driven culture.

Cass's explanation was remarkably candid; Fu Qian didn't hesitate to give him a mental thumbs-up.

Things were clear now: Professor Lisa was indeed innocent.

Even in his high position, the Dean had never neglected his own advancement.

His repeated field expeditions, and even his secret use of the Benevolence Society to stir up trouble and plunder, weren't driven by some twisted hobby or a desire to deal out divine justice. He had a clear purpose: gathering resources to cure the hidden affliction left behind from his advancement to the Demigod Rank.

Cass had once given him a brief overview of that crucial step toward becoming a High-Tier Transcendent. The core material, for instance, was an adult of Professor Lisa's species.

That was also the reason he had ended up looking the way he did.

Naturally, that choice wasn't hard to understand.

On one hand, the Demigod Rank was incredibly alluring. A mere change in appearance meant nothing in comparison.

Yet, from a few subtle clues, there was always the sense that this fellow genius might have rushed the process for some reason.

The timing, for example, seemed to be shortly after the accident involving Claudora's team. Furthermore, upon later encountering Lisa, he had merged her with the Divine Flesh to produce the most perfect masterpiece of those related experiments.

Now, the man himself had personally confirmed it: he really had left himself with a massive problem.

As for his motive—

"The Academy suffered a massive blow back then. Did you feel an urgent need for a new Demigod?"

Rather than answering immediately, Fu Qian sought confirmation.

"Yes. On one hand, it was to deal with potential threats. The Academy couldn't possibly avoid offending people, and with our strength taking such a sudden hit, it was hard to guarantee no one would get any ideas."

Cass didn't mind the interruption. He took a deep drink, seemingly lost in his memories.

"On the other hand, it was to reassure everyone inside the Academy. Such an incomprehensible loss could easily let imaginations run wild."

...

The Dean was being far too modest.

As Cass sipped his water and spoke of the past, Fu Qian, playing the role of a newcomer to the Academy, naturally listened with rapt attention.

As for "offending people," Fu Qian felt the phrasing was a bit too euphemistic.

Given the conduct of the Academy's four institutes, the only one with a somewhat decent reputation was the Sword Comprehension Institute. If any of the other three randomly drew a horde of mortal enemies, it wouldn't be surprising in the least.

Therefore, Cass's worries were not unfounded. With more than half their elites dead and their strength suddenly so depleted, someone was bound to covet their position, even with a few Demigods still holding the fort.

In such a situation, having an extra Demigod added another layer of security.

And that wasn't even the only benefit—

"Under those circumstances, a new Demigod would indeed be invaluable. It would stop everyone from suspecting the Night Watchers were suppressing you."

Giving a slight nod, Fu Qian put himself in the man's shoes and agreed with his reasoning.

"Right. Whenever something beyond common sense happens, it's very easy for people to pin it on the Night Watchers."

Cass evidently never doubted Fu Qian's perceptiveness.

"No one believed that such a team could actually be wiped out so completely. Claudora, the only one to escape and return, was almost entirely unable to provide any more information.

"As a result, people quickly began to suspect that the Night Watchers didn't want an organization like the Academy to continue growing... If a new Demigod appeared right then, it would alleviate some of that pressure."

But the man himself had to bear the cost of that rushed success.

The sequence of events from back then was becoming much clearer. As for Cass's actions, Fu Qian merely sighed inwardly and withheld comment.

The path of the Transcendent was fraught with hardship, and sometimes those struggles weren't even limited to the supernatural realm.

Worldly entanglements could also bring about both visible and invisible disturbances.

Although Cass had succeeded and reaped rich rewards, he couldn't escape the fact that he had rushed for success.

However, it was true that with everyone in a state of panic, the emergence of a new Demigod would undoubtedly blunt the fear of being targeted by the Night Watchers.

"So what exactly is the hidden affliction you were left with?"

Dropping the issue of motive, Fu Qian rested his gaze on Cass.

Inside the Etched Intellect from earlier, the man had rolled up his sleeve to show his near-loss of control.

"I can fully transform into my Mythical Form, but I cannot use it."

Cass was straightforward, directly revealing his secret.

The very next moment, exactly as he had in the Etched Intellect, he rolled up his sleeve once again.

...

Oh?

This time, there were actually scales.

Staring at the limb beneath the clothing, that was Fu Qian's first thought.

Inside the Etched Intellect, Cass's near-loss of control had manifested as his flesh, blood, skin, and bones surging wildly, but he hadn't grown any reptilian scales.

Now, that imagined scene had finally appeared.

Snakes obviously didn't have limbs. However, the uniquely shaped scales on that exposed arm—identical in color to his eyes—interlocked in a way that truly evoked the presence of the Serpent of Destiny.

Furthermore, the surface of every single scale was covered in symbols that seemed independent yet reflected upon one another, dazzling the mind of anyone who looked.

Of course, this was only from Fu Qian's perspective. He knew very well that this arm was reflecting something akin to the profound mysteries of a Transcendent's essence.

If anyone without a sufficient Rank tried to admire it, ending up like Professor Rob would be considered getting off lightly.

The key point was its completeness.

Another member of the "Luo" family, Old Man Logan, had once mentioned that he could only achieve something similar when he touched the threshold of Tier 2.

Judging by Cass's words, he had casually achieved this the moment he reached the Demigod Rank? Yet, he adamantly did not dare to use it?

"What happens if you use it?"

It couldn't simply be a fear of losing control. Fu Qian was momentarily curious.

"There's nothing abnormal about the form itself, and I can freely dismiss it at any time."

As expected, there was a hidden complication. Cass pointed at his own head.

"But I won't want to change back. The process is a massive struggle—almost like trying to convince yourself to drink poison."

...

A massive struggle...

"In your Mythical Form, does your sense of self also undergo Sublimation into another state?"

If a ruthless character like Cass described it that way, the struggle had to be incredibly severe.

Given his analogy, Fu Qian skipped past common conditions like split personality, trying to imagine a much more exaggerated scenario.

While having multiple selves secretly arguing and refuting each other was tough, it was even worse if there wasn't any resistance at all.

Could it be different from Ji Feng, whom he had just diagnosed? Was it possible that after Cass activated his Mythical Form, his will didn't split, but instead underwent a kind of "mythologization," just like his physical power?

So much so that when he wanted to cancel it, it felt like forcing himself to devolve from a human into a bug?

Fu Qian had gone through a similar experience back in the Realm of Bliss, so he could completely understand that instinctual repulsion.

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