Eldritch Horror Theatre

Honestly, painting a human face on a mask or helmet didn't strike Fu Qian as particularly strange.

Generally, though, they needed some extraordinary quality—either a ferocious look to intimidate enemies or a serene one to soothe the masses.

This one did have an extraordinary quality: its eyes were comically massive and set impossibly far apart on either side of the head.

Unfortunately, it didn't convey an ounce of wisdom. Instead, the only thing it brought to mind was the legendary concept of pure, unadulterated stupidity.

Paired with the downturned corners of a mouth that looked ready to drool at any moment, the stupidity bordered on pathological, feeling almost tangible.

An organization dedicated to studying the beginning and end of the world was using the face of a mentally disabled alien as its symbol?

Fu Qian never looked down on brave human pioneers, but in that moment, he still had to marvel at the courage on display.

Was it to constantly remind themselves of their own stupidity?

If so, that level of humility was genuinely impressive.

"Welcome. It sounds like you are quite interested in our topic."

Considering the ice was already broken, Fu Qian didn't stand on ceremony. He was the first to speak, his posture relaxed and casual.

Welcome...

This choice of words was completely subverting the heavenly order. Setting aside the fact that the man had just signaled them to shut up, what was he welcoming them for?

Had he forgotten who the actual host was?

"What are you doing here?"

The fully dressed researcher was clearly displeased, offering a cold reminder of that fact.

"Basking in the sun."

And this time, A Fei proved he still retained some memory.

His mouth was as fast as his sword. He didn't even wait for Fu Qian to answer before repeating their earlier excuse.

...

The air grew scorching.

His words were brief but lethal. The moment A Fei mentioned basking in the sun, the Sun Apostle's mood tangibly soured.

He fell completely silent, looking as though he wanted to slam the door shut.

In fact, the scorching atmosphere wasn't just a vibe; it was a physical sensation.

Fu Qian was entirely certain that the temperature was actually rising, so much so that it felt as if the scene of twin suns hanging in the sky was about to replay itself—which was impossible.

Accompanied by a bizarre sound, a streak of light whizzed past him.

Fu Qian took a step back to make room for this move.

Yes, A Fei had attacked directly.

It wasn't surprising in the least. In a half-asleep state, people often became purer in their actions.

Even after trading philosophical riddles for so long, A Fei clearly hadn't forgotten what he was here to do.

If Brother Sun Apostle had maintained his friendly conversational demeanor, A Fei might have stayed dazed a little longer.

Instead, the man had suffered an immediate stress reaction to a single sentence. In that case, he couldn't blame a hunter chosen by an evil god for having an even stronger stress reaction in return.

As for why Professor Fu, having foreseen this risk, hadn't stepped in to preemptively avoid it, or wasn't trying to break up the fight now?

Even putting peaceful coexistence aside, milking him for a bit more intelligence would seem highly valuable—but doing so would ruin his image as the mastermind behind the scenes.

Changing a predetermined strategy on the fly was always a cardinal mistake of strategists.

Fu Qian certainly had the ability to do so, and he likely would have gained a bit more information.

But behind those petty gains lay a deeper entanglement in the causal chains, which would instantly drag his status down to the same level as his previous outings.

Hence the principle: never doubt those you employ. Since he had entrusted this hunt to A Fei, he might as well trust the swordsman's performance throughout the event.

If his reaction was to attack now, then let him attack. It might even prove to be a better form of communication.

A higher entity needed to act like a higher entity.

...

"You're both insane!"

Without a doubt, the Sun Apostle had suffered another crushing defeat in terms of style.

It was perfectly normal for his brain to short-circuit. A man ready to attack over a single disagreement had run into an opponent whose blade was even faster than his temper.

Not to mention that the man standing off to the side, who appeared to be in complete control of the situation, showed absolutely no intention of stopping it.

As his dignified facade rapidly crumbled, a world-doubting roar erupted from beneath that bizarre face, successfully dragging his dignity down even further.

Clang!

Still, he was an extraordinary survivor. A combatant whose sheer rage could turn the air scorching hot naturally displayed astonishing strength, even when caught off guard.

The Rapier in A Fei's hand unquestionably struck its target, even carving a clean gash through the black robe.

However, as the blade attempted to push deeper, it provoked a crisp sound, as if striking solid stone.

Of course, ordinary stone couldn't possibly stop that sword. The target not only possessed shocking hardness, but also gave off an inexplicable sense of translucency.

It was as if, beneath his surface layer, he was completely hollow.

From this angle, one could clearly see that interior rapidly filling with brilliant light.

Indeed, it seemed the earlier metaphor had become a case where a casual remark proves prophetic.

Not only was his hat shaped like a light bulb, but the Sun Apostle's entire body resembled a humanoid incandescent lamp.

The origin of the scorching heat in the air suddenly became very obvious.

"In that case, the two of you can go die."

Amidst this transformation, the Sun Apostle's voice rapidly bled of all emotion.

Though it was a cruel declaration, it sounded as if he were merely delivering the decree of a God.

Ding—

At the exact moment he spoke, A Fei's second strike was casually blocked by a single finger.

...

Although he still looked as though he might doze off at any second, A Fei's second strike wasn't just blindingly fast, it was adaptable.

Specifically, since the surface seemed indestructible, he aimed for a spot without one. This strike drove straight for the Sun Apostle's speaking mouth.

Unfortunately, the Sun Apostle seemed to have Insight into this intent, raising a finger to his lips a split second earlier.

It created the visual effect of shushing an offender and telling them to stop acting out.

And A Fei indeed stopped acting out.

After his second failed attempt, he instantly withdrew his Rapier and retreated with equal swiftness.

Ugh—

But even so, a low, beast-like growl tore through his throat a moment later, sounding as though he were in immense pain.

The reason was simple: the Rapier in A Fei's hand was rapidly turning blindingly bright.

The starting point was the exact spot that had just touched the finger.

The Sun Apostle hadn't stopped him from escaping, nor did he even look like he intended to pursue.

In truth, the Chastisement had already been dealt, directly raining down a solar flare upon the weapon.

The light and heat were staggering.

In the blink of an eye, the glare grew so intense it hurt to blink.

The astonishing radiance pouring off the Rapier practically robbed one of their vision.

Fu Qian could even smell the aroma of roasting meat.

It seemed that if A Fei didn't want to be incinerated into a lump of charcoal, he had better let go of his recently acquired weapon.

Clang!

And he indeed let go of it.

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