Eldritch Horror Theatre

As expected of a technical specialist, Excellency Nepheli had genuine confidence backing her decision to volunteer.

From the very beginning, Fu Qian didn't think she was just here to show off her torture techniques.

After all, she was someone who had weathered countless ups and downs, forging a massive reputation in both the underworld and lawful society. Taking pride in petty parlor tricks would be far beneath her.

Now, Nepheli had proven exactly that. Her first move was a heavy blow, directly inflicting a deep-level corruption.

Not only was his sense of self being "grafted," but the target of the graft was this mysterious Dark Sanctuary itself.

And this was only the beginning. Once the corruption deepened, there was no telling what the victim's mental state would degrade into.

Anyone lying low for the moment, waiting for a chance to rescue Professor Fu, would clearly have to consider whether there would even be an opportunity later.

Fu Qian casually reached down, confirming that this time, it seemed to be his stomach.

This organ, already naturally pliable, was stretching into bizarre configurations as his abdominal cavity was torn open.

Faced with such a change, Fu Qian's first reaction was to reflect on the importance of moral education.

Previously, due to its physical traits, he had constantly called that entity Excellency Stomach. Well, now it was his turn.

This place even genuinely seemed to be Excellency Stomach's Sanctuary. The karmic retribution couldn't have been swifter.

Amidst his reflections, Fu Qian also pinpointed the corresponding position of his stomach within the Sanctuary—it was the long table right in front of him.

The wine that had splashed out earlier didn't seem to have gone to waste; it was currently seeping into his stomach.

There was good reason to suspect that as time went on, every one of his organs would find a corresponding symbolic representation in this place.

Speaking of which, did this count as a literal temple to the internal organs?

...

It was taken as ordinary at the time, but many experiences required the perfect alignment of time, place, and people, making them incredibly rare.

For example, how many people ever got the chance to see their own heart illuminate their hand, only to cast a shadow upon their own stomach?

The situation looked far from optimistic, but that completely failed to stop Professor Fu from immersing himself in the novel experience and sparking a myriad of tangential thoughts.

"You actually look like you're enjoying this?"

While the others might have found it hard to empathize, Excellency Nepheli, with her background in scientific research, seemed particularly sensitive to this kind of spirit.

After stepping back a little to observe, she made no effort to hide her surprise.

"Is it that obvious?"

Appreciating the source of this experience, Fu Qian looked up at his first tormentor.

'No kidding, you've fondled my heart so much it's practically developing a patina.'

However, Nepheli clearly wasn't the only one provoked by his words.

A quick glance revealed that at least half the people present were frowning at Fu Qian's behavior.

Everyone here had sharp eyes; they could easily tell the difference between torture and flirting.

Even if they did not entirely understand the methods inflicted upon the group's sole male—who was also the only one with an ordinary mortal constitution—it didn't prevent them from feeling the sheer terror behind them.

It was indeed far more ruthless than simple physical pain. As the first person to volunteer, no one could find any fault with her performance.

The only reason the current scene looked so bizarre was mainly that the victim was simply too much of a freak.

Putting aside all the intangible elements, how many people could stare at their own exposed, beating heart and so perfectly embody an absolute reluctance to let it go?

"Very obvious."

For a moment, even Lisa, who had been acting as a spectator for quite some time, chimed in to humor him.

"Just finding joy in suffering. Isn't that what life is all about?"

This drew a hearty laugh from Professor Fu.

Looking down at his body once more, Fu Qian shook his head to convey that he was indeed still in great pain and that they absolutely shouldn't wrong Excellency Nepheli. He even casually threw in some ideological guidance for the young researcher while he was at it.

"But seeing as how you all seem to be in a hurry, who's next?"

...

So he couldn't wait?

Professor Fu's thoughtfulness was certainly touching, but the group looked a bit overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.

This was supposed to be a torture competition, but now the victim was the one rushing them along?

Was this the inner world of a dark researcher? It really made one believe that knowledge came with a curse.

"I hope I did not disappoint."

Moreover, Nepheli's attitude seemed somewhat ambiguous.

Having her proudest methods achieve such a bizarre effect, she didn't show the slightest disappointment. Instead, after Fu Qian helped "clear her name," she looked toward Wen Li with supreme confidence to claim the credit.

"Thank you for your hard work—so, who do you want next?"

Eldest Miss Wen would never abandon her manners. After a calm word of thanks for her hard work, she directed her next question straight at Fu Qian.

Not a bad move. With Excellency Nepheli performing so exceptionally, the rest of them might not have much courage left to volunteer themselves.

At a time like this, letting the victim pick his own poison was evidently a much more suitable choice.

After all, there was plenty of profound meaning to be dug out of whoever the victim ultimately chose.

It was a little sudden, but Fu Qian still showed considerable understanding toward Wen Li's decision.

"Let me think."

The next moment, propping up his ruined body, he swept his gaze across everyone's faces one by one.

...

Everyone's true intentions for coming here were actually quite ambiguous.

They certainly weren't bored enough to play games with children.

From the perspective of the others, the situation had simply developed up to this point following Classmate Liushuang's previous words.

They were each harboring their own motives, their innocence was hard to prove, and ostensibly, they all wanted to leave... so they were pooling their ideas to find a way out.

But for Fu Qian, this process had never been about meekly resigning himself to acting as a prop.

On one hand, the current goal was actually quite clear. It seemed he didn't even need to be rescued; simply arriving safely at the Sanctuary according to Wen Li's original plan would suffice.

As for the other matter, the necessity of figuring out the question raised at the very beginning—why everyone who showed up was a familiar woman—seemed to have grown.

Because it looked like the process of completing the First Step of his task was a game of survival caught in the cracks of their scheming and gambits; they were the true sources of danger.

Therefore, observing how everyone brainstormed together and watching each person's performance during this process was equally meaningful to Fu Qian.

Excellency Nepheli's performance was undoubtedly excellent. As for whose turn it should be next—

As his gaze went around for the second time, Fu Qian finally stopped, his eyes landing on the face of their driver.

"Excuse me."

Resisting the urge to say "bring out the next batch," he very politely invited Chief Yuan to take the stage in the next moment.

Not only did Chief Yuan seem fairly familiar with this place, she was also the driver Wen Li had locked in from the start, indicating they had some sort of special agreement.

How someone in such a role would choose to operate in this kind of situation held great reference value as well.

This...

Though it appeared that this personally selected second tormentor was also somewhat unexpected.

"Not a problem."

Fortunately, Chief Yuan was always one to rise to the occasion. After a brief initial moment of shock, it took her just a single breath to mentally prepare herself—even going so far as to rub her hands together in eager anticipation.

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