Eldritch Horror Theatre

It did more than that... it even threw up in your stomach.

The previous suggestion had sounded serious enough, but the follow-up immediately felt off.

Even if the logic held up, was this really the time to worry about it?

Wait a minute. Given who he was, he really had no reason to care.

Somewhat stunned by Fu Qian's answer, Yuan Shan looked like she wanted to retort, but she abruptly swallowed her words.

Fu Qian found her mixed reactions perfectly understandable.

After all, what was his current status? An official prisoner.

When a captor fell into a trap, the captive would normally be overjoyed. Why would he have any obligation to clear things up for her?

Giving her that earlier piece of advice was already generous enough.

As a typical Psychic Type, her head-on combat abilities might not have seen much action, but her sharp perception was definitely trustworthy.

Back in Shangjing, when that Tier 2 Prison Archangel tried to pull a fast one, Wen Li had spotted it and even managed to send a warning, despite not having reached High Tier at the time.

Maybe that had simply fallen into her area of expertise, but she had clearly grown since then, hadn't she?

"Something really is wrong."

Fu Qian didn't need to say another word. Even as Chief Yuan wrestled with her conflicting thoughts, someone else chimed in to agree.

Right, there was also the Lucent Sword Heart to consider.

Fu Qian followed the voice and saw Classmate Liushuang already standing on alert with her sword drawn. He felt a wave of gratification, like a teacher watching a student excel.

...

"How is it wrong?"

With another participant stepping forward, the scales tipped a little further in Wen Li's favor.

Seeing Wen Li struggling against her discomfort, clearly in no shape to answer, Yuan Shan immediately turned to Ji Liushuang to verify what she was feeling.

"It really is a poison... but it doesn't target the flesh in the usual way, which is why it's so hard to detect."

Without needing to be prompted, Classmate Liushuang had already given the anomaly her full focus, immersing herself in sensing whatever was affecting them.

"It's not targeting our minds either, or at least my will feels fine... but it really is spreading."

Not targeting the body or the mind? But it was still a poison? Was she sure about that description?

Unfortunately, even this live update was met with skepticism.

Though no one voiced it aloud, Chief Yuan and several others frowned, mulling over Ji Liushuang's strange description.

"Here..."

But a Dao heart was no joke. As someone on the path of cultivation, Classmate Liushuang wouldn't be swayed by a little external doubt.

Muttering to herself, she stepped forward. The group's eyes followed her as she walked right up to the door they had opened earlier and gave it a pull.

There was no visible lock, yet against the strength of someone in the Transcendent Tier, the reasonably heavy wooden door refused to budge an inch.

"It seems... it won't open."

After giving it a second try, Classmate Liushuang turned back to the group and confirmed the bad news.

...

It was already locked?

Human psychology was a funny thing. A person could sit happily in a room drinking tea all afternoon, but the second the door was locked, they would immediately feel restless and trapped.

"How can that be?"

The sudden news that they had lost their freedom sparked a strong reaction from the group, especially from Professor Lisa, who had just opened that very door to welcome them.

With a gasp, she moved so fast she left an afterimage in the candlelight, rushing straight to the door.

Classmate Liushuang didn't say a word, simply stepping back to give her room.

Lisa was far less gentle. Her rough grip made it look like she might crush the wood to splinters.

"It really won't open..."

Yet, despite strength no ordinary person could match, the partially wooden door remained completely immovable.

After several failed attempts, even Lisa had to admit the unbelievable truth. She turned back to the group, muttering to herself.

"Try breaking it down."

Chief Yuan proved her experience and steady nature. Staying exactly where she was, she suggested a more direct approach.

They were all seasoned professionals; they had eyes in their heads.

It was obvious that the chances of those two putting on an act to trick everyone were practically zero. There was no need for anyone else to go up and foolishly test the knob.

Bang!

Professor Lisa clearly had no strong feelings about preserving historical architecture. The moment Yuan Shan made the suggestion, she shifted from pulling to pushing and drove a fist directly into the door.

Unfortunately, even her instantaneous strike failed to act as a proper sneak attack.

The door didn't budge an inch, and even the sound of the impact rang out with a bizarre tone.

"That's a bit freaky."

This kind of blunt resistance clearly frustrated Professor Lisa. Gritting her teeth, she pulled a pitch-black Glove onto her hand and stepped over to the much larger main doors.

"Don't bother trying... cough, cough..."

But before she could escalate her demolition attempts, Wen Li's voice stopped her.

In those few short moments, Wen Li seemed to have recovered some of her bearings. She coughed lightly, wiping a streak of blood from the corner of her mouth.

"We're trapped here... the 'poison's' effect is eroding our sense of self, allowing this place to digest us."

...

Digest? Some twisted form of cannibalism?

Never resting until her words astonished, Wen Li had just delivered news that was undoubtedly grim.

The concept was easy enough to grasp: some bizarre erosion was breaking down their boundaries, making them less distinct from the Sanctuary around them.

It subjected them to unseen restrictions. Things they could normally smash with ease were now shielded by the fundamental laws of this space.

Neither the doors nor the walls could be broken by mere brute force anymore.

So they were really trapped? Worse yet, if the poisoning was steadily deepening like they claimed, dragging this out was only going to make things harder...

As the group's thoughts spiraled, their morale took a visible hit.

"It's definitely becoming more obvious. Feel it for yourselves. I'm sure you already know I'm telling the truth."

But looking on the bright side, by using this undeniable predicament, Eldest Miss Wen seemed to have achieved her initial goal: becoming the person in charge of this entire Dark Sanctuary operation.

As if reading the room's thoughts, she drove her point home, confirming that the situation was steadily deteriorating and that they would all soon feel it themselves.

"I believe you. I can already feel it too."

Proving herself to be the most reliable partner, Yuan Shan was the first to speak up, firmly backing her judgment.

"What puzzles me is this specific effect—our sense of self being swallowed by this place..."

Turning her head, Yuan Shan pointed straight at Fu Qian, raising a crucial question.

"Doesn't that sound a lot like the torture your prisoner is currently going through?"

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