Eldritch Horror Theatre

'What is this?'

Fu Qian looked at the item in Su Gao's hand.

Pulling out a die with such a tense expression at a moment like this was undeniably jarring.

However, seeing how solemn Su Gao looked, the item had to be something extraordinary.

It was definitely a transcendent item, for one. Fu Qian could tell that much just standing there.

He could even sense a special connection between it and Su Gao.

'But given its shape, it's highly unlikely to be a weapon. What is she planning to do with it?'

Fu Qian stayed silent, deciding to wait and see how the situation developed.

Right now, Su Gao held the die tightly, her eyes shut in deep concentration.

'Is she telling fortunes?'

Watching the die spin wildly across the floor, Fu Qian's frown deepened.

He could vaguely sense that with every roll of the die, Su Gao's will was being disturbed and pulled, worsening her already fragile mental state.

'This is a bit sinister, no matter how you look at it. Could her Dollification have something to do with this?'

'Gambling is harmful to your mental health—that saying truly does not deceive me!'

As its spinning gradually slowed, Fu Qian bent over and reached for the die.

Blood splattered!

Before his hand even got close, it was sliced by invisible blades.

In an instant, a web of crisscrossing cuts appeared on his hand, deep enough to expose bone.

'This thing really is dangerous, and it clearly doesn't want anyone else touching it.'

Unfortunately for the die, his mangled hand didn't hesitate despite the fierce resistance. Braving the flying flesh and blood, he grabbed it firmly.

A massive force radiated from it; the die in his palm refused to rest, tearing at the surrounding flesh as it struggled to break free.

But the hand wrapped around it turned dark and heavy in the blink of an eye, pinning it in his palm like a pair of iron tongs.

After struggling relentlessly and finding it wouldn't budge an inch, the object finally went still.

At the same time, Su Gao opened her eyes.

The next moment, she pointed her Long Blade at Fu Qian, her voice carrying a faint sense of disappointment.

"It really is all fake. Even you... are fake."

'Not good!'

As soon as Su Gao spoke, Fu Qian knew something was wrong. He immediately retreated, dodging the strike.

'Judging from what she just said, did she take everything around her for an illusion?'

'Just because the water and moon inverted outside earlier?'

'It was a bit surreal, sure, but there's no need for such an extreme reaction!'

Unfortunately, Su Gao was clearly convinced that everything before her was a mirage. Vowing to sever her inner demons, her blade was absolutely merciless.

'It feels like this misunderstanding will be hard to clear up!'

While dodging the fierce flashes of the blade, Fu Qian's mind raced.

'If it has something to do with this thing...' He squeezed his hand around the die.

Unfortunately, not only did the object remain completely undamaged, it even unleashed a sharp counterattack several times stronger than before. Even his transformed hand struggled to withstand it.

'Crushing it directly doesn't seem to be an option. Besides, before confirming its properties, acting rashly might not be a good idea.'

'I still need to stop her first.' Fu Qian looked at Su Gao.

'But her current state practically screams fragility. Just knocking her out probably won't work. If I hit her too hard, it might lead straight to what we saw in the illusion just now—her soul and spirit utterly destroyed.'

'I'll have to use my words.'

Having made up his mind, Fu Qian took another deep breath.

"Vi-o-let-ta!"

Then he shouted, his voice erupting like rolling thunder.

Hammered by the violent sonic wave, the ruthless hunter Su Gao instantly shuddered, and the blade in her hand slowed.

'It's working!'

Fu Qian nodded and decisively pressed his advantage.

"Mar-ga-ret!"

"Sou-ff-le!"

"Ho-ney-bel-la!"

'Wait, was that last one two names? Whatever, as long as it works.'

After the final shockwave, Su Gao's movements ground to a complete halt.

Not only did her weapon stop half a meter away from Fu Qian, her entire body was trembling!

Clang!

The sound of the Long Blade hitting the floor rang out. She clutched her head with one hand, looking to be in immense pain.

'Did those names actually remind her of something?'

Seeing this, Fu Qian let out a relieved sigh.

'Of course, it's also possible I just deafened her. After all, I was a bit loud just now.'

"Can we have a proper chat now?"

To account for the second possibility, Fu Qian deliberately moved into Su Gao's line of sight.

'This way, if she knows how to read lips, it should still work.'

"Mhm..."

It was rare to see such a look in Su Gao's eyes. Her confusion was filled with an indescribable struggle.

Even back in the Rotten Forest, she hadn't worn an expression like this.

Fu Qian sighed, opened his palm, and presented the die to her.

"What is this thing?"

"This is... Hidden Thread."

The moment she saw the die, a sliver of emotion actually rippled through Su Gao.

'Hidden Thread? That's quite a unique name for a die.'

Fu Qian frowned slightly. Unlike earlier, the small die had settled down and was resting peacefully in his palm.

"Is it a transcendent item?"

"Yes."

"Why were you so convinced that everything here was an illusion just now?"

To get her to speak a bit more, Fu Qian handed it directly back to Su Gao.

...

Su Gao took it silently. After staring at it for a long time, she finally spoke.

"Hidden Thread is a special item sealed by the Night Watchers. I specially applied to borrow it for our current target."

"It has no offensive capabilities on its own, but it works wonders against mental influences like illusions and psychological suggestion."

"When using it, you first establish a connection through a special method, which locks it onto a specific number."

"If you find yourself in a situation where you can't confirm whether you're under a mental influence, you can roll the die. If the locked number appears, it means everything is normal."

'A number...' Fu Qian seemed to realize something.

"And if it isn't?"

"If it isn't... it means an external force has twisted your will, and your perception has been disturbed."

"In that case, you can use it to isolate and divide your current will, purging the corruption and restoring your true self."

'Sounds impressive. The Night Watchers really do have a lot of good stuff!'

After hearing Su Gao's explanation, Fu Qian basically understood the effects of Hidden Thread.

'Judging from its effects, it's quite excellent. Carrying this is basically equivalent to being able to manually check your own mental state.'

Fu Qian couldn't help but think of the Siren Tear Mask that had already perished in the line of duty.

'The Night Watchers seem to have a lot of items that target mental influences.'

'But it makes sense when you think about it. After all, as the top transcendent organization, there are very few people brave enough to fight them head-on.'

'Pulling sneaky tricks like mental suggestion would naturally be the go-to choice for rogue transcendents.'

'Besides, if I remember correctly, the side effects of the Siren Tear Mask were no small matter.'

"Does this thing have any negative effects?"

"It does... It's alive and has a will of its own, so it can't be used frequently. If used more than ten times in quick succession, it will lead to parasitic possession on a mental level."

Oh? Fu Qian raised an eyebrow.

"How many times have you used it?"

"Just now was the sixth time."

'I delayed you quite a bit. My bad, my bad!'

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