Eldritch Horror Theatre

Was that only the sixth time?

Then according to the properties of the Hidden Thread, the effects of psychological parasitism shouldn't have appeared yet.

After Su Gao finished explaining the Die's function, Fu Qian sank into deep thought.

The Night Watchers wouldn't make a mistake about this. After all, writing flawed instructions would only screw over their own people.

But Violetta, Margaret, Hani, Bella, Soufflé... he had indeed encountered five people inside the Consciousness Cage.

Trapped in that chaotic cage, they could lose themselves in the Fairy Tale World at any moment and never wake up. This seemed to align perfectly with the Hidden Thread's effect of "severing distortion and purging corruption."

Though no matter how he looked at them, they didn't seem like the products of mental distortion.

It seemed Su Gao's mind had been carved into pieces by the Hidden Thread before the negative effects of psychological parasitism could even manifest.

Her clearly abnormal state proved as much.

As for why this was happening, he couldn't be sure just yet. He wondered if it had something to do with Madam Madeline.

Moreover, Su Gao herself didn't seem to realize this—or perhaps she did, but simply chalked it up to her cognition being distorted.

Looking at Su Gao, who stood frozen like a Doll, Fu Qian sighed inwardly.

"Mr. Fu, I am truly glad to have met you."

"Even if this is just a hallucination."

At that moment, after a long silence, Su Gao spoke again, her voice increasingly ethereal.

"But I'm sorry. Before I lose myself completely, I still have an unfinished duty."

"That criminal has hurt a lot of innocent people. Adults... children... little boys... little girls..."

"So, I can't stay here too long."

"But I really am glad that as I slip into this hallucination, yours is the voice I hear... Thank you!"

As she spoke, Su Gao raised the Die in her hand once again.

'...She really does still believe she's in a hallucination!'

Fu Qian wasn't entirely surprised by her reaction.

Judging from their previous encounters, this girl was resolute and stubborn. Once her mind was made up, she rarely changed it.

And right now, driven to catch her target, she had clearly locked onto the belief that the Hidden Thread was the only reliable thing left. She refused to trust anything else.

Logically, the solution was simple: let her roll the Die again. Once she saw the result, she would naturally realize this wasn't an illusion.

But that would mean another piece of her mind would likely be sliced off and thrown into that cage.

Given her current state, she might even forget her own name by then.

And once her mind completely shattered, her Dollification would probably reach one hundred percent.

"Hold on a second."

With this in mind, Fu Qian took two steps forward and reached out to stop her.

"Hmm?"

"Distinguishing reality from illusion certainly isn't easy."

Fu Qian spoke at an unhurried pace, unfazed by the resolute killing intent rising from Su Gao.

"But you're missing the point."

"...What do you mean?"

"Do you know what it means to be a professional?"

Meeting her confusion, Fu Qian scoffed, putting on a flawless display of absolute authority.

"There is no need to distinguish between reality and illusion at all. A true operations advisor can still provide professional guidance, even if he is just a hallucination!"

...

Fu Qian's overbearing logic clearly short-circuited Su Gao's thought process.

The effect, however, was obvious. Her hand gripping the Die came to a halt.

"A child worthy of teaching. Now, tell me the situation in detail. Don't leave anything out."

Seeing this encouraging change, Fu Qian smiled and nodded.

...

"I get it. Words are empty; I need to show you a trick first."

When Su Gao remained silent, Fu Qian pointed at her palm.

"How about this: I'll ask you a question. What is the number you locked onto?"

"...I'm sorry, I can't—"

"You can't tell anyone, right? That's fine, because I can tell you."

Fu Qian raised a hand to stop her from speaking, recalling how Soufflé had opened the door.

"Six, right?"

...

Although Su Gao didn't make a sound, Fu Qian could still feel her irrepressible shock.

'Just as I thought. It's the same number!'

"So, what did I just say? Don't be nervous. Relax."

Fu Qian didn't explain how he knew. He simply pointed at the Die in Su Gao's hand.

"Put that away first and answer a few questions for me."

"Okay."

After a brief hesitation, Su Gao seemed finally convinced. That single word carried an indescribable sense of relief.

"Excellent!"

Fu Qian didn't hold back his praise as he gestured toward the nearby stairs.

"Your mission isn't finished yet, is it? We can walk and talk."

"...Alright. Are we going up or down?"

Su Gao looked out at the upside-down world.

"Let's head up. I feel like the view is better up there."

Following her gaze, Fu Qian looked out at the boundless curtain of water overhead.

"Mhm."

Su Gao voiced no objections. She carefully put away her blade and followed behind Fu Qian.

"First, tell me—where are we?"

Fu Qian asked casually as they walked.

"This is a forbidden zone. The danger level is classified as medium."

Beside him, Su Gao's tone was brisk.

She seemed entirely convinced that Fu Qian was a figment of her imagination, so she didn't find it strange at all that he had no idea where they were.

"According to our current files, this place produces almost no materials of value, so very few people ever come here."

"I tracked my target all the way here. It's my first time visiting, but now that I'm actually inside, it's far more bizarre than the files suggested."

"The most direct change is that everyone who enters receives varying degrees of enhancement."

"My target this time excels at shapeshifting and mental manipulation. When we were outside, I could handle him easily enough. I didn't expect his threat level to skyrocket after entering this place. It forced me to rely on the Hidden Thread just to keep my sanity."

'You wouldn't call that keeping your sanity. That's mental dismemberment.'

Fu Qian sighed, frowning.

"Are you saying this place has some special power that can amplify a person's abilities?"

"It appears so for now."

Su Gao nodded.

"Did the files you read mention anything like that?"

"No, they didn't. But the target definitely grew stronger, and my own strength received a significant boost as well. So I figured—"

"You can't just rely on assumptions."

Fu Qian wagged a finger, lowering his head deep in thought.

'Everyone?'

'I count as part of "everyone," so why haven't I felt any enhancement?'

'This place is clearly bizarre!'

Judging from their previous clashes, the target Su Gao was tracking seemed deeply familiar with this place, using an information advantage to set a trap.

And if Su Gao truly had mutilated her own mind five times, it meant the so-called stronger mental manipulation was a complete misunderstanding on her part.

Looking at it from that angle, the enhancement in this place might have only applied to her.

'So the question is... why?'

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