Eldritch Horror Theatre

The first student who couldn't hold it back instantly triggered a chain reaction, and for a time, the sound of retching echoed without end.

The culprit, Fu Qian, stood expressionless to the side, staring thoughtfully at the "finger-hand" on the ground.

"What we ran into last time was hair."

Ji Liushuang leaned in close to Fu Qian and whispered.

She had only dry-heaved a few times earlier without actually throwing up, but her face remained pale.

Yet a beauty was still a beauty; even so, her charm hadn't diminished in the slightest. If anything, her pallor gave her a pitiful vulnerability.

Fu Qian nodded.

"It's highly likely."

He knew what Ji Liushuang was trying to say.

In fact, from the very beginning, Fu Qian suspected that these things likely came from actual human bodies.

Judging by the architecture of the ruins, this place had undoubtedly existed for many years.

Even if this area was isolated, it was highly improbable that absolutely no one had wandered in over such a long span of time.

And its nature of allowing entry but forbidding exit meant that the things inside would only accumulate.

Yet, despite being in the ruins for this long, they hadn't seen a single normal living creature.

While one could assume that any people or animals who entered had already starved to death, they hadn't found any corpses either, which was a bit eerie.

As for the two types of monsters that had appeared, their appearances made it hard not to let one's imagination run wild.

Ji Liushuang realized this, feeling that these creatures might be related to the people who had trespassed here in the past.

In truth, Fu Qian had already formed a similar hypothesis the moment he saw that clump of hair.

Because he remembered very clearly that the containment condition for 1-003, the Angel of Comfort, was to "escape the Furnace."

The Furnace undoubtedly referred to the ruins enclosed by the barrier, but the name itself was quite intriguing.

Was it like a smelting furnace, except its raw materials weren't minerals, but the living creatures that wandered inside?

If this theory held true, it would explain several situations they had encountered so far.

In fact, Fu Qian had already arranged a way to verify it.

Deep in thought, Fu Qian sensed an unfriendly gaze directed at him.

Looking up, he found Yuan Xin—who had been quite proactive all along—staring at him with a hint of hostility.

Huh.

It took Fu Qian half a second to figure out why.

Even a blind man could see how overly attentive Yuan Xin was toward Ji Liushuang.

As the two heavy hitters of the team, they had communicated quite a bit, and some decisions had practically been settled through their private discussions.

Did Ji Liushuang suddenly coming over to talk to him make Yuan Xin feel slighted or left out?

Especially since he, a former fringe member, had just received an official Tier 6 certification.

It was understandable for him to shoot that kind of glare.

But understanding aside, Fu Qian had absolutely no interest in coddling this kind of hostility aimed at all "potential competitors" just because someone's mating season had arrived.

It was fine for people to be influenced by hormones, but an aspiring young man should learn how to regulate himself. Not to mention, this guy looked a few years older than he was.

Therefore, Fu Qian didn't entertain a single thought of keeping his distance, calmly continuing his chat with Ji Liushuang.

From afar, Yuan Xin's expression gradually began to twist.

At that moment, a noise came from not far away. A group of people came rushing over—it was the third team finally arriving.

One, two, three, four...

Fu Qian swept his gaze over them. The team's numbers were fully intact, and there was nothing unusual about their condition. They had probably gotten lucky and avoided any attacks.

Running at the very front was a young man with long hair. At first glance, he looked exceedingly frail, as if a gust of wind could blow him over, yet he moved nimbly across the rugged terrain like he was walking on flat ground.

"Dean Li!"

The newcomer halted, sweeping his gaze through the crowd, and promptly called out when he spotted Li Weixuan.

Fu Qian, however, sharply noticed that the man visibly froze for a moment when his eyes landed on Ji Liushuang.

This guy... seemed very surprised to see Ji Liushuang here.

If he remembered correctly, the signal sent to the third team just now was also done using an Arrow Bell... Had he misunderstood something?

Fu Qian suddenly had a good idea of who had called in that assassin.

When this guy saw the signal, he probably assumed the assassin had succeeded and hurried over to confirm the kill, only to find Ji Liushuang standing there perfectly fine. That would explain his shock.

If his guess was right, it was truly hard to imagine what kind of deep-seated grudge would drive him to order a hit on a classmate.

Of course, it was even more impossible for this guy to guess where his hired assassin had gone, or why they had delayed making a move.

Women were quite sensitive to the gazes of others. Ji Liushuang also seemed to notice that he was looking at her strangely, though she definitely wouldn't be able to figure out why.

"Dean Li, ringing the Arrow Bell multiple times in a row like that—did something happen?"

The long-haired youth looked at Li Weixuan in confusion.

"The operation is canceled. From now on, no one is to act without authorization."

Li Weixuan looked at the gathered students.

These were the treasures of the Academy, comprising nearly all the elites at this stage.

"There are hidden dangers inside these ruins. Two teams have been attacked in succession, and two students have already lost their lives."

"And that isn't even the worst news right now."

As a collective gasp swept through the crowd, Li Weixuan added another sentence.

Very quickly, Li Weixuan explained the situation regarding the barrier to the third team and laid out his plan.

"Next, I want you to split into two teams."

He gestured with his hand.

"For now, it seems the outskirts of the ruins are still relatively safe. You will explore in two directions along the edge of the barrier, checking for any hidden gaps and getting a rough idea of the overall terrain."

"If we are unfortunate enough that this barrier is truly airtight, then we should eventually meet up at a single point."

Before long, the group arrived at the edge of the barrier under Li Weixuan's lead.

"All the wounded will be on my team, and the rest of you will form the other. If you encounter a threat you can't handle, send out a signal immediately."

After Li Weixuan finished assigning the teams, the long-haired youth walked over with a smile.

"You'd better not get in the way later."

Yuan Xin clearly didn't welcome him. Coupled with his already foul mood, his tone was blunt and rude.

"Don't worry, I definitely won't get in your way when you go throwing your life away."

The long-haired youth, Huang Zhaoyan, wasn't afraid of him in the slightest, merely sneering repeatedly.

It was easy to tell that the two of them normally didn't get along.

"This is a matter of life and death. I don't want any conflict within the team. Otherwise, regardless of what status you hold on the outside, I won't show you any mercy."

Li Weixuan looked coldly at Yuan Xin and the others, delivering a stern warning.

The Peak Tier 4 expert was clearly in a terrible mood, his body already faintly exuding murderous intent.

No matter how much Yuan Xin and Huang Zhaoyan despised each other, in this situation, neither dared to cross swords anymore. They dutifully nodded in agreement.

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