Eldritch Horror Theatre

Fu Qian's sudden appearance undoubtedly startled the two people in the room.

"Why are you here? Where is Rachel?"

Li Min, who had controlled the situation all along, sounded grave for the first time.

For one, she had never expected Fu Qian to find this place, let alone arrive so quickly.

For another, she realized she hadn't sensed him hiding above them at all. He seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

This guy... his strength was probably even more terrifying than she had guessed!

"Don't worry, she's perfectly fine. Right now, she and Rolden are probably still staring into each other's eyes,"

Fu Qian said, gesturing for Li Min not to worry about her good friend.

"And there's no need to thank me. When Rachel made her escape, our friend Rolden likely volunteered to cover her retreat for a bit."

Though slightly confused, Li Min didn't doubt Fu Qian's words and shifted her focus to another issue.

"Your condition seems a bit peculiar, doesn't it?"

Instead of answering her question, Fu Qian just looked her up and down.

In terms of sheer power, her current state was significantly stronger than before—she was firmly at the Mid Tier level now.

At the same time, the terrifying heat radiating from her body was entirely real.

From this angle, he could clearly see the scorch marks branded across her skin and even catch the faint smell of roasting flesh.

It felt as though she had swallowed fire itself.

What an interesting technique!

"It's just a special method to stimulate one's potential. It requires a specific item to pull off."

Faced with Fu Qian's curiosity, Li Min answered calmly and honestly.

"But by relying on it, I can temporarily break through my Rank and maintain this form—"

"You won't last much longer."

Claudio's voice cut her off, laced with mockery.

"Even a Mid Tier wouldn't dare use this technique often. For every second you prolong it, your body is ravaged a little more by the flames. It won't be long before you turn into a pile of ash."

Clearly, Li Min's current form posed a genuine threat to him.

This woman had planned meticulously and exhausted every method for the sake of revenge. The situation just moments ago had been incredibly perilous.

And Fu Qian's arrival had undoubtedly introduced a new variable.

Claudio's posture relaxed significantly.

"No, I'm going to turn into ash right alongside you."

In response to his taunt, Li Min simply shook her head with calm determination and looked at Fu Qian.

"Mister Cha, if you don't mind, I'm going to continue."

"Hold her off, and I will give you unimaginable benefits."

Claudio spoke up at almost the exact same time.

"I know you aren't the real Cha Soon-young, but that doesn't matter. I'm not like that idiot Rolden. Whatever your original reasons for doing this, I don't mind in the slightest."

"When the time comes, I will bestow eyes upon you. You will witness true knowledge and receive an enlightenment that surpasses Rank, just like Rolden and the others."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Fu Qian raised an eyebrow.

"I'm a little curious about what kind of eyes you mean."

"I certainly don't mean those two spheres sitting in your sockets. I mean true, inner eyes—eyes that belong to the essence of the spirit."

"Believe me, other than myself, there isn't a second person in all of Percy who can achieve this."

So that's how it is, huh?

Fu Qian rubbed his chin.

It seems this guy is definitely my target for this trip.

Of course, he had pretty much confirmed this before he even jumped down.

His reason for intervening halfway through stemmed from other considerations.

The truth was, in that brief moment earlier, Fu Qian suddenly felt that everything was a bit too theatrical—

A younger brother kills his older sister for some hidden motive. The sister's student learns the truth, ventures into the enemy camp alone, spends ages sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall until she finally tracks down her foe, and then sacrifices everything to see the villain executed and her revenge fulfilled.

He hadn't received many hints for this mission.

However, Fu Qian remembered that the earliest mission description had included a passage that sounded like a movie review.

"Joys and sorrows unfold here; grievances and passions dissipate here."

"And the moment you step inside, you will become part of the cast."

Thinking about it now, those words seemed to carry a deeper meaning.

So, was there even the slightest possibility that the scene playing out before him was just like what he had encountered before—a ritual orchestrated by a hidden Director?

Claudio appeared to be forced into a dead end, but in reality, it was all on purpose.

Based on Fu Qian's understanding of rituals, as long as one received a "revelation" and performed specific actions that aligned with it, they could obtain the corresponding reward.

The core characteristic of this process was that, due to the interference of a special entity, the actions and the resulting reward defied common logic.

In other words, once the ritual was completed, the reward would apply itself directly to you, like a universal law.

The action and the reward did not need to follow traditional cause and effect, nor did they have to make sense.

So if it transcends cause and effect, could it also transcend life and death?

This was the thought that had flashed through Fu Qian's mind moments ago.

For a moment, Fu Qian had a strange feeling: if he let Li Min kill Claudio like this, his mission probably wouldn't be completed.

This villain, who deserved his punishment within the confines of the play, would likely transcend life and death in some incomprehensible way.

Fu Qian looked at Claudio, whose face was full of anticipation.

Li Min was naturally incapable of being the Director, but the same couldn't be said for this old man.

From their earlier conversation, it was clear that this guy was essentially the founding father behind the rampant spread of rituals in Percy, and he had been researching them for years.

If that was truly the case, this mission was far more dangerous than he had imagined.

If he had wasted even a little time outside, or if he had jumped down a second later, the mission would probably have failed already.

"If that is the case, then pardon the offense."

Seeing Fu Qian fall into thought after Claudio's words, Li Min felt a ripple in her Dao heart despite her resolute willpower.

If possible, she absolutely did not want to cross swords with him.

However, her plan did not allow anyone to stand in her way.

As she finished speaking, seemingly affected by her emotions, waves of scorching heat radiated from her body in all directions, as if countless karmic flames were burning inside her, ready to erupt at any moment.

"Don't get agitated,"

Fu Qian said, shooting her a glance.

"I never said I was going to save this guy. The reason I stopped you is because I feel it's more appropriate for me to kill him."

Huh?

At this, it wasn't just Li Min; even Claudio was stunned.

They had assumed he was here to stay the execution, but it turned out he just wanted to swing the blade himself?

"Why?"

Both of them blurted out the burning question in their souls at almost the exact same time.

"Are you asking why I'm stealing your kill?"

"Naturally, I have a perfectly good reason."

Fu Qian let out a cold snort and wiped a hand over his face.

The next second, his facial features and physical appearance rapidly transformed. He quickly shifted into an elderly man with thinning hair and a slightly chubby build.

"Heretics must die!"

Wearing the appearance of Dean Bayrluk Collins, Fu Qian spat out a solemn line.

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