Eldritch Horror Theatre

"What do you mean? Don't you want to save her?"

Knowing this was his last lifeline, Ji Yicheng had planned to negotiate with Fu Qian to secure as many guarantees as possible. He never expected him to refuse so decisively.

"Do you even realize that while she looks fine, she could completely lose her mind at any moment?"

A distinct note of hysteria crept into his voice.

"Calm down."

Facing the man's roars, Fu Qian made a shushing gesture and turned to Elena.

"How do you feel?"

"Very good. Very peaceful."

A gentle smile graced Elena's face.

"He hasn't been this spirited in a long time."

"I can tell."

Fu Qian nodded evenly.

"Elena."

Standing to the side, Cross looked at the girl. He seemed deeply pained, but under the influence of the Ruins, his tone remained perfectly calm.

A moment later, he turned back to Fu Qian and Ji Yicheng.

"I don't trust the two of you."

"Completely understandable. I wouldn't either, in your shoes."

Thinking back, his interactions with Elena and her guardian hadn't exactly been pleasant. Strictly speaking, he was largely responsible for Cross ending up severely injured and on the verge of losing control.

As for Ji Yicheng, even if Cross didn't recognize him, his current appearance would make it incredibly hard to win anyone's favor.

"I will find a way to cure Elena myself."

"Once you walk out that door, it's not even guaranteed you'll be able to stand, let alone speak."

Fu Qian flatly punctured the man's bravado.

"Are you absolutely sure you won't let him treat Elena?"

...

"She has already suffered too much."

Cross remained silent for a long time before finally shaking his head.

"I promised her father I would do everything in my power to protect her."

"I may lack the discernment to see your true intentions, but the two of you are dangerous. Letting you near her will bring nothing good."

"You see that?"

Fu Qian looked back at Ji Yicheng.

"Neither the patient nor her guardian is willing to accept your treatment."

"Idiots!"

Ji Yicheng roared. He wanted to say more, but Fu Qian simply waved a hand to cut him off.

The man instantly fell silent. Fu Qian glanced around the room and nodded in satisfaction.

"Everyone, follow me."

"Why should we?"

While Ji Yicheng stood there in shock, Cross was the first to voice an objection.

"Because she wants to."

Fu Qian pointed at Elena, then asked her directly.

"Do you want to look around?"

"Sure!"

She agreed almost without hesitation, stepping forward with eager anticipation.

In some ways, she had almost mentally regressed into an infant. Guiding her couldn't be any easier.

"You see? As a failed guardian, there is still one more thing you can do right now, and that's to protect her while respecting her wishes."

Fu Qian's words were undeniably sharp. Had Cross not been in such a peculiar state of mind, he likely would have died of shame.

"Alright."

Under the current circumstances, he ultimately said no more, simply following silently behind Elena.

...

"Elena, have you ever heard of a woman named Lorraine?"

Fu Qian struck up a casual conversation as he led the way.

"Lorraine..."

She thought for a moment before nodding.

"If it's the Lorraine I know, she was one of the earliest explorers of the Wasteland. She was smart, alert, and quite strong."

"Unfortunately, a while ago, she and her husband went missing, one after the other."

That matched the information Ji Yicheng had provided.

Fu Qian was undoubtedly satisfied with this answer.

"What were Lorraine's abilities?"

"She was an incredibly agile swordswoman. Aside from that, I don't think she had any particularly special powers."

No special powers? The probability of this being a Cognitive Misalignment was growing higher and higher.

...

"Alright, this is far enough."

By now, the group had returned to the Hall of Mirrors. Fu Qian signaled for the others to stop.

That sensation of being purified appeared once again.

In just this brief span of time, that entity had actually relocated here. Fortunately, they hadn't slammed headfirst right into it.

Still, this wasn't a bad thing. At the very least, it saved them the walking time.

Now, it was time to begin.

"What are you trying to do?"

Although he lacked the courage to oppose Fu Qian, Ji Yicheng's desire to survive was as strong as ever, prompting him to immediately bark the question.

"Those who think highly of themselves don't mind a temporary low point. What they truly fear is realizing they aren't the protagonist of the story."

Unfortunately, Fu Qian completely ignored him, simply pacing around casually.

"Are you trying to say that you're the only protagonist of this story?"

Ji Yicheng gritted his teeth, forcing his expression under control to avoid showing too much disgust.

"No, I'm not either."

Unexpectedly, Fu Qian shook his head.

"But someone is."

"Who?"

Even though he knew pressing the issue was stupid, Ji Yicheng couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Do you still remember what turned you into this?"

"...That was a person? Who? Lorraine?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Fu Qian sighed.

"All four of us here have gone through experiences that could be called legendary. Now, the time has come to witness who the true protagonist is. It's time for the process of elimination."

"What are you doing—"

Seeming to sense the danger, Ji Yicheng roared in terror and subconsciously tried to flee backward.

Tragically, sky-blotting tentacles surged up in an instant, completely submerging him.

In the blink of an eye, the already heavily injured man lost all ability to resist and was hoisted straight into the air.

"What is it you really want..."

Ji Yicheng let out one last, feeble cry.

"I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself."

"Prove?"

"Yes. Prove that you're the protagonist."

Fu Qian didn't waste any more words. He tossed Ji Yicheng's massive body directly toward a specific spot.

His earlier pacing hadn't been out of boredom. He had been relying on the shifting intensity of that purifying sensation to triangulate the exact position of the invisible target.

The next moment, a familiar, blinding radiance erupted before their eyes.

Amid a scream full of bitter unwillingness, Ji Yicheng's rotund body was like a moth drawn to a flame. Following in the footsteps of the dried Angel corpse from earlier, he was reduced to flying ash.

This time, he should be completely dead.

It was a pity he wasn't the protagonist, because the notification for task completion still hadn't appeared.

Fu Qian shook his head as he watched the scene.

Truly powerful. Although he still hadn't confirmed how Lorraine had turned into this, forcing a direct confrontation with her was highly likely to fail.

Just look at how fiercely the dried corpse and Ji Yicheng had flanked her earlier, only to be instantly obliterated.

So, to deal with her, he would most likely need to find another way.

Fu Qian turned his head. Cross was looking over at the same time.

"I'll give you a choice. Do you want to charge in on your own?"

Fu Qian asked, blinking.

"And if I choose not to?"

Cross had clearly recognized the power gap between them. He simply replied coldly, making no attempt to take action.

"Then you'll charge in looking a lot less dignified."

"So I actually don't have a choice?"

"How is that possible? Doing it voluntarily is much more respectable."

...

Cross remained silent for a brief moment before finally lifting his Flanged Mace.

He had only taken two steps forward when a wall of fire abruptly materialized in front of him, blocking his path.

"Let me do it."

Elena stood with her back to them, her voice echoing faintly.

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