Eldritch Horror Theatre

That soon?

Meaning he was about to face two demigods and a Divine Emissary?

Things were getting more and more exciting!

“My thanks. That’s truly wonderful.”

Fu Qian let out a hoarse laugh, expressing his delight.

Considering his current half-mad persona, a flamboyant display was perfectly normal.

“Don’t thank me just yet. Raven Feather never promised he could definitely lift your curse.”

Wehle wasn’t fazed by Fu Qian’s theatrical display. He merely stared at him and shook his head.

“What were you talking about just now?”

“We were discussing the tenant in my head.”

Fu Qian turned to look at Ariel and tapped his own skull.

“He keeps battering my consciousness, trying to make me think I’m a Sage.”

“A Sage...”

Wehle pondered the answer; clearly, the title was unfamiliar to him.

“Don't worry. It's just a few lingering mental imprints. As long as the curse is kept in check, it won't be too hard for me to handle.”

Fu Qian spoke with absolute confidence, seemingly aware of what Wehle was worried about.

“Regardless, you shouldn't push yourself while your condition is this unstable.”

“A mental imprint at the demigod level isn't so easily dealt with. It's very easy to be corrupted without even realizing it.”

Ariel chimed in from the side.

What is this? This earnest, elder-statesman routine doesn't fit his character at all!

Hearing Ariel say this, a thought stirred in Fu Qian’s mind.

As someone who knew Ariel's true background, he felt the man was acting far too benevolent.

And during their earlier conversation, when Fu Qian had offered to rush over and help at the first sign of trouble, Ariel's reaction had seemed a bit tepid.

It made him curious. He wondered what Ariel’s actual "goal" was in showing up here.

...

“He's here!”

Just as Fu Qian was planning to probe further, Wehle suddenly spoke up.

Oh? The legendary demigod Raven Feather has arrived?

Fu Qian looked up. The door hadn't opened, but Wehle had risen to his feet.

The next moment, Wehle tapped his gold-inlaid cane at a slant against the empty air.

Instantly, a ripple of distortion bloomed from the point of impact, rapidly spreading outward.

Wherever the distortion passed, everything seemed swallowed by a shadow, draining into an ashen gray in the blink of an eye.

Isn't this welcoming ceremony a bit too grand?

Watching the scene with keen interest, Fu Qian silently critiqued it. Then, he noticed the Old Man—the landlord who had opened the door for him earlier and subsequently retreated—silently gliding back into the room with his head bowed.

The Old Man walked up and stopped a short distance away, finally raising his head to look at Fu Qian.

Immediately, Fu Qian felt an intense sensation of being watched. Something else was observing him through this man.

If not for the mask, I would most likely have been discovered.

Fu Qian noted inwardly, making an honest assessment.

He didn’t believe the Old Man was actually the legendary Raven Feather in disguise.

This was clearly a method of remote Descent, achieved through the special environment Wehle had created.

So this landlord is actually Raven Feather's puppet?

That makes him absolutely reliable. No wonder they chose this place as the gathering point.

Regardless, the demigod aura radiating from him right now was undeniable. Fu Qian was well and truly surrounded by powerful adversaries.

“Thank you for the trouble.”

Fu Qian didn’t shy away from the scrutiny, offering a slight nod in greeting.

The Old Man blinked his vacant eyes. Then, he reached out and grabbed at empty air.

When he pulled his hand back, he was holding a palm-sized, bald doll.

It was dull in color and had a hideous face—there was absolutely nothing cute about it.

Looking closely, one could even see tiny, bloodstained bandages wrapped around its body.

In that very instant, Fu Qian sensed an anomaly. It felt as though the doll had formed a connection with him, binding its fate to his own.

“Maintain it.”

The Old Man set the Small Doll down and issued a cold command.

“This is a Proxy Bearer. The Divine Blood Curse possesses an extremely high tier of authority and has already seeped deep into your body. If you want to purge it completely, we can only use a compromise.”

“Try to maintain the connection. Slowly transfer your consciousness into it, bit by bit.”

“I will intervene at the right moment to sever the link, leaving the entire curse in your original body. You will be reborn in this one, and your tier won't be damaged.”

Is that even possible?

Fu Qian listened to the explanation in silence and tried focusing his attention on the Small Doll.

Immediately, he experienced the sensation of staring back at himself.

It seemed the man was telling the truth.

And the proposed method for breaking the curse did seem somewhat viable.

But that presented a problem: once he transferred over, he wouldn't be wearing a mask.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, his true condition would almost certainly be exposed, and the consequences would likely be disastrous.

On the other hand, refusing to cooperate didn't seem like an option either.

Beside him, Ariel and Wehle were eyeing him like tigers stalking their prey.

If he tried to make an excuse to slip away, a fight would probably break out before he even reached the bathroom.

In that case!

Fu Qian let out a huff and locked his focus onto the Small Doll.

Soon, he noticed a striking change in it.

First, drops of fresh blood seeped out from an unknown source, rapidly soaking the doll's entire body.

Next, slender, thread-like tendrils of blood began pulling away from the increasingly viscous liquid.

These blood threads snaked outward like tentacles, continuously fusing, intersecting, and rapidly swelling.

“Control it. Filter it. Do not let the curse follow you.”

The Old Man’s voice rang out again.

Playing along perfectly, Fu Qian followed the instructions. Sure enough, on a soul-deep level, he could identify trace amounts of consciousness overflowing with chaotic desires.

Relying on his stable sense of self, he was able to peel those traces away, maintaining the purity of his consciousness to the greatest extent possible.

Suppressing the corruption, Fu Qian carefully refined his consciousness, letting "himself" echo between the two bodies.

He had to admit, this feeling of playing tug-of-war with himself was quite fascinating.

Before long, it felt as though the sense of self on both sides was nearly equal.

“Good. Now, continue to strengthen your sense of self on the Proxy Bearer's side.”

The Old Man’s reminder came again.

Crank up the horsepower? Sure!

Fu Qian instantly accepted the suggestion, though he deliberately hesitated for a few seconds.

In the very next moment, however, the cursed corruption he had just carefully peeled away surged toward the Small Doll all at once, its intensity shockingly high.

Simultaneously, the pure sense of self inside the Small Doll began rapidly flowing back into his original body.

Fu Qian was like a novice driver who had accidentally shifted into reverse—the direction was completely wrong, but he was still flooring the gas pedal.

For a split second, he clearly felt a violent ripple of emotion from the Old Man's end.

But without giving them any more time to be shocked, Fu Qian shifted his body and launched a punch straight at the Small Doll in front of him.

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