Eldritch Horror Theatre

Undoubtedly, there was no way to hide his violent behavior toward Cynthia.

The entire underground research facility was probably staring at this office right now.

Fu Qian was absolutely certain a squad of guards was blocking the door at this very moment.

But that presented a problem: they weren't rushing in.

Despite completely surrounding the place, they hadn't intervened—not even after Doctor Cynthia was forced to finish looking into the mirror.

It was a rather peculiar reaction, to say the least.

Given that everything in the office was under surveillance, Fu Qian gathered that his actions, from beginning to end, were still being treated as an observation case.

In other words, as far as the project leader was concerned, he hadn't yet broken the boundaries of the test.

Cynthia’s current reaction proved as much.

In fact, that was one reason Fu Qian hadn't forced her to keep looking indefinitely.

As an observation subject, as long as he kept his behavior within limits and appeared controllable, he still had room to maneuver.

Pushing straight past the five-minute mark, however, would have escalated it into a critical incident.

At that point, his only option would be to enter Asura Mode and slaughter his way out.

Amid that kind of chaos, he could forget about finding the real Goya.

Even though his SAN Value had broken past a hundred again, he couldn't afford to waste it like that.

"A special case. So you're still observing me?"

Playing along with the researchers, Fu Qian dropped his smile and spoke in a hostile tone.

"I'm just doing my job. Aren't you observing me as well? Why get hung up on such a meaningless distinction?"

Cynthia had completely regained her composure.

"All you need to know is that in the current situation, it's best for you to continue as an observation subject."

"Otherwise, even if you kill me, you won't make it out. You'll only face a far more miserable fate."

"But if you make the smart choice, I believe the Company will generously recognize your contributions."

After offering this patient persuasion, Cynthia looked at the stone-faced Fu Qian.

"I assume we have an understanding?"

"What do you want me to do?"

Fu Qian fell silent for a moment before his tone finally softened.

"You don't need to do anything. Just wait."

Back in control of the situation, Cynthia finally smiled. A moment later, the office door opened from the outside.

The guards packing the corridor parted, and a familiar figure walked in.

Goya Ulrich?

Was this even the real one?

Fu Qian always remembered the people he had killed.

So he was absolutely certain that the man who had just arrived wasn't the body double from earlier, but the stronger contestant number two who had shown up later.

It seemed his performance this time had really caught their attention.

Unfortunately, past experience dictated that even if he twisted this guy's head off, it wouldn't complete the mission.

"A very special case."

Cynthia faced the newcomer, offering her calm assessment.

"His cognition clearly hasn't been affected, yet his strength has increased drastically."

"This poses a significant challenge to our previous conclusions."

"I saw. It is indeed an astonishing boost in power."

Goya replied, looking Fu Qian up and down.

He didn't show the slightest concern for his colleague's recent ordeal.

"Mr. 9527, I can imagine how you are feeling right now."

"Experiencing such a change, anyone would feel like they had hit the jackpot. Like the chosen one among millions of failures. Acting a bit arrogant for the moment is completely understandable."

Goya looked at Fu Qian, his tone gentle.

"Unfortunately, my years of experience tell me that no transcendent power comes without a price."

"So, although from your perspective you have withstood the test of the Guide of the Soul and your cognition is perfectly intact, I still suggest you scrutinize yourself more carefully. Your emotions, for instance..."

Glancing toward Cynthia, Goya hinted at Fu Qian's earlier actions.

"No matter how excited you are, I find it hard to imagine someone in your position doing such a thing to a tester. Don't you agree?"

'Theoretically, that is indeed the case.'

Faced with Goya's question, Fu Qian understood what the man meant.

After all, he was currently playing the role of an internal staff member who had made a mistake and was forced to cooperate in dangerous tests to redeem himself.

Even if he had experienced a blessing in disguise and suddenly unlocked his potential, he wouldn't go so far as to smack a tester in the face.

It was an action where the losses completely outweighed the gains.

Looking at it from that angle, his performance just now had indeed been a bit too irritable.

Even now, he could actually feel a faint, lingering trace of mania in his mind.

...

Of course, Fu Qian also understood that this mania didn't originate from himself, but from Goya standing right in front of him.

Having served as Wen Li's sparring partner so many times, he would have to be incredibly dense not to notice passive shifts in his own emotions.

Goya clearly hadn't come for nothing. The moment he walked in, he had begun deploying some special techniques.

For example, right now, the man's amiable face carried a natural trace of authority that made people subconsciously want to follow his train of thought and listen to his suggestions.

Even his plump little belly looked, at a glance, like the dignified bearing of a statesman.

This unnatural influence was clearly Goya's deliberate misdirection.

This guy really had no qualms about manipulating someone into a stupor!

He was forcefully applying pressure, trying to uncover some valuable information.

Keeping his expression neutral, Fu Qian sighed in admiration.

To think he could be affected to this extent, even as a demigod.

If it were anyone else, they would probably have been manipulated into doubting their entire existence.

And the other party was merely a Mid Tier.

Such logic-defying effects—was it a benefit gained from studying the Nether Steed?

As the project leader, that actually made sense.

"What you said seems to make a bit of sense."

Amid his thoughts, Fu Qian played along verbally.

Of course, to increase his believability, he maintained a hint of arrogance.

"But there's one thing. Everything I did just now made me very happy."

"Even looking back on it now, it's the same. I like this state."

Fu Qian pointed at himself.

"And now you're telling me this is the result of a distortion? I must say, hearing that makes me quite displeased."

"But regardless, that isn't the real you, is it?"

Goya smiled and took a step forward. His voice sounded like the whispers of a devil.

"Are you really willing to be misled like this? To be manipulated?"

"Do not resist. Try to listen to the voice deep within your heart—"

The next moment, his words came to an abrupt halt.

"You're right. Do not resist."

Amid a chorus of gasps, Fu Qian lunged forward at inconceivable speed. One hand clamped down on Goya's neck, while the other pulled the cloth off the Guide of the Soul.

"Come on, listen to the voice deep within your heart."

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