Eldritch Horror Theatre

It made perfect sense.

Brother Mask's plan clearly had no flaws. With their surroundings thoroughly steeped in this bizarre blue aesthetic, it was hard not to feel that something was deeply wrong.

Even if they took a massive step back and eventually discovered that the blue light itself was completely harmless, treating this exercise as simple team building still had its merits.

A newly formed team clearly needed a common goal. Since their "task" hadn't appeared yet, it would be all too easy for morale to crumble in the resulting confusion.

"Although we haven't found a single living soul along the way, judging from the traces around us, people were active here not long ago. This isn't some long-abandoned ruin... I think that without any clear clues, our best bet is to try and find someone."

As seasoned task runners, the team members had no objections to Mask's plan. Madam Star was even the first to speak up, laying out her meticulously reasoned judgment.

"Indeed. Currently, everyone's abilities are limited. Considering the hidden dangers, proceeding step by step is a good choice."

Brother Red Dragon agreed with her suggestion.

"A reasonable thought."

It sounds like these veterans haven't been here for long either, and when they arrived, their surroundings were already like this.

Watching this discussion unfold, Fu Qian casually formed his own deductions.

He had to admit, the scene playing out before him was an absolute novelty, even compared to the many tasks he had experienced along the way.

To his relief, his teammates were acting quite professionally. Even trapped in such a bizarre scenario, no one was panicking.

Of course, they weren't too quick to trust one another either.

Whether it was drawing cards to replace their real names or the way they exchanged strategies, they managed to cooperate for mutual benefit while keeping their boundaries perfectly drawn—without ever needing to say a word.

As the team's sixth member, Fu Qian decided not to let down the card he had drawn. Upholding his usual low-key style, he chose the strategy of quietly observing changes.

"Also, considering efficiency, wouldn't it be best if we split up?"

Mask had already sought the opinions of Qing and the Death Row Inmate with a questioning glance. Met with their silence, he voiced his own idea, adopting the tone of someone simply opening the floor for a brainstorm.

Unfortunately, after witnessing his earlier posturing, it was hard to believe there was much sincerity behind it.

"Very well."

In fact, Brother Mask didn't give anyone much time to vote. A moment later, he was already looking at Madam Star with a beaming smile.

"We'll split into three pairs. Ladies first. Star, you can pick your teammate first."

...

Madam Star clearly had no objections to the suggestion and began to consider it with absolute seriousness.

Her gaze quickly swept across the group's faces before finally landing on the only other female team member.

"I'll pair up with Qing. It'll be more convenient."

"Alright."

Without even bothering to ask Qing for her opinion, Mask took two steps forward and stopped beside the Death Row Inmate.

"We'll each take a sector and rendezvous back here in an hour. If you find anything, try to notify the others immediately. If you can bring any survivors back here, even better."

Fu Qian glanced at Brother Red Dragon. There was nothing inherently wrong with the arrangement, but Mask's intentions were incredibly clear: he wanted to force Fu Qian into a pair with this relatively reliable-looking guy.

Fully embodying the easygoing nature of someone perfectly happy to slack off, Fu Qian voiced no objections.

...

"I get the feeling this place isn't quite as peaceful as it looks. We'd better be careful. Remember to keep each other in sight at all times."

Fu Qian and Brother Red Dragon were assigned to a somewhat uneven sector containing a multi-story building that was over ten floors high. It was clearly the main focus of their search.

Showing a level of caution that heavily contrasted with his rugged appearance, Brother Red Dragon decisively led Fu Qian on a sweeping lap of the perimeter. Only after confirming they had found absolutely nothing did they return to the towering structure.

"Alright."

Fu Qian replied, continuing his strategy of readily accepting good advice.

The layout of the areas they had swept through so far was shockingly uniform.

Just as Madam Star had deduced, this place wasn't some abandoned ruin. It actually felt incredibly lived-in, except for the glaring fact that there was no one around.

At a glance, everything was impeccably organized. There were no signs of fires, explosions, or struggles. It looked as though the residents had encountered some emergency, calmly packed up their things, and evacuated in an orderly fashion a few days ago.

"I know this whole setup might seem a bit weird, but overall, it's the best option for everyone."

Seeing that Fu Qian wasn't particularly enthusiastic about taking the lead, Brother Red Dragon didn't rush to search their final target area. Instead, he signaled that they could take a short breather and casually started up a conversation.

"I get it," Fu Qian replied with an understanding nod. "A little distance goes a long way. Knowing less about each other makes it much easier to cooperate toward a common goal."

Fu Qian offered no resistance to the man's attempt at team bonding, even thoughtfully expanding on the idea.

It was the truth. Brother Mask's strategy of 'teaming up by cards and ignoring backgrounds' seemed ridiculous on the surface, but in their current situation, it served a very real purpose.

With their suspicious circumstances, the task that still hadn't triggered, and the danger lurking in their environment, forming a team to cover each other's backs was undoubtedly beneficial for everyone involved.

And with such strong incentives to stick together, over-communicating was not only unnecessary, but likely to backfire.

The more details they shared about themselves, the more room there was for conflict.

Therefore, an anonymous team—where no one even uttered their real names—was genuinely a viable strategy to keep their tentative alliance intact for as long as possible.

Of course, it was only a viable strategy, not the only one.

"Talking to smart people is always so easy."

Brother Red Dragon was clearly highly observant. Seeing that Fu Qian wasn't just paying him lip service, he looked visibly satisfied.

"Could it be that the real purpose of this little 'split up' plan is just to give you guys a chance to run one-on-one pep talks?"

Fu Qian, on the other hand, didn't look nearly as inspired. He posed the question with a deeply suspicious expression.

"Haha... of course not!"

Brother Red Dragon let out a hearty laugh.

"We're just having a casual chat. Don't overthink it."

"Are you absolutely sure Madam Star is doing the same?"

"...In her case, she might actually have something like that in mind."

The gaze Brother Red Dragon fixed on Fu Qian grew visibly heavier. He seemed genuinely surprised by his partner's sharp intuition.

"Qing hasn't exactly been proactive. Star likely chose her because she wanted to use the natural rapport between women to talk to her and try to smooth over any unnecessary risks."

Red Dragon shared his thoughts on Madam Star's choice of partner.

"But either way, as long as everyone stays within the boundaries we've set, it's beneficial for the group... Don't you think their little chat will be effective?"

"Not really."

Staring up at the towering reinforced concrete iteration of this bizarre blue aesthetic before them, Fu Qian shook his head.

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