Eldritch Horror Theatre

Standing in the center of the low spiral wall, Fu Qian realized a serious problem.

He was actually starting to find these things a lot more pleasing to the eye.

Even the jagged unevenness that had previously unsettled him now carried a strange, inexplicable sense of order.

This went beyond mere mental pollution.

Suppressing the faint, rising urge to kill, Fu Qian realized this was a side effect of merging with that entity.

It made sense. In a way, he was now the root of the distortion himself. It was only natural to feel a sense of kinship when looking at his own kind.

As the saying went: ever since he’d lost his mind, everything looked much better.

Restraining himself from giving in to that all-consuming desire for destruction, Fu Qian walked over to the white tree.

His first priority was still to find the Frenzied Spirit, even if he wasn’t entirely certain about it yet.

Regardless, it remained the most likely candidate for his mission target.Considering he no longer needed to suppress his strength, tracking it down would be vastly easier.

He scanned his surroundings. A moment later, his gaze narrowed—of the three guards stationed around the island, only two remained, and both were corpses.

The already lifeless environment now carried an even heavier, chilling aura of slaughter.

That was a bit strange.

Judging by the sky, he hadn’t been inside for very long.

Logically, even if the two sides had started fighting, the battle shouldn’t have reached this deep so quickly.

Puzzled, Fu Qian gave a light leap, landing directly beside one of the bodies.

He had to admit, the physical strength of this form was incredible. If it didn’t mess with his head, it would be a rather appealing option.

He crouched down for a closer look. A gaping circular hole had been punched straight through the corpse’s chest, the severed bones at the edges as neat as if they had melted away.

The Frenzied Spirit?

The wound was unmistakable.

He hadn’t expected it to pass through while he was gone.

If I had just stayed here waiting by the stump for a hare, would I have bumped right into it?

Fu Qian wondered absentmindedly.

It didn’t matter. The wound was fresh; the creature couldn’t have gone far. Tracking it down wouldn’t be difficult.

Just as he thought this, a strange sound echoed from the distance.

Fu Qian looked up to see several murky green fireballs exploding in rapid succession, silently toppling swaths of trees.

Not difficult at all.

Fu Qian stood up and sprinted toward the explosions without hesitation.

A few effortless bounds brought him close to the target.

His guess had been spot on. The figure fleeing rapidly in the lead was none other than the Frenzied Spirit.

Right behind it, two White Porcelain Dolls leaped high into the air. Green Flame Spears materialized in their raised arms before they hurled the weapons viciously at the Frenzied Spirit.

Further back was the bell ringer who had led the pilgrimage procession earlier, accompanied by two others.

Only this handful left?

Watching the scene unfold, Fu Qian could guess what had happened.

Most likely, the Natives had mobilized in full force for revenge, never expecting the Frenzied Spirit to exploit their empty rear to wreak havoc and slaughter their people.

After several people were killed in rapid succession, this priest-like bell ringer had been forced to bring a small team back to deal with it.

The Green Flame Spears whistled through the air, pincering the creature from left and right. Yet, as if it had eyes in the back of its head, the Frenzied Spirit abruptly changed direction mid-sprint, dodging the attack once more.

The Green Flame Spears exploded into fireballs once again. These flames seemed to possess a potent corrosive effect, instantly melting away a large patch of the surrounding terrain.

It’s growing fast. It wasn’t this agile the last time I saw it.

Just as the Frenzied Spirit was about to make a clean getaway, a Grey Curtain abruptly rose in midair, cutting off its path.

Using the time the Frenzied Spirit spent dodging, the priest wielding the Handbell finally caught up, controlling another White Spirit to join the fray.

The Frenzied Spirit seemed extremely wary of that curtain. It immediately veered away, attempting to escape from the other side.

Unfortunately, a second curtain rose in its chosen direction, blocking its path once again.

It shifted direction without hesitation, only to be blocked yet again.

In mere seconds, a translucent, gem-shaped cage formed, trapping the Frenzied Spirit solidly inside.

Almost instantly, the Frenzied Spirit’s speed visibly plummeted, as if it had sunk into an invisible quagmire.

With nowhere left to run, the Frenzied Spirit whipped its head around to face the priest. Though it made no sound, its seething rage was palpable.

However, no one cared about its emotions. The priest and the Doll before him pressed their palms together, and the cage began to shrink rapidly.

Meanwhile, the other two Dolls had caught up. Green Flame Spears materialized in their hands once more, and they hurled them straight at the trapped Frenzied Spirit.

Just as it was about to be struck, the nearly immobilized creature flashed with a strange light. It somehow managed to Blink a short distance to the side, narrowly evading the blow.

Another new ability? It certainly didn’t use that move when it was getting whipped last time.

Between the blood-draining, the visual misdirection, and now this... this Doll has quite the loaded skill set!

Fu Qian nodded to himself as he watched from the sidelines.

Then again, if the other White Spirits could develop abilities, it made sense that a special anomaly like this one would possess a few extra tricks.

Unfortunately, while it had barely dodged the attack, the Frenzied Spirit was clearly backed into a corner.

The two Dolls had already conjured another pair of Green Flame Spears, and in that brief moment, the grey cage had shrunk by half again.

The two Green Flame Spears finished coalescing and were just about to be thrown.

At that moment of despair, a figure suddenly materialized beside the Frenzied Spirit’s cage—a man draped entirely in a heavy grey robe.

Mister Luo?

Fu Qian instantly recognized the newcomer.

This guy really is suspicious. With the battle likely raging outside right now, he sneaks in here all by himself?

The Natives were visibly alarmed by Mister Luo’s sudden appearance.

With several furious roars, the two Dolls shifted their aim, pointing their flame spears squarely at him.

Mister Luo paid them no mind. His right hand passed through the cage unhindered, grabbing the struggling Frenzied Spirit.

At the same time, he gave his left hand a wave. The two Green Flame Spears shattered silently before they could even be thrown.

Murky green fireballs instantly engulfed the Dolls that had conjured them. Beside the priest, the two Natives shuddered simultaneously, nearly collapsing to the ground.

As the flames dissipated, deep cracks appeared across the Dolls’ bodies.

In the next second, Mister Luo yanked the Frenzied Spirit completely out of the cage. He took a single step forward, reached the two Dolls, and seized them both in his hands.

Crack!

With a sharp crunch, the two violently struggling Dolls shattered into pieces simultaneously.

A short distance away, their masters also crumpled to the ground, their life forces rapidly fading.

”Who are you? Why are you doing this?”

Left entirely alone, the priest dispelled the empty cage and asked in a hoarse voice.

”You may call me Mister Luo. As for the reason...”

Mister Luo didn’t even look at him. Instead, he took a fragment of the shattered Dolls from his palm and held it up to the Frenzied Spirit’s mouth.

”I am here for this creature. I’m afraid I couldn’t let you break it.”