Eldritch Horror Theatre

”What are you thinking about? This is no time to let your mind wander!”

Amid the teasing voice, Fu Qian shifted his footing, dodging a milky-white beam of light that plummeted from above.

The beam struck the Feather beneath his feet, burning straight through it and the stone slab below to carve out a deep crater, leaving a massive scorch mark radiating outward.

If memory served, the mummified corpse had unleashed a similar attack earlier to stop him from killing.

But right now, this beam had come from Ji Yicheng, who was currently staging his own return of the Dragon King.

The wings upon his back looked purer and whiter than ever, every inch of his skin practically glowing. Soon, another beam of light condensed and fired, though Fu Qian dodged it just as easily.

However, Angel Ji continued to rise until his head nearly scraped the ceiling. Paired with his rapidly condensing beams of light, the effect was akin to floating artillery.

As long as he stayed slightly vigilant, he was fully standing in an invincible position.

”Just as I thought.”

He casually fired off two more beams. Without even bothering to check where they landed, Ji Yicheng stroked his wings with an intoxicated expression.”That chained corpse is a true Angel.”

”Featherless wings are the purest form.”

”I actually felt it vaguely when I tried to control her.”

”It’s a pity that a bunch of brainless fools treated her like some evil entity and locked her away.”

”You can communicate with her?”

Ji Yicheng’s words instantly piqued Fu Qian’s interest, and he asked the question thoughtfully.

”I wouldn’t call it communication. After all, she is in an absolute state of Death.”

”But even as the mere shell of an Angel, she holds mysteries beyond your imagination.”

”I can only exert a slight influence over her through some shared traits.”

”I see. Understood.”

Fu Qian gave an earnest nod.

”You’re an interesting opponent. It’s true what they say—people need pressure to grow.”

Ji Yicheng’s voice carried a distinct smile.

”Whether it’s An Gui or those two idiots from Siren, they fall far short of you.”

”I appreciate the compliment.”

”Don’t mention it. Because it’s time for me to return the favor.”

Following Ji Yicheng’s murderous declaration, a series of eerie noises echoed through the room. Fu Qian found that the entrance they had come through was now completely choked by countless roots.

”The exit is sealed. And I can tell you with absolute certainty that there is no other way out of here.”

”I’m going to enjoy what comes next. I hope you do, too.”

”Or you could take a moment to organize your words and think about what you want to tell me.”

The man hadn’t even forgotten the threat Fu Qian had used on him earlier.

”You don’t have to remind me. I’ve been thinking about it this whole time.”

Seeing Ji Yicheng flush with smug satisfaction, Fu Qian sprang into action. Refusing to stand around as a living target any longer, he sprinted straight for the passageway behind the Mirror.

While he could understand the man’s current mood, he had much more important things to do.

Finding the anomaly here was the only thing that mattered right now.

”So, the moment you lose the upper hand, all you can do is run?”

Ji Yicheng’s voice chased right after him.

”If this is all you’ve got, I’m truly disappointed!”

”Are you really stupid enough to think you know this place better than I do?”

”That’s hard to say.”

Fu Qian shouted back without turning his head. Dodging the bombardment raining from above, he stepped right into the passageway.

”Just as I thought. You’re a Demigod as well.”

His performance had confirmed Ji Yicheng’s earlier suspicions.

”If we were outside, I might truly have no way of dealing with you.”

”But unfortunately for you, this is my home turf!”

The passageway was narrow, making aerial bombardment impossible. Ji Yicheng simply dropped to the floor and fired off two consecutive light beams.

”I am everywhere!”

Seeing Fu Qian dodge the attack without a scratch yet again, he snorted, and his body slowly dissolved into thin air.

When he reappeared, he was already hovering near the ceiling of another hall.

Ever since his Rebirth, he had developed a mystical connection to these Ruins. Not only could he lock onto targets beyond his line of sight, he could even use that connection to perform short-distance teleportation.

However, much to Ji Yicheng’s surprise, the route Fu Qian had chosen for his escape was a familiar one—the hall filled with stagnant sewage.

At this moment, Fu Qian was standing upon a suspended crossbeam. Right behind him was the room housing the mummified corpse.

”What are you trying to pull?”

Going any further back would lead straight into a dead end, and dodging from atop a narrow beam was vastly more difficult.

Given the man’s earlier performance, Ji Yicheng didn’t believe he would be stupid enough to willingly back himself into such a corner.

Smug but far from reckless, Ji Yicheng refrained from rushing forward, wary that his opponent might be hiding a lethal trump card.

”Taking your advice, I just gave it some serious thought. I finally remembered that this is a pretty nice spot—perfect for sending you on your way once again.”

Fu Qian even pulled off his mask, revealing a highly punchable smile on his face.

”What’s wrong? Too scared to come over?”

Hmph!

Naturally, Ji Yicheng wasn’t going to fall for such a blatant taunt.

He swept a vigilant gaze over their surroundings before firing off another pair of light beams.

Surprisingly, Fu Qian didn’t attempt to dodge this time. Instead, with a wave of his right hand, dozens of tentacles erupted outward.

Forming a living shield, layers of writhing tentacles blocked his front and absorbed both beams of light.

[SAN Value -5]

[SAN Value -5]

The system notifications rang out in rapid succession.

Just as he thought, his SAN Value had dropped.

Fu Qian wasn’t surprised. A single Feather had been enough to drain his SAN Value earlier, so losing 5 points from taking a direct hit wasn’t an exaggeration at all.

At the same time, this verified a theory: the one who had reduced the Demigod Kelsen to a state where all four elements are empty was absolutely not Ji Yicheng.

His efficiency at purifying corruption simply wasn’t that high.

There had to be something else lurking within these Ruins.

An entity capable of instantly forcing a Demigod to lay down the Butcher’s Cleaver—that was the true hidden threat here.

After all, if he encountered a similar attack, his situation would end up far worse.

Unlike Kelsen, his very existence within this task was built entirely on his SAN Value.

And whatever that entity was, it possessed the power to completely ’purify’ a Demigod’s corrupted shadow in a single strike.

If that happened to him and his SAN Value was wiped out, it would mean true, instant death.

An interdimensional death, at that.

Therefore, his current objective was to assume such an entity was present and smoke it out.

”I didn’t expect that.”

Watching the writhing mass of tentacles, Ji Yicheng was taken aback.

”To think you were hiding a trump card like that.”

”Were you trying to bait me into coming closer so you could trap me in one fell swoop? A solid plan, I must admit.”

”Unfortunately, I won’t give you a single opening.”

”Is that right?”

Showing absolutely no disappointment at having his plan seen through, Fu Qian withdrew the tentacles. Taking aim with his fingers, he fired off three consecutive Air Bullets.

”An interesting trick.”

Despite his bloated body, Ji Yicheng displayed an astonishing level of agility. Gliding silently through the air, he easily dodged Fu Qian’s attack.

”But from the looks of it, ranged combat is definitely my forte.”

Even as he spoke, another pair of light beams shot forward. Repeating his previous trick, Fu Qian formed the tentacle shield to block them once more.

However, at that very moment, a mummified corpse appeared at the far end of the crossbeam. Opening its mouth, it spewed out an identical beam of radiant light.