Eldritch Horror Theatre

It was a largely meaningless question, yet Madam Sissi’s bright cheerfulness noticeably dimmed.

”Just like the many times you’ve seen through things before, how does it feel to uncover the truth yet again?”

Toying with the Bronze Circlet in his hand, Fu Qian was certain this was the core of the illusion.

With this in hand, a single thought was all it would take to end the current scene and send Madam Sissi back to sleep, if he wished.

”You’ll never admit it, will you?”

Madam Sissi’s voice dropped low after a brief silence.

”Even if I did admit it, would it really mean anything?”

Fu Qian chuckled.

”How can you be sure this isn’t just another layer of design? A setup so that one day you’ll discover I’m just a prank-loving scoundrel, deliberately pretending to be some mastermind just to push you further into an abyss of delusions?”

”You’ve maintained your obsession with the ’truth’ by doubting everything, but that also means there is nothing left in this world that can tell you you’re right.””It’s like a net that can’t be torn apart, no matter how hard you pull.”

”...Are you trying to say my actions are meaningless, and I’d be better off abandoning my speculations to just enjoy life?”

Fu Qian’s analogy seemed to strike a nerve. Madam Sissi pursed her lips, the smile completely vanishing from her face, but when she spoke again, her stubborn refusal to yield remained.

”I have to admit, you really are an excellent persuader. Unfortunately, I—”

”Why do you need to emphasize what I am? Do you lack confidence in your own self-awareness?”

Fu Qian cut her off.

”I am merely a carrier. The information I bring is what truly matters.”

”Summarize, screen, judge, and draw conclusions—that is what you should be doing.”

”...I have to admit, you make a fair point.”

Madam Sissi seemed hard-pressed to refute him.

”Good. With that groundwork laid, the rest of our conversation should be much easier.”

Fu Qian beamed, seemingly very satisfied with this development.

”I have a suggestion.”

”When facing an unbreakable net and a game destined for failure, do you know what the most interesting thing to do is?”

”What?”

”Only you know whether you still believe you’re caught in that net.”

Fu Qian tapped his head.

”Your true motive for doing anything will remain a secret belonging exclusively to you. Just like whether everything in front of us right now is real or fake—only ’we’ know the truth.”

...

Madam Sissi’s breathing grew noticeably heavier.

”I recently learned a saying: as long as I give up thinking, even God won’t be able to laugh.”

”Why not try leaving the guesswork to those obnoxious characters in your imagination?”

”One day, even I won’t be able to tell if you still consider yourself a plaything.”

”And when that happens, you’ll gain an unconventional upper hand, because the ’audience’ will no longer be omniscient.”

”Isn’t that much more interesting than your current violent, suicidal charges? Even for the beasts in the Colosseum, the best form of rebellion is never just slaughtering every opponent in endless rage.”

”Alright, it’s getting late. You should go back to sleep.”

Having said his piece, while Madam Sissi sat in utter silence, Fu Qian briskly snapped his fingers.

”Thanks for the payment.”

With his final words, the illusion before them quietly dissolved.

...

It seemed to have reverted into an ordinary helmet.

Back in his living room, Fu Qian reached up and touched his head.

It was no longer a meatball; it had reverted to a normal Human-Faced Helmet, and its shielding over his perception had vanished.

He casually pulled the helmet off and tossed it aside, then studied the Bronze Circlet in his other hand.

Hiding something this way was undeniably covert.

Now the question was: after going through so much trouble to get it, what exactly did this thing do?

It couldn’t just be for promoting brain development, right?

In fact, as Fu Qian saw it, the very reason that giant brain had appeared might have been because its master wore this exact item.

A moment later, Fu Qian casually slipped the Circlet onto his own head.

You couldn’t do scientific research without taking a few risks.

...

Much like when he wore the Bronze Madam, chaotic ravings echoed in his ears—only these were far more intense.

Yet, contrary to Fu Qian’s expectations, once the turbulence settled, nothing else changed.

Was this... an unsuccessful match?

Fu Qian quickly came to a conclusion.

The method of use was likely correct. It seemed that, just like the Bronze Madam, this item also conducted a rigorous verification on whoever wore it.

Only this time, the requirements were far stricter. The Circlet did not recognize him as a suitable candidate.

He couldn’t use his hard-earned loot. Did that mean his only option was to violently force it open?

After waiting a few more minutes, Fu Qian took off the Circlet, frowning slightly.

No need to rush. What could the screening conditions possibly be?

In no rush to use a physical Insight, Fu Qian tossed the Circlet onto the Bronze Madam and pondered in silence.

Rank? Resolving the trouble in that illusion shouldn’t require a particularly high Rank; the Demigod Realm was more than enough.

Implementing a Rank restriction at this stage carried too high a risk of wasting the setup entirely. It wouldn’t be a wise design.

Ability type? If it restricted that at this point, it would be an even bigger waste.

What else was left... a bloodline?

Fu Qian paused as a thought struck him, and his recent experiences flashed rapidly through his mind.

Currently, the person most likely to have come from the same place as him was Senior Ji Feng.

Assuming this item was truly left behind by him, could it require a specific bloodline to unlock?

Such as the Ji Clan? A lineage that had continued to this day—and though his name wasn’t in their genealogy, their connection was incredibly suspicious.

Anyone who obtained this item and managed to deduce that connection would have a chance at unlocking it.

In fact, just a few days ago, the theoretical next family head of the Ji Clan had practically volunteered, writing to ask if any research projects needed volunteers...

It seemed he really would have to stick around for a few more days to personally guide Classmate Liushuang around the Laboratory.

The serendipity of this world truly worked in marvelous ways!

Had he not decided to compensate Classmate Liushuang with a sword, the discovery of this item would have taken at least a little while longer.

Amidst his musings, Fu Qian quickly made up his mind.

...

”Exactly as I pictured it!”

Unsurprisingly, the following morning, Fu Qian’s rare chance to sleep in was cut short by a knock on his door.

The moment she stepped inside, Madam Sissi voiced her amazement.

Compared to yesterday, she looked quite radiant. That fantastical dream hadn’t seemed to impact her rest in the slightest.

”Did you tell her where I live?”

Fu Qian casually closed the door and looked at her companion, Tan Ying.

It was a perfectly good weekend; forcing her to continue helping him entertain guests was admittedly a bit much.

However, it was also obvious that she and Madam Sissi hit it off quite well. Otherwise, they likely wouldn’t have waited until nearly noon to drop by for a visit.

”Not at all.”

Tan Ying smiled and shook her head.

”Could it be because your personality is simply too distinct?”

”Is that so, Madam Sissi?”

Fu Qian looked toward the other woman, who had already made herself comfortable on the sofa.

”That might be part of it, but it was mostly just a feeling.”

She looked at Fu Qian with a smile. Compared to the day before, something about her had noticeably changed.

”Also, you can do what Tan Ying does. Just call me Sissi.”