Eldritch Horror Theatre

Half-Step Mid Tier. Half-asleep, half-dead.

Bolstered by his numerous innate talents, Jiang En didn’t even utter a groan inside his room. He simply closed his eyes and slipped into a Lucid Dream.

”So, have you thought it through? What kind of ritual are we designing for Northern Jiang En?”

As the hypnotist, Fu Qian didn’t rush to act. Instead, his will returned to reality to consult the young advisor beside him.

Uh...

Expert Fu spoke with such a lack of restraint that Wen Li instantly understood she didn’t need to worry about the man inside hearing them.

Even so, her pretty brows remained slightly furrowed, unable to reach a decision just yet.

The nature of their current actions depended on how one interpreted them. In a sense, it was almost tantamount to designing fate.

Having a matter of such divinity suddenly fall upon her shoulders left her feeling an immense weight of responsibility.

”Weren’t you just sighing over how, once you truly cross that threshold, you realize everyone faces a different level of difficulty?”After all, they were working overtime during their lunch break. Fu Qian wasn’t demanding speed; he just asked out of mild curiosity.

On their way here, when the topic of rituals had come up, a relaxed Wen Li had shared quite a few laments about integrating into the Shangjing Transcendent Circle and learning more about the path of advancement.

Fu Qian naturally took the opportunity to have her recall more of that knowledge for reference.

”That really is my deepest realization. However, while some rituals are simple, their methods are rather bizarre.”

”Besides, I’m sure someone as proactive as Jiang En has already gathered information on this. If it turns out to be a ritual he’s heard of, wouldn’t it be harder to convince him when the time comes?”

”It’s fine. Just pick one at random.”

Eldest Miss Wen truly possessed a meticulous mind, but in the face of her worries, her client maintained a wildly unrestrained attitude.

”Sight, smell, taste, visual appeal, a nice-sounding name—any standard from any dimension will do.”

...

Such a serious matter had suddenly been reduced to shopping for groceries at a market. The sheer contrast left Wen Li feeling incredibly weirded out.

However, during the brief span of this conversation, she answered his call, finishing her mental comparisons and making a decision.

”There is one ritual I heard Chief Yuan mention that I think might be suitable. Those who have used it call it Death Wish.”

Information from the Night Watchers’ channels prioritized reliability above all else, right?

Eldest Miss Wen truly didn’t want to waste this opportunity for someone else.

”Let’s hear it.”

Making a gesture, Fu Qian expressed his satisfaction with the ritual’s name.

After all, their theme this time was surviving by confronting death itself.

”It doesn’t require any extra material preparations. This ritual involves placing the body in darkness and carving out a continuously bleeding wound.”

Wen Li possessed an excellent memory. Encouraged, she began her explanation without any hesitation.

”Then, you sit completely still. Your will must be entirely locked onto a single point of your body, absolutely ignoring the process of slipping toward death.”

”This lasts until this divergence of spirit and flesh attracts the gaze of a Divine Being, who then destroys whatever the will is locked onto with a high-level attack.”

...

Interesting... At the very least, it has an apt name.

Evaluating the homework Wen Li had handed in, Fu Qian gave a slight nod of approval under her expectant gaze.

The divergence of will during the dying process—a stark contrast that triggered a divine gaze. Though it sounded grotesque and brutal, it genuinely carried the quintessential flair of a ritual.

And while it didn’t involve overly specific items, completing this ritual was still far from simple.

Forcing oneself to completely ignore the fact that one was stepping into death was an act that utterly defied human nature. It demanded an absurd level of willpower and courage.

Even if someone had calculated the timing in advance and stood guard nearby, meaning there was no real need to worry about losing one’s life, it would still be a tremendous test for the person sitting in the dark.

The final outcome even required the anchor of one’s will to be completely shattered by a divine attack. It had to be said, this carried a rather striking sense of the Heavenly Dao’s ruthlessness.

”According to Chief Yuan, more than one person has used this method to break through the bottleneck of the Mid Tier, so I believe it is sufficiently reliable.”

Energized by his encouragement, Wen Li took the initiative to explain her reasoning.

”Beyond that, there’s another point. I’ve only ever heard of this ritual from Chief Yuan. It should be relatively secretive, so the probability of Jiang En knowing about it is quite low.”

”The execution is simple too. There happens to be a Divine Being right here on the scene.”

Fu Qian pointed at himself to add to her point, acknowledging the thought Wen Li had put into it.

”A very good choice. We’ll go with this one. Are there any requirements for where the will should be locked?”

Hehe...

Receiving his approval, Wen Li chuckled softly and shook her head.

”There shouldn’t be. Chief Yuan even mentioned some fool who focused his will on a place he shouldn’t have. So while his advancement was a success, he ended up dying old and alone.”

...

The transcendent realm truly was a crouching tiger, hidden dragon.

That ’dying old and alone’ ending certainly invited the imagination to run wild. For a moment, Fu Qian could only marvel at it.

”I trust Brother Jiang En will make a different choice. We’ll leave the item here and wait to see what happens.”

Without wasting any time, Fu Qian gestured to the side with his chin.

”Ah? Right now... do we need to change its packaging?”

Faced with this rapid efficiency, Wen Li found it hard to conceal her shock.

Mr. Fu clearly didn’t intend to show himself, which fit his consistently low-key style.

But even if he could telepathically implant the ritual’s details, an elixir appearing out of thin air still made little sense, right?

”No need.”

However, in the face of her reminder, Fu Qian remained brimming with confidence, signaling that it wasn’t necessary.

”Brother Jiang En was the one who poured it in himself.”

”...Alright.”

...

What happened? Was it just an illusion...

At some point, like jolting awake from a nightmare, Jiang En sat up in a daze. His first instinct was to touch his left arm.

The pain was still there. The prize he had once obtained at the auction was still securely fastened in place.

Yet, he felt no relief that he hadn’t lost it. Instead, he clenched his fists, carefully grasping at a bizarre, completely unheard-of advancement ritual that had surfaced in his mind.

Its source was the very transcendent item on his arm.

Unable to confirm for a moment whether his surroundings were real, his mind subconsciously replayed the recent string of events—

Although he didn’t even know what the point of continuously wearing such an item was in his current state.

But just a moment ago, a distinct change had truly occurred within it.

With its spikes piercing his arm, the Toothed Throat, having glutted itself on his flesh and blood for days, had suddenly radiated a peculiar, searing heat.

And right after he subconsciously took it off, droplets of a translucent liquid began to seep out from the transcendent item.

Accompanying it was a series of voices echoing in his mind—after receiving enough flesh and blood nourishment, the ancient mystical restriction left on the Toothed Throat had finally been triggered.

A secret hidden for years, never discovered by anyone.

His final thread of obsession had actually been rewarded.