Eldritch Horror Theatre

”Follow me. If you spot an anomaly, strike immediately.”

Returning to that massive pile of accumulated Feathers, everything remained as silent as before, yet the sense of urgency had spiked once again.

After all, in addition to the countdown to dawn, they now had to factor in the risk index of the two people down below.

Leaving Ah Kai behind to try and confirm some of the properties in there from a professional perspective was, of course, a proper arrangement.

But beyond that, leaving him and Aike there also made them excellent bait.

One shouldn’t be so narrow-minded. Aside from increasing efficiency, splitting up also effectively weakened their own Combat Power, thereby exposing a deliberate flaw.

For instance, the Combat Power of Aike and Ah Kai obviously couldn’t compare to the three on this side.

If there was any hidden malice, they would normally be the far more suitable targets.

Excellency Stoss had truly taken the concept of efficiency to its absolute limit.

Of course, the Old Man didn’t merely push others forward to take risks. He chose to lead from the front, already charging ahead even as he casually tossed out those instructions.His entire figure seemed to be burning. Wherever he passed, the same scorching rays that had just incinerated that school of Feather and Fish shot out from his body, striking the pieces of Amber one by one.

It was as if, in an instant, he had transformed into a Prism tower constantly refracting destruction.

One could only say he truly lived up to the style of a righteous and orthodox faction, entirely different from Fu Qian’s own evil-god demeanor of treating everything as a tool.

Watching the scene unfold, Fu Qian guarded the flank and silently marveled.

Old Man Stoss’s methods were undeniably flashy and overbearing, but theoretically speaking, the results might have been better if he had waited just a bit longer to act.

However, despite his intention to use Ah Kai and Aike as bait, he still opted for the highest efficiency to strike the grass to startle the snake, unwilling to leave them exposed down below for too long.

...

”It seems this ship is angry.”

Although they walked different paths, as an outstanding partner to the Night Watchers, Fu Qian didn’t shirk the task Old Man Stoss had assigned him in the slightest.

Staring at the burst of intense heat before him, he casually offered his assessment.

”Yes, it is reacting to this destruction.”

As one of the main executors of this cooperation, Su Gao walked alongside him with her weapon already in hand, ready to slash down at any moment as she spoke.

But not right now.

Professor Fu’s statement was completely correct.

Although it wasn’t particularly obvious, they had already formed a theory during their previous exploration: as an escape pod, The Ark had very likely begun to show signs of coming alive.

Coupled with Su Gao’s sharp perception, it wasn’t difficult to notice the anomalies occurring around them in response to Excellency Stoss’s methods.

For example, on the most basic level, the speed at which the Amber turned to ash seemed to have slowed down, giving off a feeling of increased resistance.

And on a slightly more subtle level, as clusters of Feathers danced through the air, the Feather and Fish that had just been hiding below—somewhat terrified by the slaughter—were now darting out with reckless abandon, swarming Stoss in unison.

And without a doubt, they followed in the footsteps of their predecessors, turning to ash amid the blazing, flying Feathers.

The might of a Divine Emissary was never something that could be resisted by sheer willpower alone.

This sudden display of bravery clearly couldn’t be explained by animal instinct. But if one factored in a higher-level will driving them, it made far more sense.

Which was exactly what Professor Fu meant by ”this ship is angry.”

As for why Su Gao wasn’t in a rush to attack under these circumstances, the reason was simple—this wasn’t an anomaly.

The three-person team hadn’t come here looking for this, but rather for any hidden malice.

Yet looking at the situation now, it seemed they had been overly worried.

Wherever Excellency Stoss passed, not only were those Feathers burned to nothing, but the hiders underneath, the Amber, and even the floorboards were destroyed in his wake.

However, aside from The Ark’s subconscious resistance, there wasn’t even a single significant disturbance.

This only made them worry even more about the safety of the two people down below.

...

They were all veterans of slaughter. They wouldn’t let pointless compassion cloud their judgment, nor would they jump to optimistic conclusions based on a mere facade.

Although it looked as if the fallen High-Tier Transcendent indeed hadn’t left behind any special remains, and even the wooden boards beneath the Feathers had initially seemed perfectly fine...

If the potential malice wasn’t here, then theoretically, the situation for the two people down below was even more dangerous.

”I’ll go take a look around the side.”

So much so that, given the slightly anxious situation, Professor Fu seemed dissatisfied with merely holding the flank.

Giving Su Gao a brief signal, he went absent without leave the next moment, walking over to a relatively thin pillar nearby and carefully examining the bright blue fluorescence glowing upon it.

These algae-like growths—which he had noticed during his first visit here—combined with the marine biological mutations on the survivors’ bodies, were undoubtedly thought-provoking.

This time, he finally seemed to have a sliver of free time to study it—

Fu Qian pressed his left index finger against it.

Holding his breath and focusing his mind, he silently felt the sensation, completely ignoring the task Old Man Stoss had given him.

But Su Gao couldn’t do the same.

Although the mission did seem a bit boring now, and while Demigod Su might not have any objections to her partner slacking off on the front lines, she certainly couldn’t follow his example.

She only briefly noted Fu Qian’s actions before retracting her gaze, continuing to watch Excellency Stoss’s movements.

Regardless, Professor Fu seemed to just want to run a few more tests and didn’t appear to be wandering far.

There was no need to worry about his safety, and if he actually discovered something, it definitely wouldn’t be a bad thing.

...

It truly had a unique sort of wonder to it.

Seeing was believing, but experiencing it firsthand was even more real.

Although it was merely a light touch from the pad of his finger, as Fu Qian patiently felt the sensation, a trace of an anomaly really did appear at a certain moment.

It wasn’t that these algae hid any toxins or curses. In fact, they felt wet, slippery, and soft to the touch; they couldn’t even prick his hand.

What transmitted over was something else entirely, akin to the concept of ”as long as there is sand in your heart, anywhere can be a beach.”

In that instant, this ship—theoretically located in the Underground, with not a single drop of water in sight—truly felt as if it were drifting on the sea.

Through the contact of his finger, this utterly unreasonable concept was transmitted in faint but unstoppable threads.

Was this why the Feather and Fish had those marine biological mutations?

Had they also been infused with this concept, and thus been twisted by it?

It held the beauty of memetic pollution.

Clang—

Amid his marveling, a crisp sound echoed behind him, carrying a staggering amount of power.

Without even turning his head, he knew just how terrifyingly destructive that close-quarters shockwave was.

”Thanks for the hard work.”

Turning around, Fu Qian looked at Su Gao, who had appeared behind him like a phantom, and gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

Yet aside from her sword slashing into the empty air, there seemed to be absolutely nothing else around them.