Eldritch Horror Theatre

Excellent. It seems everyone has successfully reached a consensus.

Enlightenment was always a complex discipline. Most of the time, grasping the truth didn’t guarantee others would accept it.

For example, the impact of the shattering chandelier had deeply shocked the people of Linghui, but it still hadn’t been enough to make them lose themselves in meditation on the spot.

Now, it should be enough.

The previous exchange, combined with Old Man Weilong’s silent actions, was enough to shatter their last trace of rebellion, forcing them to realize they had no choice in certain matters.

Complying in public while opposing in private was certainly an option. Yet, for a group born so fiercely proud, could they truly accept cowering behind others at such a critical juncture?

”Do... I... have to... as well?”

Seeing the hall suddenly fill with a crowd of people sitting with their eyes closed in deep meditation, Professor Lisa keenly felt the sheer bizarreness of the shift. She carefully turned her head to mouth the question, trying her best not to make a sound and disturb them.

”No need... Just leave the professional matters to the professionals.”

Fu Qian shook his head, indicating that someone lacking spiritual roots like her didn’t need to join the fun. He even tilted his gaze toward Cass.Hmm...

Lisa followed his gaze, only to see the highest-ranking leader of Apocalypse present toying with a sparkling stone in his hand. It formed a stark contrast with Weilong and the others beside him—he clearly had no intention of getting involved.

Looking closer, the shape of the stone was quite familiar. It seemed to be a piece that had broken off the chandelier earlier.

However, now that it was no longer part of that whole, its previously obvious cyan hue was almost completely unnoticeable, reverting to a pure, water-like texture.

Truly outstanding composure.

This posture of trusting the professionals was certainly moving, but even Lisa felt an urge to punch him when she watched his actions.

These two fools...

Heaving a silent sigh, she sat up perfectly straight the next moment. Keeping her eyes straight ahead, she tried to salvage a sliver of dignity for Apocalypse.

...

”Professor Fu... are you sure this will work?”

Fortunately, the stifling stillness didn’t last long. A moment later, Professor Weilong opened his eyes again and looked toward the Two Giants of Apocalypse, asking softly.

It was clear that he had tried following Fu Qian’s advice on reflection, but the results had been quite poor.

”I’m not sure.”

Fu Qian’s response was so incredibly blunt that it shocked Professor Yang beside him into opening his eyes as well.

”That’s why I need you two to confirm.”

Facing this concentrated scrutiny, the perpetually unbothered Professor Fu calmly pointed at the others sitting below.

’...So he needs us to pay attention to the others’ conditions, and didn’t really expect us to gain anything?’

Instantly understanding his meaning, Weilong and Professor Yang exchanged glances, ultimately voicing no objections.

After all, whether out of professional expertise or personal responsibility, the two of them really were the best fit for the job.

It was just that his certainty—the assumption that even as entities of the Demigod Realm, they likely wouldn’t gain any more than anyone else—was slightly demoralizing.

However, such minor negative emotions weren’t worth dwelling on. Soon, their sharp gazes swept across the faces of everyone seated below, one by one.

And that was only on the surface. As demigods of the Psychic Type, their perception on an abstract level was clearly astounding, ensuring they wouldn’t miss a single unusual disturbance.

This posture also served as another stark reminder to the members of Linghui Courtyard, whose attention had slightly wandered during the brief conversation.

...

Rank didn’t mean everything; in some aspects, it might even be a hindrance.

Couldn’t they see that ever since this seat gloriously ascended to become the King of the Abandoned Prison, I even had to use an oscilloscope just to find someone?

Naturally, Fu Qian perfectly understood the minor gripes of Old Man Weilong and the others—but it was simply a fact.

In his judgment, even if Master Yuhun’s influence lingered, the likelihood of the two demigods perceiving it was less than or equal to that of everyone else.

After all, it was essentially an erosion operating on a cognitive level.

Unless Master Yuhun was a picky eater who preferred larger meals, then among the current group, those of a lower Rank would definitely possess weaker resistance.

That was why Fu Qian had been extremely pleased when he saw the sheer number of participants gathered in the hall.

Although his plan was fairly targeted, there were still too many uncontrollable variables, meaning he had to rely on sheer numbers for success.

Brute Force Produces Miracles; every single person on this team was crucial.

However, as long as things were guided onto the right track, there would be very little left for him to do.

With two demigods standing watch over a matter of such gravity, there was no way they would let a single suspicious detail slip past their eyes...

After another long stretch of waiting, several pairs of glazed eyes began to open one after another, blinking in dazed confusion.

It was glaringly obvious that even with the guidance of the academy’s professors, everyone’s gains were far from ideal. Ding—

The next moment, a bizarre chime rang out from Professor Yang’s direction.

Drawn by the sound, Lisa glanced over and discovered that, without making a sound, Professor Yang was holding pieces of the sparkling chandelier just like Cass. Only, he had two fragments.

That strange chiming had been produced by the fragments knocking against one another.

It was even accompanied by what looked like arcs of electricity tearing through the interior of the crystal.

Ding, ding...

Amid the continuous chiming, a peculiar vortex began to echo once more within the ”air,” which had initially become a bit clearer than when they first arrived.

”Silei.”

Just as Lisa finally began to feel an extra trace of discomfort, Professor Yang stopped moving and called out a name.

Hmm?

A few seconds later, a young man with a notably long and narrow nose bridge opened his eyes and walked over in confusion.

...

”Did you discover anything?”

Showing absolutely no awareness that he had just interrupted someone, Professor Yang posed the question directly.

”Unfortunately, no... It was indeed a very unique psychological sensation, but I didn’t gain anything from it.”

The young man didn’t dare complain. He simply gave a gentle shake of his head and cast a glance toward Fu Qian on the other side, not entirely dismissing the idea.

”Is that so...”

Surprisingly, Professor Yang followed his gaze. His expression was a little strange, as if he were somewhat taken aback by Professor Fu’s reaction to the anomalous impact earlier.

But his gaze soon shifted to Weilong’s face, and the two exchanged a look.

”Professor Fu, you can stop for a moment.”

Weilong clearly grasped his meaning and immediately signaled for Fu Qian to take a breather.

”Silei.”

As Fu Qian gladly complied, Weilong stood up, gesturing for the young man to step forward.

At almost the exact same time, a bizarre mask appeared on Weilong’s face.

Black and white, molded into a weeping expression and radiating a depressing aura, one glance at it was enough to make a person’s dopamine levels plummet.

’It looks a bit familiar.’

To Fu Qian, it carried an extra layer of familiarity—

Back when he had first encountered Old Man Weilong aggressively demanding accountability over the brutal killing of Ian, the old man had been wearing this exact same mask. The effect had been quite outstanding.

Uh...

The young man named Silei proved this point right then and there. His expression contorted within a single second.