Eldritch Horror Theatre

So far in Depth 3 of the Etched Intellect, the concept of the Shadow had yet to actually appear.

Fu Qian naturally wouldn’t overlook this, and there were only a few possible explanations—

For instance, perhaps as the environment grew increasingly dilapidated, that particular menace had vanished.

He hadn’t forgotten his very first encounter with the Brain Jellyfish; he hadn’t seen any Shadow-like entities in that scenario either.

And the current level of ruin was undoubtedly the closest to that state.

Alternatively, back in Depth 2, he had unknowingly been a Shadow himself, and judging by the later reactions of the researchers, he had deduced the rule that Shadows and real people were mutually invisible.

Therefore, he couldn’t rule out the possibility that the current situation was simply so dire that everyone had completely turned into Shadows.

And because people in this state couldn’t perceive each other, everything seemed to proceed as usual.

Looking at it now, however, things didn’t seem quite so simple.

At the very least, a confrontation between the two states had just reappeared right before his eyes.Consequently, the mystery surrounding the ”Lord of Intellect,” who had directly facilitated this, spiked sharply.

Was the appearance of the Shadow also related to the secret of ”the starting point and the ending point”?

”What do you consider to be wisdom?”

The Lord of Intellect, who had accomplished this feat, looked incredibly at ease in that moment. Acting as if he had just tossed a cricket into a fighting bowl and washed his hands of it, he turned his head to casually chat with Fu Qian.

”Wisdom is that which is correct. Anything wrong simply has no part in it.”

Unfortunately, he somewhat lacked a conversational spirit, answering his own question before Fu Qian could even respond.

”I used to be like you, believing that any effort to approach the answer fell into the realm of wisdom. What a pity. I have never known as clearly as I do now that such a belief is merely the self-comfort of fools... Only what is correct holds meaning!”

...

My good man, wasn’t pulling up the drawbridge the moment you crossed a little too obvious?

The speech was sonorous and forceful, brimming with unquestionable emotion. Yet, to Fu Qian’s ears, the underlying meaning in the Lord of Intellect’s words felt rather naked.

True, some people were extreme and disliked overly moderate phrasing, endlessly arguing that relative truth was not truth at all.

But the main reason this felt so bizarre was that, during their conversation in Depth 2, Fu Qian had just witnessed this man’s pride in ”approaching the answer.”

The Etched Intellect might be chaotic, but in Fu Qian’s view, it still followed certain rules—such as not easily altering the involved party’s character.

Thus, contrasting his past and present attitudes, this posture of someone who had ’made it ashore’ was more than a little jarring.

Setting those impressions aside, there were still some interesting points in the man’s claims. For instance, he clearly believed that ”absolute correctness” existed in this world.

”And it is quite a pity that this world is truly riddled with errors. Even the transcendent power we have always sought is the same... And I shall correct it.”

Sure enough, the Lord of Intellect continued, casually voicing his grand ambition, though it sounded much more direct this time.

The transcendent mysteries he had always pursued were fundamentally riddled with errors as well?

Those words instantly brought to mind his recent scientific harvest: the ”Fruit and Sugar” theory.

Having found the ultimate answer of the starting and ending points and advancing to a Wisdom Weaver, had this man before him discovered a similar problem?

This should count as having his scientific research peer-reviewed and approved, shouldn’t it?

More importantly, the other party had even boldly claimed he would correct those errors.

”Are you trying to say the bug you tossed in is the correct one?”

Clicking his tongue in silent wonder, Fu Qian finally seized the chance to voice his opinion, pointing across from A Fei.

Its true body might have been formless, but just from the slight Shadow it cast, he could tell it was also a figure wielding a Greatsword.

Furthermore, compared to A Fei’s posture, this figure was distinctly taller and straighter. Just standing there, it looked like an unsheathed sword itself.

...

Even more impressive than Professor Nepheli.

She merely wanted to find the errors; you’re stepping straight in to patch them up.

Though to be fair, with such ambition, his self-proclaimed title of Wisdom Weaver actually felt somewhat fitting.

Forming a stark contrast with A Fei, the Shadow looked to Fu Qian like two sides of the same coin.

Mangled beyond recognition, plagued by curses, and driven so mad he had abandoned his own sense of self.

In his current state, A Fei could be tossed anywhere and still be classified as a pollutant, which only served to highlight the Shadow’s perfection even more.

Also a Divine Being, yet its sword heart was untainted by a single speck of filth.

Combined with the Lord of Intellect’s speech, it was all too easy to interpret this as his way of correcting an error.

Perhaps being unable to observe its physical form made it seem a bit too ethereal and unreal.

But one shouldn’t forget the principle of relativity between the Shadow and the real person. In theory, it probably saw A Fei as formless, too.

Clang—

In the next moment, a forceful collision seemed to confirm that the two sides were evenly matched.

The murderous intent was truly thick. Without any need for provocation, after only a brief standoff, the two were already locked in a fierce melee.

And the sound of the Greatswords clashing made one seriously worry about their durability.

”Yes, but I didn’t toss him in. He put himself in.”

In response to Fu Qian’s question, the Lord of Intellect genuinely agreed, yet simultaneously started speaking in riddles.

”You’ll see soon enough.”

...

Oh?

That last sentence undoubtedly raised expectations, thoroughly cementing a mutual understanding where neither of them intervened, opting instead for quietly observing changes.

Honestly, the Lord of Intellect couldn’t quite escape the suspicion that he was using this to pin down the King of the Abandoned Prison and buy a little time to build power.

Fortunately, this perfectly aligned with the Tyrant’s established strategy. Fu Qian didn’t mind this potential little trick; he was watching with genuine intent.

But to be frank, the situation seemed a bit one-sided. A Fei was clearly in a bad spot.

He was already like a headless fly, driven by almost nothing but his instinct to slaughter.

Actually, this was also why he had paused earlier.

Originally, guided by the King of the Abandoned Prison and following the sword via the connection of the Calamity Chamber, he had locked onto the Lord of Intellect to launch an attack. Logically speaking, even if something appeared to block his path, he shouldn’t have paid it any mind—but enchantments came with a cost.

That body-shattering strike just now had been pushed so forcefully to the absolute limit that it had completely exhausted the final Calamity Blessing on the blade.

At this point, both man and sword were equally dazed, reduced to mere reflex actions.

Then, once the momentum of his pursuit was interrupted, his focus naturally shifted to the interceptor.

Furthermore, his madness was even beginning to manifest in his flesh and blood. Not only was A Fei’s mangled body undergoing various mutations, but it was also literally fusing with the Greatsword.

In contrast, his opponent displayed a state where great skill requires no artifice. Every movement was entirely free of mortal trappings, devoid of any hint of pity, sorrow, or joy.

If it weren’t for the slight difference in Rank, it would almost bring to mind the Mycelium Sword Saint he had once seen at the Academy.

Actually, never mind that, the contours of those facial features really did look a bit similar—wait a minute, why could he see its facial features?

Amid his silent critique, Fu Qian suddenly realized something far more alarming.

For a brief instant, A Fei’s opponent had actually materialized into a physical entity, while A Fei himself was reduced to nothing but a Shadow.