Eldritch Horror Theatre

At this moment, the space between the library’s fourth and fifth floors had stretched to an inconceivable height.

The gap between them resembled an impassable chasm. Bathed in the crimson moonlight pouring through the windows, it looked like a massive mural on a Church wall—holy yet bizarre.

Of course, the biggest problem was that the entire surroundings could be taken in at a single glance.

Within this vast area, everything appeared to have been struck by a Dual-Vector Foil. The environment had collapsed into a tangled mess of gray silhouettes plastered flat against the walls, leaving no visible path upward.

”This is a little different from what I imagined!” Fu Qian frowned.

”It’s not surprising.”

”A Nightmare is filled with distortion and Death. You absolutely cannot take things for granted based on ordinary common sense, or you’ll quickly get yourself killed.”

”Got it. Thanks for the warning,” Fu Qian said.

”So, based on that perspective of yours, how should we get up there?”

...The Persuader, who had been speaking so confidently just a moment ago, instantly fell silent. After a while, he finally spoke up.

”At this height, even with your body in its initial fused state, there is no way you can jump up there.”

”Although that insect carries hidden risks, it is the cornerstone of your survival.

”If you hadn’t acted so recklessly earlier, we could have figured something out to increase your strength through further fusion.”

”As things stand, you can only give up.”

”I’m suddenly quite concerned about your future.”

Fu Qian listened earnestly to the Persuader’s analysis before letting out a sigh.

”Is this the walkthrough experience you worked so hard to figure out? If you posted this on a forum, it wouldn’t even get stickied! What exactly have you been busy with all these years?”

”Mocking me is meaningless. Since I’m so incompetent in your eyes, you can go ahead and use your brilliance to find a way up.”

The Persuader seemed to have grown somewhat accustomed to Fu Qian’s style and was no longer easily provoked by his words.

”I can’t guarantee a solution, but I do have a few ideas.”

Unexpectedly, Fu Qian stepped forward and began to carefully feel his way around the perimeter, even deliberately using his Left Hand, where the Persuader resided.

A long while later, he snapped his fingers.

”Found it.”

”Where is the path? Why don’t I see it?” the Persuader asked, clearly skeptical.

”The answer is actually in what you just said. A Nightmare is full of distortions, and we can’t take anything for granted.”

”So we can simplify the problem. Normally speaking, what do you rely on to reach a higher floor?”

”Stairs?”

”Exactly. If we ignore the details, the act of going upstairs requires only three elements: an upper floor, a lower floor, and a staircase.

As long as you have these three things, you can complete the event.”

”Do you really need to spell that out?” the Persuader retorted instinctively.

”But we can see everything at a glance here. Where are the stairs?”

”Who says there aren’t any?” Fu Qian pointed straight ahead.

”Aren’t they right here?”

”The ones on the wall count?” the Persuader sounded genuinely shocked.

”Why wouldn’t they count? Distortion isn’t destruction. I’m more inclined to believe the objects here merely exist in a different form, rather than having vanished entirely.”

Fu Qian pointed at the shape of a staircase amidst the silhouettes.

”I had to search for a long time to find this continuous set that hasn’t been cut off by other objects.

Therefore, I sincerely believe this path will work.”

”Nonsense! There’s clearly a continuous one on the left wall as well!” the Persuader finally snapped back.

”You’ve got pretty good eyesight!” Fu Qian chuckled.

Of course he knew there was another staircase there. He only said that to gauge the other party’s reaction.

Evidently, even in his current state, the Persuader’s observational skills remained sharp.

It would be impossible for the guy to play deaf and dumb from now on.

”It’s a pity. If you had looked a bit closer, you would have noticed why I didn’t choose that one—a section in the middle is locked.”

...

Having said his piece, Fu Qian didn’t wait for the Persuader’s response. He pinpointed the spot and carefully planted his foot.

An astonishing scene unfolded.

He stepped fully onto the simply drawn stairs, his body jutting out at a ninety-degree angle from the wall without the slightest sign of falling.

He walked up step by step. Given the large glass curtain wall in the middle, it almost looked as if Fu Qian were treading on moonlight.

And until Fu Qian stood firmly on the fifth floor, the Persuader didn’t utter a single sound.

”I can’t help but feel you must have learned a lot by tagging along with me today,” Fu Qian remarked. Without a shred of humility, he observed his surroundings while shamelessly blowing his own trumpet.

”I hope you gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of combining theory with practice.”

...

”This place has clearly been affected by that power,” the Persuader said, completely ignoring Fu Qian’s remarks as he muttered to himself.

”I can see that,” Fu Qian replied, knowing when to let things go.

In truth, a large part of his recent attempt was just him indulging his own eccentric sense of fun.

Compared to the floor below, the fifth floor looked much more normal at first glance. All the furnishings were in their proper states.

What caught the eye, however, were the bright yellow cracks cutting through the darkness, spreading across almost every surface.

”It really does look like a tree, and these are the roots growing downward,” Fu Qian murmured. Without asking for the Persuader’s opinion, he simply continued upward.

The cracks grew increasingly dense.

By the time Fu Qian reached the top, he felt as if he were standing in a golden ocean, enveloped by the light of wisdom.

”There’s nothing here,” the Persuader finally broke his silence, offering a calm analysis.

”We didn’t encounter any further obstacles or attacks along the way. This tree appears to be nothing more than an illusion; it hasn’t caused any harm.

The probability of this being a critical node feels very low.”

”It certainly seems that way.” Fu Qian agreed with the Persuader’s deduction, raising his head to look at the thick branches spreading out in all directions.

”Shall we retreat then?” After a series of harsh lessons, the Persuader’s remarks were noticeably more conservative, minimizing the chances of Fu Qian mocking him.

”Before we go, we should at least say hello to an acquaintance,” Fu Qian said, actually stepping onto one of the branches.

Half-real and half-illusion, the branch pierced right through the dome, eventually drooping outside to form a golden waterfall.

Walking along it, Fu Qian phased through the dome as well.

As he rounded a bend, the sound of low sobbing drifted over.

A slender figure clung to the side of the branch, hanging upside down high in the air.

Her entire body had melted and deformed into a mass of boneless gelatin, with tentacles extending outward from the mass.

From the clothing tangled around her, he could roughly deduce that it was Liu Yi, who had run away earlier.

”How are you doing?” Fu Qian asked her, standing at the literal peak of the school.

”I’m so scared,” came Liu Yi’s voice, just as expected.

She slowly raised her head, revealing a mouth full of jagged fangs as she spoke.

”They’re all so terrifying!”

”It’s okay. You’re terrifying, too.”