Bitter Fruit (2)
There was no doubt that this assignment had a rather unusual tone.
The veiled woman before him could perhaps be understood as some kind of physician, except that the treatment she offered was rather unconventional.
Based on her few words and the information in her profile, he could more or less infer that the so-called filth of the soul wasn't the traditional sort of darkness, evil, or distortion. It seemed to have reached the metaphysical level of "Bodhi was never a tree."
To the point that he worried a truly successful treatment might lead straight to "attaining enlightenment" and returning to one's true nature.
Especially since the item for this assignment was even called "Bitter Fruit." It was hard not to read something into that.
So Fu Qian didn't rashly accept the invitation to begin the second course of treatment.
And after their brief exchange, it was clear that she wasn't much given to expressing herself. So Fu Qian chose to take the lead in the conversation.
Why not force her to talk?
Fu Qian rubbed the ring on his hand, its surface as hazy and dreamlike as a mirage.
It was simple. At that very moment, he had already confirmed that Clear Dream was unusable.
Besides this familiar method of force being ineffective, the result seemed to faintly prove another point: the reality of the place he was in was questionable.
Clear Dream had always been repelled by things of the same kind. For example, back on the Ring Archipelago, he couldn't use it inside the cyclical dream controlled by Brother Jinting.
Although its success rate had become pretty good after he upgraded it using the Holy Grail Cult's legacy, that it had now failed still deserved closer attention.
So in that instant, Fu Qian decided