Eldritch Horror Theatre

Butters was in a state akin to a man entirely overcome by lust. Naturally, he wouldn't be easily stopped or persuaded.

But as the saying goes: men struggle to teach men, but harsh reality only needs one lesson.

Fu Qian had never planned to persuade him anyway; he was merely helping him recognize a bloody reality.

He had even chosen the sort of single-digit subtraction a kindergartener could do: three minus one equals two.

"Wen?"

Thankfully, the gears in Butters' head finally began turning again at that moment.

With great difficulty, he dragged his gaze away from the Jellyfish Vampire. After scanning their surroundings a few times, his eyes landed on the crowbar in Fu Qian's hand, and he spat out a name in sheer disbelief.

'So Brother Ruthless was named Wen?'

Fu Qian had at least learned Brother Ruthless's real name. Unfortunately, despite the earlier commotion and Butters calling out to him, there was still no sign of their missing teammate.

Fu Qian didn't waste time mourning. Seeing that Butters had regained a measure of coherence, he gestured toward the tools the man was holding.

"I don't know..."

Unfortunately, the question brought a dazed look back into Butters' eyes.

"I followed... I found this place, but I didn't see that flash from before... I wanted to shine a light on it, and the next thing I knew, the flashlight was just in my hand...

"Do you know what happened?"

It sounded like he had absolutely no memory of the exchange, even turning to ask Fu Qian about it in the next breath.

"You two ran a bit too fast. If I didn't know better, I would've thought you were planning to hog everything for yourselves."

Fu Qian just shook his head, throwing out a casual jab.

"You..."

Just as their impromptu debriefing was in full swing, a voice abruptly rang out. In an instant, all the static in their minds was wiped clean.

...

The voice was ethereal and crystal clear, carrying an indescribable allure. Just hearing it made one unconsciously picture that body bathed in flowing, spectral light.

Though the owner of that body did not seem particularly pleased.

Fu Qian looked down at his feet.

Without a sound, the Jellyfish Vampire had opened her eyes, revealing two pinpricks of radiant light.

Although her lips didn't move, she was undoubtedly the source of the voice.

"Too noisy... shut your mouths, come a little closer..."

She kept speaking, clearly displeased that these two were chatting right on top of her grave.

'You've got some nerve saying that, haven't you?'

'Who was the one spamming mental static at us from the outside this entire time?'

This immediate thought was just Fu Qian's internal grumbling, expressing utter disdain for her double standards.

Of course, he didn't actually say it out loud. For one, he had to maintain his aloof persona for this excursion. For another, the moment she uttered that summons, the vast majority of his willpower had to be diverted to fighting off the overwhelming urge to draw closer to her.

Even for Fu Qian, his neck felt as heavy as if a mountain had been dropped on it.

In his peripheral vision, Butters had already collapsed to the floor. His hands clawed at the fractured coffin lid, wrenching at it with desperate strength.

Smack!

This frantic scene lasted about five seconds before another crisp slap rang out. This time, Butters lost his footing entirely, stumbling back several paces before collapsing onto the ground.

"Hello there. How should I address you?"

The force behind that slap had been even greater than the last. Having vented some of his immense mental pressure through the strike, Fu Qian looked down into the completely unsealed coffin and tossed out a casual greeting.

Yes, thanks to his frantic efforts just now, Butters had successfully wrenched the coffin open. Fu Qian had perfectly timed his slap for exactly this moment.

Clang—

The very next second, Butters scrambled back to his feet and lunged forward again. Fu Qian instantly slammed his crowbar into the floor, producing a deafening crash. "I'm having a conversation. Don't interrupt."

The man had snatched up one of the tools he'd dropped earlier to open the coffin, wielding it as he charged.

...

In all fairness, the Jellyfish Vampire lying in the coffin truly possessed an allure that would make anyone want to throw themselves at her.

With the lid removed, the interior of the coffin was fully exposed.

She had a slender, elongated figure. Her translucent, moist skin pulsed with a rhythmic, flowing luminescence that perfectly matched the subtle cadence of her body.

This spectral display ran all the way down to her waist, where it was covered by a black robe. It added an air of mystery to her—yet it still didn't possess the power to directly override a person's will.

It seemed the Warehouse's restrictions on abilities and Items were deliberate. The Transcendent Tier powers within this scenario existed in a delicate balance, much like a classic horror story—leaving just enough room for mortals to struggle and maneuver.

"Wolf..."

Fu Qian never placed blind faith in the power of words. In both of his attempts at persuasion tonight, his core operating principle had been to let the facts speak for themselves.

Facts like the tragedy that had already occurred, and the tragedy that could easily follow if someone didn't behave.

Butters' eyes were tinged with red, his last shreds of sanity visibly crumbling. However, the loud clash of metal forced him to acknowledge the blunt instrument of discipline in Fu Qian's grip.

Muttering his name in a tone full of incomprehension, Butters finally froze in place, panting heavily.

Fu Qian ignored him, his gaze remaining fixed on the figure lying in the coffin.

Up to this point, she still hadn't answered his greeting.

"Since you're not in a talking mood, I'll skip my introduction too. Tell me what you need us to do."

It was honestly a bit rude of her, but Fu Qian didn't stoop to her level. He simply moved on to his second question.

...

"Help me break these bindings, and I shall bestow upon you the power you desire..."

The expected response finally came just as Fu Qian was giving Butters a second warning with his crowbar.

The same ethereal voice echoed in his mind. At the same time, though she made no move to sit up, those pinprick eyes shifted in his direction.

'Not very professional. You're supposed to lead with the benefits.'

'I ask how we're doing the trade, and you actually just blurt out your price first?'

'That's an easy way to scare off adventurers.'

Feeling his racing, out-of-control heartbeat and his willpower bobbing like duckweed amidst his surging impulses, Fu Qian continued his sharp internal critique. He didn't even entertain the thought of stabbing the wire in his pocket into his leg to use pain for clarity.

The creature in front of him was suspected to be a special breed of vampire, after all. God only knew if drawing blood might give her some kind of special buff.

"So those things sprouting out of the ground... that was you trying to summon heroes to your side?"

Battling the tearing strain on his willpower, Fu Qian kept the conversation going.

"Yes..."

"Excellent. And how exactly do we help you break these bindings?"

With the conversation finally entering a productive flow, Fu Qian felt quite gratified and took the initiative to establish the terms of their trade.

"Under my clothes."

The ethereal voice wasn't rushed in the slightest as it offered up the faint instruction.

"Alright."

Not standing on ceremony, Fu Qian reached out and yanked the black robe aside. In one fluid motion, he tossed it over Butters' head, completely covering the man's face.

"Keep that on until I say otherwise."

Delivering the curt instruction, Fu Qian turned his gaze toward the lower half of the body now exposed in the coffin.

'This... is she actually a jellyfish?'

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