Eldritch Horror Theatre

The horrifying scene in the camp shocked everyone into a brief silence.

Wiping the blood from her face, the female team member stared at the squirming brains in front of her and let out an inhuman howl.

Terrified, she scrambled backward, frantically crawling and rolling away.

"This is..."

Fu Qian looked at the exploded head, frowning in thought.

There wasn't a single trace of a doll inside the thick blood.

Instead, vein-like strands soaked in the gore. At first glance, they looked like tree roots.

Fu Qian suddenly had a bold guess.

"He inhaled a seed."

A seed...

The team exchanged dismayed looks, suddenly feeling a faint urge to cough.

"Are you saying a tree grew inside his body?"

Delin jerked his head up, his expression cold.

"Exactly."

"The elimination of boundaries between life doesn't just apply to moving creatures. It applies to plants, too."

"He must have inhaled a seed earlier, and the dense life aura here catalyzed its growth."

Just what kind of hellish place was this!

Before Mister Luo even finished, the camp exploded into panic. Several people subconsciously covered their mouths.

The earlier ambush had already stretched their nerves taut; now, they were on the verge of collapse.

"I warned you before."

Mister Luo thought nothing of it, watching the shouting crowd expressionlessly.

Delin raised a hand to silence the panicking team. His gaze swept over Fu Qian and Mister Luo, but he said nothing, turning on his heel and heading back into the tent.

...

"Boss, we really can't continue this commission!"

Inside the tent, after burying the dead, Delin gathered the remaining survivors.

Almost immediately, Brother Archer voiced his opinion.

Not long ago, some had mocked him for being a coward. Now, they all remained entirely silent.

After a continuous series of blows, this experienced team was on the verge of losing its confidence.

In just half a day, only eight people were still capable of moving, and two of them were wounded.

"I suggest we abandon the commission and evacuate immediately."

"Then they'll have died for nothing!"

Someone quietly voiced an objection.

"If we keep going, we'll die for nothing, too!"

Archer shot back coldly, leaving the dissenter speechless.

"What do you think?"

Delin hesitated for a dozen seconds before looking up at Fu Qian.

Was there any need to ask his opinion?

Delin's action clearly took everyone by surprise. Even the female team member who had just lost her lover couldn't help but glance up.

As far as she was concerned, there was no way Fu Qian would have a different opinion.

"My opinion? I was never really interested in the commission to begin with. If you want to abandon it, then abandon it."

Fu Qian answered straightforwardly.

"However, the scenery here isn't bad. I'll hang around and sightsee for a few days, so I won't be leaving with you."

Just as everyone shot him knowing looks, Fu Qian tacked on that second sentence.

No matter what this group decided, he had to stay and complete his task.

Having a bunch of cannon fodder clear the way certainly wasn't a bad thing, but Fu Qian wasn't going to trick them into staying and throwing their lives away.

Besides, Fu Qian had a faint intuition that even if this group wanted to retreat now, they might not make it out.

This place was far more bizarre than anyone had imagined!

‘Is there a hole in your brain? Sightseeing in a place like this?’

The team members were instantly stunned, doubting their own ears.

Faced with a tent full of stares treating him like an alien, Fu Qian couldn't be bothered to respond.

Delin clearly hadn't expected that answer either, falling into a momentary silence.

After a long while, he looked around. The expressions on their faces made him realize the team had lost its will to fight.

"Then we'll abandon it..."

Finally, he gritted his teeth and made the decision in a low voice.

No matter what, reputation and payment were not as important as their lives.

In their current state, he truly had no confidence in facing those crazed dolls again.

"I'll go talk to the employer in a bit. If possible, we'll leave today."

Okay...

For a moment, everyone felt a great sense of relief.

"No need. I'm already here."

Unexpectedly, someone spoke from outside—it was clearly Miyamoto's voice!

Delin's face instantly turned ugly. Today's injuries had affected him greatly; he hadn't even noticed someone eavesdropping.

Miyamoto, however, didn't look the least bit embarrassed and simply walked right in.

Facing the crowd's sharp glares, he still wore a bright smile.

"First of all, please believe me—I overheard by accident, and only a few sentences."

"Secondly, I didn't come to persuade you to stay, but to remind you of something."

Meeting their doubtful gazes, he revealed a sunny smile.

"According to our information, those things hold deep grudges."

"Anyone tainted by the corpses of their companions will carry a scent that only they can identify. Once marked as a target, they will seize every opportunity to exact revenge."

"Outside right now, it might be more dangerous than you can imagine."

...

"So if possible, I still hope you can stay and cooperate with us to finish this business."

Miyamoto looked around with a beaming smile. Taking in their pale faces, his gaze finally landed on Fu Qian.

"Especially Mister Fu. If the others insist on leaving, I wonder if you'd be interested in joining us? You can name your price."

‘Just what makes this guy so special? Even the employer wants to recruit him.’

Hearing Miyamoto's offer, most of the team members couldn't help but size Fu Qian up again.

"Sure,"

Fu Qian said calmly.

The question was completely meaningless. Given the circumstances, it was highly probable that Delin and the others wouldn't be able to leave anyway.

...

Delin's gaze also darted back and forth between Miyamoto and Fu Qian.

If Miyamoto was telling the truth, almost everyone on the team was a target.

He alone had smashed more than one of them to death with his own hands.

Conversely, Fu Qian—who wasn't planning on leaving—had a higher chance of being untainted.

With their current team size, if they were targeted by the dolls while leaving... their chances of survival were very slim.

"Haha, there's actually no need to answer me in such a rush."

Witnessing this, Miyamoto couldn't hold back another burst of laughter.

"Let's rest for today. You can all discuss it thoroughly before making a decision."

"If we're lucky, we might get to witness the vindictiveness of those little guys tonight, so I suggest making preparations in advance."

"Considering the severe reduction in your numbers, my people will help shoulder some of the pressure for you. Rest assured, your payment won't be discounted in the slightest."

After saying that, he stood up and winked at Delin.

"I hope we still have the opportunity to continue our cooperation."

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