Eldritch Horror Theatre

Keep your mouth shut in exchange for freedom, or be permanently silenced.

Since no promise could be trusted, leaving a witness here was undoubtedly a massive liability.

Under these circumstances, Tracy's two proposed options were far more reliable than verbal promises.

It even seemed self-evident which one the person involved should choose.

However, as much as he appreciated this development, Fu Qian pointed out that the first option wasn't actually reliable either.

If she helped untie him, common sense dictated he would immediately flee this hellhole, and naturally, the secret wouldn't spread.

It was a nice thought, but what if he failed to escape?

Once intercepted, how someone securely bound had managed to escape would inevitably become the focus of attention.

Anyone would realize he must have had help, and they would demand a reasonable explanation for that help.

It only took a little thought to realize this wasn't mere alarmism.

In comparison, silencing someone permanently was obviously much more reliable.

Though on the flip side, it was also far more malicious by nature.

Letting someone go and killing them were two completely different things.

Even Tracy herself clearly hoped to strike a deal on the first option, rather than escalating from a damaged reputation to having blood on her hands.

Such a mindset was entirely understandable. But it didn't matter; Fu Qian indicated that going astray was always a step-by-step process anyway.

"Think it over. There's no rush."

Sensing the warm breath by his ear suddenly grow heavier, he offered a patient word of comfort, suggesting she take her time and not rush to a conclusion.

...

For Fu Qian, having blackmail material on two respectable people was practically a resource delivered right to his doorstep. He had absolutely no reason to give it up so easily.

Empathizing with Tracy and her partner's mindset was one thing; whether those two could realize their own true situation was another matter entirely.

"You don't seem to realize your own situation at all..."

The facts proved it was indeed difficult. Faced with this provocative remark, Tracy's male companion finally seemed unable to hold back.

"Do you really think we wouldn't dare? People dying in a place like this is perfectly normal."

It had to be said, he made a fair point. A Sanitarium might not be a hospital, but matters of life and death were indeed much more commonplace here.

"Fair point. I don't seem to remember how I ended up like this. Could you share the details?"

Completely ignoring the tense atmosphere, Fu Qian actually agreed with him.

...

"Unfortunately, I don't know the exact details."

The two sides clearly had different understandings of the situation, but in the eerie atmosphere, it was Tracy who finally spoke.

"I only know that you suddenly fell ill on your second day here and attacked more than one person. Then Servis announced that your condition was critical and mandatory measures had to be taken. After moving you through a few different locations, they settled you here."

She was being rather modest, considering she clearly knew quite a bit about it.

Actually, it made sense. An isolated place far from the secular world would naturally foster a specific collective atmosphere, meaning news would spread very efficiently.

So he really had succumbed that quickly, running into trouble on just the second day?

Fu Qian sighed inwardly, increasingly shocked by the allure of this place.

Besides that, the specific process sounded reasonable enough—falling ill, receiving treatment, being declared beyond saving... And sure enough, Servis acted as the person in charge here.

"So what did I do on my first day?"

Given Tracy's high level of cooperation, he didn't hold back and continued asking.

Aside from Servis, that "old friend" was undoubtedly an even more highly anticipated figure.

"Touring, what else could you do? You wandered around alone, greeting and chatting with a lot of people."

Tracy sounded a little confused by the question.

"Didn't you claim to be a cultural columnist planning to write a feature article on the Sanitarium?"

...

So there was something like that? He knew it wouldn't be that simple.

Tracy's answer undoubtedly added a new twist to the situation, and for a moment, Fu Qian sighed inwardly.

It sounded like he had actually fabricated a reason to get in, rather than arriving simply as a visitor?

A columnist wandering around alone—none of that sounded like it had anything to do with an "old friend."

The person mentioned in the mission briefing didn't even exist—which actually made sense.

"Tracing the footsteps of an old friend" could indeed be understood as someone having left traces here, and he was merely searching for them.

It even aligned perfectly with his subsequent actions: posing as a columnist, using a role that made it easy to mingle with the masses, and moving around as much as possible to search for traces...

And going even further, this hidden agenda was ultimately discovered by the "evil" Servis, leading him to fall victim to foul play and end up trapped here in such a manner...

It practically qualified as a classic movie plot.

And now that he had finally awakened, his next step was to escape this place—a Sanitarium on the surface, but in reality, a den of evil like Demon Mountain.

Because in thirteen days, this place would face judgment for its hidden sins.

Look at that, it even matched the mission objectives perfectly.

It had to be said, the feeling of suddenly becoming a movie protagonist wasn't half bad.

"Actually, that was a lie. My true identity is a secret investigator."

And as everyone knew, a protagonist's greatest trait was not dying no matter how much they courted death. Fu Qian immediately put that to the test.

"...Investigating what?"

No matter how reluctant they were to believe that a madman had suddenly regained his sanity, the truth was right in front of them. For a moment, Tracy and her partner spoke almost in unison.

"Investigating the relationship between the two of you."

Fu Qian answered with the utmost naturalness.

...

"Are you mocking me?"

After another long silence, Tracy's male companion sounded like he could no longer suppress his fury. His voice drew closer step by step.

It was perfectly normal. Being played for a fool in front of the woman he admired had always been intolerable, let alone for someone of his considerable status.

Clearly, he didn't buy Fu Qian's nonsense. Tied up here for over forty days just to wait for this moment? Even waiting by the stump for a hare wasn't done like this.

"I am, but I'm not the only one mocking you."

Given the circumstances, Fu Qian was even adding fuel to the fire.

"With all due respect, even though I couldn't see anything just now, I could still tell that when you two were being intimate, this lady was largely putting on an act. Are you sure you don't need a tonic to—"

And he was pouring gasoline.

So much so that before he could even get to the part about recommending an old military doctor, his words were interrupted by an unusual noise, followed by a muffled grunt.

Smack—

Groping around, he finally succeeded in pulling the thing off his head. Looking at the head struggling in the grip of his other arm, Fu Qian spoke with earnest sincerity.

"See what I mean? Are you sure you don't need a tonic?"

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