Eldritch Horror Theatre - Ch. 7: Bluffing
[Sanity Value decreased by 1, entering the containment scene]
Fu Qian reached out and touched the fog door that had reappeared in the Warehouse.
This time, Fu Qian didn't try any little tricks; he obediently followed the White Porcelain Girl Su Gao outside.
Stepping out of the building, Fu Qian finally realized what Su Gao meant by "not too good."
It looked like it should have been a bustling street, but unfortunately, there wasn't a single person in sight right now.
The most striking thing was directly overhead.
The originally blue sky was now entirely obscured by a mysterious, tortoiseshell-like pattern, covering everything like a massive umbrella.
An actual Evil God descent?
Seeing this, he could understand why Su Gao and the others were so tense.
As for why there was no one on the street, Fu Qian had already guessed the answer.
"Has everyone been evacuated?" Fu Qian turned around and asked.
"Only the portion that could be evacuated," Su Gao said in a low voice.
"We received a mission to investigate, but unfortunately, we arrived too late.
In this area close to the source of the pollution, the mutation has already begun. The citizens afflicted by the Curse have started transforming into an aberrant state.
Considering the risks, my teammates and I... are carrying out a purge."
"There's nothing wrong with your decision; I would have done the same." Fu Qian didn't blame them; instead, he directly voiced his agreement.
The current situation was very clear. Ms. Su Gao and her team had received a mission to investigate, only to discover a severe pollution Curse here.
After evacuating the crowds on the periphery, they had no choice but to purge the citizens who were already beyond saving.
This also explained his own previous encounter, where he was attacked without a word the moment he appeared.
No wonder this woman had a broken expression; obviously, the killing had already caused her emotional collapse.
Right now, they defined the incident as a severe pollution Curse, but they probably didn't know about the Spawn of the Evil God yet.
This was exactly what the initial introduction meant by "they still don't know what they are facing."
The good news was that, for now, it seemed this beauty and her teammates shared basically the same goal as him.
It was just that earning their trust probably wouldn't be easy.
"Actually, I'm the same!" Without waiting for Su Gao to speak again, Fu Qian scoffed and looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.
"I've been polluted too."
As soon as he said this, a cold light flashed in Su Gao's eyes. But ultimately, the hand gripping her blade didn't move.
Fu Qian acted as if he hadn't seen her movement.
"I accidentally noticed something unusual here earlier and came to investigate. I didn't expect the Curse to be so impossible to guard against."
"I'm barely suppressing the outbreak right now, but I won't last much longer. When I need you to swing the blade later, I'll tell you."
"But before that, I need to fulfill my duty..."
To get this group to follow his arrangements, pretending to be a Beyonder was absolutely necessary.
However, they were all professionals; the aura of power he projected couldn't be hidden from them.
This was when he needed to find an excuse for his poor condition.
While Fu Qian was busy bluffing, he soon saw several people rushing over from different directions.
Leading them was a middle-aged man in his forties, tall and sturdy, with sharp, gleaming eyes on his dark, gaunt face.
"What's the situation?" The moment the middle-aged man saw Fu Qian, he frowned and couldn't help asking Su Gao.
"Mercy is not permitted in this operation. Otherwise, it could result in tens of thousands of casualties."
"Team Leader!" Su Gao nodded to him in greeting, pointing at Fu Qian beside her.
"I found him over there. He claims he also came to investigate the anomaly."
Came to investigate? The middle-aged man looked at Fu Qian with suspicion and uncertainty.
Exactly! Fu Qian's expression was more natural than nature itself.
"Su Gao just told me. The situation is even worse than imagined. We'd better hurry up from here on out."
"What the hell are you? There are four official Night Watchers here, and judging by your power aura, you're nothing but an ordinary person. Is it your place to give orders?"
However, before the Team Leader could speak, a Buzz Cut Man behind him jumped in.
Fu Qian glanced at him. This guy looked quite a bit younger and had a very muscular build.
His hair stood straight up on end, and he was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt despite the weather not being particularly warm.
Right now, just like the others, he was covered in bloodstains, and his expression was fierce and malicious.
He had clearly gone mad with killing; he'd probably chop someone down over the slightest disagreement.
"Time is of the essence; let's talk as we walk." Yet Fu Qian completely ignored him, continuing to look at the Team Leader as he spoke.
"Team Leader, this guy's condition is suspicious, and it's highly likely he's already been polluted. I think he should be eliminated immediately."
Ignored, the Buzz Cut Man's eyes turned bloodshot, ready to eradicate Fu Qian right then and there.
"That's right, I have indeed been hit by the Curse." Fu Qian agreed, startling the group.
"You can't sense it now because I'm barely suppressing it from breaking out, and the price is that I basically have no combat capability."
"Here." Fu Qian gently raised his hand, and an Air Bullet shot from his fingertip, hitting a nearby streetlamp.
"I can only offer a tiny, insignificant bit of help."
He's actually a Beyonder! Including Su Gao, the Team Leader and the others were all shocked.
Regardless, this kind of method was absolutely not something an ordinary person could achieve.
The Team Leader's gaze drifted to Su Gao, hoping she would provide more information.
However, Su Gao was clearly in a terrible mood, just standing there like a puppet, turning a blind eye to the Team Leader's expectant look.
Finally, the Team Leader hesitated for a moment and stopped the restless Buzz Cut Man.
"Since our goals are aligned, that's a good thing. How may I address you?"
Done deal! Hearing the other party ask this, Fu Qian knew he had secured it.
"Just call me Fu Qian." On the surface, he remained completely unruffled.
"Since you came over to investigate so early on, have you confirmed the source of the pollution yet?"
At this moment, one of the middle-aged man's team members, an Old Man who hadn't spoken the entire time, suddenly asked.
Incredible, doing fieldwork even with hair this white!
Fu Qian glanced at this older Night Watcher; compared to the others, his eyes looked far more exhausted.
Good question! Fu Qian sighed.
"This is why I said we don't have much time."
"We have to stop that thing's descent as soon as possible."
Descent? That thing? Several of them were startled.
"That's right," Fu Qian said with a sincere expression.
"The source of the pollution comes from an evil entity of extremely high status."
"What you're seeing now is merely a tiny bit of its leaked power. I can tell you very responsibly, once that thing truly descends, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Like my mission having to be restarted! Fu Qian silently added in his heart.
After he finished speaking, the Night Watchers looked at each other in dismay.
After a moment of silence, the Team Leader coughed.
"Then I won't hide it anymore. We are the Night Watchers squad for this district. Not long ago, we received a report of an anomaly in this area, along with large-scale casualties.
After arriving, we found the situation was highly complex. After an emergency evacuation of the crowd, we had no choice but to carry out some necessary treatments—"
"I completely understand; I would have done the same," Fu Qian directly interrupted him, trying to relieve him of any psychological burden.
"I deeply understand the terror of this Curse. After I've fulfilled my duty, I'll need you to help release me."
What a true hero! At this point, even the Team Leader was somewhat moved, feeling that Fu Qian's figure appeared more heroic and towering than ever.
(End of Chapter)
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