Eldritch Horror Theatre - Ch. 183: White Porcelain Doll (Part 1)
The sun's sealed state lasted for about half an hour from start to finish.
Given that it was already evening, by the time the dark haze dispersed, the sun had almost completely set.
And just as Fu Qian expected, this bizarre spectacle practically blew up the internet instantly.
Fu Qian even saw a full tracking report from Young Master Qin in his WeChat Moments.
Briefly checking the relevant news, Fu Qian quickly confirmed the area affected by the seal; it basically covered the entirety of Lincheng and then some.
He could only say that the effects of the Profane Embrace were indeed quite potent.
Due to the successive occurrences of anomalies over in Lincheng, the interest of the masses was noticeably piqued.
Fu Qian even saw a certain TV station gather three experts, sitting around a round table, talking over one another, arguing until they were red in the face over the cause of the anomalous celestial phenomenon.
Earthquakes, fires, evil omens... After negating numerous speculations and refuting his two opponents to the point of a near-brain hemorrhage, the youngest-looking expert pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, and began to quote extensively and speak with great fervor.
He naturally linked today's event with the anomalous flash from two days ago. He spoke with logic and evidence, structured and clear, making the heavily-made-up host listen with continuous flashes of brilliance in her eyes—yet in the end, absolutely no conclusion was reached.
Fu Qian watched for a while, and when the experts ran out of material and began launching personal attacks at each other, he turned off the program.
...
Facts proved that the Profane Embrace had its tyrannical aspects. The promised twenty-four-hour side effect didn't get discounted by a single second.
And even though he had already ranked as a Demigod, the feeling of the Achromatic State was still not very pleasant.
In response to this situation, Fu Qian's choice was to silently enjoy twenty-four hours of peace and quiet, waiting until the next day when the state disappeared before finally entering the Warehouse.
[Identity verification complete. Today's work begins.]
[Warning, leak incident.]
The Warehouse never disappointed; its operations were as stable as always.
[Name: White Porcelain Doll. Codename: 2-090.]
[Today's work details updated: Enter the Containment Scene for 2-090 and complete re-containment.]
[Current Sanity Value: 182. Current Inspiration: 46.]
With the ease of familiarity, Fu Qian configured his skills and started his work for the day.
[Entering 2-090 Containment Scene...]
[...4%...6%...10%...18%...34%...66%...100%. Containment Scene loaded.]
[This is a mysterious and forbidden land, a place ordinary people dare not set foot.
As a member of an exploration team, you have been hired and brought here with a special mission.
Your planning was meticulous, your preparations were ample, and you were full of optimism about this trip. This should have been a relaxing and pleasant journey—]
The mission introduction came to an abrupt halt as Fu Qian simultaneously regained his perception.
Stretching his limbs, he found himself amidst a dense forest.
Looking up, his surroundings were filled with vegetation so green it was almost black. He could hardly see a patch of ground, and even the canopy above was tightly sealed by dense layers of leaves.
Meanwhile, an inexplicable smell of decay permeated the air.
The next moment, a bizarre cry rang out behind him. It even sounded somewhat like a human crying, and the distance was extremely close.
Fu Qian turned around to look and discovered an incredibly strange-looking behemoth.
The creature was roughly the height of a one-story building. At first glance, it resembled a giant spider.
However, what looked like its head lacked organs like a mouth or eyes. Instead, it was replaced by countless vortex-like holes. At the same time, its front and back legs added up to a full dozen or so, distributed in an extremely chaotic manner.
Furthermore, from its back down to its legs, the creature was completely covered in a thick grey carapace.
From the gaps in the carapace, countless yellow and black sharp claws extended out, resembling sharp daggers pointing in all directions.
Yet, such a ferocious-looking monster was currently sprawling on the ground, unable to move.
Fu Qian observed carefully and found that most of the "spider's" legs bore marks of being snapped off.
It was deliberately placed here, though he didn't know for what purpose.
Fu Qian quickly made a judgment.
At this moment, as he turned his head, the creature seemed to perceive something. Its "face" turned over, and its crying instantly became even more shrill and mournful.
"What are you doing? Get back here, hurry."
A voice called out from not far away.
Fu Qian turned back and saw half a body peeking out from behind a towering giant tree.
The owner of the body was about forty years old, with thinning hair, a cold expression, and dressed in clothing suitable for wilderness activities.
"Hurry up, or they'll be coming."
Seeing Fu Qian look over, this man coldly reminded him, gesturing for him to hide over there.
"Or are you willing to stay there and act as live bait?"
*So I was setting a trap just now, which means this thing is the bait?*
Fu Qian instantly understood. He took another look at the spider, then turned and walked over.
Several people were already hiding behind the tree, of varying ages, but their attire was very uniform.
At the same time, Fu Qian also discovered that around this area, centered on the spider, there were over a dozen auras circling about, a few of which were quite strong.
Just as Fu Qian released his perception, a bizarre sensation washed over him, turning his body icy cold.
The next moment, he felt his skin begin to itch, as if something was restless, trying to drill its way out from underneath.
This is...
This feeling wasn't exactly unfamiliar to Fu Qian. In fact, he had just experienced it once yesterday when he advanced to a Demigod.
Under the invisible influence, his body underwent various changes beyond his control.
He remembered the previous reward mentioning that he currently belonged to the "Whiteboard Demigod" class, making him prone to attracting gazes.
Although the reaction was still very mild, it was obvious this place was not simple!
Smelling the decaying odor in the air, Fu Qian vaguely felt that there seemed to be a gaze watching him from the dense forest ahead.
Reining in his thoughts, Fu Qian slowly stabilized his condition until the anomaly on his body vanished.
The others behind the tree clearly had their attention focused outwards and entirely failed to notice his abnormality.
"They're here."
The man who had called Fu Qian back earlier suddenly spoke in a hushed voice.
The "spider" in the center seemed to sense something. Its cries became increasingly piercing and miserable. It even attempted to shift its broken legs, supporting its body to retreat, but alas, it was futile.
The next moment, a strange sound echoed around them. It sounded neither like insects nor beasts, but was quite crisp.
At the same time, the "spider" let out an earth-shattering howl, its broken legs struggling violently.
On its body, a heavy piece of carapace was actually torn open alive, splattering countless dark red fluids and exposing the flesh and blood underneath.
And this was only the beginning.
In less than a minute, whether it was the broken legs or the chest and abdomen, streaks of fluid splattered everywhere as the carapace was ripped apart piece by piece.
And from the mangled body, things the size of a palm, gleaming white and delicate, drilled their way out.
Fu Qian had excellent eyesight. Looking over from here, he discovered that those things were actually exquisitely crafted miniature dolls, their facial features remarkably lifelike.
Comments
Post a Comment