Eldritch Horror Theatre - Ch. 190: White Porcelain Doll (VIII)
After Miyamoto left, the tent fell into a long silence.
"Could he just be fearmongering to scare us into staying here?"
The balding archer was the first to speak up.
It was obvious he deeply desired not to stay here any longer.
"We can't rule out that possibility. After all, they certainly don't seem like the kind-hearted type."
Someone immediately echoed his sentiment.
"But today, those creatures really did seem to be coming specifically for us."
Delin shook his head, his expression increasingly somber.
"I was still puzzled before... but now it seems this is very likely the explanation. We are already their targets for the hunt."
"But even if we stay, our fate might not be any better."
The balding archer couldn't resist speaking again.
"These people are clearly just using us. They won't care about our lives at all."
"Actually, there's another piece of information I think you all should know."
Seeing them at an impasse, Delin looked up at Fu Qian.
Unfortunately, the latter remained completely indifferent. Left with no choice, Delin had to speak up himself.
"Last night, Fu Qian discovered someone spying on us... someone outside this camp."
Something like that happened!
The moment this was said, everyone looked at Fu Qian with shock and suspicion.
"Why didn't you ever mention it?"
"The responsibility for this lies with me."
Delin acted quite straightforwardly at this moment.
"I asked him to keep it a secret to avoid unnecessary suspicion."
"Is this why you insisted on staying? I thought you genuinely weren't afraid of dying!"
Since Delin put it that way, the others couldn't really flare up, but the sole female team member, who already had a big problem with Fu Qian, couldn't help but seize the opportunity to sneer at him.
"No."
Fu Qian replied lazily.
"I said earlier it's out of interest... as for your discussion on whether to stay or go, I find it completely meaningless."
"What do you mean?"
The woman asked frostily.
"The right to choose is a precious thing, not everyone has it."
Fu Qian fully utilized his talent for mockery, making the woman's eyelids twitch in irritation.
"You all sit there analyzing the situation and discussing strategies, acting as if you still have a choice. If you really think about it, you lost that option a long time ago."
He held up two fingers.
"It seems there are two paths in front of you now, but honestly, neither choice makes much difference to Miyamoto and his group."
"Either you willingly stay here as cannon fodder, taking massive risks to help Miyamoto's crew find bait and capture dolls."
"Or you take an even greater risk and walk away, only to highly likely become free bait for them. Is there really a significant difference between the two?"
Fu Qian's words plunged the team's morale straight to the freezing point.
"However, Miyamoto didn't seem to be faking it. He probably genuinely wants you to stay. I imagine if you just leave, it wouldn't serve his purpose optimally."
"What are you so smug about? Aren't you trapped here too?"
"I've said it twice already. The scenery here is beautiful and the locale is spectacular. I am very happy to stay."
...
The meeting ended in complete silence, leaving a room full of ashen faces.
Fu Qian wasn't intentionally trying to scare them; he wasn't that bored.
The predicament this team faced was very real—a true dilemma.
But in the end, being weak was the original sin.
The moment they accepted a commission beyond their capabilities, the seeds of crisis had already been sown.
Everything that followed was nothing more than marching towards an irreversible dead end.
After the meeting, Delin sat motionless in his tent for a long time before eventually seeking out Miyamoto.
Fu Qian didn't care about what they discussed, but judging from Delin's expression upon returning, they had likely reached a temporary agreement to cooperate again.
It had to be said that Miyamoto kept his word.
Soon, his entourage also joined the camp's defense rotation, helping Delin's group share the pressure.
He even rolled up his sleeves himself, bringing out more specially made nets to set traps.
Obviously, the prior equipment had also been provided by them.
Among these people, the only one who didn't lift a finger was Mr. Luo.
From beginning to end, this man hid beneath a thick robe, observing the comings and goings in the camp, acting entirely like a Hermit Expert.
Based on his previous performance, not only was his status aloof, but his strength was undoubtedly formidable.
It wasn't until the camp was surrounded by three layers of traps inside and out that Delin and the others finally seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, finding a modicum of security.
However, after completing their preparations, the dolls were nowhere to be seen.
Of course, that didn't mean nothing happened.
Not long after, a few team members rushed out, carrying an unconscious person straight towards Mr. Luo.
"He's been unconscious for a while. Could you please check if he also inhaled some sort of seed?"
Unconscious?
Mr. Luo finally reacted. After a quick glance, he signaled for the others to put the man down.
Fu Qian recognized him at a glance: the unconscious man was the one who was injured during the operation earlier today.
A minor flesh wound wasn't considered serious for a Beyonder, so his sudden coma naturally made the others nervous.
It was evident, however, that he had thoroughly learned from the previous person's experience. His entire body was wrapped securely in multiple layers, and even his nose and mouth were covered.
Mr. Luo examined him from head to toe but seemed to find no clues.
Doing as he did before, the dense dark light appeared once again, enveloping the wounded man on the stretcher.
This was the method he used previously, which had an effect akin to an Aging Curse, capable of delaying mutations to a certain extent.
Unbelievably, under this treatment, the unconscious man not only failed to wake up, but even began to convulse violently.
Riiiiip!
Mr. Luo's eyes grew heavy, and he forcefully tore open the clothes on the man's chest.
The sight before them caused everyone present to gasp.
Right on his chest, there was actually a vortex formed by overlapping flesh and blood, looking unspeakably hideous.
The very center even had a faint, translucent appearance.
This is...
Before the crowd could finish recovering from their shock, the vortex suddenly began to swell. The next second, a rift in the center rapidly expanded.
With a flash of bloody light, something leaped out from within, shooting straight toward Mr. Luo's face at an unbelievable speed.
Mr. Luo had been crouching down to observe. This sudden attack arrived right before his eyes in an instant.
At the critical moment, he raised a hand to block his left eye.
Accompanied by a muffled thud, the red light tore through his glove, ripping a long gash across his palm.
But at least his eye was saved.
It was then that the crowd finally got a clear look at what had jumped out. It was actually a doll as well.
However, unlike its kin who enjoyed bathing in flesh and blood, the blood-red color on this one seemed to stem from its own body.
At this moment, its entire body emanated a deep crimson light, much like a fully engorged leech.
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