Eldritch Horror Theatre

This...

Brother Red Dragon was visibly startled for a moment.

He naturally recognized that classic meow, but how could there be a cat inside a safe?

It stretched the limits of imagination!

It would have made a bit more sense if it were a stuffed specimen.

Yet during the entire break-in, it hadn’t made a single sound. It had simply waited in silence for them to pry the lock open.

Filled with doubt, Red Dragon didn’t rush into action. Instead, he looked back at Fu Qian.

”It probably weighs about ten jin.”

Hearing the melody and grasping the intent, Fu Qian remarked in all seriousness.

...How did the focus shift to its weight?

The answer clearly caught Brother Red Dragon off guard, plunging the air into a momentary silence.

”And judging by the classic black-and-white coat and its eye color, I’d say it’s about a year old.”

Fu Qian had never kept pets like cats or dogs. For one, he simply wasn’t an animal person. For another, his previous daily food budget wouldn’t have bought enough cat food to fill this creature up halfway.

His knowledge of the age-to-weight ratio of tuxedo cats largely came from the collective wisdom of the old men and old ladies in his apartment complex.

As mentioned before, those retirees loved to sit on the neighborhood benches and chat. Since many of their children lived elsewhere, they kept cats and dogs for company and were quite experienced on the subject.

As an unemployed vagrant, Fu Qian rarely joined their conversations, but he had picked up plenty of relevant knowledge just by listening in.

”What else?”

Fu Qian’s analysis prompted Red Dragon to ask.

”What else? This cat belongs to someone. It isn’t a stray.”

It belongs to someone?

Red Dragon finally heard something useful.

But just as he leaned in for another look, the sharp scrape of claws against metal rang out. The cat sprang from the safe.

Fortunately, it didn’t make any dangerous moves. After scurrying a couple of steps across the floor, the cat realized no one was chasing it and came to a halt. Its pace turned leisurely, and it even dropped into a standard feline loaf.

Taking the opportunity, Red Dragon noticed a small name tag hanging from the creature’s neck.

That explained why Guansi knew it had an owner.

Even so, Red Dragon didn’t lower his weapon. He kept the gleaming Blade aimed straight at the cat’s head as he bent down to pick the animal up.

Unfortunately, the feline was incredibly agile. It leaped aside in an instant.

Who knew it was a martial artist!

Fu Qian voiced his admiration from the sidelines. He was referring to the cat, of course.

Although Red Dragon’s grab hadn’t been blindingly fast, it wasn’t something easily dodged either. The house pet possessed a nimbleness that completely belied its appearance.

As for why it wasn’t acting affectionate, the reason was rather simple—Red Dragon was holding a massive Bladed Spear.

As he bent over, the lethal weapon drew closer. It was a miracle the cat hadn’t jumped out the window.

The proof lay in its next move: after dodging the grab, the cat didn’t bolt for freedom. Instead, it trotted over to Fu Qian’s feet and looked up at him.

That was just uncalled for!

Realizing what the cat was staring at, Fu Qian gave the sedatives in his hand a light shake, feeling a deep sense of injustice on the weapon’s behalf.

Sure, the design looked a bit friendly, but it was still a weapon. Was the cat treating it like a teaser wand?

”It’s an ordinary creature, but it’s certainly the first living thing we’ve encountered since we came inside.”

Seeing the kitten lingering at Fu Qian’s feet, Red Dragon refrained from making any sudden moves and commented objectively.

”Should we bring it back?”

”Now that you mention it, it does seem quite valuable.”

Fu Qian replied, readily accepting good advice.

The next moment, he crouched down and twirled the sedatives in his hand like a sword flourish. Seizing the instant the kitten’s attention was drawn to the movement, he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck.

Suddenly trapped, the creature thrashed and struggled wildly.

But despite its surprising strength, it still couldn’t escape the grasp of fate.

”We should hurry up as well.”

By now, Brother Red Dragon had thoroughly checked the inside of the safe. Having confirmed there was nothing else inside besides the cat, he nodded to Fu Qian, ready to set out again.

Right at that moment, however, a crisp ringing chime carrying a distinct rhythm reached their ears.

...

Of course, it wasn’t the sedatives suddenly functioning. Fu Qian glanced out the window; this was the signal the group had agreed upon earlier.

The agreed time wasn’t up yet. It seemed someone had found something.

”Head down first?”

Brother Red Dragon reacted quickly, immediately calling off the rest of their search as he looked at Fu Qian.

”Sure. We even have a bounty of our own to show off.”

Fu Qian hoisted the cat in his hand.

The feline looked as though it had accepted its fate, having ceased its violent struggling.

But a closer look revealed a fierce glint in its eyes—a coiled readiness that warned him not to let his guard down.

...

By the time Fu Qian and Red Dragon arrived, everyone else was already gathered.

It wasn’t just their four teammates, either. There was a new, unfamiliar face in the group.

It was a young woman, likely no older than twenty. She had medium-length hair and a round face sprinkled with a light dusting of freckles.

She was currently huddling close to Madam Star, her eyes darting around in panic.

The diplomatic duo had actually found someone? It seemed worldly affairs are hard to predict.

Fu Qian marveled inwardly.

The group wasn’t talking much. Instead, their gazes were fixed on Fu Qian and Red Dragon, waiting for them to arrive before sharing any information—a true testament to their commitment to team unity.

Unsurprisingly, it was the cat in Fu Qian’s grip that drew the most attention.

”Where did you find that?”

As everyone’s eyes lit up, Madam Star asked immediately.

”In the building out back.”

Seeing that Fu Qian wasn’t going to speak, Brother Red Dragon answered from the side.

”Anything else?”

Mask gave Fu Qian a quick once-over, then glanced at their ”bounty,” his tone gentle.

”Adele, is something wrong?”

Prompted by his words, Madam Star followed his gaze. Only then did she notice that the young woman named Adele was flushed red, her eyes glued to Fu Qian’s hand.

”What is it?”

”Henry...”

Adele finally spoke, her voice trembling slightly.

”The reason I secretly stayed behind and didn’t leave with the others... was to find him.”

Huh?

Even the woman named Qing looked visibly taken aback, while Madam Star’s face was a picture of pure disbelief.

”This is the ’very important thing’ you mentioned?”

”...Yes.”

”Alright.”

Amidst the silence, Mask finally clapped his hands, taking control of the situation as the person in charge.

”Star and Qing just found Adele here, and we’ve learned some rather bad news.”

He smiled as he looked at Adele.

”Adele, could you tell us once more about what happened here?”