Eldritch Horror Theatre

”Thanks for the hard work, Professor Fu. Should we keep going deeper?”

The nearby Bone Spirit creations had scattered in the wake of the house centipede’s rampage, carving out a sizable clearing in front of them. For the moment, they didn’t have to worry about being harassed.

But the peace wouldn’t last. The dismembered corpse was clearly drawing the attention of the surrounding creatures, and it wouldn’t be long before they swarmed in to fight over the scraps.

In that brief window of peace, Lisa quietly asked her question, taking a moment to marvel at their spoils.

At such close range, she could finally confirm her earlier suspicions—the residue clinging to the corpse belonged to the realm of divinity.

It was incredible. After that monstrosity’s frenzied devouring and assimilation, it had actually spawned a trace of divinity. The creature was far more dangerous than she had imagined.

What was even more unbelievable, of course, was that this overwhelming threat had folded like wet paper before their special guest.

Aside from sacrificing a set of clothes and taking a few minor scrapes, the interim spokesperson for the Apocalypse beside her had slaughtered the creature with the casual ease of butchering a chicken.

Even those minor scrapes had already faded to almost nothing.

As she waited for his answer, Lisa studied his body, which was entirely clad in that Armor.She had to admit that, despite its grotesque origins, the structure possessed a strange blend of power and beauty. It was surprisingly pleasing to the eye.

Whether by design or not, while his flesh was gradually mending beneath the wounds, the Armor itself hadn’t regenerated over the gaps. The cracks looked like jagged battle scars, adding a raw, imposing edge to his presence.

”No need. I’ve imposed on you enough for one day.”

Sure enough, perfectly matching his imposing appearance, Professor Fu’s reply rang with the confidence of a triumphant victor.

That was true enough.

Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, Lisa instinctively scanned their surroundings.

The commotion today was far more severe than on their last visit. She could hardly imagine how the people of Linghui would react when they found out.

But then again, their reaction didn’t matter. Remembering Professor Fu’s awe-inspiring display of power, Lisa pulled out a strangely patterned sack with far more confidence than before and scooped up their spoils.

...

”Regardless, this is still far too valuable. I owe you a favor.”

As it turned out, Professor Fu’s boasting about his sense of direction wasn’t entirely hot air.

Their return trip was perfectly smooth. Before long, they arrived back at the tunnel entrance they had initially come through.

Lisa cast one final glance at the still-roiling Mist, then turned away and stepped out without a shred of reluctance.

Once Fu Qian followed her out, she laid her cards on the table. She frankly admitted that their haul far exceeded expectations, and that he had more than repaid his favor.

”Don’t worry about it. My losses were much smaller than yours anyway.”

Although his reply was polite, it still stung, instantly reminding Lisa of her two missing teeth.

”But since you’re so eager to repay me, I do happen to have a material requisition form that needs filling out.”

Of course, she hadn’t expected the provocations to continue.

She had only offered a polite platitude, yet Professor Fu immediately presented a way for her to return the favor. The transition was so seamless it felt entirely premeditated.

...

Is this karma? She still remembered mocking him earlier for not understanding the institute’s rules and procedures...

Filing a requisition form was a trivial matter, but the lingering suspicion that she had fallen into a trap still left Professor Lisa feeling rather annoyed.

But seeing Professor Fu standing outside in a full suit of Armor without the slightest hint of shame, she wisely abandoned any thoughts of taking the moral high ground.

The man’s skin was unimaginably thick. An emotion like shame simply couldn’t exist within him—

”Is it slightly inappropriate for me to walk around like this?”

Shockingly, Professor Fu had actually displayed a rare moment of self-awareness regarding public decency.

”It’s not completely unacceptable.”

Lisa took a slow, somewhat relieved breath. Considering the massive contribution he had just made, she opted for the most tactful phrasing possible.

”Still, with so many people watching, I should probably be mindful of appearances.”

Astonishingly, Professor Fu was being terrifyingly considerate today.

He shook his head and surveyed their surroundings with a solemn expression. Just as Lisa assumed he was about to find something to cover himself up with, Professor Fu leaned forward and performed a very strange gesture.

It almost looked as if he were pantomiming pulling a hat—or a helmet—over his head.

Under Lisa’s stunned gaze, black fur instantly sprouted across his face. It spread rapidly, merging seamlessly with his hair until it formed the distinct shape of a full-face visor.

”I have coverage everywhere except my head. I just felt that walking around like that would be terribly unfriendly to anyone with OCD.”

Only then did Fu Qian offer his explanation.

...So that was the bad impression he was worried about?

Aren’t you missing the entire point?!

At that moment, Professor Lisa could no longer hold back the roaring in her heart.

While there was no actual risk of indecent exposure—and from a distance, it might even be hard to tell that it wasn’t real armor—he still needed to be mindful of his identity!

If anyone recognized him, the image of the Apocalypse would suffer yet another devastating blow.

And even if no one recognized him, couldn’t he spare a single thought for the feelings of his traveling companion?

Not everyone was quite like him.

”So... do you still need to fill out that requisition form or not?”

Unfortunately, none of her inner turmoil made it to her face.

After venting her frustration internally, Lisa finally moved on to the next topic, asking in a frosty tone.

”Of course. I’m already here, after all.”

Expert Fu accepted the shift in conversation perfectly smoothly.

He really did plan this from the start...

Lisa ground her teeth together a fraction harder.

”What exactly do you want to requisition?”

”Claudora’s Demigod Flesh.”

...

”What’s wrong? Is there a problem? You can just use my name.”

Seeing Lisa’s visible shock, Fu Qian casually waved goodbye to the massive beast behind them. He strode away under its watchful gaze as he tossed out the question.

”That isn’t the issue... It’s just that, given how dangerous that material is, we generally require a detailed reason for its use. What do you need it for?”

Lisa immediately shook her head, signaling that the procedural side wasn’t a problem.

”I need it for an upcoming field expedition.”

Fu Qian’s answer was honest and concise.

”Alright... It isn’t terribly detailed, but coming from you, it’ll be enough.”

Letting out a helpless sigh, Lisa inadvertently acknowledged the sheer weight of Fu Qian’s influence.

”But that material is stored even further down. Follow me.”

Without another word, she took the lead.

”You know the way well. Do you requisition it often?”

Now it was Fu Qian’s turn to be curious, prompting him to ask as he followed her.

”No.”

Without even looking back, Lisa quickened her pace and ripped down a long cloth curtain with a sharp tear.

”I’m just the one in charge of managing that particular material—here, wrap yourself in this.”

She doubled back as she spoke, casually tossing the torn curtain at him.

”Is there really a problem with my look?”

Although he caught the fabric, Fu Qian still had a few complaints about his lack of sartorial freedom.

”No, but I’m worried you’ll shed fur. That area needs to be kept absolutely sterile.”