Eldritch Horror Theatre

”Who are you—”

A moment later, the clinic door—which hadn’t even been closed in the bright daylight—was shoved wide open by Fu Qian.

Dorian, whose head was indeed still properly attached to his neck, immediately looked over in shock.

Evidently, Fu Qian didn’t need to say a word. The moment Dorian got a clear look at what the man was carrying, he instinctively swallowed the rest of his sentence.

”What do you want?”

Faced with this blood-drenched, crazed intruder, Dorian’s survival instinct drove him to surrender the initiative.

”An outsider here for treatment.”

Unexpectedly, the man was quite easygoing, answering both questions at once.

”Here is the payment.”

Setting the three Hilarias down together, Fu Qian didn’t wait for the doctor to speak before directly handing over the medical fee.”Hurry up and prepare. I’ll wait right here.”

He casually set the severed head of Dorian off to the side, even adjusting its angle so the two Dorians could gaze deeply into each other’s eyes as a form of motivation.

”Make every preparation you can. I want the best possible medical conditions.”

...

By the time Doctor Dorian returned, night had completely fallen.

Of course, the doctor hadn’t been deliberately stalling. Although there was no clock in the clinic, Fu Qian was absolutely certain he had been gone for less than half an hour.

It was mostly because the day-and-night cycle in this place was entirely unreasonable. Not long after he arrived, day had instantly shifted to night.

Of course, whether Dorian had spent a little of that half hour agonizing over his subsequent choices was something Fu Qian believed to be human nature.

Obviously, the severed head still sitting on the table had ultimately helped dispel any thoughts he might have had about fleeing into the night.

Even if he did return empty-handed.

”Everything is ready, Your Excellency.”

Seemingly worried that Fu Qian might misunderstand, Dorian was quick to carefully explain.

”It’s just that the new one is not very easy to move. Would Your Excellency be willing to relocate?”

”Of course.”

Fu Qian was already standing up as he replied.

The claim about it being hard to move wasn’t necessarily a lie, but it likely wasn’t the main reason.

After all, Fu Qian knew exactly where this new treatment site Dorian mentioned was located.

...

When a patient was far too cooperative with medical advice, sometimes even the doctor couldn’t believe it.

Doctor Dorian, for instance, was visibly affected by it right now.

So much so that after a moment of hesitation, he didn’t say another word. He simply stepped forward, gathered up two of the Hilarias along with the Doll from the nearby cabinet, and led the way.

”Apologies, it is a bit messy inside.”

Sure enough, taking the same familiar route to the same familiar destination, the two soon arrived at the round Tower once more.

Even as the stench of blood wafted out from within, Dorian didn’t forget to offer a preemptive apology.

”That’s fine. I’ve seen worse.”

Fu Qian remained as easygoing as ever, though his words clearly left Dorian even more bewildered.

Creak—

With that familiar sound, the interior of the Tower finally came into view.

It was indeed less messy than before.

Given that night had already fallen, Dorian, who had just been working in here, had lit a ring of candles around the Tower at head height.

Though the light wasn’t particularly strong, it successfully achieved an effect similar to a shadowless surgical lamp.

Under this illumination, the clumped pile of clothing could be seen simply pushed off to one side.

On the stone floor exposed as a result, a few scattered spots of blood could be seen.

As for the source of that blood—Hilaria, clad in a black robe, was leaning at a slant against that pile of clothes, and her eyes now possessed a doll-like gleam.

Although there were no other obvious outward changes, and her veil was even still perfectly in place, she had clearly undergone some special processing and was no longer just a corpse.

”Please sit here, Your Excellency.”

Seeing that Fu Qian made no particular fuss, Dorian looked faintly relieved and gestured for him to sit in the center of the Tower.

”Alright.”

Fu Qian stepped forward without objection. Given that there wasn’t even a chair, he simply sat right on the ground, completely ignoring the scattered bloodstains.

Looking around, aside from the seated Hilaria, he was astonishingly surrounded by an audience of Dolls numbering in the triple digits.

...

The shock from his excessive cooperation continued.

In response to Fu Qian’s actions, Dorian’s only reaction was to silently take the Dolls he had brought and arrange them in a circle around him.

He even deliberately placed the four Hilarias together in the same direction.

”Did you design her treatment methods and lines?”

But just because Dorian was silent didn’t mean Fu Qian wouldn’t speak.

Looking at those four half-veiled faces, Fu Qian suddenly asked a question.

”...Neither. I merely tell her what needs to be done, and she chooses how to specifically carry it out.”

Fu Qian’s phrasing practically laid his cards on the table, proving he had entered the Healing Dreamscape. Dorian, whose mental defenses were on the verge of collapsing, nearly kicked away the Doll he had just set down.

”So, have the methods she chooses ever changed?”

Fu Qian, completely oblivious to the psychological pressure he was inflicting, continued to satisfy his curiosity.

”No... After all, she isn’t a real person. The reason I chose Hilaria is because I could feel she was the best for the job, and she has indeed performed exceptionally well.”

Dorian considered the question seriously before denying it.

”Very good. So when she’s treating these people, how does she explain her actions to them during their interactions? Take that one on you, for example.”

Fu Qian gestured at the surroundings, making no secret of the fact that he knew their origins, before finally pointing straight at Dorian.

”...To heal pain, to enjoy peaceful slumber, and to secure a sanctuary that will never be disturbed.”

His expression utterly wooden as he spoke, Dorian actually pulled out another long-haired male Doll and set it on the ground.

As the master of the dreamscape, it seemed he still clearly remembered his special guests’ lines.

It was just that these words were different from the ones Fu Qian had heard during his own treatment.

The Hilaria from earlier hadn’t mentioned concepts like spiritual filth or a self-forged cage.

Considering it had been a while since the last patient was cured, it was easy to deduce that this shift in dialogue was brought on by the growth of the Bitter Fruit.

So, theoretically, these new elements should reflect its core nature to some degree.

Bypassing the crude definitions and symbols of the conscious mind to experience things directly, and thereby living in reality?

This Dao truly was brimming with philosophical undertones.

”Thank you.”

Mid-thought, Fu Qian looked at Dorian, who was standing there in a daze.

It was obvious that the repeated shocks had drained the man of his fighting spirit.

But that was fine. Fu Qian had faith that he would soon be reborn anew.

”Let’s begin.”

With his thanks given, Fu Qian gave him a nod, directly signaling that the treatment could commence.

Dorian didn’t say a word, but a mere two seconds later, that familiar dreamscape unfurled from his body once again.

And once again, Fu Qian offered no resistance.

...

”Come here, sit closer...”

”Come here, this way...”

”A little closer...”

”Over here...”

Identical voices, coming from four different directions.

Fu Qian opened his eyes in the gloom. He sized up the Hilarias and immediately rejected the treatment.

”I actually feel much better today.”

”Wait for me a moment. I’m going up to find a friend.”