Chapter 54: Thrilling Betrayal at the Last Minute

Late at night, Duan Wenxuan sat immobile in his study, not venturing anywhere. At his feet, the Terror Slime clad in a rubber duck raincoat quietly squatted beside him, occasionally leaking scarlet liquid from beneath its raincoat, which swirled around Duan Wenxuan’s calves.

As the clock struck eleven, polite knocks sounded on the study door. However, this courtesy was short-lived; before the owner could grant permission to enter, the knocker had already pushed the door open with a loud bang.

The bright light immediately allowed Duan Wenxuan to recognize the visitors, surprisingly including someone he knew. It was Vena, the gothic girl whom he had encountered earlier when he first arrived in this world, during his introduction to the Night Church’s Westphalian branch. Back then, he interacted with only three individuals: a clergyman of the Night Church named Winter, and this girl.

Vena appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, but in reality, she was closer to twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Her distinctive attire and somewhat erratic personality were due to the influence of a mutant artifact she possessed. As for the nature of that artifact, Duan Wenxuan remained unaware.

“Hey, look at this handsome young man.”

As soon as Vena entered, she unceremoniously scanned the entire study and then cast a suspicious glance towards the quietly seated young man. Undeniably, with his mixed heritage features, he had quite an appealing appearance.

“I am aware of some unique aspects of the Night Church. After arriving in Westphalia, I adhered to customary practices by making monthly donations to the church, hoping for its protection. So, I fail to understand why members of the Night Church would specifically come to ‘visit’ me.” Duan Wenxuan emphasized the word ‘visit’, allowing a hint of anger to surface between his brows.

” precisely because you appear to be a clever individual, we extended an invitation rather than directly taking you to the church.” The fat man beside Vena spoke weakly amidst heavy breaths.

The Night Church, being a legitimate religious institution, even played a role in maintaining order and enforcing laws. Consequently, when dealing with newly wealthy individuals like Duan Wenxuan, they aimed to maintain a certain level of courtesy.

A more aggressive approach could have alarmed other wealthy individuals in Westphalia, as they might empathize with potential targeting—a common sentiment of “if one falls, all mourn.” Moreover, although the Night Church controlled the Nightwatchers, these enforcers still required funding. Since the affluent supported them financially, it was only fair for the Night Church to reciprocate by showing favor to their backers.

Duan Wenxuan barely registered the man’s words; instead, he curiously studied the fat individual.

The man was extraordinarily obese, making even walking cumbersome and causing his speech to sound perpetually weak. Yet, he dared not sit casually, fearing that once seated, no one would assist him in standing back up.

“We don’t wish to engage in unnecessary banter. Have you seen Hu Fu recently?” Vena reached into her pocket and produced a portrait.

It was remarkably lifelike, clearly depicting none other than Hu Fu, whom Duan Wenxuan had brought from the past as a knight.

“No,” Duan Wenxuan replied firmly.

The fat man squinted, reducing his already narrow eyes almost to invisibility.

“Have you ever come across something resembling an old teapot?” Vena then pulled out another drawing.

“No.”

Silence fell over the study.

A few seconds later, Vena let out a derisive laugh and abruptly tore open the cloth bag she had been carrying like a backpack since their arrival. Inside, several palm-sized dolls immediately jumped out.

This was known as starting with diplomacy before resorting to force. The Night Church had laid down its rules, so now it was time for brute strength. After all, this organization thrived on violence. Moreover, each Nightwatcher led short lives due to immense psychological stress, resulting in naturally volatile tempers. With only a few years left to live, they aimed to make those years count.

Despite their small size, these dolls were incredibly agile and armed with sharp weapons. In an instant, they scattered from various directions, swiftly charging towards Duan Wenxuan.

The dolls moved at remarkable speed, their keen blades targeting vulnerable areas such as Duan Wenxuan’s throat, eyes, and thighs with cunning precision.

Meanwhile, the fat man gasped and hastily grabbed a straw figure pinned to his belt. Surprisingly, the straw figure had human-like facial features, even resembling Duan Wenxuan by about four or five parts. On its back, Duan Wenxuan’s name was written. However, upon retrieving the straw figure, he momentarily froze, instead staring intently at Vena’s dolls.

Having fused with mutants for over three years, his body was on the brink of collapse and death. In this precarious state, every sparing use of his mutant abilities might extend his life by a couple of days. Thus, he waited for Vena’s success; if she prevailed, he wouldn’t need to intervene.

Meanwhile, Duan Wenxuan faced relentless doll attacks. One doll suddenly leaped from the ground, soaring high before swiftly slicing past his neck with a whoosh.

Duan Wenxuan’s physical prowess had significantly improved, allowing him to react quickly and retreat just in time to evade one doll. However, another doll immediately jumped at him, its sword directly slashing towards his throat. Dolls were notorious for their speed and small size, making them difficult to defend against. Despite their agility, their small stature often prevented them from delivering a fatal blow in a single strike.

Realizing that even with his quick reflexes, he couldn’t consistently fend off the dolls, Duan Wenxuan knew something needed to change.

With a swift thought, the Terror Slime, attuned to Duan Wenxuan, slid out noisily from beneath his rubber duck raincoat. In the next instant, it lunged forward, enveloping Duan Wenxuan entirely.

“What is this?!”

Just moments ago, both Vena and the fat man had seen this rubber duck but paid it no heed.

After completely enveloping Duan Wenxuan, the slime became the target of the dolls’ attacks. They relied on their speed as before, but this time they encountered an impenetrable barrier.

Physical attacks posed no threat to the slime. Being inherently amorphous liquid, any cuts would swiftly recombine. More crucially, when the dolls touched the slime, its fluid instantly stuck to them. With a surge, the slime engulfed all the dolls entirely.

As soon as the first doll met its fate, the fat man realized something was wrong. He quickly rubbed his thumb across the straw figure’s eyes, then forcefully ripped off its head. When he acted, he preferred to go all-in without hesitation. By tearing off the head, he was certain that Duan Wenxuan couldn’t survive.

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

Vena anxiously bounced up and down, yelling, “Dead pig, is it working or not?!”

The fat man’s forehead was drenched with sweat. His mutant ability was exceptionally potent; by creating straw effigies of individuals using strands from his body and inscribing their names on them, he could then channel part of the mutant’s energy into the straw figures. Whatever harm he inflicted upon the straw, misfortune would befall the corresponding person.

Yet now, Duan Wenxuan showed no reaction whatsoever.

“I know why!” The fat man’s eyes widened excitedly. “It must be because he’s hiding within some monster’s body, rendering my straw figure ineffective. His monster can isolate the power of my straw figure!” On the brink of death, if this monster truly could shield against his mutant energy, it implied that it might also protect him from other mutants’ effects.

Unconsciously, the fat man slowed down his movements.

Vena, keenly sensing the fat man’s restlessness, realized that this dead pig might be contemplating a last-minute defection. Alarm bells rang in her mind. Without hesitation, she swiftly opened her sack again, releasing four to five more dolls. This time, the dolls were even more intricate and significantly larger, enhancing their attacking capabilities. Half of these dolls continued to target Duan Wenxuan, while the other half unexpectedly charged straight towards the fat man.

Having done this, Vena’s pouch was now empty.

She swung her pouch aside and immediately took off running. Honestly, if she encountered someone who could save her life or remove the mutant fusion from within her body, Vena too would be willing to switch sides on the spot.

No one willingly chooses to become insane.

Some might envy the Nightwatchers for their seemingly prestigious status and numerous privileges, but what does it matter? Under constant pressure, many of them develop only violent and aggressive traits, unable even to escape through illusions of indulgence.

Take the fat man, for instance. With his excessive obesity, his entire body is already filled with straw. For over half a year, apart from occasionally drinking water, he has lacked the strength to enjoy fine food, wine, or pleasures of any kind.

The dolls lunging at Duan Wenxuan were effortlessly dispatched once again. As for the fat man, although the dolls targeted his vital points, upon piercing his skin, they revealed merely thin streams of blood amidst a mass of straw. He practically resembled a colossal straw figure encased in a layer of human skin.

With his cumbersome body, these dolls couldn’t kill him outright, but he also couldn’t effectively deal with them. All he could do was protect vital areas like his eyes and ears while simultaneously shouting, “Save me, save me! Just rescue me, and I’m willing to become your servant, doing as you command. Whoever you want me to kill, I will…”

An internal conflict?

Duan Wenxuan leisurely emerged from the slime, then instructed it to engulf all the dolls before consuming them whole.

With the annoying dolls gone, the fat man finally moved away his heavy arms. His hands, belly, and thighs were seeping blood profusely, and his clothes had been torn to shreds by the dolls. For anyone else, such injuries would have been debilitating—many veins near their limbs would likely be severed. However, for the fat man, beneath the cuts lay piles of stuffed straw, unaffected by the slashes.

Relieved, the fat man let out a deep sigh.

He wiped off his sweat, and his previously cunning and menacing demeanor vanished, replaced by a somewhat naive expression. “Thank you for saving me; from now on, I am your servant.”

Clearly, this fat man was quite a skilled actor.

“As you can see, to ensure I can serve you faithfully for years to come, perhaps it’s best if you allow me inside your monster body. Otherwise, these piles of straw will eventually cause me to burst,” the fat man said with a fawning expression, licking his lips. Simultaneously, he stealthily reached towards the slime.

“No rush.” Duan Wenxuan, observing the overly familiar performance of the fat man, smiled as well. In the next moment, his left hand moved, summoning the Greedy Pot into his grasp.

Since they’ve all shown up tonight, none shall leave. Duan Wenxuan hoped they would act like characters from “Calabash Brothers” rescuing their grandfather, one after another, allowing him to transport them all to reality.