Reincarnated In a Cthulhu World And Everyone Is Obsessed With Me - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Butterflies – Xia Mingyu was almost certain that the one who killed him was…

Darkness was a cold, damp nest. Xia Mingyu was carried by surging currents, bobbing up and down. His consciousness felt as if it were separated by a high-density membrane, blurred and indistinct.

He seemed to be melting, turning into scorching magma or liquid metal, slowly sliding into the abyss.

A sharp pain shot through his left eye, and Xia Mingyu snapped his eyes open.

Everywhere he looked was darkness. His body was surrounded by a viscous liquid, like being submerged in heavy water, unable to move. Intuition told him that he had returned once again to that pyramidal altar.

Driven by some inexplicable force, Xia Mingyu raised his hand. A butterfly shimmering with deep blue fluorescence landed on his fingertip. Then, more butterflies swarmed, wrapping Xia Mingyu tightly until he was a pupa woven from countless wings.

The pupa gradually turned bright red, dripping with fresh blood. The moment the butterflies dispersed, only a skeleton remained where Xia Mingyu had stood.

Xia Mingyu finally escaped the delirium, drenched in a cold sweat.

—Butterflies. They filled the mountains and plains, devouring flesh and blood.

Since delirium was becoming a familiar “acquaintance,” Xia Mingyu regained his clarity quickly this time. He was lying in an unfamiliar room; the bed was soft, and a plush blanket covered him. He propped himself up and looked around. His wounds had been bandaged, and the terrifying scent of blood no longer clung to him.

The wooden door was pushed open, and a tall man walked in carrying a meal tray. Xia Mingyu recognized him—it was the young, shy B-class Sentinel he had made a bet with Chesa about in the bar.

Through their previous ambiguous banter, Xia Mingyu knew his name was Daniel, a squad leader of the Shadow Guild stationed at the Southern First Base.

As a bartender at Paradise, Xia Mingyu’s job was to handle the emotions and whims of guests. Chesa’s trademark was his talkative passion; Xia Mingyu’s trademark—to put it bluntly—was his face.

In his previous life, Xia Mingyu had encountered enough “rotten luck” with romance to nearly get killed, so he was extremely reluctant to meet his customers outside of work.

But—Daniel had paid for ten glasses of Yog-Sothoth Gatekey Gin and Tonics tonight.

Despite his last memory before the delirium being the “God of Death” who killed him in his past life, Xia Mingyu forced a professional smile and said softly, “Mr. Daniel, did you save me? Thank you very much.”

Seeing he was awake, Daniel placed the tray on the table and sat on a chair, maintaining a polite distance. “Mr. Xia Mingyu, I wasn’t the one who saved you.” He blushed slightly. “Big Brother Yin brought you to the Guild. He asked me to take good care of you.”

Xia Mingyu paused. “…Big Brother Yin?”

“Yin Chengfeng. Sorry, I’m just used to calling him that.”

…

When Yin Chengfeng had carried Xia Mingyu into the Shadow Guild building earlier, the members in the first-floor dining area had all stood up in respect. Daniel had just returned from Paradise, so Yin Chengfeng dropped Xia Mingyu off with him. “I have things to report to the Leader. Take care of him for a bit.”

Daniel had steadied Xia Mingyu, realizing he was the Guide he had just bid farewell to. He hadn’t expected to see him again so soon, let alone so badly injured. What had happened in such a short time?

Before leaving, Yin Chengfeng added, “When he wakes up, remember to give him something to eat.”

Hearing the name “Yin Chengfeng,” Xia Mingyu visibly stiffened. Daniel was confused. “You and Big Brother Yin…?” He thought they were close acquaintances, but Xia Mingyu’s expression was hard to read.

Xia Mingyu shook his head and smiled. “It’s nothing.” He changed the subject, looking at the lavish tray. “Is this food for me?”

“Yes.” Daniel pointed to the bathroom. “There are clean clothes in there.”

Xia Mingyu said sincerely, “Thank you truly. But I might not be able to afford these right now. Can I put it on a tab?”

A meal and a set of clothes weren’t even worth a fraction of one drink. Daniel blinked in surprise. “…These are provided for free. Don’t feel pressured.”

Xia Mingyu smiled and got out of bed. As he bowed his head, his curly long hair slid off his shoulders, partially veiling his face. He hadn’t felt it while lying down, but once he exerted effort, every bone in his body hummed with pain. A surge of blood rose, and a thin trail of crimson leaked from the corner of his mouth. Against his pale skin, his lips looked flushed.

That high-level Sentinel really struck to kill. Shadowy gloom flickered in Xia Mingyu’s eyes. He let out a faint “tsk” in his mind and wiped away the blood.

Daniel stepped forward hesitantly. “Mr. Xia Mingyu, do you need me to help you?” His earlobes were burning red. “Who injured you so badly? What happened?”

Xia Mingyu shook his head, subtly dodging Daniel’s hand, and asked instead, “Your Leader…” He struggled to utter the name. “—Sheikh. Is he in the Southern First Base right now?”

“Leader Sheikh? Yes, he’s been in the Tower’s white noise room.”

Xia Mingyu limped toward the bathroom. Daniel said, “Then, Mr. Xia Mingyu, I’ll head out first. I’m on the first floor… if you need anything, you can find me anytime.”

Xia Mingyu held the doorframe, looking back with a warm smile. “Alright, thank you.”

…

Warm water flowed over him, and Xia Mingyu closed his eyes, letting the heat soothe his muscles. His mind remained cold and analytical.

The Star-Net interface in his vision showed it was 5:00 AM. He had been unconscious for less than three hours. It had only been two days since his rebirth—or rather, his last death.

He was currently in the Shadow Guild building. Yin Chengfeng had saved him in the ruins in his past life, but they weren’t close then. Yin had been tight-lipped about his past. Now he knew: Yin belonged to the Shadow Guild.

The Sentinel who injured him was likely also from the Shadow Guild, given his interest in Yin’s footwork. Therefore, the “Executioner” he met in that pure white space—the man of great merit—was undoubtedly the center of this guild’s whirlpool.

Daniel said Sheikh was in the white noise room.

Xia Mingyu turned off the shower. A dull ache persisted in his bones, caused by a stray bit of mental energy from his attacker still thrashing inside him.

He took a deep breath, focused his attention on that foreign energy, and struck at it mentally. A piercing pain made him collapse to his knees, but the foreign energy dissipated like smoke. The bone-deep pain vanished.

Suddenly, an image of that “butterfly pupa” from his dream flickered in his mind. It twitched, and a crack appeared.

…Could my Spirit Guide be a “Man-eating Butterfly”? The kind that devours me as soon as it hatches? He sighed. He couldn’t worry about things he didn’t understand yet.

He looked at the clothes provided—a standard black combat uniform, nearly identical in style to the one Sheikh wore.

Yes, Xia Mingyu was almost certain that the one who killed him was Sheikh.

The teenage God of War who stood above all others, the symbol of human glory. Against him, Xia Mingyu had zero chance of winning. He didn’t know if Sheikh had killed him out of madness or clear intent. If it was madness, he would mourn. If it was intent, he’d need a lot of luck.

The safest measure: avoid all contact with Sheikh.

…

Xia Mingyu put on the combat gear, which bore the Shadow Guild emblem. He stared in the mirror for a long time, resolving to avoid a second meeting at all costs while Sheikh was in the base.

He walked down to the first-floor dining area. Dawn was breaking, and the room was filled with exhausted people who had likely just returned from a domain.

Daniel was waiting, as promised. He looked at Xia Mingyu in the combat gear and said sincerely, “The uniform looks very good on you.”

“Thanks.”

Daniel invited him to sit at a side table under a hanging glass lamp. As they sat, Daniel noticed Xia Mingyu’s wet hair. He blushed again. “Would you like me to dry your hair?”

“Hmm?”

“Sorry, excuse me…” Daniel reached out but didn’t actually touch the hair. A wave of warmth emanated from his hands. After a moment, Xia Mingyu’s hair was dry and soft.

If Daniel’s squad members knew he was using his “earth-scorching” ability to blow-dry a Guide’s hair, they would be speechless.

“Is this your ability?” Xia Mingyu asked, surprised. Daniel nodded, his grey-blue eyes gentle.

“As a Guide, have you chosen not to join a guild?” Daniel finally mustered the courage to ask. He hoped Xia Mingyu might join the Shadow Guild… or better yet, his squad.

Xia Mingyu only offered a faint smile. He hadn’t even known he was a Guide until two days ago.

As they sat in silence, the conversations around them filtered in. A muscular, tanned Sentinel at the next table said, “On my way back from the domain, I heard the Hunting Guild is intercepting and killing members of the Nirvana Guild.”