Theodore didn't wait for Ethan to recover from his shock. He slapped the bewildered man on the shoulder.
"Come on, grandpa. Time is money, and we have a speed bump waiting for us downstairs."
Ethan stumbled forward, adjusting the grip on his pistol. "A speed bump? We just ran into one of Lady Dimitrescu's daughters! Who are you, Theodore? And what was in that flask?"
"Doesn't matter," Theodore replied breezily. "What matters is our new objective. Bela knows where her sisters are—Cassandra and Daniela. And since they are also afflicted by the Megamycete, we're going to cure them, too. More allies means more muscle, less grinding, and a quicker path to the big boss."
Bela, walking with a newfound lightness, nodded toward a grand staircase partially hidden behind a velvet curtain.
"My sisters are usually in the Dungeon or the Library. We should go to the Dungeon first; Cassandra prefers the cold and the dark."
"The Dungeon, perfect!" Theodore rubbed his hands together. "You hear that, Ethan? We skip the Maiden of War statues, we ignore the Piano Puzzle, and we head straight to the action. Lead the way, Bela."
Ethan felt utterly useless, dragged along on a walkthrough he didn't write. "Wait! Shouldn't we at least get the Courtyard Key?"
Theodore scoffed. "Please. That's for rookies. Bela, show him the real shortcut—the one the workers used."
Bela smiled faintly, leading them past a locked door and instead pushing aside a heavy tapestry.
Behind it was a crumbling section of the stone wall that gave way to a cramped, low service passage.
"This passage leads directly to the Dungeon Entrance Hall, bypassing the main puzzle-locked sections," she whispered, her voice still regaining its human warmth.
They entered the damp, dark tunnel.
Ethan was forced to duck, but Theodore, thanks to his Wind Walk skill and natural agility, moved through the narrow space with practiced ease.
The service passage emptied them directly into a chilling stone corridor. It was here that they heard a high-pitched, mocking giggle echoing from the main room ahead.
"Cassandra, my sister," Bela whispered, her voice tightening with concern.
They moved into a massive wine cellar that had been converted into a torture chamber, complete with medieval racks and rusted chains.
"Well, well, well," came a voice, crackling like static electricity. "Look who flew out of the jar. It's Bela, and she brought us a tasty little snack!"
Cassandra, the second daughter, materialized from a cloud of buzzing black flies. She was shorter and stockier than Bela, and her eyes burned with focused malice.
"You betrayed Mother, Bela! I'll carve you up and give your meat to the Lycans!" Cassandra snarled, lunging forward with a wickedly curved sickle.
Ethan immediately raised his M1911 and fired a warning shot. The bullet passed through Cassandra's cloud of insects harmlessly. "Get back!"
"Stay calm, Ethan! She's still just a bug!" Theodore shouted. He knew the drill. Cassandra was only vulnerable when slowed or immobilized.
"Bela, where is the coldest point in this room?" Theodore asked, ignoring the whirling attack.
Bela pointed frantically towards a sealed, metal cabinet in the corner.
"The freezing mechanism! The workers used it to store fresh meat, but the lever is across the room!"
"Got it!" Theodore yelled. He activated Wind Walk and moved faster than Ethan could track, a blur of motion darting around Cassandra's swirling insect swarm. Cassandra shrieked in frustration as he avoided her completely.
Theodore didn't waste time trying to hit the mechanism with a bullet.
Instead, he pulled out another object: a shiny, sharp Shuriken he'd acquired during a ninja-themed game. With Eagle Eyes precision, he hurled the shuriken. It sailed across the chamber and struck the heavy metal lever with a loud CLANG, forcing it down.
The room instantly filled with a thick, bone-numbing mist of cryogenic coolant. Cassandra's insects buzzed slower, freezing in mid-air. Her shape solidified, and she gasped, momentarily trapped.
"Now!" Theodore shouted, pulling out a second Blessing of Marika flask.
Ethan watched in disbelief as Theodore darted toward the immobilized, cursing figure of Cassandra.