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Vic watched Jackie acting like the sky was falling and couldn't help but curl his lip in amusement.
"Whoa, whoa, chill out, old man Jackie. Can we dial down the drama?"
He walked over and nudged the petrified archaeologist with his elbow, wearing a look that said, 'You're overreacting.'
"Demons are like weeds in a graveyard, man. You cut one down, another pops up. You really gonna lose sleep over every single one?"
He stroked his chin, his eyes darting around with the gleam of a calculated hustler.
"Besides, look at the math here. That whole mess with Shendu? We... well, mostly you, ran around like a headless chicken, and for what? A couple of dusty talismans?"
"But this new player, Bai Tza? She sounds like she comes from old money! Atlantis! The Lost Kingdom! Do you have any idea how much loot is down there?"
Vic got more excited as he spoke, slapping Jackie on the shoulder hard enough to make the dazed man stumble.
"So, you gotta open your mind, bro! Stop thinking about how to shove them back into Hell—that's exhausting. We need to be thinking: How do we monetize this?"
He leaned in close to Jackie, lowering his voice with a conspiratorial, sly grin, like he was passing on the secrets of the universe.
"Look, robbing one demon is looting; robbing two is just smart business. It's not a crime if they're evil! Who knows? We might even make the Fortune 500 list!"
Jackie was stunned into silence by Vic's appalling brand of "Demon Economics." His mouth hung open, words failing him completely.
He looked at Vic's calculating, eager eyes, then at the ancient gourd Vic had nearly drained dry...
Suddenly, compared to this chaotic lunatic standing in front of him, the demons... didn't seem quite as scary.
At least demons had a logic he could understand. Vic was just a chaotic variable in human skin!
Jade, standing nearby, listened with sparkling eyes, nodding her head vigorously. Vic was speaking her language!
Adventure, treasure hunting, robbing the bad guys, getting rich! Now that is the life!
Enid face-palmed, sighing helplessly. She found her boyfriend's ability to turn a supernatural crisis into a business opportunity both hilarious and headache-inducing.
Wednesday wore a look of cold indifference that screamed, 'As expected,' as if she had predicted Vic's avarice down to the decimal point.
Vic didn't care what anyone else thought. He tucked the gourd into his jacket like a precious baby and patted it.
"Alright! Since we've accepted the 'Hidden Quest,' we need to explore this cruise ship properly!"
He waved his hand with high spirits.
"Let's go, babes! And you, luggage!"
He scooped up the protesting Jade under his arm again. Ignoring Jackie, who was still standing there questioning his life choices, Vic led the group out of the wrecked exhibition hall with a swagger.
Leaving Jackie alone amidst the shattered glass and the looming shadow of the "Water Demon," crumbling in the wind.
He began to seriously consider a career change.
Maybe... opening a dojo for toddlers? At least teaching kids to punch doesn't involve the apocalypse...
Meanwhile, deep in the Netherworld, Bai Tza—who had heard Vic's "rob her blind" theory through the lingering magical connection—was so furious her watery form was boiling. Countless tentacles lashed out, smashing the scorched earth of Hell!
"Shameless! Greedy! Vile human! I will slice him into sashimi!!"
Tso Lan (The Moon Demon) floated nearby, silent.
He was beginning to suspect that the reason the Eight Demon Sorcerers were sealed away by the Immortals wasn't because they lacked power...
But because... their brains weren't as twisted as humans'.
---
Back in the mortal realm, having resolved the chaos in the exhibition hall, Vic and his crew walked out the door only to run headfirst into Captain Ericka, who was rushing over with several crew members.
Dracula was trailing behind her. Although he was trying to maintain the dignified air of a vampire aristocrat, the slight upturn of his mouth and his glowing eyes were a dead giveaway.
"Hi, Captain Ericka!" Vic waved cheerfully, his tone breezy.
"No need to panic. The little hiccup in the exhibition hall has been handled. Consider it a courtesy service."
"Really?"
Captain Ericka visibly relaxed, a bright, grateful smile lighting up her face.
"That is wonderful news. Thank you so much, Vic! You really are reliable—exactly what I'd expect from a child raised by Mr. Dracula!"
Vic raised an eyebrow, keenly catching the subtext. She was praising him, sure, but the real credit was being directed at Uncle Drac.
He immediately turned his head and winked dramatically at Dracula, giving him a look that said, 'Game recognize game.'
Dracula caught the signal and cleared his throat awkwardly. A faint blush appeared on his pale face, but he subconsciously stood a little taller.
"So, Count Dracula," Captain Ericka said, turning her attention to him with a natural, warm tone after dealing with the business at hand. "I'll see you later?"
"See you later, Captain Ericka."
Dracula nodded elegantly, his voice about eight octaves softer than usual.
As soon as Captain Ericka led her crew into the hall to deal with the aftermath, Vic immediately elbowed Dracula. He pitched his voice up, mimicking Ericka's tone with exaggerated flair.
"Oh wow~ 'See you later'~ Count Dracula~"
"Oh wow~ 'See you later'~ Count Dracula~"
Dracula, unable to handle the teasing, grabbed Vic and dragged him into a secluded corner. His aristocratic composure completely dissolved into panic.
"Vic, you have to help me!"
Dracula lowered his voice, sounding rare and helpless.
"She... she just said she wants to have a drink later. To talk. I... I don't know what to do! I haven't been on a solo date with a woman in over a century! You must have more experience than I do!"
Dracula's eyes darted meaningfully toward Enid and Wednesday, who were standing side-by-side nearby.
"Me?" Vic blinked, then puffed out his chest, his face radiating an unearned confidence of 'I am the chosen one.'
"Oh! Absolutely! Of course, it's me! When it comes to this, I'm a doctorate-level expert! Don't worry, Uncle Drac, I got you! I will tailor-make a flawless 'Operation: Captain Conquest' just for you!"
Watching Vic thump his chest and make grand promises to Dracula, Enid and Wednesday couldn't hold it together anymore.
Enid covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter, her blue eyes curving into crescents.
Wednesday, however, didn't bother hiding it. She let out a cold, sharp scoff and delivered a venomous review:
"He actually asked Vic for help? That is an act of desperation equivalent to hiring an arsonist to teach fire safety."
Even Jade, still clamped under Vic's arm, couldn't help but mutter:
"He's doomed. RIP."
However, Dracula was clutching at straws. He was oblivious to the skepticism around him.
He just looked at the "experienced" Vic with blind trust and hope.
Vic was already cracking his knuckles, eyes shining. His brain was spinning at high speed, generating a million terrible "romantic" ideas, ready to work his magic.