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Chapter 28
🕑 Added 2023-11-10 02:09:17 +0000 UTCMinutes later.
Yoyo rose blankly, allowing Lynne to adjust her helmet and hang her bag as if she were a doll. He bundled up the strange tissues that had been chopped off her body and strapped them to her back, suggesting they could serve as mementos.
"A perfect treatment," Lynne gave her a thumbs up with a smile, "If you found our service satisfactory, please leave us a positive review. Come back next time, and you'll get a 10% discount."
Quickly, Yoyo o(╥﹏╥)o hugged her helmet, saying, "Thank... thank you. Can I go now?"
Lynne's gaze scrutinized her from head to toe, a brow slightly raised. He twirled the scalpel in his hand, musing, "Something seems off. I remember the last time I applied the potion, nothing odd grew on you..." His eyes were filled with uncertainty.
"So, I'm unsure if there might have been any other mutations."
[Black Moth Fairy's Sanity -10]
Yoyo (ŎдŎ;) responded, "Really?"
Lynne, still hesitant, asked, "Do you feel anything strange about your body? If you do, it's best to mention it now."
Holding her helmet in confusion, Yoyo replied, "Everything seems fine."
Curiously, she set down the bundle and jumped up and down. Her body felt the same as before. If any weird growths had appeared, she'd have noticed.
"There's nothing strange," she declared confidently.
Lynne sighed in relief, smiling, "That's good to hear. So, the potion doesn't always cause mutations, which is promising. Thank you for your cooperation and for being my test subject, hehehe—"
"..."
As Lynne waved goodbye with contentment, the dejected little fairy, clutching her head, flapped her wings up and down, disappearing into the misty darkness.
Lynne was filled with contentment. He took a deep breath of relief.
With confident strides, Lynne(*￣︶￣) returned to the surgery room, intending to tidy up. He pondered when he'd encounter such a cooperative customer again.
But then...
Clatter—
A metallic noise emanated from below.
Lynne's ears perked up instantly. The next moment, his gaze fell on the bulging bag on the ground, and his face turned rigid.
"Hold on... This seems to be..."
Subconsciously, he reached out and opened the bag. Immediately, a pile of shimmering black skull coins dazzled Lynne, nearly blinding him. He was taken aback.
Wait! Something's not right! Why is the fairy's money pouch here?!
He distinctly remembered seeing her chest swelling earlier, nearly bursting out of her clothing. He had assumed she had stuffed her money pouch there. But if she hadn't... What exactly was protruding from her chest?
"Did the fake become real?!"
Lynne felt his head go dizzy. With an unimaginable speed, he grabbed the money pouch and dashed outside, but the Black Moth Fairy was nowhere to be seen. The horrifying scene of the fairy realizing the truth the next time she intended to use her money emerged in Lynne's mind.
Lynne(; д ; ).
If that really was the case... He hoped she would realize soon and come back while things could still be rectified. Before it's too late!
...
Holding the money pouch, Lynne continued to doze off at the counter, waiting for new customers. But for some reason, today's business was lackluster. Apart from the outlander Black Moth Fairy, there were only a handful of patrons. Amidst this sheer boredom, evening crept up once again.
"Has Master not returned yet?" Lynne glanced at the black mist outside, his face showing signs of worry. Today marked the third day. Even if his teacher had been delayed by something, there should've been some message by now.
Lynne paced restlessly around the hall. Although his teacher wasn't human and often spoke coldly to him, it was his guidance that allowed Lynne, a mere human, to survive in the Dark World for the past two years. Without his teacher's wisdom, he wouldn't possess the vast knowledge of medical arts and alchemy he did now.
"I hope Master comes back by tomorrow morning," Lynne whispered, eyes filled with concern as he gazed at the black mist outside. As he took down the soul lamp that was about to extinguish from the pillar, preparing to close shop, something unexpected happened.
Suddenly, his pupils dilated, and pain flashed across his face. He violently coughed up a pool of foul-smelling, bright red blood. As he watched in horror, the blood on the ground writhed and crawled, contorting to form six grotesque bloody characters.
DANGER! LEAVE! NOW!
With a sizzling sound, the crimson characters lasted for mere seconds before vanishing into thin smoke. Almost simultaneously, a system notification sounded in his ear.
[Ding! You've successfully triggered the mission: Blood Night.]
[Mission Introduction: Find every possible way to survive until dawn.]
[Rewards: 2000 Skull Coin, 2000 Experience, Special Reward x1, Special Achievement x1]
Lynne's heart raced, a sense of foreboding washing over him. Whatever awaited him tonight, he had to be prepared. Whatever was coming, it wasn't going to be easy.
Lynne's pupils contracted instantly. He swiftly crouched down, furrowing his brow as he peered at the spot where the fresh blood had vanished.
"Master?"
At a glance, he recognized the script of those six bloody characters. Had his master used some spell to specifically send him this warning? What on Earth was happening?
Lynne abruptly looked up, his eyes narrowing intently towards the deepening black mist outside the door. Moreover, along with his master's warning, there was also a task triggered by the system. Compared to the previous "survival" tasks, the rewards for this one were multifold. Even more generous than the rewards from the day with the Origin-level monster! This clearly indicated that the crisis he was about to face was going to be exceptionally intense.
What could it be? Could it be that his master encountered some danger outside, and now that peril was creeping towards his Bloodsaw potion shop?
Without any hesitation, Lynne quickly composed himself, rushing back to the store with unimaginable speed.
[Flesh Regeneration Potion][Faceless' Heart][Demon Hunter's Revolver][Boning Knife][Soul Lamp] and so on.
These were the various special items he had acquired during this period. His current most significant reliance. He didn't opt to stay. Since his master had already sent a warning, it implied that staying would be courting death!
"Better to spend the night at the Miss Blood Clad's home. Even if she might take liberties with me, it's still safer than staying here!"
Lynne quickly packed a bag, lifting his head as he swiftly stepped through the main gate.
Whoosh, whoosh...
Gusts of chilly wind blew from the depths of the black mist.
Lynne's stepping foot immediately froze mid-air.
Deep within the black mist, a vast silhouette slowly emerged into his line of sight.
Thud...
Thud...
What followed next were footstep sounds so thunderous they felt as if they could make one's heart burst. For some inexplicable reason, the pitch-black fog gradually turned blood-red, and an indescribable pungent scent of blood pervaded the air.
[Warning! Warning! Crisis level has escalated to 100%]
[Warning! Warning!]
In an instant, Lynne darted back into the shop, teeth gritted, and swiftly closed the door behind him. His eyes sparkled with uncertainty. The soul lamp in his hand swayed frantically, threatening to extinguish entirely.
It's over. There was no escape. He hadn't anticipated the crisis to strike so suddenly. And the system's alert was crystal clear – this peril was intended for him. Or perhaps, specifically for the Bloodsaw Potion Shop!
"If I can't flee, then I must fend for myself!" Lynne murmured, determination seeping through his clenched teeth.
Without a second's hesitation, he dashed into the back yard, slamming the door shut with force.
...
BOOM!
The shop's main door burst open. Thick, blood-red mist surged in, the protection of the soul lamp now gone. A vast, looming shadow stretched across the hall's floor. Accompanied by that was an overpowering, putrid smell of blood - reminiscent of a corpse that had been soaking in water for days.
Thud—
Thud—
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed.
Inside the back yard's operating room, Lynne leaned against the wall. In one hand, he held a boning-knife; in the other, a revolver. His face was a mask of gravity, forehead creased with worry as he pressed against the wall.
The soul lamp was extinguished. In other words, night had fallen. Nothing remained to shield him now.
Clink, clink—
From the direction of the hall, the crisp sound of falling potion bottles reverberated, one after another in rapid succession.
Lynne's eyes remained closed, teeth clenched so hard that the veins on his temples throbbed wildly.
[100 Skull Coin!]
Clink—
[500 Skull Coin!]
Clink—
[821 Skull Coin!]
With every shattering noise from outside, a number painfully flashed across Lynne's mind. It wasn't fear but agony! Because those were coins! Precious, gleaming coins! Worth more than life itself!
Lynne narrowed his eyes, a glint flashing within them. Engaging the enemy head-on wasn't a feasible option. Merely the aura it exuded moments ago had made his heart feel as if it was bursting in pain. It spoke volumes about the monster's power. Now, the only thing that could save him in time...
[Blood Clad!]
Without a hint of hesitation, Lynne sternly extended both hands, quickly gripping the revolver, his gaze growing resolute. She lived not far across the street, at 44 Wandering Soul Lane. If time permitted, she would surely detect his signal and come rushing.
"Curse Removal!"
He intoned the command deeply.
[Ding! Would you like to deactivate the "Curse Removal" from the "Blood Clad Evil Spirit" and employ the "Curse Removal" ability on the [Demon Hunter Revolvers]?]
"Yes!"
In an instant, Lynne immediately felt the malevolent curse, extracted from the Blood Clad Evil Spirit, begin to fade from within him. His revolver, in turn, began oozing thick strands of black liquid.
Slosh, slosh—
The dark fluid latched directly onto his palm, purged from the revolver by him. A faint glow radiated from the revolver.
[Ding! You've successfully applied the Curse Removal on the Demon Hunter Revolvers! Cooldown time: 12 hours. Duration: 24 hours.]
Click—
Lynne swiftly disengaged the revolver's safety catch, eyes narrowed, poised alertly by the door. The curse had been dispelled by him. This meant the Blood Clad Evil Spirit could now revert to her original form.
This was also the only method he had to send a message out. He believed that once the Blood Clad Evil Spirit's curse was restored, she'd immediately come looking for him. Because only he had the means to cleanse the curse within her. And now, he just had to survive until the moment the Blood Clad Evil Spirit arrived, and he'd have a fighting chance.
Whoosh—
A foul, bloody stench wafted in from the direction of the hall.
Lynne could distinctly sense a brief pause in the noises from the hall. Clearly, his activation of the curse removal ability had also caught the attention of the lurking monster.
The curtain was gently lifted. A long shadow cast its silhouette across the corridor.
Lynne caught a glimpse of the elongated, indistinct shadow outside the operating room. His eyes narrowed, gripping the revolver with even greater force.
Thud—
Thud—
Footsteps sounded again. And it drew nearer. The sprawling shadow crept slowly towards the backyard.
Lynne held his breath, his gaze turning icy and unwavering. Within the stifling silence, all he could hear was his own heartbeat and the heavy footsteps echoing down the corridor.
Bit by bit.
Bit by bit.
The foul, metallic stench of blood spread rapidly. And then, in the next moment, the footsteps outside the door ceased. And just as Lynne tensed, bracing for the unknown...
Splurch—
Suddenly, an unexpected noise. Lynne's pupils dilated in horror. At his chest, a hand, covered in barbed spikes, pierced through his torso, penetrating the wall behind him. Blood oozed, dripping from the gaping wound.
Thud—
Lynne's eyes glazed over as he fell forward, hitting the ground with a thud. Behind him, the twisted, blood-red hand slowly retracted from the wall, leaving it undamaged, as if the wall was but an illusion to the creature.
The stench of blood was everywhere.
Blood poured from Lynne's chest, staining the floor in a macabre shade of red. His eyes remained open, body twitching spasmodically. Blood flowed without restraint.
Thud—
Thud—
Footsteps resumed. Then, reflected in Lynne's fading eyes, a grotesque and twisted figure slowly pushed open the door, standing at the entrance of the operating room.
What kind of monster was this? It appeared as if a massive lump of decaying flesh had been brutally stitched together. Headless, featureless, save for a massive bulging eye squeezed at its center. This enormous eye almost consumed its entire form. Scattered around its trunk were dozens of human-sized eyes. Surrounding its body were a myriad of mismatched limbs: human hands, tentacles, beastly claws, ghostly twisted limbs, and even grotesque mechanical appendages. It resembled a monstrosity, violently sewn together into one aberrant entity!
[Blood-Flesh Puppet Type 3: Walker of Hell]
[Race: Stitches]
[Level: ???]
[Alignment: Chaotic Evil]
[Combat Ability: An unmatched mighty creation.]
[Description: A pinnacle creation of the Demonfolk Association. Recognized as one of the foremost flesh machines of the Hanged Tower, its appearance signifies inevitable slaughter and devastation. This is the ultimate weapon crafted by the Demonfolk Association, specifically to hunt down rebellious elements. It continuously consumes beings to achieve new evolutions. Never, ever let it set its sights on you…]
Blood gushed profusely from Lynne's body. His pupils wide, he watched the creature inch closer and closer.
Slosh, slosh—
Numerous crimson tendrils extended from the creature, slithering across the floor like serpents. They began to pierce into Lynne's legs, reminiscent of syringes.
Squelch—Squelch—
The sounds of blood being sucked echoed. It was consuming him! Yet, a moment later, the tendrils drawing blood from him halted.
"Organism identified… Human… Quality assessment… Inferior… Consumption priority… Not recommended… Initiating purge…"
A harsh, grating voice resonated in Lynne's ear.
Slash—
In an instant, Lynne's legs were vaporized into a mist of blood by the serpentine tendrils. Almost simultaneously, Lynne's shattered heart gave a fierce, defiant beat. A surge of blood raced from beneath his skin to his wrists. It was as if some crisis response mechanism had been triggered.
In a flash, Lynne's pupils constricted sharply. Seemingly infused with a renewed vigor, Lynne tightly gripped the revolver in his hand, spinning around with gritted teeth. The gun's barrel aimed directly at the massive eye at the creature's center.
Bang—
A gunshot echoed. The demon-hunting bullet pierced straight into the very core of the monster's colossal eye. A drawn-out scream erupted. Holy power crackled like electricity throughout its form. Its multitude of arms frenziedly attacked everything in sight. The surrounding walls began to crumble under its relentless assault.
Seizing this final chance...
Lynne swiftly extended his hand, teeth gritted, and pulled a crimson cloak from his pocket, draping it over himself. Just as the monstrous hand was about to strike him, Lynne rolled, his body melding with the ground, disappearing from sight.
"Error... Re-identifying data... Target exhibits strong camouflage... Species reclassification... Bio-human, subjected to advanced biological modifications... Consumption priority... High... Recommended extermination..."
...
