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Chapter 46
🕑 Added 2023-12-06 04:27:11 +0000 UTC"Master... It's me... your apprentice, Lynne... I can't hold on much longer. I'm dying... my body's bleeding, my brain matter's spilling out... I feel like I'm about to split open..."
His focus sharpened instantly, eyes darting down with an intensity that deepened as he read on. With every word, the fury in his eyes grew more evident.
By the time he reached the line, "Your dying disciple who still yearns for you, Lynne." the hand holding the letter trembled uncontrollably.
This wasn't just any letter! It was a clear farewell note from his disciple!
"Damn you, Demonfolk Association!!"
Boom—
With a roar, he slammed his fist onto the floor. Sparks flew from him as cracks spread across the ground. Breathing heavily, his eyes were a stark shade of crimson. This sudden outburst startled even the Puppet Mistress nearby.
"Bloodsaw, what are you doing?"
Without uttering another word, Bloodsaw gritted his teeth, stood up swiftly, and moved to push the door open and leave.
"Madam, thank you for taking me in these past few days. However, I must leave today. If fate allows, I'll repay your kindness another day!"
His anger was palpable. But just as he was about to step out the door, Countless silken threads swished around, binding him in place.
"What madness is this? Your wounds haven't healed. If you leave now, aren't you seeking death?"
The Puppet Mistress, eyes narrowed, held the controlling threads in her hand and said, "The outside is swarming with hunters trailing you. I guarantee the moment you step out of my courtyard, flesh puppets will devour you."
Bloodsaw, in uncontrollable anger, fiercely tore at the silken threads binding him.
"Rather than sitting here waiting for death, I'd rather fight till one of us dies! Demonfolk Association! I will ensure they pay their blood debt!"
He roared. Thread after thread snapped under his might. It was clear just how deeply his fury ran.
The Puppet Mistress frowned. Bloodsaw, who was usually so composed, had become so unhinged. Clearly, the content of the letter had struck a deep emotional chord. She abruptly reached out, using a thread to pick up the letter from the floor, and began reading with furrowed brows.
A few moments later, having finished the letter, she looked up with a creased forehead and began, "Your disciple has been..."
Bloodsaw trembled, gritting his teeth, veins bulging across his body. From his bloodshot eyes, a murky fluid began to flow.
"It's my fault as his master. If I had known this was a trap, I would have ensured he was safe beforehand!"
His eyes blazed with fury, teetering on the edge of control. Instantly, an image formed in his mind: his disciple, while penning this letter. Covered in wounds, missing limbs, continuously bleeding, with a cracked skull, but still, with sheer determination, he wrote this final note to his inadequate master.
He noticed the dried tear stains on the paper. Clearly, when his disciple wrote this letter, he must've been sobbing uncontrollably, tears and blood streaming down as he wrote. How pitiable that scene must've been! How utterly helpless!
Moments from the past two years flashed through his mind, the days and nights they spent together. Even if he seldom smiled and mostly issued commands, the old saying holds true: "Once a master, always a father." The bond between master and disciple could never be erased.
"Ah!!!" Bloodsaw let out a hysterical, skyward scream. "Demonfolk Association!! Today you took my disciple!! Tomorrow, I will annihilate you! Bloodsaw will never coexist with you!!"
Snap, snap, snap—
One by one, the threads binding him shattered.
Seeing that he was about to lose control and burst out in fury, the Puppet Mistress clenched her teeth, swiftly summoning even more threads to firmly pin him in place.
"Calm down! Rushing out now won't solve anything! Furthermore, I believe there's something off about this letter!"
Bloodsaw bit his teeth, big teardrops splattering onto the ground as he roared, "That's my disciple's handwriting! It can't be fake! Do you think I wouldn't recognize the writing of my own 'foolish son'?"
The Puppet Mistress became frantic, exasperatedly exclaiming, "Don't let the content of the letter cloud your judgment! Have you ever seen someone on the brink of death, elaborately punctuating every line for you?!"
"..."
"..."
A brief silence.
The Puppet Mistress rubbed her forehead, took a deep breath, and flung the letter, "Someone about to 'split apart' and yet can pen down such a heart-wrenching narrative? Use your brain!"
With growing frustration, she walked over and gave him several hard knocks on the head. She pointed to the letter, angrily stating, "Look at the writing, so neat and rounded. Every dot is perfectly circular. Does that look like the scribblings of someone gasping for breath? Clearly, it's the product of a relaxed state! And not just that, have you ever seen someone near death..."
She abruptly flipped the letter, pointing to a drawn expression, "°(°ˊДˋ°)°". Her voice escalating with frustration, she said, "Still having the strength to draw you such a pitiable face?!"
Bloodsaw stood dumbstruck, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word. Taking a deep breath, the Puppet Mistress released the threads controlling him. She leaned back into her chair, saying, "Fool, still as thick-headed as ever. I bet all the brain cells in that head of yours have died, leaving only muscles."
Rising slowly, Bloodsaw clutched the letter in his hand, hesitatingly asking, "Are you saying my disciple was just playing a prank on me? That he's actually fine?"
The Puppet Mistress facepalmed, replying, "Not exactly 'fine'. He probably did face some crisis, but it's certainly not as grave as he described in the letter. If you don't believe me, you can check Vision World. If something really happened to Wandering Soul Lane, there'd definitely be discussions about it on Vision World."
She casually handed Bloodsaw a Vision Stone.
...
A few minutes later.
[Vision World]
Accompanied by two beams of teleportation light, two ethereal figures slowly emerged in Vision Square No. 900.
Bloodsaw's eyes remained filled with doubt, while the Puppet Mistress, standing beside him, looked calm and composed with her arms crossed.
"This should be the Vision World Square corresponding to Wandering Soul Lane. You can check the regional channel yourself. If something major happened to Wandering Soul Lane, someone would definitely post information here."
With a heavy voice, Bloodsaw responded, "Despite what you say, I still feel something has happened to my disciple."
Thwack—
The Puppet Mistress landed a punch on the back of his head. Taking another deep breath, she said, "Hopeless fool, just look for yourself!"
Reluctantly, Bloodsaw accessed the regional channel of Square No. 900. The moment he saw the discussions within, his face turned pale.
[Regional Channel]
[Blood Doll]: "Disaster (screaming)! Disaster!! Something major has happened! Members of Wandering Soul Lane! Don't go outside! There's a terrifying creature out there!"
[Necromancer]: "What on hell has been happening these days?! Why are beings of this caliber coming here daily?! I can't stay here any longer! I must move immediately!"
[Clocksmith]: "All residents of Wandering Soul Lane, lock your doors and windows. Those who can, head to the basement immediately and conceal your presence. Whether Wandering Soul Lane survives today or not is left to fate!"
Almost simultaneously, an emergency regional notification appeared before all the beings in Square No. 900.
[Informant: Warning! An Origin-level creature has been spotted near Sinful City's Wandering Soul Lane. Those who can evacuate, please do so urgently. Warning again, the information is accurate. All nearby beings, evacuate immediately! Click to view, cost of skull coin: 100.]
Bloodsaw's breathing became ragged in an instant. Without a second thought, he quickly accepted the regional notification.
For a moment, a dense black fog appeared before him. As the image slowly sharpened, he realized that the scene was right outside his apothecary shop.
"This... what is this?"
His face contorted in shock. In the image, Bloodsaw Potion Shop was heavily damaged, clearly having been through a fierce battle.
At this very moment, a gigantic skull, faintly visible within the black mist, hovered at the entrance of the shop. One blood-red tentacle after another reached inside the shop. It seemed to be searching for food.
"My disciple!!!"
He roared. Now, he truly felt shattered. He hadn't seen the hounds of the Demonfolk Association, but hell, he was witnessing something even more terrifying!
The horrifying image of a severely injured Lynne being devoured whole by that monster flashed through his mind. He could almost hear the crisp crunching sounds as the creature chewed inside its mouth.
The Puppet Mistress, upon seeing this, whispered in astonishment, "This... this isn't right..."
"I told you my disciple was in trouble, and you kept blabbering on with your theories!"
Bloodsaw's muscles tensed, bulging visibly. Without another word, he vanished from Vision World.
A distant roar could be faintly heard.
"Hold on, my disciple! Your master is coming to retrieve your remains!!"
"Wait!" The Puppet Mistress cried out in urgency, logging off immediately as well.
...
Meanwhile, in the attic of Bloodsaw Potion Shop.
Lynne, deep in sleep, suddenly felt something soft and sticky poking his face.
"Knock it off."
In a daze, Lynne reached out, grabbing the revolver from the bedside table, and without opening his eyes, fired in the direction of the annoyance.
Bang—
Then, he turned over, eyes still closed, and continued his deep slumber. The tentacle poking at Lynne's cheek instantly stiffened.
[Ding! You shot the Origin-level HeadHunter: Little, earning 10 Experience.]
[Ding! You've achieved: Bravado Unleashed, granting you 100 Experience.]
[Bravado Unleashed: A special achievement obtained when audaciously attacking an overwhelmingly powerful opponent. Permanent Bonus: Agility +5, Intelligence -1, Happiness +10.]
Whirr—
Lynne's eyes snapped open, the remnants of sleep instantly banished by the terrifying system notification.
Little?!
Lynne shot up, sitting straight in bed, eyes wide as he turned to look out the window. Outside, he saw a massive infant-like head, hollowly standing there. On its forehead was an imprinted flat bullet with wisps of smoke rising from it.
Lynne: "!!!"
[Lynne's Sanity -10]
[Lynne's Sanity -10]
...
A few minutes later.
In front of the shop, Lynne was on a ladder, eyes wide, prying the flattened bullet casing from Little's forehead. He blew on it, then pulled out a large band-aid from his pocket and affixed it to the spot.
"Is this—some kind of—welcoming ceremony? Shooting right at—Little's face—all of a sudden."
Little (✪ω✪) observed Lynne's actions with its tentacles holding its eyeballs.
Lynne wiped his sweat, saying, "Uh… let's just say it is…"
He quickly jumped down from the ladder, tossed it aside, and greeted Little with a welcoming expression.
"Little, I never expected you to come right after I wrote to you last night. I'm truly honored!"
Little (✪ω✪) replied, "I saw—you missing me—so I rushed over—quickly!"
[Ding! Little's Favorability towards you +1]
Lynne was deeply moved. Such an honor! Having such a cute and understanding guest was absolutely fantastic! It seemed like today was going to be a good day! If those hounds from the Demonfolk Association dared to come, he would make sure to take them all down!
"Look at my—teeth—"
Little opened its mouth wide, proudly showing off its row of pearly whites.
Ding—
The teeth gave Lynne a sharp glint.
"Shiny, isn't it?" Lynne immediately gave a thumbs up, saying earnestly, "You've taken excellent care of them! As shiny as before! It seems you've been taking good care of your teeth, Little!"
"Yes—I haven't eaten—for three days—"
"Uh… while that might be good for dental care, not eating at all isn't recommended."
"Eh—"
"How about this: come to my backyard. I'll prepare some pastries to whet your appetite. Afterward, I'll give you a full-body care treatment, ensuring that not only your teeth, but every part of Little will shine brilliantly! How does that sound?"
"Mm(✪ω✪)—Great!"
...
Meanwhile, tens of kilometers away from Wandering Soul Lane, behind a small hillock, a gigantic skull partly concealed itself. Its tentacles held a massive telescope, peering intently in the direction of Wandering Soul Lane.
Behind the hillock, the Unihorn Ghost King stood, accompanied by hundreds of elite guards, all standing still.
Indeed, after "Little" had left, they had secretly followed him from a distance. This was the Ghost King's strategy. Because, without such a precaution, a single fit of rage from his elder brother could potentially destroy his main base.
"Big Brother, did you spot that wretched fellow?" Unihorn Ghost King asked, glaring.
Beside him, a female skull with a massive telescope chuckled mischievously, "Mhm~ a rather handsome young lad, though he's a bit... small."
No sooner had she finished speaking when, with a crash, the Titan Skull angrily threw the telescope onto the hillock. With wild eyes and a furious howl, he thrashed around with his tentacles, causing havoc.
"Damn it! I'll destroy him right now! Such a tiny race, and he dares to act big! I'll show him!"
"Calm down!" The female skull retorted, "Don't mess up our daughter's good work. And what does size matter? You weren't that big back in the day either."
After much effort, she managed to restrain the infuriated Titan Skull.
Titan Skull grabbed the telescope again, his breath coming in ragged gasps, and resumed his peering. "It's blocked! I can't see because of that blasted building!"
"He took my daughter to his home? How dare he?!"
In a fit of rage, he slapped the adjacent hill with his tentacles.
"Cool it," the female skull tried to calm him, "We can also listen in. Remember, we're not here to fight. We're here for reconnaissance. No violence!"
Eventually, the Titan Skull simmered down. He took a specially designed hearing device from the Unihorn Ghosts and quickly tuned into sounds from a certain direction. Soon, sounds from the Wandering Soul Lane, specifically from the Bloodsaw Potion Shop, reached their ears.
"We really— have to do this?" came Little's somewhat hesitant voice.
"Don't worry, since it's the full service, every aspect will be considered. I'm your doctor, trust that nothing will go wrong."
"But that place is—so deep. Pushing in there would feel—weird."
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I've been a little busy lately, so the next update will be over the weekend.
Comments
Wyatt Hilbert
Thanks for the chapter
