The blood-soaked ghost in the crimson attire let out a sinister laugh as barbed spines grew rapidly along the tendrils, clattering ominously. It coldly said:
"Oh? Is that so?"
Lynn remained calm, replying, "First of all, I am a compassionate doctor, and just as important, I have many kind-hearted patients and clients. If something were to happen to me, they wouldn’t be able to find me, and they would be devastated."
"For example, the two bald men still fighting to the death outside in the alley—those are my loyal clients and friends."
The blood-soaked ghost narrowed its eyes, sneering.
"Really? You’re talking about the demon hunter and the black knight? Do you really think I’d believe your…"
Before the words could escape, there was a loud click—the sound of a safety being released.
Lynn slowly pulled a silver revolver from his coat and raised it with a smile, aiming at the ceiling.
“You should recognize this gun, right?”
The blood-soaked ghost froze, its eyes narrowing. “The Demon Hunter's hunting revolver?!”
It was all too familiar. That flashy demon hunter, always carrying those two revolvers, had brought them from the upper world, never parting with them. He treated them with great care.
How could that gun be in his hands?
Lynn smiled, raising the gun. "He's one of my kin, an uncle figure who’s quite fond of me. This revolver was left to me for self-defense. If I’m ever in danger, I can just fire once, and he’ll rush to my aid immediately."
"And he’s just outside the alley now, so it won’t take him long to get here."
...
Achoo—
Outside the alley, one of the bald men sneezed fiercely.
...
The blood-soaked ghost narrowed its eyes, a sinister glint flashing within them.
Lynn smiled and tucked the gun away, then pulled out a thin, curled hair from his coat.
"What is this?" the blood-soaked ghost asked coldly.
Lynn’s lips curled into a subtle smile. "It’s a token left to me by my black knight uncle—his chest hair, the longest and most curled strand!"
"My black knight uncle told me that if I flick it lightly, he’ll sense it and come rushing to my aid. If you don’t believe me, we can give it a try."
The blood-soaked ghost stood stunned. "Chest... chest hair?"
Lynn adjusted his monocle and smiled calmly. "Yes, you should be able to feel its aura. Just today, my black knight uncle came to visit me, asked me to trim his hair, and left me this token. He said my fate was clouded, that I’d face danger soon... seems like he was right."
The blood-soaked ghost opened its mouth, but no rebuttal came out.
For some reason, it couldn’t bring herself to argue.
"Moreover, knowing him, you should be well aware—my black knight uncle cares deeply about his appearance. If someone dared shave his head, they’d be dead before they knew it."
Lynn’s lips curled again. "So, do you think I’d be unharmed?"
"Can’t you see our bond, as close as family?"
...
Achoo—
Another sneeze came from outside the alley, this time from the other bald man.
...
The blood-soaked ghost trembled.
Her eyes darted around, uncertain. Because what he said made sense.
She had fought that madman, the black knight, before. He was as flamboyant as the demon hunter. A man so obsessed with his appearance—there was no way he’d let someone shave his head without a fight.
In that moment, memories of the long, tangled hair the human boy had handed to a scavenger just recently surfaced in her mind.
Could it be...?
The blood-soaked ghost stiffened.
It seemed this human boy had some strong connections in this dark, monster-filled world.
No wonder he was so confident.
But...
"No, this doesn't add up!" Her gaze darkened. "Stop lying to me! You can’t fool me! Those two are centuries-old enemies. If they really had such a special bond with you, why would they always try to kill each other on sight?"
Lynn’s lips curled again. "Madam, don’t you have any insight? Can’t you see...?"
Lynn squinted and said deeply, "A love-hate relationship, perhaps?"
...
Achoo—
Achoo—
Outside, the Demon Hunter and the Black Knight sneezed at the same time.
The Demon Hunter pointed angrily at the Black Knight. "I knew it! You were cursing me in your mind! You’re done for!"
The Black Knight gritted his teeth and pointed back at the Demon Hunter, his eyes wide with fury. "Don’t you dare lie! You’ve been mocking and insulting me in your thoughts this whole time! I’m going to paralyze you today!"
Instantly, the two men, both bald, clashed in another brawl, faces twisted in rage.
...
Back in the room.
The blood-soaked ghost furrowed her brow deeply, staring at Lynn, hesitating to make her next move.
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Though every word that came from his mouth felt like a lie, the chest hair and the revolver did seem to provide undeniable evidence of a special relationship with those two.
Lynn smiled faintly, resting his elbow on the table and his chin on his hand, sitting calmly. "I won’t mention those two for now, but my teacher... feel free to ask around. He’s a ???-rank being in the Ghost Alley, and he’s cut down countless foes with his chainsaw. As his only apprentice and heir, do you think he would let me, his good little pupil, die?"
He stretched his neck, loosening his collar, and smiled playfully. "Also, our grandma in the alley loves me dearly. She treats me like her own grandson. I’ve promised to take care of her in her old age. If something happened to me, she’d be heartbroken~~"
[+1 Eloquence]
[+1 Eloquence]
[+1 Eloquence]
The blood-soaked ghost ground her teeth, watching Lynn get more and more animated as he spoke.
For some reason, she had this overwhelming urge to kill him.
"By the way..." Lynn shifted gears with a smile, pulling out a small, translucent object that looked like a piece of white jade. "What do you think this is?"
The blood-soaked ghost’s eyes immediately locked onto the small white object in his hand.
Her expression changed instantly.
Because she could feel an indescribable, root-level aura coming from that small white object.
"This... this is..."
Lynn’s lips curled up slightly. "Unfortunately, madam, you must know the infamous Abyssal Headhunter, right?"
The blood-soaked ghost froze, her entire body shuddering. She instinctively took a step back.
Her eyes were fixed on Lynn.
The Abyssal Headhunter!
Being a creature of the dark world, she knew exactly what that was.
A terrifying, root-level monster that roams the dark world, devouring countless beings and blood every time it appears.
Even the most powerful kings of the dark world would flee at the sight of one of those!
And what a coincidence...
Just yesterday, a number of dark creatures near the Ghost Alley were wiped out by those very same Headhunters.
She had barely escaped from one of them the night before.
Could it be...?
Lynn smiled, adjusting his monocle. "Seems like you know about them. So, can you guess why, out of all the creatures that perished, only Ghost Alley survived unscathed?"
The Bloody Garbed Evil Spirit trembled, staring in shock at the white jade-like object in Lynn’s hand, and stammered,
"This... this is impossible!"
Lynn smiled faintly, stood up, and with a playful tilt of his head, said:
"Well, it’s unfortunate for you, but I happen to be the personal dentist the headhunter likes most. She came to see me for a check-up last night. Now she’s an honorary member of my clinic, and she’s been really helping my business thrive! Hehehe..."
The Bloody Garbed Evil Spirit’s mind exploded with a loud thud.
In an instant, it went completely blank.
If it were just the earlier words, she would have been cautious, but she wouldn’t have been afraid to make a move if she had to. After all, how many people in the dark world are afraid to act?
But…
If she were facing a creature of the "origin" level, she would have to seriously weigh her options.
Because for monsters of that level, once they’ve got it out for you, they can find you by any means. No matter how far you run, even to the higher realms, it’s no use!
After all, there was once a king-level lord in the dark world who offended an origin-level creature. Within a single day, every living thing in his domain was slaughtered. And he, himself, was left with no one willing to take him in.
In the end, he was hunted down and killed by that very origin-level monster!
And she could never have imagined that this seemingly weak human kid… would have such a connection!
Lynn looked at her pale face, holding the cute little child in his arms, and said with a gentle smile,
"Lady, you can't judge people by appearances. Although my strength is admittedly lacking, good relationships are another form of power."
"And honestly, you really don’t need to get angry with me."
Lynn stood up, patting her tentacle tips absentmindedly, and with a playful smile, said:
"After all, we’re neighbors, right? Neighbors should help each other, care for one another, and keep warm together."
"Not to mention, you’re such a beautiful and mature big sister~"
[Charm +1]
[Charm +1]
The Bloody Garbed Evil Spirit’s gaze flickered, her teeth grinding as she muttered under her breath.
She immediately saw through him—this guy was clearly using both carrot and stick, offering a sweet plum after every beating.
But…
She really didn’t dare to act rashly now.
Not to mention whether his words were true or not, just the fact that he presented a tooth fragment carrying the aura of an origin-level creature was enough to make her hesitate.
Because if it’s real…
Then she’d really be bringing trouble onto herself.
But…
(〝▼皿▼)！
She really wanted to kill this human brat right now!!
"AAAHHHH—!"
She screamed in frustration, her flailing tentacles smashing against the walls, violently releasing her anger and dissatisfaction.
Then, panting heavily, she gritted her teeth and sat down on the floor, the sound of grinding teeth ringing in the air.
That feeling of having nowhere to vent her anger was incredibly stifling.
"Lady, calm down first."
Lynn spoke calmly while cradling the adorable little child,
"Though I may have exaggerated a bit this morning, not everything I said was a lie. Sure, 'truth, goodness, and beauty' may be a bit far-fetched, but I did see some qualities in you that other evil spirits don’t possess."
The Bloody Garbed Evil Spirit ground her teeth and snarled,
"Don’t try to fool me again! You little bastard!!"
She swore she didn’t believe a single word he was saying. If she could see through him, she’d have already killed him by now!
Lynn took a deep breath, smiling calmly,
"I’m not lying, Lady, because there’s one thing you can’t deny…"
"You really love beauty, don’t you?"
The Bloody Garbed Evil Spirit froze for a moment.
Lynn stood up, holding the little child, his eyes scanning the room with a gentle smile,
"Your room is beautiful. Unlike those cold, vomit-inducing rooms below, it’s obvious you’ve put a lot of thought into decorating your bedroom. Everything from the walls to the bed to the furniture gives off a refreshing vibe. This isn’t something other evil spirits would bother doing."
He turned around, his gaze softening as he looked at the simple bottle on the windowsill, where a white flower bloomed.
"I’ve seen this flower before. It’s a Night Lily from the dark world, one of the few non-toxic flowers. It’s not rare, but for an evil spirit to have it in their room, don’t you think that’s strange?"
"And it seems like you’ve cultivated it quite well."
On the windowsill, the delicate white flower glimmered faintly, its petals lustrous and vivid.
Lynn (￣▽￣)／[Charm Progress +50]
The Bloody Garbed Evil Spirit stared at the flower, then suddenly shuddered, her anger flaring as she pointed at Lynn and spat out,
"Stop with the sweet talk, that... that’s just..."
Lynn smiled slyly, holding the little child in his arms,
"Let’s not talk about that. I’m curious, though… if you really hate your child’s appearance right now, then may I ask…"
"Where did that beautiful little dress and top come from?"
At these words, the Bloody Garbed Evil Spirit immediately looked away, panicking,
"That... that’s just..."
In the mirror, the little child’s pink dress looked even more adorable, a sharp contrast to the filthy and grotesque world outside. It was also spotless, with no trace of dirt or wear.
Clearly, it was freshly made.
Lynn (￣▽￣)／ said: "Alright, alright, don’t deny it anymore. It’s obvious, you think your kid is cute, don’t you? When you’re alone, I’m sure you’ve been tempted to hug and kiss her, right?"
The Bloody Garbed Evil Spirit’s face flushed red, and she sputtered in frustration,
"I don’t! Stop talking nonsense! Don’t guess!"
Lynn (???)=3 said: "What’s so wrong with admitting it? It’s completely normal for a mother to show affection for her daughter. And with such a beautiful dress, it’s clear you’re quite pleased with her current appearance!"
"Yada~" The little child moved her hands and feet cutely.
The Bloody Garbed Evil Spirit’s face turned bright red, and she couldn’t utter a word.
But she had to admit, this guy was right.
Compared to her previous twisted, corrupted children, she did indeed like the current, relatively normal and cute little one more.
But to have this guy say it out loud to her face… she felt utterly embarrassed.
Lynn, with a kind expression, spoke softly,
"Lady, I’ve always believed that someone who loves beautiful things must have a beautiful heart, and from this, I can tell you’re fundamentally different from other evil spirits."
"And I’m sure even in the human world, you would be a very charming lady."
Listening to Lynn’s increasingly gentle voice,
Though she repeatedly told herself not to believe a single word of this human brat’s,
For some reason, her heart couldn’t stop pounding.
She clenched her teeth and glanced at the wall beside her.
But in her mind, Lynn’s words kept echoing.
Because they touched the softest part of her heart.
As a will that had been revived in the dark world after dying in the human realm,
Though she had tried her best to adapt to this dark world,
She still couldn’t forget the memories of her past life.
She always wondered,
What if she hadn’t died?
What if she were still the same girl from the human world, perhaps with a family by now, watching her daughter grow up, get married, and have children?
But every time she saw her twisted reflection in the mirror,
The horrifying visage reminded her,
You are dead!
You are nothing but a twisted evil spirit!
[Ding! Quest Triggered: Resolve the Bloody Garbed Evil Spirit’s grudge. Current Progress: 11%. First-stage reward: 500 Skull Coins, 500 Base Experience, Special Reward x1.]