A few minutes later—
The Black Moth Fairy stood up dazedly, allowing Lynn to dress her up like a doll—securing her helmet, slinging her bag over her shoulder, and even bundling up the strange severed growths from her body into a package for her to carry on her back.
He said it was for “memories.”
“A perfect treatment.” Lynn gave her a thumbs-up, smiling brightly.
“If you’re satisfied with this treatment, don’t forget to give us a good review. And if you come again next time, I’ll give you an 11% discount.”
The Black Moth Fairy quickly clutched her helmet o(╥﹏╥)o,
“Th-thank you, boss… Can I leave now?”
Lynn’s gaze swept up and down her figure, his brows furrowing slightly.
With a flick of his wrist, he spun his boning knife around, deep in thought.
“Something feels off… The last time I applied the medicine, you didn’t grow anything weird…”
His expression became uncertain.
“So I can’t be sure if there are still any mutations left.”
[Black Moth Fairy Sanity -10]
The Black Moth Fairy (?д?；): “No way, right?”
Lynn hesitated. “Do you feel anything strange about your body? If you do, it’s best to say it now.”
The fairy clutched her helmet in confusion.
“I… I don’t feel anything unusual.”
She curiously set down the package, bounced lightly on her feet.
Her weight felt exactly the same as before.
If something had grown, she’d definitely be able to notice it right away.
“Nope, nothing weird,” she said, puffing out her chest in confidence.
Lynn let out a sigh of relief and smiled.
“Good, that means the medicine doesn’t always cause mutations. That’s a valuable discovery. Thank you for your cooperation and participation in this experiment, hahaha—”
“……”
With that, under Lynn’s satisfied wave, the little fairy dejectedly held her head, flapped her wings up and down, and disappeared into the black mist.
Lynn was incredibly pleased.
He sighed in relief. (￣︶￣)
He strode back into the operating room, preparing to clean up.
After all, who knew when he’d get another such an ideal customer like this?
But just then—
Clatter—
A sharp metallic sound came from beneath his feet.
Lynn’s ears twitched.
The next second—
His eyes landed on the bulging bag on the ground.
His expression froze instantly.
“Wait… this looks like—”
He instinctively reached out and opened the bag.
At that moment—
A pile of glistening black skull coins spilled into view, the sheer amount nearly blinding him.
Lynn was stunned.
Wait!
Something’s wrong!
Why is that little fairy’s money pouch here?!
Just earlier, hadn’t he seen her chest puffed up so much that it nearly tore her clothes?
He’d assumed she had stuffed her money pouch inside…
But!
If the pouch was right here…
Then what exactly had been bulging on her chest?!
“Did… the fake turn real?!”
Lynn’s mind went blank.
He grabbed the money pouch and rushed out the door at an insane speed.
But outside—
The Black Moth Fairy was nowhere to be seen.
Lynn’s mind instantly conjured an absolutely horrifying image—
The next time she tries to take out money…
She’ll end up pulling out…
The real thing.
Lynn (；д；).
If that were really the case—
Then she needs to realize it fast!
If she hurries back while the shape hasn’t fully set, there’s still time to press it down!
…
Holding the pouch, Lynn returned to the counter, lazily dozing off as he waited for new customers.
But strangely enough, today’s business was unusually slow.
Apart from that outlandish Black Moth Fairy, only a few others had stopped by.
As boredom dragged on, the day slipped into evening once again.
“Teacher still hasn’t come back?”
Lynn glanced at the black mist outside, his expression turning uncertain.
It was already the third day.
Even if something had delayed his teacher, there should have been some news by now.
Pacing around the hall, he muttered to himself.
Though his teacher wasn’t human,
And though he always spoke coldly,
Without his teacher’s guidance these past two years, Lynn—just a small, fragile human—wouldn’t have survived in this dark world at all.
Not to mention, if not for his teacher’s tutelage, he’d never have learned the vast medical and alchemical skills he now possessed.
“…I hope he’ll be back tomorrow morning.”
Lynn gazed worriedly into the black mist outside.
Taking down a soul lamp that was about to burn out, he prepared to close up shop.
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But right then—
Suddenly.
His pupils contracted violently.
A wave of excruciating pain tore through him.
He violently coughed up a mouthful of foul, crimson blood.
And then—
The blood… began to move.
It writhed. Twisted. Crawled.
Before his eyes, on the ground, the blood contorted into several eerie, jagged letters—
【DANGER! LEAVE! IMMEDIATELY!】
Whoosh—
The six blood-red characters remained for only a few seconds before burning away into smoke.
And at that exact moment—
Ding!
[You have triggered the mission: Blood Night.]
[Mission Objective: Survive until dawn.]
[Mission Rewards: 2000 Skull Coins, 2000 XP, Special Reward x1, Special Achievement x1.]
Lynn’s pupils shrunk instantly.
He knelt down immediately, his brows furrowed as he examined the disappearing bloodstains.
“Teacher?!”
He recognized that handwriting instantly.
His teacher had used some kind of blood curse to send him a warning?!
What the hell is going on?!
Lynn snapped his head up, his gaze locked onto the deep black mist outside.
And then—
With his teacher’s warning came the system’s mission trigger.
And this mission—
Compared to the last two “survival” quests…
Its rewards were several times greater.
Even far beyond the one from that “Primordial Abomination” night.
Which meant—
This crisis would be several times deadlier.
What was coming?
Had his teacher encountered something terrifying out there?
And now… was that same threat coming for his Blood Saw Pharmacy?
Without hesitation—
Lynn calmly steeled himself and rushed back into the store.
【Flesh Growth Serum】
【Faceless Demon’s Heart】
【Demon Hunter Revolver】
【Boning Knife】
【Soul Lamp】
These were the rare and powerful items he’d accumulated over time.
His greatest trump cards.
Staying here was not an option.
If even his teacher had sent a warning, then staying behind meant certain death.
“…I’ll stay at the Blood-Clad Wraith’s house tonight.
She might violate me,
But that’s still way safer than staying here!”
Tying his things into a bundle, Lynn strode toward the door.
Whoosh—
A chilling wind blew from deep within the black mist.
Lynn’s footsteps froze.
And then—
A massive silhouette emerged.
Boom—
Boom—
Each heavy step sent a tremor through his chest.
And the black mist…
Began to turn blood-red.
A wave of indescribable, suffocating stench rolled toward him.
[WARNING! WARNING! UNKNOWN THREAT LEVEL: 100]
[WARNING! WARNING!]
In an instant.
Lynn lunged back into the shop, gritting his teeth as he swiftly slammed the door shut.
His eyes flickered, and the soul lantern in his hand flickered wildly, its flame nearly snuffed out.
It's over.
There's no escape.
He hadn’t expected the crisis to come this fast.
And the system’s warning had been clear—this danger was aimed directly at him.
Or rather, at Bloodsaw Apothecary.
"If I can't run, then I'll have to save myself!"
Lynn clenched his jaw.
Without hesitation, he dashed into the backyard and slammed the door shut behind him.
...
Boom—
A deafening explosion.
The apothecary's front door was blown apart, and billowing blood-red mist surged inside, no longer repelled by the soul lantern’s protection.
A massive shadow stretched across the floor of the main hall.
And with it came a putrid, suffocating stench—like a bloated corpse left to rot in water for days, shambling forward.
Thud—
Thud—
Heavy footsteps echoed.
Inside the backyard operating room, Lynn pressed against the wall, gripping a boning knife in one hand and a revolver in the other. His expression was grim, his brows tightly furrowed.
The soul lantern had gone out.
That meant night had fallen.
There was nothing left to protect him now.
Crash—
From the main hall, the sound of potion bottles shattering rang out, one after another, sharp and relentless.
Lynn clenched his eyes shut, biting down hard. The veins at his temple pulsed violently.
[100 Skull Coins!]
Crash—
[500 Skull Coins!]
Crash—
[821 Skull Coins!]
Each time a bottle shattered, a number flashed through his mind.
Not fear.
Heartache!
That was money! His precious, round, beloved money! More important than his own life!
Lynn narrowed his eyes, his mind racing.
Fighting head-on was impossible. The mere aura emanating from the creature had made his heart feel like it was about to burst.
That alone was enough to tell him how powerful it was.
The only thing that might save him now—
[Blood Shroud!]
Without hesitation, Lynn tightened his grip on the revolver, his gaze turning steely.
She lived just across the street, at 44 Wandering Spirit Alley.
If he could get the signal out in time, she would come.
"Curse Removal!"
His voice was low and firm.
[Confirming: Would you like to lift the curse removal restriction on 'Blood Shroud Wraith' and use the ability on the Demon Hunter Revolver?]
"Yes!"
At that moment.
Lynn felt the cursed energy extracted from the Blood Shroud Wraith begin to dissipate within him.
Dark, viscous liquid oozed from the revolver, dripping onto his hands.
Drip—drip—
The black fluid seeped into his skin, purged from the gun.
A faint glow pulsed from the weapon.
[Curse removal complete. Demon Hunter Revolver is purified. Cooldown: 12 hours. Duration: 24 hours.]
Click—
Lynn flipped off the safety, pressing himself against the doorway, eyes sharp and alert.
The curse was gone.
That meant Blood Shroud Wraith could return to her original form.
And that was his only way to send a message.
He was certain—once the curse returned, she would come for him.
Because only he could rid her of it.
Now.
All he had to do was survive until she arrived.
Whoosh—
The sickly scent of blood drifted from the main hall.
Lynn could feel it—the room had gone silent.
The moment he activated the curse removal, the creature had noticed.
A curtain rustled.
A long, distorted shadow stretched into the corridor.
Lynn squinted, watching the shapeless form creeping closer.
Thud—
Thud—
The footsteps resumed.
Closer and closer.
The massive shadow inched toward the backyard.
Lynn held his breath, his gaze ice-cold.
Amid the suffocating silence—
Only his own heartbeat and those dreadful footsteps reached his ears.
Bit by bit.
The blood-soaked stench thickened in the air.
And then—the footsteps stopped.
A moment of utter stillness.
Then—
Squelch!
A sudden, gut-wrenching sound.
Lynn’s pupils shrank.
In his chest—
A barbed hand had pierced through him, driving through the wall behind him, drenched in blood as it emerged from his chest.
Thud—
His vision blurred as he collapsed forward.
Behind him, a crimson, twisted hand retracted from the wall—
Yet the wall itself remained untouched, as if it had never been anything more than an illusion.
The air reeked of blood.
Scarlet spread beneath Lynn’s trembling body, staining the floor.
His eyes remained wide open, his limbs twitching involuntarily.
Blood poured freely.
Thud—
Thud—
Footsteps echoed once more.
Through Lynn’s fading vision, a monstrous figure stepped into the operating room.
What... what kind of horror was this?
A grotesque mass of rotting flesh, stitched together with crude, brutal precision.
No head. No face.
Only a massive, swollen eyeball protruding from the center of its torso.
Around it, dozens of smaller, human-sized eyes dotted its body at random.
Its limbs were an abomination—a chaotic fusion of human hands, writhing tendrils, beastly claws, spectral limbs, and even mechanical appendages.
A patchwork monstrosity.
[Bloodflesh Golem Type-3: Hellwalker]
[Species]: Flesh Construct
[Alignment]: Chaotic Evil
[Combat Ability]: A peerless, devastating creation.
[Description]: A pinnacle construct of the Magus Association, one of the Dead Hangman Tower’s ultimate bloodflesh machines. Its presence heralds slaughter and destruction. Designed specifically to exterminate traitors, it continuously devours and evolves. Never—ever—let it mark you as prey...
Blood pooled around Lynn’s lifeless form.
The creature inched closer.
Slithering.
Scarlet tendrils slithered out from its torso, creeping across the floor like serpents, burrowing needle-like tips into Lynn’s legs.
Squelch—
Wet, sucking sounds filled the air.
It was devouring him!
And then—
The tendrils stopped.
“Organic analysis… Human… Quality assessment… Inferior…”
“Consumption priority… Not recommended… Proceeding with disposal…”
A grating voice whispered in his ear.
Snap—
Lynn’s legs exploded into blood mist.
But at that moment—
His shattered heart thumped violently.
Blood surged through his veins.
Something… some crisis response mechanism had been triggered.
In a flash—
Lynn’s pupils shrank.
Like a dying ember flaring back to life, he tightened his grip on the revolver, spun around, and bared his teeth.
He aimed straight at the monster’s massive eye.
Bang—
The shot rang out.
The demon-hunting bullet pierced the pupil’s center.
A shriek.
Holy energy crackled like lightning across its body.
Its limbs flailed wildly, tearing through walls, bringing the entire structure crashing down.
And in that final moment—
Lynn seized his chance.
He reached into his pocket, clenched his teeth, and pulled out a crimson cloak.
In an instant—
Just before the monstrous hand struck—
Lynn rolled, his body melting into the floor, vanishing without a trace.
"Error... Secondary information verification in progress... The target exhibits extreme camouflage..."
"Race adjustment... Biochemical human, subjected to advanced biological modifications..."
"Devour priority... High... Recommended for termination..."