Finally, Lynn forcefully pulled his head out of the large mouth of his left hand. He held his left hand's massive mouth tightly with his right hand and saw the blood-soaked leg of the (ΩДΩ)-faced goat-headed monster. In a panic, he said:
"Guest, although I said that bleeding is a quick way to relief, you really didn’t need to rush to stab yourself like this!"
"Didn’t you come here seeking treatment? Why are you in such a hurry to escape?"
The (ΩДΩ)-faced goat-headed monster couldn’t say a word.
Damn it… Damn it!
I never wanted to escape!
If you’d just finished talking all at once, I wouldn’t have had to stab myself!
He pointed to his blood-spurting leg, signaling desperately.
Stop!
Stop the bleeding!!
It’s spraying everywhere!
【Goat-headed monster’s SAN value -10】
【Goat-headed monster’s SAN value -10】
“Have you changed your mind? Do you think it’s better to live? I’m so glad to see that you’re reconsidering!” Lynn said seriously, quickly extending his foot. With precise footwork, he pressed down on the major artery in the monster's bleeding leg.
Sssss—
The blood that had been spurting wildly immediately stopped.
The goat-headed monster slumped, sweat pouring down his dazed face.
“Can I not be treated here? Please spare me just this once... I swear, I’ll avoid you next time I see you... really…”
Tears of frustration fell from his wide-open eyes.
【Goat-headed monster’s collapse value +10】
【Goat-headed monster’s collapse value +10】
Lynn said with a hint of melancholy, “Sorry, I’m still a beginner. I’ve made your experience a bit unpleasant. But after you leave this door, there won’t be any other potion shops within hundreds of miles.”
The goat-headed monster trembled, tears flowing, “There are, there definitely are…”
Lynn, awkwardly, replied, “No, there aren’t. There used to be, but now they’re all soaking in the specimen room in the backyard…”
He pointed toward the specimens in the back.
...
At that moment, the goat-headed monster finally broke down. A tough guy like him began to sob uncontrollably.
He thought of his parents.
He thought of the three years he had wasted wandering.
He thought of his child, now two years old, waiting for food.
And now, he was going to die in this black shop...
His sobbing grew louder.
“Don’t cry, don’t worry. Leave it to me, I’m a doctor. I guarantee you’ll walk out of here healthy!” Lynn tried to comfort him.
“And the toxin of the human-faced vine isn’t too intense. In some ways, it’s a slow-acting poison. As long as we find the right antidote, it’s easy to remove.”
He used his abilities to create tentacles, retrieving various potions from the counter. Then, right in front of the monster, he quickly mixed several potions in the right proportions.
Once the preparation was done, Lynn narrowed his eyes, slowly spreading his tentacles and taking a syringe, watching as the sharp needle filled with liquid.
“Let me give you an injection first!”
“A few injections and, while I can't promise a cure right away, I can definitely make you feel full of energy!”
“I’m inserting it!”
The goat-headed monster immediately extended his hand, trembling, “Wait a minute!!”
Pfft—
“Baa!!”
【Ding! Goat-headed monster’s fear level towards you +10】
【Ding! Goat-headed monster’s fear level towards you +10】
...
Several minutes later.
The goat-headed monster, dazed, sat in a chair, covered in needles of all sizes, and his leg wound was now bandaged.
Lynn, with a slightly mischievous look, tied a bow on the monster’s leg with his tentacle, saying:
"How’s that? The effect’s pretty good, right?"
“The potion I made for you was specially formulated by my teacher to treat the human-faced vine toxin. You’re really in the right place coming to our Blood Saw Apothecary.”
“I’ll tell you, other places probably won’t have the same effect as ours.”
The goat-headed monster, still dazed, could feel the weakness inside him slowly fading.
It was strange.
After just a few injections, although the mental blow was significant, the strange weakness and dizziness inside him had been greatly reduced.
Even the strange fragrance emanating from his body had slowly faded.
Could it be...
This isn’t a murderous black shop, but an actual proper apothecary?
Did I get it wrong?
The goat-headed monster, still dazed, asked: “You’re not planning to heal me first and then slice me up, right?”
Lynn firmly suppressed the urge to eat him with his left hand and (〃＞皿＜) said:
“Of course not! At Blood Saw Apothecary, we always adhere to the principle that the customer is God. As long as you have the money, not only will we not slice you up, but I’ll let you slice me up if you want!”
【Ding! Your comfort experience +1】
【Ding! Your comfort experience +1】
【Ding! Goat-headed monster’s mental state has greatly improved. You are successfully moving towards becoming a competent, reassuring doctor.】
The goat-headed monster sighed in relief, a bit dazed:
“Uh... what if I don’t have money?”
Suddenly—
The entire apothecary went silent.
Even Lynn’s left hand, which had been gnashing its teeth, stopped moving.
Lynn froze, picked up a knife, and said:
“No money?”
The goat-headed monster immediately became ((;???;))) and started panicking.
【Ding! Goat-headed monster’s SAN value -1】
【Ding! Goat-headed monster’s SAN value -1】
“There is! There is! I definitely have it! A lot!”
With incredible speed, he pulled out bag after bag of skull coins from his pockets. The speed was so fast it almost created an afterimage.
Seeing the clinking coins, Lynn immediately put on a friendly smile, and said:
“Phew, you really scared me! I thought you were trying to cheat me! I was already thinking about which part of you to cut up. My heart was racing, you scared me half to death, haha!”
The goat-headed monster, still ((;???;))) said:
“Is... is that so? ... Haha...”
【Goat-headed monster’s blood pressure +1】
【Goat-headed monster’s blood pressure +1】
He quickly changed the subject, wiping the sweat from his brow:
“By the way... not gonna lie, your potion works really well. In just a few minutes, I feel so much better!”
Lynn counted the money, flashing a satisfied smile:
“Of course. My teacher once cultivated this toxin on a large scale, so he’s very experienced in treating it. You could say our shop is the only one in the dark world with the special antidote for the human-faced vine.”
“Wow... really?” The goat-headed monster wiped his sweat: “Then, if other creatures are poisoned by this, it really would be a big problem...”
Lynn smiled and said:
“Don’t worry. Besides us, no other place has this toxin.”
...
The goat-headed monster froze, a strange feeling coming over him.
He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
But he felt like there was something fishy about this whole situation.
"Guest! I've already calculated the bill for you. You received 21 injections, at 100 coins each, totaling 2100 coins. The bandaging of the artery is complimentary. I counted, and on your table, there is 1 black skull coin and 700 skeleton coins."
"You still owe 400 coins."
Lynn maintained a smile on his face.
The goat-headed monster instinctively patted his pouch, then placed a small bag of coins on the table.
Lynn counted it, smiling again, "You're still short 100 coins."
The goat-headed monster immediately searched his entire body.
Buzz—
In an instant, the goat-headed monster's face drained of color.
"N-no more..."
A brief silence.
Lynn slid a catalog in front of him and said seriously, "Please take a look. Here, it's not just money that can be used to settle the bill."
The goat-headed monster glanced at the catalog. It listed:
【Kidney】: 1000 coins (average)
【Eyeball】: 200 coins each (average)
【Arm】: 250 coins (average)
【Manhood】: 500 coins
And so on...
The goat-headed monster was stunned, his eyes wide.
Lynn picked up a knife, smiling kindly, "I suggest you keep your eyeballs. Once you've earned enough coins, you can come back and redeem them. We'll keep them safe for you."
"Wait!"
The goat-headed monster immediately reached out (ΩДΩ) in desperation.
"I've got some other things I can offer as payment, take a look!"
Saying this, he quickly pulled an object from his pouch and placed it on the table.
"This is something I found a few days ago while wandering. It looks like some kind of part, and I thought it might be worth something, so I kept it!"
Lynn froze.
His eyes fell on the object on the table. It was silvery and resembled a piece of some kind of container, with scorch marks around it.
Then, an introduction about the object instantly appeared before Lynn's eyes.
【Mithril Skull Fragment】
【Quality】: Rare material
【Description】: A high-strength skull fragment made of mithril, a rare metal forged through special techniques, often used by the Demon Guild to create powerful biological weapons.
The Demon Guild?!
Lynn’s pupils contracted, and his expression grew serious as he eyed the fragment. He asked, "Where did you find this?"
The goat-headed monster looked confused. "A hilly area to the west, about a hundred kilometers away. When I went there, it seemed like there had just been a battle. I didn’t dare stay long, so I just grabbed some random parts and ran off."
He then pulled out several other fragments from his pouch, all severely burnt, and, without exception, all had connections to the Demon Guild.
Lynn thought deeply.
...
Minutes later.
【Ding! Congratulations, you’ve completed the task and earned a reward: 200 skeleton coins, 100 basic experience, and special reward: Radiation-Corrupted Fingers x2】
【Radiation-Corrupted Fingers】
【Type】: Consumable
【Description】: Extra limbs grown by an unknown creature exposed to radiation. Consuming them temporarily generates large amounts of radiation in the body.
Lynn smiled as he sent the goat-headed monster out.
Immediately afterward, he grabbed his left hand and hurriedly returned to the shop.
"Truce!"
Lynn said seriously.
"You can’t eat me right now, so I suggest we put this matter aside. There’s something more urgent I need to handle."
"Only a fool would listen to you!"
Suddenly, his left hand swelled up and opened its massive, gaping mouth, its sharp teeth almost touching him, and its long tongue made a terrifying hissing sound.
Whoosh—
In an instant, Lynn's entire head was inside its mouth.
But then the left hand paused, mumbling in a muffled voice, "Why aren’t you dodging?"
Lynn, with his arms crossed and his head inside the mouth, remained calm and said, "I know you don’t dare to eat me. You drank too much pesticide earlier, and your mind was cloudy. Now that you're calm, I understand—you don’t dare to eat me."
The left hand sneered, "Oh really?"
Lynn, still calm, replied, "Because we're probably in a symbiotic relationship. If I drink the pesticide and you react, then if you eat my head, you probably wouldn’t survive on your own, right?"
The left hand froze.
Lynn closed his eyes and said softly, "Am I right?"
A brief silence followed.
The left hand slowly opened its mouth and revealed Lynn’s head, restoring its original size. It grinned, showing a tooth.
Lynn wiped the saliva from his head and squinted, saying, "Looks like I was right."
The left hand opened its mouth, gnashing its teeth, and said, "No, I’m just not sure what would happen if I bite your head off, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try!"
Clearly, the earlier pesticide incident had left it with a huge psychological scar.
【Ding! Your task: Body’s Response, current completion: 50%】
【Description: You’ve caused the mutated entity to question whether it would survive after killing you, but it still maintains strong hostility towards you.】
【Ding! You triggered the second phase of the task, task limit erased. Task objective: Survive in your interactions with the mutated entity without it realizing that killing you won’t harm it.】
Lynn: "???!"
Wait a minute.
Does this mean it can survive after killing me?!
What... what a joke!
If it had bitten me just now, would I have died for nothing?!
【Lynn’s SAN value -10】
"Hmm?" The left hand moved, glaring at Lynn, who was now sweating.
But Lynn, not easily shaken, quickly regained his composure and kept the same neutral expression.
Lynn said calmly, "Since you’re unsure, I suggest you don’t try. Otherwise, it’ll be a two-for-one death deal. I’m sure you don’t want to end up killing yourself, right?"
"If this gets out, you’ll be the laughingstock!"
"(〝▼皿▼) Ehh—"
Although Lynn appeared calm, internally he was panicking.
But he knew he had to stay composed.
If he showed any weakness, this mutated left hand would definitely bite his head off without hesitation.
"Let’s talk business!"
Lynn forced a calm expression and adjusted his monocle, which gleamed with a cold light.
He toyed with the mithril fragment on the counter and said quietly:
"The creature that came last night was a creation of the Demon Guild. I’ve seen my teacher mention the guild in his journals, and from what’s written there, my teacher was once a member of this organization."
"Though I don’t know what happened..."
Lynn thought aloud:
"Based on last night's events, my teacher probably had a deep conflict with this guild. The flesh puppet that attacked here was likely sent to wipe us out, but it didn’t find my teacher—only me."
The left hand (▼ヘ▼) grumbled, "Hmph!"
Lynn stood up and paced, continuing:
"And looking at these fragments, the Demon Guild’s influence has already spread nearby. After taking down that puppet last night, the guild likely already knows about the incident here through special means."
The left hand (╬◣д◢) snapped, "I killed it, not you!"
Ignoring its comment, Lynn continued pacing, deep in thought:
"And if I were them, I’d definitely send more people to investigate. Either to spy or to clean up. If they find out I’m just an ordinary human, they’ll crush me without a second thought."
Lynn suddenly stopped, looking up with a calm expression:
"Either tonight or tomorrow, we will face a second wave of danger!"
Lynn made a deep analysis and conclusion.
The left hand, frustrated, asked, "What does this have to do with me?"
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Lynn glanced at it and adjusted his monocle:
"Don’t think you can sit this out. We’re in this together. If I die, you die too!"
The left hand (▼ヘ▼) grumbled, "Hmph!"
Lynn then flashed a reassuring smile and patted its 'dog head' (the back of his hand), saying:
"Calm down. I don’t know how you mutated, but you’re still a part of me, and my left hand at that. Naturally..."
"You should be very close to me."
【Comfort Experience +1】
【Comfort Experience +1】
The left hand (▼ヘ▼) responded, "Fine, but whoever comes here, I get to eat them. Not your share. Also, no more pesticides! The deal lasts only for two days!"
Lynn adjusted his monocle, its lens reflecting cold light, and said, "Deal!"
----------------------------------------
Time: Evening.
Lynn changed into his new combat gear in the attic, squinting as he found a suitable knife in the operating room.
His left hand was fast asleep, and the mouth in the palm was blowing a rhythmic bubble.
"No, I still don't have enough equipment," Lynn muttered to himself.
He carefully searched through the empty shell of the flesh puppet but still couldn't find the revolver and bone-cutting knife he had lost yesterday. Judging by the description of the left hand, it seemed his biggest trump card—the Heart of the Faceless Demon—had probably become part of this creature.
That meant his revolver and knife were likely swallowed by it as well.
Lynn frowned.
He glanced at his left hand, which was still peacefully asleep, the “zzz~” sound coming from the mouth.
"Should I try?" Lynn thought.
He made a bold decision.
Putting on his mask and gloves, Lynn's monocle reflected light as he quietly extended his right hand, gently prying open the mouth of his left hand.
Thinking for a moment, he made a quick motion.
Swish—
A slender tentacle grew from his shoulder, and with careful control, he maneuvered it into the mouth of his left hand.
Wow! It’s deep!
Strange!
This mutation wasn't as simple as it seemed. Although it appeared to be part of his body, it likely had its own internal structure.
Lynn continued to explore, eyes closed, feeling his way through.
Finally, after some time, he made it to the deepest part.
His tentacle immediately encountered many un-digested flesh and mechanical fragments.
"It looks like the creature I swallowed is in here," Lynn thought.
He began pulling things out.
【Ding! You obtained Broken Core x1】
【Ding! You obtained Decayed Flesh x1】
【Ding! You obtained Demon Hunter Revolver x1】
【Ding! You obtained Blood Saw Bone-Cutting Knife x1】
Lynn’s eyes lit up.
Found it!
Sure enough, as he suspected, his equipment was all inside this mutated creature’s stomach.
Swish—
Lynn retracted his tentacle, sneering as he looked at the slimy revolver and bone-cutting knife.
Click—
He released the safety.
No damage at all!
After all, they were legendary items—how could they be easily worn down?
He was whole again!
Then his eyes drifted to his left hand, still peacefully asleep with its mouth propped open.
"Maybe I should take advantage of this moment to pull out a few more things? Who knows, there might still be valuable items in that creature’s body," Lynn mused.
Seizing the opportunity, he cautiously slid his tentacle back into the mouth.
【Ding! You obtained Focused Eye x1】
【Ding! You obtained Dragon Breath Hand (Damaged) x1】
【Ding! You obtained Vengeful Spirit’s Hair x1】
Lynn’s eyes brightened.
Sure enough.
So many valuable things!
If they all got digested by this mutated creature, it would be a huge loss.
Feeling more and more excited, Lynn began pulling out one item after another, his tentacle moving faster with each pass.
"Eh?"
Half-conscious, the left hand felt something long and thick moving in and out of its mouth, and each time it reached deep inside, it became increasingly uncomfortable.
Pop—
The bubble at the corner of its mouth popped.
It woke up instantly.
And in front of it, it saw Lynn (≧▽≦), controlling a tentacle that was poking inside its mouth.
The left hand (ΩДΩ) screamed, "Waaah!!!"
Damn! Damn!
This host was violating its mouth while it was asleep!
Shameless! Perverted! Filthy!
(╯‵皿′)╯︵┻━┻
This is too much to bear!
Click—
The sharp teeth of the left hand instantly snapped shut (〝▼皿▼).
Pfft—
The tentacle Lynn was controlling was instantly severed in the middle.
(((;???;)))
【Ding! Host’s health decreased!】
【Ding! Host’s health decreased!】
"Gurgle—"
The left hand swallowed the severed tentacle, grumbling, "What the heck?! What are you doing putting weird things in my mouth? You want to fight, huh?!"
Then it noticed the pile of slimy limbs and flesh on the table beside Lynn.
In an instant, the left hand froze.
Lynn extended his hand, cleared his throat, and said, "Let me explain. I was just trying to find the items you swallowed yesterday. I didn’t want to fight with you, really!"
A brief silence followed.
"..."
"..."
Then, the sound of metal clashing echoed.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The left hand (〝▼皿▼) grabbed a knife and started attacking Lynn with wild swings, while Lynn was forced to block with his own knife (〃＞皿＜).
"Listen to me! Give me a chance to explain!"
"I’m gonna kill you! Kill you! (｀皿′)? Ah-da! Ah-da! How dare you steal from my mouth! How dare you take the things I ate and sneakily pull them out! How dare you use such weird tentacles to poke me! You’re finished! I’ll kill you!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As evening fell, after a brief truce, the two were once again locked in a life-and-death struggle.
But just then, a system prompt suddenly rang in Lynn's ears.
【Ding! You triggered the task: An Unsettling Night.】
【Task objective】: Survive the search of three hunters. Reward: 1000 skull coins, 1000 base experience, special item x1
【Extra special task objective】: Kill all hunters. Reward: Legendary item x1, Legendary skill blueprint x1
【Task description】: In the haunted alley, the night is filled with dark currents. After last night's bloody battle, a new crisis is brewing. Mysterious hunters, like hounds, are tracking the sound. Please hide carefully...
Clang—
Lynn firmly held his knife, his expression turning serious.
"Quiet! Just as I thought! They're here!"
Whoosh—
The soul lantern outside flickered, then dimmed.
This meant one thing.
Night had fallen.
...
In the haunted alley, dark fog surged.
"Target search... Blood Puppet 3 type blood trail discovered... Sample collection in progress..."
"Sample matching complete... Scenario recreation in progress..."
Among the dark mist, a creature with a human head and spider body lifted its head, its eyes filling with blood as it projected a bloody scene on the ground.
The scene showed the bloody moment just before the flesh puppet died last night.
Clearly, it had used special means to recreate the scene.
"Scenario analysis... Flesh puppet died due to internal consumption and collapse... Information transmission complete..."
"Risk level assessment... A level... Further exploration possible..."
Click-click-click—
The huge spider body slowly moved, dragging its enormous abdomen, emerging from the mist.
Behind it were two other creatures that looked exactly the same.
Their sharp spider legs were like blades.
Each time they hit the ground, they left behind terrifying tracks.
...
Meanwhile, Lynn held the revolver in his right hand, a tentacle extending from his shoulder holding the knife. He was crouched on the rafters, his expression serious.
After yesterday's experience, he wasn’t sitting by the wall this time, knowing that a surprise wall attack could happen.
"Left hand."
Lynn seriously released the safety, saying:
"You’re agile. Go guard above the doorframe. We’ll cooperate. As soon as anyone comes in, we attack together. I’ll use my tentacles to entangle them, and you can eat them straight away. Don't worry, this time all the prey is yours!"
The left hand (〝▼皿▼) replied, "Don’t call me ‘Lefty’! You think we’re on good terms?!"
But it silently extended itself, opened its fingers, and hovered above the doorframe.
Meanwhile, Lynn's four tentacles, his maximum limit, were ready for action.
He had confidence, especially since this time, compared to yesterday, he had an aggressive new ally.
The system prompt showed that this time, it wasn't the flesh puppet they were facing.
So, they were ready for battle!
Lynn narrowed his eyes, moving like a leopard in the dark, waiting for the right moment.
Time slowly passed.
Then, in the next moment, Lynn’s pupils contracted as he saw a figure slowly appear at the door of the apothecary.
"Now’s our chance!"
Lynn shouted, and without hesitation, the tentacles shot out, instantly wrapping around the figure.
Hidden above the doorframe, the left hand expanded, opening its massive mouth, and viciously swallowed the figure in one bite.
"Ahhh—Mmmmmm—"
"Yada, yada, yada—"
In an instant, two terrified voices echoed from the mouth.
Lynn paused.
Why did that sound so familiar?
Without saying a word, Lynn quickly swung down from the rafters.
Instantly, he saw in the giant closed mouth of his left hand, a large and small set of four legs flailing wildly.
【Bloodclad Evil Spirit SAN value -10】
【Evil Spirit Bloodling SAN value -10】
Lynn: “!!!”
“Stop! Stop! It’s us!” Lynn shouted in surprise, reaching out his hand.
...
A few minutes later.
The sticky Bloodclad Evil Spirit and the adorable Bloodling sat back-to-back on the threshold, thick strands of saliva dripping from their bodies.
“It feels like I just had a nightmare…”
The Bloodclad Evil Spirit muttered in a daze.
“Yada—”
The cute Bloodling (?＞︶＜)? stuck out its tongue and began licking the sticky goo on its mother’s face.
Lynn tugged the left hand back, stunned, "Ma'am, what are you doing here?"
The Bloodclad Evil Spirit shook off the drool in her hair, then looked at him seriously and said, “Of course, I was worried about you. You rushed off so suddenly during the day, and now it’s nighttime, you didn’t come to find me. What if we run into a monster like last night?”
Lynn was touched.
As expected, after fighting together last night, their relationship had clearly advanced to a new level.
“And... this is…”
The Bloodclad Evil Spirit cautiously glanced at Lynn’s left hand, and upon seeing the crack in its palm, she became even more wary.
“I’ll introduce you,” Lynn snapped back to attention, smiling as he pointed at his left hand.
“This is the thing I mutated last night. It’s the one that ate that monster. Since it's my left hand, I’ve temporarily named it Lefty.”
Ahhh—
The left hand immediately (〝▼皿▼) bit down on Lynn’s right hand.
【Left hand’s affection for you -1】
【Left hand’s affection for you -1】
The Bloodclad Evil Spirit looked at them in shock, her eyes widening. "A... a hand?!"
Her mind instantly flashed to the terrifying scene from last night, when the monster was eaten from the inside out. It was beyond her imagination.
And it seemed to have its own consciousness.
It looked like the creature Lynn had mutated was a monster that couldn’t be described with common sense.
Moreover, it seemed like it wasn’t entirely under control...
The Bloodclad Evil Spirit stared blankly at Lynn (〃＞皿＜), who was struggling with the left hand that kept gnawing on his right, feeling an odd sense of absurdity.
“No pleasantries,” Lynn firmly held the left hand, remaining calm as he spoke.
"Tonight won’t be peaceful. After the flesh puppet died, the organization it belonged to will definitely send people to investigate. Tonight is going to be another sleepless night!”
The Bloodclad Evil Spirit glanced hesitantly at the door.
“Are you sure it’s tonight?”
Lynn replied cautiously, “I have my own special sources of information.”
And just as they finished speaking, a series of metallic scraping noises suddenly rang out from the fog outside.
The two of them exchanged glances.
Without a word, they understood each other perfectly.
Lynn quickly swung back up to the rafters.
The Bloodclad Evil Spirit also transformed, floating like an octopus and attaching herself to the broken ceiling. Her nails began to grow, and a twisted sense of excitement flickered in her eyes.
Meanwhile, the Bloodling was dangling from her mother’s tentacle, its eyes blinking as it watched the left hand, which was ready to strike.
Slurp—
It (?＞︶＜)? stuck out its tongue and licked the left hand.
【Ding! Evil Spirit Bloodling’s affection for your left hand +1】
“Eh?”
The left hand was momentarily confused and glanced at the blinking Bloodling.
Slurp—
It also tried sticking its tongue out to lick the Bloodling's face.
【Ding! Your left hand’s affection for Evil Spirit Bloodling +1】
Slurp—
【Ding! Evil Spirit Bloodling’s affection for your left hand +1】
Slurp—
【Ding! Your left hand’s affection for Evil Spirit Bloodling +1】
The two of them were clearly enjoying themselves.
For a moment, it was as if they had found kindred spirits with the same tastes, happily licking each other.
Monster joy was so simple.
Seeing the absurd scene by the doorframe, Lynn gritted his teeth and whispered urgently, “Stop licking! Stop licking! They’re here!”
...
Meanwhile, outside the door, in the black mist,
The huge conglomeration of spider-bodied creatures appeared slowly in front of the door.
“Target location confirmed… Scanning in progress…”
The leading creature’s eyeball instantly focused, a red glow igniting, and its gaze landed on the empty shop.
In an instant, Lynn dropped down from the rafters, holding his revolver in one hand, immediately aiming for the monster’s eye.
Bang—
The demon-hunting bullet tore through the air and hit the creature’s eye socket.
Hissssssssss—
In an instant, divine energy spread through the creature’s entire body, sending electrical currents surging across it.
“Don’t hide anymore! It’s another bio-puppet! Prepare for battle!”
Lynn shouted.
After hearing the mechanical synthesized voice from outside, Lynn knew the enemy had scanning capabilities.
But since they were already at the door, they would face them head-on!
“Target locked… Target identity confirmed… Target is Flesh Puppet 3 type… Highest danger level…”
“Hunting…”
In the blink of an eye, the three creatures sprang into action.
Instantly,
The three monsters became a blur of afterimages, their arms growing into hook-like mantis blades.
So fast!
Lynn’s eyes quickly displayed the information about the three creatures.
【Hunter 120 Type】
【Level: ???】
【Attributes: None】
【Race: Biological Mechanical Conglomerate】
【Combat Abilities: Extremely fast speed and powerful regenerative abilities!】
【Description: The top-tier hunting tool of the Demon Guild, known for its speed and agility, with powerful killing and tracking capabilities. Frequently used by the Demon Guild for extermination missions. Due to having no soul, they are immune to mental and spiritual attacks…】
As expected, it was a creation of the Demon Guild!
Almost instantly, the three hunters locked onto Lynn and launched a deadly pursuit.
And just as one of the hunter’s mantis blades grazed Lynn’s face, a pair of blood-red claws shot across the room.
“Leave it to me!”
In the blink of an eye, a red shadow flashed in front of Lynn.
The Bloodclad Evil Spirit, in her demonic form, appeared beside him. Her half-meter-long, sharp claws clashed with the hunters' bladed limbs with a metallic clang.
Her crimson eyes sparkled with a twisted excitement.
A terrifying crack slowly opened in the center of her forehead, revealing menacing barbs and tentacles inside.
"Hehehe... Leave it to me... Yesterday I was really... so angry... hehehe..."
The twisted excitement in her eyes grew more intense, her entire body trembling with excitement.
Seeing this, Lynn instantly understood—Bloodclad Evil Spirit had entered a frenzied battle state.
"Then I'll leave it to you!"
Lynn shouted.
Without hesitation, he quickly pulled back, his left arm retracting quickly and snapping back to his side with a loud "pop."
"Then this hunter is ours to deal with! Left hand! Bite it!"
Lynn bellowed.
The left hand immediately expanded, its massive mouth opening (〝▼皿▼), and it growled:
"Don’t need your instructions!"
Like a giant serpent, the left hand struck, launching a violent attack on the hunter.
Boom—
With a tremendous crash, the left hand’s terrifying strength struck the ground where the hunter had been, creating a large crater.
But the hunter’s speed was too fast.
Almost the moment the left hand began its attack, the hunter swiftly reacted, leaping into the air like a gecko. Its eight sharp, blade-like spider legs stabbed into the wall.
The red light in its eyes flashed rapidly.
"Target analysis... Unknown biological entity... Commencing hunt..."
Whirr—
The mantis blades in its hands erupted with sparks, and the next moment, its body spun into a blade-like whirlwind, rushing toward Lynn at incredible speed.
SSSSSSSSSSS—
The street’s cobblestones were sent flying by the terrifying force of the blades.
Without hesitation, Lynn gritted his teeth, growing four tentacles from his body and swiftly retreating.
At the same time, he pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullet after bullet from his Demon Hunter revolver hit the deadly blade whirlwind, and under the divine damage attached to the bullets, the hunter’s speed was severely reduced.
【Ding! Your firearm proficiency +1】
【Ding! Your firearm proficiency +1】
"Left hand!"
Lynn shouted.
"Leave it to me!"
The left hand instantly retracted, opening its massive mouth.
Its long tongue split into two, then into four, and within moments, it became hundreds of long tongues, sharp as swords, attacking the blade storm.
Clang—
Clang—
Clang—
The sound of massive metal clashes filled the air, with sparks flying.
The seemingly soft tongues revealed their steel-like hardness when they met the blades.
...
In the Upside-Down Tower.
In a mechanical and fleshy hybrid hall, a man dressed in a black robe with intricate mechanical structures swirling around his face entered, flanked by guards.
His gaze was dark, and his voice cold.
"Have the three hunters in the Soul Alley been contacted?"
Several servants turned to him, their posture formal as they replied,
"The signal has been established! Vice President of the Mechanized Demon, we can take control of the three hunters at any time."
The Mechanized Demon walked to the central screen of the hall, his voice low,
"Bring up the visuals, I want the first-hand information on Soul Alley!"
"Yes!"
The servants quickly worked, and the screen before the man began to glow red, flashing in intervals. Three images appeared on the screen, displaying Lynn and the Bloodclad Evil Spirit currently battling the hunters.
The Mechanized Demon’s eyes narrowed.
The first thing he noticed was the frenzied, excited expression of the terrifying red-clad Evil Spirit.
The wildly dancing figure had already suppressed two of the hunters.
"Kill kill kill kill—heh heh heh—"
Her manic laughter and frenzied movements were like a bloody feast.
"Bloodclad Evil Spirit?! It's her!"
The Mechanized Demon furrowed his brows, his expression turning grim.
He recognized this evil spirit conglomerate.
Especially in Sin City, this lone madwoman was quite famous.
Because she was an evil ghost who could kill according to her whims, and when she entered a battle state, her obsessive excitement to kill became something even many high-ranking powerful beings avoided.
"It’s impossible..."
"Even if it’s her, she couldn’t possibly defeat a Type 3 flesh puppet."
His gaze grew colder.
He was the direct leader of this internal purge, aside from the leader of the Demon Guild.
For the past few days, he had been using every method to either kill or absorb the dozens of elders who once led the Demon Guild.
And the giant elephant’s flesh that had been split up and kept separate was now mostly retrieved through these hunts.
And according to the sensing within the giant elephant's organs, one of the fragments was in Soul Alley, stored by Blood Saw.
The flesh puppet from yesterday was personally sent by him.
His expression darkened as he turned toward the visual feed of the third hunter.
When his eyes fell on the young human holding a strange left hand while wielding a revolver, his mood grew even more sinister.
"Could it be… him? A... human?"
His gaze darkened further.
It didn’t look like it.
He could immediately tell that, aside from the odd left hand, this human’s real strength was quite poor.
But then his gaze landed on the Demon Hunter revolver in the human’s hand, and when he saw the gun, his expression slightly shifted.
"The Demon Hunter’s revolver?"
It wasn’t until that moment that he finally gave the human boy some attention.
Because he could clearly see that the usually solitary Bloodclad Evil Spirit seemed to be standing with him.
And this seemingly weak boy was holding the same Demon Hunter revolver that the flashy man never let go of.
That alone spoke volumes.
"Sync my nerves with Hunter 3."
The Mechanized Demon closed his eyes, forcefully pulling out a viscous mechanical interface from the back of his head and plugging it into a fleshy interface in the hall.
"Yes! Vice President!"
"Neural synchronization in progress… Identity check… Mechanized Demon… Full access granted…"
"Sync with Hunter 3’s neural source successful… Link initiated—"
Whirr—
The moment the Mechanized Demon opened his eyes again, he had taken control of the Hunter 3 body, and his gaze immediately locked onto Lynn, who was several dozen meters away.
At almost the same time, a system prompt rang in Lynn’s ears.
【Ding! Warning! Warning! Crisis level escalating rapidly!】
【Ding! You triggered an urgent special task: Survive. Task rewards: Base Experience x1000, Skull Coins x1000, Special Item x1】
At the very moment Lynn heard the warning prompt, he immediately sensed something different about the hunter in front of him. Unlike before, the hunter’s eyes were now cold and calculating, no longer mechanical, but human-like—full of intelligence.
“This is bad!”
A massive sense of crisis rolled over him.
“Left hand! Be careful!” Lynn shouted.
He tried to retreat, but the hunter suddenly looked up, its body shooting towards him at lightning speed. The left hand immediately opened its giant mouth again, once more launching its sharp tongue at the hunter.
“Transformation! High temperature! Strong heat attributes!”
The hunter’s pupils immediately lit up with blazing fire.
Its mantis blades also instantly emitted intense heat, firing off sparks.
Pfft—
A tremendous explosion rang out.
In the chaotic storm, the heated blades instantly sliced through the left hand’s tongue, cutting it cleanly off.
A sharp cry of pain echoed.
The left hand quickly retracted, its long tongue now reduced to a smoking half.
“My tongue... it’s gone!!”
It complained (〃′皿`)q to Lynn.
Lynn gritted his teeth and shouted, “Can you recover it?”
The left hand (〝▼皿▼) flicked its remaining tongue, and the severed half immediately began to regenerate.
“It’s growing back!!”
Almost instantly, the hunter appeared before Lynn, moving so fast it left afterimages. Its blazing blade, now charged with heat, slashed toward Lynn.
“I’ll take it!”
The left hand (〝▼皿▼) instantly grabbed the bone-cutting knife wrapped around one of Lynn’s tentacles.
Click—
A surge of fiery light exploded as the left hand extended its arm like a snake, the knife clashing against the hunter’s blade in a violent exchange.
The intense resentment from having its tongue severed earlier flared up, erupting into a frenzied battle.
Clang—
Clang—
The blades collided, sparks flying. But Lynn could tell that the hunter had changed—its combat experience was evident, and every attack was executed with precision and ease.
In contrast, while the left hand’s strikes were fierce, they lacked form, relying more on raw strength and wild swings.
“Lefty!”
Lynn shouted, gritting his teeth, as he continued to fire at the hunter from the side.
“Hurry up and show me the strength you had when you took down that flesh puppet yesterday! Weren’t you super brave?”
The left hand (〝▼皿▼) continued swinging its knife, replying,
“That was from the inside out! This is the outside! Even if I want to eat it, it still has to cut me first!”
Lynn shouted, “I’m the doctor! It cuts you, I’ll stitch you back up!”
The left hand (o(≧口≦)o) growled, “No chance!”
Lynn quickly retreated, his mind racing.
This was truly a deadly world!
Chance?!
Alright!
I’ll create that chance for you!
Without warning, Lynn reached into his pocket and grabbed a pitch-black, cyst-covered eyeball.
【Focused Eye】
【Type】: Cursed Object
【Ability】: Can activate a gaze curse when used by a flesh puppet.
【Limitations】: Must fully merge with the body to activate.
【Description】: The cursed eye of a Type 3 flesh puppet. When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you. Its gaze melts and dissolves anything within its line of sight—everything disintegrates, everything collapses…
This eye had been pulled from the left hand’s body.
He had carefully studied it during their earlier ambush.
If it were any other creature, this eye would be useless.
But for him, with his flesh mutation ability, he could integrate it into his own body.
Hiss—
Lynn gritted his teeth and pushed the eye into his right eye socket.
【Ding! Your health is decreasing!】
【Ding! Your health is decreasing!】
And in the next instant—
Pfft—
Lynn yanked his bloody eye from its socket, blowing on it before carefully placing it into a small bottle. He then grabbed the cursed eyeball and punched it hard into his now-empty eye socket.
“Ah! Damn, that hurts!”
Blood poured from his right eye as Lynn quickly activated his flesh mutation ability.
Whoosh—
A surge of nervous tissue rapidly enveloped the Focused Eye.
【Ding! You have integrated a new organ: Focused Eye!】
【Ding! Warning! Warning! The energy level of Focused Eye is too high, and your control over extra limbs has significantly decreased!】
Whoosh—
The two tentacles behind him immediately shriveled and collapsed, but that was enough!
Because...
“Left hand!! Move!”
Lynn shouted, clutching his bleeding right eye, his body struggling under the immense burden.
The left hand immediately recoiled as soon as it heard him.
And when it saw the condition of Lynn’s right eye, it froze, horrified.
“You used that puppet’s eye?!”
Almost at the same moment, Lynn’s gaze shot up, his face twisted with pain as he focused his sight on the hunter.
Curse of the Gaze—
Activate!!
Whir—
A sound like a snapped string filled the air.
Lynn’s right pupil instantly contracted, and countless black lines rushed into the center of his vision.
The hunter jolted, sensing the massive threat approaching.
Almost instantly, it instinctively pushed its speed to the maximum, moving so fast that it created afterimages.
But the curse had already been cast.
Screech—
A sharp, ghostly wail pierced the air as everything within the hunter’s line of sight—walls, the cobblestones—began to rapidly dissolve into a thick, viscous liquid.
In this open space, there was nowhere to hide.
Even though the hunter’s speed was unparalleled, its body quickly succumbed to the curse. The surface of its mechanical body began to corrode with rapid, loud cracking sounds.
“Focused Eye?!”
The Mechanized Demon’s face darkened.
“How is this possible?!”
At this moment, he realized: Even if the flesh puppet wasn’t killed by this boy, it was definitely tied to him!
This human... must be eliminated!