Almost immediately, a system notification echoed in Lynn's ears.
[Ding! You have killed 1 Flesh Deceiver. Gained 100 XP.]
Only then did Lynn relax. So the monster hadn't actually died earlier—it had finally breathed its last after he'd stabbed it over a hundred times.
He wiped the blood off his knife, still shaken. He knew his master would never return at this hour—and even if ithad been his master, he still would've stabbed first. Because if their roles were reversed, his master would've done the same to him.
But it was clear tonight would truly be sleepless. It was barely midnight, and a monster had already shown up. Who knew what the rest of the night would bring?
Lynn stood up, ready to clean the blood off the floor—but just then:
[Warning! Warning! An Origin-level Monster is approaching! Danger Level: 100%!]
Lynn froze, but reacted instantly. He pressed himself flush against the outer wall, staring rigidly at the door from the side, holding his breath.
Origin-level?! What the hell was going on?! Could this be the "dangerous guest" the demon hunter had warned about?
In the next second, a bone-chilling cold spread across his skin. Lynn's eyes widened as he watched the rotting hand of the Flesh Deceiver—still protruding from the doorframe—twitch suddenly. Then, as if being violently yanked outward, the hand was pulled away in an instant.
Without hesitation, Lynn sliced through the Wraith Hair tied to the ceiling beam.
Whoosh—
Cold, eerie mist seeped in through the hole in the door panel. Lynn held his breath. Faintly, he heard the sound of chewing from outside—crunch, crunch—like someone gnawing on ribs.
The Origin-level monster was right there on the street. He'd never felt such intense cold before. The demon hunter hadn't lied—tonight was far from peaceful.
Dammit! Was he really this unlucky? Did he actually run into it?
Just then, loud, rumbling tremors echoed from outside—thud, thud—as if something massive was moving slowly down the street. And it was getting closer. Closer!
Then, when the sound was less than a few meters from the shop door, it stopped abruptly. Lynn held his breath, his heart pounding. Through the hole torn by the Flesh Deceiver, he caught a glimpse of light.
He was certain—that light was the gaze of the unknown monster.
Lynn stood motionless like a statue, pressed against the wall. Only a meter away, through the hole in the doorframe, a gigantic eye peered inside. He could even hear the sound of his own racing heartbeat.
Slurp—Slurp—
The sound of licking came from outside, scraping against the door.
[Sanity: -1]
[Sanity: -1]
Lynn stared wide-eyed, daring not to move. Yet somehow, the slurping sound struck him as strangely… cute. Like a tiny girl squatting in front of him, licking gently…
But in the next instant, his eyes widened in horror as a blood-red, tongue-like tentacle slowly wriggled through the hole.
[Sanity: -40!]
No! He took that thought back! This was nothing like cute!
Lynn froze (ΩДΩ), rooted to the spot. He watched as the tentacle licked every trace of blood off the inner side of the door panel, cleaning it spotless. Then, as if still unsatisfied, it slowly inched toward him.
Slurp—Slurp—
Like a tongue, it left wet trails across Lynn's face. He stood dumbfounded, his body rigid, his sanity plummeting.
Two years ago, or for any other human, this would've sent them screaming and fleeing. But Lynn was far from ordinary. He knew perfectly well—if he dared run, or showed even a hint of panic, he'd be eaten instantly.
Just then, a high-pitched, baby-like voice echoed from outside: "Doctor… found you…"
Lynn's heart skipped a beat.
The voice came again: "Open up… tooth hurts…"
Lynn: (??Д??) ???
Wait… that didn't make sense! Could it be this monster wasn't here to eat him—but to see a doctor?!
He forced himself to calm down, staring at the door and saying: "But our shop… doesn't take customers at night…"
It was the shop rule. As his master's only apprentice, following the rules was his greatest strength. If he said no night customers, he meant no night customers!
"No customers… eat you…"
"Coming right up," Lynn replied, pulling out the keys, unlocking the door, and yanking it open in one fluid motion.
"Bloodsaw Potion Shop at your service," he said, bowing deeply at a ninety-degree angle.
"We uphold the fine tradition of curing with potions and healing with blades. How may I assist you?"
Whoosh—
A wave of bone-chilling cold rushed in from outside. When Lynn got a clear look at the monster, his heart raced and his sanity dropped sharply. What the hell kind of monster was this?!
[Sanity: -20]
[Sanity: -20]
To be precise, it was a head—a baby's head, towering two stories high. No torso. From its neck sprouted countless dense, snake-like red tentacles. Its enormous eyes glowed like searchlights, emitting two beams of pale white light.
A status panel appeared before Lynn's eyes:
[??????]
[Level: ??????]
[Race: ??????]
[Combat Ability: Run!]
[Description: If you hear a baby's laughter in the dark, if you see pure eyes in despair—never respond. For it is not hope, but the abyss…]
Lynn panicked inwardly (??Д??), but forced a calm expression on his face. He knew—running now would mean instant death.
Stay calm! Must stay calm! Treat it like any other customer! You can do this, Lynn!
Squeak—
The giant baby head slowly opened its mouth. Instantly, a suffocating stench washed over Lynn, nearly knocking him out.
"Tooth hurts… doctor…" the giant, grotesque baby head said in a soft, childlike voice. Its row of blood-dripping, sharp teeth was so eerie it could drain one's sanity on the spot.
"Can't cure it… eat you…"
[Lynn's Sanity: -10]
Wait… why was that voice unexpectedly a little cute?