Bayi murmured, "Is there... anything left... at all?"
Lynne wiped his eyes, "Nothing's left."
Bayi moved his lips, lying there dully, his eyes reflecting the ceiling, feeling as if his entire world had collapsed.
At that moment, he thought of his parents. His girlfriend. His buddies comparing sizes in the bathhouse... And all of that seemed to dissipate like wind before his eyes.
...
Several minutes later.
Bayi, in a daze, stood up, and with Lynne's comfort and encouragement, temporarily abandoned any thoughts of ending his life. Because, as Big Brother said, in this Dark World, life is full of endless possibilities.
Yes! Isn't it just a matter of an inch or two?! As a spirited young man, should he really care about such things?! Compared to an inch or two, isn't life itself the most precious thing to cherish?
"Big Brother... you promised me... to install a stainless steel one afterward. You said it! Don't lie to me... whimper..."
Bayi, with red-rimmed eyes, wiped away his tears, looking plaintively at Lynne.
Lynne adjusted his monocle, his expression calm, saying: "Don't worry. Even one with barbs is fine! But before that, we have more important matters to attend to. I won't let anyone who dares to bully my fellow townsman get away with it! Let's go!"
With that, Lynne, carrying a chainsaw, led the frail and helpless Bayi, kicking open the door of the cold storage room. What they didn't notice was that, at the moment they left, on the walls of the cold storage room, pairs of eyes slowly opened, covering the entire wall.
...
Leaving the bustling kitchen, where the pigfolk butcher was still busy at the stove amidst the rich aroma, Lynne didn't disturb him. He led Bayi to the corridor outside.
Bayi, trembling and clutching his chest, said, "Big Brother, are you going to confront that girl? She's no easy target. She's a fierce ghost, and she was the one who stuffed that evil spirit into my brain! Shouldn't we... shouldn't we just run away?"
Lynne adjusted his glasses, resolutely replying, "Don't be afraid. I'm a doctor, and since the master of this place hired me, I won't leave until I've completely cured her. It would be unprofessional to do otherwise."
Lynne indifferently cracked his neck.
"After I've cured her, then I'll finish her off."
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the candles in the corridor ahead flickered violently.
Whoosh whoosh—
One by one, the candles snuffed out. The walls around them cracked with a series of snaps. Then, to Bayi's horror, the cracks in the wall started oozing copious amounts of thick blood and hair.
Hum—
A chilling breeze swept through.
Without warning, a pale little girl with disheveled hair materialized before Lynne.
"A ghost!!" Bayi screamed in terror, immediately hiding behind Lynne.
Almost simultaneously, the girl's profile appeared before Lynne's eyes.
[Alice]
[Race: Earthbound Spirit]
[Alignment: Neutral Evil]
[Combat Ability: Intense obsession and hatred grant her unparalleled powers.]
[Introduction: Her body was cut, her will shattered. Father, mother, brother, should they not have cared for her? Should they not have abandoned her, cut her, buried her? Shouldn't we be a harmonious family? Shouldn't we be happy?]
Lynne calmly extended his hand to protect Bayi behind him.
"Are you Alice?"
The little girl looked at him with vacant eyes, silent. Her body was bizarre, with fine black lines on her cheeks, arms, and ankles, which, upon closer inspection, resembled dense cracks. She appeared to be only about ten years old, dressed in a pure white dress, faintly stained with what seemed to be washed-out blood.
An eerie silence pervaded unabashedly.
For a long time.
Crack crack—
She mechanically lifted her head, her hollow eyes filled with cracks reflecting Lynne's image.
"Be... my... family..."
She extended her hand towards Lynne in a twisted, mechanical gesture, as if inviting.
"Turn you... into a doll... Stay with me..."
Her voice, hollow and intermittent, carried an indescribable eeriness and terror.
Bayi trembled uncontrollably, his entire body shivering.
A ghost! She was the most fearsome spirit here! It was she who controlled the puppets, who extracted his organs, turning him into that terrible state.
[Bayi's Sanity -10]
[Bayi's Sanity -10]
Lynne faced the little girl calmly, asking, "Why?"
Alice moved her lips emptily, "You... are not bad..."
She turned her stiff neck, her vacant gaze falling on Bayi, who was trembling behind Lynne, moving her lips mechanically.
"You cured... the old brother... You have a good... heart... That's why... I didn't disturb you..."
Lynne instantly remembered the unusual chill he felt in the cold storage and the alertness he maintained while excising the tumor in Bayi's brain. He knew the evil spirit inside Bayi's head was filled by this resentful spirit named Alice.
And when he was cutting out that evil spirit, she must have sensed it. But the process went unexpectedly smoothly. Apart from the resistance and struggle from the evil spirit itself, the interference that might have come from Alice did not occur. And that was what puzzled him.
Alice, with her vacant gaze, said, "Alice... wants a... loving brother..."
The eerie silence spread ominously around them.
Was that the reason? Just because she saw him helping Bayi heal, she chose not to interfere? Was it a gesture of goodwill?
No. Or perhaps, yes. Obsession.
Lynne narrowed his eyes, looking at her calmly, smiling slightly, "If I agree, what would be the cost for me?"
Alice responded in her hollow, mechanical voice, "Stay here... with Alice..."
An earthbound spirit. Indeed, Lynne had some understanding of spirits bound to a specific place after death. And her request to stay here likely meant a lifetime confined within the bounds of this ancient castle.
Lynne's mouth curved slightly.
"Sorry, little girl, I can't agree to your request, as I can't commit to staying in one place forever. However, I can help you."
Lynne smiled faintly, adjusting his glasses with two fingers.
"My teacher had done research on earthbound spirits. Since you've hired me, my primary goal is to heal you. Of course, if you need love, I can offer you some care occasionally."
Alice stared vacantly at him.
As expected. This meant the negotiation had collapsed. A gentle breeze blew by, and the little girl vanished into thin air in front of him. However, her hollow, mechanical voice echoed throughout the corridor.
"You will... change your mind... willingly... stay... Daddy and Mommy... Will also love you..."
It wasn't her true form, just an illusion.
Lynne's vertical spirit eye on his neck whirled, locking onto a certain location, then quickly closed and disappeared.
Lynne smiled slightly, tossing the Nightfiend Blade to Bayi.
"Let's go! I've located her position, and the journey ahead is not going to be smooth!"
Bayi hadn't yet reacted. Then, in the next moment, the entire corridor erupted with a series of shrill, crazed screams.
Pale hands stretched out menacingly from the crevices in the walls, and the dark corridor was suddenly overrun with these terrifying ghostly hands.
Bayi instantly turned pale with fear.
"This... what is this..."
Lynne smiled mysteriously, "It seems my patient has killed many beings here. Be careful, it's not just their family here."
Instantly, Lynne grasped the chainsaw behind him, pulling it forcefully. The bloody chainsaw roared to life with a loud whirring sound.
"Let's move!"
Lynne's smile was especially sinister.
Then, under Bayi's shocked gaze, Lynne strode forward fearlessly, the chainsaw in his hand slicing through the protruding arms from the walls like cutting through butter.
Whir whir whir—
Sparks flew everywhere.
Lynne, like reaping, severed countless arms with each swing of his chainsaw.
[Ding! You've cut a malevolent spirit, you gain 10 experience points]
[Ding! You've cut a malevolent spirit, you gain 10 experience points]
[Ding! You've cut a malevolent spirit, you gain 10 experience points]
Bayi was both terrified and awe-struck.
Holding the Nightfiend Blade shakily in his hands and keeping his legs tightly together, he cautiously followed behind Lynne, watching him stride forward confidently, slaying with great prowess.
So strong! What kind of mental fortitude must one have to remain so composed in such a terrifying situation?
Then he thought of himself. He realized that apart from screaming like a little girl, compared to Big Brother, he seemed like an entirely different species! And they even looked to be about the same age. A tremendous sense of security suddenly overwhelmed him!
Bayi, trembling, clutched the Nightfiend Blade tightly and hurried to keep up with Lynne's pace, nervously looking around, fearing an unexpected attack from a malevolent spirit.
"Big Brother, aren't you... aren't you scared at all?"
Lynne, teeth gritted, pulled the chainsaw vigorously, "Scared? Of course, I'm scared. I've been terrified of these evil spirits since I was a kid."
No sooner had he spoken than a crazed, howling head burst out of the wall next to Bayi, reaching out towards him.
Bayi: "Big Brother!! (ΩДΩ)!!"
Boom—
Lynne punched the head, pulverizing it into a pulp. He swung the chainsaw.
Right before Bayi's eyes, Lynne plunged it into the wall, and a torrent of blood sprayed out, splattering Bayi's face.
Bayi: "(ΩДΩ)!!"
Click—
Lynne calmly pulled the blood-soaked chainsaw out, slung it over his shoulder, spat out, and tilted his head, indicating: "Follow me!"
Bayi was stunned.
So cool! So stylish! So awesome!
If his girlfriend had such an invincible boyfriend, she would surely feel incredibly secure! Even he felt utterly safe, his heart racing. Big Brother was truly incredible!
Bayi swallowed hard, eyes wide open, clutching the Nightfiend Blade as he hurriedly jogged to catch up.
Through the corridors, Bayi's mind buzzed. For some reason, he felt like a high-level veteran guiding a level-zero newbie through a horror game world. He realized that apart from cheering "awesome," he didn't seem to be of much use.
This feeling of being led... It was fantastic!
Bayi was almost moved to tears.
[Ding! Bayi's admiration towards you +10]
[Ding! Bayi's admiration towards you +10]
Accompanied by system notifications along the way, Lynne, wielding his chainsaw, cut through enemies, eventually kicking open the door to the living room.
Instantly, a strong, rotten smell wafted from the dark hall.
Lynne's gaze swept calmly over the room.
Compared to when they left, the hall had undergone some changes. The dining table was now covered in dust, and the food in the plates emitted a decaying odor.
Drip—Drip—
Sounds of dripping water echoed in the darkness.
Bayi, nervous and trembling, said, "Big Brother, this place feels creepy! Shouldn't we... shouldn't we just run?"
Lynne glanced around and said, "No need. Drink this potion."
Lynne casually took out a bottle of greenish potion from his medical box and tossed it to Bayi.
Bayi caught it frantically, panicking, "What is this..."
Lynne glanced at him and said, "Drink it."
Bayi, trusting Lynne wouldn't harm him, hurriedly opened the bottle and gulped down the potion.
Ugh—
The taste was disgusting.
What kind of potion was this? It felt like drinking sewage! No! It was even worse.
(ヾﾉ꒪ཫ꒪)—
But he still managed to swallow it. And the moment he did, he was shocked to see a faint green glow emitting from his entire body.
"Big Brother! Big Brother!! I'm glowing green! I'm glowing green!!"
Bayi was utterly astonished.
Lynne, alert and composed, kept an eye on their surroundings. "It's normal. That potion was concocted with a few fingers that carry radiation. It's not particularly useful, but it sure is bright!"
Snap—
Almost at the same moment, a drop of viscous liquid suddenly fell from above, landing on Lynne's cheek.
Lynne instinctively looked up.
Illuminated by the green light emanating from Bayi, Lynne immediately saw a monstrous figure clinging to the ceiling of the dark living room. This creature, with its skin peeled off and multiple blood-red arms, was the source of the dripping liquid.
"Roar—"
With a terrifying roar, the twisted, skinless monster leapt from the ceiling, landing squarely on Lynne, and pinning him to the ground.
"Big Brother!!" Bayi, glowing green, cried out in alarm.
Bayi murmured, "Is there... anything left... at all?"
Lynne wiped his eyes, "Nothing's left."
Bayi moved his lips, lying there dully, his eyes reflecting the ceiling, feeling as if his entire world had collapsed.
At that moment, he thought of his parents. His girlfriend. His buddies comparing sizes in the bathhouse... And all of that seemed to dissipate like wind before his eyes.
...
Several minutes later.
Bayi, in a daze, stood up, and with Lynne's comfort and encouragement, temporarily abandoned any thoughts of ending his life. Because, as Big Brother said, in this Dark World, life is full of endless possibilities.
Yes! Isn't it just a matter of an inch or two?! As a spirited young man, should he really care about such things?! Compared to an inch or two, isn't life itself the most precious thing to cherish?
"Big Brother... you promised me... to install a stainless steel one afterward. You said it! Don't lie to me... whimper..."
Bayi, with red-rimmed eyes, wiped away his tears, looking plaintively at Lynne.
Lynne adjusted his monocle, his expression calm, saying: "Don't worry. Even one with barbs is fine! But before that, we have more important matters to attend to. I won't let anyone who dares to bully my fellow townsman get away with it! Let's go!"
With that, Lynne, carrying a chainsaw, led the frail and helpless Bayi, kicking open the door of the cold storage room. What they didn't notice was that, at the moment they left, on the walls of the cold storage room, pairs of eyes slowly opened, covering the entire wall.
...
Leaving the bustling kitchen, where the pigfolk butcher was still busy at the stove amidst the rich aroma, Lynne didn't disturb him. He led Bayi to the corridor outside.
Bayi, trembling and clutching his chest, said, "Big Brother, are you going to confront that girl? She's no easy target. She's a fierce ghost, and she was the one who stuffed that evil spirit into my brain! Shouldn't we... shouldn't we just run away?"
Lynne adjusted his glasses, resolutely replying, "Don't be afraid. I'm a doctor, and since the master of this place hired me, I won't leave until I've completely cured her. It would be unprofessional to do otherwise."
Lynne indifferently cracked his neck.
"After I've cured her, then I'll finish her off."
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the candles in the corridor ahead flickered violently.
Whoosh whoosh—
One by one, the candles snuffed out. The walls around them cracked with a series of snaps. Then, to Bayi's horror, the cracks in the wall started oozing copious amounts of thick blood and hair.
Hum—
A chilling breeze swept through.
Without warning, a pale little girl with disheveled hair materialized before Lynne.
"A ghost!!" Bayi screamed in terror, immediately hiding behind Lynne.
Almost simultaneously, the girl's profile appeared before Lynne's eyes.
[Alice]
[Race: Earthbound Spirit]
[Alignment: Neutral Evil]
[Combat Ability: Intense obsession and hatred grant her unparalleled powers.]
[Introduction: Her body was cut, her will shattered. Father, mother, brother, should they not have cared for her? Should they not have abandoned her, cut her, buried her? Shouldn't we be a harmonious family? Shouldn't we be happy?]
Lynne calmly extended his hand to protect Bayi behind him.
"Are you Alice?"
The little girl looked at him with vacant eyes, silent. Her body was bizarre, with fine black lines on her cheeks, arms, and ankles, which, upon closer inspection, resembled dense cracks. She appeared to be only about ten years old, dressed in a pure white dress, faintly stained with what seemed to be washed-out blood.
An eerie silence pervaded unabashedly.
For a long time.
Crack crack—
She mechanically lifted her head, her hollow eyes filled with cracks reflecting Lynne's image.
"Be... my... family..."
She extended her hand towards Lynne in a twisted, mechanical gesture, as if inviting.
"Turn you... into a doll... Stay with me..."
Her voice, hollow and intermittent, carried an indescribable eeriness and terror.
Bayi trembled uncontrollably, his entire body shivering.
A ghost! She was the most fearsome spirit here! It was she who controlled the puppets, who extracted his organs, turning him into that terrible state.
[Bayi's Sanity -10]
[Bayi's Sanity -10]
Lynne faced the little girl calmly, asking, "Why?"
Alice moved her lips emptily, "You... are not bad..."
She turned her stiff neck, her vacant gaze falling on Bayi, who was trembling behind Lynne, moving her lips mechanically.
"You cured... the old brother... You have a good... heart... That's why... I didn't disturb you..."
Lynne instantly remembered the unusual chill he felt in the cold storage and the alertness he maintained while excising the tumor in Bayi's brain. He knew the evil spirit inside Bayi's head was filled by this resentful spirit named Alice.
And when he was cutting out that evil spirit, she must have sensed it. But the process went unexpectedly smoothly. Apart from the resistance and struggle from the evil spirit itself, the interference that might have come from Alice did not occur. And that was what puzzled him.
Alice, with her vacant gaze, said, "Alice... wants a... loving brother..."
The eerie silence spread ominously around them.
Was that the reason? Just because she saw him helping Bayi heal, she chose not to interfere? Was it a gesture of goodwill?
No. Or perhaps, yes. Obsession.
Lynne narrowed his eyes, looking at her calmly, smiling slightly, "If I agree, what would be the cost for me?"
Alice responded in her hollow, mechanical voice, "Stay here... with Alice..."
An earthbound spirit. Indeed, Lynne had some understanding of spirits bound to a specific place after death. And her request to stay here likely meant a lifetime confined within the bounds of this ancient castle.
Lynne's mouth curved slightly.
"Sorry, little girl, I can't agree to your request, as I can't commit to staying in one place forever. However, I can help you."
Lynne smiled faintly, adjusting his glasses with two fingers.
"My teacher had done research on earthbound spirits. Since you've hired me, my primary goal is to heal you. Of course, if you need love, I can offer you some care occasionally."
Alice stared vacantly at him.
As expected. This meant the negotiation had collapsed. A gentle breeze blew by, and the little girl vanished into thin air in front of him. However, her hollow, mechanical voice echoed throughout the corridor.
"You will... change your mind... willingly... stay... Daddy and Mommy... Will also love you..."
It wasn't her true form, just an illusion.
Lynne's vertical spirit eye on his neck whirled, locking onto a certain location, then quickly closed and disappeared.
Lynne smiled slightly, tossing the Nightfiend Blade to Bayi.
"Let's go! I've located her position, and the journey ahead is not going to be smooth!"
Bayi hadn't yet reacted. Then, in the next moment, the entire corridor erupted with a series of shrill, crazed screams.
Pale hands stretched out menacingly from the crevices in the walls, and the dark corridor was suddenly overrun with these terrifying ghostly hands.
Bayi instantly turned pale with fear.
"This... what is this..."
Lynne smiled mysteriously, "It seems my patient has killed many beings here. Be careful, it's not just their family here."
Instantly, Lynne grasped the chainsaw behind him, pulling it forcefully. The bloody chainsaw roared to life with a loud whirring sound.
"Let's move!"
Lynne's smile was especially sinister.
Then, under Bayi's shocked gaze, Lynne strode forward fearlessly, the chainsaw in his hand slicing through the protruding arms from the walls like cutting through butter.
Whir whir whir—
Sparks flew everywhere.
Lynne, like reaping, severed countless arms with each swing of his chainsaw.
[Ding! You've cut a malevolent spirit, you gain 10 experience points]
[Ding! You've cut a malevolent spirit, you gain 10 experience points]
[Ding! You've cut a malevolent spirit, you gain 10 experience points]
Bayi was both terrified and awe-struck.
Holding the Nightfiend Blade shakily in his hands and keeping his legs tightly together, he cautiously followed behind Lynne, watching him stride forward confidently, slaying with great prowess.
So strong! What kind of mental fortitude must one have to remain so composed in such a terrifying situation?
Then he thought of himself. He realized that apart from screaming like a little girl, compared to Big Brother, he seemed like an entirely different species! And they even looked to be about the same age. A tremendous sense of security suddenly overwhelmed him!
Bayi, trembling, clutched the Nightfiend Blade tightly and hurried to keep up with Lynne's pace, nervously looking around, fearing an unexpected attack from a malevolent spirit.
"Big Brother, aren't you... aren't you scared at all?"
Lynne, teeth gritted, pulled the chainsaw vigorously, "Scared? Of course, I'm scared. I've been terrified of these evil spirits since I was a kid."
No sooner had he spoken than a crazed, howling head burst out of the wall next to Bayi, reaching out towards him.
Bayi: "Big Brother!! (ΩДΩ)!!"
Boom—
Lynne punched the head, pulverizing it into a pulp. He swung the chainsaw.
Right before Bayi's eyes, Lynne plunged it into the wall, and a torrent of blood sprayed out, splattering Bayi's face.
Bayi: "(ΩДΩ)!!"
Click—
Lynne calmly pulled the blood-soaked chainsaw out, slung it over his shoulder, spat out, and tilted his head, indicating: "Follow me!"
Bayi was stunned.
So cool! So stylish! So awesome!
If his girlfriend had such an invincible boyfriend, she would surely feel incredibly secure! Even he felt utterly safe, his heart racing. Big Brother was truly incredible!
Bayi swallowed hard, eyes wide open, clutching the Nightfiend Blade as he hurriedly jogged to catch up.
Through the corridors, Bayi's mind buzzed. For some reason, he felt like a high-level veteran guiding a level-zero newbie through a horror game world. He realized that apart from cheering "awesome," he didn't seem to be of much use.
This feeling of being led... It was fantastic!
Bayi was almost moved to tears.
[Ding! Bayi's admiration towards you +10]
[Ding! Bayi's admiration towards you +10]
Accompanied by system notifications along the way, Lynne, wielding his chainsaw, cut through enemies, eventually kicking open the door to the living room.
Instantly, a strong, rotten smell wafted from the dark hall.
Lynne's gaze swept calmly over the room.
Compared to when they left, the hall had undergone some changes. The dining table was now covered in dust, and the food in the plates emitted a decaying odor.
Drip—Drip—
Sounds of dripping water echoed in the darkness.
Bayi, nervous and trembling, said, "Big Brother, this place feels creepy! Shouldn't we... shouldn't we just run?"
Lynne glanced around and said, "No need. Drink this potion."
Lynne casually took out a bottle of greenish potion from his medical box and tossed it to Bayi.
Bayi caught it frantically, panicking, "What is this..."
Lynne glanced at him and said, "Drink it."
Bayi, trusting Lynne wouldn't harm him, hurriedly opened the bottle and gulped down the potion.
Ugh—
The taste was disgusting.
What kind of potion was this? It felt like drinking sewage! No! It was even worse.
(ヾﾉ꒪ཫ꒪)—
But he still managed to swallow it. And the moment he did, he was shocked to see a faint green glow emitting from his entire body.
"Big Brother! Big Brother!! I'm glowing green! I'm glowing green!!"
Bayi was utterly astonished.
Lynne, alert and composed, kept an eye on their surroundings. "It's normal. That potion was concocted with a few fingers that carry radiation. It's not particularly useful, but it sure is bright!"
Snap—
Almost at the same moment, a drop of viscous liquid suddenly fell from above, landing on Lynne's cheek.
Lynne instinctively looked up.
Illuminated by the green light emanating from Bayi, Lynne immediately saw a monstrous figure clinging to the ceiling of the dark living room. This creature, with its skin peeled off and multiple blood-red arms, was the source of the dripping liquid.
"Roar—"
With a terrifying roar, the twisted, skinless monster leapt from the ceiling, landing squarely on Lynne, and pinning him to the ground.
"Big Brother!!" Bayi, glowing green, cried out in alarm.
