If You're Done For, Then Die Outside

In the hall.

Lynn toyed with the revolver in his hand, pondering what the Witcher had just told him.

He glanced outside the front door.

He wasn't sure whether he was imagining it, but as night approached, the darkness outside seemed thicker than usual.

He checked the time.

In about half an hour, the Soul Lamp would go out, marking nightfall in this Dark World.

"There probably won't be any more customers at this hour."

Lynn toyed with his revolver, his gaze drifting to the Ghost Infant on the counter.

[Evil Spirit Blood Infant]

[Level]: 7

[Alignment]: Chaotic evil

[Description]: A ghost formed from concentrated resentment and ghostly energy, which absorbed vast amounts of sacrificial creatures' blood essence to become an Evil Spirit Blood Infant. Once fully formed, it will devour its host's soul and flesh, growing stronger until it becomes a calamity.

He hadn't checked for a while.

The Ghost Infant had actually grown to level 7.

At this terrifying rate of growth, it probably wouldn't take long before it became extremely difficult to handle.

"Does this gun really miss its target no matter what, just like he said?"

Lynn hesitated.

He stood up.

He placed the Ghost Infant on a stool in front of the counter.

Then he closed one eye and aimed at the Ghost Infant's head.

Bang-

A bullet instantly flew past the Ghost Infant's ear.

[Evil Spirit Ghost Infant's fear +10]

Evil Spirit Ghost Infant: "(ΩДΩ)!"

Lynn raised an eyebrow, blew away the black smoke rising from the muzzle, and said:

"It really can't hit anything?!"

He wasn't quite ready to believe it.

"I've still got half an hour anyway. Might as well practice shooting."

Lynn remained composed.

Bang-

[Evil Spirit Ghost Infant's fear +10]

Bang-

[Evil Spirit Ghost Infant's fear +10]

Bang-

Soon.

Half an hour slipped by in a flash.

With a whoosh.

The Soul Lamp hanging on the doorpost suddenly went out without warning.

Without a word, Lynn immediately looked up and rushed to the front door with a solemn expression, retrieving the Soul Lamp.

The darkness outside grew thicker still, so silent that not the slightest sound could be heard.

Lynn knew.

Night had fallen!

Creak-

He immediately shut the front door and locked it with a rusty iron chain.

The windows on either side of the door were tightly boarded up, without a single gap.

His experiences over the past two years had taught him that once the Soul Lamp went out and night fell, a tremendous ordeal awaited him, because under those circumstances, anyone could enter his shelter at will without his permission.

And the lump of flesh his teacher had chopped up that morning.

Had belonged to a monster that sneaked in the previous night.

But with his teacher absent tonight, this would definitely be a sleepless night for him.

[Ding! You have triggered the quest: Sleepless Night. Quest requirement: Survive until dawn tomorrow. Quest rewards: 500 Skeleton Coins, level +1, special reward x1.]

Lynn's heart lurched, but his expression quickly regained its composure.

This wasn't a good sign.

Triggering a quest meant there was a very high chance he would encounter a major crisis tonight.

Because this time, the reward was a full 500 Skeleton Coins!

Usually, the greater the reward, the greater the danger!

"Let's go."

Lynn scooped up the Ghost Infant, who was already (((;꒪ꈊ꒪;))), picked up the Boning Knife, tucked away his revolver, and quickly returned to his little attic.

He pulled the thick quilt over his head, held the Boning Knife, and closed his eyes with a calm expression.

"Hopefully, I can get through tonight safely."

Dong-

A loud bell rang through the night.

Lynn immediately opened his eyes. That bell meant it was now midnight.

Just then, a sudden flurry of urgent knocking came from the front door downstairs.

"Lynn! Open the door! It's your teacher! An evil spirit is chasing me! Hurry! Let me in..."

The voice sounded strained and pained.

"Teacher?!"

Lynn abruptly sat up in bed.

He snatched up the Boning Knife and raced into the hall.

He immediately saw the front door shaking under the pounding and heard the heavy panting and muffled groans of pain outside.

That was his teacher's voice.

"Lynn! Hurry! Hurry... open the door... I'm not going to make it..."

Lynn nodded.

Holding the Boning Knife, he rushed to the front door.

Then he raised the Boning Knife and thrust it through the crack with a wet squelch.

Squelch-

Scarlet blood instantly sprayed through the crack in the door.

Lynn shouted, "Teacher, if you're done for, then die outside."

"..."

"..."

A brief silence.

Then a stunned voice came from outside.

"You didn't even check whether I was your teacher before stabbing me?"

Squelch-

(ヾﾉ꒪ཫ꒪)-

Lynn pulled out the knife, changed the angle, and stabbed again.

"Because if I were the one outside, my teacher would stab me too!"

Lynn spoke earnestly.

A brief silence.

And in the very next moment, piercing shrieks erupted outside. The pounding on the door grew louder and more violent, as though something were pressed against the door, desperately trying to squeeze inside.

With a loud crack.

A blood-drenched, almost rotten hand suddenly punched through the door and thrust inside.

[Lynn's SAN -10]

Creak-creak-

The hand kept clawing at the door, producing sharp, grating noises.

"I'll eat you! I'll tear you to pieces and put them in my mouth to chew, bit by bit!"

An utterly vicious voice came from outside.

Lynn didn't panic at all.

He picked up the Boning Knife.

And pinned the hand to the door with a single thrust.

Immediately, sharp, distorted howls erupted outside, while scarlet blood continually seeped in along the wooden boards.

In moments, the entire hall filled with the nauseating stench of blood.

Lynn knew.

This time, he had probably run into a troublesome evil spirit.

But Lynn wasn't afraid, because he knew perfectly well that the more dangerous the situation, the calmer he stayed, the better his chances of surviving.

Without another word.

Lynn quickly unwound a bright red strand of hair from his wrist.

[Evil Spirit Hair]

This was one of the rewards he had received from the system during the day.

Now it would come in handy.

Slither-

Upon touching the bloody, rotten hand, the strand of hair quickly spread and coiled its way outside. Within mere seconds, the shrill laughter beyond the door cut off abruptly.

In its place came repeated choking wheezes.

It sounded as though something had been seized by the throat and was struggling frantically outside.

"Looks like it's just a minor ghost. Not very strong."

Lynn ground his teeth.

He grabbed the wildly growing strand of hair, quickly looped it over a ceiling beam, and pulled hard.

Rrrip-

The sound of tearing flesh kept coming from outside.

And along with that tearing, the hand pinned to the door struggled more and more violently.

Finally.

The hand slowly drooped.

It seemed to have gone lifeless.

But Lynn didn't relax in the slightest. He yanked out the Boning Knife and stabbed through the crack in the door over a hundred times, squelch after squelch, before finally easing up.

One of the rules for surviving in this world.

[Whether they're dead or not, a few extra stabs never hurt!]