Almost at the same time, a system notification sounded in Lynn's ears.
[Ding! You have killed Flesh Deceiver x1. You have gained 100 experience points.]
Only after hearing the system notification did Lynn relax.
In other words.
The monster hadn't actually been dead earlier. It had finally croaked only after he stabbed it over a hundred times.
Lynn wiped the blood off his knife, still shaken.
Because he knew.
His teacher would never come back at this hour. And even if it really had been his teacher, he still had to stab him. After all, if Lynn had been the one outside, his teacher would have stabbed him too.
But it seemed tonight really would be a sleepless night.
It was barely midnight, and a monster had already come knocking. Who knew what would happen during the rest of the night?
Lynn got up.
He was about to clean the blood off the floor.
But just then.
[Warning! Warning! A Root-Level Monster is approaching! Danger level: 100%!]
Lynn instantly froze, but he reacted quickly. Almost at once, he pressed himself against the outer wall, staring fixedly at the door from the side and holding his breath.
Root-level?!
What the fuck was going on?!
Was this the big one that Witcher had said would show up tonight?!
And in the very next instant.
He suddenly felt an immense, sinister chill spread across his skin.
Then Lynn immediately saw, his eyes widening.
The flesh monster's hand, still sticking through the doorframe, suddenly twitched.
Then, as though something had violently yanked it from outside, the rotting hand shot out.
Without hesitation.
Lynn sliced through the strand of Vengeful Spirit Hair hanging from the ceiling beam.
Whoosh-
Waves of icy mist seeped in through the hole in the door.
Lynn held his breath.
Faintly.
He could hear chewing coming from outside, over and over.
It sounded like something crunching through ribs.
Crunch, crunch.
In other words, that root-level monster was now on the street outside. He had never encountered a sinister chill of this intensity before. The Witcher really hadn't lied to him. Tonight, the streets were far more than merely unsafe.
Fuck!
Surely he couldn't be this lucky!
Had he really run into it?!
And just then.
A series of tremendous, shuddering sounds came from outside the door.
Thud-
Thud-
It sounded as though something enormous was slowly moving along the street.
And it was getting closer.
Closer and closer!
Then, in the next instant, when the sound was only a few meters from the shop's door, it abruptly stopped.
Lynn immediately held his breath.
Dimly.
Lynn saw a beam of light shine through the hole the flesh monster had smashed in the door.
Lynn was certain that light.
Was the unknown monster's gaze.
Lynn remained pressed against the wall, motionless as a statue. And at that very moment, at the hole in the doorframe less than a meter away from him.
An enormous eye was peering inside through that little opening.
Lynn could even hear his own heartbeat.
Slurp-
Slurp-
The sounds of licking came from the other side of the door.
[Sanity Value -1] [Sanity Value -1]
Lynn stared wide-eyed, not daring to move a muscle.
But for some reason, those slurping, licking noises sounded strangely adorable.
Like a little girl crouching in front of you, going slurp, slurp...
But at that moment, Lynn suddenly saw a blood-red tentacle with a tongue-like texture slowly probe through the little hole.
[Sanity Value -40!]
No! He took that last thought back!
This had absolutely nothing to do with adorable!
Lynn (ΩДΩ) didn't dare move a muscle.
Then, under his gaze, the blood-red tentacle licked every last bit of blood off the inside of the door.
Then, as though still unsatisfied, the tentacle slowly extended toward Lynn.
Slurp-
Slurp-
Like a tongue, the tentacle left one lick mark after another across Lynn's face.
Lynn stood there dumbfounded, his entire body rigid.
His Sanity Value plummeted.
Had this been him two years ago, or any other human, they probably would have already fled screaming.
But Lynn was no ordinary person.
He knew perfectly well that in this situation, if he dared to run or showed even a hint of panic or fear, the monster outside would eat him immediately.
But just then, a voice like a baby's suddenly came from outside the door.
"Doctor-found you-"
Lynn's heart lurched.
And in the next instant, the voice sounded again.
"Open up-tooth hurts-"
Lynn (꒪Д꒪)??
Huh...
Wait!
Wait!
Could the monster outside have come for treatment rather than to eat him?!
Lynn struggled to calm himself down and said, his eyes wide:
"But our shop... doesn't see patients at night..."
That was one of the shop's rules.
As his teacher's sole apprentice, following the rules had always been his greatest virtue!
If they said they didn't see patients at night, then they absolutely didn't!
"No patients-then I'll eat you-"
"Coming."
With astonishing speed, Lynn whipped out the key, unlocked the door, and pulled it open in one smooth motion.
"The Bloodsaw Apothecary is sincerely at your service."
Lynn bent forward in a precise ninety-degree bow.
"Our humble shop upholds the fine tradition of curing ailments with medicine or a blade. How may I help you?"
Whoosh-
An icy breath instantly rushed in from outside, washing over him.
And when Lynn saw the monster outside in its entirety, his heart pounded wildly and his Sanity Value plummeted! Because what the fuck even was this thing?!
[Sanity Value -20] [Sanity Value -20]
To be precise.
It was a human head.
A baby's head fully two stories tall.
There was no torso.
Countless densely packed red tentacles, like snakes, extended from its neck.
Its enormous eyes were like searchlights, shooting out two beams of pale white light.
Its status panel instantly appeared before Lynn's eyes.
[???] [Level]: ??? [Race]: ??? [Combat ability]: Run! [Description]: If you hear a baby's laughter in the darkness, if you see an innocent gaze amid despair, be sure not to respond. For that is not hope, but the abyss...
Inside, Lynn was (꒪Д꒪).
But he still forced his face to remain calm.
Because he knew that if he dared to run now, he would unquestionably be eaten on the spot!
Stay calm! He had to stay calm!
Just treat it like an ordinary customer! Lynn, you can do this!
Creak-
The enormous baby's head slowly opened its mouth. Instantly, a foul stench struck Lynn in the face, nearly making him pass out.
"Tooth hurts-doctor-"
It was an enormous, grotesque baby's head, yet the voice coming from its mouth was the soft voice of a child.
And that row of sharp, blood-dripping teeth was so horrifying it could drain someone's Sanity Value to zero on the spot.
"Can't cure it-eat you-"
[Lynn's Sanity Value -10]
Huh?
Why did that voice still sound oddly adorable?
Before you continue