In the very next moment, the cloth curtain leading to the backyard slowly drew back. A chubby, pink infant stumbled out, yawning sleepily, her fluffy animal ears drooping lazily (っ??-??). Soft, pink, and utterly adorable, she looked like a tiny, fuzzy doll.
The wraith's expression froze instantly, turning rigid as a statue, motionless.
...
An eerie silence spread unchecked around them.
"Who is she?" The wraith asked dazedly.
Lynn cleared his throat, his tone earnest. "This is the infant I pulled out of the Boar Demon yesterday. Isn't she cute?"
Hum—The wraith's eyes went hollow. She unconsciously extended a long tentacle from her body, inching toward the little girl. But just as it drew near, she abruptly severed the tip of the tentacle.
As the tentacle fell to the floor, it wriggled like a small snake, coiled around the girl's leg, and seeped into her body without the slightest resistance—a perfect fusion, no rejection whatsoever.
The wraith trembled, her gaze growing even more vacant. This confirmed it: the fluffy animal-eared loli before her was the piece that had broken off from her body a month ago. In other words… she was her daughter.
But that was impossible! She shook violently. By all rights, the fragment of malice torn from her should have taken form as an indescribably twisted monster— a chaotic, corrupted wraith born to kill, fueled by malice, resentment, and evil!
Yet this child seemed to have nothing to do with chaos or corruption at all!
Watching the wraith, whose mind had gone completely blank, Lynn whispered quietly: "System, explain."
[Ding! The Wraith Blood Infant has completed its initial transformation. Following the settings adjusted by the host earlier, its outlook and values have been corrected. The Wraith Blood Infant is now in its juvenile stage.]
A status panel for the Wraith Blood Infant appeared before Lynn.
[Wraith Blood Infant (Juvenile Stage)]
[Level: 10]
[Alignment: Chaotic Good]
[Description: Originally a wraith larva born from malice and resentment, but its growth direction was altered by someone's interference. It no longer seems so evil or corrupted…]
[Current Tameness: 351]
[Current Fear Level: 591]
Lynn: "..."
"Attention!"
Snap—The drowsy little girl stiffened reflexively (;oдo), her two tiny feet clicking together as she stood straight, staring ahead with wide eyes— a perfect salute.
"Left turn!"
The infant spun around instantly, standing rigidly facing Lynn, her expression bewildered (⊙﹏⊙). A small tail flickered back and forth behind her. Clearly, the psychological trauma and high tameness from before her transformation had been etched into her very bones.
Lynn: "..."
[She's so… obedient…]
[I guess this is what max tameness looks like?]
[This is not good!]
The wraith stared blankly at the scene, feeling her entire worldview crumble. Lynn picked up the little girl, held her up to the wraith, and said earnestly:
"Ma'am, she's a perfectly healthy daughter. If you're sure she's yours, you can take her home with you anytime." He poked the girl's soft cheek. "Little one, call Mommy."
"Mommy."
The little girl blinked, seemingly sensing the strange connection between herself and the wraith. She leaned forward and licked the wraith's cheek softly (??＞︶＜??), leaving a tiny wet streak.
Wraith: "!!!"
[Sanity: -10]
[Sanity: -10]
"Impossible! She can't be my daughter… " She muttered hollowly, her worldview and values shattered by the overwhelming shock.
She was a conglomeration of wraiths, a twisted abomination forged from countless malice and hatred. Her daughter—born from a fragment of herself—should have been even more twisted and ferocious than she was!
She trembled as she regained her senses and locked eyes with the little girl. Crack—Something inside her shattered.
Purity… She saw purity in the child's eyes! For a wraith to harbor such a "terrible" trait as purity was unheard of for a normal dark creature!
"It must be a disguise!" She muttered to herself. "Just like how I often take the form of a beautiful woman to lure prey. Yes! That's it!"
"Beneath this pure exterior, there must be an evil, twisted soul!" She scrambled to find an excuse for herself.
Slurp—The little girl stood on her tiptoes, licked the wraith's cheek again, her eyes brimming with sweetness. She clearly felt the intimate bond between them.
She tilted her head and nuzzled the wraith's forehead affectionately (??＞︶＜). "Yaya~"
Hum—The wraith's mind went blank again. The fragile conviction she'd just built crumbled into dust.
[Sanity: -10]
[Sanity: -10]
"This can't be… " The wraith whispered dazedly. "A fragment of my wraith should have become a twisted monster. How could she… how could she… "
She suddenly spun around, her gaze turning venomous and furious as it locked onto Lynn. Countless tentacles whipped toward him, pointing accusingly.
"You did this! "
[Ding! Danger Level: 91%]
Seeing she was about to attack, Lynn's eyes widened. He quickly lifted the cute infant in his arms, holding her out in front of him.
In an instant, the wraith's vision was filled with the wiggling, adorable baby (??＞︶＜??). Slurp—The infant stuck out her tongue and licked the tip of one of the wraith's tentacles.
"Yaya~"
[Ding! Danger Level: 71%]
[Ding! Danger Level: 61%]
[Ding! Danger Level: 51%]
"Ah—Ah—" The wraith screamed, clutching her head, on the verge of collapse.
"Impossible! She can't be my daughter! She just can't! "
This kind of breakdown was incomprehensible to most. It was like a soul that saw itself as ugly and impure having a child filled with purity and kindness—something a corrupted wraith could never accept.
[Ding! Quest Triggered: Wraith Mother.]
[Quest Introduction: Make the target accept that the Blood Infant is her daughter, and eliminate the target's malice toward you.]
[Quest Reward: 300 Skull Coins, 100 Basic XP, Bloodclad Wraith's Affinity +50.]
Lynn: "???"
This system really seized every opportunity to throw weird quests at him! Still, the only way to get the wraith to drop her malice was clearly through the child.
Lynn cleared his throat, adjusted an imaginary monocle, and said earnestly:
"Ma'am, please calm down. You came here looking for your child, which means you care deeply about her. If that's the case… " He lifted the baby in his arms.
"Shouldn't you be happy to see such a cute, healthy daughter? "
Lynn hesitated.
The wraith sneered angrily, forcing down her rage. "Heh. Let me ask you—if you saw your child grow up to look like a ghost, would you be happy? "
Lynn blinked. "Shouldn't I be? "