Lynn let out a silent sigh of relief, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. But he knew—even though the quests were done, this wasn't the time to complain to the system.
"It makes sense because every word I said is true!" Lynn sat up straight, his expression solemn.
Whoosh—The wraith's split face slowly closed, and her slimy tentacles retracted into her body one by one. She returned to her graceful, mature human form once more. With her arms crossed over her chest, she stared at the cute infant in Lynn's arms, suddenly looking flustered and uneasy.
"I… I just… " She averted her gaze from the infant's pure eyes, looking as hesitant as a young girl who'd just married.
"Come on, hold your own baby." Lynn kept his serious expression.
The wraith twisted her head away awkwardly, avoiding the infant's gaze, as her hands stretched forward hesitantly. Seeing this, Lynn didn't hesitate—he directly tucked the baby into her arms.
"Yaya~" The Wraith Blood Infant wrapped her arms around the wraith's neck cutely (??＞︶＜)??, sticking out her little tongue and licking her cheek repeatedly, leaving wet streaks behind.
The wraith stood frozen in a daze, letting her daughter nuzzle and lick her. Clearly, she'd never experienced such intimacy before. Every other wraith larva born from her fragments had been vicious, attacking almost every creature they saw—even her, never truly recognizing her as their mother.
"Well?" Lynn asked earnestly. "Can't you feel a surge of joy and sweetness from the bottom of your heart?"
The wraith held the baby stiffly, still in a daze. "I'm not used to it… "
Lynn nodded and gave a thumbs-up, his tone serious. "That's normal. Being a proper mother for the first time always feels a bit overwhelming—kind of like how awkward you get the first time you're intimate."
...
After a long moment, the wraith shook her head vigorously, her cold expression returning as she held the baby. "Hmph! You smooth-talking brat. Don't think a few nice words can change the fact that my child's been altered here!"
"I'm moving in next door. When I get bored someday, I'll sneak in at night and eat you."
"Yaya~~" The infant licked her cheek again, her expression bright (??＞︶＜)??. The wraith froze in a daze once more.
"We'll… see about that!"
...
Lynn maintained his smile, watching with cold sweat dripping down his back as the graceful woman carried the infant out of the shop. Once they were gone, he finally collapsed into a chair, letting out a deep sigh of relief.
"I can't keep relying on luck," he muttered to himself. "I need to boost my combat power quickly. Next time I'm in a tight spot, I might not be this fortunate… "
And the wraith had made it clear—she'd be back for him. Even though he'd defused her malice today, there was no guarantee she wouldn't get a sudden urge to sneak in and eat him on the spot someday.
"I'll have to wait until tonight. Master should be back soon!" Lynn steadied his nerves, then opened his system space and took out the special reward he'd just received.
[Infectious Aura]
[Rarity: Rare Passive Skill]
[Description: Greatly increases persuasion rate and reduces the target's malice during persuasion attempts.]
[Stat Boost: Consolation Proficiency +1 permanently]
It was a skill! Lynn read the description carefully and quickly understood its use—when providing psychological guidance or persuasion, his success rate would improve. All in all, it was a pretty useful support skill!
"Learn!"
In an instant, the skill book turned into a stream of light and merged into his body. A new passive skill appeared on his system panel.
Time passed slowly as Lynn went back to his tedious daily work behind the counter.
Knock, knock, knock—A series of knocks echoed at the door. Lynn, who'd been dozing off, perked up instantly, putting on his professional smile as he looked up. "Welcome—"
A cold, eerie aura drifted in from outside. A tall, imposing figure appeared before him—clad in menacing black armor, with a gaunt, bone-white face and long bone-white hair cascading down his back. Scarlet light flickered in his eyes, and behind him, he led a wraith warhorse covered in inauspicious black fur.
[Black Knight]
[Level: ??????]
[Alignment: Chaotic Neutral]
[Combat Ability: Extremely strong attack and defense.]
[Description: A Death Knight wandering the Dark World, driven by intense combat spirit. He seeks to challenge all powerful beings in the Dark World and craves strength above all else.]
Lynn's heart skipped a beat. Clearly, another dangerous heavyweight had arrived—and judging by his attire and description, he was definitely an elite boss-tier opponent!
The demon hunter had been right—countless formidable beings had been gathering near Ghost Alley lately.
"I need some powerful combat support potions." A hoarse voice escaped the Black Knight's lips. He pulled a blood-stained pouch from his arms; the clinking of coins inside was clearly audible.
"Your reward will be generous."
[Ding! Quest Triggered: Prepare Satisfactory Powerful Combat Potions for the Black Knight. Rewards: 200 Basic XP, 100 Skull Coins, Black Knight's Recall Rate +1.]
Finally, a relatively normal customer! Lynn stood up immediately, maintaining his smile. "Please come in, sir—you've come to the right place! Bloodsaw Potion Shop has the most high-end potions in all of Ghost Alley!"
The Black Knight's voice was cold and hoarse. "Isn't this the only potion shop within a hundred miles?" He stepped inside, and the Wraith Lamp outside flared wildly. His armor let out a harsh creaking sound as he moved, and an overwhelming pressure filled the air.
There was no doubt about it—this was an incredibly powerful warrior.
"Sir, what type of support potion are you looking for?" Lynn asked with a smile, fetching bottle after bottle of different potions from the counter and placing them on the table.
"We have a wide variety of potions here. I'm certain we can satisfy you." He pushed one bottle toward the Black Knight.
"Take this one, for example. It's a Strength Potion, which greatly boosts attack power. It's one of our best-sellers—you can give it a try."
The Black Knight glanced at the bottle, picked it up, and sniffed it before downing it in one gulp.
[Ding! Danger Level: 10%]
"Useless." He set the bottle down with a thud, his voice dripping with displeasure. "The boost this potion gives my combat power is negligible. Are you mocking me?"
Lynn instantly felt the full weight of the Black Knight's aura bearing down on him, making his heart race. He realized the hidden danger of this quest—if the Black Knight wasn't satisfied with the potions, he might resorted to violence!