Highest Priority Consumption

The attic.

At the brink of paralysis, with his nerves heavily damaged, Lynne gritted his teeth, mustering his last ounce of strength to open a vial of Flesh Regeneration Potion. The moment the potion touched his palm, the damage to his spine rendered him devoid of control over his body. Yet, the potion still rapidly took effect, ceaselessly mending his damaged tissues.

"20 seconds... I hope it's enough..."

His teeth remained clenched, eyes fixed on the [Heart of the Faceless] beside him. While this cursed artifact was an incredibly potent tool and his trump card, he hadn't anticipated that even using such a formidable object wouldn't be enough to defeat the creature!

At this moment, the heart had turned pitch black. While powerful, this heart had its drawbacks. Such a potent cursed object brought unimaginable side effects.

Suddenly, a massive suction emanated from the heart. Lynne felt an immediate boiling sensation, as though his blood was aflame. The very next moment, the heart tore open slightly, swiftly latching onto his chest.

Thump-thump...

Thump-thump...

The heart pulsated continuously, absorbing his life essence at an alarming rate, becoming as red as blood itself. At a glance, it seemed as if a pulsating bloody tumor had grown on his chest.

"A double whammy!"

Lynne's teeth ground together. However, the Flesh Regeneration Potion sensed the rapid depletion of his blood and began to regenerate it incessantly. The two forces seemed to be at a stalemate.

Yet Lynne knew if he didn't recover quickly, once the twenty-second countdown ended, he would still perish.

Bloodshot eyes and gritted teeth, Lynne was on the edge.

"Hurry! Mutate! Mutate now!"

The attic.

In that moment, Lynne's only salvation was the mutation induced by the Flesh Regeneration Potion. Damage to his spine had almost severed his control over his limbs, and he desperately needed a new appendage. Then, a system notification rang out.

[Ding! Your body has undergone a Level 3 mutation.]

With a swift sizzle, simultaneously, Lynne's left eye bulged as a crimson serpent squeezed out of his eye socket.

[Ding! Mutation analysis in progress...]

[Ding! Warning! Your current constitution and willpower can't fully control this mutation. Control efficiency: 31%]

[Level 3 Mutation: Brain Serpent: A flesh serpent birthed from the brain, possessing an intense thirst for blood.]

In an instant, Lynne felt the overwhelming bloodlust emanating from the mutated form. Even his mind was filled with the desire for blood.

"31% efficiency? It's do or die now!"

Gritting his teeth, Lynne focused all his energy, struggling to control the serpent slithering from his eye. Amidst its writhing, Lynne managed to guide its gaping maw to grasp another vial of Flesh Regeneration Potion by his waist. The vial shattered, and the crimson potion doused him.

Simultaneously, Lynne lost all control over the Brain Serpent, which began to thrash wildly. Lured by the overpowering scent of blood, the serpent lunged, biting into the [Heart of the Faceless] attached to Lynne's chest.

Blood spewed in every direction. A colossal conflict ignited between the two entities. The Brain Serpent tore at the heart, which retaliated by sprouting fleshy tendrils attempting to envelop and consume the serpent.

Lynne lay paralyzed, watching this grotesque spectacle unfold, breathing heavily. His brain and heart were at war! Such a terrifying scenario was probably exclusive to this Dark World.

However, the entanglement between the heart and the Brain Serpent brought a significant relief to Lynne's rapidly depleting life force. And the Flesh Regeneration Potion started to swiftly mend his damaged spine.

"Time... There's still a chance..."

...

Below, in the main part of the house.

The myriad of previously writhing limbs had calmed down. The monster's giant, stationary pupil shifted slightly, and the tissues of its entire body began to squirm.

"Core repair completed... Initiating takeover of body tissues... Target threat level adjusted... Extremely high... Target consumption value adjusted... Top priority... Commence the hunt..."

Buzz—

Its massive pupil lit up with a red glow, suddenly lifting its gaze to the ceiling. In that split second, its enormous body crashed through the ceiling, landing heavily in the attic on the second floor. Its gaze swept over the blood-drenched walls and floor. However, there was no sign of Lynne.

"Target locked... Top priority devouring... Activating spectral vision..."

One of its eyes became ethereal. The next moment, it abruptly turned, leaping away.

...

Meanwhile, on a street engulfed in thick black mist.

Cloaked Lynne twisted and jerked, stumbling forward. The Brain Serpent emerging from his eye socket still battled with the Heart of the Faceless on his chest. But at the very last moment, the Flesh Regeneration Potion had mended his spine, granting him control over his body.

He gritted his teeth, his determination flaring, dashing madly towards No. 44. For he knew that the creature wouldn't let him go, and if he wished to survive, his only hope was to seek the help of a ghost of the same ? ? ? level!

At last, as he burst through the mist, Lynne saw a slender silhouette in his vision. In the distance, on the street, a faint humming resonated.

The next moment, a woman in a blood-red gown, with an upturned corner of her lips, cradling a baby in her arms, took steady steps towards him from the distance. Her body was stained with blood, her face carried a serene smile, and in her other hand, she held three severed heads. Straws were inserted into them.

The Blood Clad Evil Spirit immediately noticed Lynne, who was staggering towards her, and paused in surprise.

"The cheeky lad from the potion shop?"

She raised an eyebrow in slight astonishment. She then quickly noticed the blood-soaked Lynne, the broken tendrils behind him, and the serpent sprouting from his eye socket. Incredibly bizarre.

"You look rather... avant-garde today, sweetheart. Are you trying out some kind of strange performance art?"

She, cradling the moe child, stopped beside Lynne. She looked him up and down with a mischievous interest.

Lynne took deep breaths, wiped the blood off his face, and forced a grin, "Ah, something like that. Haven't your curses been reversed? Why didn't you come to see me tonight?"

The Blood Clad Evil Spirit, holding her child, seductively touched her crimson lips and coyly said, "Oh? Are you that impatient? Are you reminiscing about last night's tender moments?"

She gave a flirtatious smile. It seemed that Lynne's bloodied appearance was more to her aesthetic taste.

"You weren't home?" Lynne asked, wide-eyed.

She lifted the three heads in her hand, caressed her face sweetly and tilted her head, "Yes, indeed. It's so troubling~ My daughter's growing, and without proper nutrition, she might not develop properly. A mother has to take things into her own hands~"

"Oola~"

The baby (๑＞︶＜)و playfully wiggled her ears, holding onto one of the heads, and took a sip through the straw.

[Lynne's Sanity -10]

She examined Lynne's appearance, and the Blood Clad Evil Spirit smiled, "Tell me, my sweet, have you run into something you can't handle? Otherwise, with your nature, you wouldn't be in such a rush to see me, right?"