Vertical Eyes and Tentacles, Total Mutation

In the basement.

Cloaked, Lynne pressed hard against his bleeding chest. With gritted teeth, he drew a blade and swiftly cut away the rotting flesh from the lower half of his legs. He gasped heavily, sweat beads forming and dripping from his forehead.

He had been too overconfident! Truly, he had underestimated the situation! Facing such a creature, he should've known better! They had numerous ways to detect one's location!

Experience! His combat experience and crisis management skills were still lacking!

Had he not donned the [Blood Fiend's Cloak] in that critical moment, he might not have survived.

[Blood Phantom's Cloak]

[Quality: Rare]

[Feature: Allows the wearer to hide their aura and pass through solid matter like a phantom.]

[Description: Intangible spirits have always been a deep-seated fear in people's hearts. Thus, monsters from the abyss crafted this cloak, enabling you to become intangible like a malevolent spirit. However, be cautious: once you wear it, you'll lose all your offensive capabilities.]

Lynne clenched his teeth, holding his chest, his gaze fixed intently on the basement door.

"I've been too complacent these days, forgetting the true nature of this world. Death can strike at any moment..."

With effort, he spat out a mix of blood and bits of internal organs. Without hesitation, he took out the Flesh Regeneration Potion and poured it over his severed legs and pierced chest.

Cracking his neck, he mused, "As expected, having a high physical constitution comes in handy during critical times. But I really have to thank Master. If I hadn't undergone that surgery back then, I might've been done for!"

Squelch, squelch—

The Flesh Regeneration Potion began to work. The torn flesh of his chest and legs started healing at an unimaginable speed. For a potion effective even on a fairy with strong drug resistance, its regenerative effects on a normal human were simply astounding. In just a few breaths, Lynne's body was fully restored.

Lynne gasped for breath, forcing himself upright. He stretched, feeling the aches and pains of his body that had nearly fallen apart. Almost simultaneously, a system notification echoed in Lynne's ears.

[Ding! Your body has undergone a Level 1 mutation!]

[Ding! Your body has undergone a Level 1 mutation!]

[Ding! Your body has undergone a Level 2 mutation!]

Thump, thump—

Two barbed tentacles sprouted from Lynne's back. The skin on the nape of his neck split apart, slowly revealing a vertical eye.

[Ding! System has detected three controllable mutations and is analyzing the target...]

[Ding! Analysis complete!]

[Blood Flesh Tentacles: Connected to the central nervous system, can be controlled to retract and grow at will.]

[Specter Vertical Eye: Connected to the visual cortex, can pierce obstructions and detect specters.]

Swish—

Under Lynne's control, the two tentacles brandished their sharp barbs, hovering before him. He gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes, "Perhaps I can test these out. After all, the revolver still had a considerable damaging effect on that creature!"

After all, it was a demon hunter's sidearm, a high-quality weapon against the demonic!

Click—

He disengaged the revolver's safety. The very next moment, cloaked in his blood-red cape, Lynne phased through the wall like a specter.

Under the gaze of the Specter Vertical Eye, Lynne instantly spotted the colossal flesh creature in the corridor. His senses heightened to an acute focus. Moving like a phantom, he navigated within the walls, inching closer to the creature.

Whoooosh—

A streak of crimson shadow darted past the creature. The now-recovered monstrosity slowly turned its gigantic pupil, scanning the surrounding walls. Its myriad of frenzied arms poised, ready to strike at any moment.

Swoosh—

From behind, a streak of bloody shadow zipped by. The creature's back suddenly erupted with numerous eyes, all fixated on the corridor behind it. But almost at the exact moment its attention shifted, Lynne's narrowed eyes emerged from a crack in the door of the adjacent alchemy room.

"It's over for you!"

Instantly, Lynne pulled the trigger!

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang—

Six consecutive shots. Six demon-hunting bullets pierced through the door, embedding themselves into the creature.

For a split second,

Crackle—

Holy electricity erupted across the creature's body. The demon-hunting revolver had an overwhelming effect on the creatures of the Dark World. The sacred power was the bane of most monsters!

In mere moments, Lynne could see the creature's movements becoming sluggish. Revolver reloading. This was an excellent opportunity to finish it off!

Swiftly, Lynne drew his boning knife. But just as he was about to burst forth, he noticed six eyeballs emerging from the bullet holes, their hollow gazes locking onto him. A massive sense of impending doom flooded over him.

"Damn!"

Lynne's face paled. He instantly draped his cloak, preparing to phase through the wall. But it was too late. Those empty eyes fixated on him.

Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss—

With a low cry of agony, Lynne's face and the skin under that gaze started to dissolve, emitting smoky tendrils, leaving him disfigured as if melted by acid.

The creature's gaze carried a curse!

Gritting his teeth against the intense pain, Lynne swiftly rolled away, vanishing underground.

...

"Whooch, whooch,"

In the basement, Lynne gasped heavily. He uncapped a new vial of Flesh Regeneration Potion, pouring it over his dissolved face and neck. The crimson liquid seeped into his skin. The wounds on his face rapidly healed.

Simultaneously, system notifications rang out.

[Ding! A Level 1 mutation has occurred!]

[Ding! A Level 1 mutation has occurred!]

Splash—

From the reflection on the wall, two massive tentacles swiftly emerged from Lynne's shadow. But Lynne paid them no mind. His gaze was stern, using his specter vertical eye to observe the creature from a distance. He quickly noticed that the six bullets which had lodged into the creature's flesh were gradually being pushed out by its very own flesh. The electrical currents enveloping its body also diminished swiftly.

Could it be... in just two rounds... the creature had already adapted to the holy damage of the demon-hunting bullets?! Or had it triggered some special form to counter his attacks?

"This isn't good..."

Lynne frowned. His main reliance now was his demon-hunting revolver. If the creature could significantly resist holy damage, then not only defeating it but even approaching would become exceedingly dangerous! He quickly regained his composure. The previous probing was rash; he must remain level-headed.

"I need to get out of here first and then strategize."

Lynne was resolute. Defeating this creature with his current strength was clearly impossible. Without another word, he phased through the wall, heading outward relentlessly. Acting brashly when overpowered wasn't bravery but impulsiveness.

Furthermore, he was still a Level 9, deemed useless. Though he possessed a few potent artifacts, these couldn't compensate for the sheer power disparity. Now, he had to follow his heart's guidance.

Lynne's expression was grave as he navigated through the underground. Meanwhile, the vertical eye on his back ceaselessly tracked the creature's movements.

Time sped by. Yet, just as he had left the boundary of the Bloodsaw Potion Shop, the creature's form flickered in his spectral vision and then vanished.

Did it mask its aura?!

Lynne's face paled.

Hum—

A terrifying presence surged from behind. Almost instinctively, Lynne sidestepped.

In an instant, a gargantuan hand, like a phantom, pierced through the ground, grazing his cheek, shattering the side of his face, and tearing away half of his eyeball. It was the spectral hand that had pierced his heart earlier!