Chapter 788: Backlash! The Gaze of Hell

He immediately opened his panel, and his information instantly materialized before his eyes.

[Lynn]

[Level]: 56

[Status]: Disabled (Right Eye), Clown Curse (Dormant)

[Special Anomaly]: Gaze of Hell (17%)

[Alignment]: Chaotic Good

[Introduction]: A potion master from Wandering Souls Alley, self-proclaimed acting manager of the Bloodsaw Potion Shop, official Night Doctor of Nightfall City, friend of the Root, one of the non-Root survivors of the Cursed City war, the twisted lolicon who abducted the Colossus. Although all signs indicate that he seems to be steadily gaining a foothold in the dark world of hell, his excessive audacity has earned him widespread infamy. He has now become a thorn in the side of both the Mechanical Cult and the Flesh and Blood Cult. The possibility of being dragged into an alley and killed while walking down the street is not entirely out of the question...

Out of habit, he ignored the twisted System's harsh assessment of him.

Lynn's gaze swiftly landed on the new special anomaly status that had appeared.

[Gaze of Hell (17%)]: Fate must not be written, and the future must not be distorted. Any who dare to peer into the laws will be punished by hell. Your violation of the rules has already drawn the gaze of hell upon you. Do not trust any shadow you see, and do not answer the whispers that sound in your ears. Every move you make may drag you into an abyss of utter ruin.

In an instant.

Lynn immediately recalled the words the quill had spoken to him before.

[This will attract a great deal of karma, and I truly do not wish to touch it, because changing this course will cost me dearly. So you must share the backlash that may come in the future. I need your blood to be my ink...]

Buzz-

Lynn shuddered, but his expression instantly turned calm.

So...

It seemed she had called it right.

The backlash of the Authority had apparently already begun, and because she had used his blood, that backlash had also fallen upon him simultaneously. Was that how it worked?

And if that was the case, then what would its specific manifestation be?

Unimaginable agony? Whispers in the mind? A curse that drove one mad? Or the loss and impairment of male capabilities?

Lynn instantly threw off the covers and took a look.

Then he looked up and narrowed his eyes.

Well then.

That last one could be crossed off the list.

It was magnificent enough to make even his own scalp tingle, with absolutely no sign of being diminished.

And if it wasn't any of those, then what could it be?

"Did Sir Aiwen and the others say anything else?" Lynn turned and asked seriously.

Hei Xianyue pressed down on her little hat and gazed at him, saying calmly, "He said that you should not leave this city for the time being, and that you should not go to the Sight. He and several other Roots have set up a certain Seal in this city. While they cannot guarantee they will completely see you through this tribulation, they will do their best to keep you safe."

A brief silence.

The atmosphere in the room grew somewhat heavy.

Until...

"Why didn't you just say that from the start? You had my little heart pounding like crazy, you really scared this young master half to death! (≧▽≦)!!"

Under the stunned gazes of Alice and Miaomiao, Lynn suddenly seemed to be bursting with vitality once more. A light and cheerful expression spread across his face as he threw off the covers and jumped down from the bed. He stretched with a satisfying crack, then cheerfully started doing leg stretches.

He suddenly seemed full of energy again!

Indeed.

Was this what being an optimist meant?

There really was no telling at all why his mood had suddenly improved so much!

Lynn puffed out his chest with a (￣▽￣) expression, looking at Hei Xianyue, who was staring at him with the kind of look one gives a lunatic, and said:

"Alright, since everything's fine now, there's no need to keep holed up here! Alice, Miaomiao, you two have kept me company for so long, so go get some proper rest. I'll have Miss Puppet accompany me for a stroll. Once you've rested up and have some free time, I'll find you two again to bond a little more!"

Alice stood there in a daze, wanting to say something more.

But looking at the vibrant expression on Lynn's face, all the words of comfort she had prepared suddenly felt impossible to say.

"Um... Brother, are you really sure you're alright..."

Lynn turned his head, revealing a bright and cheerful smile. He playfully tousled her hair into a complete mess, showing his white teeth as he said:

"Do I look like someone who has something wrong with them? Alice! Be good, don't worry. I might not be all that powerful, but right now Nightfall City has six Roots backing your big brother. What Evil Entity do you think could even get close to your brother, hmm?"

He wiggled his eyebrows with exaggerated playfulness.

That smug look was practically oozing out of him!

Alice opened her mouth, but in the end, she could only nod in a daze, because indeed, just as her brother had said, with such a luxurious lineup, actually managing to get into trouble would be the difficult part.

"Alright, alright! Hurry up and go rest. Don't just worry about me. You two need to take care of yourselves too, or else I'll start to feel bad."

He urged his adorable Evil Spirit little sister and Miaomiao out with a (づ￣3￣)づ expression.

Creak-

Lynn closed the door.

Behind him, Hei Xianyue quietly watched his back. After a pause, she finally spoke:

"Are you really not worried?"

Lynn turned his head. The lively expression on his face had already faded away at some point, but he still showed his equally handsome profile as he lightly flicked his Monocle, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

But he said nothing.

Because whether he was worried or not, he would never let others worry about him.

Especially...

Those he cared about.

...

Earth.

An underground dojo somewhere.

In the empty and desolate hall, darkness reigned supreme. Only the patterns engraved upon the heavily worn granite floor glowed faintly with a dim red light.

Those patterns were densely packed, as if imbued with some mysterious power. They flickered gently with each breath, forming a sinister magic circle-like design within the dark hall.

An...

inverted pentagram.

And under the religious system of the Western world, such a symbol represented the footsteps of Satan and Demons, pointing toward the endless depths of hell. In ancient medieval legends, such symbols were usually associated with Witches and their Dark Magic, as well as the evil spirits and Devils they maliciously summoned.

And at this very moment.

A shirtless young man stood drenched in sweat at the center of that inverted pentagram, both hands gripping a silver sword as he panted heavily.

All around him on the ground, a chilling wind blew past, and the anomalous creatures that had fallen beneath his blade dissolved into wisps of ash.

"The third wave of tests will begin shortly. Please prepare yourself."