67-68

Chapter 67

The Titan Skull raised its gaze, speaking indifferently, "I never imagined—that you would harbor such vile thoughts towards such a young girl. But from what I see of your little schemes—they're not perverse to that extent—If I'm not mistaken—you probably want to keep playing the nurturing game—raising my daughter little by little, subtly molding her—let the water flow gently—let my dear girl slowly remember your shape, huh!"

The Titan Skull's face showed a malicious coldness.

Buzz—

Lynne was utterly hollowed out this time.

"I didn't... I really didn't... I..."

Lynne desperately wanted to argue.

"Huh—" The Titan Skull coldly turned, interrupting him, looking down dismissively, "Still pretending? If I'm not mistaken—you've probably already found out about my daughter's preferences—You might even know—My daughter loves shiny things—loves to be taken out for grand meals—enjoys bubble baths—loves to go out for drives and adventures—"

He let out a venomous cold laugh.

"She loves—being cuddled to sleep at night, doesn't she—you scoundrel—"

Lynne stood there, hollow, muttering to himself.

I didn't know before... But now it seems I know everything... Sir, are you sure you're not teaching me step by step? Are you really sure?!

The Titan Skull continued to look down at him indifferently, "But even if you know all this—trying to abduct my daughter is impossible—because as long as I am awake for even a moment—I will never let my daughter out of my sight—"

Lynne, feeling hollow, responded, "That's really good to hear..."

The Titan Skull, with narrowed eyes, said indifferently, "Unless you can figure out my chaotic schedule—"

Lynne (((;Д;))).

The Titan Skull paced slowly, continuing, "But you surely don't know—that I am only chaotic on days one, three, and five—lucid on two, four, and six—and on the seventh day, I give my daughter a day off—And it's only on that day that I let her go out on her own—without anyone to accompany her—I also sleep very deeply—so deep that even if she brings back any creature, I wouldn't hear it—But you definitely didn't know that—did you—"

Lynne (((;Д;))) said, "Yes... yes, I didn't..."

The Titan Skull closed its eyes, speaking softly, "So you see—your idea of abducting my daughter is nothing but a pipe dream—and if I ever see you alone with my daughter—I'll eat you—do you believe me?"

Lynne numbly said, "I believe..."

The Titan Skull nodded, adding indifferently, "However, lately I've been having trouble with my vision—seeing double often—I'm not sure when it'll get better—You didn't hear that, did you?"

Lynne hollowly said, "No..."

The Titan Skull nodded, standing with tentacles crossed, eyes closed: "That's good."

[Ding! The Titan Skull is very pleased, his favorability with you +10]

Lynne stood there, utterly bewildered and at a loss for words.

So... Is this some kind of hint? No! It almost feels like an explicit instruction! Isn't this basically a step-by-step tutorial? But that's not right! This was supposed to be a simple misunderstanding, so why does it feel like it's getting more complicated the more I try to explain?!

"Alright."

The Titan Skull said indifferently, "I've said what needed to be said. I was thinking of eating you right now, but my teeth haven't been great lately. Seeing you fills me up, so I might consider not eating you for now. But don't be ungrateful or give up halfway through, ah—"

The Titan Skull narrowed his eyes, revealing his frighteningly threatening teeth. His massive teeth, sharp like guillotine blades, glittered ominously at Lynne as if saying, "If you dare abandon your pursuit, I can easily grind you up like a dessert."

Terrifying indeed.

Lynne o(╥﹏╥)o said, "I understand... thank you for the guidance, Sir..."

This feels like being coerced into something against my will! But I truly see Little only as a great customer and a good friend, nothing more! I really don't have any ulterior motives!

After a long while, the Titan Skull resumed his indifferent demeanor, standing with his tentacles crossed, and said softly, "That's enough about my daughter. But you probably have many more questions for me. I'm in a good mood—I might give you a chance to ask them—"

Lynne vigorously shook his head, clearing his mind of the recent emotions and pushing them to the back of his mind. He quickly regained his composure, his expression turning serious as he earnestly said, "Yes, I indeed have some questions. I can tell that you, Sir, and your family... don't seem to be native to this world. So, where exactly do you come from?"

Lynne hesitated. This was a doubt that had been nagging at him ever since he encountered their family. According to the system's introduction, they seemed to be skulls that had fallen from a higher world into this dark one. And the [Titans]. In various legends on Earth, they are portrayed as a mighty race, akin to gods.

The Titan Skull, maintaining its indifferent posture, replied, "Of course, we are not natives of this world. I think you might already know—we are Titans—A supreme race that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the gods."

Lynne was taken aback.

The Titan Skull continued, "Your world is known to us as [The Realm of the Dead]—a dark world abandoned by the gods—Cursed—chaotic—unfortunate—filled with hatred—all the refuse and beings that should not exist in reality, along with the dead who are not meant to transcend, are dragged into this world—doomed to never find peace—Of course—apart from this refuse, there are many organizations that consider themselves sacred, interfering with this world, even sending troops to wage war against the monsters here—"

He glanced at Lynne.

"And there are not a few like you who have, due to various reasons and unfortunate circumstances, fallen into this world."

Lynne's expression turned contemplative. After a long pause, he earnestly looked up, asking seriously, "Then how can one leave this place and return to their original world?"

Hearing this, the Titan Skull displayed a ghastly grin, as if Lynne had just told the world's greatest joke. His tone started to become increasingly chaotic.

"Leave? Yes, you can leave—because you are among the living—But returning to your original world is not so simple. There are countless stars in the sky, and you, who have fallen to the ground without a beacon—How can you find your world—among the myriad stars?"

Lynne gazed intently back at him, his hands slowly clenching into fists.

"It seems you really want to go home," the Titan Skull said maliciously, smiling wickedly. "Yes, who wouldn't want to—return home? Who would want to stay—in this malevolent world forever?"

He lifted his eyes, filled with venomous hatred, mockingly and chaotically staring into the dark night.

"For three thousand years— I've been cursed and confined here—for a full three thousand years— Hate, rage—my fury never extinguishes. Every time I think of the past—those curses torment me—but the more they torment me, the more I refuse to submit."

Suddenly, he burst into a crazed, venomous laughter. Thick, pitch-black tentacles sprouted from his eye sockets, nose, ears, and mouth. Each tentacle burst into seething black flames with a whoosh.

Lynne was greatly shaken, immediately looking up and exclaiming: "Sir!"

"Ha ha ha—I too wish to return—to my world—to burn them—to devour them—"

The Titan Skull's eyes ignited with raging, chaotic flames. The burning tentacles, like viscous rivers of fire, began to recklessly spread across the wilderness.

[Warning! Warning! The target's chaos level is significantly increasing! Host, please evacuate immediately!]

[Warning! Warning!]

The system's urgent warnings echoed in Lynne's ears. Clearly, the recent conversation had triggered the Titan Skull to recall the past calamities.

"I don't want to be—trapped here—turned into such a monster—suffering—enduring endless agony—making my wife—my daughter—suffer—"

In an instant, he raised his head savagely, his gaze piercing the dark sky.

"You—cannot suppress me—you—cannot bind me— One day—I will return from this hell, and burn you all to ashes—"

A chaotic and furious roar echoed.

Under Lynne's gaze, the Titan Skull, with its boundless, burning tentacles, leaped towards the pitch-black sky. The colossal head, ablaze with furious flames, resembled a spear piercing the heavens, vowing to obliterate the darkness that dared to bind him.

Lynne watched in shock as the head transformed into a fireball, hurtling towards the dark firmament. But just as the figure was about to vanish from sight, something unexpected happened.

Whoosh—

From all directions, the dark ground suddenly erupted with countless ethereal, black chains, shooting toward the sky. Each chain, dozens of meters thick but nearly transparent, appeared as if his leap had triggered some cold curse.

Buzz—

In an instant, the Titan Skull, attempting to break through the night, was swiftly bound by these ethereal chains from the vast heights.

Boom—

The massive head crashed heavily onto the ground, creating a burning crater.

Spurt—Spurt—Spurt—

The ethereal chains lashed at his head like serpents, leaving ash-like scars on his face and cheeks.

"Ha ha ha ha—Ha ha ha ha—" The Titan Skull laughed savagely, enduring the horrific whipping. "You—cannot trap me—you won't let me die—live either—ha ha ha ha—"

He laughed maniacally, trying to leap again, to break free from the world's constraints.

But those ethereal chains instantly bound him again, pressing him firmly to the ground, continually scorching his head. Yet he continued to laugh, to rage, to resist. Just as he had said, the more they tried to bind him, the angrier and more defiant he became.

Lynne dashed quickly to the edge of the crater, his eyes immediately reflecting the frenzied Titan Skull, bound and tormented in the center by cursed chains.

[Warning! Warning! Do not approach! Do not touch!]

[Target's Curse Power Level: Origin-level!]

Spurt—Spurt—

The ethereal chains were not just binding him; they were relentlessly whipping him!

"Is this the cause of his madness?" Lynne watched intently. "Is it a curse..."

If it was indeed a curse if the curse was the source of this resistance and rage...

In an instant, Lynne lifted his head with a determined expression. Almost immediately, he leaped down into the pit, tentacles erupting from his shoulders like an exoskeleton, enabling him to move rapidly toward the Titan Skull like a spider.

[Warning! Warning! Do not approach! Do not touch!]

But Lynne paid no heed. He remained composed. Like a swift cheetah, he darted through the gaps between the rising ethereal chains.

If it was a curse... If it was the curse causing this suffering... He clenched his wrist, his eyes emitting a dazzling light.

Maybe. I can.

In that instant, Lynne leaped up, threading through the gaps between countless chains, reaching out towards the Titan Skull.

[Ding! You are activating Temporary Curse Removal. Would you like to proceed immediately?]

"Yes!" Lynne affirmed.

Instantly, a blinding light surged from his hand, enveloping the Titan Skull in its brilliance.

[Ding! Target's power level is too high, Temporary Curse Removal significantly weakened!]

[Ding! Unable to fully remove the curse, maximum curse removal limit: 15%. Do you wish to continue?]

"Yes!"

[Temporary Curse Removal activated successfully!]

[Target's curse weakened to 85%!]

[Host's mental energy depleted.]

Chapter 68

From a distance, the Witch God's expression changed drastically as she noticed the countless ethereal chains emerging from the surrounding wasteland. She instantly realized what was happening. Her husband had once again triggered the curse rooted in his soul!

"Damn it!"

Without hesitation, the Witch God Skull, looking extremely grave, rushed towards the scene with Little.

Little's face turned pale as she asked, "Dad—is it happening again—"

Clearly, she had witnessed similar scenes more than once. Especially when her father fell into chaos, his endless rage uncontainable, each time he tried to break free from the dark world's bindings.

Those ethereal chains would appear and then brutally suppress him back into the world. It was the physical manifestation of the curse! And the shackle that eternally bound them!

The Witch God's eyes shimmered with determination as she gritted her teeth, "Let's hurry—we have to get there fast—this damned fool—of all times, he chooses now— Hopefully that youngster—hasn't been caught in it—"

Hearing that, Little's face turned even paler, her expression filled with panic. The image of Lynne surfaced in her mind, filling her with unease.

"Doctor—"

They sped along rapidly.

Finally, after a few minutes, they crossed the burning wasteland. As soon as she stepped into the area, the Witch God Skull immediately sensed something unusual.

In the past, when her husband was consumed by madness, the curse it triggered was invariably terrifying, usually torturing him to the point of severe injury before ceasing.

But, unexpectedly, just as she entered the area, she felt the violent curse strangely weaken. Though the reduction was not significant, it was an unprecedented occurrence. Surprise filled her eyes, she couldn't quite understand what had happened.

"We're here!"

The Witch God Skull, along with Little, rushed to the edge of the crater she had created. Her gaze was intense. As soon as she saw the scene inside the crater, the Witch God Skull showed a look of shock.

"This..."

In the center of the crater, the Titan Skull was still bound by the massive chains, his eyes fluctuating between chaos and lucidity.

Nearby, on the ground, lay Lynne in an exhausted (x﹏x) state, his mental energy depleted. At that moment, his left hand was frantically crawling, dragging the unconscious Lynne towards a safer area.

"You pathetic host! o(≧口≦)o Did you think you could just swoop in and remove this big guy's curse? That's an Origin-level curse! Too naive! After all this, you're going to need a feast of five tons to win my forgiveness!"

Swipe, swipe, swipe—

His left hand valiantly dragged Lynne towards safety.

Witch God Skull: "…"

Little in astonishment said, "Oh—It's Doctor Brother's moving left hand—"

At the center, the Titan Skull had clearly gained much lucidity. Apparently, the weakening of the curse provided significant relief to the curse that would have taken much longer to suppress under normal circumstances.

"What exactly is this…" The Witch God Skull was full of surprise.

...

An hour later.

As a trace of mental energy circulated in his mind, Lynne slowly regained consciousness. The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was Little's (✪ω✪) two-story-tall face.

"Hmm—Doctor—you're awake—"

Before Lynne could fully come to his senses, he heard the system's notification.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering the achievement: Origin-level Curse Reduction. You have earned 200 Experience.]

[Origin-level Curse Reduction: A special achievement for using limited-time curse abilities on highly cursed beings and successfully partially reducing the target's curse. You have gained a permanent boost: Spirit +5, Physique +2.]

[Ding! You have successfully recorded the curse: The Bonds of the Undying.]

Lynne instantly snapped awake and sat up straight, opening his eyes wide as he asked, "How is Sir doing now?"

As he finished speaking, a deep, questioning voice came from behind him.

"I am fine—"

Lynne turned his head. He then saw the Titan Skull not far away, looking at him solemnly. The eyes of the Titan Skull had regained clarity, clearly having emerged from the previous chaos.

Perhaps it was just Lynne's perception, but he could distinctly feel that the Titan Skull now seemed to possess a hint more wisdom and valor compared to before. This was evident in the way he looked at people. No longer with eyes heavy with suppressed rage and malice, but rather with a semblance of... Humanity.

The Titan Skull gazed deeply at Lynne, asking, "You weakened—my curse?"

Due to the curse, his anger was difficult to contain. Whenever his boundless rage was triggered by some catalyst, he would instantly fall into immense madness, constantly tormented by his past anger. This made him agonizing.

But just when the curse was about to envelop him, driving him towards madness, this young man somehow managed to weaken the intensity of the curse! Although the reduction wasn't significant, it had instantaneously increased the proportion of clarity in his consciousness.

Lynne, rubbing his aching forehead, calmly said, "I just tried it out, didn't expect it to actually work. It's a different ability; I can temporarily remove curses from a target for 24 hours. But my current strength is too weak to completely remove the curse on you. However, it's probably weakened by about 15%."

Upon hearing this, shock and surprise instantly appeared in the Witch God Skull's eyes.

"How is that possible..."

She was the Witch God. She knew better than anyone the terror of the curse tormenting them. The curse granted them eternal life but also bound them tightly to this dark world, driving them into madness. Even she couldn't completely suppress this curse. And yet this human, who was close to Little, had managed to...

The Titan Skull gazed solemnly at Lynne and asked, "Does that mean—if your power becomes strong enough— you could completely remove the curse from us?!"

Lynne thought for a moment and then smiled, saying, "I believe so."

Confidence. It was a profound confidence radiating from within. Like a beacon of hope suddenly lit in the depths of hell, this statement brought a hint of emotion to the Titan Skull, his eyes reddening slightly. He moved closer to Lynne. He didn't know where this human youth came from or how many secrets he hid. Yet, all of that seemed irrelevant now in light of Lynne's words.

"But I'm curious, you knew I was in a state of chaos and still rushed over without hesitation. Aren't you afraid of death?" He looked at Lynne with a complex expression.

Lynne's mouth curved slightly in a smile. "Of course, I'm afraid of dying. But I thought since I have the ability, why not take the risk? I am a doctor"

He lifted his head, his face breaking into a comforting smile. The wind whistled past his cheeks. That comforting smile, at that moment, seemed as bright as the sun.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering the achievement: Never Miss an Opportunity to Show off. You have earned 200 experience points.]

[Never Miss an Opportunity to Show off: A special achievement awarded for impressing the target with your genuine kindness and beauty during any attempt to impress, demonstrating that the host has taken a significant step towards becoming a healing doctor. You have gained a permanent boost: Caring +1, Charm +5, Handsomeness +1!]

Lynne: "……"

[Ding! Titan Skull's Favorability towards you +30]

[Ding! Witch God Skull's Favorability towards you +40]

The Titan Skull looked at Lynne, his eyes suddenly reddening. Especially upon seeing Lynne's sincere smile, a warmth he hadn't felt in many years suddenly emerged in his scarred heart.

Could it be... in this hell, there exists such pure and wonderful beings? Just for such a simple reason. Just for kindness. He had reached out to help him without hesitation... This young man... He...

Slap—

A slender tentacle patted Lynne's shoulder. The Titan Skull, with tearful eyes, said to Lynne, "No more words needed—with what you just said—I consider you my friend now—If anyone dares to bully you outside, just use my name—"

He wiped his tearful eyes, saying, "If you don't mind, from now on, call me Big Brother, and you are my Son-in-law—let's become sworn brothers!"

Lynne, deeply moved by the atmosphere, extended his hand, trembling, "Big Brother!"

The Titan Skull, his eyes red, responded, "My Son-in-law!"

For a moment, it felt like the touching music filled the air.
Boom—

Boom—

Two loud noises.

The Witch God Skull, rolling her tentacles, closed her eyes, and her head erupted with several "╬" symbols.

Meanwhile, Lynne and the Titan Skull were blown dozens of meters away, (x﹏x) with smoke billowing from their heads.

The Witch God Skull, eyes closed and tentacles curled, (〃′皿`)q said: "Hopeless—both of you with short-circuited brains—"

"…"

At the entrance of Wandering Soul Lane.

Lynne extended his hand with a smile, waving goodbye to Little and her parents, saying, "This is as far as I'll go, Little, Sir, Ma'am. I live at Wandering Soul Lane, No. 55. If you ever feel like it, you're always welcome to visit me!"

Little (✪‸✪)) said, "But Doctor—I don't want to leave you—"

Lynne reached out, (๑╹◡╹)ﾉ patting her head, and replied, "Little, be good. We'll see each other again. I'm your dentist, after all. You can come to see me anytime."

Little, of course, couldn't stay with him indefinitely. As comforting as it was to have an Origin-level friend nearby, Lynne was aware that their presence in this Dark World would inevitably attract unwanted attention from other powerful beings.

Moreover, the Titan Skull and the Witch God Skull couldn't possibly stay. Their unique conditions meant that if they accidentally descended into chaos, the entire Wandering Soul Lane might be leveled to the ground.

The Titan Skull gazed at Lynne deeply, cautioning, "You need to be careful—Your recent actions against that—organization with my daughter—have surely drawn unnecessary attention—But remember what I said—if anyone dares to bully you—just send a message to your Big Brother. None shall live to tell the tale."

Lynne was deeply moved by these words. Finally, he felt like he had reliable support in this Dark World.

Eagerly, Lynne asked, "But how can I contact you? Should I write a letter?"

A brief silence fell over the group.

As Lynne wondered why the atmosphere had suddenly quieted, Little (✪ω✪) said, "We can't read—without a translator—very troubling."

Lynne was taken aback. Indeed, for Origin-level beings, there was no real need to learn the language of this Dark World. They had no reason or need to integrate.

After a moment of thought, Lynne suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right!"

Without another word, and to the puzzled looks of Little and her parents, Lynne rushed over to the pile of items he had scavenged, rummaging through them.

Finally, after relentless searching, Lynne pulled out several black, unremarkable-looking stones.

"This is…" The Witch God Skull hesitated.

Lynne gave a slight smile and said, "Vision World Stones."

[Vision World Stone]: A mysterious material that can connect to the Vision World. By using it, one can upload their consciousness into the Vision World, and each visit to the Vision World requires a Vision World Stone as a medium.

Exactly!

The informant had mentioned that the Vision World was the fastest way to communicate over long distances in this Dark World. Simple, efficient, and incredibly useful.

...

A few minutes later.

[Vision World]

A massive eyeball hovered above the pitch-black sky of the plaza, its turbulent gaze shining like a massive beam of light, illuminating the entire area.

The plaza was bustling with moving shadows, while beyond its bounds, darkness obscured everything.

It was late at night.

Yet, the Vision World Plaza was still dense with shadows, representing a wide area including Wandering Soul Lane in the world of consciousness, teeming with life.

At that moment, many shadows were still discussing the scene released by the informant earlier.

"So, you're saying that yesterday, right here, those three Origin-level Headhunters appeared?"

"Yeah, you saw that footage too, right? It was in Wandering Soul Lane, just next door!"

"Reliable sources say that the Demonfolk Association's headquarters has indeed been destroyed. I have a contact from the Demonfolk Association, and he says he can't contact their leader anymore. He's terrified, thinking he might be eaten at any moment!"

"I guess a lot of dark creatures will be coming here to investigate soon!"

"Wait, if those three Origin-level Headhunters are in our area… do you think… they might also come to the Vision World?"

The statement was met with silence, followed by waves of mocking laughter.

"Don't joke! Are you out of your mind? The Vision World is the only order in the Dark World! How could those truly chaotic beings come here?"

"Exactly! It's ridiculous! I've never heard of an Origin-level being coming to the Vision World, not in the past and certainly not in the future!"

"Right! Do you think all Origin-level beings have a conscious will like us? Most of them are indescribable, bizarre conglomerates. How could they come here?"

"If those three Origin-level Headhunters really come to the Vision World, I'll do a handstand and poop, then roll a hundred somersaults around the plaza! I swear, not even God could stop me!"

Laughter filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere throughout the plaza. But in the next moment, everything changed.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—

Four massive rings of light suddenly descended upon the center of the Vision World Plaza.

As the light coalesced, three enormous heads, two large and one small, each towering like a small mountain, descended amidst the light into the center of the plaza.

[Vision World Announcement: Three Origin-level presences detected in Vision World Plaza No. 900. Current presence exceeds the area's capacity limit, triggering Supreme Will Protocol No. 11. Emergency expansion of Plaza No. 900 initiated!]

[Vision World Announcement: Expansion and upgrade of Plaza No. 900 complete. The area's presence capacity has been upgraded from a Level 9 to a Level 7.]

Accompanied by a thunderous rumble, the announcements resonated throughout the plaza. The eternal, unblinking eye above the sky shifted its gaze, focusing on the three colossal heads that had appeared.

The space of the entire plaza began to expand at an unimaginable speed. In just a few seconds, Plaza No. 900 expanded to a hundred times its original size.

"(ΩДΩ) Oh my god!!!"

"What! What is this!! Am I seeing... are those... the three Origin-level Headhunters?!"

"How is this possible?! We were just talking about this, and they actually arrived!!"

"Where's the guy who said he'd do handstands and poop while rolling somersaults?! Come out! You better roll a hundred somersaults today, or I won't let you off!"

The plaza, bustling just moments ago, emptied instantly. All the shadows huddled in terror at one corner of the plaza, their teeth chattering as they stared at the three formidable beings in the center.

"Who brought them here?! Who the hell brought these fiends to this place?!"