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Chapter 100: 008: Kill him!
A man emerged from the darkness at the end of the corridor.
This was an utterly terrifying man. The entire dermis of his body had been brutally peeled off, leaving fat, hair follicles, muscles, and nerve fibers exposed directly to the air. The vivid red muscle lines and pulsating cells sent shivers down one’s spine, yet the man appeared utterly unbothered, as if indifferent to pain.
Step by step, he advanced toward them. When he reached the entrance of the dining hall, a skeleton wearing a maid’s dress approached, holding a tray. On the tray was an item neatly folded—clothing?
No,
After closer inspection, Lynch realized it was a piece of neatly folded human skin.
Yet another skeleton maid walked over, removed the human skin from the tray, and began dressing the man with it as though it were a garment.
Where the human skin touched the man’s muscles, tiny tendrils suddenly extended from the lining and pierced into his muscle tissue. They fused firmly to his body, and as the split that ran from his spine to the back of his head gradually sealed shut, a naked and unfamiliar man appeared before the two observers.
He seemed around thirty years old. His eyes gleamed with a manic light, betraying an unmistakable sense of mental instability.
Lynch scrutinized the man, curious about what kind of spell could so seamlessly bind human skin to muscle tissue. Apart from a faint red line at the back of his head, there was no visible indication the skin had merely been draped on him.
At the same time, the first skeleton maid brought over a brown coat and helped the man put it on. In no time, the horrifying creature was gone, replaced by a well-dressed young man who resembled a noble.
The man stepped into the dining hall, his face fixed in a stiff smile. "Welcome to Black Rock Town, the two of you. I am William Heim, the Lord of this place. May I know your names?"
Avery gave a false name, introducing herself: "Avery Valen."
She hesitated, then gestured toward Lynch and introduced him: "This is my master, Lynch Tavendish."
"Tavendish?"
William’s gaze immediately locked onto Lynch, as if he had spotted a rare treasure. His eyes were alight with unrelenting greed.
A nerve-wracking laugh erupted from his throat: "Heh heh heh..."
"Excellent! Excellent!"
"What beautiful skin, what exquisite eyes, muscles, bones—tsk, tsk... an impeccable work of art."
The murderous hunger in his expression was unmistakable, as if he wished to devour Lynch on the spot.
Lynch shot Avery an exasperated glare. Alright, alright, so this is how she wanted to play it?
"Dinner is about to begin. Please, take your seats," William invited.
Lynch seated himself. Avery was about to sit as well, but Lynch shot her a glance and drawled, "Since when do female slaves dine at the same table as their masters? Where are your manners?"
Avery froze for a moment.
"Ha!"
She let out a loud laugh, rose, and stood at Lynch’s side. "Yes, of course."
William seemed unbothered by their peculiar interaction. Once Lynch was seated, he turned to the skeleton maids nearby and commanded, "Serve the food."
The maids left, and William’s greedy gaze once again fixated upon Lynch, brimming with uncontrollable lust for possession.
Finally,
After a long moment of silent appraisal, he broke the tension by speaking. "Name your price!"
Lynch frowned with confusion. "What?"
William gestured toward him and said, "Your skin is exquisite. I love it. I’d like to purchase it."
"Oh no—not just your skin. Your eyes, your nose, your mouth, and your robust, pulsating heart. Oh, I can hear the powerful rhythm of your heartbeat. It intoxicates me. Name your price; I want it all."
His face took on a look of self-indulgent ecstasy, as though discussing an extraordinary masterpiece.
Lynch fell silent.
His gaze shifted once more to Avery, displeased, but she remained perfectly indifferent, pretending not to notice.
Lynch turned back and said firmly, "Not for sale!"
"Heh heh heh!"
William chuckled, unperturbed. "Don’t be so hasty to refuse. Let’s enjoy the meal first."
The skeleton maids brought out the food, each dish concealed under a circular metallic cover. Following proper dining etiquette, the trays were arranged on the table. At the center was an enormous plate, measuring over two meters in diameter, covered by a massive metal dome.
The maids carefully placed each dish in sequence before lifting the covers one by one, revealing the food beneath.
As the dishes were revealed, Lynch felt a wave of unease wash over him.
First, the maid uncovered what was supposed to be the main course. On the plate lay a young girl...
(A certain middle section describing the grotesque details has been censored. Readers can imagine the carving and plating of internal organs as side dishes—a truly revolting sight.)
Lynch fell silent.
A deep nausea churned in his stomach. The last time he had felt like this was when he first bore witness to a massacre. He admitted he had underestimated the depravity of the madman before him.
The lunatic continued enthusiastically, "Try it! Black Rock Town’s unique delicacy—you won’t find it anywhere else."
Lynch cast a final glance at the dinner table. The girl had long stopped breathing. Her cold, lifeless features showed no trace of suffering, only confusion and numbness. Her dull, lifeless eyes stared into the void, filled with despair.
Whatever torment she had endured before her death, Lynch could sense no trace of the will to survive. In a place like this, death seemed far preferable to life.
He turned his head to look at Avery.
Avery’s face showed visible discomfort. While she’d known there was a madman residing in this place, she hadn’t expected his insanity to reach such extreme lengths. Unprepared, she was struck hard by the scene.
In that moment, her desire to obliterate the place was no less intense than Lynch’s. Seeing Lynch’s questioning gaze, she didn’t hesitate. "Kill him. I’ll give you ten thousand Magic Stones!"
Lynch had been waiting for precisely those words!
He nodded and responded earnestly, "I’ll give you a twenty percent discount."
In the next instant,
War erupted.
