Nightmare Paradise : Starting as a Doctor

The hurtling object descending from above was none other than the crow Lynn had temporarily tamed. The mystical bond connecting them had gone dormant after entering the auction house.

This state prevented him from controlling or influencing the avian animal, essentially liberating it, but allowed the link to be maintained with minimal consumption, extending its operational duration.

When the confrontation erupted, he reactivated the connection, recalling the creature to observe the chaos below and patiently wait for the perfect moment to intervene and provide assistance.

Descending like a shooting star, the bird folded its wings - the ebony feathers blurred as it picked up speed, cutting through the air. The unsuspecting retreating mercenary had no time to react.

With a loud impact, the tamed crow slammed into the shoulder, claws tearing through fabric and flesh. Caught completely off guard, he grunted painfully, his concentration broken.

Lynn seized the long-awaited opening, his legs swelling with the energy surge coursing through his body. Muscle fibers expanded instantly, causing the ground beneath his feet to crack with the power of his movement.

"Shit!" Ghost helplessly cursed as he noticed the sudden burst of speed from his opponent. In the brief distraction moment caused by the unexpected assault, he had let down his guard.

Propelling himself forward with explosive force, Lynn became a blur of motion, Flame Edge carving crimson arcs through the air. Sprays of blood directly erupted, and a hoarse cry of pain resonated.

The mercenary staggered backward, his free hand clutching the wound across his chest. Red liquid seeped between the fingers, staining the torn layers of outfits and the cloak covering him.

Lynn remained relentless, pressing the advantage ruthlessly. Despite the man's best efforts to resist with his sword, he was overwhelmed. Sickening wet sounds reverberated as metal tore flesh.

The burning blade continued to break through the defense, opening more charred gashes across his figure. The enemy movements grew sluggish, breath coming in ragged gasps.

Just as Flame Edge was about to deliver another punishing blow, the short window of opportunity ended. Having regained his footing, Shade launched himself back into the battle, fiercely charging.

Annoyed by the interruption, Lynn swiftly pivoted, evading the thrust aimed at his side, and swept his sword in a wide arc, sending sparks into the air and forcing the assailant to divert his course.

In that brief instant, when he lost the mercenary from sight, a massive spiritual fluctuation emanated from his position, suddenly making the hairs on his neck bristle with unease.

Quickly turning around, he saw Ghost's dark cloak now speckled with crimson and the throwing knives strewn across the ground beginning to take on a reddish hue. “Is he preparing a suicide attack to take out everyone?” he supposed, heart pounding with urgency.

“What are you doing?" the wood-masked man roared, realizing the danger they were about to face. Lynn, sensing the shift in the situation, retreated swiftly. Meanwhile, Ghost ignored the questioning and took action.

He tore apart his cloak and revealed the hidden pockets where he had stored countless throwing weapons, currently glowing in ominous red. He viciously launched the entire bundle straight at the two.

Immediately after, he turned around and started escaping in the opposite direction, his movements impressively agile despite the severe injuries. The blades dispersed in all directions, their trails leaving fleeting red streaks.

A second later, a series of rapid explosions ranged out, creating a devastating chain reaction, shaking the ground and causing widespread destruction. Debris and thick smoke rose, dramatically obscuring visibility.

Because the mercenary delayed the detonation to escape, Lynn and Shade managed to create some distance, but the sheer force of the successive blasts still buffeted them. The searing heat slightly burned their exposed skin, and the shockwaves stole the breath from their lungs.

In the distance, they could see him fleeing through the dust cloud. His partner could not help but call out in more furious tones. "Where do you think you are going, Ghost? We still have unfinished business here," he roared.

Wincing slightly as the movement aggravated his wounds, the mercenary did not slow his pace while responding loudly through the confusion, "The enemy is too strong, the money paid is not enough for this kind of trouble. I am out!"

Under the wooden mask, the face hideously twisted with rage as he watched the silhouette disappear into the receding haze. The unexpected betrayal and desertion had turned the tide of the battle, and he knew it.

"Do not get distracted during a fight!" a cold voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts as Lynn seized the opening, unleashing a flurry of brutal slashes toward the distracted enemy.

Gritting his teeth, Shade barely dodged the sudden incoming attacks, feeling the air slice past his cheek as the edge swished by. Now alone, he was under all the pressure, with no backup helping him.

His body twisted and turned with fluidity, utilizing fully his extraordinary agility and resilience to evade and block. But the attacks came relentlessly, each swing aiming to find its mark.

Burning with unwavering determination, Lynn knew this was his chance to end the fight swiftly and decisively. There were still some people secretly watching. His free hand abruptly stretched out, fingers unfurling as if to grip the opponent.

But in reality, in a split second, Bloody Reaper materialized between them, and the crimson glow of the steel gleamed menacingly. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger at point-blank range.

The eyes of the wood-masked man widened as the barrel directly aimed at his head. Instinctively, he pulled his arms up, trying to shield himself from the imminent threat. The bullet slammed into them with bone-shattering force.

The explosive gunshot detonated on impact, sending him flying backward with tremendous force. His body crashed through the debris-strewn ground, dust and rubble billowing up around him.

Searing pain surged through his arms as the force of the blast finally shattered the defenses. Blood and shattered bone were visible where the hands had been - torn apart by the devastating shot.

But even in this agonized state, he did not falter. " That coward… forcing me like this… I am going to kill both of you…," he rasped through clenched teeth, body trembling with pain and fury.

As these words left his mouth, a strange but familiar phenomenon unfolded before Lynn, who also resisted the shockwaves of the detonation. The enemy's injuries, which had seemed grievous moments ago, started to tremble.

The wounded limbs regenerated rapidly before his astonished gaze. The charred flesh and exposed bones steadily knitted themselves back together, the damage undoing itself.

"This... This ability...,” he muttered, frozen in place. His eyes widened with disbelief as a realization began to sink in. This ability was eerily reminiscent of the werewolves' extraordinary regeneration.

The exposed lips behind the broken mask spread into a crazy grin as he felt the pain decreasing. Within moments, the damages inflicted by the explosive blast had vanished, leaving no trace apart from the tattered remains of his robes.

"Noticed it, did you?" he chuckled darkly, his voice laced with an almost manic edge, bending his fully regenerated limbs and standing up again. "it seems that my disguise was discovered. "

Lynn tensed, his grip tightening around Flame Edge and Bloody Reaper. His mind raced, piecing together the clues and trying to determine the true nature of the individual before him.

"Are you... a werewolf?" he asked cautiously, his expression hardening. The similarity in the regenerative powers was too strange to ignore. No, they were nearly identical.

Shade let out a bark of laughter, sending shivers down the spine. "Werewolf?" he sneered, his tone dripping with disdain. "How pedestrian. No, my transformation is far more profound than that."

Suddenly, the exposed physique under the torn cloak began shifting and contorting. Lynn watched in a mixture of fascination and horror as the body underwent a grotesque metamorphosis. His limbs elongated, bones cracking and reforming, while a coarse fur sprouted across his skin.

The transformation was rapid, almost explosive in its intensity. In mere moments, the ordinary-looking man had been replaced by a hulking bestial creature—a nightmarish yet seamless blend of human and wolf.

"I am something far greater than a mere werewolf," the transformed Shade growled, his voice deepened and distorted by the change. "I have ascended beyond the limitations of that pathetic form."

Lynn's mind buzzed with thoughts as he took in the sight before him. That was completely different from the usual werewolf - the level of mutation was far more advanced, and its intelligence and self-awareness were superior to the previous feral beasts.