In Silent Town, under the high-hanging blood moon, the wary eyes of the dark-skinned survivors in front of each fortification held a hint of confusion and bewilderment.

It was already past midnight. Yet the werewolves had still not made an appearance, a truly peculiar occurrence.

During the ascent of the red moon, the werewolves were at their most ferocious. It was inconceivable that they would miss this opportunity to attack. Tonight seemed oddly different.

"Mayor, have those monsters given up? It's so late and they haven't shown up yet. Something's not right!"

The young man with dark skin, holding a shotgun, turned and looked questioningly at the white-haired elder.

The mayor, frowning, holding his staff, gazed solemnly into the darkness beyond the town, "No, they won't give up. Unless they've encountered some unforeseen event, otherwise…"

But before he could finish, they saw shadowy figures eerily materializing from within the depths of the black mist.

"On guard!!"

Almost instantly, everyone snapped into a state of readiness, eyes fixed intently on the thick fog. Drops of cold sweat fell from their foreheads.

They had appeared! As expected! Those damned beasts indeed hadn't thought of sparing them.

Shotguns of silver aimed at the dense black fog.

"Awooo—"

"Awoooo—"

Long, drawn-out howls echoed from the darkness. But upon hearing these howls, everyone was momentarily stunned, exchanging glances.

These howls were completely different from the intimidating ones they had heard before. There was no hint of ferocity or brutality in the sound; instead, it seemed to carry a tinge of grievance.

Like a series of sorrowful and pitiful cries from humiliated, violated young maidens, mourning their tragedies under the red moon.

"Mayor," the young man widened his eyes, "These howls sound... strange…"

The mayor's expression grew grave, he said solemnly, "Don't be deceived by these howls. Those werewolves are full of tricks. This could be another one of their ploys. Stay vigilant!"

The crowd nodded, focusing intently.

Time slowly ticked by.

The shadowy figures in the mist drew closer. Then, in the next moment, they saw a young man emerge from the mist.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh—

Instantly, dozens of shotguns simultaneously aimed at Lynne.

"Wait!" The mayor furrowed his brows sharply. "A human?"

Everyone around showed an expression of astonishment. Despite the different skin color, he was unmistakably a living human. This was inconceivable; since settling here, they had never seen another human being in this world!

Lynne raised his hands with a smile, saying, "Please don't shoot, I am just a passing doctor. I mean you no harm, I am quite friendly."

The people around were dumbfounded, exchanging glances. But their vigilance only heightened.

How could a harmless human suddenly appear in this desolate place? Could it be an illusion?

Lynne, maintaining his friendly expression, said, "Don't be nervous, people of the same kind do not harm each other. You can trust me on this."

The townspeople frowned, still aiming their guns at him, not letting their guard down.

At this moment, the dark-skinned young man suddenly noticed the figures behind Lynne and shouted, "What's behind you?"

Lynne smiled, "Trophies of war."

Saying so, Lynne slowly retracted his tentacles. And in the next moment, when the people in the town saw the figures slowly emerging from the mist, their faces showed horror and shock.

"It's those monsters! The werewolves!"

"Fire!"

With a loud shout,

Bang—

Bang—

Bullets made of silver rapidly fired towards Lynne and his companions.

However, Lynne instantly recognized that they were using very old flintlock guns, which couldn't compare to modern firearms in either speed or power.

In a flash, he drew the Nightfiend Blade.

Clang—

Clang—

Sparks flew as the bullets collided with the blade. Lynne intercepted the silver bullets with dizzying speed using the flat of his blade.

Seeing this spectacle, everyone who fired was astonished. His dazzling swordsmanship created a dark curtain of steel, not a single bullet penetrating his defense.

Elegant and magnificent. Dominant and enchanting.

Hum—

In an instant, the Nightfiend Blade pointed towards the ground, gleaming brightly. Everyone was overwhelmed by this commanding presence.

Lynne's lips curled into a smile.

"Everyone, please calm down."

The people around, with mouths agape, unconsciously lowered their guns, staring at Lynne. They had never seen such a display before.

Lynne looked up, adjusting his monocle, and smiled slightly, "Can we talk now? After all, peace is preferable, don't you think?"

Z z z—

Left Hand, stunned, looked at her bleeding body and then at the smiling Lynne. She tentatively put a finger on a bleeding bullet hole.

Z z z—

Blocking one side caused another to burst open. Left Hand (ΩДΩ) hurriedly stretched out her fingers, but a hand only had five fingers, and she couldn't block them all.

Lynne, smiling as if oblivious to his bleeding body, said, "Don't be afraid, these werewolves are all my captives. You can send someone to check. In their current state, they're hardly capable of harming anyone."

Upon hearing this, several sharp-eyed youngsters immediately noticed. The werewolves behind the human were all entangled with crimson tentacles, each looking more debilitated than the last as if struck by a severe illness.

Some werewolves had even lost all their fur. And there was more. Their bodies seemed to emit an indescribable scent. All the townspeople exchanged glances.

"Mayor…" The dark-skinned youth looked for guidance, astonished.

The mayor, gazing solemnly at the debilitated werewolves, signaled a priest to step forward and inspect them. The priest cautiously observed the werewolves' condition, then turned and hesitantly said, "Mayor… they all seem to be suffering from some serious illness…"

At this, everyone in the town was stunned, all eyes falling on the handsome, smiling young man.

...

Minutes passed. In the town square.

Dozens of humans and dwarves, armed with shotguns, encircled the bound werewolves with vigilant and solemn expressions, preventing any sudden violent outbreaks. The square was brilliantly illuminated by torches.

On the other side, at an open-air table, several priests and gunmen stood behind the mayor, warily eyeing the amiable, smiling young man opposite them.

The mayor stroked his white beard, looking hesitantly at Lynne across from him, and said: "You mean to say, all these werewolves were subdued by one person?"

Lynne adjusted his glasses with a smile, replying, "Ah, it was a piece of cake. I was simply walking along when suddenly I was ambushed. Out of necessity, I had to defend myself."

A priest glanced at Lynne and quickly approached the elder, whispering: "I've just examined them. Each of the werewolves is afflicted with various ailments, all in a weakened state, incapable of combat. And more so…" He lowered his voice further. "Judging by their reactions, they are all extremely fearful of this man. It seems like their conditions were all caused by him."

Upon hearing this, the mayor's face took on a grave expression.

Almost instantly, a dreadful name came to mind.

[Plague Doctor]

If the Night Doctor represented the extreme ideology of eradicating all diseases from the creatures of this world, then their antithesis would be the Plague Doctor. They are a mysterious group, dedicated to spreading plagues and curses across worlds. Wherever they appear, terrible epidemics and curses follow. A group of extremely chaotic and evil distorters.

Could it be…

The mayor glanced unconsciously at the young man sitting opposite, his heart fluttering as he saw that warm smile.

"May I ask…" the mayor began tentatively, "Are you…"

Lynne introduced himself with a smile, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lynne, a doctor. I came here seeking knowledge, as I heard that the Night Doctor often frequents this area, so I especially came to visit."

Lynne was exceedingly polite. But upon hearing his words, the mayor and the surrounding people's expressions changed dramatically.

Night Doctor? He came looking for those madmen? What a joke!

Seeing their expressions, Lynne adjusted his glasses and said with a beaming smile, "I've heard that the Night Doctor is the most skilled medical group in this world, and I've long admired them. However, I've had some trouble finding a way to contact them, which is a bit troubling. Do you know where I can find the Night Doctor?"

Lynne was the epitome of politeness, akin to a gentleman.

And before him, the mayor's panel appeared.

[Mayor of Silent Town: Carmen]

[Level: 80]

[Race: Human]

[Alignment: Lawful Good]

[Combat Ability: Extremely strong divine powers (aged)]

[Introduction: One of the accompanying priests of the Holy World Expeditionary Army. After the army disbanded, he led some followers through various parts of the Dark World, eventually establishing Silent Town in the Cursed Lands. Accidentally acquiring a holy relic, he has since been seeking a way back to his own world...]

The elder named Carmen steadied his thoughts, looking deeply at Lynne, and said: "Firstly, thank you for subduing these wolves that invaded us. I can see that you're not a person of evil. However, if you seek to contact them for advanced medical knowledge... I would advise you to abandon this idea as soon as possible, for those people are far from friendly."

Upon hearing this, Lynne immediately leaned in, earnestly asking, "So, you know where they are?"

The elder furrowed his brows, clearly reluctant to answer. Finally, he shook his head, saying: "No, I don't know. But our town is indeed within their area of activity! Every time the Blood Moon descends, after the wolves attack us, one or two Night Doctors often appear in the town, treating the werewolf curse for us."

Lynne, surprised, asked, "For free?"

The elder was taken aback, responding, "Uh... yes, for free."

Lynne mused to himself, "That generous, huh…"

At these words, a dark-skinned young man behind the elder became visibly agitated. He slammed the table, exclaiming: "What generosity! What a joke! They're all madmen, claiming to treat you but actually tormenting you, they… they…"

Lynne looked towards the young man. He immediately noticed the sinister stitch marks crawling across his dark skin.

The young man, distressed, looked at his hands, saying: "They cut me open. I escaped the werewolf curse, but they turned me into this stitched-up monster, and they dared claim I was cured... I... I..."

The elder inhaled deeply, signaling him to step back. He looked solemnly at Lynne, saying: "He is the son of my old friend. During the last Blood Moon, he was infected by a werewolf's curse. The Night Doctor helped erase the curse's effects, but in doing so, they transformed him into this unrecognizable state."

He shook his head, adding, "He harbors no fondness for the Night Doctor, so please understand."

Lynne quickly noticed something. Among the surrounding humans and dwarves, more than one was covered in stitch marks. Clearly, they had all undergone the "healing" of the Night Doctor.

Lynne pondered for a moment, then his lips curved into a slight smile, saying, "I see."

He stood up, a calm smile on his face, and adjusted his monocle, which reflected a glint of light.

"Here's the thing, as you can see, I am a doctor, and I happen to have considerable expertise in cosmetic procedures. If you don't mind, I can help remove the scars from your body. How about it?"

At these words, everyone's faces were filled with astonishment. Especially the young man, who suddenly looked up, his breathing becoming rapid. Those grotesque stitch marks had troubled him for a long time. He had even tried to remove them himself. But removing even a little bit caused his flesh to separate as if losing the ability to heal, which was terrifying.

"You... you mean…" the young man trembled.

Lynne smiled, "Yes, I am an excellent surgeon."

…

A few minutes later, inside a house in the town.

[Ding! You have triggered a quest: Special Stitch Removal. Reward: 500 Skull Coins, 500 Experience, Townspeople's Favorability +30]

Mayor Carmen looked gravely at Lynne, who was confidently donning a white coat, and then at the young man beside him, breathing rapidly, and voiced his concern: "Doctor, are you sure you can restore Karen to normal? These wounds are very special. If you rashly remove the stitches, he might turn back into a pile of flesh."

Lynne adjusted his monocle, smiling confidently: "Rest assured, I am a professional."