Time sluggishly ticked by, and the entire town was shrouded in white fog. A silence akin to death enveloped the area. It was then that those hiding inside the house suddenly heard faint, disturbing sounds from not far outside – a series of slicing noises.

Spurt— Spurt—

It was as if someone was methodically dismembering a body with a knife.

The werewolves who had taken refuge inside the house stiffened, their eyes trembling, holding their breath, afraid to make a move. They most likely knew those sounds must belong to werewolves who hadn't managed to hide in time and were now being "treated" by the Night Doctors. Their comrades. But they dared not make a sound nor did they dare rush out.

The Night Doctors' methods of treatment were notoriously rapid and violent. In mere minutes, they could dissect a body completely and then reassemble it.

"Hold your breath, they're here!"

The mayor urgently warned. Everyone in the house covered their mouths and noses, trembling against the walls.

Outside.

Slow, mysterious footsteps approached. The shadow of a beak-masked figure slowly crept across the window, casting a reflection inside the house.

Thump— Thump—

The room was so quiet that only the sound of their pounding hearts could be heard. They all felt the presence of the Night Doctor, just a wall's distance away, outside the window.

Evidently, the werewolves who hadn't managed to find shelter in time had been "treated" by the Night Doctor. And Lynne, pressed against the corner, clutching his wildly beating heart, tried to control his fluctuating emotions. While others were afraid, he was exhilarated.

Gradually, as they waited in trepidation, the long shadow cast from outside the window moved slowly and then disappeared from their sight. Everyone in the room couldn't help but exhale in relief. But just as they began to relax,

Knock— Knock— Knock—

Three slow, rhythmic knocks echoed from the direction of the door. Once again, everyone's hearts leaped to their throats.

Right outside! The Night Doctor was right outside the door!

Silence enveloped the room as everyone held their breath, daring not to utter a word.

After the knocking, an eerie silence fell outside again.

Gradually, they heard the sound of footsteps receding.

Only when the footsteps had faded did one of the werewolves leaning against the opposite wall, trembling, clutch his chest and say: "That Night Doctor... didn't... didn't find us?"

But just as he finished speaking,

Buzz—

A hand wearing black leather gloves suddenly appeared like a phantom above his shoulder from the wall and clutched his cheek.

Crash—

The werewolf let out a terrified scream. Before he could react, he was yanked through the wall like a ghost by that hand. Everyone in the room's face changed dramatically.

"This is bad!"

Spurt— Spurt—

Sounds of chopping and slicing soon came from the other side of the wall, accompanied by the werewolf's sharp screams, intensely agitating everyone present.

At that moment, the remaining two werewolves, less affected by the fog, lost their sanity. They scrambled up, pushed open the door, and rushed into the white mist in panic.

"Run! Run!"

But clearly, fear led them to a grave mistake. Just a few steps outside, they heard thuds as bodies hit the ground. The mayor immediately rushed over, clenched his teeth, and slammed the door shut. Without another word, he took out the venomous slime and poured it into his mouth.

"Quick! They've found us, drink the potion now!"

The guards, pale-faced, hurriedly took out their potions to drink, But one of them trembled, and the potion slipped from his hand, spilling on the floor, the black slime quickly evaporating.

Buzz—

His mind went blank. But his excellent reflexes led him to a decision; he clenched his teeth, drew his knife, and stabbed his own chest several times.

Lynne: "!!!"

A ruthless man! This was definitely an act of utter ruthlessness! Almost at the moment, he stabbed himself, the sounds of cutting and stitching outside ceased.

The room was suffocating. Then slowly, a hand crept into the room from the wall.

As everyone watched in trembling silence, a tall figure dressed in black leather, wearing a high top hat and a beak mask, eerily stepped through the wall into their midst.

The appearance of the figure brought a flurry of alerts about rapidly dropping sanity levels. Lynne finally got a clear view of the figure, and the system immediately provided an introduction.

[Night Doctor: Executor]

[Race: Stitches]

[Alignment: Lawful Good (?)]

[Level: ???]

[Combat Ability: Night Doctors prefer not to engage in combat.]

[Introduction: A group of doctors who wander in the darkness, dedicated to relieving the suffering of all beings in the Dark World. They protect, heal, and redeem. They are enemies of plagues and curses, embodiments of kindness and love, and are exceptional surgeons. They will cure all your ailments...]

Lynne was astounded. The beak-masked Executor scanned everyone present, spreading a sinister aura. His gaze then settled on the mayor and the guards, who had ingested the poison.

"Mistreating your own body is a sin. You make me feel shame and anger on your behalf, but I will still heal your wounds."

A soothing voice came from behind the beak mask. He floated towards the pale-faced mayor, extending a sharp finger to prick the mayor's stomach.

Spurt—

The sound of flesh being pierced.

The mayor trembled violently, gripping his staff tightly. But it was visible that the black aura on his face was slowly being drawn towards his stomach, where strands of black slime clung to the Night Doctor's finger, being extracted from his body.

"Pain is a good medicine; it keeps you alert."

With the last strand of black aura drawn out, the blackness on the mayor's face finally faded away.

Witnessing this, Lynne quickly took out a notebook and began furiously jotting down notes.

Impressive! Just a simple prick and the poison is effortlessly removed from the body. Is this the method of the Night Doctors?

"Th... thank you!"

The mayor managed to move his throat. The beak-masked Executor withdrew his finger, the mirror surface of the mask reflecting the mayor's bleeding stomach.

Sizzle—

No one saw how he moved his hand. With a flick of his finger, the mayor's chest and abdomen clothes were precisely sliced open.

[叮！Mayor Carmen's Sanity -10]

[叮！Mayor Carmen's Sanity -10]

Under his pale and trembling gaze, the Night Doctor produced a sharp needle and thread. With a dazzling speed, he quickly sewed up the mayor's stomach wound.

Only after the stitching was completed did the mayor finally relax, his trembling subsiding.

"Your body is protected by divine power; the darkness of the curse has not tainted your soul. You are pure and unblemished."

The Night Doctor then extended a hand to lightly touch the mayor's shoulders and chest, expressing respect.

Elegant yet terrifying.

The mayor, pale, said, "May the Lord bless you, Amen."

"Amen."

The Night Doctor, without lingering, turned his head and used the same technique to heal another guard who had ingested the poison.

Then, his gaze fell upon the warrior who had stabbed himself several times.

"You fear me? So you harm your own body? I despise your actions, but I will still heal you, not just your knife wounds."

The Night Doctor crouched in front of the trembling guard, extending his sharp nails to touch the guard's forehead.

"Your wounds are evident, but beyond that, there is a latent tumor in your skull. It makes you tired and irritable. You were once wounded by a werewolf, and the curse has begun to spread in your body, though you have yet to realize it."

At this revelation, the guard was visibly shocked.

"You are ill and need healing."

Zzz—

Before the guard could respond, the Night Doctor's finger began piercing into his skull, blood gushing out profusely.

A scream of extreme agony filled the room. But then, a white mist sprayed from beneath the beak mask of the Night Doctor, quickly quieting him down.

"Pain is proof of your life. Embrace it, and you will be healed."

As those around watched in horror, the Night Doctor's finger made a swift motion, opening the guard's skull from the forehead.

Steam rose from the exposed brain.

With deft movements, the Night Doctor located and excised the small tumor and then applied a potion to aid healing. The whole process was smooth and precise, a perfect craniotomy without any unnecessary steps.

Lynne was astonished.

Perfect! Exceptional! Flawless!

Indeed, his teacher was right. The Night Doctors were the most skilled medical group in the Dark World.

He didn't even use a knife. Just a few intricate steps and a perfect craniotomy were completed!

Click-Click—

The skull was slowly closed up. Silver-white threads, like tiny mites, intricately spread across the scalp, perfectly stitching the skull back together.

Then, the Night Doctor's gaze fell on the guard's right leg.

Sizzle—

With a flick of his finger, the guard's pant leg and shoe were split in half, revealing dense black wolf fur.

Seeing this, the mayor's expression also drastically changed.

"The curse has not fully spread. The divine power in your body has restrained the werewolf curse from further invading, but the Dark World has already marked you with calamity. You need healing."

With a flash of blood, the guard's left leg was severed in an instant. A scream that seemed to pierce the heavens echoed.

Under the horrified gaze of everyone present, the wolf fur on his left foot was swiftly removed, revealing a festering wound on the top of his foot, clearly the site of the curse's infection.

Swiftly, the Night Doctor excised the festering wound. With sharp fingers, he rapidly inscribed an intricate rune on the wound. As the rune pulsed, it merged into the injury.

Astonishingly, the deformed foot transformed back into a human foot. But then, a terrifying scene unfolded.

The Night Doctor pulled out a surgical scalpel and, before everyone's eyes, methodically dissected the foot into pieces.

Sanity levels plummeted among the onlookers.

Lynne watched as the Night Doctor took out a bottle of white, bone-like liquid and evenly applied it to each piece of severed flesh and bone.

[The Mercy of the Self-Binding Angel]!

Lynne recognized the epic potion at a glance.

Then, under the rapid stitching of the Night Doctor, the left foot was completely restored through suturing.

Though it seemed excessive, it evidently had something to do with the curse mark mentioned by the Night Doctor.

"You are healed."

The beak mask's mirrored surface calmly reflected the guard's pale face.

Then, he turned his head, his gaze falling on Lynne, who appeared somewhat out of place among the rest. Their eyes met.

"…"

"…"

A moment of silence.

"A colleague?" The Night Doctor asked hesitantly.

Lynne adjusted his monocle and replied with a polite smile, "A colleague."

The Night Doctor said nothing but slowly extended a sharp finger, pressing it against Lynne's pulse.

In an instant, his finger trembled slightly. Then he looked deeply at Lynne and said, "Fellow, you are quite ill."

Lynne responded seriously, with a smile, "How so?"

The Night Doctor frowned and said, "Your body has undergone abnormal severe mutations. Your left hand has developed a mysterious consciousness, your flesh and genes are extremely twisted, you show severe symptoms from excessive drug use, your body has been extensively modified, your heart isn't originally yours, there's an unusual curse within you, and even some mental instability..."

Deeply looking at Lynne, he added, "Even traces of evil spirits linger on your xxxx!"

The revelation sent shockwaves through everyone in the room, all staring in disbelief at the smiling Lynne.

The Night Doctor narrowed his eyes: "You're the first patient I've encountered who has managed to combine mutations, curses, evil spirits, parasites, and flesh modifications into one body. You are not just ill... You are a personification of the disease itself."

Lynne closed his eyes.

"Thank you for the compliment. Receiving such a professional analysis from a Night Doctor is truly an honor." Then, opening his eyes and smiling, he said, "I'm aware of the Night Doctors' code of conduct. Frankly, I came here seeking the opportunity to join you."

Hearing this, the mayor and others behind him trembled.

He actually said it! Did he not lose his resolve after witnessing the Night Doctor's terrifying 'treatment'?

The Night Doctor looked at him calmly and indifferently: "Oh? What skills do you possess that make you think you can join us?"

Lynne raised his head, smiling, "I can learn other skills, but there is one in particular where I believe I am not inferior to you. In fact, I might even surpass you."

He adjusted his monocle, his smile confident and polite.

The Night Doctor, eyes narrowed, the reflection of Lynne's face in his mask's lenses, asked, "Oh? And what might that be?"

Lynne replied with a smile, "Diagnostic ability."

A hush fell over the room. Everyone held their breath, looking in stunned silence at the young man daring to challenge the Night Doctor.

After a long moment, the Night Doctor narrowed his eyes and said, "Diagnosis? Are you joking?"

Lynne replied, still smiling, "No, I'm not joking. In fact, when you touched my wrist earlier, I diagnosed several ailments in you, and they are not few. You are as ill as I am."

The Night Doctor felt a surge of insult and anger but didn't show it.

Instead, he slowly sat down cross-legged in front of Lynne, his eyes still narrowed.

"Is that so? I'm intrigued. My equipment perfectly isolates me from the external world. I'm curious to hear how you managed to diagnose me and what illnesses you think I have."

His gaze became slightly menacing.

Lynne, with a slight smirk, replied, "My method of diagnosis is quite straightforward. As long as we have made contact, and I am willing, I can identify all the illnesses you carry."

At this, a scoff came from beneath the Night Doctor's mask, clearly finding Lynne's claim absurd.

"Don't rush. Let's start with something minor."

Lynne picked up his notebook and began writing rapidly with a feather pen.

"Have you felt any gastrointestinal discomfort recently?"