Chapter 793: A Mistake in Self-Perception

Swiftly discarding that inexplicable feeling, Lynn shrugged and opened his skill list.

His gaze landed on that brand-new skill he had just acquired not long ago.

[God's Equation (Beginner)]

[Category]: Skill

[Grade]: Legendary

[Introduction]: A special type of skill, an extremely mystical equation that can be used on any existing object or creature. Once activated, the target can be re-synthesized and reprocessed, allowing the caster to rapidly complete certain high-difficulty refining and repair work. If the corresponding blueprints and formulas exist in the caster's mind, it works wonders for potion refinement and mechanical assembly! However, there is still a certain probability of failed synthesis and processing. Skill Consumption: Strength of various intensities (the higher the Power Level, the greater the success rate).

Staring at this skill he had only obtained by grinding down the Matriarch's Affinity, Lynn fell into thought.

Though he did indeed hold some expectations for this new skill.

Because just hearing the name sounded incredibly imposing.

But based on the introduction, it still didn't seem like a combat skill. Rather, it leaned more toward support and processing.

In other words.

Was this a skill that allowed him to skip the refining process and rapidly manufacture and process things?

Looking at this rough introduction.

The skill should be divided into two parts: [Synthesis] and [Processing]. Synthesis was easier to understand - for example, toss a cat and a Loli in, then ding, and maybe a Cat-Eared Girl would come out. But as for processing, that was more puzzling.

"Is it some kind of enhancement mechanic?"

Lynn wondered in confusion.

For example, on success, a +1 would appear above the head, while on failure, it would shatter or produce something strange?

He had to say.

Compared to the skills he had acquired previously, this one was noticeably more complex and required further research and development.

"Though, this skill might also be usable for repairing my Cursed Eye, who knows..."

Lynn mused.

He had already found his shattered eye piece by piece. He had tried gluing it back together with super glue, but that didn't seem to do a damn thing. And the shattering of his Cursed Eye was indeed a massive weakening for him. Without that eye to release curses, his strength would instantly be knocked right back to square one.

He shook his head, adjusted his Monocle, and his gaze turned serious.

But now was not the time to think about such things.

Right now, he had more important matters to attend to.

"We're here."

The voice of Miss Puppet, who had entered an invisible state beside him, sounded.

Lynn stopped in his tracks, then raised his head, his gaze landing on the words above that rundown building before him.

[Abnormal Creature Containment Center]

"After you passed out, abnormalities quickly appeared here as well. Before Sir Aiwen and the others received the news and sealed the place off, more than a dozen of your Night Doctors had already been affected by the abnormality. Fortunately, those few Roots intervened in time and set up a Barrier here, preventing the influence from spreading outward."

Hei Xianyue explained to him what had happened during the day he had been unconscious.

Lynn's gaze turned serious.

And this was also the reason he hadn't gone to the Matriarch first, but had rushed straight here instead.

Because if the backlash had already manifested on him, then as the Authority itself, the quill would inevitably not be spared either. The backlash it was suffering right now was likely far more severe than his own.

Lynn turned his head, glancing sideways at his companion, and asked:

"Have the people affected here shown any particularly unusual behavior?"

Hei Xianyue's figure flickered faintly beside him, and then he heard her voice.

"There are."

Her body slowly materialized. With slender fingers and a calm expression, she pointed toward a Night Doctor wearing a Plague Doctor Mask who was sitting on the steps in front of the center's gate.

"That one is a more severe case."

Lynn was startled and instinctively looked in the direction she was pointing.

He immediately wore a look of utter confusion.

He looks perfectly normal.

What's so strange about him?

Isn't he just a colleague sitting on the doorstep resting like an old man?

Seeing Lynn's dumbfounded and clueless expression, Hei Xianyue's eyes shifted. She averted her gaze from him, closed her eyes, and said:

"Try greeting him."

Lynn (O_O)?

Is there something weird about that?

He glanced hesitantly at Miss Puppet's beautiful face, then tentatively walked toward the entrance of the Abnormal Creature Center. A fresh and sunny smile spread across his face as he raised a hand to greet the Night Doctor sitting there.

"Hey! Uncle, good morning! (￣▽￣)／ Have you eaten?"

"..."

A brief silence.

Nothing happened.

Lynn stared wide-eyed, then turned and spread his hands toward Hei Xianyue, indicating there was nothing at all.

Hei Xianyue closed her eyes, arms crossed over her chest, and said:

"Get a little closer."

Lynn was completely baffled, but he still followed her instructions and walked a few more steps forward. Seeming to finally notice him, the Night Doctor sitting on the steps suddenly moved and raised his head.

Seeing this, Lynn immediately raised his hand with a (￣▽￣)／ and said:

"Hello there! Uncle, how's your day going—"

"Woof—woof woof!!"

"..."

Under Lynn's rigid gaze, that Night Doctor suddenly dropped to all fours and let out a series of furious, teeth-bared growls in his direction.

A gentle breeze blew through Lynn's hair, and his expression instantly went blank.

His entire body stood frozen like a statue.

But he still attempted to communicate.

"(Stiff smile) Um, what I meant was—"

"(Angry) Woof!! Woof woof woof!! Grr woof! Hisss—!"

"No, wait—Uncle, please calm down. I have no ill intentions. Even though I'm fluent in dog-speak at level ten, I just wanted to—"

"Woof woof woof woof!!"

In an instant, that Night Doctor bared his teeth furiously and charged directly at Lynn on all fours, chasing after the man who stood there trying to communicate with him.

Lynn's hair stood on end.

And when he turned his head again.

Hei Xianyue had already vanished into her invisible state.

"Damn it!!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Lynn spun around and, with a look of panic on his face, sprinted at full speed back the way he came, kicking up dust as the howling Night Doctor chased him all the way out.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

"Woof! Woof woof woof!"

...

A dozen or so minutes later.

Lynn returned to the front of the Abnormal Creature Research Center with a darkened face and dead-fish eyes.

And Hei Xianyue's body slowly materialized once more. Her gaze landed on his face, then with immense confusion and doubt, she turned to look at that Night Doctor who was wagging his rear end, panting with his tongue hanging out as he followed behind Lynn. The way she looked at Lynn turned bizarre as well.

Lynn, with a darkened face, took a bite of the large meat bone in his hand, then held it out for the dog-ified Night Doctor, who excitedly tore off a huge chunk.

He patted the man's head.

Lynn stared with dead-fish eyes and said with displeasure: "So, are you going to explain what the hell this is all about?"

Hei Xianyue's gaze was incredibly strange and doubtful as she watched Lynn's hand rhythmically stroking that Night Doctor's hair. She had no idea what had happened during those dozen or so minutes, but it seemed he had quickly used his remarkable abilities to complete an exceptionally abnormal domestication of this Night Doctor.

Though she didn't know how he did it.

But compared to the Night Doctor, he seemed even more abnormal.

Forcing herself to look away from that hand of his that kept stroking the man's head, she steadied her emotions, tried her best to appear calm, took a deep breath, and said:

"This is one of the more severe symptomatic cases. However, since the level of danger isn't too great, Sir Aiwen temporarily left him here until a solution could be found. And as you can see, after this Night Doctor was attracted here by that special force, his self-cognition seems to have been bizarrely modified. It's left him completely deranged."

"And judging by his external behavior, he seems to think of himself as... a watchdog of this place."

"Woof!! Woof woof awooo (excited)!"

Hei Xianyue opened her eyes, staring blankly at that wicked Lynn, who was waving a big bone up and down to tease the dog-ified Night Doctor.