The Twisted One

The change happened too quickly. Before their consciousness could even react, everything had already transpired.

Mr. Klin's expression froze into an eerie and hideous smile. Then, a gunshot rang out, and his head exploded like a rotten melon. Blood and brains, mixed with shattered bone, sprayed backward. The sticky mixture of solid and liquid coated the pristine white wall behind him like an abstract painting. Slowly, the viscous fluid began to drip down the wall, dragging thin, crimson streaks across the surface.

The headless body lost its strength and slumped into the chair. The head tilted back, eyes wide open, staring fixedly at the ceiling, as if wondering what had been on his mind in that final moment.

Lynch’s face turned deathly pale. His mind went blank, and he felt a bone-chilling cold, as if he had been transported back to that very first night, forced to confront those gruesome deaths once again.

Under the assault of the mysterious filth, his body trembled involuntarily. Fear and pressure gnawed at his will, urging his reason to flee.

However, his will soon resisted the corruption. Calmness and clarity regained control of his brain, much faster than when he had first seen the corpse of Drunken Peter.

Yet, the next moment, Officer Natalie’s expression shifted. She spun around, grabbed Lynch, and shielded him with her body while pointing her sword toward the door.

【Authority, Protection, Ability, Escape.】

Her speed erupted. Just as she began to move, a violent roar erupted from the corpse behind them. A massive shockwave surged from behind, propelling them forward and slamming them heavily against the wall outside the office.

Pressed tightly together against the wall, trapped between the masonry and each other, Lynch felt his chest tighten, nearly spitting blood.

But looking up, he saw Officer Natalie’s face was also pale, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.

She’s hurt. To protect me, I must protect her too.

Lynch gritted his teeth and dragged the officer behind him, using his own body to block the office door.

The next moment, a sharp screech rang out. Lynch felt as if he were being watched by something malicious, hearing the very breath of death. Just as the screech reached its most piercing intensity, his soul jolted. A sudden realization welled up within him, and his body moved instinctively, raising his cane to block the front.

【Authority, Death, Ability, Death Omen.】

Bang! A tremendous force hit his wrist, nearly sending the cane flying. A muffled thud followed as the immense power was deflected by the cane, slamming into the thick brick wall and leaving a deep crater. Then, with a 'whoosh,' it retracted at high speed, too fast for Lynch to see what it was.

But he did see what was inside the office. It was the headless Mr. Klin.

Four eerie tentacles burst from Klin's neck, seemingly replacing his head. They whipped through the air with lifelike flexibility. The tips of the tentacles were tipped with blade-like keratin, creating four swirling edges that whistled through the air, carving deep gashes into the walls.

The headless body’s clothes and skin had long since burst open, revealing raw, crimson muscle beneath. These muscle fibers swelled and thickened, making the corpse grow several times in size. His hands and feet, in particular, had bloated into massive claws, with razor-sharp talons glinting under the gaslight.

Lynch felt his skin crawl, realizing that the thing that had almost pierced him just moments ago were those eerie tentacles. I must... holy hell.

In the blink of an eye, the monster vanished from his field of vision. Then, the screech sounded again. The attack was so fast his brain couldn't react, and the Death Omen he had just manifested remained silent. Just as the tentacle-blade was about to strike, a familiar sword emerged from behind. With a harsh clang of metal, the incoming tentacle was forced back.

As it was deflected, Lynch felt his waist tighten. He was pulled into a powerful embrace, and the two of them rolled along the base of the wall, moving several meters away from the office front. The officer then smashed the sealed glass on the wall with her fist and pulled a red lever.

Ding-a-ling.

The bell echoed, sharp and rhythmic. The sound instantly created a sense of suffocating urgency, tightening the nerves and accelerating the heartbeat.

Bang, bang, bang.

Simultaneously, heavy iron doors slammed down, sealing off all doors and windows of the archives, leaving only a long, dim corridor. However, just before the iron door to Klin’s office fell, a red shadow flickered, and a wave of blood-scent washed over them.

The iron door hadn't sealed the monster inside the office.

“Hide.”

Amidst the dense sound of gears colliding within the walls, the officer released Lynch’s waist.

“Too strong, too fast. You can’t handle this.”

As she spoke, the officer kicked Lynch’s thigh. As he rolled to one side, she used the momentum to roll in the opposite direction, forcing them to separate quickly.

Bang! The bladed tentacles struck again at a speed beyond visual perception, embedding deep into the wall. The screech of tearing air only arrived after the impact occurred.

“A man shouldn't say he can't.”

Throwing that taunt over his shoulder, Lynch vanished while rolling. It seemed his body was quite honest. The officer breathed a sigh of relief, drew her sword, and slashed at the empty space beside her.

The monster lunged toward the officer, its claws swiping at Natalie’s waist, the long nails threatening to cut her in two. Her sword caught the massive claw just in time.

It felt like striking cured leather.

This was the first time Lynch had ever seen the officer’s blade fail to sever a target. The deflected claw gouged the wall, leaving four horrifying scratches. The officer staggered back from the recoil, shouting loudly: “This is Klin! He’s twisted! Be careful, hold on for thirty seconds until backup arrives!”

In the span of a single sentence, the sound of metal clashing rang out four times. The monster’s speed was like teleportation, flickering around Officer Natalie. Her expression was tight, her sword’s silver light spiraling around her. She had abandoned all offense, keeping her blade in the shortest possible path to intercept the tentacles and claws, blocking every strike by the narrowest of margins.

With four consecutive collisions, the officer was pushed back by the immense force each time. After the fourth, her back slammed heavily against the wall.

Then, the fifth came.

This time, the two front claws overlapped, cutting down with massive force.

Officer Natalie’s expression changed. She shifted to a two-handed grip, meeting the claws head-on. With a spray of sparks, the claws and the sword locked in the air. Monster and officer fell into a momentary deadlock.

It finally stopped, if only for an instant.

At that very moment, a revolver suddenly manifested behind the twisted one, its muzzle pressed almost against the skinless back.

“Hi.”