The Monastery

In Lynch’s vision, a blood-red full moon appeared out of nowhere in the dark night sky, piercing through the hazy red fog and casting its crimson moonlight onto his shoulders.

The moment he was bathed in the moonlight, Lynch’s chaotic heart, filled with fear, doubt, unease, and hesitation, miraculously settled.

“Heh…”

As if sensing the change in Lynch’s emotions, a familiar soft chuckle echoed in his consciousness. Within the laughter, the crimson moonlight seemed to grow even gentler.

‘Grandma, you’re like my own sister, don’t scare me like that. Where did you suddenly run off to?’ Lynch abruptly stopped in the middle of the road, protesting loudly in his mind. ‘I thought this place had blocked you out, and I was so worried for ages.’

“I told you, I am always here,” the gentle voice said faintly, as if stating an undeniable truth. “My word is truth. No one can block my will within your soul, not even the domain of another Supreme being.”

‘But you just…’

“I was always here, but did you truly believe it?”

Lynch’s mouth twitched. He had understood Lady Luna’s unspoken meaning: ‘I am with you’ and ‘you believe I am with you’ were two different concepts. No one could block her connection to him, but when he himself doubted it, his own perception might not accept that reality. Just now, his uneasy heart had probably produced a strong longing, breaking through the confusion in his mind and allowing the crimson moonlight to continue shining upon him in this world.

‘Tsk, is this what this world calls faith?’

“No, it’s merely trust.”

‘Heh, I understand. So, it’s settled then, you’re always here.’ Lynch chuckled in his imagination. ‘So, you just said this is the domain of another Supreme being?’

“Not exactly. You cannot directly face a Supreme being yet. This place is merely somewhat similar, a fantasy created by a certain evil god…”

The gentle voice didn't continue. Lynch waited for a moment, realized something, and nodded. ‘I understand. I’ll find the answers to the rest myself. You can just continue peeking at my journey.’

“Mm, I wish you a pleasant journey, Lynch.”

When he withdrew his gaze from the night sky, the confusion and unease in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a calm, composed smile. He casually adjusted his top hat and walked straight to knock on the monastery’s door.

William and his group went to great lengths to connect to this place and interact with the evil god here, indicating that the two sides were not one entity, but at most a cooperative relationship. If Lynch intruded into the evil god’s world, the chances of deceiving them were very low. However, the evil god hadn't notified Walker and the other man who just left, implying that its attitude was profound.

Given this, instead of sneaking around like an idiot and letting the evil god enjoy the show, it was better to kick the door open directly.

I’m not mindlessly kicking doors and rushing in; I’m… rushing in after careful consideration.

Just rush it.

Lynch directly knocked the door knocker. Hearing the light footsteps approaching, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves, then stepped back two paces to survey everything before him.

The world after his transmigration didn't have the concept of an Eastern nation, but these buildings unexpectedly incorporated some Eastern styles, giving Lynch the feeling of a certain metropolis from over a hundred years ago in his previous life. As the door opened, this feeling intensified.

Inside was likely the beautiful young lady who had seen Walker and his companion out.

Even with a fan covering half her face, she was still clearly very beautiful, with a graceful figure, wearing a form-fitting, qipao-like long dress. As she walked, her figure swayed, making it hard to look away.

Seeing Lynch, the young lady paused for a moment, then revealed a very professional smile. She naturally took Lynch’s hand and, with practiced ease, pulled him inside the monastery.

“It’s your first time here, isn’t it, guest? Please come in. Tonight, I’ll make sure you get a good relaxation.”

???

Lynch was a bit bewildered. The vibe was all wrong. Was this really a place for decent people? What was going on? Encountering a place like this in such an eerie location was a bit too bizarre.

Let go of me! I’m not a guest. Miss Valente and Officer Natalie are waiting for me to return. I don’t want to relax. I’m a respectable person, let go of me!

Wait, I must be under psychic control. How did I just walk in? I’m a respectable person, I can withstand any test, don’t pull me, my legs are moving on their own, I… Holy hell.

His mind was putting on a dramatic show. Lynch looked down, then looked up again. When he saw the young lady once more, he abruptly stumbled back, his legs turning to jelly, almost letting out a gasp.

What the hell is that?

The qipao-clad young lady, who had just been enchantingly beautiful and alluring, suddenly doubled in size. Her body became bloated and swollen, taking on a grotesque mass-like appearance. Her skin was stretched and cracked in many places, constantly oozing grayish-white viscous liquid. Over a dozen tentacles extended from behind her swollen body, writhing and coiling in the air. Putrid-smelling liquid dripped from the tentacles, vaporizing into plumes of red fog as it hit the ground.

Her body was still that alluring girl’s, but it was enveloped by a bizarre phantom. Lynch had seen monsters before, but never such a stark contrast between beauty and ugliness. Moreover, the previous monsters had kept their distance from him. This thing wasn’t just up close; it was holding his hand, its icy tentacles smeared directly on his cheek, making Lynch nearly gag on the spot.

“Hm?”

The alluring young lady’s cold gaze swept over Lynch’s face. Cold sweat broke out on Lynch’s back. He pretended not to see, as he usually would, but he had been startled earlier, and his reaction was a bit too strong. He hoped she was blind and hadn't noticed.

“Oh, foreign guest, did you see that…?” The voice, sweet and seductive to the bone, held a hint of playfulness, yet Lynch felt a prickle of unease. “So, do you still want to come in and relax?”

Relax my ass, I’d probably be relaxing forever.

However, the monster girl’s words stirred something in Lynch. Her attitude was somewhat ambiguous, seeming open to communication. Perhaps he could really try… Lynch cautiously turned his gaze back to her. After all, he had experienced so many mystery contacts that his psychological endurance was far beyond what it had been when he first transmigrated. This level of mystery impact, I… gag.

With one glance, he saw the putrid, oozing tentacles tied into a bow right before his eyes. Lynch immediately and expressionlessly averted his gaze again. “Whether I go in or not can wait. Can you please put on a normal appearance, or I’ll truly 'relax' completely.”

“You can’t blame me for that, guest. It’s your own eyes that aren’t well-behaved, and I can’t do anything about it, so I can only let you see me completely,” the young lady said mournfully, covering her chest. If not for the phantom outside her, it would have been quite suggestive, but as it was, “Or, if the guest truly doesn’t want to see, I can help you pluck out your eyes, and then you won’t see anything.”

“Never mind, that method is a bit too thorough.”

Lynch lowered his gaze, avoiding the anomaly, and had silently made up his mind.

Although the other party was a monster, since she showed a tendency to communicate, he might as well try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. After all, this was his only chance to escape this world or understand the origin of the events, so he had to seize any glimmer of hope.

“Hehe, as expected of an outsider, guest, you’re truly brave. Your arms are trembling, but your words are still so stubborn, heehee. You look quite delicious. If you want to solve your problem, come on in with me.”

The other party thoughtfully moved the tentacle phantom away from Lynch’s face, which touched Lynch for a moment. But could she please stop holding his arm? She knew he was trembling, yet she still held on. Her malice was too obvious.

Unfortunately, though his mind resisted, his body was honest. He followed the young lady into the monastery, and upon entering, saw a hall resembling a bar.

Inside, many sofas were arranged, with male guests sitting on them, surrounded by several ‘qipao’ girls. They leaned close to the men, bringing wine glasses to their lips. In the center of the hall, several other girls swayed their hips on a stage, making the atmosphere quite seductive.

However, from another perspective, these were all bloated monsters. Each one had several tentacles extending from their backs, inserting into the men’s heads from behind, as if sucking something from within them. Yet the men weren’t dead; they merely looked intoxicated and lost in ecstasy.

“They won’t die, at least not in the short term. And once they’ve experienced it, they’ll never forget it. Guest, are you truly not going to relax?”

Seeing Lynch’s unyielding refusal, the young lady sighed regretfully. She pulled Lynch into a dark corner, then abruptly dropped her smile and said coldly:

“In that case, I presume you, like those two outsiders just now, are here to see Eldest Sister.”

Who knows who your Eldest Sister is? But Lynch, with a quick thought, immediately realized this was a helpful hint from her, so he nodded.

“If you want to see her, help us with something first. Once it’s done, we’ll let you meet her.”

“Wait,” Lynch finally calmed his mind and looked directly at the swollen phantom, asking, “Although I don’t understand the situation here, theoretically, you shouldn’t need us outsiders to do things, right?”

“Eldest Sister is omnipotent, not us individuals.”

“Can’t you tell me the situation here first? It would make it easier for me to help you.”

“You’ll know once it’s done, but not now,” the monster girl asked with a faint smile. “So, what do you say? Want to give it a try?”

Lynch, whose interest had been piqued, thought for a moment and nodded. “Alright, what do you need me to do?”

“Deal with a few people,” the monster girl said with a cold smile. “A few people who have perceived the truth of this world.”