I'm Doomed

Ever since he had been dug out by the two ladies on June 20, Lynch had kept himself cooped up in his room.

On one hand, he had risked his life to set a trap for the doctor at the very end, and though he had been saved by Blood's Temptation, he still needed a period of recuperation.

But more importantly, on the other hand, the side effects of using Blood's Temptation three times in a row were extremely severe; he felt like taking a bite out of everyone he saw, looking just like those junkies in the movies. This was a textbook case of bloodlust. If he failed to control himself and consumed blood, his mind would quickly collapse, turning him into a bloodthirsty madman before ultimately twisting him into a monster.

So he had simply locked himself away for a few days, refusing to see anyone, with Mrs. Maggie leaving his food at his doorstep every day. After enduring this for five days, the temptation of blood finally began to fade, and he was finally able to see other people today.

Mrs. Maggie was as charming as ever, her cascading blonde hair covered by a veil, her slender figure wrapped in a simple long dress. With her every movement, glimpses of her skin peeked through the gaps in her clothes, so fair it was almost dazzling, making one's heart flutter.

After handing the letters to Lynch, she set about tidying up his living room with practiced ease. The beautiful, mature lady moved about like a happy little bee, humming an unfamiliar tune, completely indifferent to how her form-fitting dress accentuated her exquisite curves.

Honestly, don't think you can tempt me like this. I'm a transmigrator who has watched countless movies; my mind is as still as water before a scene like this.

The detective, whose mind was supposedly as still as water, wiped the corner of his mouth, forced his glazed eyes away, and ignored the chuckle from his neighbor. But when he turned his head, he saw another shiny golden head leaning in close next to him, looking first at Lynch, then at her mother, wearing a bizarre, meaningful smile.

You precocious little brat, stop letting your imagination run wild.

He smacked the back of the little brat's head with a light slap, then opened the letter from the Governor's Mansion under Martha's aggrieved gaze, which made her look like a little squirrel.

Huh, he had actually miscalculated.

He had thought Duke Vane's letter would be to reward him for his services, yet there wasn't a single mention of it.

On second thought, that made sense. He had played a major role in the entire affair, and since his investigation report hadn't been submitted yet, it was impossible to distribute rewards.

They were probably all waiting for this report right now. It looked like he would have to make a trip to the Church of the Black Night in a bit to deliver it himself.

What truly surprised Lynch was the actual content of the letter. It stated that the Governor's Mansion would be hosting a ball in a few days, which they hoped Lynch would attend, as they wanted to introduce a friend to him.

Who could it be?

Lynch scratched his head. Appearing at this specific juncture, and with the Duke taking the initiative to write and inform him... Hiss, I get it. The King was probably alarmed by this incident, so someone from Norin must be coming.

This was a good thing. Let's see what kind of surprise they had prepared for him.

In a great mood, Lynch placed this letter together with Mr. Black Spider's message from that night.

Lynch didn't worry too much about whatever conspiracy Mr. Black Spider was hatching. Since the man had said everything had already begun and Lynch would see the results soon enough, worrying now would do no good. He could only remain vigilant at all times, observe any suspicious signs, and try his best to discover the other party's target ahead of time.

With such a massive undertaking, the other party was certainly aiming high, plotting something major. It was just that due to the information asymmetry, he couldn't deduce it yet.

He would just cross that bridge when he came to it. Whatever they wanted to do, he would play along to the very end.

“Mr. Lynch, why don't you come downstairs for a bit? You've been cooped up here for days. Even if you don't want to go outside, at least stretch your legs downstairs. I'll bake some pastries for you.”

His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden invitation. Turning his head, he saw the landlady with a few beads of glistening sweat on her forehead, looking as vibrant as a ripe peach hanging from a branch covered in dew, wearing a smile even more tempting than a peach.

That worked. It was a good opportunity to spend some time around her and test whether his bloodlust had truly subsided.

Before Lynch could even come up with a solemn excuse, he was already dragged up by little Martha, pulled down the stairs to Mrs. Maggie's giggles.

This kid was acting strange, getting clingier and clingier. There was definitely something off about her. He should find an opportunity to give her another beating.

But the moment the thought crossed his mind, the little brat sprang up like a cat with its fur standing on end, stepping back a few paces and glaring at Lynch with deep suspicion.

“You devious adult, what kind of scheme are you plotting now?”

Huh? Did you turn into a human radar? Lynch could only offer a dry laugh and shake his head vigorously.

“Hmph, your bad intentions are written all over your face.”

The little brat pushed Lynch onto the sofa in the first-floor living room with annoyance, kicked off her slippers to reveal her bare feet, and lay on the sofa, kicking her legs back and forth. She began to chatter endlessly about the amusing things that had happened at school and the newspaper agency over the past few days. At first, Lynch was a bit impatient, but looking at the little brat's delicate features and listening to her clear, bell-like voice that sounded like a bubbling spring, his heart gradually settled, wishing that moments like this could last a bit longer.

“Hehe, you don't have to worry, Uncle. The reporter sister recently came up with a great way out for us. She plans to leave the Investigator newspaper agency and start a separate newspaper of her own. It'll be called the Mystery Investigator, and it'll specialize in publishing gossip and strange events. When the time comes, we'll all be part-time reporters and workers for the agency, running it together. That way, the kids can have a steady income and won't resort to robbery and murder.”

“Wait, isn't that just a street tabloid?” Cold sweat broke out on Lynch's forehead. Were journalists of this era really this bold?

“But some of it is actually true.” Little Martha kicked her feet, rested her chin on her hands, and looked up at Lynch with a smile. “The reporter sister told me how you helped her, Uncle. Hehe, you're so amazing, Uncle. We're all mystery survivors now, so we might as well huddle together for warmth and report these things. No one will believe it anyway; it'll just be treated as a tabloid specializing in street stories.”

“Hmm? Actually, that's not a bad idea, and it seems we could even do it better.” Lynch's eyes darted around. Combining this with his experiences from his past life, he had a few ideas. “How about this? Find a time to invite your reporter sister over, and we can discuss it together.”

While the two of them were discussing, and Mrs. Maggie was still busy with the oven in the kitchen, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.

A visitor?

Mrs. Maggie hurried over to open the door, froze for a moment, muttered a few words, and let the visitor in.

When Lynch turned his head, he was also stunned.

It was actually Judy.

Not long after Lynch had carried her out, she had reportedly vanished into thin air. However, due to various reasons, the authorities didn't search for her in earnest, simply treating her as missing in the accident.

He had thought they would never meet again, that she would only exist in his memories. He hadn't expected this girl to take the initiative to come looking for him.

“Long time no see, Judy.” Lynch smiled and waved at the sleep-deprived girl with dark circles under her eyes. “I've kept my promise to you. Did you come to compensate me for my ring?”

“That was originally our ring; you stole it.”

The girl refuted solemnly, her current state unclear. Suddenly, she strode over to Lynch and, to his utter surprise, cupped his face and kissed him directly.

???

An development he had never even imagined. Lynch's mind went completely blank, and then his consciousness shook violently as he found himself in a sea of fire.

And this time, a burning planet floated within the sea of fire. The moment Lynch appeared, a female humanoid figure manifested beneath the burning planet. She reached out to embrace him and, mimicking the action outside, kissed him directly.

Holy crap, what is going on? You're an evil god, right? What do you want? I, Lynch, will never yield to you! Even if I die, I won't...

【Embrace of Fire. An intimate embrace from the Lady of Fire, Cthugha. Fire resistance is significantly increased, and the flame form can now be entered without the need for a ring medium.】

Is there more? Give me another bite.

“Well done, chosen of Luna. I look forward to our next meeting.”

The Lady of Fire's voice was warm and uninhibited. The moment she spoke, she transformed into a sea of fire, swallowing Lynch whole.

Lynch shuddered all over as he and Judy slowly broke their embrace.

“Compensated.”

However, Lynch didn't register her words at all. The moment he separated from Judy, he saw the blonde-haired, blue-eyed landlady and her daughter staring at their performance with shock.

Of course, that wasn't the critical part. The critical part was that the front door, which had just been closed, had been opened once again. Two people were standing at the doorway with their mouths wide open, witnessing everything that had transpired in the room.

Natalie Angel.

Diana de Valente.

At this moment, Lynch felt as if he could see an incredibly familiar head floating away with a smile.

Oh, no. It was all over.