Steam Old Days: The Extraordinary Begins with a Corpse Collector

The air inside the shed was filled with the smell of mutton and hay.

Lyndon held his hunting rifle and hid most of his body behind the flock of sheep.

His finger was on the trigger, his fingertip applying slight pressure.

Hearing the clattering sounds coming from outside the shed, his heart beat a little faster.

Cecilia, standing nearby, was also on high alert. She whispered a secret incantation, ready to fire a Light Burst spell the moment Lyndon fired.

The so-called "Light Burst Spell" is a type of Niko esoteric art.

The user will fire a powerful beam of light from their palm, which can easily shatter the bodies of low-level alien species.

However, although this secret technique is very powerful, it has a long recovery time.

The two men stared intently at the wooden door.

The wooden door of the sheep pen was made of thick oak, and for added sturdiness, an iron bar was added in the middle.

Uncle Moses had also tied a thick iron chain around the door to guard against attacks from this alien species.

As the alien creature approached outside the shed, its heavy breathing penetrated the wooden planks and reached the ears of the two men.

Upon hearing the strange creature's breathing, the sheep began to stir.

The bleating sounds rose and fell.

Lyndon remained undisturbed, holding his gun and constantly shifting the point of aim.

Wherever the sound of breathing could be heard, his gun followed.

Suddenly, the heavy breathing stopped, stopping at a fixed point.

Directly in front of the wooden door.

Then, the chains locking the gate suddenly rattled.

The distinctive sound of metal clashing seemed so jarring in the quiet night.

Seemingly realizing that the chains were locked, the alien creature quickly stopped moving. After a while, a faint, sharp sound came from the doorway again.

The sound was jarring yet rhythmic, much like the sound Lyndon made when he scratched the blackboard with his fingernails in his previous life when he was in school.

After ringing for a few minutes, there was a loud "snap" sound!

It looks like something is broken.

Splash! Splash!

The two people in the shed immediately heard the sound of chains falling.

The alien creature opened the lock.

The wooden door was pushed open a crack from the outside, and the dim moonlight shone through the gap like a knife, cleaving through the darkness of the shed.

A sob came from the darkness.

The crack in the door widened, and then a grayish-white hand reached out from the gap.

That hand had only three fingers, and each finger had a claw that resembled a scimitar.

The claws hissed ominously as they hooked onto the wooden door.

Upon seeing this, Linden, based on the location of the claws and the claw marks he had seen on the ground during the day, confirmed the approximate location of the alien head.

Without the slightest hesitation, he forcefully pulled the trigger.

Bang! The shotgun fired.

A scream rang out from outside the shed.

The claw snapped back.

"It's going to run away!"

As Cecilia spoke, she opened her palm, and a blinding beam of light shot out from her hand.

In an instant, the sheep pen was illuminated as if it were daytime.

boom!

Cecilia blasted a large hole in the sheep pen and the stone wall outside.

"Walk!"

Lyndon shouted, grabbed his shotgun, squeezed through the flock of sheep, and rushed out.

Cecilia followed Lyndon's lead.

The two arrived outside the shed and stood inside the stone wall.

The moon was covered by thick clouds, and it was pitch black all around, so nothing could be seen.

Lyndon and Cecilia searched for traces of the alien species.

Apart from sparse grass, there wasn't a trace of blood or any severed limbs on the ground.

Even the wind stopped, as if the world had held its breath.

"Did you miss?"

Lyndon said something, but it was unclear whether he was talking to himself or Cecilia.

The atmosphere became tense at that moment.

Lyndon could even hear his own and Cecilia's rapid breathing.

The next moment, the clouds drifted by, and the faint moonlight once again scattered across the ground.

Lyndon instinctively looked down at the ground.

His pupils contracted sharply as a long, thin shadow suddenly appeared on the ground.

"Be careful!"

Lyndon pushed Cecilia aside, then turned and raised his shotgun, aiming it at the roof.

But it was too late.

The alien creature, hiding on the roof, leaped down, its arms outstretched, and tackled Lyndon to the ground.

The alien knocked the shotgun out of Lyndon's hand and to the side.

The six claws seized the opportunity to firmly grip Lyndon's throat.

A feeling of suffocation surged into Lyndon's brain like a tidal wave.

Linden was breathing less and less air, and he mustered his last strength to chant secret incantations.

Secret Technique: [Flame]

As the incantation ended, Lyndon's entire body was instantly engulfed in fierce flames.

These flames contain spiritual power.

Upon contact with the flames, the alien creatures immediately emitted painful howls.

It loosened its grip on Lyndon's throat and patted the flame in its hand.

His eyes were filled with resentment towards Lyndon.

Linden, engulfed in flames, stood up from the ground. These flames could harm the aliens but could not harm him.

Lyndon finally saw the true appearance of the alien species.

In the firelight, the grotesque creature's twisted appearance was fully revealed.

Its body is slender, and except for some white on its hands, its body is covered with black fur, making it look like a black rat with its body stretched out.

The alien species has very long limbs; its arms can even drag on the ground.

Its two legs were bent backward, with their joints sticking out at an angle like broken tree branches.

But this strange body has a human head on it.

His head was bald and wrinkled, as if it had been soaking in water for a long time.

Its eyes were like two glass beads, reflecting a red light under the moonlight.

His mouth was slightly open, revealing two rows of yellowish teeth.

The alien's mouth was large and wide, with the corners of its mouth splitting all the way down to its ears.

In addition, the strange creature made gurgling sounds from time to time, which combined to make it sound like the monster was laughing.

Seeing this, Lyndon did not underestimate his opponent, and he began chanting the incantation again.

Then, the flames all over Lyndon's body gathered in his hands.

Secret Technique: [Crimson Hand]

Lyndon immediately charged towards the alien species.

The air seemed to heat up wherever their hands passed.

The alien species fought and retreated.

It knew that the flames in Lyndon's hands were not to be trifled with, so it kept dodging with its agile body, and the alien's arm span was much longer than Lyndon's.

This meant that Lyndon not only failed to inflict much real damage on it, but was instead scratched in the chest by its claws.

"Damn it!"

Lyndon looked down at the three deep wounds on his chest, and his first instinct was to summon the [Spear of Zeal].

However, with Cecilia still around, Lyndon had to suppress the thought and continue charging towards the alien species.

Seeing that Lyndon wasn't gaining any advantage in the fight against the alien, Cecilia happened to spot the shotgun lying to the side.

She picked up the gun and rested the butt against her shoulder.

Cecilia held the gun, muttering a spell.

"Light, bless this steel."

"O sacred flame, please enter this lead bullet."

In an instant, a golden spiritual energy flowed out of Cecilia's body.

Spiritual energy adhered to the gun barrel, spreading from the chamber to the muzzle.

Secret Technique: [Blessing of Holy Light]

The bullets, imbued with spiritual power, will inflict severe damage on the alien species.

Cecilia pulled the trigger.

The bullet, trailing a golden tail, struck the alien's left leg.

boom!

The bullet shattered the alien's left leg joint, scattering bone fragments and flesh everywhere.

The once arrogant alien species suddenly staggered and fell to the ground, its claws carving three deep furrows in the mud.

"Great marksmanship!"

"Linden shouted, and he charged at the alien creature, throwing a heavy punch before it could get up,"

boom!

The alien had just gotten up when Lyndon knocked it to the ground again.

A ball of fire immediately burst into flames where Lyndon had hit the spot.

"Ahhhhh!"

The alien creature rolled wildly in the mud, emitting painful howls from its throat.

After extinguishing the flames on its body, the alien creature hid in a corner, its slender body curled up.

It poked its head out, its scarlet eyes fixed on Lyndon and Cecilia.

Just when the two thought it had no choice but to surrender, the alien suddenly bit the leg that Cecilia had broken off, and it tore the broken leg off despite the pain.

The alien creature lay down, and its four limbs turned into three.

Then it moved.

Its body was pressed against the tips of the grass, and it crawled with its three legs twisting and turning at an absurd speed.

Instead of attacking Lyndon, the alien turned and attacked Cecilia.

"Be careful!"

Lyndon reminded him.

But by then, the shotgun was out of bullets. Cecilia tried to use a [Light Burst Spell], but was suddenly knocked away by the approaching alien.

As the alien creature approached Cecilia, it twisted its body in place and used its remaining leg as a whip, forcefully striking Cecilia in the abdomen.

Cecilia was slammed against the sheep pen wall. She groaned and then fell to the ground, motionless.

Having already dealt with one enemy, the alien was about to turn its attention to Lyndon when it suddenly sensed a strong killing intent.

Suddenly, a blood-red spear appeared in Lyndon's hand.

Just as the alien turned its head, the spear flew towards it.

The alien barely dodged the attack, but the next moment, a spear appeared in Lyndon's hand.

Lyndon threw it again, while simultaneously summoning the spear back with his other hand.

And so it went, back and forth.

Under Lyndon's relentless attacks, the aliens were exhausted.

Finally, a mistake occurred, and he was pinned to the stone wall by Lyndon's spear, unable to move.

Lin Deng stepped forward and first checked Cecilia's condition, confirming that she had only fainted and was not seriously injured.

Then he walked toward the alien creature perched on the wall.

Even now, the alien creature was still struggling and twisting.

Lyndon had a sudden thought, and then he turned the bracelet on his wrist into a short knife.

Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!

Lyndon swiftly swung his sword three times, severing all of the mutated creature's hands and feet.

Blood was splattered all over the ground.

Lyndon raised the knife and blew on the blade.

"With such wildness, the power must belong to the Azure Moon and the God of Compassion."

After saying that, Lyndon sneered and then plunged the dagger into the alien's body.

Whoosh!

Lyndon ripped open the alien's chest and pulled out its heart.

[Old Burial Master, you personally ripped out the heart of the Laughing Ghost. It was the right choice. Proficiency +20]

By the moonlight, Lyndon drew a symbol on the heart of the so-called Laughing Ghost, then knelt on one knee, held the heart aloft, and devoutly chanted:

"Daughter of the Azure Moon, Watcher of the Night!"

"Serren Errazel, heed my request."

"I seal this sinful corpse in your name!"

"Let evil vanish where the moonlight shines."

May compassion cover all, and may suffering find rest!

As he chanted, Lyndon was also releasing his spiritual power.

As the last line of the chant faded, a sudden change occurred in that heart.

It began to throb in Lyndon's hand, and then a foul-smelling green gas suddenly emanated from the blood vessels of his heart.

When the gas dissipated, the heart shrank and eventually turned into a handful of dust in Lyndon's hand.

The moon's compassion cleansed the filth that did not belong to the human world.

[The deceased buried in the past, those you touched but who found no peace, have received a response tonight.]

You are the guide of death, leading them back to peace.

The abyss never thanks; it will watch you forever.

[Successfully buried the soul of the low-level alien snickerer, Proficiency +50]

[You've completed your old mission for the first time and are starting to get the hang of it. Reward: Proficiency +50]

Lyndon listened to the voice in his mind and let out a long breath.

He didn't expect that a single purification ritual would help him increase his proficiency by more than 100 points.

"It seems I made the right choice."

Lyndon stretched his body and then turned his gaze back to the alien creature.

At that moment, the short knife in his hand suddenly became restless.

The dagger reverted to its previous appearance as a pool of blood.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

Lyndon tried to stop the Blood Elf, but the Blood Elf completely ignored his commands and jumped directly onto the corpse of the Laughing Ghost.

The Blood Elf began to suck the blood from the Laughing Ghost's body, even taking the limbs that Lyndon had severed.

In just a short while, the Blood Elves had drained the corpse dry.

The Blood Elf, having eaten and drunk its fill, swelled to several times its original size.

But it just shook its body.

Her body shape immediately returned to normal.

Satisfied with its meal, the Blood Elf jumped back into Lyndon's hand.

Lyndon was deeply shocked by this.

"You're not an elf! You're a vampire! No, even vampires don't suck blood like that!"

Lyndon touched the Blood Elf lying in his hand.

The Blood Elf lazily raised one corner in response, then transformed back into its bracelet form.

Linden looked at the chain on his hand and suddenly felt that the color of the chain had become much more attractive.

At that moment, the Book of Fate appeared before Lyndon.

As the pages were turned, a few more lines of text appeared in the section about the Blood Elves.

【Bloodstained Elf: LV.2】

[Gained Ability: Parasite]

[Ability Description: Allows the Bloodstained Sprite to parasitize any creature and devour its blood.]

Upon seeing this, Lyndon was horrified.

He hadn't expected this little guy to be so powerful at only LV.2, especially when he reached the maximum level...

Thinking of this, Lyndon immediately beamed with joy and couldn't help but kiss the bracelet.

"Little Wu! Little Wu! You're such a precious baby!"

……

"Ugh... my body... my body hurts so much..."

Cecilia, lying in bed, opened her eyes groggily.

At first glance, she felt that the surroundings were very familiar.

A moment later, she realized what was happening.

Isn't this her room in the sanctuary?

But shouldn't she be in Uncle Moses' sheepfold?

How did I end up back here?

Just as Cecilia was looking on blankly, Lyndon walked in with a glass of water.

Seeing Cecilia awake, Lyndon smiled and said, "You're awake!"

"Philip?" Cecilia's voice was a little hoarse. "What about us, and the mutant?"

"Don't rush, drink some water first."

Lyndon walked to the bedside, carefully helped her sit up, and then brought the glass of water to her lips.

Cecilia drank a few sips of warm water from his hand and immediately felt her throat feel better.

"What exactly happened? I remember being hit... I don't remember what happened after that."

Cecilia held her head, trying hard to remember.

Upon hearing this, Lyndon told her what had happened.

Of course, Lyndon omitted many details.

Cecilia cannot know.

"So, you killed the mutants. What about the purification ritual? Did you...?"

"Assess its capabilities, then remove its heart, chant an incantation, and purify it with spiritual energy," Lyndon said with a smile. "Of course, I did it all."

Cecilia breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's fine."

Then Cecilia looked at Lyndon and exclaimed sincerely, "Philip, to be honest, you're really amazing. You've learned the purification ritual so quickly. Once you've mastered the next three, you'll be able to stand on your own."

Lyndon said modestly, "Don't say that, I still have a lot to learn!"

After saying that, Lyndon helped Cecilia lie down again, supporting her head.

"Herbert went to buy you medicine and will be back soon. I have things to do here, so please take good care of yourself."

"Where are you going?" Cecilia asked anxiously, watching Lyndon's departing figure.

"Uncle Moses' sheepfold needs repairs, I'll go help him."

Lyndon turned and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.

It was late at night in a desolate wilderness.

Under the moonlight, a person was frantically digging a hole in the ground with a shovel.

The man was wearing a cloak and was acting erratically.

"Impossible, impossible, it's definitely right here!"

The hole he dug was the same one where Lyndon had dealt with the Laughing Ghost.

But at this point, there was only the carcass of a dead sheep in the pit.

He tossed the dead sheep aside and continued digging, but still found nothing.

"Where's my sly little devil?! I paid a fortune for it! Come out here! Give it back to me!"

The cloaked figure suddenly straightened up and let out a heart-wrenching roar at the empty wilderness.

Just then, a calm voice came from not far away.

"I knew you'd come."

The cloaked figure was startled and turned around abruptly.

Then a young man walked over carrying a blood-red spear.

Lyndon stood there, spear in hand, and said mockingly, "I moved that corpse a long time ago, just to wait for you, monster master!"