Lyn replied flatly, "Small business, no 'meat payment.' Relax—I only want your right eye. Earn some money later, you can buy it back."
The girl went (o(╥﹏╥)o). "…O-okay… sob sob!"
…
A few minutes later.
Ding! You obtained Rare Item: Blood Doll's Right Eye x1.
Blood Doll's Right Eye: Increases hunger by +10 when carried. Usable skill: Invincible Stomach.
Ding! Task completed. Rewards: Skeleton Coins x50, Surgical Ability EXP +50, Special Reward: Blood Doll Fear +30, Blood Doll's Doll Fear +50.
Lyn calmly washed the blood off his hand, placed the eyeball in a bottle of special reagent, and labeled it.
Then he turned to the girl, who was covering one eye (o( x﹏╥)o), and said politely, "Welcome again. Blood Chainsaw Apothecary sincerely serves you."
He gave a slight bow.
The girl (o( x﹏╥)o) hugging her doll walked out. In the distance, her voice carried: "Better go find Mommy. Never coming back… sob… scam shop…"
Ding! Hidden Quest Triggered: Blood Doll Finds Mommy. Help the Blood Doll find her mother. Completion reward: Blood Doll Favor +200, Blood Doll's Doll Favor +100, Special Reward x1.
Current Completion: 2
Lyn blinked.
Outside, the girl's figure had already vanished into the darkness.
Completion 2?
His gaze shifted to the tray on the counter holding the organs he'd retrieved from her stomach.
Unknown Woman's Hair x50 Unknown Woman's Ears x2 Unknown Woman's Comb x1
Lyn: "…"
He couldn't deny it—he had a terrifying suspicion.
Lyn stood, cleaned the pieces, sealed them in bottles, and decided to bring it up next time she visited.
He opened his status panel. Thanks to the earlier rewards, he'd gained +50 Surgical Ability EXP and 50 personal Skeleton Coins.
The customer's payment belonged to the shop—he couldn't touch it. So his current total was 150 Skeleton Coins.
Skeleton Coins were the basic currency here, usable as general tender, but in two years Lyn hadn't stepped outside the shop, so he'd never used them. Still, more money never hurt.
Time passed swiftly.
Lyn sat with eyes closed, boning knife in hand, statue-still.
The Soul Lamp by the door represented a rule—a sign to wandering spirits that this place had an owner. Show malice here, and you'd pay the price. Most roaming monsters wouldn't invade while the lamp burned, because within its protected bounds, the owner could suppress intruders at will.
Though some supremely evil beings ignored all rules.
Knock knock knock—
Someone knocked again.
"Welcome," Lyn said, opening his eyes.
Before him stood a hulking pig-headed, human-bodied creature. One eye socket bled freely, empty of an eyeball. He wore a blood-red apron and carried a cleaver that looked freshly used.
A panel popped up:
Pig-Head Demon
Level: 21
Race: Mutated Freak
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Combat Ability: As long as you're willing to be eaten…
Intro: Owner of the pork shop in Wandering Soul Alley. Your "friendly" neighbor, happy to share his fresh kills—or share you with others…
Lyn SAN -5
"Damn it," the Pig-Head muttered, clutching his eye socket. "That old hag took an eye just 'cause I had no 'useless trash' for her. Next time I see her, I swear I'll—I'll—bleh!" He spat rancid phlegm and kept cursing.
The system chimed:
Ding! Pig-Head Demon Task: Help match a suitable eyeball. Reward: 50 Skeleton Coins, Surgical Ability EXP +50, Pig-Head Demon Favor +20, Special Reward +1.
"Come in," Lyn said, sitting calmly at the counter, fingers tightening on the boning knife.
The Pig-Head strode in; the Soul Lamp flickered wildly. A stench of blood and rot hit Lyn, almost making him gag.
The demon plopped onto a stool, his single sharp pig-eye scanning the room. "Where's Bloody Chainsaw? Tell him to trade me an eyeball. I'll give prime game in exchange!"
Lyn stayed cool. "Teacher's away. You can talk to me."
The Pig-Head paused, then turned his eye toward Lyn, sizing him up like a slab of meat.
"Oh?"
Ding! Danger Level increased to 89.
Lyn's heart raced, but his face didn't betray it.
His decision was wise—lying and saying the teacher was in the backyard would've gotten him attacked the moment the demon sensed deceit. Honesty bred caution.
"What type of eyeball do you need?" Lyn turned, pointing to the reagent jars on the shelf. "We've got human, pig, necrotic, bat, Blood Doll eyes. Pick what you like—prices vary."
The Pig-Head's eyes gleamed with menace; tusks showed in a wide grin, and his breath stank horribly.
"I think your eye looks pretty good." He licked his cracked lips.
Lyn SAN -10
Ding! Danger Level increased to 91.
Lyn knew showing fear meant the demon would attack without restraint.
"Mine?" Lyn turned to meet his stare.
Under the Pig-Head's fierce gaze, Lyn slowly raised three fingers, reached into his own eye socket, and began prying out his right eyeball, bit by bit.
Squelch—squelch—
Ding! Host HP loss!
Ding! Host organ missing!
Seconds later, Lyn held his eyeball in his palm and offered it forward.
Pig-Head Demon SAN -20!
Yet he didn't flinch.
"Two hundred Skeleton Coins each. No refunds if it doesn't fit."
The Pig-Head froze.
He hadn't expected this frail-looking human to gouge out his own eye so ruthlessly, right in front of him. When the scavenger took his eye, he'd howled in agony for ages. Yet this guy stayed ice-calm.
Ding! Danger Level decreased to 50.