Lynn said calmly, "This is a small business. We don't accept payment in flesh. Don't worry, I only want your right eye. You can buy it back from me when you earn enough money later."

The girl o(╥﹏╥)o said, "O...okay...sob!"

...

A few minutes later.

[Ding! You have obtained a rare item: Blood Doll's Right Eye x1]

[Blood Doll's Right Eye: Increases hunger by +10 when carried. Can use skill: Invincible Stomach.]

[Ding! You have completed the quest. Reward obtained: Skeleton Coins x50, Surgery Skill EXP +50, Special Reward: Blood Doll Fear +30, Blood Doll's Doll Fear +50]

Lynn calmly washed the blood off his hands.

Then he placed the eyeball into a special reagent bottle and labeled it.

Turning around, he politely addressed the girl covering one eye o( x﹏╥)o:

"Welcome to visit again. Bloodsaw Potion Shop sincerely serves you."

Lynn bowed.

The girl o( x﹏╥)o hugged her doll and walked out, her voice fading into the distance.

"Better go find Mommy quickly...I'm never coming back again, sob...this black market store..."

[Ding! You have triggered a hidden quest: Blood Doll Seeks Mother. Help Blood Doll find her mother. Quest reward: Blood Doll Affinity +200, Blood Doll's Doll Affinity +100, Special Reward x1]

[Current quest completion: 2%]

Lynn froze.

Looking outside, the girl's figure had already disappeared into the darkness.

Completion at 2%? For more chapters visit novel·fiɾe·net

Lynn's gaze fell on the plate containing several organs extracted from the girl's stomach.

[Unknown Woman's Hair x50]

[Unknown Woman's Ears x2]

[Unknown Woman's Comb x1]

Lynn: "..."

He had to admit.

He was forming a rather terrifying hypothesis.

Lynn stood up, cleaned the body parts, sealed them in bottles, and prepared to discuss this with the girl during her next visit.

He checked his status panel.

Thanks to the earlier rewards, he gained 50 Surgery Skill EXP and an additional 50 personal Skeleton Coins.

Customer payments belonged to the shop and couldn't be touched.

His current personal assets totaled 150 Skeleton Coins.

Skeleton Coins were the basic currency of this world, serving as universal tender. However, Lynn hadn't actually left this shop in two years.

So he'd never had occasion to use them.

But extra money never hurt.

Time passed quickly.

Lynn sat with eyes closed, holding the Boning Knife like a statue.

The Soul Lamp outside represented a rule - signaling to wandering spirits in the darkness that this was claimed territory. Malicious intruders would pay the price.

Most wandering spirits wouldn't invade while the Soul Lamp burned.

Within the lamp's protected area, the owner could suppress any evil spirits at will.

But exceptions existed - extremely evil spirits that feared nothing.

For them.

No rules in this world were worth following.

Knock knock—

Just then.

Another knock came at the door.

"Welcome."

Lynn opened his eyes.

Instantly, he saw a massive pig-headed humanoid monster standing at the entrance. One of its eyes was bloody and eyeless, wearing a crimson apron and holding a cleaver still wet with recent butchery.

A status panel appeared before Lynn:

[Pig-Headed Demon]

[Level]: 21

[Race: Mutant Freak]

[Alignment]: Lawful Evil

[Combat Ability]: As long as you're willing to be eaten...

[Description: Owner of the Wandering Souls Alley butcher shop. Your "friendly" neighbor who enjoys sharing his freshly slaughtered prey. Or sharing you with others...]

[Lynn's SAN -5]

"Damn bad luck," the Pig-Headed Demon cursed while clutching his empty eye socket.

"Just because I didn't have useless trash for that old hag, she took my eye. Next time I see her, I'll...I'll...ptui!"

He spat a foul globule, continuing to mutter curses.

Simultaneously, a system prompt sounded in Lynn's mind:

[Ding! Pig-Headed Demon Quest: Help him acquire a suitable replacement eye. Reward: 50 Skeleton Coins, Surgery Skill EXP +50, Pig-Headed Demon Affinity +20, Special Reward +1]

"Please come in."

Lynn remained expressionless, sitting behind the counter while secretly tightening his grip on the Boning Knife.

The Pig-Headed Demon strode inside as the Soul Lamp flickered violently.

A wave of putrid, bloody air hit Lynn, triggering his gag reflex.

The demon plopped onto a stool, his single remaining pig eye scanning Lynn before looking around.

"Where's Bloodsaw? Get him out here. I need a new eyeball - I'll trade good meat for it!"

Lynn maintained his composure. "Teacher is away on business. You can discuss matters with me."

The Pig-Headed Demon paused, then turned his head, squinting as he examined Lynn like a piece of meat.

"Oh?"

[Ding! Danger level increased to 89%]

Though internally panicking, Lynn's face remained calm.

His decision proved correct.

Had he lied about his teacher being in the back, the demon would have sensed deception and attacked immediately.

Honesty bred caution.

"What kind of eyeball do you need?" Lynn turned, pointing to the reagent-preserved eyes on the shelf.

"We carry human eyes, pig eyes, undead eyes, bat eyes, Blood Doll eyes. Prices vary by type."

The Pig-Headed Demon's eyes glowed with malice, baring fangs as rancid breath washed over Lynn.

"I think yours look pretty good."

His tongue licked cracked lips.

[Lynn's SAN -10]

[Ding! Danger level increased to 91%]

Lynn knew showing fear would invite immediate attack.

"Mine?"

Lynn turned to face him calmly.

Under the demon's murderous gaze, Lynn slowly raised three fingers and—right before his eyes—inserted them into his own eye socket, methodically extracting his right eyeball.

Squelch—squelch—

[Ding! Host HP loss!]

[Ding! Host organ missing!]

Seconds later, Lynn presented his eyeball on an open palm.

[Pig-Headed Demon's SAN -20!]

His expression never changed.

"200 Skeleton Coins per eye. No refunds if incompatible."

The Pig-Headed Demon gaped.

He never expected this seemingly fragile human could so ruthlessly pluck out his own eye without flinching.

When the scavenger took his eye, he'd howled in agony for minutes.

Yet this human remained composed.

[Ding! Danger level decreased to 50%]