His gaze flickered with suspicion.
He was beginning to suspect that this apprentice of Blood Saw might have been transformed into a stitched monstrosity by his master.
No ordinary person could maintain such composure when facing him.
"I don't want yours. I want my own eyeball," he growled in a deep, raspy voice.
[Ding! Threat level reduced to 45]
Lynn's expression remained impassive as he casually pressed his own eyeball back into its socket and quietly returned to his seat. He then reached into his chest pocket.
"As it happens, I have exactly that."
Then, to the Boar-Head Fiend's utter astonishment,
Lynn pulled out a large eyeball from his pocket, still dripping with gore and actively moving in his hand.
Whoosh—
The Boar-Head Fiend leaped to his feet, his voice trembling:
"This... this..."
Indeed!
He recognized it instantly - this was his very own eyeball, the one that old hag had plucked out. But how in the world had it ended up with this human apprentice?!
Lynn placed the eyeball on the counter and said quietly:
"I met that kind elderly lady this morning. She gave me this as a toy."
[Boar-Head Fiend's sanity -30!]
The Boar-Head Fiend stared fixedly at the eyeball on the counter, cold sweat trickling from the bristles on his neck down his spine.
For he knew all too well how terrifying that Skin Scavenger was.
Despite his own strength, she had effortlessly plucked out his eye, and had she wished, she could have just as easily taken his head.
And that Scavenger... had actually given his eyeball to this seemingly frail human?!
He increasingly felt that this human apprentice was far from ordinary.
No.
It was becoming downright terrifying.
Because he couldn't fathom the depths of this human's capabilities.
[Ding! Threat level reduced to 20]
The Boar-Head Fiend eyed Lynn warily and said: "Something the old hag gave you... you dare to just give it away?"
Lynn replied coolly: "Not give - sell. 200 Skull Coins, market price."
Is he truly fearless?
The Boar-Head Fiend studied him intently, searching for any sign of deception.
Could there be some hidden connection between him and that Scavenger?
[Ding! Threat level reduced to 10]
Clink clink clink—
The Boar-Head Fiend produced a money pouch from his chest and scattered a heap of Skull Coins across the counter.
Fixing his gaze on Lynn, he said: "Fine, I'll buy it."
Lynn methodically collected the coins into the counter drawer, then donned his gloves and mask once more, adjusting his monocle as he spoke quietly:
"Deal. Would you prefer the procedure here, or shall we move to the operating table?"
"Here," the Boar-Head Fiend declared without hesitation.
No resident of Wandering Soul Alley ever willingly approached Blood Saw's operating table.
"Very well."
Lynn calmly picked up the Bone Carver and said: "Lean against the counter and rest your head on the surface. Feel free to scream if it hurts."
The Boar-Head Fiend sneered grotesquely: "You think I fear pain?"
Puff—
Lynn took a swig of alcohol and spat it onto the glistening blade.
The Boar-Head Fiend fell instantly silent.
After lighting a candle and methodically heating the blade back and forth over the flame for several minutes,
Lynn narrowed his eyes, gripping the knife, and approached the boar head with measured precision.
A drop of cold sweat splattered onto the counter.
The Boar-Head Fiend trembled: "You need a knife just to install an eyeball?"
[Boar-Head Fiend's sanity -10]
Lynn replied matter-of-factly: "I've noticed significant calcification and blood clots in your eye socket - evidence of poor eye maintenance. Consider this additional step a complimentary service - no thanks necessary."
"Wait... wait a moment!"
The Boar-Head Fiend's terror came too late.
Crack crack crack— crack crack crack—
"Ahhh— ahhh—"
The Boar-Head Fiend's blood-curdling screams echoed through the shop.
...
[Blade Mastery experience +1]
[Blade Mastery experience +1]
[Blade Mastery experience +1]
Several minutes later, Lynn cleaned the residual matter from the eye socket with disinfectant, privately wondering why this procedure had increased his blade mastery rather than surgical skills.
"Done." Lynn calmly wiped the Bone Carver clean with a cloth.
"Remain still. I'm about to install your eyeball. Any movement risks improper alignment."
The Boar-Head Fiend lay there, foam bubbling from his mouth, body twitching spasmodically, clearly beyond hearing Lynn's instructions.
Lynn paused, muttering under his breath: "Damn..."
[Forgot the anesthetic...]
Come to think of it, he'd forgotten it during the doll's arm surgery too...
No matter.
Lynn shook his head, his expression returning to its professional calm.
He retrieved the [Boar-Head Fiend's Eyeball] from its reagent bath with tweezers, then turned to search through the medicine cabinet behind him.
Moments later,
Lynn retrieved a white medicine bottle from the top shelf.
One could barely make out hand-written numbers "5", "0", "2" on its worn label.
"What is that?!" the now-conscious Boar-Head Fiend demanded, trembling.
Lynn held the eyeball with tweezers, shook the potion bottle, and explained clinically:
"My special adhesive compound. It prevents post-installation displacement. Combined with my master's enhanced recovery potion, it guarantees a 95% success rate."
Lynn's face remained perfectly serious as he explained.
The Boar-Head Fiend trembled: "Just get it done! Did you hear me?! I want out of here! Did you hear me?!"
Lynn nodded: "Rest assured, we physicians maintain the highest professional standards."
Lynn methodically mixed the viscous potion.
He applied it evenly around the eyeball, aligned the position, and carefully placed it against the socket.
Taking out his professional tools, he began adjusting the eyeball's angle.
He reached into his toolbox.
And pulled out a hammer.
Boar-Head Fiend: "(ΩДΩ)!!"
[Boar-Head Fiend's sanity -20!]
"What are you doing! What are you doing!!!" The Boar-Head Fiend shrieked in terror.
Lynn frowned: "Stay still. This is the final physical procedure. Any movement could misalign the position, requiring removal and reinstallation - at additional cost, naturally."
Lynn shook his head and firmly held down the terrified boar head.
Then, with extreme precision, he began tapping with the hammer: dong dong dong, his expression one of intense concentration as he worked.
A few minutes later, Lynn paused.
The Boar-Head Fiend shuddered: "What's wrong?! What's wrong?!"
Lynn frowned: "It's backwards."
Boar-Head Fiend: "(ΩДΩ)!!"
"No cause for concern." Lynn's expression remained steady as he gripped the eyeball's mounting frame and pulled firmly upward.
Rip—
Amid the Boar-Head Fiend's horrified screams and plummeting sanity, Lynn extracted the misaligned eyeball.
"Just a minor medical complication," Lynn said calmly as he readjusted the position:
"This correction will be complimentary."
The Boar-Head Fiend released a series of piercing, terrified screams, thrashing wildly:
"I don't want it anymore! I won't have it installed here!!"
[Sanity -20!]
[Sanity -20!]
"Don't move!" Lynn's eyes flashed with stern authority as he commanded:
"This is the final procedure! As a doctor, since you've paid, I must take responsibility for you! I must ensure every patient leaves my care in perfect condition!"
With these words, Lynn raised the hammer with fierce determination.
"Stop!!" The Boar-Head Fiend reached out in desperate terror.
Bang—
Sparks flew.
..."