He subconsciously clutched the swollen blisters on his face—those grotesque sacs left behind by the fire—and in his mind flashed the horrifying image of those same blisters being pop pop pop crushed by that doctor's hands.
Tap tap tap tap—
Fear seized him. His whole body trembled, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.
[Burned Ghost Fear +20][Burned Ghost Fear +20]
At that very moment, Lin En removed the mask splattered with viscous fluid and gave the Burned Ghost a gentle smile.
"I'll go to the back and grab some tools. Please wait just a moment—you're next."
The Burned Ghost went (wДw) as every blister on his body twitched violently.
What a terrifying smile!!Why did he smile like that when he said it was my turn?!
[Burned Ghost Sanity -20][Burned Ghost Sanity -20]
Earlier today, he had noticed that the old pervert who usually ran the Blood Saw Apothecary had gone out. That was why he'd dared to take a chance—hoping he could treat his burns with slightly less terror.
But who would have thought—
The old pervert was gone,and a young pervert had taken his place!
He stared tremblingly at the ghost infant lying on the counter, convulsing nonstop, its entire face reduced to a pitch-black slurry.
"Is this… going to be my fate next…?"
He muttered weakly.
And then—
From behind the curtain leading to the backyard came a series of harsh, ear-splitting sounds.
Zhi—la—Zhi—la—Bzzzzzzzz—
The Burned Ghost grabbed his head in terror, feeling like his bones were about to fall apart.
A chainsaw!!That's a chainsaw!!
Didn't he say he was just going to get some tools?!
Then why the hell is there a chainsaw back there?!
What kind of tool is a chainsaw supposed to be?!
In his mind instantly appeared the image of a chainsaw-wielding maniac, wearing a twisted smile, slowly walking toward him step by step.
His head went (??Д??) as wisps of black smoke rose from it.
Then—
His ears twitched.
Thump.Thump.
Footsteps.Getting closer.
That man… was carrying the chainsaw and coming this way!
A shadow slowly emerged on the curtain to the backyard. The sound of the spinning chainsaw was practically right in front of him now.
"A—A—A—A—!!!"
The Burned Ghost clutched his head as numbers kept floating up wildly.
[Sanity -20!][Sanity -30!][Sanity -40!]
The next instant, his sanity completely shattered.
The Burned Ghost crawled and scrambled toward the door in sheer terror.
"Black shop!! This is a black shop!!Help! HELP!!!"
[Ding! Burned Ghost Task Failed!][Ding! Burned Ghost Fear toward you +400!][Ding! Congratulations! You have gained your first customer whose attitude toward you has reached 'Extreme Terror.' Reward: 100 Skull Coins][Ding! Your Reputation +10]
Lin En: "???"
He lifted the curtain and stared in shock at the trail of ashes the Burned Ghost left behind as he fled.
"What just happened? I only went to sharpen my scalpel. Why did he run off like that?"
"And what's with Fear +400?Why is he extremely terrified of me?"
"I've always upheld the principle of service with a smile! I speak politely, I'm serious about my work—shouldn't that inspire goodwill instead?"
Lin En couldn't figure it out.
But well… if he left, he left.
What a pity.
No matter what, he still needed to deal with this ghost baby first.
Ding—
The sharp little carving knife in Lin En's hand flashed with dazzling light.
…
One hour later.
Lin En sat behind the counter, smiling with satisfaction as he set the knife down and looked at the ghost infant sitting upright before him.
"Doesn't that look much easier on the eyes now?"
Cherry-like lips.Chubby cheeks.Big eyes.A delicate nose.
The terrifying, indescribable mass from before had, under Lin En's careful sculpting, become adorable and lifelike.
Before transmigrating, Lin En had always ranked first in his class in handicrafts.
The clay portraits he made were unanimously praised by his classmates.
Lin En smiled, feeling thoroughly pleased.
And then—
A vertical eye suddenly grew out of the ghost infant's forehead.
Pop—
Lin En stabbed it without hesitation.
With his eyes closed, he said calmly:
"This is not where eyes are supposed to grow. I worked very hard on this face. If you try to ruin it again, don't blame me for picking up the knife one more time."
[Evil Spirit Blood Infant Fear +50][Evil Spirit Blood Infant Fear +50]
[Ding! System detected: The Evil Spirit Blood Infant's fear toward you has surpassed the growth rate of its resentment. Crisis Level reduced to -321% and continuing to decline.][Ding! Hidden Task Triggered: Suppress the Ghost Infant's Resentment. Current Completion: 321%. Rewards obtained: 151 Skull Coins, Plastic Surgery Skill EXP +100, Special Reward: Wraith Hair x5]
Lin En froze.
So this could trigger a hidden task too?
Looks like this system still had plenty of functions left for him to explore.
The next moment—
Five long strands of hair appeared in his hand.
Their description surfaced before his eyes.
[Wraith Hair]: Hair infused with extreme resentment from a female ghost. Once attached, it will wrap tightly around the target's neck and suffocate them to death.
Lin En stroked his chin.
This seemed like a decent self-defense item. But with only five strands, he'd need to use them carefully.
He put the hair away, sat back behind the counter, and resumed clicking his abacus, quietly waiting for the next customer.
Of course—
His attention never left the ghost doll in front of him.
If it showed even the slightest sign of deforming again, Lin En would immediately press it back into shape.
Time passed quickly.
Outside, the glow of the soul lamps gradually dimmed.
Which meant night was approaching in this world.
The way to tell day from night here was simple: the soul lamps.
At night, no matter how you tried, they would never light.
And without the protection of soul lamps, any monster could freely enter your shelter—and tear you to pieces.
Just as the light faded and Lin En was about to close for the day—
Knock knock knock—
Someone knocked on the door.
A tall man stood outside, wearing a thick black cloak, a black top hat atop his head, long gray-white hair cascading down.
His massive shadow stretched into the shop, exuding an overwhelming pressure.
Lin En's heart tightened instantly.
Because a status panel appeared before his eyes.
[Demon Hunter: Ocalos][Race]: Human[Level]: ???[Combat Power]: You will die without exception[Alignment]: Chaotic Good[Description]: A powerful demon hunter who walks alone through the Dark World. He belongs to no organization and is extremely mysterious. He has dedicated his life to hunting monsters he deems evil. Do not attempt to understand him. That would be very dangerous.
Lin En: "???"
That looks like… a human?!