His eyes flickered with suspicion.
He was beginning to suspect that Bloodsaw's little apprentice might have already been transformed into a flesh golem.
No ordinary human could remain so calm when facing him.
"I don't want yours. I want my own eyeball back," he rasped hoarsely.
[Ding! Crisis level reduced to 45%]
Lynn expressionlessly popped his own eyeball back into its socket and calmly returned to his seat. Reaching into his coat, he said,
"As it happens, I do have this."
Under the pig-headed demon's stunned gaze,
Lynn produced a massive, still-dripping eyeball from his pocket—one that was actively rotating.
The pig-headed demon leapt to his feet, trembling.
"Th-this...!"
Indeed!
He instantly recognized it as the very eyeball that old hag had plucked from him. But how had this human apprentice gotten hold of it?!
Lynn placed the eyeball on the counter and stated evenly,
"I met that kind-hearted granny this morning. She gave this to me as a toy."
[Pig-headed demon's SAN -30!]
Sweat dripped down the demon's bristly neck as he stared fixedly at the eyeball.
He knew exactly how terrifying that scavenger was.
She'd effortlessly taken his eye—had she wanted to, she could have just as easily taken his head.
And yet... she'd given his eyeball to this feeble human?!
This apprentice was clearly anything but ordinary.
No—
This was starting to feel genuinely horrifying.
He couldn't fathom the depths of this human.
[Ding! Crisis level reduced to 20%]
The pig-headed demon studied Lynn warily. "You'd really just... give me back something that old hag gave you?"
Lynn replied coolly, "Not give. Sell. 200 Skeleton Coins—market price."
Was he truly unafraid?
The demon scrutinized him for any sign of weakness.
Did he actually have some close connection with that scavenger?
[Ding! Crisis level reduced to 10%]
Clink-clatter—
The pig-headed demon produced a coin purse and scattered Skeleton Coins across the counter.
"Done. I'll buy it," he growled, not taking his eyes off Lynn.
Lynn methodically collected the coins before donning gloves and a mask, then produced a monocle.
"Transaction complete. Would you like the procedure done here, or on the operating table?"
"Here," the pig-headed demon stated firmly.
No resident of Wandering Souls Alley would willingly set foot on Bloodsaw's operating table.
"Very well."
Lynn picked up the boning knife. "Lean against the counter and rest your head on the surface. You may scream if it hurts."
The demon sneered. "Since when do I fear pain?"
Splat—
Lynn took a swig of alcohol and sprayed it across the gleaming blade.
The demon immediately fell silent.
After sterilizing the blade over a candle flame for several minutes,
Lynn squinted, bringing the knife incrementally closer to the pig's head.
Plop.
A sweat droplet hit the counter.
The demon trembled. "Since when does installing an eyeball require a knife?!"
[Pig-headed demon's SAN -10]
Lynn explained calmly, "Upon inspection, I found significant calculi and blood clots in your socket—clear evidence of chronic ocular neglect. Consider this a complimentary service. No thanks necessary."
"W-wait—!"
Too late.
Snick-snick— SNICK-SNICK—
"GYAAAAAHHH—!!"
...
[Knife Skills EXP +1]
[Knife Skills EXP +1]
[Knife Skills EXP +1]
Several minutes later, as Lynn disinfected the socket, he puzzled over why this procedure boosted his knife skills rather than surgical expertise.
"Preparation complete." He wiped the blade clean.
"Remain still for implantation. Sudden movements risk inverted installation."
The demon lay slumped, foaming at the mouth with sporadic convulsions—clearly in no state to listen.
Lynn blinked.
[...Forgot anesthesia again.]
Just like when suturing that doll's arm last time.
Shaking his head, he retrieved the [Pig-Headed Shop Owner's Eyeball] from its preservative bath with forceps and scanned the medicine cabinet.
Moments later,
He produced a white bottle labeled with handwritten numbers: "5," "0," "2."
The semi-conscious demon trembled. "W-what's that?!"
Lynn brandished the bottle while adjusting the eyeball with his forceps.
"Custom high-strength adhesive. Prevents postoperative detachment when combined with my mentor's specialized regenerative solution—95% success rate."
The demon shrieked, "JUST PUT IT IN ALREADY! I WANT OUT OF HERE! UNDERSTAND?!"
Lynn nodded solemnly. "Rest assured. Medical ethics are paramount in our profession."
After meticulously applying the viscous solution,
He aligned and placed the eyeball with precision, then produced specialized tools for final adjustments—
—followed by a mallet from his kit.
Pig-headed demon: "(ΩДΩ)!!"
[Pig-headed demon's SAN -20!]
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" the demon screeched.
Lynn frowned. "Remain still. This is the final physical adjustment. Displacement means repeat surgery and additional fees."
Ignoring the struggles, he steadied the head—
—and began carefully tapping the mallet with focused precision.
Several minutes later, Lynn paused.
The demon panicked. "WHAT NOW?!"
"Minor inversion," Lynn noted clinically.
Pig-headed demon: "(ΩДΩ)!!"
"Not to worry."
Without hesitation, Lynn gripped the eyeball's retractor and—
RIIIP—
—extracted it amid the demon's shrieks and plummeting SAN values.
"A slight medical complication," Lynn stated while repositioning the organ.
"Repositioning is complimentary."
"NO MORE! I'LL GO ELSEWHERE!!" the demon howled, thrashing violently.
[SAN -20!]
[SAN -20!]
"STOP MOVING!" Lynn's voice turned razor-sharp as he raised the mallet.
"This is the final step! As your physician, I must see this through! Every patient leaves my care in perfect condition!"
"STOP—!!"
BAM—
Sparks flew.
...