"Huh? What's going on?
Which patient is trembling this time?"
Vir looked up and scanned the room. Sure enough, he saw Chopper clutching a blanket in his hooves, staring in horror at the tools Vir had laid out in front of him.
The little reindeer's face was as pale as a ghost, his pupils trembling violently, looking as if he was about to burst into tears at any moment.
"What's wrong, Chopper? Hand me the blanket. Why are you just standing there?"
Vir asked, puzzled.
He even turned to examine the tools he had taken out.
After inspecting them closely, he still didn't see anything wrong.
He even licked the pristine, shiny scalpel in front of him.
Nothing seemed off at all.
So why was Chopper staring at him in utter terror?
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You've gained 100 negative points.]
Huh? Again?
Chopper, aren't you a little too easily frightened?
I just licked a scalpel, and you immediately handed me another hundred points?
Can we have some respect for the value of negative points?
But in Chopper's eyes, the tools weren't as pristine as Vir saw them.
Chopper was seeing: a rusted, blood-stained scalpel, moldy, foul-smelling bandages, forceps emitting a dark aura, a tetanus-ridden syringe, and a chainsaw with bits of flesh still stuck to it.
In the middle of the large living room, a man sat on the sofa, pulling these items out one by one…
Was this not the most terrifying thing ever?!
If you're going to kill a reindeer, at least make it quick! Please don't try to save me! Let me die with dignity!
Just as Chopper was about to flee and seek comfort from Doctorine, he saw Vir lift the rusted, blood-stained scalpel… and take a hard lick!
A bit of rust and blood smeared across Vir's lips.
At this moment, in Chopper's eyes, Vir looked exactly like a psychotic serial killer!
Tears welled up immediately.
"Chopper~ hand me the blanket~"
Vir turned his head toward Chopper again, his slow movement making him look even more terrifying.
Chopper couldn't take it anymore!
He flung the blanket toward Vir and bolted toward Doctorine's room, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"AAAAHHH!!! DON'T KILL ME! DON'T KILL ME! REINDEER MEAT TASTES BAD! HELP!"
Stumbling all the way, he put on a whole performance of "deer crashing into everything."
Finally, after bursting through the door, he slammed it shut with a loud "BANG!"
Absolutely scared out of his mind.
The effect of Vir's ability was simple—it automatically added a horror filter to his medical tools, but only for others. In his own eyes, they remained their normal, pristine selves.
"Man, Chopper gets worked up so easily. Hasn't he ever seen basic medical tools before?"
"Do they only use potions around here or what?"
Vir mumbled as he picked up the blanket Chopper had thrown and shook his head in exasperation.
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You've gained 50 negative points.]
More points?
Damn, what is up with Chopper?! He's practically letting me farm negative points for free.
What's he even afraid of?!
Still confused, Vir put away his tools, laid down on the couch, and got comfortable with the blanket.
He had just browsed the system's shop and gotten a general understanding of what it had to offer.
There were no direct power-ups, only auxiliary tools.
If he wanted to grow stronger, saving people was the only way.
If he wanted to become the strongest, he still had a long way to go.
He didn't have any lofty dreams—he just wanted to stay alive and not get himself killed.
The world of pirates was dangerous.
Getting stronger was the only way to have the confidence to survive.
For now, he'd stockpile these negative points. Since they couldn't be exchanged for power-ups, he might as well wait and see what else they could be used for.
Everything was set. Now, he just had to wait for Luffy and the others to arrive tomorrow.
With that in mind, Vir slowly drifted off to sleep. It was already late…
—
Early the next morning, a commotion erupted in Dr. Kureha's room.
The noise was so loud it woke Vir up even through the bedroom door.
Still groggy, he opened his eyes, yawned, and looked toward the source of the noise.
Just then, the door opened.
Amidst a stream of curses, something—or rather, someone—was shoved out forcefully.
"You're a grown reindeer! Why do you still need me to accompany you to the bathroom?! Have some shame! Go by yourself! Don't interrupt my beauty sleep! If you dirty my floor, you're dead!"
With that, the door slammed shut with a loud "BAM!"
Chopper stood outside, trembling.
He was absolutely terrified.
He stole a quick glance at Vir, praying that he hadn't been woken up.
But as soon as he looked over, he locked eyes with Vir.
"Good morning, Chopper."
Vir greeted him in a flat tone.
He yawned again, seeming just as calm and approachable as Chopper remembered.
Chopper hesitated, scanning Vir over and over, trying to confirm whether or not he was still dangerous.
Vir looked normal enough now, but Chopper still didn't let his guard down.
He remained wary.
"Do you need me to accompany you to the bathroom?" Vir asked.
He hadn't expected Chopper to be so timid that he needed company just to relieve himself.
Still, he wasn't annoyed. After all, this little reindeer was his main source of negative points.
So he got up, grabbed Chopper by the hoof, and started leading him toward the bathroom.
'Was I just imagining things yesterday? Was it all an illusion?'
Chopper began doubting himself.
Looking at Vir now, he ultimately decided to lower his guard and, once again, became friendly with him.
You really can't guess what's going on in this little reindeer's mind…
—
Meanwhile, at the base of the mountain, a straw hat-wearing guy was scaling the cliffside.
On his back was a beautiful girl with flushed cheeks, and in his mouth, he held a man seriously injured from an avalanche.
—
Above, Vir looked at the sky and figured it was about time.
Luffy should be arriving soon.
All he had to do was wait.
Since Chopper and the others didn't know Luffy, he could simply step in and take charge of the treatment.
He led Chopper to the window.
Looking out toward the cliffside, he smirked.
Waiting passively? Nah, that wasn't his style.
"Chopper, the most important skill for a doctor is sharp eyesight. Diagnosing starts with observation, right?"
"So now, you sit here and watch the cliffside. Train your eyes well. Once your observation skills are sharp, I'll teach you real medicine."
Vir spoke with utmost seriousness, completely deceiving Chopper.
Chopper, taking it to heart, even pulled out a little notebook and scribbled down Vir's words verbatim.
"Got it! I'll train hard, big bro! I won't disappoint you!"
"Good! You're a quick learner~"
Vir patted Chopper's shoulder in satisfaction.
Encouraged, Chopper focused intently on the white, snow-covered landscape.
Determined to impress his big bro.
Meanwhile, Vir was sitting cross-legged by the burning fireplace, sipping hot tea and reading the newspaper.
Yep, all brought by Chopper.
He had even eaten a sandwich Chopper made for him earlier, and it was surprisingly tasty.
Vir stashed couple more into his medical kit.
Planning to eat them later when he got hungry.
His medical kit could store items, and there was no limit to how much he could put in.
It was practically a spatial item.
A real-life storage ring.
Just then, Chopper, still staring at the cliffside, suddenly gasped.
"Oh! Big bro! Something's moving over there!"