The Bloodsaw Apothecary's First Member

"Doctor-amazing-"

The enormous baby's head spoke in a delicate voice.

Its two enormous eyeballs focused on Lynn.

"I-won't eat you anymore-"

[???'s trust in you +40]

Lynn adjusted his monocle, bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle, and flashed a brilliant, professional smile.

"Our customers' praise is always the driving force that keeps us moving forward. Would you be interested in trying our shop's newest dental care service?"

Lynn blinked.

He had finally met a super monster that liked him.

If he didn't seize this chance to latch onto it and turn it into a repeat customer, wouldn't he have to be out of his mind?

"Dental care-service?"

The monster's voice sounded curious.

Lynn smiled. "Yes. Our shop can provide long-term dental maintenance, eliminate oral diseases of any kind, and keep your teeth clean and healthy over the long term, preventing problems such as toothaches, mouth ulcers, and tooth loss."

"Oh-"

Lynn said earnestly, "Why not give it a try first? If you're satisfied afterward, you can decide whether you'd like to become a long-term member."

The enormous baby's head seemed to consider it.

Then Lynn received its approval.

[Ding! You have triggered a new quest: Help ??? care for its teeth. Quest rewards: 50 skeleton coins, ???'s affection for you +50]

(๑＞︶＜)و

Exactly!

This was just what he wanted!

When traveling through another world, every extra friend opened another door!

If he didn't build a good relationship with a monster of this caliber, he really must have been kicked in the head by a donkey.

"Just a moment!"

Without another word, Lynn dashed back into the shop, fetched all the cleaning tools he normally used for housework, then ran back into its mouth and began clearing the severed limbs from between its teeth.

[Ding! You have obtained severed arms of unknown creatures x15]

[Ding! You have obtained strange internal organs x54]

[Ding! You have obtained shattered skulls x31]

[Ding! You have obtained gold x132 g]

[Ding! You have obtained fine-grade enchanted armor (incomplete) x1]

The more Lynn cleaned, the more astonished he became.

This place was a goddamn treasure trove!

After clearing all the severed limbs out of the monster's mouth,

under the eyeball's curious gaze, Lynn hurried to his little shop's storeroom, brought out bucket after bucket of ingredients, and quickly mixed them in the middle of the main room.

"What's that?" The eyeball gleamed with curiosity.

Lynn rapidly stirred the slime in the large bucket with a wooden stick and explained:

"Dark Slime mucus produces plenty of foam. There's also soapberry, which kills germs and freshens your mouth. Add my teacher's special Whitening Wound-Cleansing Potion, and it'll keep your teeth sparkling clean and your breath fresh for a long time!"

[???'s trust in you +20]

"So-amazing-"

The eyeball bobbed up and down in a daze.

It didn't really understand, but it was definitely amazing.

Soon, the "Dark World Brand Toothpaste" was ready.

With a (艹皿艹) expression, Lynn fetched an enormous brush from the backyard, picked up the bucket of bubbling, foaming slime, and jumped into the monster's mouth to begin his diligent toothbrushing work.

"Can I-help-"

The eyeball watched Lynn's scrubbing with curiosity, looking positively eager to try.

This really was a completely new experience.

"Here."

Lynn generously carried a huge pile of small brushes out of the shop.

The tentacles immediately copied him, each taking a brush and curiously dipping it into the slime. As they brushed, the eyeball kept turning to look at Lynn, imitating his movements.

"Brush like this first, then like this, and then like this!"

"Oh, oh-"

[???'s trust in you +10]

"You also need to clean the grime out from between your teeth. That'll prevent infections!"

"Oh, oh-"

[???'s trust in you +10]

The cleaning went on for a full hour.

[Ding! You have completed the quest. You have received 50 skeleton coins, ???'s affection for you +50]

Hearing the system notification, Lynn put down his brush, drenched in sweat, and sat on the steps with a satisfied smile after all his hard work.

"Doesn't your whole mouth feel brand-new compared to before?"

Ding-

The gleaming white teeth reflected a dazzling light.

"Ooh-"

The eye sparkled with a (✪ω✪) expression.

Its teeth looked completely different from that blood-soaked mouthful of yellow teeth before! They were so clean they shone as brightly as when it had first been born!

With such a sparkling set of teeth, anything it chewed would whet its appetite!

"Are you satisfied with today's service?"

"Yes-"

"Would you like to become a lifetime member of our shop? You can come over anytime for a free dental cleaning."

"Yes-"

"May I ask your name? I'll register you, and the next time you come, you can collect the gold membership card and little gift we'll make especially for you."

"What is-a name?"

"It's what other creatures call you."

"No-name-"

"How about I give you one for free?"

"Okay-"

[Ding! You have successfully bestowed the true name "Xiao Xiao" upon a Root-Level Monster. You have earned the exclusive achievement: Root-Namer!]

[Root-Namer]: As the first human in the history of the Dark World to name a Root-Level Monster of ??? and have that name gladly accepted, you have made history. The host permanently gains: root monster affinity +1, monster affinity +10, time-limited curse removal ability x1

"Thank you for visiting our little shop. We look forward to seeing you again."

Lynn faced the Root-Level Monster as it happily bounced toward the end of the street, sporting a mouthful of sparkling teeth.

He bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle.

He kept smiling as he watched the ultimate monster leave.

Lynn immediately sprinted into the apothecary, grabbed a hammer and nails, and banged away until he had nailed the door completely shut. His eyes were wide as he pressed a hand against his wildly pounding heart.

Only then did he fully relax.

Although everything had seemed perfectly harmonious throughout the process,

as a human facing such a terrifying monster, he would have been lying if he claimed he wasn't afraid.

"Thank goodness my nerves are strong. Otherwise, there's no way I would've survived tonight!"

Lynn breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Still, thankfully,

he had successfully won that Root-Level Monster's affection through his outstanding eloquence and medical expertise.

Lynn knew perfectly well.

In this Dark World, Root-Level Monsters were practically the equivalent of max-level bosses in online games.

Any one of them could emerge, and ordinary monsters wouldn't stand a chance against it.

"And I have a feeling there's more than one."

Lynn stared wide-eyed, struggling to steady his heartbeat.

Because it was obvious.

That Witcher must have followed these Root-Level Monsters here. Yet he still hadn't appeared in Wandering Soul Alley, which meant there had to be other extremely dangerous, powerful monsters in the surrounding area.

Fortunately, the one Lynn had encountered this time was a "friendly" root monster he could still communicate with.

Otherwise,

he would definitely have ended up flattened just like those Steel Puppets.

"Sure enough, having a specialized skill really can save your life sometimes."

Lynn murmured.

After all, technical specialists were the most welcome wherever they went.