That was right.
He had originally had sky-high expectations for the system shop.
After all, in the novels he had read before transmigrating, the claim that anything the system produced was guaranteed to be top quality had been absolutely solid!
Superman bloodlines, baby nine-tailed foxes, star destroyers, cute maid girls-if you could imagine it, the system would sell it!
Then there was his own system.
Anyone who didn't know better would think it collected junk!
Because at a glance, there was practically nothing useful in there!
"System! Refresh the stock!"
[Ding! This feature is not yet available. Please wait patiently. Stock refreshes automatically at five each day!]
"..."
Lynn took a deep breath, ground his teeth, and sat back down.
Fine!
It was certainly the exact opposite of what he had expected.
But at least he had another way to get supplies, right?
Venomous Slime fluid?
Bought!
It might come in handy for brewing potent poison potions later!
[Skeleton coins -50!]
A Lucky Cat doll that attracted bad luck??
What was that even good for?! Did it think I'd buy it to make life harder because my luck was too good?!
Bought!
I'll give it away as a gift when I get the chance!
[Skeleton coins -200!]
Baby diapers (tight-fit version)?
Lynn instinctively glanced at the Ghost Infant mascot he had placed on the counter, wearing a (ㅍ_ㅍ) expression.
Hmm...
It was growing so quickly, and I'd already molded it into a human shape. Leaving it completely naked wasn't ideal.
Bought! This one was actually useful!
[Skeleton coins -50]
Lynn slipped the diaper over its head.
Then Lynn's attention was caught by the fourth item.
[Flesh Regeneration Potion formula]: Greatly increases the speed of injury recovery after consumption! Required ingredients: Blood Demon flesh, attribute-free slime mucus, tyrant flower, man-eating flower growth hormone.
This formula was the only decent item among everything the system was selling.
It even sold the hard-to-find ingredient [Blood Demon flesh] alongside it.
This item was absolutely worth the money!
[Skeleton coins -500] [Skeleton coins -100]
Lynn bought both items without hesitation. Along with the Critical Hit Potion the system had rewarded him with yesterday, he now had exclusive formulas for two potions!
Lynn was in no hurry to brew them.
Since this was a Potion Shop.
Merchants would come by periodically with all sorts of raw ingredients.
And by his reckoning, today was the day.
Lynn immediately prepared his skeleton coins and packed up the pile of severed limbs he had dug out of that Root Monster's mouth yesterday.
Outside the door.
Mist hung thick, and black vapor billowed.
Lynn waited patiently at the entrance.
Slowly, the creaking of wheels and the sound of footsteps drifted out of the darkness along the street.
An old woman carrying a human-skin lantern appeared in his field of vision, a kindly yet eerie smile on her face, and stopped in front of the Potion Shop.
"Young man, do you have any unwanted rubbish to give this old woman?"
[Ding! You have triggered the quest: Useless Rubbish (2). Quest rewards: 50 skeleton coins, base experience +100, Scavenger affinity +50, special reward x1]
"I do!"
Hearing the system announce the quest, Lynn was delighted.
Lynn agreed readily, then hurried back inside and dragged out a large sack with considerable effort.
"Young man, do you have this much to dispose of this time?"
The old woman's smile seemed to brighten as well.
Lynn said politely, "Yes, ma'am. Would you like me to help put it on your cart?"
"Yes, yes! Sorry for the trouble, young man."
The old woman's smile was especially kindly.
Lynn heaved the large sack of "rubbish" onto the cart the Scavenger was pulling. The instant he set it down, the smile froze on the old woman's face.
"A Root-Level... presence?"
An odd look crossed the old woman's face, and a flicker of shock passed through her cloudy eyes.
She immediately sensed the tremendous weight and oppressive presence emanating from the cart.
The look she gave Lynn became one of utter astonishment.
[Human-Skin Scavenger's bewilderment toward you +10]
Lynn smiled. "It might have picked up a little of that. I checked a customer's teeth last night, and these are the useless things I cleaned out of its mouth. I thought you might need them, so I made a point of saving them for you."
The old woman's expression jolted, and she said:
"You checked a Root-Level Monster's teeth?! Weren't you afraid it would eat you?"
She looked even more astonished, as though she had gained a deeper understanding of the young man before her.
Lynn chuckled. "What's there to be afraid of? Serving our customers is the Bloodsaw Apothecary's guiding principle. Whoever comes through our doors, we treat them all equally!"
[Human-Skin Scavenger's awe toward you +10]
At that moment.
Lynn could clearly sense it.
The way the old woman looked at him had changed. It was as though she were looking at a monster.
She lowered her voice, hoarse sounds rumbling from her throat.
"Last night, three Root-Level [Abyssal Headhunters] came to our area. The one you helped must have been the smallest of them. Take an old woman's advice and stay away from them. You probably haven't heard yet..."
"Last night, those three Headhunters ate their way through the neighboring Slaughter Alley, Evil Soul Street, and Yin Soul Alley, leaving them empty. Half of the fifteen High-Rank Demon Hunters and demon spirits were killed..."
Lynn froze where he stood.
"The Headhunter you met yesterday was probably planning to feed in our Wandering Soul Alley. It seems we escaped disaster because of you."
Lynn said in surprise, "But I thought yesterday's customer was pretty cute. Surely it couldn't be that vicious?"
"..."
A brief silence fell.
Gentle breezes brushed past.
The old woman looked as though she had heard something utterly shocking and unbelievable.
"C... cute?"
Lynn said, "It really was pretty cute..."
[Ding! You have left a profound, indelible impression on the Human-Skin Scavenger!] [Ding! Your renown in Wandering Soul Alley +1] [Ding! Your renown in Wandering Soul Alley +1]
Lynn wanted to explain further, but the old woman shook her head and murmured:
"Just as I thought... there isn't a single normal being in the Dark World... especially the ones who look normal..."
Lynn said, "..."
[Ding! Congratulations on completing the quest. You have received 50 skeleton coins, 100 base experience, and Human-Skin Scavenger affinity +50]
Then, under Lynn's gaze.
The old woman stretched out her withered hand and slowly reached toward her own chest.
"Young man, what you've given me this time is too valuable. I won't be able to digest it anytime soon. I just scavenged this thing. Perhaps it'll be useful to you."
Squish, squish-
The sound of flesh being pierced rang out.
Then Lynn watched as the old woman plunged her hand into her own chest cavity and forcibly pulled out a still-beating, blood-soaked heart.
Steam rose from the heart as it thumped away in the open air.
[Lynn's sanity value -10]
"Take it," the old woman said with a hoarse chuckle.
Before you continue