"Doctor—good—" The giant baby head chirped in its soft, high-pitched voice. Its two massive eyes locked onto Lynn.
"I—won't—eat—you—"
[??? Trust in You: +40]
Lynn adjusted his monocle, bowed deeply at a perfect ninety-degree angle, and flashed a bright, professional smile. "Customer praise is always our strongest motivation to move forward. Would you like to try our shop's newly launched teeth care service?" He blinked.
A super monster that actually liked him—how could he not cling to it and make it a repeat customer? That would be sheer foolishness!
"Care—service?" The monster's curious voice echoed.
Lynn smiled warmly. "Yes. We offer long-term teeth maintenance. We can eliminate all types of oral diseases, keep your teeth clean and healthy for the long run, and prevent toothaches, canker sores, tooth loss, and other abnormalities."
"Huh—?"
Lynn said earnestly: "Why not give it a try first? You can decide whether to become our long-term member only if you're satisfied with the experience."
The giant baby head seemed to ponder. Soon, Lynn got an affirmative response.
[Ding! New Quest Triggered: Help ??? Care for Teeth. Rewards: 50 Skull Coins, ??? Affinity +50.]
(??＞︶＜)?? Yes! That's exactly what he wanted!
In a foreign world, more friends meant more ways to survive. Anyone who didn't try to curry favor with a monster of this caliber must have rocks in their head.
"One moment!" Without hesitation, Lynn raced back to the shop, grabbed various cleaning tools he used for housework, then rushed back into the monster's maw to start clearing the severed limbs and broken bones stuck between its teeth.
[Ding! Obtained: Unknown Creature's Severed Arm x15]
[Ding! Obtained: Strange Internal Organs x54]
[Ding! Obtained: Shattered Skull x31]
[Ding! Obtained: Gold x132g]
[Ding! Obtained: Fine Enchanted Armor (Damaged) x1]
The more Lynn cleaned, the more shocked he became—this place was practically a treasure trove!
After clearing all the debris from the monster's mouth, he dashed to the shop's warehouse under the curious gaze of the eye, carried out barrel after barrel of materials, and quickly mixed them in the center of the main hall.
"What—this—?" The eye glowed with curiosity.
Lynn stirred the slime in the large barrel with a wooden stick, explaining: "Dark Slime mucus, which produces plenty of foam; soapnuts for sterilization and refreshment; plus my master's special whitening and cleansing potion. It'll keep your teeth bright and your breath fresh for a long time!"
[??? Trust in You: +20]
"So—cool—" The eye nodded blankly up and down. It didn't fully understand, but it knew this was definitely impressive.
Soon, the "Dark World Toothpaste" was ready. Lynn marched (艹皿艹) to the backyard, fetched a large brush, carried the bubbling slime barrel, jumped into the monster's maw, and began his diligent brushing.
"Can—I—help—?" The eye watched Lynn brush intently, seemingly eager to join in—it was all so novel.
"Here." Lynn generously carried a pile of small brushes from the shop. The tentacles immediately followed his lead, each grabbing one brush, dipped it in the slime curiously, and brushed while glancing at Lynn to mimic his movements.
"Brush like this, then this way, and then this!"
"Ohh—"
[??? Trust in You: +10]
"Make sure to clean the gunk between your teeth to prevent infections!"
"Oohh—"
[??? Trust in You: +10]
The cleaning took a full hour.
[Ding! Quest Completed. Rewards: 50 Skull Coins, ??? Affinity +50.]
Hearing the system notification, Lynn put down the brush, sweating profusely, sat on the steps, and smiled contentedly after a hard day's work.
"Doesn't your mouth feel completely refreshed compared to before?"
Clink—The shiny, white teeth reflected a dazzling glow.
"Hmm—" The eye sparkled with delight (????). It was a world of difference from its previous blood-stained, yellow teeth—so clean it shone like it had just been born! With such bright teeth, everything would taste better!
"Are you satisfied with the service?"
"Yes—"
"Would you like to become a lifetime member of our shop? You can get free teeth cleaning anytime you want."
"Yes—"
"May I have your name? I'll register it for you. Next time you come, you can claim your exclusive golden membership card and a small gift from our shop."
"What—name—?"
"It's what other creatures call you."
"No—name—"
"Shall I give you one for free?"
"Yes—"
[Ding! You have successfully given the Origin-level Monster the true name "Xiao Xiao". Unlocked Exclusive Achievement: "Origin Namer"!]
[Origin Namer]: As the first human in Dark World history to name an ??? Origin-level Monster and have it accepted, you have made history. Permanent Traits: Origin-level Monster Affinity +1, Monster Affinity +10, Temporary Curse Removal x1.]
...
"Thank you for visiting our shop. We look forward to your next visit." Lynn bowed deeply at ninety degrees to the Origin-level monster, which hopped away happily toward the end of the street, showing off its shiny teeth. He smiled and watched the ultimate monster leave until it was out of sight.
Then he sprinted back into the potion shop, grabbed a hammer and nails, and nailed the door shut tightly. He pressed a hand to his pounding heart, his eyes wide, finally relaxing.
Though the process had seemed harmonious, as a human facing such a terrifying monster, he couldn't help but feel afraid—it would have been a lie to say otherwise.
"Lucky I have a strong mind. Otherwise, I never would've survived tonight!" Lynn sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow.
But it was worth it. He had successfully gained the favor of an Origin-level monster with his quick wit and medical skills.
Lynn knew full well—Origin-level monsters in this Dark World were almost like max-level bosses in online games. Any one of them was far more powerful than ordinary monsters.
"And I have a feeling there's more than one." He stared into the distance, trying to calm his racing heart.
The demon hunter must have followed these Origin-level monsters, but he hadn't appeared in Ghost Alley. That meant there must be other high-risk, powerful monsters lurking around the area.
He was fortunate to have encountered a "friendly" Origin-level monster that could communicate. Otherwise, he would have ended up flattened like those Steel Golems.
"Truly, having a skill can save your life sometimes," Lynn muttered. After all, technical specialists were always in demand—no matter where you were.