A Different World, A Different Me with Enhanced Abilities

[This world is steeped in mystique.]

[Vampires, werewolves, technology, magical potions, ghosts, bioengineered beings, divination, and puppets; every terrifying element you could conceive of, exists in this world.]

[One must carry a lantern when stepping outside.]

[One must never wander far.]

[Ten meters beyond the gates, darkness will consume you.]

[Whether attending to humans, ghosts, or stitched monsters, one must maintain composure at all times.]

[Should you ever lose your composure, it will give rise to malicious intent.]

Before a dilapidated desk, Lynne held a quill, the lamp's light flickering upon it. He wrote the principles he'd lived by since he traversed to this world two years prior in his diary.

"Lynne! Time's up. Hang the lamp outside, prepare to open shop!"

A voice, raspy as though gnawing bones, rang out.

Lynne shook his head; this voice belonged to their potion shop's proprietor, his teacher who had rescued him two years ago. He was an assistant in this potion shop in a different world.

"Coming!" Lynne shouted.

However, at that moment, a cold synthetic voice suddenly resonated in his mind.

[Ding! Your teacher, the Bloodsaw Maniac, has assigned you a task: Open the shop, and hang the soul lamp at the entrance. Reward upon completion: 10 Skull Coins, 5 Basic Experience Points, 100 milliliters of Pure Human Blood.]

Lynne was stunned.

Was this voice...the system? Could it be that after traversing this world for two years, he had finally awakened a special ability?

However, he didn't immediately explore this as he knew that if he didn't act according to his teacher's command promptly, he would perish.

Lynne quickly exited the dim attic. Immediately, he saw his teacher dragging a bisected carcass of an unidentified being towards the adjacent operating room.

Crimson blood left a long trail on the moldy floor.

Brrrr——Brrrr——

Soon, the shrill sound of a chainsaw emanated from the operation room.

That raspy, gnawing voice resonated again.

"After opening, sort out all of yesterday's expired potions and feed them to the Babe in the backyard. Be swift about it."

[Ding! Your teacher, Bloodsaw Maniac, has issued a task: Organize the expired potions and feed them to the [Babe] in the backyard. Reward upon completion: 10 Skull Coins, -10 Favorability from Babe, +1 Household Chores Proficiency.]

Lynne was taken aback. Indeed. His guess was correct. This must be his system. Could it materialize everything he encountered into system tasks?

Hearing the gnawing sounds behind him, Lynne's expression steadied.

Creak—Creak—

The neglected floorboards beneath his feet made a piercing noise.

Lynne moved to the hall, picked up the lantern from the corner, and twisted the winder. Drop by drop, crimson blood fell from within onto the wick.

Whoo—

A strand of crimson flame ignited. If one listened closely, faint, eerie screams could be heard from within the lantern.

With a calm expression, Lynne carefully opened the door.

The outside was enshrouded in darkness, faintly mist-wrapped, and occasionally, mysterious giggles could be heard from within the shadows.

He maintained his composure, hanging the lantern on the doorpost, illuminating the dilapidated sign beside it.

[Bloodsaw Potion Shop]

[Ding! You have received 10 Skull Coins, 5 Basic Experience Points, and 100 milliliters of Pure Human Blood.]

Lynne immediately planned to turn around and return to the potion shop.

However, at this moment, a low and eerie laugh emanated from the darkness.

"Young man... good morning. Do you have any useless trash for this old woman? I will give you corresponding rewards, hehehe."

Within the darkness, a strand of dim light appeared, and an old woman, hunched, donned in tattered hemp clothes, dragging a cart, emerged.

A kindly smile rested on her face.

Yet, Lynne distinctly saw.

The lantern she held was made of human skin, and the rusty cart she dragged seemed to grow from her hand.

[Ding! The Human-Skin Scavenger issues you an optional task: Hand over [Useless Trash] to the scavenger. Optional task reward: +10 Favorability from Scavenger, +20 Skull Coins, x1 Scavenger's Reward.]

Lynne remained composed.

"Alright, wait a moment."

Lynne quickly turned around, walking back to the potion shop, and grabbed two black bags from the door.

Faintly, a heavy, putrid smell of blood emanated from the bags, and it seemed like something inside was struggling, emitting muted groans.

Calmly, Lynne placed the [Useless Trash] on the old woman's cart.

"Thank you, young man, you are a kind soul."

The smile didn't leave the old woman's face. She slowly extended her withered hand and gouged two bloody eyeballs from her sockets.

"Young man, this is your reward from this old woman."

[Ding! You have received task rewards: +10 Favorability from Scavenger, +20 Skull Coins!]

[Ding! You may choose to accept the scavenger's reward or decline. If declined, -50 Favorability from Scavenger.]

Gazing at the steaming eyeballs, Lynne calmly extended his hand to accept them, saying: "I'll accept them, thank you."

The old woman's smile was particularly radiant, but her hollow eye sockets were especially chilling.

"Good, good!"

Then, under Lynne's watchful gaze, the old woman, pulling her cart, slowly disappeared into the darkness.

[Ding! You've received the Scavenger's Reward: Tailor Shop Owner's eyeball x1, Pork Shop Owner's eyeball x1, +20 Favorability from Scavenger.]

Lynne maintained his composure but sighed in relief internally and immediately returned to the potion shop.

He learned from his teacher that the tailor shop stitched human skin, the pork shop sold human flesh, and they were just across the street from their potion shop.

Yet, in the scavenger's hands, were the eyeballs of both shop owners. This leads to another rule he deduced about this world.

[Never attempt to offend the walkers in the dark.]

Lynne turned around, his expression forcibly calm. He organized the expired black-red potions on the counter into his portable potion box and headed to the backyard.

Passing the operation room, the squelching sounds of cutting were still echoing.

Lynne knew.

At this time, it's best not to disturb his teacher. If he does, who will end up on the operating table next is uncertain.

Lynne arrived in the backyard.

He opened the cellar door; a strong foul smell hit him instantly, like a blend of long-rotted flesh and excrement.

"Hiss—hiss—"

Mysterious sounds echoed from the cellar.

Lynne knew the creatures referred to as 'Babe' by his teacher were kept here. As to what exactly they were, no one knew except his teacher.

Lynne poured all the potions from the box into the cellar.

[Ding! You've received Skull Coins x10, Babe's Favorability -10, Household Chores Proficiency +1]

Roar—

Roar—

Soon, sharp and furious roars emanated from the cellar, along with a surge of the smell of blood.

Lynne immediately shut the cellar door. He took a breath. This was his daily task every morning since becoming an assistant in this potion shop.

His survival relied heavily on, most importantly, obeying his teacher's words, and acting without questioning, those who disobeyed were already dismembered by his teacher and fed to the Babe.

Lynne calmed his emotions and tentatively spoke:

"System?"

At that moment, a panel abruptly appeared in front of Lynne's eyes.