Wait, only eight minutes left??
Leinster felt like begging for life votes but looking at the oil lamp that was becoming dimmer with each second, Leinster quickly dragged Otomen Lover into the store.
"Let's check this out!"
The moment Leinster entered the store, an extremely cold air pierced Leinster's flesh and bones, bringing with them a thick smell of something stale and rotten.
Before Leinster could even pinch his nose, a person suddenly appeared in front of him without a noise, so silent that Leinster didn't even hear a heartbeat.
"Welcome...dear customer....is there...anything...you fancy?"
Leinster's heart almost leapt out of his chest.
"Ah! You scared me!"
Leinster quickly patted his chest as he silently took a step back, distancing himself from the person who suddenly appeared.
Once he was at a "safe distance", only then did Leinster notice the person's appearance.
This was a young man who looked no different from the "ghosts" outside.
A stiff smile hung on his face, so neat that it looked like it was measured by a rule.
The person clad in an old and shabby suit didn't mind Leinster's sudden antics and just rigidly repeated his words.
"Welcome...dear customer....is there...anything...you fancy?"
The man was clearly speaking, but his mouth...didn't move. That smile was still there, as if tattooed to his face.
Otomen Lover slowly hid behind Leinster while Leinster steadied his beating heart, his palm turning wet with sweat.
Damn it, damn it.
He is weak to eerie things like this.
Who would have thought that "ghosts" would fall into this category??
Concealing his trembling legs, Leinster lifted his chin until the other party could see his nostril.
He slowly lifted his hand and pointed randomly at the display inside the store.
"I want a watch that suits me!"
The "person" nodded with a creaking noise and slowly turned around, his voice floating from distant to close, as if he had never left Leinster's side.
"Follow....me..."
Leinster gripped his oil lamp tightly and slowly trailed behind the "person", his eyes darted around alertly.
With two sources of lights, the pitch black store brightened a little, just enough to see things right next to you.
While following behind the "person", Leinster passed by the glass display and saw various watches—
Some had strange faces as the dial's background and some were completely plain.
But then, a promotional flyer put on the glass display instantly captured his eyes.
[Buy any item and get an oil for free!]
Oil? The freebies are oils?
Something stirred in Leinster's mind and a light bulb instantly lit up in his mind.
Ah! Oil lamp!
Does that mean if they buy something from the store, they won't have to worry about the oil lamp running out of oil?
This is a crucial clue!
Leinster immediately slowed down and walked beside Otomen Lover before lowering his head and telling the woman about his discovery.
"Ah? So it's like that..."
But why would the store give out oils for free?
They can't be that nice, right?
These questions swirled in Otomen Lover's mind before a hoarse voice as if someone scratched a metal with long nails suddenly sounded.
"Dear...customer...please...take...a look..."
The "person" stopped in front of a singular display and inside the glass box, lay a silver watch dotted with rubies, matching Leinster's appearance perfectly.
"Hm? Let me see."
Leinster looked at the watch closely and saw the strap was a bit strange, as if it was twisted together.
The dial had an irregular shape and the hour hand had a bizarre shape, looking like...
Hands?
Human hands.
At such a close distance, Leinster could even feel a faint smell of blood, pressing on his nerves.
The scaredy cat alien calmly took a step back and arrogantly pointed at the watch with his nose.
"Okay, I want this one. Wrap it up for me."
Anyway, as long as he got the free oil!
Hearing Leinster's words, the "person" stiff smile slowly widened, looking as if he was extremely happy.
"Dear...customer...the total is 100,000 Life Force..."
"Do you want...to pay...by card...or...cash...?"
Leinster almost subconsciously blurted out,
Can't he just scan the barcode?
Oopps, bad timing for this body's memory to resurface!
Leinster steadied himself and was about to generously use "cash" when he suddenly stiffened.
"What did you say? Life Force?"
He suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Life...Force...Life...Votes..."
The shopkeeper patiently explained to this potential customer but Leinster almost choked on his saliva.
His face flushed dark red as smoke rose from his head.
What?? Life votes??
How dare this bastard demand his life votes when he had less than 2 votes, not even enough to sustain his life for two minutes!
Sensing Leinster's unwillingness, the salesman paused before the stiff smile on his face suddenly widened to the point of almost reaching his ears.
"We...also...accept...your soul, lifespan, or...fresh...body parts...as payments."
The "person" greedily eyed Leinster intact hands and even glanced at Otomen Lover's slender wrists, as if he was about to cut them in one move.
"Ah!"
Otomen Lover shrieked in a low voice as she clung tightly behind Leinster, her oil lamp swaying in terror.
What a creepy, shady store!
Unexpectedly, Leinster's face suddenly beamed.
"Ah? It's just body parts?"
He had one!
Leinster carefully took out the severed hand from the "pocket" in his red tongue "cape" and showed it to the person in charge.
The person's smiling face instantly fell, his words were squeezed out of his gritted teeth.
"S. i. r, fresh. Body. Part! This...hand...is not...fresh."
Because it wasn't chopped on the spot!
But who is Leinster? An alien who would push for whatever he wanted.
The alien immediately lifted his head haughtily and scolded the "person".
"Is this not fresh enough?? I just picked it up a few minutes ago!"
"I know you like my lovely hands, they're great, but you can't discriminate against other people's body parts, get it??"
The salesman was scolded so hard that he almost doubted his identity.
Just when Leinster was about to seal the deal, a dim yellow light slowly approached and someone shouted from behind.
"Hold on! That hand— it was my friend's!"
Leinster and Otomen Lover subconsciously looked back and saw...