Chapter 15: A Maiden's Lap Pillow!
Outside the building, Miura Yumiko held Luke's phone.
Her knee still hurt badly, preventing her from running too far.
She thought about what the boy had just told her, her fingers expertly tapping on the phone screen.
Vaguely, she heard sounds like 'Kaioken' and 'Frieza'.
Her gaze swept over the few contacts on Luke's phone.
She quickly dialed the number saved under the name 'Shady Merchant'.
She didn't have to wait long; the call connected quickly.
Beep.
The call connected, but the other side didn't speak.
Miura Yumiko quickly said, "Emergency."
There was a pause on the other end. "...Location."
Miura Yumiko gave the other person the location.
"Mm, I'll be there soon."
A dial tone followed; the other person had hung up.
Miura Yumiko put the phone away, looked back at the terrifying commercial building, and wiped the dust from the scrapes on her knee.
Although she had escaped the dangerous area, her heart was still pounding wildly, and her mind was a mess.
She was already injured and couldn't do anything about those terrifying mannequins.
She felt it was best not to go back and cause him more trouble.
Leave professional matters to the professionals.
She just needed to trust Luke's expertise. That was the smartest thing anyone could do.
...
The incantations had completely dissipated.
Fatigue, pain, all sorts of physical discomfort washed over him one after another.
Luke lay powerlessly on the floor.
Right now, due to the aftereffects of the talisman hidden in his heart, he had completely lost the ability to move.
He could only lie tiredly on the ground, staring at the scorched ceiling.
This ceiling is really... ceiling-y.
His mind wandered aimlessly.
The truths of life and the universe flickered through his thoughts.
But he finally had to face an incredibly sad and cruel reality—
He, with 16 points of Strength, 12 points of Agility, 9 points of Constitution, plus the incantation buffs, couldn't beat a single calico cat!
Could there be anything more frustrating than this?
This depressing fact made him numb to any physical discomfort.
Pain, so much pain...
The calico cat started moving, ending his rambling thoughts meant to suppress the pain.
He slowly turned his head to watch the calico cat, seeing its next actions.
The calico cat, with its black, white, and brown patches, its yellow eyes gleaming, had apparently decided against finding a cozier spot to eat after the earlier incident.
Its movements were agile, its steps light.
The pads on its paws landed silently on the floor as it walked with an elegant feline gait towards the doll.
The old, tattered doll also lay quietly on the floor, its eyes hollow and deep.
But somehow, signs of life suddenly appeared on the lifeless fabric.
Perhaps it saw its impending doom, as it continuously emitted soul-language.
And so, Luke kept hearing its calls, but...
He couldn't understand!
Seeing him make no move, the doll's urgent calls quickened.
This time, he vaguely guessed the meaning because the long string of sounds the doll emitted included words like "help," allowing him to recognize a few words.
Could it be... some foreign language?
Sorry, when it comes to foreign language, I'm a total clueless...
Luke thought helplessly.
He watched helplessly as the calico cat opened its small mouth and swallowed the doll possessed by the evil spirit in one gulp.
The doll seemed to struggle the moment it was swallowed, but soon, that evil aura was neutralized by the calico cat's power.
Instantly, the oppressive feeling that had weighed down the surroundings vanished.
The world seemed to have put on peaceful clothes again.
He vaguely understood some of the inside story...
Miura Yumiko had been able to live a seemingly normal life for so long despite the doll's influence.
There wasn't some deep reason for it.
It was simply because they couldn't communicate due to the language barrier.
This communication obstacle had unexpectedly helped Miura Yumiko avoid all potential crises.
As for the doll being able to call out Miura Yumiko's name, it seemed like it was just mimicking human speech it had overheard, like a baby babbling.
Additionally, because the evil spirit possessed this doll, all its malice was hidden, which was why he hadn't noticed anything unusual when he visited the Miura house before.
The reason for its sudden outburst today was likely because the doll received a power boost from his [Event Card], or perhaps this environment, which allowed many mannequins to become spiritual vessels, had strengthened its abilities.
Anyway, the foreign-speaking doll met its demise today.
[Notification]: Event Card mission progress has ended. Your challenge is complete. You have received a reward—Item: Magical Cat Pendant.
Cat Pendant?
He looked carefully at the calico cat that had swallowed the doll.
Mimi, having devoured the evil spirit doll, staggered a couple of steps, then curled up on the floor as if drunk.
Closing its big yellow eyes, it rested its small head gently on its soft paws and fell into a comfortable sleep, cute snores escaping its nose and mouth.
Luke breathed a sigh of relief.
At least it wasn't an enemy in the challenge mission.
He should be safe now.
His thoughts settled.
In that moment of distraction, the cat before him vanished, replaced by a pendant lying face down on the floor!
My reward!
Luke instantly realized.
He wanted to go pick it up, but he forgot... his body couldn't move at all!
"Hiss—!"
The pain shooting through his body made him suck in a sharp breath.
He had to temporarily abandon the thought of moving.
In the silent building, he heard the clack-clack of human footsteps on the floor above.
Luke suddenly panicked.
Could it be that Shady Merchant had arrived...?
If that person found the pendant, she'd definitely try to extort him.
"Are you okay?" A soft voice spoke, and a shadow blocked his view.
"Ah, it's Miura." Luke replied, seeing the blonde hair falling beside his face.
"Didn't I tell you to leave? Weren't you afraid it was still dangerous here..."
"Hey! My leg doesn't hurt anymore! I don't want to be a complete burden!" Miura Yumiko's face flushed red, her voice rising slightly.
"See, I'm useful now! Do you need me to help you up?"
"Don't!" Luke quickly yelled. "My whole body hurts like hell right now, don't you move me!"
"Oh, okay," Miura Yumiko's voice softened again.
"Right, is your knee okay?" Luke looked at Miura Yumiko's knee as she crouched beside him, simultaneously noticing something he shouldn't have seen.
"It's fine," Miura Yumiko murmured, barely audible.
Silence fell for a moment.
"Hey!" Miura Yumiko looked at the dazed Luke, thought for a second, then suddenly realized something, angrily pulling down her short skirt, covering the beautiful scenery.
Pink...
Feeling rude, Luke quickly averted his gaze.
"Ahem, could you grab that pendant over there for me? That's mine."
Miura Yumiko shot him a fierce glare, walked over, picked up the cat pendant, and tossed it into his hand.
[Magical Cat Pendant]:
[Passive 1: Cat's Agility]: When wearing this pendant, ignore attribute limits and gain an additional +3 Agility;
[Passive 2: Cat's Grace]: When wearing this pendant, ignore attribute limits and gain an additional +3 Spirit;
[Active: Summon Mimi]: You can actively summon this magical cat. It possesses powerful spiritual senses and can deal with evil ghosts; it has profound martial arts skills and can punish wicked people. But be warned, after summoning it, you must pay a hefty price, otherwise, it will leave you—
Price: One cat treat stick or a can of cat food, or something else that satisfies it.
My god, such an expensive price (sarcasm).
Miura Yumiko crossed her arms, looking away.
But seeing Luke shaking his head on the floor, she still asked.
"What's wrong with that head of yours, full of rubbish thoughts?"
Luke put away his joy from obtaining a high-quality item and replied to her, "Oh, side effect of the exorcism. My head hurts all over, and this floor is too hard. Just have to move my head to a different spot on the ground to lessen the pain."
"Serves you right," Miura Yumiko huffed.
Ouch! How disheartening.
Luke pouted and continued to move his head.
"Do you need your backpack to cushion it?" Miura Yumiko asked.
"Forget it, the backpack isn't exactly soft either," Luke said painfully.
Miura Yumiko bit her dry lips.
Hmm?
He looked puzzled at Miura Yumiko, who had crouched beside him again...
Miura Yumiko gently lifted his head, placed the backpack under her knees, then knelt on it.
Placing her hands behind his head, she lifted it with extreme care.
And so, Luke felt his head resting on something soft, fragrant, and gentle...
The pain lessened significantly.
"So comfortable."
He muttered to himself.
"Shut your stupid mouth, or... or, I'll throw your head out," Miura Yumiko continued fiercely.
But her eyes darted side to side, and combined with her shy expression, her fierce words didn't match at all.
Strangely, he felt a little shy too.
He obediently closed his mouth, enjoying the rare moment of peace.
...
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