The cops told Victor that they understood the situation and that they'd take care of things from here.
At the sa ti, Victor inford Ethan that they were heading to the rcer Wellness Center. He told Ethan to et them there, using the address on the business card.
Because Ryan had said that was the only place where he could get the Broodmother to cooperate.
Ethan imdiately understood—this ant Ryan had succeeded. Jade had been captured.
If that was the case, then they might as well go. Hopefully, she would voluntarily remove the Ghost Parasites from Rowan and the others. More importantly, they needed to figure out how she had died and why she hated him so much.
Once they reached the city, Ethan flagged down a taxi. He gave the driver the destination and promptly dozed off in the back seat.
The Lunar Beam skill had drained most of his Soul Power, and even the lake within his Mindscape had receded slightly. As soon as the car started moving, exhaustion overtook him.
The driver woke him when they arrived. Ethan stepped out of the car and found himself standing in front of the rcer Wellness Center. However, the shutters were down. Just as he was about to call Victor, he heard soone shout, "Ethan! Over here!"
He turned toward the voice and saw Evelyn standing at the corner of the street, waving frantically.
Ethan hurried over.
"Well?" she asked cautiously.
"What?" Her sudden question caught him off guard.
"The Rubber Man! Did you catch him?" she asked, glancing behind Ethan as if expecting to see the captive.
"Ah… no, he got away," Ethan replied nonchalantly.
"What?!" Evelyn suddenly stopped in her tracks, her face a mix of disbelief and frustration. "You idiot! How could you let him escape?"
"What the hell? Who are you calling an idiot?"
"You! You! If he's gone, and he reports this to the Ninth Division, we're done for!" Her eyes were almost welling up with tears.
Ethan had been annoyed by her calling him an idiot, but seeing her on the verge of crying made him feel awkward. He hated when won cried. He understood her fear—she was worried about the repercussions from the Ninth Division.
"Uh… well…" Ethan started, trying to think of sothing comforting to say.
But Evelyn shot him a fierce glare, turned on her heel, and ran off.
Naturally, Ethan followed. He caught up to her in a few strides and grabbed her arm.
"Help! Soone's assaulting !" Evelyn suddenly scread.
Oh crap… Ethan thought, his heart sinking. What was this girl up to now?
Then he saw the devilish grin on Evelyn's face as she continued shouting, "Help! Soone's assaulting !"
Pedestrians and shopkeepers turned to look. Ethan, who had just been in a fight, looked haggard and had a torn sleeve from where a whip had struck him. In contrast, Evelyn was a pretty young girl with tears welling in her eyes, looking utterly pitiful.
"Shut up!" Ethan shouted, growing increasingly irritated.
But his outburst only made things worse. In an instant, a crowd surrounded him. A few older n even grabbed his arms.
Ethan sighed. These were just ordinary people, good Samaritans with no ill intentions. He couldn't fight back. If he wanted to, these elderly n wouldn't stand a chance as he could send them sprawling. But they were just trying to help, thanks to Evelyn's false alarm.
Several n in their sixties and seventies twisted Ethan's arms with surprising strength.
Ethan, not wanting to hurt the elderly bystanders, allowed himself to be restrained. He looked up at Evelyn, who was now wearing a triumphant, mischievous grin.
"Evelyn, what are you doing?" Ryan asked as he walked up behind her, watching the scene unfold.
"Nothing much, just teaching this guy a lesson!" Evelyn turned to her older brother, excitedly recounting what had just happened.
Ryan listened, then gave her a once-over and said flatly, "Evelyn, did a donkey kick you in the head or sothing?"
Evelyn froze for a mont, then exploded like a tiger cub having its tail stepped on. "Ryan! How dare you insult ! Do you want to tell Leeroy when we get ho?"
"Oh, go ahead. It's not like we've been paid for the intel or the spirit capture yet," Ryan replied, his tone still indifferent. "And in a few days, if we don't pay the rent for the shop…"
At this, Evelyn's face fell, and she looked troubled. She stomped her foot in frustration and pushed her way through the crowd of elderly onlookers.
Ethan, anwhile, was crouching on the ground, looking utterly puzzled by the whole situation.
As Evelyn squeezed her way into the crowd, an elderly woman suddenly spoke up with a smile, "Alright, alright, let him go."
Before Ethan could process what was happening, the woman took Evelyn's hand and said warmly, "Evelyn, dear, this young man seems nice. Much better than the last few."
Ethan's mind was flooded with questions. 'What is she talking about?'
"Oh, Mrs. Thompson… those other guys were real creeps!" Evelyn protested.
"Ah, so this one's not, then?" Mrs. Thompson teased.
Evelyn's face turned red, and she suddenly looked both embarrassed and flustered.
Since middle school, she had used this trick to scare off persistent admirers. The boys would usually run off screaming, and so even tried to fight back, only to be tackled by the elderly crowd. Afterward, they would avoid her like the plague.
A few had even tried underhanded tactics, like slipping so things into her drink. But Evelyn, having been trained by Dr. Aldric from a young age, was practically immune to most toxins.
The last guy who tried ended up with eight broken ribs, courtesy of Leeroy, and a three-year curse from Ryan that supposedly brought bad luck. Whether the curse worked or not, it didn't kill him, but it did spread rumors that anyone who pursued Evelyn would suffer misfortune.
After that, the number of suitors dwindled, though a few still tried their luck from ti to ti. Usually, Evelyn would have disappeared by now, but this ti, she stayed put. The elderly crowd, having watched her grow up, couldn't resist teasing her.
They had all been neighbors for years and had taken care of the three siblings after Dr. Aldric disappeared. Without their help, the siblings might have starved during their first year on their own. Even the rent for the rcer Wellness Center was three months overdue, but the landlord, also an old neighbor, had let it slide.
Ryan clapped his hands. "Alright, show's over. Head ho, the rest are at the manor."
Ethan sprang to his feet the second he got the chance. The elderly crowd laughed and began dispersing, leaving with teasing smiles.
"Ryan, aren't you coming? Did you deal with that… thing?" Evelyn asked, careful not to ntion ghost in front of so many people.
Ryan paused mid-turn. "Uh… I used a bit of Leeroy's blood to suppress it for now, but that halfling's blood won't cut it. I need blood from a purebred black dog to make a proper spirit-binding charm."
Ethan barely stopped himself from choking on his own laughter. Was Ryan seriously calling his brother a half-bred dog?
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