Voodoo Doll

In the afternoon, after undergoing a physical examination by the medical team, Ye Yu confirmed she had no issues and returned home. In her residential complex, she coincidentally met Aunt Li, her neighbor on the first floor.

Aunt Li had just returned from grocery shopping and smiled, greeting her, "Xiao Yu, just back from playing?"

"Yes, I went for a walk and picked up a few packages. Aunt Li, you just came back from the market too?"

Ye Yu held up three packages in her hands, gesturing. She looked as if she had indeed just been out for a stroll, not as if she had just endured two days and two nights of life-and-death struggle in a terrifying anomaly game.

"That's right, I bought some large shrimp to steam for Dou Dou and Yue Yue." Aunt Li smiled brightly. Dou Dou and Yue Yue, whom she mentioned, were a cat and a dog she kept. "Oh, where's your Xiao Wu? Haven't seen you walk it these past few days?"

Aunt Li had assumed Ye Yu's morning runs were for walking her cat. She often walked Yue Yue in the mornings and was very fond of the large black cat with glossy fur and sharp eyes that made her Golden Retriever dog afraid to move. Not seeing it for two days, she couldn't help but ask.

Ye Yu paused for a moment, instinctively about to hide her emotions, but quickly realized this wasn't the investigation team, so she lowered her eyes and softly said, "It ran away."

"Ran away?" Aunt Li was surprised. "Just a few days ago, it was so attached to you, not letting anyone else touch it, only letting you hold it. How could it run away?"

"But that's how cats are, curious about everything. Maybe the door wasn't careful, and it snuck out to play and got lost."

"Xiao Yu, don't be sad. I'll put up some lost cat notices and ask around among my acquaintances. Such a beautiful big black cat, if it's still around here, it's sure to be found! Wait for me to put away the groceries, and I'll help you look."

Aunt Li not only loved animals but was also very kind. But Ye Yu just shook her head.

"No need to look. If it wanted to leave, why look for it?"

"Kids these days, even sulking at cats." Aunt Li laughed. "Cats are like that; they seem smart but sometimes they're silly. They just intend to go out for a bit and then forget their way home."

"Last time, my Dou Dou got lost for a night. It was terrified. When I found it, it kept meowing and snuggling into my arms. Your Xiao Wu must also be scared and waiting for you to pick it up!"

"No, it's not like that." Ye Yu said, "From the beginning, it didn't want to come home with me, and it even bit me. I was the one who insisted on taking it back. Although we got along quite well these past few days, that was all just an act. As soon as I let my guard down, it scratched me and ran away."

Aunt Li was alarmed, "Xiao Wu scratched you? Are you okay? You need to get a rabies shot if a cat scratches you."

"I'm fine, it didn't hit me." Ye Yu lowered her eyes. "I just wanted to say it's not like Dou Dou. Dou Dou genuinely likes you, but it was just pretending."

Aunt Li burst out laughing. "Haha, what strange things you say. Dogs might know how to read people's expressions and put on an act, like my Yue Yue, who always looks pitiful when it does something wrong. But what do cats know about pretending?"

Seeing the girl look wronged, Aunt Li advised, "I've raised cats for many years, so I know. Cats have a proud personality. No matter how you scold or treat them well, if they don't want to care, they won't."

"Especially a stray cat that's still fat and healthy, its temperament is usually very wild. Your Xiao Wu looks fierce and wild. Hearing what you said, I guess it wasn't used to being kept indoors, so it ran away. Don't be sad anymore. Its willingness to cling to you shows it likes you; it just loves freedom more."

"This is a bit difficult because some cats are naturally inclined towards freedom. Keeping them indoors is worse than killing them. If Xiao Wu wanted to leave, even if you brought it back, it would find a way to run again. Unless it changes its mind and comes back on its own..."

Aunt Li genuinely loved cats, so she didn't advise Ye Yu to catch it again, only comforted her. Ye Yu was stunned to hear this.

"Do I look very sad?"

After receiving Aunt Li's affirmative nod, Ye Yu reached up and touched her face. Back home, she used a utility knife to open three packages on the table. Inside were not only pet clothes but also new sunglasses and scarves.

Ye Yu didn't look further. She gathered all the old clothes, Wu Xi's used bowls, along with the newly bought items, and put them into a large box, intending to take it downstairs to throw away later. Although she was frugal, she now had some money and didn't mind these things.

Passing the bathroom, Ye Yu paused, looking at her emotionless face in the mirror.

Recalling Aunt Li's words, Ye Yu tried to curl her lips into a smile, but the forced smile looked terribly awkward. She dropped her face, returning to her emotionless state, then carried the box downstairs. The old apartment complex was poorly managed; the large trash cans were overflowing. Ye Yu had no choice but to place the cardboard box next to the trash can.

Perhaps cardboard boxes always held a strong attraction for cats. Not long after she left, a small cat emerged from the corner of the wall. But the strong aura lingering in the box made it hesitate, taking one step forward and one step back.

Finally, the small cat couldn't resist the temptation and was about to jump in when a shadow suddenly enveloped it.

"Meow!"

The small cat shrieked, as if caught by the scruff of its neck by some terrifying creature, its four paws scrambling to flee the scene.

"Hmph!"

The shadow bent down, a slender hand with distinct knuckles reached out, gently lifted the heavy cardboard box, and quickly departed.

Sitting on the sofa at home, Ye Yu was completely unaware of what had happened. She was finishing the leftover cake in the fridge and drinking a can of sparkling lemonade.

The sound of the TV made the room less empty, and the sensation of fizzing bubbles in her mouth helped calm Ye Yu's tense mind.

She touched the rusty safe on the coffee table. Although it looked old and dilapidated, it didn't feel dirty to the touch. She closed her eyes, trying to commune with it. A moment later, Ye Yu opened her eyes, her expression thoughtful.

[Director Cui's Safe]: Level five anomalous relic. Nurtured by human organs or energy when used. Each month, it will produce one hundred yuan in banknotes. Effective against humans or anomalies of level four and below.

Usage rule: Give money to the other party and clearly state which body part you wish to purchase from them.

The money produced by a level five anomalous relic was naturally not ordinary money, but "life-buying money." Once the other party accepted the money and did not return it before she finished stating her request, the transaction would immediately be established. If the other party refused or failed to complete the transaction within three minutes, they would explode and die.

These rules automatically appeared in Ye Yu's mind when she communed with the item, similar to how information is received from jade slips in Xianxia films. A safe that could spontaneously generate money?

Ye Yu had never seen such a "diligent" safe. It was a pity it only produced one banknote a month, and it couldn't be spent indiscriminately... She felt as if she had missed out on hundreds of millions.

She used her energy to retrieve this month's banknote, tucking it securely behind her phone case. Then, she opened the black-covered book. The page about Wu Xi had disappeared, replaced by two new pages obtained from Che Xu Bei and Niu Tao.

[White Shark]: Level six superhuman energy. Can summon a five-meter-long white shark phantom to attack, especially effective in water environments. Hands can transform into the upper half of a shark's body, and teeth can also transform into sharp shark teeth.

[Niu Mo]: Level five superhuman energy. Head grows black bull horns, entire body covered in sturdy black scales. Muscles are greatly developed, defense and strength increase many times over normal.

The black book was the concretization of Ye Yu's abilities. She thought the name "Bian Niu" sounded a bit bad, so she changed it to "Niu Mo" for more prestige.

With two portions of level six energy remaining, Ye Yu didn't use them to upgrade "Niu Mo" but chose to open the "Anomaly Simulator."

After upgrading the hardware, this simulator could run multiple software simultaneously. This meant that if her mental strength was sufficient, she could control two or three "shells" like Jing Nu at the same time. In the future, "Anomaly Queen" or "System Mister" would no longer be illusory but could truly appear simultaneously.

Currently, Ye Yu decided to create the character "Lan Ni" mentioned in the Anomalous Records. To find inspiration for this character, she switched the TV to a children's channel.

On the TV, the host was teaching how to make clay dolls: "First, we mold the small head, press in the eye sockets, attach two big black round eyes..."

Ye Yu nodded: "Hmm, the eyes must be big."

"Add some blush, red lips, and a big smile..."

Ye Yu: "Hmm, rosy cheeks, red lips, always smiling."

"Hair tied in two pigtails, with pink bows, holding a plush bunny..."

Ye Yu quickly edited on her phone. An hour and a half later, an eight-year-old girl appeared in the living room.

This was the benefit of hardware upgrades. She could control the shell remotely without worrying about fainting or revealing her identity. If she fainted, the shell would disappear on its own due to lack of energy.

The eight-year-old girl had long, smooth blue hair tied in two pigtails, with two old, blood-stained pink bows in her hair. She wore a puffy white dress, but the dress was covered in splattered dry bloodstains.

Her cheeks were rosy, her lips plump and red, and her eyes were as deep blue as the sky reflecting water, strangely clean. The corners of her mouth were always slightly upturned in an innocent smile. Compared to the eerie Jing Nu, Lan Ni looked exactly like a normal child, even very adorable, the kind of child anyone on the street would want to give candy to.

"Still missing a plush bunny..."

Ye Yu looked around the house. She had a plush bunny, but it was a memento from her parents, and she couldn't bear to use it. So she summoned bus 712 and took out a dry skull. This was a level two anomalous relic, suitable for decoration. She handed it to Lan Ni.

"No plush bunny, use this temporarily."

The little girl hugged the skull, giggling, revealing her sharp, gleaming shark teeth: "It's not temporary. Compared to a plush bunny, I like this ball more. Hehe."

Ye Yu smiled. If Wu Xi were here, he would definitely accuse her of being an actress. She felt a little let down, so she sat on the sofa, and Lan Ni also disappeared. A new page appeared in the black book.

[Voodoo Doll - Lan Ni]
Level: Six.
Type: Mobile Anomaly.
Death Rule: When the target is within 5 meters, Lan Ni stares into the target's eyes, cursing the target by self-harm. Wounds on Lan Ni's body will synchronize and appear on the target's body. Synchronization rate depends on the target's level (100% for level five and below).

If the target's blood, hair, or fingernails are obtained, Lan Ni can create small voodoo dolls to attack from a distance.

If sufficient blood, hair, and fingernails are obtained and swallowed, Lan Ni can transform into the target's form, turning the target into a "substitute doll" for herself. When Lan Ni takes damage, the wounds will transfer to the substitute doll. If synchronization is 100%, the doll will die in Lan Ni's place.

Survival Rule: Stay more than 5 meters away from Lan Ni, and do not look into her eyes. Do not let blood, hair, or fingernails fall into her hands.

Because Lan Ni's rules were complex, the "user manual" was also more detailed. Unlike Jing Nu, who was an illusion, Lan Ni had a physical body, making her more susceptible to attack. But because she was a voodoo doll, she felt no pain; even if decapitated or stabbed in the heart, she wouldn't die. To kill her, one had to completely incinerate her head with intense fire to sever the energy link with Ye Yu.

In other words, as long as the simulator was running and Ye Yu had energy, these shells could be revived countless times.

Ye Yu designed Lan Ni to be extreme: neglecting defense and physical attack, focusing entirely on curses. She was afraid of pain after the battle with Director Cui, so she eliminated the sensation of pain for Lan Ni. She could stab herself in the chest without feeling anything, but the opponent would surely die.

As for the last level six energy, Ye Yu decided to save it for when new inspiration struck. With reserves in hand, her heart wouldn't panic.

---
The black cat with Ye Yu: Wearing sunglasses, loving no one! Cool!
The black cat away from Ye Yu: North wind blows, snow falls, this cat picks up trash to survive. Boo hoo.

(End of chapter)