"But I'm a ghost."
"Ghosts aren't allowed either~" Rita chuckled.
Although she felt he was a little out of it sometimes, communicating with him was not difficult... or rather, it was interesting?
—At least, compared to the ghosts in her imagination, he was very interesting.
—Though it would be even better if he were not a ghost.
—And best of all, if she did not have to buy that kind of disc.
"Third." Rita continued with a smile. "I hope the two of us can get along happily from now on, Ghostly Gentleman."
With that, Rita held out her hand toward the air. The next moment, she felt as though her hand had been clasped by a larger one.
"Mm. May we get along happily, Miss Rita."
Rita Compatibility +5%. Current Compatibility: 7%
Two or three seconds later, Rita gently pulled her hand back and gestured toward the door as if to say, "Please."
"All right, I'm going to sleep now. Please give me some privacy, Ghostly Gentleman."
"..."
Had he agreed a little too readily? What was with this feeling of being completely controlled?
Rita clearly sensed a resentful emotion in the air, but soon afterward, she felt Liu Bai leave the room.
"He truly is quite the gentlemanly ghost."
Rita chuckled softly, then rose to change into her pajamas.
Rita Compatibility +1%
Just as stipulated in their three rules, Rita had no intention of telling Otto about Liu Bai. As for why... well, Bishop Otto could not exorcise ghosts, could he?
As she changed into her pajamas, Rita took a recording pen from the clothes she had removed—surely it was perfectly reasonable for a maid to carry one around at all times?
Rita threw herself onto the soft bed. Tonight's ghostly incident had left her physically and mentally exhausted. She then turned the recording pen's volume to its lowest setting and pressed play.
The first voice on the recording pen was hers. Then... it was still hers.
"Ghostly Gentleman, if you don't mind, would you be willing to have an open and honest conversation with me?"
"...So you're my spirit behind me, or rather, my guardian spirit?"
There was only her voice in the recording, as though she had been asking and answering questions to the air by herself.
Rita did not look particularly surprised. She merely turned over and gazed at the spotless white ceiling.
"It seems you truly are a genuine Ghostly Gentleman... A guardian spirit protecting me?"
"Did someone turn on the hallway air conditioning?"
A Valkyrie carrying documents shivered as she passed Rita's room, unconsciously quickening her pace.
From the Lord God's perspective, a handsome ghost floated above the Valkyrie, watching her leave.
"If this were a horror movie, I'd have pounced on you and you'd already be GG, girl."
Liu Bai complained listlessly.
"Working in the middle of the night. What a workaholic."
Liu Bai was bored right now. The fifty-meter range limit had trapped him in the corridor. If not for that limit, he would have explored all of Schicksal long ago... Ahem, just to be clear, Liu Bai absolutely had not wanted to visit the Valkyrie dormitories.
He was just a pervert, not a freak.
Thus, confined to wandering the hallway, Liu Bai could only relieve his boredom by scaring the occasional Valkyrie or clerk passing through.
Aside from strengthening his power somewhat, Level 2 Haunting Ability could also give people slight temperature hallucinations. Tests showed that in a quiet hallway at night, slightly lowering their perceived temperature could effectively make them hurry along.
Incidentally, since it was essentially an illusion, it worked just as well on Valkyries with exceptional constitutions.
Ding—! Today's simulation attempts have been restored. Please begin a simulation promptly, Host.
Did that even need asking? Of course he would begin the simulation immediately.
Upon sensing Liu Bai's thoughts, the scene before him blurred once again.
Please note: Simulation is about to begin! Simulation Location: Womb
"???"
Mobius: Childhood
Simulation Location: Womb Simulation Host: Mobius New Story Segment Discovered: Mobius: Childhood
The scene before him became clear again. In the dark environment, an infant appeared before Liu Bai.
...This was the womb?
Liu Bai wanted to curse. Could the system be any less reliable? It had actually sent him to a place like this?
You called a womb a location?
But soon, Liu Bai realized the system had not completely messed with him. He was still the same six-foot-tall handsome man.
But... why was he seeing this scene?
Liu Bai tried using his ghostly nature to leave. The moment that thought surfaced, the scenery around him shifted, bringing him into a hospital delivery room.
Mobius was about to be born, but at that moment, her mother seemed to be suffering from dystocia.
"...I think I know what I'm supposed to do."
Watching the doctors begin to panic, Liu Bai sighed and secretly started helping them. A ghost capable of passing directly through bodies was sometimes more useful than precision instruments.
Before long, Mobius's mother was out of danger.
With your help, both mother and child were safe. Mobius was born, and the newborn Mobius seemed vaguely able to sense your presence.
"It's born! Mother and daughter are safe! It's a girl! This is practically a medical miracle!"
The doctor excitedly carried the newborn baby girl over to her parents.
Yet the baby's lively eyes swept across her surroundings before settling on Liu Bai.
"?"
Liu Bai froze slightly. You called that "vaguely"? I'd believe you if you said this girl could see me!
After thinking for a moment, Liu Bai raised a finger to his lips and made a shushing gesture.
The next second, Liu Bai reconsidered. Thinking Mobius might really not be able to see him, he bluntly said:
"Don't talk. You'll get spanked."
Little Mobius: 0_0
"Why isn't this child crying or fussing?" One of the nurses found it strange. "If she doesn't cry or fuss, then her respiratory and circulatory systems..."
"It's fine. Just give her bottom two pats." The more experienced nurse did not care much and casually smacked Mobius's little bottom twice.
Little Mobius: 0o0
Why did she feel like not talking would get her spanked?
Little Mobius suspiciously looked at Liu Bai, who had turned his head aside.
A newborn baby could actually make an expression of suspicion. All Liu Bai could say was, as expected of Mobius.
"Still not crying?"
The medical staff beside them frowned.
"If that doesn't work, use professional measures."
Professional measures?
Although she was only a newborn infant, Mobius's extraordinary talent was already enough for her to understand what those four words meant.
Ordinary measures—spanking her bottom.
Professional measures—...
Mobius felt that perhaps she could cry a little. That man who looked blurry yet somehow felt familiar was completely unreliable!
"Waa—!"
The baby girl's loud cry rang out, and the medical worker who had been about to stimulate Mobius's back stopped.
—The professional measures were actually gentler.
"This little girl is kind of dumb. So slow."
The nurse who had just smacked Mobius's bottom muttered under her breath.
Little Mobius: ...
Everyone else: ...
After crying for a while, little Mobius glared resentfully at Liu Bai.
Mobius received the evaluation "dumb" at the moment of her birth. All of this was thanks to you. Mobius Compatibility -3%. Current Compatibility: -3%.
I only wanted to keep you from being so freakishly brilliant that you scared everyone away...
Liu Bai twitched the corner of his mouth.
This segment was called Mobius: Childhood. Most likely, that meant this simulation would only last until Mobius came of age.
...That was strange. Mobius's true storyline should have taken place in Moth Chasers to Fire.
Liu Bai suddenly had a bold idea.
(System, you said simulation results would be reflected in reality. If I took Mobius to Dusk Alley at the appropriate time, would I see another version of myself?)
No. Other than special-type simulations, simulations do not interfere with one another.
The system immediately answered Liu Bai's question. Liu Bai wanted to ask what a special-type simulation was, but the changing scene interrupted his doubts.
Before long, Mobius displayed her talent. Not long after being born, under your guidance, Mobius said the words "Daddy" and "Mommy." Her reputation as a child prodigy spread far and wide, successfully making Mobius the most dazzling baby among infants.
"Come on, Mobius. Say 'Daddy.'"
Liu Bai floated before little Mobius, speaking with a teasing grin.
"..." Little Mobius glanced at her half-asleep mother, silently raised one chubby middle finger at Liu Bai, and generously gifted him a look as though he were an idiot.
"...I've been racking my brains to give you a happy childhood."
Liu Bai curled his lips. "You little brat, biting the hand that feeds you. You don't know a good person when you see one."
Little Mobius continued looking at Liu Bai as though he were an idiot.
Though she did not know who Lü Dongbin was, this blurry fellow was either not a good person or simply an idiot.
After a brief period of thought, little Mobius silently categorized the indistinct figure before her as an "idiot."
He was the dumbest person she had ever seen since being born.
Mobius grew up healthily while looking down on the dumb ghost every day. Mobius grew up healthily while looking down on the dumb ghost every day. Mobius grew up healthily while looking down on the dumb ghost every day.
You repeated the same message three times!?
Stupid system, stick your head out here. I'll give you a buff!
Just watch and see whether I beat you up!
Through your companionship as she grew up, Mobius gradually acknowledged your existence. Mobius Compatibility +50%
Before you continue