“Mamā???”
Did I become a male mamā?
“Mamā… Mamā——”
The Mimic sat up from the pile of gold coins.
Though her body was weak, she forced herself to reach out, wanting to hug Lin Ran.
Lin Ran didn’t dare move recklessly.
This Mimic was still fragile—just now, she looked like she might fall apart at any moment.
If he made a careless move now, and the Mimic broke apart on the spot, he wouldn’t even be surprised.
“Pfft—cough cough!”
An Mengyue choked on her laughter at the scene, bouncing up from the bed.
She rushed over, not to laugh… no, to observe the situation.
But perhaps sensing attention other than Lin Ran’s, the Mimic retreated back into the chest, leaving only half her head exposed.
“What’s going on…”
Lin Ran felt his scalp tingle.
“Does this Mimic have fledgling bird instincts? You said before you were a wage earner? Is this your coworker, too? Stop laughing and help, will you!!”
He patted An Mengyue’s shoulder, urging her to lend a hand.
An Mengyue was laughing so hard tears almost fell.
She clutched her stomach, took several deep breaths, and finally managed to speak.
“I’m not an all-knowing sage, but I’ve heard that Mimics, living long-term in darkness, don’t have true visual abilities. They analyze things through touch, smell, and hearing.”
“If she isn’t imprinted like a fledgling, that means you carry the same scent as her mother.”
As An Mengyue spoke, she studied Lin Ran with interest.
Lin Ran pondered seriously.
The same scent as a mother?
If he had to say he had any connection with the Mimic’s mother—whom he’d never even met…
Unless her mother was a Demon King.
His scent was similar to a Demon King’s, leading her to think it resembled her mother’s?
But as soon as that thought flashed through his mind, he dismissed it.
How could the Demon King’s daughter end up in a place like this?
Aside from that, he couldn’t think of any reason he might resemble the Mimic’s mother.
Could it really just be a coincidence?
As he was lost in thought, that soft sensation pressed against him again.
“Mamā~ Mamā~”
She nuzzled her cheek against Lin Ran’s waist, calling out mamā with each rub.
The voice was clearly that of a young girl, and the body was a fully developed female—no matter how you looked, it was out of place.
Especially Limu, who was nearly drooling.
[That’s supposed to be my spot! I want to act spoiled like that too… Calling out mamā, that’s way too greedy!!]
Hmm…
Lin Ran silently decided that he should read Limu’s thoughts less often from now on.
However, before he could reach any conclusions, the Mimic gave an explanation herself.
“Mamā… is the only one who never betrayed me.”
“Mamā said she would come see me, and she really did…”
“Mamā——”
She hugged Lin Ran tightly, breathing in his scent in big gulps.
As she breathed, Lin Ran felt her body start to grow.
The sense of weakness faded, and vitality surged.
Was she recovering magic again?
Yet it was precisely this magic replenishment that made Lin Ran’s interrupted thoughts come together.
He finally understood why the Mimic called him mamā.
Because he really had fulfilled that promise.
After leaving her, he found her again.
In those endless years of darkness, countless lives had accidentally or intentionally entered her chest.
Among them, how many had made promises, saying they would take her away, or return to see her?
But no one ever came back.
Except for her[Mamā]—and himself.
That’s why the Mimic chose him.
That’s why she called out[Mamā]to him.
For a girl imprisoned in darkness for countless years, whose mind had never matured, and whose only hope was to have a friend—
All she wanted was someone who would see her a second time.
That’s all.
So, when Lin Ran said he would return to see her, even though she claimed not to believe it, her affection instinctively increased.
And for this reason—
When he actually appeared before her, truly seeing her for the second time, her affection skyrocketed to terrifying levels——
[Ding~! The Mimic has been moved by your words, Affection +40! Current Affection: 80 (Most most most favorite!!)]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for raising the Mimic’s affection to 70! Gained 500 Love Guru Experience!]
[Ding! This round’s reward will be a skill beneficial to love, based on the Host’s occupation!]
[Given the Host’s current profession as ‘Human Resources Manager’, which requires certain performance abilities for socializing, dinners, and romance, a skill will be randomly selected from Performance Skills!]
Bad!
This damn system is messing with me again!
The teleportation gate, Human Resources Manager, the affection handgun—these were all ridiculous things, and it was only thanks to the uniqueness of the apocalypse that he managed to make them work.
Now it’s giving a Performance Skill?
What next, spitting water? Breathing fire?
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the Performance Skill—‘Friction Static’!]
[Passive Effect: Your static electricity generated by friction is greatly enhanced, with additional boosts based on physical attributes.]
[System Evaluation: In love or social situations, boldly perform the power of static that can turn your partner or boss’s hair into an explosion!]
I freaking knew it!
Lin Ran scratched his head.
The more disappointed he felt, the less surprised he was.
But then his hand suddenly felt heavy.
A sudden weight landed on his wrist.
Looking closely, it was actually a Little Doll Boss D-1.
“Isn’t this Little Doll Boss D-1? Why is it clinging to me? Didn’t it dislike me before?”
Lin Ran was still joking, but the Little Doll performed a shocking action.
She opened her tiny mouth.
Then, she directly bit down on the finger Lin Ran had just used to scratch his head.
Not only that, but a whole group of Little Dolls burst in from outside.
Like cats smelling catnip, their eyes locked on Lin Ran.
Even… Vera wasn’t an exception.
“This… what’s happening?”
Lin Ran was completely bewildered.
Looking at the Little Doll sucking on his finger, her face and body were growing even smoother and whiter.
“I apologize. We sensed an overwhelming electric current and instinctively wanted to recharge…”
Vera’s words were the calmest among the dolls, but her actions were the most shameless.
She used her control abilities to push aside the other Little Dolls and moved directly to Lin Ran’s hand.
Of course——she was too embarrassed to suck on his finger in front of everyone.
She merely pressed her cheek repeatedly against the back of Lin Ran’s hand.
A small slime, seeing this, curiously crept over, perched on Vera’s hair, and gently touched Lin Ran’s fingertip.
The next second.
“Zzzzt——”
Instantly, it was zapped into slime jelly.
If Lin Ran hadn’t reacted quickly, immediately reconstructing it with his own slime tissue, he might have lost his first unit right then.
Such terrifying discharge power…
Lin Ran remembered the system said earlier that it scaled with physical attributes…
Could magic power be part of that?
Am I turning into Pikachu again…?