New Combos

Chen Miemie had a couple of comfortable days.

The first day of the new week.

Ever since Black Hole joined the household, he'd become a master of getting out of bed. When he wanted to laze around, he'd laze; when he wanted to get up, he could be up in an instant, his eyes snapping open and immediately shifting into crisp, refreshed mode.

Black Hole seemed loud and chaotic on the surface, but surprisingly, it got along great with the household's oddities.

Just like right now.

"Bobo, what are you up to?" Black Hole drifted into the kitchen.

Bobo was doing aerobics.

It was shaking the pineapple leaves on top of its head, occasionally throwing in some high-difficulty moves.

"Can't you tell? I'm exercising." Bobo didn't stop its moonwalk.

"You're an oddity. Why do you need to exercise?" Black Hole found it hard to understand.

"Because I need to lose weight, of course. Chen Miemie said I can't keep eating so much greasy food long-term, and I'm working hard to lower my body fat percentage."

Black Hole hugged a chicken leg: "Hold on a second, I've got a great idea."

"What idea? Wait until I finish this round, then talk."

Black Hole waited a few minutes by the side. Seeing Bobo stop, it hurried over to show its enthusiasm.

It directed a few sheets of paper to "wipe sweat" off the finished Bobo.

The paper did indeed get wet—though not with sweat, but with oil.

"Alright, out with it. What idea?" Bobo felt this new black blob was a bit shifty.

"Yesterday, on [Neverday], I was chatting with Lost Soul, and it told me that it, along with Origami and Road Rage, came up with a super powerful combined skill."

"Yeah, that move of theirs, [Path of Sinking], is really something."

Black Hole's tone carried excitement: "I thought about it, Bobo. We could cook up our own combined skill too."

Bobo's interest was instantly piqued: "Black blob, details."

"I'm not called black blob. I'm Black Hole."

"Fine, Black Hole Dumpling, your details."

"I— whatever. Bobo, my strength is that rules are everywhere, making me hard to guard against. My weakness is that I can only make people stay in bed—my destructive power is limited.

Your strength as Bobo is strong aroma control, plus fierce mutation power. Your shortcoming is that when face to face, people get wary easily. They won't fall for your tricks, since no one eats your roasted chicken mid-battle.

If the two of us combine, think about what that could be."

Bobo pulled out [Moon Phase Cheese], used it as a weapon, and lightly whacked Black Hole: "Stop being cryptic. Spill it."

Black Hole stared at [Moon Phase Cheese]: "What is this? Feels kind of powerful."

Bobo looked smug: "This is the exclusive weapon Chen Miemie specially gave me. Right now in the household, besides me, only Origami has one."

"So... does that make you, Bobo, the number two of the household?"

Bobo loved that title, the amusement in its voice impossible to hide: "Keep it low-key. We don't do that hierarchy stuff in this house. Don't change the subject—get back to your combined skill."

"Oh right. Bobo, think about it: if we combine forces, when someone just wakes up, groggy and hungry, as they're lazing in bed and catch your aroma—wouldn't they just open their mouth and eat?"

Bobo was blown away: "You mean, you could deliver me to the bedside of anyone who just woke up?"

"Of course I can. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to you. Your size is just right for me to wrap around, which satisfies the conditions for bringing you along."

"Alright. If this really works, then you, Black Hole Dumpling, are Bobo's best friend."

Unsurprisingly, the first test subject was Chen Miemie.

Today, before he even opened his eyes, his nose was already twitching.

"Why is it so fragrant? That's a familiar smell. Mm, one more bite."

It wasn't until he took a third bite that he suddenly realized something was wrong.

He fully opened his eyes and saw Bobo floating in the air by his bedside, looking like it was wearing a black overcoat.

"Bobo? Why are you here, and you're missing a leg... wait, did I just eat you? And I haven't even washed my mouth yet."

Five minutes later.

Bobo and Black Hole owned up obediently, saying "we won't ever do it again."

Qinghua smiled: "It seems their combined skill is genuinely something. None of us noticed a thing."

In the living room, Loop and Origami; in the porcelain vase by the door, Qinghua; Pure Water sometimes in the fish tank, sometimes in the cup by the bed; Daidai in the crib in the bedroom; Red hanging from the ceiling—all of them.

Normally, getting to Chen Miemie's bedside required overcoming eighty-one trials.

Even for household members, going there was possible, but going without being detected was nearly impossible.

And today, Black Hole and Bobo had pulled off this virtually unstoppable surprise attack.

After a stern lecture, Chen Miemie remarked: "This skill is way too lethal to use recklessly. Someone might go to sleep and end up as roasted chicken, never waking again."

In the end, the new combined skill was named [Wake Up and Eat Chicken].

The name lacked flair, but Black Hole didn't mind—it was Bobo who insisted on it.

During the day, Chen Miemie swung by the city library, but there seemed to be no progress with [Silence].

So he just buried himself at the library and read all afternoon. He genuinely loved reading.

Soon it was time for the evening opening.

Chen Miemie was in a good mood—the first night of the week was a Constant Moon.

He'd gotten used to transforming into [Huangyi] during Constant Moon nights and opening for business.

No one asked him to do it; he simply enjoyed it. Having the chance to connect with people from the past gave him a strange sense of novelty.

That evening, the one who pushed open the shop door was an old friend—a friend visiting for the third time.

Chunhua smoothly followed Loop to the waiting room, smoothly took a seat on the sofa, smoothly accepted the tea and gave thanks.

"Chunhua, why are you more beaten up each time you come?"

Chunhua was wrapped head to toe in bandages, wearing a patient's gown from the hospital.

"Owner, I apologize for the spectacle. I got hurt and I'm currently staying at [Halls of Healing]. I thought the road to this place could only be found on the streets, but this time, I found a passage under the hospital building at [Halls of Healing]. Your place here really is remarkable."

"Those with confusion and longing in their hearts do tend to find the way to this shop. So then, what commission do you wish to make this time?"

"Owner, it's been over a year since I last came here. In that year, my life has changed dramatically. To outsiders, I seem to have become an inspiring success story, but I know the truth: it's thanks to your help, Owner. Once, I might have still been lost, but now I'm absolutely certain. I wish to gain power—not too much, just enough for me to take care of the 'Lullaby Hummer.' To that end, I'm willing to pay whatever price you find interesting."

Chen Miemie glanced at a little doll ornament on the table—one that Daidai had disguised itself as.

"So be it.

I think you can sense it too—last time, the price I collected probably went a bit wrong. You became an experimental subject without realizing it. So this time, I'll give you a discount.

I'm interested in the actual effects of that last price. Tell me the full story, and I'll help you out this once."

Thinking of the price paid last time, a wave of indescribably complex emotions flashed through Chunhua's eyes.

“Very well, I will report to you truthfully.”