The Shadow Khan ninja knelt silently on one knee, presenting three items with both hands—
The potion radiating a spectral blue glow.
The elegant piece of jewelry carved with ancient runes.
And that red-faced, fanged mask emitting an ominous aura.
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
"This mask is the medium for controlling the Shadow Khan?"
Vic raised an eyebrow, pinching a corner of the mask with two fingers in disdain and shaking it in front of his eyes.
"The aesthetic is way too retro. The guy who designed this definitely didn't have any friends."
Shendu's deep voice resonated from within the wall, carrying a trace of hidden manipulation and provocation.
"Correct. Wear it, and you will truly command the Shadow Khan. However..."
"The mask seals the soul of General Tarakudo. It will constantly amplify the greed and darkness within the wearer's heart. Do you have the ability to subdue it?"
"Vic, this mask gives off bad vibes."
Enid stepped forward worriedly, her eyes full of unease, her warm hand gripping Vic's wrist tightly.
"Careful."
Wednesday was concise. Her eyes were locked onto the mask, faint dark energy already swirling around her fingertips.
Vic, however, raised an eyebrow unconcernedly. The mark of the Sheep Talisman flashed briefly in his eyes.
In the next moment, his right hand clawed at the air. He forcefully ripped a twisted, roaring, translucent energy mass straight out of the mask—
It was the soul of General Tarakudo!
"Whoa..."
Vic weighed the soul mass in his hand like he was holding a noisy cricket, his tone teasing.
"Ugly face, big temper."
This scene caused the red light in Shendu's dragon eyes to flicker violently. He hadn't expected Vic's mastery of the Sheep Talisman to reach such a sublime level that he could directly strip a soul from its vessel!
"This should do it, right?"
Vic examined the mask, which had instantly become "harmless," with satisfaction and casually stuffed it into his pocket.
The soul that had been yanked out was clearly furious, struggling and cursing:
"Baka yaro! You are dead meat!"
"Japanese?" Vic raised an eyebrow. Instead of getting angry, he flashed an even brighter and more malicious smile.
"Hey now, loud voice. I hope you keep that energy in a minute."
Saying that, his gaze swept across the desk. He casually picked up an ordinary fountain pen.
The life-giving light of the Rat Talisman and the transformation power of the Monkey Talisman shone in his eyes simultaneously!
The pen twisted and expanded rapidly in the light. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a lively puppy, panting with its tongue out!
"As expected, the Rat Talisman can give life to inanimate objects, but it can't create a soul. It's more like being controlled by AI."
"But, if I use the Sheep Talisman's power..."
Muttering to himself, Vic took the cursing soul of Tarakudo and "crumpled" it like a cotton ball, stuffing it straight into the puppy's body.
"Woof! Woof! Woof! (Translation: Bastard! Let me out!)"
The puppy (Tarakudo) barked furiously. But paired with its fluffy appearance, it had zero intimidation factor.
Vic clapped his hands in satisfaction and instructed the dumbfounded Valmont nearby:
"Valmont, find a sturdy cage for it. Oh, right, remember to find a few... hmm, 'passionate' male dogs to keep General Tarakudo company. Make sure he feels the warmth of 'family.'"
Tarakudo's soul froze inside the puppy. If a dog's face could express human emotion, it would be pure horror: Are you the devil?!
Even Shendu on the wall fell silent, a complex emotion surging in his heart:
This guy is the real demon. Why is he more demonic than us? How is he allowed to walk freely in the mortal realm?
Valmont instantly snapped into character, piling a fawning smile on his face as he grabbed the puppy by the scruff of its neck.
"You got it! Mr. Vic, don't worry, consider it done! Uh... I have some friends who know some special... 'mood-enhancing' recipes for dogs. Should we arrange that for the General too?"
Hearing this, Vic patted Valmont's shoulder appreciatively and tossed him a few ancient gold coins from his pocket.
"Nice, you really know how to take initiative! A tip for you. Listen, don't even consider letting this mongrel go until he learns to apologize sincerely."
"Understood! Understood!"
Valmont caught the gold coins, grinning from ear to ear. His inner voice screamed: So generous! I followed the right boss!
Tarakudo panicked completely. He tried hard to open his mouth to apologize:
"Woof woof woof! Woof! (Translation: I was wrong! I was wrong! Let me go!)"
However, all that came out were barks.
He froze, his dog eyes filled with the emptiness of despair—How the hell am I supposed to apologize like this?!
Vic looked at the puppy desperately trying to express remorse but only barking, and added with a wicked grin:
"Hey, still baring your teeth? Valmont, looks like our General hasn't had enough fun. Go find some aggressive breeds to 'serve' him properly!"
Ignoring the whimpering Tarakudo...
Vic played with the now "purified" red-faced fanged mask, feeling its cold, smooth texture. The corner of his mouth hooked into a playful smile, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes.
"Come on, let's see if this new toy works," he muttered, casually slapping the mask onto his face.
The moment the mask touched his face, there was no coldness or discomfort as expected. Instead, it felt like an invisible command was activated.
In the shadowed corner of the office, a slight ripple occurred. Two Shadow Khan ninjas—pitch black, with only their scarlet eyes glowing—emerged silently as if rising from water. They knelt on one knee, awaiting orders.
"Yo, high efficiency."
Vic's voice came muffled through the mask, laced with obvious smugness.
He sprawled back onto the sofa, crossing his legs, issuing orders like a hedonistic lord from a bygone era:
"You, come massage my left shoulder. Yeah, right there. It's really sore."
"You, right side. Use more force, did you not eat lunch?"
"The one in the back, don't just stand there. Pound my back. Do you understand rhythm?"
Even more absurdly, he commanded one ninja to fetch a bag of chips from the snack cabinet, open it, and feed him precise chips one by one.
The Shadow Khan executed the orders meticulously.
Their massage techniques were unexpectedly professional, and the feeding action was precise.
For a moment, the office was filled only with the crunch of chips and Vic's comfortable humming.
Enid watched this bizarre and hilarious scene, her eyes wide. Then she burst out laughing. Pfft.
Pointing at the ninja carefully feeding Vic chips, she exclaimed with amazement and inexplicable admiration:
"Wow! Vic, they're so good! Look, look, they don't even drop crumbs when feeding you! Way better than some clumsy guys I know!"
As she spoke, she glanced pointedly at Vic, her eyes full of teasing laughter.
She was joking, but when Vic heard it, he forgot to chew the half-chip in his mouth.
What? What did he just hear?
His Little Wolf actually praised a bunch of pitch-black, faceless shadow monsters as "good" right in front of him? And said they were "better than some guys"?
The look of enjoyment on Vic's face froze instantly, then turned into a colorful display of emotions.
He sat up abruptly, ripping the mask off his face. His peach-blossom eyes were wide, filled with disbelief and... thick, overflowing jealousy!
"They're good?!"
Vic's voice went up an octave. He pointed at the Shadow Khan ninjas still maintaining their service postures, his tone sour enough to pickle cucumbers.
"These black blobs? massaging and feeding chips makes them good?"
He whooshed up, rushed to Enid in three steps, and unceremoniously shoved aside the Shadow Khan handing her water.
He plopped down next to Enid, grabbed her hand, and spoke with childish urgency and refusal to lose:
"I can do that too! I'm way better than them! Do they understand technique? Do they understand gentleness? Do they know where you get sore or where you're ticklish?"
Without waiting for Enid's response, he started massaging her shoulders himself. His technique was... well, slightly amateurish.
"See, how's this pressure? Isn't it comfier than those shadows?"
As he massaged, Vic looked at Enid eagerly, seeking validation.
Enid couldn't help but laugh at his sudden jealousy and clumsy attentiveness. Her heart felt sweet, but she teased him on purpose:
"Hmm... it's just okay. The Shadow Khan are professionals, you know."
"Professionals?!"
Vic reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His fur bristled.
"I'll show you what true professional service looks like!"
He turned to Wednesday, who had been quietly watching the show. He piled a smile on his face that was overly brilliant.
"My dearest Wednesday! Thirsty? Hungry? Want the VIP Supreme Massage Service too? Guaranteed to be a hundred times more thoughtful than those cold shadows!"
Wednesday's pale face remained expressionless, but a very faint smile flashed quickly in her eyes.
She didn't speak, just adjusted her sitting posture slightly, as if saying: You may try.
Vic immediately acted like he received a royal decree. He started bustling around happily.
Handing Wednesday water? The temperature had to be perfect.
Fetching snacks? Picking the light flavors she preferred.
Then he stood behind her, extending his fingers to massage her temples with moderate force. His focused look was as if he were handling a rare treasure.
While serving, he didn't forget to glare demonstratively at the Shadow Khan standing dumbly nearby. The message was clear:
See that?! This is service! With warmth! With emotion! Can you do that?
The Shadow Khan blinked their scarlet eyes blankly, seemingly unable to comprehend their master's sudden competitiveness.
Watching Vic busy himself around Wednesday, determined to prove he was better, Enid finally collapsed on the sofa armrest, laughing until her shoulders shook.
"Hahaha... Vic... you... you're actually jealous of your own Shadow Khan... Hahaha... so childish!"
"Hahaha... Vic... you... you're actually jealous of your own Shadow Khan... Hahaha... so childish!"
Vic's ears turned red from the laughter, but his hands didn't stop massaging Wednesday. He stiffened his neck and retorted:
"Who... who's jealous! I am... I am conducting a comparative analysis of service quality! Yes, a comparison! As the host, I have an obligation to test and improve the service standards of my summons!"
The more he spoke, the more justified he felt. He massaged even harder, asking occasionally:
"How is it? Wednesday, is it more comfortable than those shadows?"
Wednesday felt the gentle pressure on her temples carrying Vic's body warmth. She looked up at his slightly flushed face, which was written with "Praise me."
The corner of her mouth curved up by a single pixel.
She gave a soft "Mmhmm" as a response.
Just that barely audible "Mmhmm" made Vic feel like he won the lottery instantly. His tail was practically wagging at the sky.
He glanced smugly at the "defeated" Shadow Khan, his face saying, "See, I won!"
The atmosphere in the office shifted from eerie silence to filled with cheerful air.
Only the sounds of Vic bustling about, Enid's uncontrollable laughter, and the melting ice in Wednesday's eyes remained.
As for the Shadow Khan who triggered this "Internal Service Industry Competition," they stood loyally and blankly in the shadows, blinking their scarlet eyes, perhaps thinking:
This master's mind is a bit hard to understand.