The Static Mama and the Charging Dolls

“Mama… Mama—”

The Treasure Chest Monster pushed herself up from the pile of gold coins.

Despite her fragile state, she bravely persevered, extending her arms as if to embrace Lin Ran.

Lin Ran dared not move a muscle.

The Treasure Chest Monster was still incredibly weak, her form appearing so delicate just moments ago.

If he were to make any sudden movement now, he wouldn’t be surprised if the Treasure Chest Monster instantly fell apart.

“Pfft—cough, cough, cough!”

Anmeng Yue choked with laughter at the sight, practically springing from her bed and rushing to the scene to mock… or rather, to observe the situation.

However, as if sensing gazes other than Lin Ran’s, the Treasure Chest Monster’s body retreated back into the chest, leaving only half of her head visible.

“What in the world is going on here…”

Lin Ran felt a prickling sensation on his scalp.

“Does this Treasure Chest Monster have some kind of chick-imprinting instinct?

You said you were a wage earner (TL Note: A common internet slang term referring to someone who works hard for a living, often implying a sense of being exploited or overworked.)?

This must be your colleague, right?

Stop just laughing and lend a hand!”

He patted Anmeng Yue’s shoulder, urging her to quickly assist him.

Anmeng Yue was laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face.

Clutching her stomach, she gasped for several breaths before finally managing to speak.

“I’m not a walking encyclopedia, but I have heard that because Treasure Chest Monsters spend their lives in darkness, they lack true visual capabilities.

Instead, they analyze things through touch, smell, and hearing.”

“So, if she’s not imprinting on you like a chick recognizes its mother, then it means you carry the same scent as her own mother.”

Anmeng Yue observed Lin Ran with keen interest as she spoke these words.

Lin Ran pondered this seriously.

‘The same scent as her mother?’

‘If I had to describe my connection to the Treasure Chest Monster’s unseen mother…’

‘Unless her mother was a Demon Lord.’

‘Did I smell like a Demon Lord, and that’s why I resembled her mother?’

However, this thought, having only just flickered through his mind, was immediately dismissed.

‘How could a Demon Lord’s daughter possibly be abandoned in such a place?’

Beyond that, he could not conceive of any other reason why he might resemble the Treasure Chest Monster’s mother.

‘Could it simply be a coincidence?’

Just as he was lost in thought, that soft sensation once again pressed against him.

“Mama~ Mama~”

She gently rubbed her cheek against Lin Ran’s waist, uttering “Mama” with every breath.

Her voice was distinctly that of a young girl, yet her body was that of a fully developed woman, creating a truly jarring contrast.

Lim, in particular, was practically yawning from the sight.

[That’s clearly my spot! I want to cuddle like that too… calling him ‘Mama’ is far too greedy!!]

‘Hmm…’

Lin Ran silently made a decision: it would be better to read Lim’s thoughts less often in the future.

Before he could make sense of the situation, however, the Treasure Chest Monster unexpectedly offered her own explanation.

“Mama… is the only one who didn’t betray me.”

“Mama said she’d come see me, and she really did come see me…”

“Mama—”

She held Lin Ran tightly, inhaling deep breaths of his scent.

With each breath she took, Lin Ran could feel her body gradually expanding.

Her aura of weakness receded, replaced by a surging vitality.

‘Was she replenishing her magic again?’

It was, in fact, this act of magic replenishment that reconnected the broken threads of thought in Lin Ran’s mind.

He finally understood why the Treasure Chest Monster was calling him ‘Mama.’

Because he had truly fulfilled that promise.

After leaving her, he had found her again.

During those endless years of darkness, hundreds, even thousands, of lives had intentionally or unintentionally stumbled into her chest.

Among them, how many had made promises to her, saying they would take her away or come back to see her?

Yet, not a single one had ever returned.

Except for her [Mama], and himself.

That was why the Treasure Chest Monster had chosen him.

That was why she had called out to him as [Mama].

For a girl who had been confined in darkness for countless years, whose mind had never matured, and whose sole hope was to find a friend—

All she desired was someone who would come to see her a second time.

Nothing more.

It was for this reason that when Lin Ran said he would come to see her again, despite her verbal disbelief, her affection had instinctively increased.

And precisely because of this—

When he truly appeared before her, genuinely meeting her a second time, her affection had soared to such an astonishing degree.

[Ding~! The Treasure Chest Monster has been moved by your words, Affection +40! Current Affection: 80 (Absolutely, utterly favorite!!)]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for raising the Treasure Chest Monster’s Affection to 70! You have gained 500 Casanova Experience!]

[Ding! This round’s reward will be a skill beneficial for romance, distributed according to the Host’s profession!]

[Given that the Host’s current profession is “HR Manager,” where entertaining, dining, and even romance require a certain level of performance ability, the skill will be randomly selected from performance-based skills!]

‘Damn it!’

‘This damned system is messing with me again!’

‘The previous teleportation gate, HR Manager profession, and Affection Pistol were all ridiculous items, and it was only through his own ingenuity and the unique circumstances of the apocalypse that he managed to make them work wonders.’

‘Now, another performance skill?’

‘Will I spray water? Or conjure fire?’

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have acquired the performance skill—’Static Generation’!]

[Passive Effect: Your efficiency in generating static electricity through friction is greatly enhanced, and the static effect will be further boosted based on your physical constitution.]

[System Evaluation: In romance and social gatherings, boldly demonstrate your ability to turn people’s hair into an explosion of static for your dates and bosses!]

‘I knew it, damn it!’

Lin Ran scratched his head; with so much disappointment, he no longer found anything particularly strange.

However, his hand suddenly felt heavier.

A sudden weight settled upon his wrist.

Upon closer inspection, it was actually a small doll.

“Isn’t this Little Doll Leader D-1?

Why is she clinging to me?

Didn’t she dislike me before?”

While Lin Ran was still jesting, the little doll performed a startling action.

She opened her small mouth.

Then, she directly took Lin Ran’s finger, which he had just used to scratch his head, into her mouth.

Not only that, but a large group of small dolls also rushed in from outside the door.

Like cats drawn to catnip, their target was clear, heading straight for Lin Ran.

Even Vera was no exception.

“What… what’s going on?”

Lin Ran was utterly bewildered.

When he looked at the little doll still holding his finger, her face and body appeared even smoother and more delicate.

“We apologize, but we detected an excessively powerful electrical current and instinctively desired to recharge…”

Vera’s words were the calmest among the dolls, yet her actions were the most brazen.

She directly used her control ability to push aside a large group of small dolls, then proactively moved to Lin Ran’s hand.

Of course—she was too embarrassed to suck on his finger like the other small dolls in plain sight.

She merely rubbed her cheek repeatedly against the back of Lin Ran’s hand.

Seeing this, a little slime also curiously approached, perching on Vera’s hair and gently touching Lin Ran’s fingertip.

The next second.

“Zzzzzzap—”

Instantly, it was shocked into a puddle of slime.

Had Lin Ran not reacted with lightning speed, immediately using his own slime tissue to forcibly reassemble it, his side would likely have seen its first casualty.

‘This terrifying discharge ability…’

Lin Ran recalled the system’s earlier statement that it was based on physical constitution.

‘Could it be that magic power is also considered part of one’s physical constitution?’

‘Have I become Pikachu again…?’