Inside the hospital room, Uesugi Ryu wasn't sure if there were any surveillance cameras, but he felt it was highly likely there weren't.
His current behavior, though exaggerated, probably hadn't reached the ears of the Washuu yet. However, just to be cautious, he didn't immediately take out the Dark Crow.
Reaching up, he removed the underwear from his head and casually stuffed it under the pillow. After doing all this, Uesugi Ryu slowly opened the blanket, pretending to be bothered by the heat.
While creating a clone, his main body quickly disappeared from the room without any visible gap, moving so fast it was almost imperceptible.
After some rummaging, Uesugi Ryu silently appeared in a shadow-filled grassy field. He raised his right hand, and a beautifully crafted card materialized in his palm without him noticing.
[Do you want to bind? After using pet-type items, they cannot be returned to the system space, and the binding is unique. Loyalty is 100%.]
"Yes!" Uesugi Ryu's expression showed some anticipation.
Not to mention the hypnosis ability, which was an immediate help, but if he could directly hypnotize Washuu Tsuneyoshi l, he wouldn't even need to worry about threats from him anymore.
However, that was merely wishful thinking.
Even though Washuu Tsuneyoshi had grown old, he was a strong figure who once defeated Hoito Roma, so he wasn't someone the Dark Crow could control.
If the Dark Crow could manage to hypnotize Washuu Yoshitoki, that would be impressive enough.
The card shattered instantly, and a giant crow with a wingspan of over 1.2 meters appeared like a ghost in front of Uesugi Ryu.
Its bluish-black feathers shimmered in the moonlight with a dazzling metallic luster, as though embedded with countless tiny gemstones.
Surprisingly, in the crow's eye sockets were two scarlet Sharingan eyes. Immediately after, a deep, magnetic voice echoed from the crow's beak.
"My foolish master, immerse yourself in the illusion of the Sharingan!"
"The warehouse has rice! (Tsukuyomi)"
Upon hearing that voice, Uesugi Ryu's eyes flashed with surprise, and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
This voice was so familiar to him.. wasn't it Uchiha Itachi's voice?
At that moment, the crimson Sharingan eyes emitted a bright glow in the pitch-black night. The Dark Crow proudly spread its massive wings, looking as if it were invincible.
However, despite the scene before him, Uesugi Ryu remained silent, staring expressionlessly at the Dark Crow.
Upon noticing Uesugi Ryu's gaze, the Dark Crow's pitch-black face revealed an expression of embarrassment, almost human-like.
It slowly moved its left wing in front of its face and gently rubbed its beak, as though trying to hide something. Its slender beak trembled slightly, opening and closing with a soft motion.
Then, a gentle and ethereal girl's voice echoed once again, sweet like heavenly music.
"You... are you my master?"
Hearing these words, an indescribable feeling surged in Uesugi Ryu's heart, and he couldn't help but show a faint expression of helplessness.
After all, crows naturally possessed strong mimicking abilities, and this Dark Crow, with its superior intelligence, was even more adept at speech.
Therefore, Uesugi Ryu wasn't surprised by its fluent speech.
However, when he heard these 5 words from the crow, he couldn't help but be both amused and bewildered.
After a brief silence, Uesugi Ryu suddenly extended a finger and said lightly, "Hmm... From now on, you shall be called Mephisto!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Dark Crow, which had been standing silently beside him, slightly nodded.
It elegantly unfurled its enormous, pitch-black wings, flapping them a few times before lightly landing on Uesugi Ryu's left arm.
Its sharp claws tightly gripped his sleeve, glinting with a chilling light.
Uesugi Ryu quietly observed this overly dramatic crow.
It slightly parted its beak, and in an instant, a streak of blue-black light shot out of its mouth like lightning.
The light was so fast that it pierced into Uesugi Ryu's body in the blink of an eye. At the same time, a clear voice echoed in Uesugi Ryu's mind.
[Blessing from Mephisto, Luck +1]
"At your service, master." Mephisto flapped its large wings and gently covered them in front of itself. It lowered its body slightly and spoke respectfully.
Uesugi Ryu smiled faintly and gently patted Mephisto's fluffy head. Just the permanent Luck +1 was enough to make the item worth it, let alone the other abilities.
Mephisto was practically a born assassin.
With abilities like stealth and the Iron Feathers skill, it would definitely be a surprise attack in combat.
"Let's go for a stroll." Uesugi Ryu waved his hand lightly, and Mephisto spread its wings and swiftly soared into the air, its massive form flying high above the ground.
After sending Mephisto off, Uesugi Ryu took out the wine bag and rice sack.
It was a peculiar and beautiful flower: one bud shaped like a wine cup and the other round like a lotus leaf.
[C-rank Rare Item: Wine Bag and Rice Sack]
[After inputting mana, it will gradually grow. Once matured, it will generate highly nutritious rice and alcohol. Long-term consumption will slightly increase the consumer's physical attributes.]
(Effect cap: +2 for each physical attribute; the lower the physical attribute, the more noticeable the effect.)
(No enhancement effect for attributes above 15.)
[Normally, it resembled ordinary plants and required sunlight and rainwater.]
[Description: A product from a peculiar world...]
Upon seeing this, Uesugi Ryu smiled slightly. While there was a cap on the enhancements, it was still a very useful item.
Originally, he was troubled about feeding Mephisto, but the system had already provided the solution.
Uesugi Ryu's usual food consumption was terrifying, as the stronger his physical attributes, the more energy he consumed.
He had a feeling that after adding Mephisto to the equation, he'd soon go bankrupt.
All his salary would probably be spent on food.
"Quack! Quack!" Mephisto cried out twice, its massive wings casting a huge shadow on the ground.
...
CCG Main Office, Midnight.
The CCG headquarters remained brightly lit.
Marude Itsuki scratched his head in frustration, repeatedly reviewing the footage saved by Cochlea of the one-eyed owl breaking through the first barrier.
Mado Kureo, with his left hand wrapped in bandages, sat beside him, also watching the footage. His expression was grim, his right eye bizarrely wide open as he mocked disdainfully.
"A father protecting his daughter, these scum really know how to mimic us humans. Just thinking about it makes me want to puke."
Marude Itsuki's face was equally gloomy. The owl not only had two eyes, but it also likely had familial or cooperative ties.
Either way, it was enough to give him a headache. He pressed the pause button, staring at the grim figure on the screen.
"This is troublesome. The father will protect the daughter, and the daughter will protect the father. There's no way to deal with them one by one!"
"That's not necessarily true. After all, they're just monsters. The father has feelings for the daughter, but the daughter doesn't necessarily have the same feelings for the father!"
Mado Kureo smirked darkly in response.
"My gut tells me that this father-daughter or mother-daughter relationship isn't too strong!"
"Has Arima not caught that guy?" Marude Itsuki glanced at Mado Kureo and shook his head lightly.
"No, the riot in the 24th Ward is probably connected to Aogiri Tree. They're deliberately obstructing Arima."
With that, the two fell silent, Mado Kureo staring intently at the one-eyed owl on the screen.
Whether it was male, female, old, or young, it was his enemy!