15: Chapter 15 Return to the Manor

This woman... seems to think I'm a total waste?

Shaun Black asked uncertainly, "That's it?"

"That's it!"

Ballard stood up, walked to her suitcase, took off her windbreaker, and tossed it onto the bed.

She was wearing a tight gray T-shirt underneath, revealing muscle lines from long-term training.

She then took a police badge out of the suitcase and clipped it to her belt.

With everything ready, she said to Shaun Black, "Let's go. Right now."

Shaun Black stood up and asked "kindly," "Don't you want to rest? You just got off a plane, after all..."

Shaun Black meant well, but unfortunately, Ballard had no intention of appreciating it.

She interrupted directly, "White has been dead for twelve hours. The sooner we go, the more traces there will be."

With that, she took the lead and walked out.

Shaun Black followed her out of the apartment building.

The sunlight outside was still as bright as ever.

In his mind, the golden book turned another page.

【Renee Ballard】

Favorability: 5 → 8 (You didn't seem to lie on the spot, barely earning three points)

Current Status: Suspicious, but in no hurry to expose you

Suggestion: Be careful! She's easier to handle than a witch, but harder to deceive.

【Skill Obtained: Elementary Combat】

Shaun Black was stunned for a moment.

Combat skills?

He looked down at his hands.

Having been a cop for three years, he had naturally received basic police combat training.

But that was just training—training he had never used in actual combat.

If he really encountered danger, he wasn't sure if those few moves would be enough.

Especially when facing a witch... are combat skills even useful against a witch?

Another line of text appeared on the page...

【Friendly Reminder】

【Elementary Combat】 cannot help you defeat a witch (fists are useless against magic).

But it can help you: protect yourself when encountering ordinary criminals; look more like a qualified police officer in front of Renee Ballard; and protect ordinary people like Nell when necessary.

Shaun Black stared at those words and remained silent for two seconds.

Then he glanced at Renee Ballard, who was walking ahead and had almost reached the car.

This woman came from the Los Angeles Police Department.

She had seen real crime and experienced real danger.

If he acted like a rookie who couldn't even protect himself in front of her, she would only become more suspicious of him.

And...

The golden book said, "look more like a qualified police officer in front of Renee Ballard."

This meant: she would observe him, evaluate him, and judge whether he was trustworthy.

If he acted like a waste, his favorability might not even stay at 8 points.

Though he still hadn't figured out what use this favorability actually had...

【Elementary Combat】

Type: Active/Passive Hybrid

Effect: Comprehensive improvement of basic fighting techniques. Including: correct punching posture, basic grappling and throwing techniques, evasion awareness against armed attacks, and escape methods when pinned.

Passive Buff: Physical reaction speed increased by 15% when facing sudden attacks.

Note: This is only "Elementary." You still can't beat a professional boxer, a special forces soldier, and certainly not a witch. But at least you won't be knocked down by an ordinary person in the first round.

Just as the words on the page finished displaying, Shaun Black felt something change in his body.

It wasn't pain, it wasn't heat, it wasn't any physiological sensation.

It was a kind of... memory.

It was as if his body suddenly possessed many muscle memories of movements he had never practiced.

He knew how to punch to generate maximum power.

He knew how to break free if someone hugged him from behind.

He knew which direction to dodge for maximum safety if the opponent stabbed with a knife.

This knowledge wasn't something he had learned, but it was there, as if it had always existed and he was only now remembering it.

Shaun Black clenched his fists.

It was a wonderful feeling; he was clearly still himself, but he knew his body was different.

"What are you standing there for?"

Ballard's voice came from ahead.

She was already in the driver's seat, had started the engine, and was looking at him through the car window.

Shaun Black walked over quickly and pulled open the car door.

The car had a faint smell of disinfectant mixed with the scent of leather and coffee.

Ballard grabbed a thermos from the back seat, took a sip, and then stepped on the gas.

The car drove toward the outskirts of the city.

Shaun Black leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.

In his mind, the golden book floated quietly.

On the skill list page, there was now a new line of text...

【Current Abilities】

Bullshit (Elementary)

Magic Power (Elementary)

Combat (Elementary)

Three lines of text, neatly arranged.

Shaun Black stared at those three lines and suddenly felt like laughing.

A cop who got by on his silver tongue, a half-baked guy who could sense magic but couldn't use it, and a rookie who had just learned how to fight...

This was his entire arsenal right now.

And he had to deal with witches, murderers, and a cold-faced female partner who could turn on him at any moment.

Damn it!

Why did it seem like a new world had opened up ever since he met that guy Frank Gallagher?

...

While Shaun Black was complaining in his mind, the silhouette of Robichaux Manor appeared in his field of vision.

Ballard slowed down and squinted at the old white mansion in the distance.

"Is that it?"

"That's it."

Ballard nodded and stepped on the gas.

The car drove toward those familiar wrought-iron gates.

Great!

Here we go again!

Shaun Black took a deep breath.

In his mind, the golden book gently closed.

The wrought-iron gates slowly opened.

Just like yesterday, there was no sound and no remote control device; they just opened on their own.

Ballard stepped on the brakes, stared at the gates for three seconds, and asked, "Automatic?"

Shaun Black casually replied, "Probably."

Ballard didn't respond and stepped on the gas again.

The police car drove along the oak-lined driveway toward the main house.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, casting mottled shadows on the windshield.

...

Ballard's gaze swept over the lawns, fountains, and neatly trimmed shrubs on both sides.

That kind of scanning wasn't just a casual look; it was a systematic, almost instinctive observation.

Shaun Black noticed that her right hand was always resting on her thigh, less than ten centimeters from her holster.

The car stopped in front of the main house.

The door was open.

Madison Montgomery was standing there.

Today she had changed her look: a loose white sweater, light blue jeans, and her hair draped casually, making her look like an ordinary college student.

But as soon as her eyes saw Shaun Black get out of the car, they crinkled into a smile.

"Shaun," her voice was sweet, "did you miss me already?"

Shaun Black's back stiffened.

Ballard got out of the driver's seat, her gaze lingering on Madison Montgomery for less than a second before looking past her to the door behind her.

"Renee Ballard, New Orleans Police Department Major Crimes Unit." She flashed her badge. "We received notice that an officer went missing after responding to a call nearby last night and was found dead early this morning. We need to understand the situation."