Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

Chapter 151: A Glimpse Of The Past [1]

"...Scram."

The single word carried no physical weight, yet it struck Malakor’s consciousness like a physical blow.

Before he could even gather his power, the pitch-black void fractured. An overwhelming pressure slammed into his spiritual form, bypassing his defenses entirely. He had no time to resist, no room to maneuver, and no chance to retreat on his own terms. The entity simply purged his presence from the domain, throwing him out instantly.

His awareness was ripped backward through the void. The sudden ejection was agonizing, compressing his very essence as he was hurled toward the exit of the soul space. The mental shield he had easily bypassed moments before now offered no cushion, offering only a harsh barrier as his consciousness was flung through it in reverse.

BOOM!

The impact completely severed the link, instantly cutting off the terrifying pressure of the purple eyes.

"!"

Back in the physical world, Malakor’s eyes snapped open as it suddenly stumbled backward, his paws skidding across the floor as the dark violet runes between him and Soren shattered into fading sparks.

"RAAAGH!"

A groan of sharp pain escaped his throat, echoing off the walls of the chamber. It collapsed onto its side, twitching in agony as the spiritual backlash tore through its nervous system.

Soren also reeled from the sudden shockwave, his body bouncing backward before he went completely limp and collapsed.

"Soren!" President Marron barked, catching the boy before he hit the ground and lowering him to the floor. He then placed two fingers firmly against Soren’s neck to check his pulse, keeping his eyes fixed on the convulsing panther across the room. "What happened?"

Elenaria was already beside them, her hands glowing with green mana as she swept her energy over Soren’s body. She shook her head, her expression pale and bewildered. "I don’t know. Everything was going fine, and then the entire ritual just imploded." She let out a tense breath, her shoulders dropping slightly. "Thankfully, he is okay. His vitals are stable; he just fainted."

"But what about that?" Marron gestured toward the far side of the chamber.

At that exact moment, Malakor let out one final, weak whimper. His massive limbs trembled violently before his eyes rolled back, his body going completely still as he finally lost consciousness.

Elenaria hurried over to the fallen beast, extending her senses to read the fractured energy flowing around it. After a moment, she looked back at the President. "It is alive, but... its core is completely erratic. And it looks like its mental state has been seriously damaged."

President Marron nodded slowly, turning his attention back to the unconscious boy resting on the floor.

"Just what happened in there?"

"...Even if the bonding failed, it shouldn’t have happened like this," Elenaria said, standing up and dusting off her robes. "A normal mismatch or rejection wouldn’t cause this kind of lopsided damage. Either both of them would have been affected badly, or neither would be affected much at all, just like what happened during his previous tests with the kitsune and the wolf."

Marron looked up from Soren, his brow furrowed. "Any guesses as to what caused it then?"

"I can think of two scenarios at the moment," Elenaria replied, pacing around the unconscious beast. "First, Malakor might have tried to attack Soren from inside the soul space, but somehow got defeated. Second..."

She paused, looking over at the shattered remnants of the runes on the floor.

"The ’ordinary’ stray cat he bonded with before might not be ordinary at all," she continued, her voice dropping. "If that creature left a powerful protective mark on Soren’s soul, it could have easily treated Malakor’s entry as a hostile invasion and crushed his consciousness to protect its territory."

Marron remained silent for a moment, absorbing her words before looking back down at the boy. "Either way, we won’t get any real answers until one of them wakes up. However, we should lock him down after treating him. Just in case your theory was correct."

"Use the mana sealing array." He ordered as he bent down and scooped Soren up into his arms. "I will take the boy back to rest."

"Understood." Elenaria nodded, her expression grim.

Marron turned and carried Soren out.

───────

"Urgh, my head..."

Soren groaned as a sharp ache throbbed behind his eyes. He tried to sit up, squinting against the dim light filtering through the window. "What happened? Where am I?"

As he shifted, a familiar weight on his chest made him pause. He looked down and noticed the small cat curled up on top of him, fast asleep. His lips curled up subconsciously, and his hand moved instinctively to caress her back, feeling the soft fur beneath his fingers.

Then, the memories came rushing back.

’Now I remember,’ Soren thought, relaxing his posture. ’I overworked at the factory yesterday and collapsed as soon as I returned.’

He looked at the small creature with a sudden wave of worry, wondering if she had eaten anything or if she had felt lonely while he was away.

"?"

Sensing his movement, the cat stirred. She lazily opened her eyes, revealing a pair of deep, beautiful purple depths that sparkled in the morning light.

"Meow~"

She let out an affectionate purr, rubbing her chin against his palm.

Soren smiled, his chest warming. "Good morning to you too."

"Come now, I have to make breakfast." He gently set her aside and sat up. "As an apology, I will give you your favorite chicken treats."

Hearing the treats, her eyes lit up, and she immediately jumped down from the bed, waiting by the door with an expectant flick of her tail.

"Alright, let me wash up first."

Soren stood up, stretching his stiff limbs before heading into the small bathroom to wash up. He went through his usual morning routine, doing a quick set of exercises before heading into the kitchen to prepare a simple meal for himself and fulfilling his promise to her.

Time passed in the blink of an eye. Before he knew it, the clock on the wall indicated it was time to leave for his morning shift at his first part-time job.

"I’ll be back soon," He said reluctantly, giving the cat one last pat before grabbing his keys and stepping out of the apartment.

"...Meow."

"Right, goodbye," Soren smiled to himself, the soft sound warming him as he headed down the stairs. It was going to be a long, exhausting day at work, but knowing she would be waiting for him at home made the grind worth it.