Suddenly, Vic sprang up from the edge of the bed as if ejected by a spring.
The small grievance and goofy smile on his face were instantly replaced by a panic of "Something is very wrong."
"Crap! I almost forgot!"
He slapped his forehead, his voice full of annoyance.
"I promised Pugsley I'd go to the Skeleton Tree with him tonight! What time is it? Oh my god, I'm gonna be late!"
As he spoke, he scrambled to rummage through his backpack scattered on the floor, muttering a checklist:
"Flashlight... gloves... probably can't get an entrenching shovel, a sturdy stick will have to do..."
"Pugsley?"
Wednesday's eyes, originally calm and waveless, narrowed slightly. She put down the manuscript she had just confirmed was unharmed, her voice carrying a tone of interrogation.
"My foolish boyfriend and my equally dim-witted brother are congregating. What are you plotting?"
Her gaze swept over the "tools" Vic had dug out, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
These items did not suggest a friendly evening stroll.
"The Skeleton Tree?"
Enid blinked her blue eyes and chimed in:
"I know that place! It's a popular spot for campus ghost stories among the guys..."
"Exactly! That's the one!"
Vic finally pulled a sturdy-looking short stick from the pile of junk.
He waved it in the air, making a whoosh sound, and wore a smile that was a mix of excitement and "You know how it is."
"Pugsley heard there's an ancient student corpse with a clockwork heart buried there. He insisted on going for an 'archaeological excavation'! For something this thrilling, as his brother-in-law, I obviously have to provide security!"
He spoke righteously, as if this were a sacred duty.
The corner of Wednesday's mouth twitched slightly.
She found herself speechless, and even felt the urge to light a candle for the undead who was about to be disturbed.
With his "tools" ready, Vic rushed toward the door like a whirlwind.
However, the moment one foot stepped out of the dorm room, as if suddenly remembering something vital, he backed up rapidly—thud, thud, thud.
Under the slightly confused gazes of Wednesday and Enid...
He leaned down with lightning speed and planted a loud, wet kiss on each of their cheeks.
"Hehehe~"
Vic straightened up, wearing a cunning smile of "I stole some luck," and winked his high-voltage peach-blossom eyes at them.
"Absorbing some good luck! Bye~"
Before his voice faded, he had already swept out of the dorm door like a gust of wind, his footsteps disappearing quickly down the hall.
The room returned to silence, leaving only the faint scent of burn ointment, and...
The fleeting touch of Vic's unique warmth on their cheeks.
Enid touched the spot where she had been kissed and couldn't help but giggle pfft, looking at Wednesday:
"That guy... honestly."
Wednesday didn't respond immediately. She sat in silence, her fingertips unconsciously brushing the cheek Vic had kissed.
There seemed to be a faint, lingering scent of him—sunshine mixed with chocolate.
A few seconds later, she lifted her dark eyes to look at the empty doorway. Her tone was flat, yet it carried an imperceptible, almost indulgent helplessness:
"Two idiots."
---
Vic's figure stirred up a breeze in the woods at the edge of Nevermore Academy.
The speed of the Rabbit Talisman allowed him to rush from the dorms to this rumored "Ghost Corner" in just a few breaths.
He slowed down, his sharp gaze sweeping over the trees that looked grotesque under the moonlight. He quickly locked onto the target—
A decaying ancient tree with twisted branches and a trunk naturally formed into the shape of a terrifying skull. The Skeleton Tree.
"Pugsley isn't here yet? Looks like I'm not late."
Vic breathed a sigh of relief, a little smugness appearing on his face. Seems that 'Good Luck Kiss' worked; didn't make the brother-in-law wait.
However, before he could fully exhale, a voice laced with complaint and urgency sounded right behind him:
"Brother-in-law! What took you so long? I already... I already got him out!"
It was Pugsley's voice.
Vic turned around at the sound, a "I'm here" smile still on his face, habit kicking in to tease:
"That fast? Not bad, kid, didn't know you had skills! Any burial goods? Let me appraise them, I..."
His words stopped abruptly.
Because the moment he turned his head, a face—
A face with a shattered skull, dry flesh clinging to white bone, and bulging eyeballs—was practically nose-to-nose with him!
A stench of dirt and rot assaulted his face!
"Holy sht! What is that?! Zombie?!"
WHACK! SMACK! THUD!
Within three seconds, relying on excellent physical coordination and the explosive power of being startled, Vic solidly landed fifteen to twenty hits on the zombie with his stick!
The force was so great that the zombie let out a string of inhuman howls of pain.
Thump. It fell to the ground, curling up and emitting raspy hissing noises.
After unloading his burst of attacks, Vic's brain finally caught up with his body.
Anger and a sense of "How dare you scare your Grandpa Vic" rose up.
He adopted a fighting stance, palm aimed at the wailing zombie on the ground. Scorching energy began to gather:
"Audacious monster! Playing tricks on an expert! Dare to impersonate my brother-in-law? Eat a Dragon Blast!"
To be honest, he wasn't really afraid of zombies. He was on good terms with several zombie waiters at Hotel Transylvania and even played cards with them occasionally.
But getting jumpscared face-to-face by something this ugly in the middle of the night... it was a bit embarrassing.
Vic thought resentfully: If this face were replaced by Wednesday or Enid...
Uh, that would still be weird, but at least I wouldn't start swinging a stick immediately. Maybe... cough, getting sidetracked.
"Wait! Brother-in-law! Friendly! It's a friendly!"
A cold hand suddenly reached out from the side, grabbing Vic's wrist just as he was charging the Dragon Blast.
Vic froze, turning his head to see Pugsley Addams standing right there, his pale face showing helplessness and anxiety.
"Huh?" Vic was confused. He looked at Pugsley, then at the zombie on the ground howling in pain. "Friendly? This ugly thing?"
"He's the student with the installed clockwork heart!"
Pugsley explained hurriedly, afraid his brother-in-law would fire off a blast and cremate his "archaeological find."
He crouched down and carefully pulled open the zombie's tattered clothes.
Sure enough, embedded between the rotting flesh and the sternum was a brass-colored mechanical heart. Though covered in rust, its structure was incredibly intricate.
It was beating slowly and rhythmically, making a clear tick-tock... tick-tock... sound, like a miniature antique clock.
"I was getting anxious waiting for you and accidentally tripped. My hand released a small electric current."
Pugsley pointed to a shallow pit next to the zombie and some scorch marks on the edge.
"And then... he just crawled out of this shallow hole."
Vic leaned closer, carefully examining the clockwork heart. He kicked at the so-called "burial pit" with his foot, frowning:
"Didn't the campus legend say he was 'buried' here? In a pit this shallow? It's barely deep enough to bury a rabbit."
"This isn't a burial. This is clearly a body dump. Someone just tossed him here."