America: The Cremator

Chapter 139 The Generous Mother-in-Law!

Su Long gave a polite smile and nodded, saying, "Hello, ma'am."

Hedley nodded slightly in response to his greeting, and Elena quickly stepped aside to welcome Hedley inside.

Hedley's gaze swept over the leather jacket on the shoe-changing bench in the entryway, then followed it down the hallway to the black leather miniskirt and semi-sheer black stockings lying on the hardwood floor. A meaningful smile appeared on her face as she said, "Looks like I've come at the worst possible time."

Elena glanced at the towel casually wrapped around her body, then at Su Long, who was showing off his physique in just his underwear, and coughed to cover her embarrassment: "Mother, please wait in the living room for a while, we'll go change our clothes."

"Go on, young people." Hedley walked gracefully toward the living room sofa.

The two went up the solid wood stairs to the spacious bedroom on the second floor. Just as Su Long picked up his T-shirt to put it on, Elena snatched it away and threw it into the laundry basket next to him.

"What kind of look is this? I'll get you a new one."

As she spoke, she turned around, opened the wardrobe, and took out a soft black turtleneck sweater, a tailored dark gray mid-length trench coat, and a pair of crisp, straight-leg black trousers, which she then stuffed into Su Long's arms.

Su Long paused, looking down at the several brand-new clothes in his arms, their creases obvious and the tags still attached, and asked with some doubt, "This—you didn't buy these especially for me, did you?"

Elena turned her head away from Su Long's gaze, and urged him somewhat guiltily, "Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and change."

Upon hearing this, Su Long stopped asking questions and quickly changed into the clothes.

To his surprise, the size of the clothes was surprisingly perfect. The turtleneck sweater perfectly outlined the contours of his strong chest muscles, and the drape of the trench coat added a touch of aloofness to his tall and upright figure.

Did Elena secretly measure her size in the middle of the night?

Su Long muttered something to himself, then turned to look at Elena, who had also changed into an elegant, fitted black slip dress.

"Let's go, you can go down now. Don't keep my mother waiting too long."

The two walked down the stairs and found that Hedley was not sitting on the sofa, but standing in front of a solid wood cabinet on one side of the living room, intently examining the "Raphael" and "Lucas" that Surong had casually placed on it.

Hearing footsteps, Hedley turned around, her self-illumination falling on the refreshed Suron.

The combination of a black turtleneck sweater and a dark gray trench coat accentuated his already strong and deep features, making him look even more striking. Coupled with the unique charisma he exuded, he resembled a noble witcher who had stepped out of a medieval oil painting.

"A very handsome young man," Hedley praised without reservation. "It seems Elena has better taste than I expected."

"Thank you for your compliment." Su Long nodded slightly.

Hedley pointed to two items on the cabinet: "These two relics, if I remember correctly, the wine jug should have belonged to old Mr. John?"

Is he here too?

Upon hearing this, Surong lowered his head slightly, drew his revolver Sirius from his waist, and then said, "I'm sorry, Mr. John, he's already dead."

Heldry's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this, a mixture of surprise and sadness flashing across her face: "Old John, although his credentials only show him as Rank C, his strength far surpasses Rank B, and yet—"

"That day, he encountered a Class B Shoggoth in the underground sewers, and his flask wasn't on him," Sulong briefly recounted the encounter.

Upon hearing this, Hedley let out a heavy sigh, then looked at Suron: "So, you're their new master now?"

Su Long nodded, tacitly agreeing: "Yes."

Upon hearing this, Hedley picked up the pair of silver brass knuckles again: "This one—a newly born and powerful sacred relic—doesn't seem like the style Elena would use. Is it yours too?"

Surong nodded again to confirm, then briefly explained, "That brass knuckles are called Lucas."

Upon hearing this, Hedley scrutinized Suron once more, then smiled approvingly: "Mr. Suron, you are the first exorcist I have ever seen who can use three sacred artifacts at the same time."

"Most people exhaust all their energy just to use a single relic."

She paused, her tone becoming more serious: "If you can manage all three of them well, your growth will be limitless."

"You flatter me," Su Long said modestly, carefully putting away all three sacred objects.

The three sat back down on the sofa. Hedley picked up the hot tea Elena had just poured, took a sip, and casually asked the two opposite her, "How long have you been seeing Elena?"

Upon hearing this, Su Long recalled for a moment and replied, "It's been almost a month."

Hedley chuckled softly: "A month is neither a long nor a short time; it's enough for two outstanding young people to get to know each other."

She put down her teacup and looked directly at Su Long: "You may not understand what Elena's surname represents. Given her stubborn personality, she probably wouldn't bring it up to you on her own initiative."

"She comes from Campbell's oldest and most powerful exorcist family in North America, and the pure blood of the first exorcists flows in her veins."

As Hedley spoke, she took out a delicate little purse from her bosom, pinched out a coin that emitted a cold, silvery light, and handed it to Surong.

"Here, this is a gift from the Campbell family."

Upon closer inspection, Su Long realized it was a mithril coin and immediately reached out to decline, saying, "Madam, this is too valuable; I cannot accept it."

Hedley said firmly, "Take it. Although those sacred objects are very powerful, I can see that they still have a lot of room for growth. This mithril coin should be very useful to you."

Upon hearing this, Su Long saw the solemnity and expectation in the old woman's eyes, so he no longer refused and accepted the mithril coin: "Thank you for your gift, Madam."

After handing over the mithril coin, Hedley's gaze swept back and forth between the two of them before she suddenly spoke again, uttering something astonishing.

"Mr. Suron, your talent is exceptional, and Elena is at the perfect age to have children. Perhaps you could consider having a child as soon as possible? This way, your outstanding talent and the pure bloodline of the Campbell family can be perfectly passed on."

Elena was so startled she almost jumped off the sofa, her face flushed red. She protested loudly, "Mother, it's way too early to talk about this! We were just—"

Hedley interrupted her, glancing towards the entrance, and teased, "I know, I know, we're just friends."

"But once you've experienced the union of life in bed a few times, believe me, your relationship will progress very quickly."

"Of course, you may have already experienced it."

Seeing that the two young people didn't seem to be interested, Hedley smiled gracefully, stopped pressing them, and changed the subject: "Alright, it's your business as young people. I'm just offering a suggestion."

Elena quickly changed the subject, asking, "Mother, what brings you to Seattle this time?"

Hedley nodded and replied, "I was invited to the Exorcist Association headquarters, and since you're also in Seattle, I thought I'd drop by to see you."

"What are we going to headquarters for?" Elena asked, puzzled. Although Campbell was the oldest exorcist family in North America, its members rarely took the initiative to participate in the association's daily affairs.

Hedley looked at Elena, her tone somewhat helpless: "I didn't want to either, but the association's higher-ups personally extended an invitation for me to serve as an examiner for this year's B-level exorcist assessment."

Elena's eyes widened in surprise. "You're the examiner?" she exclaimed.

Hedley keenly noticed her daughter's unusual behavior: "What's wrong? Do you have a friend who's going to take the exam?"

Elena sighed helplessly and pointed to Suron sitting next to her: "He, and another friend of mine, Hannah, are both going to take the test in three days."

Hedley turned to look at Suron, a hint of expectation in her eyes, and chuckled, "Mr. Suron, don't think that just because you have Elena's connection, I'll give you special treatment in the exam. The Campbell family's exorcists are known for their fairness."

Su Long met her gaze and smiled confidently: "Don't worry, Madam, I will earn the certificate through my own abilities."

Hedley nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, I look forward to your performance in the assessment, Mr. Suron."

Elena glanced at the dark night outside the window; the raindrops continued to pound against the glass. She turned to Hedley and asked, "Mother, it's getting late. Would you like to stay the night?"

Hedley stood up, shook her head, and chuckled, "No need for me to stay overnight. I just happened to be passing by and wanted to see how you were doing. Besides—"

Her gaze swept between Surong and Elena, her smile widening. "I don't want to disturb your wonderful evening, young people."

After saying that, Hedley picked up the vintage little leather suitcase and walked towards the entrance.

Just before leaving, Hedley stopped and turned to look at the two of them, saying earnestly, "You really should consider my suggestion. With the Campbell family bloodline and your talent, your child will definitely be the brightest star of the next generation."

Elena's face darkened completely. She flung open the door, gritting her teeth, "Mother, take care on your journey!"

Seeing her daughter angry, Hedley chuckled, opened her long-handled black umbrella, and stepped into the rain.

Watching her get into a black car and leave, Elena slammed the door shut, leaned against it, let out a long breath, and glanced across the entrance hall and the corridor.

Her motorcycle leather jacket was draped on the shoe-changing bench, her extremely short black leather skirt was scattered on the floor, and two black stockings were carelessly tossed aside.

Come a little closer, and you'll see Su Long's mud-stained trousers and jacket lying on the floor near the sofa, and even a piece of Elena's underwear lying next to the sofa.

Just looking at the chaotic arrangement of the clothes on the floor, anyone would imagine a certain scene:

In the deep, rainy night, a couple, soaked to the bone, opened the door and immediately embraced. They entangled themselves from the entryway to the sofa in the living room, fighting fiercely while tearing off each other's clothes and throwing them on the floor.

Elena's eyes widened, and she abruptly turned to look at Su Long, her voice trembling as she exclaimed, "Oh no! These clothes—"

Did my mother see everything when she came in just now?

Su Long stroked his chin, carefully recalling Hedley's expression when she entered, and nodded affirmatively, replying truthfully, "She not only saw it, she even smiled."

Elena felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. Frustrated, she scratched her half-dry hair, rubbed her temples, and sighed resignedly, "Fine, let it be. Let her think what she wants."

She shook her head and walked back to the kitchen, saying, "Could you please tidy up the clothes on the floor? I'll go prepare some dinner."

Twenty minutes later, two simple dinners were placed on the table: thick-cut ham fried until golden brown and crispy, accompanied by buttered bread and a vegetable salad, quickly replenishing the energy the two had lost after their battle.

After dinner, Elena tossed the dishes into the dishwasher and turned to Su Long, saying, "I still have some work piling up at the bureau, so I have to get back to it. You can go wait on the big bed and don't worry about me."

Su Long gave an "OK" sign, went upstairs alone, pushed open the door to Elena's spacious master bedroom, took off his clothes, and lay down on the bed.

He took out the mithril coin that Hedley had given him from his pocket; the coin had a cold, eerie silver sheen and felt icy to the touch.

With a slight thought, the pale blue system light screen instantly unfolded on the retina.

Su Long glanced at his experience points in the upper right corner; it was exactly 30 points. This amount of experience, combined with the mithril coin he held—a high-level material—was just enough to upgrade a two-star attribute to three stars.

His gaze moved downwards, sweeping over all the entries he currently possessed.

【Prometheus☆☆☆】, 【Reconstruction of Flesh and Blood☆☆☆】, 【Lucas's Contract☆☆☆】, 【Peak of Fist Technique☆☆☆】, 【Overlord Aura☆☆】, 【Sirius's Contract☆☆】, 【Raphael's Contract☆☆】, 【American Dream☆☆】, 【Intelligence Insight☆☆】, 【Night Hunter☆☆】, 【Elena's Clay Sculpture☆】, 【Spoon Killer★】.

The panel has a wide variety of entries, covering aspects such as attack, recovery, and exploration.

Looking at these entries, Su Long couldn't help but ponder. The upcoming joint investigation involved B-level anomalies, cult groups, and transnational armed forces, causing the danger level to rise sharply. In terms of attack power, he had the combination of brass knuckles and primordial fire, plus his base attributes that had just been raised to thirty points, which was enough to deal with most situations.

What I need to improve most right now is my ability to survive.

Thinking this, he couldn't help but look at the "American Dream," an entry that had truly saved his life and was undoubtedly the most suitable entry to upgrade at present. As long as he continued to upgrade it, his survivability and margin for error would undergo a qualitative leap.

Without further hesitation, Su Long's experience points in the upper right corner were instantly reset to zero, and the mithril coin in his hand transformed into a silver streak of light, disappearing into his palm.

On the system panel, the entry box for "American Dream" flashed intensely, bursting with dazzling golden light. Then the light slowly subsided, and new entry information appeared before our eyes.

The American Dream☆☆☆

Type: Blessing Description: The host can actively trigger this effect or passively trigger it after suffering severe injury and falling into a coma, allowing the body to return to the state it was in 1 minute ago.

This status includes health level, physical strength, and mental strength, but excludes memory. (Cooldown: once every 3 days)

Review: This doesn't count, let's try again!

Su Long carefully read the updated panel text. He originally thought that after advancing to three stars, the cooldown time would be greatly shortened, such as once a day, allowing him to refresh two lives every day. Unexpectedly, the cooldown time is still three days, but its recovery mechanism and trigger cost have undergone earth-shattering changes.

Previously, the price of the "American Dream" was the draining of a large amount of his physical and mental strength in exchange for immunity to a fatal injury, but now it has become free!

Not only that, the effect of the affix has changed from immunity to one severe physical injury to restoring the body's state. As long as he doesn't suffer an instant-kill blow, he can withstand multiple serious injuries within a minute and then, by triggering the affix, restore his health, stamina, and mental strength to a perfect state in one go.

For example, if his arm is torn off by a B-level monster or his heart is pierced, as long as he doesn't die immediately during the process, he can instantly regenerate his arm and restore his heart, standing in front of the enemy again in full force!

Su Long closed the system panel with satisfaction. With this three-star "American Dream" as a backup, he felt fully confident about the upcoming B-level exorcist assessment and the subsequent joint investigation.

He rolled over, picked up his phone from the bedside table, and dialed Dania's number directly.

A few seconds later, the call connected, and Dania's voice came through: "Hey! Sue, is there something urgent that's calling so late?"

Su Long leaned back against the soft pillows and got straight to the point: "I guess so. I have to take the B-level exorcist exam in three days. Time is tight, and I need some special things. Can you use the Ice Wolf Tavern's connections to help me prepare them?"

Dania said with some surprise, "You're also taking the assessment? Hannah also told me that she was going to take the assessment and needed to order some things. What a coincidence."

"Yeah, we're all going. What about you? Don't you want to take a certification exam for fun while you're at it?" Su Long asked casually.

Dania's hearty laughter came through the receiver.

"Why would I take that exam? If I really want a rating, I can just go back to Russia and take the association's exam there."

"Besides, given my family's status, I don't even need to go to the exam hall. I can just make a phone call and have someone deliver the A-level certificate to my home."

Su Long's lips twitched slightly as he listened to this extremely arrogant statement.

"The evil rich."

Dania laughed even louder: "Alright, stop being so sour. Make a list of what you need and send it to me via text message. Come pick it up at the Ice Wolf Tavern tomorrow at noon."

"No problem, thanks." Su Long hung up the phone decisively.

He opened the text message editing interface and began to plan what he would need for the assessment.

Participating in the assessment was a completely impromptu decision, so he had to make thorough preparations.

With 30 points in Constitution, [Flesh Rebuilding], and [American Dream] as backup, he doesn't need those cumbersome bulletproof vests or other protective gear. In close combat, he has [Lucas] with the added Primal Flame, which is destructive enough. His only weaknesses are long-range firepower and recovery methods for sustained combat.

Sulong's fingers tapped rapidly on the screen, typing in the required supplies: a large-capacity military canteen, a bottle of Zinfandel from Napa Valley, California, and 200 Magnum bullets with sterling silver tips.

The portable flask is designed to complement Raphael. Its capacity is limited and insufficient for drinking during intense battles, so a sturdy spare flask is needed to replenish Raphael's drink at any time.

As for choosing sweet red wine, there was no other consideration; it was simply because it tasted good.

After checking the list and confirming that nothing was missing, Su Long pressed the send button.

After doing all this, he tossed his phone onto the bedside table.