Chương 603: Chapter : 603

Ken stood near the sofa. He looked at the crying girl inside the dome. He chewed his strawberry candy slowly. He slouched his shoulders. He realized the shouting and the noise were not helping. Risa did not need a strict vanguard leader right now. She did not need an intelligent tactician. She needed someone completely ridiculous. She needed someone who did not take anything seriously. Ken let out a long, dramatic yawn. He stretched his arms high above his head. His back popped quietly.

He walked slowly toward the golden barrier. He shoved his hands back into his pockets. He was completely ready to fix this messy situation. He was going to use his absolute favorite, incredibly nerdy method to calm her down.

Ken walked right up to the glowing golden dome. Sayma stood next to the barrier. Her hands glowed with bright light. She concentrated entirely on holding the shield. Ken did not stop walking. He simply stepped forward. He casually slipped right through the solid golden barrier. He did not break the shield. He did not shatter the light. He just walked through it as if it were an open door. Sayma gasped in pure surprise. She almost dropped her spell. She stared at Ken.

She could not understand how he entered the sealed dome. The barrier was designed to block everything. It was a flawless defense. Ken did not explain his movement. He just gave Sayma a goofy, lazy wink. He walked straight toward Risa. The inside of the dome was completely filled with thick green vines and giant yellow flowers. The air smelled strongly of toxic pollen. Ken did not cough. He did not cover his nose. He just strolled casually through the dangerous indoor jungle. He reached the center of the dome.

Risa sat on the floorboards. She cried softly. She hid her face in her teddy bear. She shook with intense fear. Ken dropped onto the floor right next to her. He crossed his legs comfortably. He slouched his back. He pulled a small, colorful bag of gummy worms from his pocket. He opened the bag with a loud, crinkling sound.

"Hey, Risa," Ken greeted lazily. He popped a red gummy worm into his mouth. He chewed it loudly.

"Do you want a candy? Red is the absolute best flavor. It tastes like fake cherries. I highly recommend it." Risa slowly lifted her head. Her bright green eyes were full of tears. She blinked in confusion. She looked at the messy boy sitting next to her.

"Ken?" Risa whimpered softly. Her voice trembled.

"You should not be in here. It is very dangerous. My plants are acting scary. I cannot stop them. I am going to hurt someone." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"You are not going to hurt anyone," Ken assured her happily. He offered her the bag of candy.

"The plants are just doing a little bit of redecorating. It is fine. But they are making a massive mess. Naomi is going to be very annoyed if we do not clean this up. She likes a clean living room." Risa sniffled. She wiped her eyes with the back of her small hand.

"I do not know how to stop them. My chest feels very tight. I am too scared."

"Being scared is very exhausting," Ken agreed completely. He slouched even further.

"It burns way too many calories. You need to relax your brain. You are trying way too hard. You need to learn a very special technique." Risa tilted her head to the side. She hugged her teddy bear.

"A special technique?"

"Yes," Ken nodded proudly. He pointed a finger at the ceiling.

"It is a highly advanced, super-secret anime move. I learned it from watching a show about guys who fight with swords. It is called Total Concentration Breathing. I use the very best form. I call it First Form: Lazy Nap." Risa let out a tiny, quiet giggle. The silly name made her smile just a little bit.

"First Form: Lazy Nap? That sounds very funny."

"It is a very serious martial art, Risa," Ken bragged goofily. He puffed out his chest.

"You have to focus your entire mind on doing absolutely nothing. You have to breathe in the relaxation. You have to breathe out the stress. It is incredibly effective. Let us practice it together." Risa nodded slowly. She wanted to try the funny game.

"Okay, Ken. I will try."

"Alright, follow my lead," Ken instructed casually. Ken closed his dark eyes. He took a very slow, deep breath. He secretly channeled his magic. He did it incredibly quietly. He did not create a flashy aura. He did not summon a giant dragon. He hid his magic completely. He made it look exactly like a normal, human breathing exercise. He sent a tiny, gentle pulse of suppression magic into the air.

"Breathe in the lazy energy," Ken whispered softly. He inhaled slowly.

"Imagine a very soft, very fluffy pillow." Risa closed her green eyes. She took a deep, shaky breath.

"I am imagining a fluffy pillow."

"Good job," Ken smiled. He exhaled slowly.

"Now breathe out all the loud noises. Breathe out all the cardio. Breathe out all the scary things." Risa exhaled slowly. She let her shoulders drop. The invisible suppression magic washed over her perfectly. It did not hurt. It felt like a warm, comforting blanket. It calmed her frantic mana instantly. The magic gently soothed her volatile emotions.

"Let us do it again," Ken mumbled lazily.

"Total Concentration Breathing. Focus on the ultimate snack. Think about a giant chocolate cake." Risa smiled a genuine, sweet smile. She took another deep breath.

"A giant chocolate cake." She breathed out slowly. The tight, panicked feeling in her chest vanished entirely. She felt incredibly safe sitting next to the goofy slacker. His silly cartoon jokes completely distracted her from her fear. The wild, chaotic plants reacted immediately. The giant green vines slowly retreated. They shrank back into the wooden floorboards. The massive yellow flowers closed their petals tightly. The toxic pollen faded away into harmless mist. The indoor jungle completely dissolved.

The living room returned to its normal, slightly dusty state. Risa opened her eyes. The scary plants were entirely gone. She looked at Ken. She felt incredibly sleepy. The intense magical surge had completely exhausted her tiny body.

"It worked, Ken," Risa whispered softly. Her eyelids drooped heavily.

"The Lazy Nap form is very strong. I feel very tired now."

"That means you did it perfectly," Ken cheered quietly. He gave her a lazy thumbs-up.

"You are an absolute master of the technique. Now, you should execute the final step of the form. You need to actually take a nap." Risa nodded sleepily. She rested her head against her stuffed teddy bear. She closed her eyes. Within ten seconds, the sweet pink-haired healer was fast asleep. She snored very softly on the rug. Sayma lowered her hands. The glowing golden honeycomb barrier dissolved into thin air. The Vice-Captain pushed her glasses up. She let out a massive, relieved sigh.