Setting the Array

Cathy headed back to the kitchen to make breakfast again. Her breakfast was more varied and looked tastier than what Jason had made. However, Jason had already finished eating and was sitting on the couch in the living room. The room was spacious, and he was reading a book, waiting for Cathy and Royce to finish their meal.

"I'm sorry..." Cathy suddenly put down her spoon during breakfast, apologizing to Royce, who was sipping soup, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this." She spoke with a guilty expression.

"Cathy, we're in this together now. We need to focus on how to get through this, rather than apologizing to each other, okay?" Royce stopped drinking his soup, reached out, and tightly grasped Cathy's hand, "This is my decision. No one forced me into this. It's what I chose."

The two didn't speak after that, finishing their breakfast in silence. Cathy went to wash the dishes while Royce prepared coffee. Once the coffee was ready and the dishes washed, they both brought the coffee out, serving a cup to Jason as well. They sat down next to Jason and placed the coffee on the table.

"Thank you!" Jason nodded towards Royce, who had slid the coffee towards him.

With their resolution set, their demeanor was much more firm. Royce then said, "We're ready to face this head-on, so...Mr. Jason, please help us."

Jason nodded, stood up, and walked towards the door. Cathy and Royce exchanged surprised glances, unsure of Jason's plan. They followed him outside.

Once outside, they walked around the villa, after which Jason asked, "Who rented this villa?"

"I did!" Cathy immediately replied, "Originally this was a place to keep the men I had deceived or kidnapped for the witch. But now... it's no longer suitable for habitation. We should relocate."

"No, we'll stay here. I can make some arrangements." Jason shook his head, "You mentioned facing the witch directly. I've confronted her before. Can you tell me more about her? How was she able to escape from me?" Jason surveyed the surroundings while talking to Cathy.

Cathy shook her head. She wasn't sure about the witch's full capabilities. All she knew was that she, along with others, had been cursed upon their death, turning them into monstrous beings. They gained power, but lost control of their souls.

But why was she an exception?

She didn't know. She thought she had retained some control over her soul due to some oversight by the witch.

Jason didn't press further. He just nodded and continued to observe the surrounding environment, stating, "I'll set up some protective measures here. From now on, you'll live here...and so will I."

"That's great!" A previously hesitant Royce couldn't help but shout in relief. Having Jason around would certainly make him feel safer, considering the impressive scenes he had already witnessed involving Jason's magic paper talismans.

After surveying the surroundings, Jason left them to return to their room and started setting up the array. He flicked his wrist and a cinnabar brush appeared in his hand. In nine different locations around the villa, he wrote talisman scripts mid-air. Each time a talisman was written, a golden light would flash across the sky before disappearing.

The nine locations, known as nine platforms, formed the Nine-Platform Demon-Fending Array.

Once the setup was complete, Jason felt tired. He returned to the villa and said to Cathy and Royce, still in the living room, "I need to rest for a bit. Don't go out for now. I'll provide you with some protective items." He then went upstairs to his room.

At noon, Royce came to call him downstairs for lunch.

Cathy had prepared lunch. It was a hearty meal, made with all the food they had left. There wasn't much food stored in the villa, just what was left in the refrigerator.

Lunch consisted of steak, soup, and salad, with cod as another main dish. The three of them sat at the dining table. No one spoke during the meal. Jason finished his meal quickly and sat quietly, watching Cathy and Royce.

Feeling a little embarrassed under Jason's gaze, they hurriedly finished their meal. Cathy went to clean up, while Royce invited Jason to sit in the living room. Shortly afterwards, Cathy emerged from the kitchen with coffee for everyone. Once everyone was settled, Jason picked up a book and began reading quietly. On the other hand, Cathy and Royce seemed a bit uncomfortable, both wanting to speak but not finding the words. Finally, Royce gathered the courage to interrupt, "Mr. Jason, excuse me... may I interrupt for a moment?"

Jason looked up at Royce, his voice calm, "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, indeed, I think... only you can help us now," Royce said sincerely. "It's about Cathy. As you know, Cathy is a cursed soul. Her body, too, is cursed. It's a curse that can't be escaped."

Upon hearing this, Jason put his book down and turned his attention to Cathy.

She pursed her lips before admitting, "Yes, I'm indeed a cursed soul. And my body too. I died and was brought back to life by her. My soul and body are both at her mercy. That's the price. And it's not just that. My skin can only last for a while before it must be removed and redrawn to look like a normal person's."

"You're saying you can peel off your skin?" Jason smiled slightly, "I see." This reminded him of an ancient story from China. Only now, it was happening in America, in modern times.

"I can change my skin, or put on someone else's. Whoever's skin I put on, I can become that person." Cathy continued, her expression filled with disgust, "I hate it. I've never taken someone else's skin. I can't bring myself to peel off a young girl's skin..."

"You said... witches can control your souls and bodies. But why are you different from them?" Jason suddenly focused on Cathy, "It seems you are indeed a special one. I've captured several cursed souls like you, but they were mere husks. You, however, are different... I've noticed your uniqueness quite some time ago."

"I don't know, maybe the witch had a change of heart? No, that's impossible. Or maybe I am just that special existence? My God, I can't figure it out... she's never been kind-hearted." As Cathy said this, her resentment was palpable.

"Why are you special?" Jason thought about how Cathy differed from the other cursed women who had become monsters and stood up, frowning.

Cathy also tried to stand, but Jason gestured for her to sit. Confused, she did as she was told. Jason walked in front of Cathy, then slowly moved behind the couch. Suddenly, he reached out a hand, two fingers pointed directly at the top of Cathy's head.

Cathy was startled and instinctively wanted to dodge, but she couldn't. Before she could even move, two fingers pressed down, and a cool sensation entered her mind from the top of her head, quickly spreading to all parts of her body.

"Don't move, don't move, Royce, Mr. Jason is helping me." Cathy hastily said to him.

Royce, who had initially risen, slowly sat back down. Although he kept a vigilant eye on Jason, he knew he had no choice but to trust him.

After the cool sensation had circled around Cathy's body, Jason quickly withdrew his fingers and fell silent. After a moment, he mused, "So that's it. You truly are different from them."

"What's different?" Cathy asked immediately. The matter involved her body and soul, and she looked nervously at Jason, "Can... Can I... be saved?"

"When the curse was placed on you, you didn't die, your body still contained your own soul... that's the key." Jason said, revealing the reason.

Suddenly, a shadow jumped down from the side of the villa, flying towards Jason with a swift momentum.