Chapter 8: Chapter 7: The Curse
Translator: 549690339
The cruel battle of faith ended with the collective surrender of the death worshippers, leaving Wayne feeling extremely awkward and dissatisfied.
He admitted to the power of the pistol, but felt it ruined the mood, completely wasting his recent complex mental struggles.
The shameless actions of the death worshippers also caused Wayne to lose any basic reverence for the deities of this world, and he thought it made sense—lead by a cross-dressing boss, making a living by selling an image and harvesting followers, one can't expect the devotees of death to be unyieldingly loyal.
Wayne sighed with a sense of relief, thinking it was all for the best. He was just an ordinary guy; if the world was safe, so was he.
On the side, the worshippers were lined up with their hands on the wall, and William, relying on his formidable strength, greeted each captive physically.
One of the faces was very familiar to Wayne—the dock worker Bruto, who William floored with a series of silky-smooth combos.
Oyster sauce root, Ado root, Gagabrut root (X)
Left hook, right hook, rising dragon punch (√)
Magic was just so simple and unadorned!
After everyone calmed down, Veronica finally started the interrogation, using the same old tricks, with mushrooms that were so delicious they caused hallucinations.
Veronica had been tracking the trace of the death walker and didn't expect to have such a huge breakthrough in such a short time, successfully destroying one of their strongholds. However, as the interrogation progressed, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.
The death walker wasn't at the gathering tonight, and the so-called leader of the group was actually just a low-level errand boy. Not only did Veronica come up empty-handed, but she also inadvertently alerted the enemy to her presence.
The likelihood of sitting back and waiting for the rabbit to come was too low, so Veronica inquired about the whereabouts of the death walker and received an answer that he had gone back to his hometown to get married.
Wayne scratched his head—the situation was outlandish, yet...surprisingly relatable. The once mysterious mage image in his mind suddenly felt much friendlier.
Through questioning, Veronica learned the name and home address of the death walker.
Mike Nelson, nicknamed 'Bloody Mike,' from Caforno Town located northwest of the outskirts of Lundan City.
Mike came from a mule and horse family and made his way to the big city to make a living, spending years at the docks and in the warehouse district. After a dispute over work earned him a beating that left him bloodied, he acquired the nickname Bloody Mike.
Lacking in people skills, lacking in brains, and lacking in money, Mike seemed destined to struggle forever, probably ending up used by the docks until the day he could work no more, then returning to his hometown with his meager savings and his battered body.
But somehow, Mike managed to turn his life around. He became a devotee of the Goddess of Death and not only mastered magic but also gathered a group of followers to take a piece of territory in the warehouse district.
Mike remained silent about what had happened to him. His devotion to death was absolute, and his personality underwent a drastic change.
As Veronica collected information, Wayne, unable to contain his curiosity, quietly asked William, "William, to your knowledge, is the Goddess of Death male or female?"
"Female," William answered without hesitation, then added, "At least she has a female image on the outside."
"What about in essence?"
"That I don't know... why do you ask?"
Wayne, with a serious face, responded, "Well, when I snuck into the crowd and pretended to pray, I heard a voice. I'm not sure if it was the Goddess of Death, but it was deep, definitely male. He asked if I was willing to give up everything."
"That wasn't the Goddess of Death, but one of the three Proxies of Death, the Observer Grew. See that spider symbol over there? That's the emblem of the Observer."
William solved Wayne's puzzle and then, with surprise, added, "Death never comes uninvited, but to receive a personal invitation from the Observer means you're in luck. It shows that you and death are very much in sync."
William didn't say it, but with an invitation from the Observer, Wayne had a very good chance of becoming a favored one of the Goddess of Death on earth, and with it, gaining powerful abilities. He was no ordinary Disciple, like the death walkers.
"Lucky to be seen by death? Observer Grew..."
Wayne's words were cut short as William covered his mouth and leaned in close, warning, "You're on the Observer's list now. You can't call out his name directly; otherwise, he'll take it as a response to his invitation. Understand?"
Wayne froze for a moment then pushed away William's hand, which felt like it was taking advantage. He asked, "What happens if he thinks I've responded?"
"His will shall descend upon this place to plant the mark of the Disciple of Death upon you," William spoke gravely.
"Gulp!"
William's voice was chillingly cold, a far cry from his usual optimistic and sunny disposition. The stark contrast made Wayne swallow hard, silently remarking on the narrow escape. He was lucky the guy stopped him in time; otherwise, if the Proxy's will descended, there would be serious trouble.
Just as he thought this, a disturbance suddenly occurred in the center of the warehouse. The upside-down triangular symbol engulfed in greenery surged with black light, and eight spider legs twisted and writhed into the void, as if the time of the wise had ended and life had sprung anew.
The distorted spider legs pierced into the void, connecting to a realm beyond, as a deep whisper echoed across the entire warehouse. Soon after, a harsh slam of the black curtain followed.
A dark shockwave swept through the area, turning all it touched into shades of grey and white.
Veronica had no defense, nor did William. It seemed that they were both prepared for this moment, or perhaps had been waiting for it. Instead of resisting, they fully embraced the baptism of the black light.
The worshippers were all unharmed as well; the shockwave was only visually frightening, actually posing no physical threat. And once the black light faded, the grey and white warehouse returned to its original appearance.
Except for Wayne, he felt some changes in his body.
"Veronica, how are you?"
William tentatively asked, and upon seeing Veronica shake her head and sigh, said, "The curse really isn't that easy to break, huh? Last time, who said two negatives make a positive, oh, it was me who guessed, never mind then."
Veronica didn't respond, just rolled her eyes, letting William experience it for himself.
"Excuse me for butting in, but could you elaborate on the curse? Is it the will of the Observer that has descended?" Wayne asked stiffly, his back drenched with cold sweat.
"It has nothing to do with the Observer or you; the curse comes from another Proxy of Death, the Judge, because of a ritual disruption. I've cast a spell on you to protect you from the curse's harm."
William slapped Wayne on the shoulder, feeling pleased with his foresight, then suddenly widened his eyes in disbelief, "What's going on, where's my magic? You, you're cursed?"
"You ask me, but who do I ask? I don't know either!"
Wayne's face fell. Of course, he knew what was going on, but only kids admit their mistakes, grown-ups know that passing the buck is the real deal.
Sure enough, William thought his own casting error had caused Wayne to be cursed, and he became frantic, speaking incoherently, "Don't panic, you're not a Mage, so you won't have your magic power sealed by the curse... No, wait, how do you feel, any changes in your body?"
While speaking, he felt around on Wayne's body, who was unreceptive and darted away with a whoosh.
Where are you touching, is that even a spot you can touch on the same sex!
"There is indeed some change in my body."
Wayne pursed his lips, his gaze shifting ambiguously, half-seriously said, "I'm really hungry, want to eat something, hiss, the more I think about it, the hungrier I get."
As he spoke, his eyes glued onto Veronica, only to receive an intensely fierce glare and prudently shifted his gaze to William.
"Wayne, you're not thinking of eating people, are you?" William took a subconscious step back.
"No, that's not it. Just ordinary hunger for something that can fill the stomach—except for potatoes. And then... another kind of hunger."
Wayne took a deep breath, "Not the body, but somewhere indescribable, let's just say the soul. My soul craves magic, er, should be magic power... I'm not a professional, I can't describe it."
"Magic power?" William interjected.
"Yeah, that's right, I'm also craving magic power."
Wayne nodded vigorously, certain, "My soul longs for magic power; without it, my soul will soon starve to death, that's right, just like that!"
As he said this, he glanced again at Veronica, and unsurprisingly, received another menacing look.
"The Judge's curse is known for its wicked sense of humor and unpredictability; living off magic power isn't impossible, but he's just an ordinary person without magic power to satisfy his soul's hunger. Even if he had some, it would be sealed by the recent curse. If left unchecked..."
A lecture on the basics came from a corner, and Wayne followed the sound to see a black cat, Monica, approaching him with stealthy cat steps.
"The cat, the cat is talking." Wayne's eyes bulged.
Monica leapt onto William's head and continued, "William, because of your blunder, an ordinary person has been cursed. He will die, and you must take responsibility for your mistake."
"What can I do? My entire magic power has been sealed by the curse, only a bit remains which I gather through daily meditation; I can't help him." William looked helplessly at Veronica, blinking his thick eyelashes.
"Ver..."
"Hmph!"
And he got a blow to the back of the head.
William, out of options, lifted Monica who was on his head up high, grinning playfully, "You're in luck, your magic power wasn't sealed. How about this, you take charge of feeding him, that'll be a debt I owe you. From now on, whatever you want to eat, I'll make it for you."
Monica was easy to convince, her feline face showing a reflective expression, "I could, but I can't satisfy him forever unless he gains magic power through meditation on his own."
"But that's too hard, he'll starve to death soon," William shook his head.
"Exactly."
Monica nodded, then after a moment, wriggled out of William's lift, tiptoed, and gracefully jumped onto Wayne's shoulder, pressing a soft paw against his face.
Ooh, what adorable little paws!
Wayne turned his head to the side, locking eyes with Monica's golden ones as she huskily said, "I can plant the seed of magic power in you, guide, and help you become a Mage in the shortest time, but there's no such thing as a free lunch. I will be your guide from now on, and you'll have to worship the Moonlight Goddess just like I do. Any questions?"
"No."
Wayne was thrilled, seeing an opportunity to become a Mage by making up an excuse amidst the confusion, a stroke of fortune from misfortune.
However, Magician Girls and cute pets that talk and can bestow magic power... He seemed to have seen this combination somewhere before...
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone