Chapter 5: Big Trouble

From now on ill use [] for system message instead of the other one, its trouble some to copy paste that shi everytime i need it

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Li Xiang sat on a bench in a garden, wearing a black fedora with the brim pulled low to hide the upper half of his face. The seven Magic Circuits in his arm, hidden under his long sleeves, were faintly glowing.

Though there was no detectable aura, an invisible force seemed to swirl around him, turning his body into a vessel with a peculiar kind of attraction. His mind was unusually calm.

His eyes were locked onto a white Volkswagen Beetle parked about a dozen meters away.

After consulting Krische, he gave up on the idea of using a gun. Traditional magi have always looked down on modern machinery, and almost all traditional magi are at the Clock Tower.

"Irigal, are you sure the person in that car is just an Apprentice-level magus?"

[Rest assured, Master. This system's detection is never wrong.]

"Can you hide my magical energy signature?"

[A piece of cake! Leave it to me!]

"Why does that feel so unreliable?" Li Xiang muttered quietly, ignoring Irigal's loud protests. He pinched the brim of his hat between his thumb and forefinger, took it off, and tossed it into a nearby trash bin. He then waved to a boy selling newspapers near a parking sign not far away.

The boy ran over eagerly and asked, "Sir, would you like to buy a newspaper? It's only a penny."

"How many do you have? I'll take them all."

"Really?" The boy exclaimed in delight. "I've got fifty copies."

Li Xiang paid the boy and took all the newspapers. After the boy left and he confirmed no one was paying attention to him, he picked up a clump of dirt from a flower bed and smeared it on his face and clothes. In an instant, he transformed into a grimy newspaper boy.

This was the best disguise he could manage. Whoever was sent to kill him probably already knew his appearance. He didn't have the time or skill for a proper makeover, so this would have to do.

Most magi hold a condescending view of ordinary people, so the assassin would never suspect that a newly enrolled apprentice at the Clock Tower would resort to such a method to kill them.

Taking a deep breath, Li Xiang shouted, "Extra! Extra! Hot off the press! Big news about a famous movie star...!"

A few minutes later, he approached the white Beetle and knocked on the window.

A middle-aged man with short blonde hair rolled down the window, his face instantly contorting with annoyance and disgust as he took in Li Xiang's dirt-covered appearance. He barked, "Get lost!"

"I... I'm sorry, sir! I noticed your car has been parked here for a long time, so I thought I'd check in." Li Xiang stepped back in fear but mustered the courage to pitch the newspapers. "This issue is really explosive—Ezekiel Allen, the hottest star right now!"

The man's face darkened.

Li Xiang's legs trembled under the oppressive aura, and he stammered, "S-Sir, please don't be angry. I'll leave right away."

He took a shaky step back but then deliberately slipped, sending the newspapers flying. By sheer coincidence, a few of them fluttered towards the man.

Instinctively, the man reached out to catch the newspapers.

A sudden, sharp whistle cut through the air.

Murderous intent filled the cold air.

Fast! Unbelievably fast!

Just as the man caught the newspaper, a flash of cold light burst through the paper, piercing his head with lightning speed.

The man looked at Li Xiang in disbelief as the young man's arm lit up with the glow of his Magic Circuits. He tried to speak, but Li Xiang didn't give him the chance. With a quick twist of his wrist, the twenty-centimeter-long short sword twisted into the man's forehead, sending blood and flesh splattering.

Strangely, Li Xiang felt no discomfort at all.

He swiftly opened the car door, pushed the corpse aside, rolled up the window, and started the car, driving away from the scene.

He made several sharp turns on the busy streets, guided by Irigal, until he pulled into an abandoned, deserted alley.

Once parked, Li Xiang finally had a moment to thoroughly search the middle-aged man's pockets.

"Penniless bastard!"

Li Xiang opened the wallet to find only a few bills. Counting them, there were four fifty-pound notes.

After pocketing the money, he found two dark purple cards hidden in a compartment of the wallet.

"Irigal, what are these?"

[Cursed magecraft.]

"Cursed magecraft?" Li Xiang mused.

Curses, in simple terms, are a form of magecraft that attempts to alter a target's essence by tampering with their name.

"My essence is human, but he established a connection between the black cat and me, mixing our essences, even homogenizing them. I turned into a cat, and he could harm the cat to inflict the same injury on me. Luckily, I found the caster before the spell fully formed. Otherwise, if the cat had died, I would have died too."

Li Xiang held the small cards, feeling an eerie connection to the image of a black cat.

"There's one thing I don't understand," Li Xiang said coldly, staring at the dead man. "Cursed magecraft requires a personal item from both parties to serve as a medium. The black cat's medium could be easily found, but what about mine? I've never had any contact with him, so how did he get my medium?"

His thoughts raced. It was clear that the man had obtained the medium before Li Xiang transmigrated, but because his predecessor's memories had been wiped due to a mysterious incident, he had no way of knowing the details.

"Who's watching me? What was the mysterious incident I got involved in? And why was I given that acceptance letter?"

Li Xiang muttered to himself, knowing he wouldn't find any answers.

After double-checking that he hadn't missed anything in the car, he tossed the wallet aside, opened the door, and stepped out.

He glanced at the trunk, retrieved a can of gasoline, and poured it over the car and the surrounding area.

Li Xiang slightly tilted his head, using the last of his magic to create a faint magical barrier. It wasn't particularly effective, but it would be enough to shield the car's burning smoke from view.

He didn't leave immediately. Instead, he stood there for a few minutes, waiting until the corpse was completely unrecognizable before feeling satisfied.

Turning toward the alley entrance, Li Xiang began to walk away, his Magic Circuits gradually shutting down, the glowing lightning-shaped spear cage fading from sight.

Then he saw someone.

A woman dressed in a kimono with long sleeves adorned with bright floral patterns.

She wore glasses, and her long black hair, sleek as the night, reached down to her ankles. A cool smile played on her lips as she said, "Little brother, that was impressive."

"..."

Irigal, you useless system! Someone showed up, and you didn't even give me a heads-up!

Li Xiang swallowed nervously and tried to explain, "Sister, you have to understand, he attacked first. I was just defending myself!"

The woman shook her head and pointed to her eyes. "All I saw was you suddenly killing someone in the street."

"Uh..."

Li Xiang gave an awkward laugh and said, "Okay, I did kill him, but he really did curse me first."

"A curse?"

"See?" Li Xiang hurriedly pulled out the two small cards and handed them to the woman.

The moment she touched the cards, a skull-shaped black smoke suddenly rushed toward her.

"It wasn't me!"

Li Xiang quickly backed away, raising his hands to show he wasn't doing anything.

The woman gently blew on the smoke, and it disappeared.

Li Xiang stared in astonishment. He was lucky he hadn't tried to fight her. One puff from her, and he'd be a goner.

"A very crude curse rune."

The woman clapped her hands, turning the two small cards to ash. She looked at Li Xiang and asked, "Do you know the first principle of being a magus?"

"Yes..."

Li Xiang's face fell. "The first principle of a magus is that mysteries should remain hidden. Using magecraft in front of ordinary people is strictly forbidden, and doing so will result in punishment."

"What you just did on the street violated that principle."

"Don't worry, sister! I acted quickly, and no one saw anything."

"Oh, little brother, are you asking me to praise you for being fast?"

The woman chuckled softly, her tone turning teasing. "You know, being too quick isn't a good thing for a man."

"..."

Resigned to his fate, Li Xiang said, "I know I can't win against you, so just tell me how you want to handle this."

"Come with me."

The woman beckoned him with a graceful motion, like a snake. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Luvia Edelfelt from the Department of Law and Politics at the Clock Tower."

It's over!

Hearing the familiar name, Li Xiang felt his throat go dry.

He was in big trouble now!