Chapter Eight: Pale Moon

The little paws of the black cat departed, and Wayne was drawn to the white spots appearing within him. He closed his eyes to sense and, in the endless darkness, found a glimmer of light.

A pale moon.

Moonlight like water, halo like silk.

The pure and gentle moonlight flowed like clear water, its shimmering grace elegant and tranquil, enveloping the ground with a gentle glow.

Everything felt so comforting, Wayne was immersed and couldn't pull himself away. It felt as though he was being embraced by a goddess, her fair hand brushing against his cheek, making him desire nothing more than to rest peacefully in her embrace, away from the endless darkness, and sleep forever against her soft bosom.

It couldn't be wrong; after all, bigger meant righteous, and the moonlight goddess seemed like a proper goddess.

As Wayne gazed at the magic seed, the book of greed, with its eerie atmosphere, also glanced over. The large eyeball at the center of the book's cover swirled chaotically, drawing Wayne's gaze to change.

With this new perspective, the scene suddenly blurred, veiled in a layer of gray-white mist.

The pale moon.

A pale disc replacing the bright moon, the pixelation terrible as if it were a pirated screen, everything shrouded in a gray-white filter. The elegance and tranquility were gone; upon closer inspection, the pale moon was pockmarked, revealing dense black and gray spots.

The desolate pale moon appeared withered, filled with deathly silence and decay. The more one stared, the more unsettling it became, driving one to madness.

Wayne: (¬_¬;)

"Damn book, look at what you've done. Quickly, restore the goddess's beauty filter!"

Just as Wayne lamented about how everything seemed to be as dark as a crow, the book of greed, with its undulating cover, emitted a rhythmic movement similar to breathing. It expelled the gray and black, returning from the pirated version to high-definition blue light, and the moonlight once again regained its sanctity.

The goddess's filter was back!

Perhaps it had glimpsed the true face of the goddess or maybe it was the surrender of the followers of the death goddess without any dignity, Wayne couldn't respect the deities of this world. He paid no attention to the pale brightness and instead looked at the book of greed.

Beside the large eyeball, a slightly smaller eye opened, its eyeball gray and lifeless, devoid of any vitality.

Wayne stared blankly, not understanding what was happening. He suspected that the book of greed had upgraded, but it hadn't; its contents were the same as before.

There must be something new...

Monica's magic seed was still there, and the book of greed didn't desire any magic other than its master's, so it hadn't touched that potato.

This relieved Wayne; his handcrafted code was still full of integrity, even with the addition of new features, just like him, not compromising on principles for temporary gains.

Monica transferred most of her magic into Wayne's body, causing intense emptiness and fatigue. He wanted to rest but didn't want to get too close to Monica, so William took the opportunity to step forward and embrace her.

"Monica, lift it up."

Bang!

"Ouch!"

At this moment, just like before, Veronica subdued William with astonishing strength and snatched the black cat from him.

Monica didn't want to comment on the struggle between the two; instead, she addressed Wayne, who was silent with closed eyes. "Don't rush. The gathering of magic is not an overnight task. Being impatient will only backfire. Relax, don't stress too much. Feel the magic seed I left behind. The moonlight goddess will guide you to find your own magic."

Wayne nodded in response to Monica's words, opened his eyes, and continued to close them to sense the magic.

Monica was very attentive; it was her first time guiding someone in practice. Although they hadn't established a master-disciple relationship, the nervousness of being a mentor for the first time was palpable. She leaped from Veronica's arms and circled Wayne's feet.

Veronica cast a jealous glance, snorted, and gestured to William with her finger, "Clean up, put these guys in the box, make sure to knock them out."

William nodded. They were still students at the school, so fighting was not a problem, but killing was absolutely out of the question.

According to Veronica's plan, to prevent the Deathwalkers from receiving information, they couldn't let a follower of the death goddess go free. They would lock them in another warehouse and contact the school through a messenger bird tomorrow morning to have the instructors come and deal with it.

They would personally pursue the Deathwalkers to unravel the curse.

The sooner, the better; graduation was approaching, and they couldn't afford to delay any longer.

Veronica didn't depart for the outskirts of Caffono Town near Lundan that night; she was in a hurry, but Monica needed rest and magic replenishment. They had to wait until tomorrow morning.

...

Lundan, misty and dimly lit.

As night fell over the land, the entire city quieted down at an astonishing speed. Or perhaps, what made noise at this time was no longer the humans of the daytime.

The warehouse district was especially desolate. Workers had long gone home, either to crowded bars or to encounter love on the streets. Large areas were devoid of people, and the flickering streetlights in the mist intermittently created a eerie atmosphere.

The sound of the wind whispered through the warehouse buildings and intersections, occasionally wailing like a ghost.

Whether it was real or fake cries, Wayne could feel it distinctly. Many pairs of eyes seemed to be watching him from all directions.

Having too strong a sense of perception wasn't a good thing; Wayne felt like there were ghosts everywhere. They seemed so close that he could almost reach out and grab one from the mist.

Out of a double sense of caution, he followed closely behind William.

After walking for a while, William turned back awkwardly. "Wayne, can you not walk so close? It makes me feel very insecure. How about this, you go ahead."

Heh, no way!

Wayne ignored William's words and insisted on walking behind him. At this moment, Veronica, holding the black cat, asked, "Wayne, do you have a car?"

Do you magic folks need a car? Just steal one if you do!

Wayne shrugged. In a realistic tone, he replied, "I don't have a car, but I can get one. The speed depends on money. The more you give, the faster I can get things done."

"Can you drive?"

"I can, but I'm not proficient."

"Good enough then."

Veronica nodded, took out a stack of bills from her wallet, handed them to Wayne without counting, and instructed him to gather a bunch of supplies by ten o'clock tomorrow morning.

Wayne took the money and tentatively asked, "Do I have to go too?"

"You can choose not to, but if you miss this opportunity, who knows when the next chance to lift the curse will come? If you're unlucky, this might be your only opportunity." Veronica said slowly.

Is she trying to scare me?

Wayne didn't understand but subconsciously looked at William. Seeing the latter nodding heavily, he chose to believe Veronica.

Wayne: "..."

Damn it, Wayne, stay calm. He's in the CPU!

Never fall for it; a boy should always remain vigilant in front of a gay man, never give them the chance to grab you by the scruff and lead you astray.

"Wayne, dinner's ready, and you still have to go out for errands!" William shouted from the kitchen.

"I'm coming."