Chapter Seven: Curse

The cruel battle of faith ended with the collective surrender of the death cultists, leaving Wayne feeling extremely uneasy.

He acknowledged the power of the pistol, but it ruined the atmosphere. It was a waste of the complex mental activity he had just gone through.

The shameless behavior of the death cultists also made Wayne lose any minimal sense of reverence for the gods of this world. It made sense though. The leader was a cross-dressing boss, relying on selling his persona to exploit others. With such a leader, there was no hope for the death cultists to remain steadfast in the face of death.

Wayne sighed. It was probably for the best. He was just an ordinary person. With the world safe, he was safe too.

On the side, the cultists stood against the wall with their hands up, while William, relying on his strength, greeted each of the captives with some physical greetings.

One face Wayne recognized was Brutus, a dock worker, who was smoothly knocked down by William's slick combo.

Oyster sauce root, adobo root, ginger root (x)

Left hook, right hook, rising dragon punch (√)

That's how magic works!

Once everyone was subdued, Veronica began her interrogation. It was the same routine, about mushrooms that tasted so good they could create illusions.

Veronica had been tracking the trail of the death walkers, and she didn't expect to make such a breakthrough in such a short time. However, as the interrogation progressed, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.

The death walker hadn't attended the gathering tonight. The apparent leader was just a errand boy. Veronica not only came up empty-handed but also managed to alert them.

The possibility of sitting and waiting was too low. Veronica asked about the whereabouts of the death walker and got an answer that he had returned home to get married.

Wayne scratched his head. It was absurd, but... it made sense somehow. His image of mysterious wizards suddenly became more relatable.

Through the interrogation, Veronica learned the death walker's name and hometown address.

Mike Nielsen, nicknamed 'Bloody Mike,' was from the small town of Cafuno on the outskirts of Lundan City.

Mike came from a poor family. He came to the big city alone and spent years hanging around the docks and warehouse districts. One day, he offended the local gang and ended up beaten to a pulp, earning him the nickname Bloody Mike.

Mike was broke, had no brains, and no money. He was destined to be a nobody for life. Most likely, he would be squeezed dry by the dock workers and return to his hometown with meager savings and a battered body when he couldn't work anymore.

But somehow, Mike turned his life around. He became a follower of the death goddess, mastered magic, and rallied a group of thugs to claim a territory in the warehouse district.

Mike didn't mention what happened to him, but his devotion to death had greatly changed his personality.

While Veronica gathered information, Wayne couldn't help but be curious. He asked William, "William, do you know if the Death Goddess is a man or a woman?"

"A woman."

William didn't hesitate to answer, then added, "At least outwardly."

"What about internally?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, just now, when I pretended to pray in the crowd, I heard a voice in my ear. I don't know if it was the Death Goddess, but it was deep, definitely a male voice. He asked me if I was willing to give up everything." Wayne said seriously.

"That wasn't the Death Goddess. That was one of the three Death Walkers, the Observer, Grivu. Did you see the spider mark over there? That's the symbol of the Observer."

William answered Wayne's confusion and then exclaimed, "Death never comes voluntarily. But to receive a personal invitation from the Observer means you're lucky. It means you're highly compatible with Death."

William had one more thing to say. If Wayne received an invitation from the Observer, it was highly likely that he would become one of the Death Goddess's earthly followers and gain powerful abilities. It was not comparable to the followers of the Death Walker like Mike.

"Being noticed by Death isn't exactly lucky... Observer Grivu..."

Before Wayne could finish, William covered his mouth, leaning closer and warned, "You've been added to the Observer's list. You can't directly call his name, otherwise, he'll think you're responding to the invitation. Understand?"

Wayne hesitated for a moment, pushed away William's hand that seemed to be taking advantage, and asked curiously, "What happens if he thinks I'm responding?"

"His will shall descend upon this place, marking you as one of his Death Walkers." William said solemnly.

"Gulp!"

William's tone was too cold, far from his usual optimism. The sudden contrast made Wayne subconsciously swallow his saliva, feeling the danger. Thankfully, the gay guy stopped him in time, otherwise, if the will of the Observer descended, he would definitely not have a good time today.

Just as he was thinking about it, a sudden change occurred in the center of the warehouse. The inverted triangle symbol submerged in the greenery emitted a black light surge. Eight twisted spider legs entwined and twisted in the void, as if the sage's time had ended and once again become vibrant.

The twisted spider legs entered the void, connecting to the outside world. Low murmurs echoed throughout the warehouse, followed by a strong impact from the black curtain.

The dark shockwave washed over the entire place, rendering everything gray and white along its path.

Veronica and William didn't defend themselves. They seemed to have been prepared for this moment. Not only did they not defend themselves, but they also accepted the baptism of the black light calmly.

The cultists were also unharmed. The shockwave was frightening visually, but it had no physical impact. After the black light dissipated, the warehouse returned to its original state of gray and white.

Except for Wayne, who felt some kind of change in his body.

"Veronica, are you okay?" William tentatively asked, seeing Veronica shake her head and sigh, "It seems the curse isn't so easy to lift. Last time someone said two negatives make a positive, oh, it was my guess, then it's fine."

Veronica didn't comment, giving William a disdainful look to let him experience it himself.

"Pardon the intrusion, but about the curse, can you be more specific? Did the will of the Observer descend?" Wayne's expression stiffened, and cold sweat soaked his clothes.

"It has nothing to do with the Observer, or with you. The curse comes from another Death Walker, the Judge. Because of the disruption of the ritual, the curse was incurred. I cast a spell on you to protect you from the curse." William patted Wayne on the shoulder, proud of his foresight. Then he widened his eyes in disbelief, "What's going on? Where's my magic? You, did you get cursed?"

"What can I do? All my magic has been sealed by the curse. The little that's left is accumulated through daily meditation. I can't help him." William looked helpless, blinking his thick eyebrows and looking at Veronica.

"Ver..."

"Hmph!"

A smack on the back of the head.

William was helpless, raising Monica, the black cat on his head, high up and smiling, "You're lucky you haven't had your magic sealed. So here's the deal. You're responsible for feeding him. Consider it my debt. From now on, I'll make whatever you want to eat."

Monica was quite agreeable. Its face showed a thoughtful expression, "Sure, but I can't keep him satisfied all the time. Unless he meditates to regain his magic."

"But that's too difficult. He'll starve to death soon." William shook his head.

"Exactly."

Monica nodded, and after a while, it broke free from William's grasp, jumped onto Wayne's shoulder, and gently placed its paw on Wayne's face.

Oh, what a cute little ball of fur!

Wayne turned his head to look, meeting Monica's golden cat eyes. It hoarsely said, "I can plant the seed of magic in you, guiding and helping you become a wizard in the shortest time possible. But there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. I'm your guide. From now on, you can only believe in the Moon Goddess, just like me. Any problems?"

"None."

Wayne was overjoyed. With a casual excuse, he could become a wizard. It was truly a blessing in disguise.

However, a magical girl and a cute pet that could talk and bestow magic... he seemed to have seen this combination somewhere...