As the black cat's little paw lifted away, Wayne was drawn to the speck of white light that had appeared inside him. Closing his eyes to sense it, he discovered a glimmer of radiance amid the boundless darkness.
A luminous moon.
Its lunar glow was like flowing water, its halo smooth as white silk.
The soft, pure moonlight moved like a gentle stream. Its shimmering gleam was tranquil and elegant, casting an exquisitely tender mantle of luminescence across the world.
Everything was so soothing that it brought total peace of mind. Wayne sank into it, utterly entranced, feeling as if he were being gathered into the embrace of a goddess. Her pale hand brushed across his cheek, leaving him with no desire to contend with the world; he wanted only to leave behind the endless dark, lean against her soft, warm bosom, and sleep soundly for all eternity.
There was no mistake about it—size was justice. The Goddess of Moonlight was clearly a proper, wholesome deity.
While Wayne was gazing at the magic seed, the bizarrely rendered Book of Greed looked over as well. The large eyeball in the middle of its leather cover rolled erratically, dragging Wayne's field of vision with it.
Under this new perspective, the scene abruptly blurred, veiled by an ash-gray fog.
A pale moon.
A washed-out pallor displaced the brilliant lunar sphere, its terrible resolution looking like bootleg cam-rip footage, cloaking all things in a dull, grayish-white filter. The elegant tranquility was gone. Looking closely, the pale moon's surface was pitted and marred by dense clusters of black and gray spots.
Withered and decadent, the desolate moon looked gaunt and lifeless, saturated with deathly silence and rot. The longer he stared at it, the more uneasy he grew, and the more uneasy he grew, the closer he felt to madness.
Wayne: (一`´一;)
*Damn book, look what you've done! Turn the Goddess's beauty filter back on right this instant!*
Just as Wayne was lamenting that all crows beneath heaven are equally black, the uneven, textured skin of the Book of Greed's cover began to pulse with a breathing rhythm. It drew away the ash-gray and black, restoring the cam-rip quality to high-definition Blu-ray, and the moonlight once again turned holy and pure.
The Goddess's filter was back!
Perhaps because he had glimpsed the true face of the Goddess, or perhaps because the followers of the Goddess of Death had surrendered without a shred of dignity, Wayne found it impossible to respect the gods of this world. Ignoring the immaculate white glow, he turned his attention to the Book of Greed instead.
Beside the large eyeball, a slightly smaller eye had opened. Its grayish-white eyeball lacked any sheen, completely devoid of life.
Wayne blinked in surprise, unsure of what had happened. He suspected the Book of Greed might have leveled up, but it hadn't; the contents of its pages were exactly the same as before.
*Something definitely changed, though...*
The magic seed Monica had left behind was still there. The Book of Greed harbored no desire for magical energy that didn't belong to its master, so it hadn't touched this little potato.
That allowed Wayne to breathe a sigh of relief. As expected of code he had personally written: even when it spawned a new bug, it maintained absolute integrity, just like him—never stooping to accept handouts.
Having transferred most of its magical power into Wayne, Monica felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion wash over it. It wanted to lie down and rest, yet it was reluctant to get too close to Wayne. Seizing the opening, William swept in and scooped the cat into his arms.
"Monica, upsy-daisy!"
*Thump!*
"Ouch!"
Just like before, Veronica subdued William with astonishing arm strength, snatching the black cat from his grasp.
Monica chose not to comment on their squabbling. Turning to Wayne, who was still sitting silently with his eyes shut, it said, "Don't rush. Condensing magic power doesn't happen overnight. Trying to force it will only backfire. Relax. Don't tense your nerves. Feel the magic seed I left behind, and the Goddess of Moonlight will guide you to your own magical power."
Wayne opened his eyes, nodded, and then closed them again to continue meditating.
Monica took the task very seriously. This was its first time guiding someone in cultivation. Though they hadn't established a formal master-disciple relationship, it felt every bit of the nervousness that came with being a teacher for the first time. It leaped from Veronica's arms and began pacing in circles around Wayne's feet.
Veronica cast an envious glare, clicked her tongue, and hooked a finger at William. "Clean up. Shove all these guys into crates. Remember to knock them out first."
William nodded. They were still students; brawling was fine, but killing was out of the question.
According to Veronica's plan, to prevent the Death Walker from catching wind of what had happened, not a single worshiper of the Goddess of Death could be allowed to escape. They would lock them inside crates in a different warehouse, then use messenger birds tomorrow to contact the academy and let the instructors handle the aftermath.
As for the Death Walker, they would track him down personally—both for the mission and to break the curse on their bodies.
The sooner, the better. Graduation was drawing near; they couldn't afford any more delays.
Veronica didn't set out into the night toward the Town of Kafuno on the outskirts of Londan. She was in a hurry, but Monica needed rest to restore its magic. Tomorrow morning was the earliest they could leave.
***
Londan, shrouded in mist and cold lamplight.
When night descended upon the earth, the entire city quieted down at an astonishing speed—or rather, the sounds that filled the darkness no longer belonged to the daytime humans.
This was especially true in the warehouse district. The laborers clocked out early and headed home, went to crowded pubs, or sought out romance along the street corners to explore the meaning of life together. Vast stretches of the area lay deserted. Flickering streetlamps faded in and out through the mist, creating an unsettling atmosphere.
The wind wove between the sprawling warehouse buildings and intersections, occasionally screeching like weeping ghosts.
Whether the weeping was real or imagined, Wayne couldn't say. All he knew was that there were "people" in every direction. He could clearly feel countless pairs of eyes watching him.
Having an overly keen perception wasn't a good thing. Everywhere Wayne looked, he felt as though specters were lurking right beside him—so close that if he reached into the fog, he could yank one out.
Out of an abundance of caution, he stuck close behind William.
After walking for a while, William turned around and squirmed uncomfortably. "Wayne, could you not follow so close? It's making me really insecure. How about this—you walk in front."
*Heh, in your dreams!*
Wayne ignored him and insisted on staying behind. Just then, Veronica, cradling the black cat, asked, "Wayne, do you have a carriage or a car?"
*You mages lack a car? Can't you just hijack one?*
Wayne shrugged and gave a pragmatic answer. "I don't have one, but I can get one. How fast depends on the money. The more you pay, the quicker I work."
"Can you drive?"
"I can drive, but I'm rusty."
"Good enough."
Veronica nodded, pulled a thick stack of Queen's heads from her purse, and handed it to Wayne without even counting. She then listed off a batch of supplies, instructing him to have everything ready by ten tomorrow morning.
Taking the banknotes, Wayne probed, "Do I have to go too?"
"You don't have to," Veronica said slowly. "But if you miss this chance, who knows how long you'll have to wait for another opportunity to break the curse. If you're unlucky, this might be your only shot."
*Is it really that serious?*
Wayne didn't understand. Subconsciously, he glanced at William. Only when he saw the man nod solemnly did he choose to believe Veronica.
Wayne: "..."
*I'm doomed. I'd actually rather believe a gay guy than a pretty girl!*
Speaking of the curse, Wayne had indeed exaggerated his condition to play along. He wasn't craving magical power, but the hollow pangs of hunger in his stomach were entirely real. The Book of Greed hadn't swallowed the curse's energy, so for now, the only way to lift it was to stick with Veronica and William.
*Grumble...*
He was starving.
Londan at night was dangerous beyond a shadow of a doubt. Newspapers frequently ran reports about citizens vanishing while walking after dark, which, coupled with nebulous urban legends, lent nighttime Londan an air of ominous mystery.
Yet far more terrifying than the danger was being broke. The affluent West and North Districts boasted rich, vibrant nightlives, to say nothing of the Inner Londan of the Central District, where lights blazed year-round. The deeper the night grew, the more prosperous it became—a paradise that outsiders would bash heads to claw their way into.
Fortunately, Wayne managed to hail a cab, allowing him to make it back to the detective agency before starving to death.
Feeling guilty, William took the initiative to head into the kitchen and prepare a feast. Yet before Veronica could even pick up her fork and knife, Wayne had devoured every single scrap of food on the table.
Veronica looked blankly at William. "What are you standing there for? Get back into the kitchen!"
"The ingredients bought this morning are all gone. There are only potatoes left."
"..." x 2
Veronica: *Potatoes aren't bad. Better than going hungry.*
Wayne: *I'll show mercy today and give potatoes one more chance to prove themselves!*
***
After eating his fill, Wayne went back to sensing his magic. Monica proved to be a highly responsible teacher, resting its front paws on the desk as it supervised its student's progress and preached the benevolence of the Goddess of Moonlight to this stray little lamb.
For instance, the guiding moonlight—the only reason they could navigate freely through the thick fog was due to the Goddess of Moonlight's blessing.
Wayne, who had seen the true face of the Goddess of Moonlight, held serious doubts about Monica's words. But he kept his mouth shut. Whatever the teacher said, he accepted. His obedient, model-student act caused Monica's sense of educator pride to skyrocket.
*By the Goddess, this follower is worth cultivating!*
Two hours later, Wayne decided to butter up his feline teacher and asked what brand of dried fish it preferred. The teacher turned away with a darkened face.
Wayne's sharp eyes caught sight of two little bells.
Turning around, dark face...
*Understood. When no one's around, I'll scout out a fine little female cat for the teacher.*
Because staying up late was bad for the health, Wayne decided to pull an all-nighter.
The results were less than stellar. Toward dawn, his head began to droop, and he was startled awake by a brief nightmare.
Or rather, a hunger-mare.
In the dream, he had gorged himself, clearing plate after plate with the savage ferocity of a starving ghost reincarnated. Anyone who knew the context would blame the curse; anyone who didn't would think he was trying to choke himself to death on potatoes.
Beside him was a flustered William, serving up potatoes prepared in every conceivable way. Seeing Wayne finish every last bite of the food he cooked, William couldn't help but wear a coy, blissful smile.
Upon waking, Wayne covered his face with a hand. He understood that dreams often mirrored waking thoughts, and dreaming of hunger made sense, but why William? Wouldn't someone as fine as Monica be so much better?
As he was pondering this, he heard noises coming from the kitchen and felt a sudden wave of warmth.
The saying held true: gay guys might harbor questionable motives, but they had warm hearts.
Take William, for example. He looked rough and thuggish on the outside, but underneath, he was gentle and kind. Both the warm defensive magic he had cast earlier and the fact that he was up cooking before dawn proved he was a decent fellow worth befriending.
*This guy's alright!*
Wayne: (는_는)
*Dammit, Wayne, pull yourself together! He's playing mind games with you!*
*Don't fall for it! A guy has to stay on guard around gay men at all times. Never give him a chance to grab hold of your handle and take you from behind!*
"Wayne, breakfast is ready! You've still got errands to run!" William bellowed from the kitchen.
"Coming!"
Chapter 8