CHAPTER 9: IS HE A GENIUS?

At twelve o’clock at noon, a blue sedan drove along a highway in suburban Londan. The further they moved from the city, the worse the road conditions became, but it was better than Wayne had expected—primarily because the air was a hundred times fresher than downtown Londan's.

If only it weren’t winter.

Wayne had bought the car in the secondhand market. Dr. Reiner’s request to look into what turned out to be a ghost-ridden car had led him to discover a wealth of blackmail material on this particular car shop. After some coercion and bribery, the shop owner happily recommended the almost good-as-new car.

Its acquisition history was questionable at best, criminal at worst, but the owner didn't elaborate, and Wayne didn't ask. He knew Veronica would find a plebeian car beneath her, and the purchase was only going to be useful for this single excursion. Given that efficiency was the priority, he finalized the deal in half an hour.

The car was bought under another’s name so that Wayne didn’t have to take any risks. The owner promised that nothing illegal was involved.

Compared to the cars he had seen in his ‘past life’, this four-passenger blue car was so streamlined that there was nothing but a dashboard in the front; not even a radio was installed. Parts of the car consisted of wooden structures, and the spacious trunk opened to double doors.

Though it was overly minimalistic, it was almost brand new. The headlights were bright, the engine ran well, the transmission worked reliably, and there was no odd smell in the car. It also started quickly.

He drove the car slowly out of the shop and made the purchases as Veronica had instructed. In addition, he bought two cans of petroleum, two boxes of drinking water, and a good amount of canned food, chocolate, and hardtack.

Veronica had said that it would be a quick trip, and they would leave Klofron as soon as they caught Bloody Mike and lifted the curse rather than lingering. If all went well, they would be returning to Londan by nightfall. Wayne agreed with the ‘if all went well’ part, so he bought a whole lot of supplies. One could never overprepare.

Veronica was the driver. She was skilled at it since money had never been a problem in her life. In comparison, ‘disastrous’ didn’t even begin to describe Wayne’s driving. He did have a license since his university required one before graduation; he had spent two torturous years to pass the test.

He claimed the backseat with Monica. Originally, Veronica had asked him to drive. Since Monica was going to give him a lesson, though, Veronica was relegated to driving duty.

“Be patient,” Monica advised when it sensed Wayne's impatience for success. “The seed of mana won't let you gather mana overnight. It's more of a guidance and a legacy. Unless you're a genius, that is...”

The cat went into detail about the basis of all supernatural power: mana. It was the leverage required to access the extraordinary side of the world, without which nothing could start.

For an ordinary person to awaken mana and become a new mage—or an apprentice mage—meditation was the tried-and-true method. With connections, it was also possible for a mentor to guide the way, the seed of mana Monica planted in Wayne being an example.

The risky yet much faster way would be to worship a deity and please them to acquire great mana.

The first method would take a long time, and many met bottlenecks and wasted years; the latter method took much less time, but the process wasn’t nearly as safe.

To the devout, all gods other than their own were heretical, evil, and false. Their god was the only eternal light in the world. Through their embellishments and propaganda, ninety-nine percent of what the general public knew about the gods was fabricated, which made the selection process of faith a lottery draw for regular people.

If they were lucky, they would join a proper faction and consider upholding justice and cracking down on evil their duty, making them one of the good guys; unlucky, and they would end up with an evil god whose hobby was tormenting followers, imposing a monthly or annual quota for sacrifices. Not only would they suffer, but they would also be seen as henchmen of their evil god, meeting scorn and attacks everywhere they went...

Right, back to the seed of mana.

Monica had shared its mana with Wayne. Similar to how water attracted water, mana could awaken mana, allowing him to skip the difficult entry during the meditation stage.

Of course, he would still have to meditate persistently in the future to cultivate his mana, but the most difficult part was going from zero to one. Bypassing that would save him considerable time and effort.

The rate of success was fifty-fifty. Everyone had the potential to become a mage, but the guiding method didn’t always succeed.

“So don’t feel bad if this attempt fails. It will work one day.”

Monica didn’t have to guide Wayne to become a mage. If they got what they wanted on this trip, the curse inflicted on him would be lifted, meaning they only had to sustain his soul to stop it from starving during this short period.

The cat had put in the effort to plant a seed and give lessons because it wanted Wayne.

As a follower of the Goddess of Moonlight, Monica detested the Goddess of Death and the Goddess of Darkness. Stealing Wayne from the Deathwalker would not only foil the enemy’s plan but also secure more power for Moonlight.

It was a win-win situation in the sense that Moonlight would be winning twice!

Actually, Monica was the only follower of Moonlight in this car. Veronica followed the Goddess of Nature, and William, the Goddess of Sun. The battle between the five goddesses—Nature, Sun, and Moonlight versus Death and Darkness—dated back millennia.

Wayne remained quiet as he listened to his cat mentor’s explanation with his eyes closed. He explored his mana with the techniques Monica taught him, and his hard work overnight had borne fruit. He soon found his mana. As a beginner, he couldn’t describe it with the right jargon, but in his understanding, mana seemed to be the combination of essence, energy, and mind...

Mind was the dominant component.

Mind was the heart, where thoughts and willpower dwelt. The manifestation of wisdom in the in-between state of matter and energy was rooted in the physical body, and it alone could lead mana to become the leverage against the restraints of the natural world.

Wayne had sensed and gotten a good look at his mana. It was pure white, but the whiteness of his mana and Monica’s differed greatly. Monica’s was a combination of different colors, while his was pure white in the truest sense.

The moment he awakened his mana, it shattered the seed planted in him. Veronica and William both noticed, and Monica gaped in a distinctly feline way.

Monica hadn’t expected much from the attempt. This was merely to familiarize him with the seed of mana, and he would have many more chances to awaken his magic after the curse lifted. Who would’ve thought...

Monica’s brain went into overdrive with complicated thoughts. It was elated to have hit the jackpot. The decision it had made on a whim had not only thwarted the Death Sect’s plan to recruit Wayne, but also gained her goddess a follower with incredible potential. Wayne could even become an apostle!

Wayne gulped from the passenger seat, shoving chocolate into his mouth to calm himself. Veronica didn’t fare that much better. Her moment of distraction had led to the car going off the road. One of the wheels fell into a large ditch.

Bam!

Monica flew into the air, but it was still reeling from the shock earlier to react properly.

That’s way too soon. Is he a genius?

“Ahhh, Veronica, look ahead! At the road!” William cried out.

Amid the screams, Wayne caught Monica as it fell back down and petted it while it was still dazed. He nonchalantly lowered the cat back to the seat.

It feels so nice. I should try flicking the little bells next time.

He lowered his head to sense his still-weak mana. A smile spread on his face when he met the gaze of the Book of Greed.

Veronica muttered an apology and glanced at the rearview mirror, seeing the liar who lied in his diary grinning like an idiot at his crotch.

Ugh, she couldn’t believe she had gotten tricked by an imbecile like him!

She huffed and shot back, “Don’t celebrate just yet. Magic is dangerous. The pipeline is real—from entering the field to entering counseling, from eating proper food to taking meds, from an academy to a graveyard. Every year, many mages lose their minds. I hope you won’t be one of them.”

(一`´一)

Losing their minds from learning magic? How?