Chapter 10
1301 Words
“Magic is the truth of the world. The more magic one masters, the clearer their understanding of truth becomes, yet simultaneously, the more taboos and unknowns they perceive…”
“If a magician lacks strong self-control and becomes curious about the mysterious unknowns and untouchable taboos, taking action upon them, their mind and will shall be twisted by terror…”
“Even if one can restrain their desires, they still cannot avoid the risk of falling into madness.”
“In such circumstances, faith will undoubtedly fortify our willpower, protecting our minds from the assaults of terror…”
While driving, Veronica warned Wayne not to get carried away—his journey in magic had only just begun, with many precautions yet to learn.
Perhaps because Wayne had gained magical power and become an insider, their relationship was no longer that of mere strangers. Veronica's attitude toward Wayne had grown slightly friendlier.
Just slightly.
The reason was that diary. The college student had learned a harsh lesson and couldn't help gritting her teeth whenever she recalled it.
————
The blue sedan crawled along the road at an average speed of 50 km/h. In this era without GPS, new drivers undoubtedly suffered.
While Veronica could indeed drive, she had never taken this route before. Navigating by road signs and maps, she took several wrong turns, wasting considerable time.
The car moved at a snail's pace, and the lightning-quick arrest operation ended in failure before it even began. Tonight, the group would be staying overnight in the town of Carfono.
As they approached the town, the vehicle pulled over by the roadside. The group ate to replenish their energy while adjusting their state to prepare for potential sneak attacks by the Death Walkers.
Wayne took out the lovingly prepared potato bento William had made for him and squatted by the roadside, devouring it noisily. He had eaten plenty of hardtack biscuits in the car—made from boiled oats, flour, jam, and margarine—which tasted terrible and made him increasingly thirsty the more he ate.
By comparison, the potatoes didn't seem so detestable after all.
Veronica leaned against the car, nibbling delicately on a sandwich with refined table manners intact despite the lack of a proper dining setting.
The stark contrast wasn't with Wayne but with William, who wolfed down an entire pack of chocolate while teasing Veronica between bites.
What's so great about sandwiches？ Chocolate paired with a beautiful girl is the dream combo!
Veronica was thoroughly annoyed—clearly craving the chocolate yet forced to suppress her sweet tooth to maintain her figure and avoid excessive sugar intake.
“Veronica, this stuff tastes way better than sandwiches!”
William leaned his head toward Veronica with a wide grin, his teeth smeared with dark chocolate, his breath sweet with its scent.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Provoked beyond patience, Veronica smiled sweetly at William, calmly set down her sandwich, and dabbed her lips with a silk handkerchief.
William's brows furrowed, and without another word, he turned and bolted.
He barely took two steps before Veronica charged forward and knocked him down with a flying kick. As he groaned in pain, she applied an ankle lock that had him frantically tapping the ground in surrender.
William stood two meters tall, broad-shouldered and muscular, built like a bear—a 100+ kilogram blond powerhouse. Veronica, barefoot at 170cm, was fair-skinned and slender, weighing less than half his size.
Yet every time William provoked her, Veronica swiftly subdued him with brute force—a true case of "speed and strength double-A tier fragile girl.
“I was wrong, I was wrong! Veronica, let go—my leg's gonna break!”
“Hmph. Dare to try this again？”
“I'll definitely do it again.”
“……”
“ARGHHHH——”
Wayne finished his lovingly prepared lunchbox and continued eating compressed biscuits with canned food while watching William dig his own grave. He chuckled: "Veronica is amazing, is this also magic？"
"No, Veronica's magic is sealed by a curse and she can't cast powerful spells. She can only rely on some simple magical tools against enemies. The reason she can overpower William is entirely due to her physical abilities." Monica walked over to Wayne with cat-like grace, licked her paw and started washing her face.
Monica avoided the others' gaze and ate alone in the car, refusing to let anyone see. Wayne suspected she was secretly hiding dried fish snacks.
“Physical abilities？!”
Wayne exclaimed in surprise: "Are you sure it's not a magical effect？ How does she train？ Look at her arms and legs—there's no muscle!"
“She has dragon blood.”
“Dragon… blood？”
Wayne swallowed his compressed biscuit with difficulty, images of fire-breathing dragons flashing through his mind. Holding his breath, he asked: "There are dragons in this world？"
What a dangerous world—wizards yesterday, dragons today, what next？ Will angels sound the trumpets of the apocalypse tomorrow？
“No.”
“Then where did the dragon blood come from if there are no dragons？”
“Inherited from her mother.”
"Her mother is a dragon？" Wayne was shocked, realizing his father-in-law was actually a dragon rider.
“She's human.”
“……”
Listening to your words is like listening to your words - you're just stating the obvious here!
Wayne rolled his eyes hard and snapped, "The last time I heard such constructive remarks was last time. You know what？ Scientific research shows that every minute people waste is equal to sixty seconds wasted."
After resting in place for an hour, the blue car set off again. According to the map's markings, they still had thirty kilometers to go before reaching Carfino Town.
The woods on both sides of the road gradually grew denser. As it was the tail end of winter with early spring yet to arrive, apart from the season-resistant fir trees, the desolate forest showed little greenery. Thick layers of fallen leaves buried half the tree trunks, filling the air with a natural scent of decay.
This time, it was Wayne's turn to drive.
Veronica sat in the back seat, holding Monica while arranging their new identities. She and William would pose as siblings, with Monica continuing to play the harmless pet cat. Wayne served as the driver. They planned to stop overnight at Carfono Town, refuel in the morning, and then depart.
In Veronica's plan, they would capture Bloody Mike tonight, break the curse by dawn, and drive away as soon as day broke.
No plan survives contact with reality, and Wayne wasn't optimistic—like Veronica's previous lightning-fast arrest operation, which had collapsed simply because she didn't know the way.
As a newcomer, Wayne had no say in the matter. Seeing both William and Monica approve of the plan, he wisely kept his mouth shut.
Boom——
A blinding flash erupted, followed by a deafening roar. Dark thunderclouds had gathered overhead without warning, plunging the entire landscape into shadow.
“Damn, that scared me! Why the sudden thunder？”
Squinting, Wayne felt the world lurch violently in his vision the instant the lightning struck. Thankfully, he was a law-abiding driver with both hands firmly on the wheel, keeping the car steady and preventing a collision with the trees.
Thud!
A ghostly, translucent gray hand slapped onto the hood, its grotesquely twisted fingers leaving behind glaring black-red streaks of blood…
Looks like there’s a ghost under the car—and it’s about to climb up and hijack the steering wheel!
Wayne’s pupils contracted sharply. Cursing the car dealer under his breath, his breathing grew ragged.
Damn it! You swore on the Queen's honor that this car wasn't haunted by any spirit rings!
- Writer
