Chapter 28: Academic Matters

Besides, the difficulty he faced in casting the Muggle Expulsion Charm was also due to the fact that his now-inflated magical power, in a certain sense, did not truly belong to him. As mentioned before, magical power in the Marvel Universe primarily stems from two sources.

The first is the development of one’s own mental strength—a “I think, therefore I am” approach—using one’s faith, will, and determination to construct a unique energy reservoir, thereby influencing the real world.

The second is the acquisition of energy from various dimensional beings, demon gods, and magical creatures, either through contracts or other means.

Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. The former attributes power to oneself, requiring no reliance on external or dimensional forces, but progress is slow; ten years of training cannot compare to a sudden mutation. The latter allows rapid growth, but whether by contract or other means, borrowed power is never truly one’s own; if something goes wrong, one loses magic or suffers backlash.

Gu Zhongyan’s current surge of magical power, in essence, is the demonic force that the Beast infused into Su Yan, which he had stolen and converted into his own magic through sorcery. The source of this power remained the Beast, not himself. Though he had seized the dominant position in this contest, forcibly plundering the power regardless of the Beast’s will, it didn’t change the fact that the power was not intrinsically his.

Gu Zhongyan brought Su Yan home not only to ensure Su Yan would not be discovered by Father Landon, but more importantly, because if Su Yan died, the link between him and the Beast would be severed, and the inflated magic would instantly revert. The defect arose because the Beast had not been fully dealt with; he had merely opened the vault door, lacking the truck to haul away the gold.

Fortunately, he already had an idea of how to acquire that truck.

Early the next morning, when Gu Zhongyan went downstairs to find something for Su Yan to eat, he was surprised to see Father Landon, who usually left early for the church, sitting on the sofa.

“Father?”

“Good morning, Sean. Did you sleep well last night?” Father Landon said with a smile.

Hearing “last night,” Gu Zhongyan, feeling guilty, instinctively glanced at his room. Had his late-night excursion been discovered? Seeing that the Muggle Expulsion Charm outside the room was still intact, he relaxed a little; whatever the case, at least Su Yan wouldn’t be found.

Trying to stay calm, Gu Zhongyan walked nonchalantly to the fridge and poured himself a glass of milk.

“Mm, it was fine. Aren’t you going to church today?” he asked.

Father Landon smiled. “Of course I am, but before that, my dear, I need to have a talk with you.”

A talk? About what? Gu Zhongyan tensed even more. Had he really discovered something? He had never quite known how to treat Father Landon. For his predecessor, Father Landon was a father figure, but for Gu Zhongyan himself, he was merely a stranger.

Fortunately, in English, “father” could mean both parent and priest; regardless of how it sounded to others, he knew he was referring to the priest. Thus, ever since his arrival, his relationship with Father Landon had been more polite than intimate.

Now, with Father Landon suddenly asking for a talk, he truly didn’t know how to respond. Under the gentle gaze of the priest, he had little choice but to agree.

“OK, if you need to.”

Awkwardly sitting beside Father Landon, he heard him say, “Honey, Mrs. Maria called me yesterday. She told me you seem to be having trouble adjusting at school recently, and your grades have dropped rather quickly.”

“Can you tell me why? Is it the coursework, or have you fallen for a girl?”

“No matter what it is, I must tell you—I may be a church priest, but I am not a stubborn or conservative person. If you’re willing, you can share any problem with me, OK?”

Gu Zhongyan was dumbfounded. All the wandering thoughts he’d had just now were about Father Landon discovering his secret nighttime escapade. He never imagined it would be because the teacher had called about academic issues.

It wasn’t surprising he hadn’t considered it; after living through three lifetimes, how could he see himself as an ordinary high schooler? His mind was always preoccupied with restoring magical power and increasing strength; going to school was no more than clocking in, like signing into a game.

He even had to think a moment to recall who Mrs. Maria was when Father Landon mentioned her.

Still, despite his surprise, being a teenager in appearance and receiving a teacher’s call home—no matter how thick-skinned he was—felt a bit embarrassing.

Forcing an awkward smile and a few nervous laughs, Gu Zhongyan had to repeatedly deny the priest’s curiosity.

“No, no, not at all. I’ve just been a little troubled lately, nothing else. Sorry, Father, for making you worry.”

Hearing this, Father Landon’s smile grew even warmer.

“No, honey, you don’t need to apologize to me. We’re family; this is what I ought to do.”

“But are you sure there’s no problem? I just want you to understand, though we share no blood, from the day you came to this home, we have been the closest of family.”

“If you ever need anything, you must speak up, alright?”

Meeting Father Landon’s sincere gaze, Gu Zhongyan felt a warmth in his heart. No wonder his predecessor regarded the priest as a father; in terms of character, Father Landon was indeed an excellent father figure.

He looked at Father Landon earnestly and gently shook his head. “Thank you, Father, but I really have no problems. If I need anything, I’ll let you know.”

Seeing the seriousness in his words, Father Landon said no more, simply patting his shoulder.

“Alright, since you say so, I’m relieved. In half a year you’ll graduate; how are preparations for the SAT or ACT exams coming along?”

“Vacation is coming soon—have you thought about what social activities you’ll do? Will you take a part-time job like before, or volunteer?”

Hearing this, Gu Zhongyan, who had no understanding of his own academic progress, finally realized he was a senior, about to prepare for university entrance exams.

Unlike the single decisive exam back home, in America, university admission is determined by three factors: SAT or ACT scores, four years of high school grades, and various extracurricular activities, social practices, and volunteer work—all together deciding whether one gets accepted.