American comics: From Hogwarts to God on Earth

A month later at the Kansas farm.

"Hurry, hurry!" Clark pulled Rune, eager to get him into the car. A circus was coming to town today, and he had a lot of money on hand that he couldn't wait to spend.

That's right, after starting high school, Rune took on a side business, using his transformation abilities to create various figurines. A palm-sized, non-movable figurine sold for $10, while a movable figurine of the same size sold for $25. He also accepted custom orders, but those were more expensive. As a result, Rune earned over three thousand dollars in just two weeks.

Compared to the toys of the time, the dolls made by Rune were a complete game-changer. The only raw materials were wood provided by Jonathan and Rune's own magic, yet the dolls were not only exquisitely crafted but also inexpensive, and even came with a three-year warranty. The toys sold in the small town simply couldn't compare. Not only children, but many adult men even drove directly to Jonathan's farm to order the dolls.

The Jonathan family's financial situation naturally improved. Even Clark earned over two hundred dollars by helping Rune, not counting the money he spent on snacks.

"Don't rush me," Rune said, looking at Clark with a hint of helplessness. He was also somewhat interested in the circus, but not to the point of being impatient. He put the few puppets he had made while practicing Transfiguration into a black briefcase and then got into the car.

Rune's initial motivation for creating the dolls wasn't simply to make money. He hoped that some discerning mage would recognize their value and come to him for a trade, or perhaps even a double-cross.

As the ancient rune curriculum progressed, some basic alchemical knowledge was also mentioned. Therefore, Rune urgently needed some inexpensive magical materials for practice. However, he currently only had three alchemical materials at hand: Uru metal from Asgard, a branch from the World Tree, and N metal from the Court of Owls. These were all extremely high-grade alchemical materials, and Rune couldn't bear to use them for practice.

Rune plans to set up a stall while he goes to the circus; maybe he'll run into some magician.

This time, Jonathan was driving. With Rune's help supplementing the family income, Jonathan no longer needed to work hard on the farm all day and could finally take some time to spend with his family. Martha sat in the passenger seat, happily humming a song.

Soon, the car arrived at the circus entrance. As a monthly entertainment event with an irregular schedule, it was highly valued by the townspeople. Some farmers had temporarily become vendors, selling cotton candy and popcorn around the circus. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of butter, and some of the entertainment equipment was hidden in colorful tents.

Upon arrival, Clark excitedly bought two servings of popcorn, giving one to Rune and keeping one for himself.

"Buy fewer snacks, or they'll get cavities," Jonathan said helplessly. He wasn't the type to dictate how his kids spent their money, but he didn't want Rune and Clark to develop cavities or other minor health problems at such a young age.

Martha nudged Jonathan's side with her elbow: "It's only once a month, let them have their fun."

After saying that, Martha said to Rune and Clark, "Don't listen to him, just have fun. If you don't have enough money, come to me. Rune, don't just focus on setting up your stall. You're always so busy, it's rare for you to come here, so have some fun."

Clark excitedly grabbed Rune's hand: "Come on, come on, let's go over there and get our fortunes told. We didn't have much money last time, but we can go this time!"

The two quickly arrived at the fortune teller's stall. A mysterious crystal ball sat on the stall, surrounded by scattered tarot cards. Under the dim light, the fortune teller, wearing an extravagant headdress, was whispering to the previous customer. A faint scent of incense filled the air.

The fortune teller nodded to the two of them, indicating that they should wait a moment.

Soon, the fortune teller finished his readings for his clients, and it was Clark's turn. Clark took out four bills and three coins, which made up the five-dollar fee for the reading. The fortune teller put the money into a box next to him, and then said some strange things in a mysterious way, something like that you have to be sincere and decisively choose the card you want to draw first, otherwise it won't be accurate.

Clark drew three cards and opened them one by one. The first card was upside down, but one could still make out a young man carrying a bag, his expression focused, his gaze fixed on the distance. The second card depicted a man hanging upside down, his feet bound, his body suspended in mid-air; this card was upright. The last card was also upside down, depicting a skeleton in a black robe riding a white horse, wielding a scythe, with a desolate landscape behind him and a crumbling castle in the distance.

The fortune teller looked at the three cards in front of him and frowned: "Hmm... the meaning of these three cards isn't very good..."

Clark tensed up immediately, his eyes fixed on the fortune teller with a mixture of nervousness, fear, and anticipation.

"Yes, you're currently going through a period of confusion and impulsiveness, lacking a clear understanding of your future direction. In this state of confusion, you may face moments that require self-sacrifice and change. Although you'll ultimately face considerable challenges and difficulties, if you persevere, a turning point may appear..."

After listening to the overall explanation, Clark blinked and breathed a sigh of relief.

"So you only heard the last part, huh?" Rune said speechlessly, pulling Clark out of the fortune-telling stall and handing him back his popcorn. Then he whispered to Clark, "That guy was just trying to scam you, you believe me?"

"Huh?" Clark was taken aback.

"Don't believe me? Go back and ask him how to get through this difficult time. He'll definitely let you buy things."

Clark popped a few kernels of popcorn into his mouth, nodded, and went back to the stall. A moment later, he emerged, disappointed. Licking his sugar-covered fingers, he muttered sadly, "Yeah, you were right. He really did want me to buy some amulets."

Rune whispered in Clark's ear, "And during the divination just now, I didn't feel any magic. Don't believe what he says. These kinds of people love to stuff the deck with bad luck cards and then sell you some junk."

"Let's go check out the other stalls..." Clark struggled to pull himself out of his dazed state, then grabbed Rune's sleeve and tried to run away. Rune looked at Clark's drool-covered fingers on his clothes with disgust and quietly cast a cleaning spell.

Soon, they found a stall surrounded by people, from which came a familiar female voice: "Show the white doves!" Immediately, several white doves flew out of the crowd, eliciting cheers.