The Legendary Mechanic in Marvel Universe

Chapter 236 Taking Drugs With Care

TL: Kyous

While Badu and Zuri were talking, Leo and Bucky were eavesdropping.

“That Zuri stayed in America for ten years, and even talked about the king killing someone…” Bucky guessed, “Is he Uncle James that Erik talked about?”

“That’s right,” Leo nodded as he recognized Zuri’s appearance and didn’t expect to bump into him here!

Leo couldn’t help but be surprised that Zuri’s father was the high priest of Wakanda, which explained how Zuri had become the high priest himself. It seemed like a case of inheriting a family tradition!

As they watched the old man casually pluck a heart-shaped herb and offer it to Zuri, Bucky suddenly exclaimed, “What? Is that old man trying to feed his son some herbs?! Don’t the books say that only the king can take them? Those history books are all lies.”

“Don’t get so excited,” Leo scolded Bucky. “Just watch patiently.”

Leo didn’t believe that Badu would pluck a herb and feed it to his son, because if that were the case, Wakanda would’ve fallen into chaos a long time ago.

Sure enough, the old man handed the herb to Zuri and asked him, “Smell it. How does it smell?”

Taking a whiff, Zuri replied, “It has a sweet fragrance.”

“The herb only blooms once a year and bears fruit once. Once the fruit has a sweet fragrance, like this one, it means that it’s ripe,” the old man began to speak slowly, educating his son on the knowledge related to becoming a priest.

“When the herb is fully matured, its medicinal properties are at their strongest. However, all good things must come to an end. After about a week, its potency will quickly diminish, and it’ll lose its effectiveness. The matured herb will also begin to fall off and rot, eventually becoming nutrients that nourish the herb itself.”

Upon hearing the old man’s words, Bucky suddenly opened a tiny gap in his Winter helmet and quickly sniffed before putting the helmet back on.

He then whispered to Leo, “The fruit under us also has a sweet fragrance. It’s about to ripen.”

“Stop interrupting, listen carefully,” Leo scolded as he patted Bucky’s back.

The old man continued his teachings, “This temple is built underground and does not see the sun. The internal temperature remains consistent throughout the year, so the growth of the herbs relies not on sunlight, but the Vibranium veins. So each of the herb’s flowering and fruiting period is not determined by seasons like ordinary plants. Currently, there are 732 of them alive in this temple. In theory, there will be 732 fruits ripening every year and on average, about two fruits ripening a day. But the king is only replaced once every thirty to fifty years or even once every century. Therefore, other mature fruits must be disposed of. Our temple priests’ main responsibility is to take care of the herbs in this temple, promptly dispose of the mature herbs, grind them up, and inject them into the soil as plant nutrients. Of course, every year in Wakanda, there are various celebrations and ceremonies that require us, the priest, to help organize. Starting today, you will follow me and learn the rules of the High Priest. Strive to become a qualified High Priest within two years and take over my position.”

Zuri listened patiently as his father spoke, nodding attentively.

Smiling, the old man brushed off the dirt and sat down in the flowerbed, and took out a mortar and pestle from his pocket. He crushed the herb in his hand into juices and carefully poured it onto the roots of the plant.

Once he finished, he placed the mortar and pestle back into his pocket and began to instruct his son, “The first rule of the temple’s High Priest is to never use the heart-shaped herb without permission. It’s a sacred gift from the God of Wakanda, and only the king of Wakanda can decide who can use it. This is an agreement between the five tribes of Wakanda. Anyone who uses it without permission will be hunted down and executed by the five tribes.”

Zuri nodded, but his curiosity was piqued and he asked, “Has there ever been a case in the history of someone in Wakanda using the herb without permission?”

“Yes, there are several cases of Wakandan people secretly consuming the herb, but they are not recorded in the history books, only exist in some ancient texts.”

Started by this revelation, Zuri paused for a moment before saying, “Those who consume the herb without permission still gain the strength of the Black Panther. And if they wield a Vibranium weapon, they could kill many Wakanda warriors if an unavoidable confrontation occurred within the nation. It would be a disaster!”

The old man gave a mysterious smile, “It’s not that dire. The king alone can easily deal with those who betray the Wakandan tradition.”

Puzzled, Zuri asked, “But how? If the king also consumes the herb, why can he easily defeat someone who has done the same?”

The old man explained, “Although the herb is magical and enhances the user’s strength and senses, the method of consumption can greatly affect the degree of amplification.”

“The more you eat, the stronger the effect?!” Zuri exclaimed, suddenly realizing.

“Do you think this is a rhino feeding ground in the Border Tribe?” the old man scolded with a glare, “Whether you eat one or many, the effect is the same.”

Zuri immediately apologized as he realized he was mistaken.

The old man added, “Regarding the precautions for taking the herb, this is a piece of basic knowledge that a priest of the temple should know. I’ll tell you all about it now. The herb will be crushed into juice with water and swallowed. It has a better effect than chewing directly after picking it up. If one is to be buried in the sand outside of the temple gate, the effect will be further enhanced. If you combine it with a special prayer and ritual and seek the blessing of the Panther God, the enhancement can even double. That’s why the king’s process for taking the herb is the most complete and formal, resulting in the greatest enhancement effect. Naturally, it’s easy for him to defeat the traitors alone.”

“Does that mean, after one consumed the herb, the enhancement doesn’t only come from the herb itself?” Zuri was astonished, “Is the Panther God real?!”

“Don’t speak nonsense!” scolded the old man once again. “You’ve been in America for too long, you even dare to doubt the existence of the Panther God. Without her, there is no Wakanda! So, we absolutely cannot speak ill of the god.”

“I understood,” Seeing his father angry again, Zuri replied with a blank expression.

“And you cannot even think ill of her in your mind!” the old man added, giving Zuri another stern glare.

Zuri hurriedly nodded, calming down Badu’s anger.

Right then, Badu looked at the Kimoyo Beads on his wrist and stated, “It’s getting late. Let’s go have lunch together and then come back to the temple to continue working. Later, I’ll take you to the archives room to learn the prayers that a High Priest should know.”

Zuri had made up his mind, so he didn’t have any objection. The two of them then left.

“Wait, so does that mean you can just chew the herb right away? And it’s even more effective when mixed with water?” Bucky couldn’t help asking when they walked away.

“Buried in the ground and the effects are even better. And with the blessing of Panther God, it’s like taking a shortcut to the sky!” Leo added.

Bcuk was taken aback and asked incredulously, “Do you really believe the last two sentences?”

“Why not? The herb belongs to Wakanda, and they have been exploiting it for thousands of years. Their experience must be based on something.”

Leo recalled the plot of the movie where T’Challa and Erik both consumed the heb and were buried in the sacred sand pit of the Wakandan temple, then entered a special realm. That realm didn’t appear like something they had merely imagined.

Therefore, burning the consumer in the ground and reciting prayers must have a specific significance.