Chapter 84
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Changing Future
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(3)
6.
Around the time the first exam was in full swing.
Professor Direk Orminu arrived at Zone 3.
The surroundings were pitch dark, with no sunlight penetrating.
As if accustomed to such gloom, he lit the lantern he had prepared in advance.
Whoosh!
The lantern soon gave off a soft glow.
Relying on that faint light, which barely let him make out a foot ahead, Direk reached his final destination.
"Then let's split the tasks."
"I'll take care of collecting the glowstones."
Syrphi responded as if she'd been waiting for it.
Direk tilted his head.
"You? Think you can handle it?"
"Yes. I've memorized how to identify them."
"Not that—can you gather 8kg? You don't look that strong..."
Direk furrowed his brow slightly, his face full of doubt.
Syrphi, on the other hand, nodded without a hint of hesitation.
"It's fine. I've got a way."
"Hmm, all right then. It's yours."
"Yes. I'll head back once I'm done collecting."
With that, she picked up a small lantern and vanished into the darkness. Her retreating figure still looked unreliable, but he pushed the thought aside.
'Above all, right now...'
There was no time to slack off.
Just before entering the area, Direk and Syrphi had drunk specially brewed potions.
They blocked the hallucinations and auditory illusions—one of Zone 3's defining traits.
'Effect lasts up to an hour.'
Going beyond that would spell trouble.
No spares, and even if there were, back-to-back doses wouldn't work. So Direk headed straight for the lakeshore.
One of their two objectives.
To harvest the Deep Rift Water.
Upon reaching the lakeshore.
Transparent green water greeted Direk. Crystal clear, down to the lakebed—but it was absolutely not to be touched or drunk.
'High concentrations of mana lurk within.'
Mana on par with mid-to-high-grade mana stones dissolved into every droplet.
Skin contact alone would roil the mana in one's body. Magic use would be impossible for a while after, and the risk of rampage would skyrocket.
'If someone drank that...'
Mana poisoning, without fail.
So they had to collect it without any skin contact. Tricky, but Direk had a solution.
Arma's Bladder
An object shaped like a leather waterskin.
A pricey magic tool capable of storing up to 50 liters of any liquid.
Touch the mouth to a water surface, and it would absorb up to capacity.
"Plenty of time within the hour."
Direk wore a relaxed expression as he watched it suck up the water swiftly. All that was left was to wait until it filled.
He could have gone to help Syrphi with the glowstones, but saw no need. She'd been that confident, after all.
"Yaaawn!"
Maybe from a restless night?
Direk stretched out a massive yawn. Staring sleepily at the lake, a peculiar sight suddenly caught his eye.
In the middle of the dark lake.
Unlike Zone 3, that spot glowed unusually bright.
As if sunlight beamed down only there. Direk narrowed his eyes and murmured its name.
"...Zone 4."
A place far more dangerous than here.
Cast a spell there, and mana rampage was guaranteed—100%.
Oddly, though, masters or grand mages could use magic there without issue.
No clue why.
'And...'
His gaze drifted beyond Zone 4.
The lake's dead center.
Unlike everywhere else, a single pond filled with pitch-black water.
The Mana Spring itself—Zone 5.
The true 'Mana Spring.'
Records said the term originally referred only to the pond near Zone 5.
But over time, its power swelled, influencing the surrounding lakeshore significantly.
'And the result.'
The area became catastrophically polluted.
Uninhabitable by humans.
The spring's guardians redefined "Mana Spring" to encompass the full extent of its baleful reach.
They divided the lake into zones by influence intensity—Zones 1 through 4.
Lost in idle thought, staring vacantly at the lake.
"Hmm?"
Direk's eyes suddenly widened.
He'd sensed an ominous shift in Zone 5, just for an instant.
"Wait—that was definitely..."
The water surface rippled.
Wind could ripple a pond, sure.
But Zone 5 was infamous as a demon realm untouched by light or breeze.
Hence the legend: When Arsen's waters surged with waves, the Abyss Gate would open.
'Did I imagine it?'
Direk blinked in a daze.
He peered back at Zone 5's surface.
And then.
It rippled again.
"...!"
No illusion.
He'd seen it clear as day.
Why was the surface trembling? Were the no-wind records wrong?
Questions flooded him as he kept Zone 5 fixed in his stare.
And from that moment, an eerie sensation crept in.
How to describe it?
Bit by bit, a hazy drowsiness washed over him like waves. A languid pull, as if sleep dragged him under fast.
'Want to keep watching.'
Why the ripples.
What lay within.
Obsessions he'd never entertain normally now ruled his mind.
Unable to look away.
"Those who peer into the abyss."
"Do not avert your eyes from the abyss."
"This is the only path to truth."
"Come. I shall grant what you desire."
The voice grew stronger with every word.
His consciousness felt pulled in deeper.
His body grew heavy, lethargic. Just as awareness began to slip away.
"Professor!"
A frantic shout pierced the air.
Someone grabbed him around the waist.
"Snap out of it, Professor!"
A familiar voice.
Recognition jolted him awake.
"Wha...?"
The first thing he saw: the transparent green water.
Then Syrphi, clinging desperately to his waist. Blinking in confusion, Direk muttered blankly.
"What... what's going on here?"
"You suddenly started heading into the lake, so I rushed over and stopped you. You okay now?!"
"...I tried to go into the lake?"
"Yes! Don't you remember?"
No, he didn't. There was no reason he would.
He knew the dangers of Zone 3's lake—the Deep Rift Water—better than anyone.
But the proof was undeniable.
"This spot..."
Where he stood.
One more step forward, and he'd have plunged straight in.
Gulp!
A chill ran through him as he swallowed hard.
He tried recalling the moments before, but nothing came. Just the memory of staring at the lake.
'Pretty sure I heard a voice.'
A soft, wave-like murmur.
He remembered hearing it, but not what it said.
Potion worn off, causing auditory hallucinations? As the thought crossed his mind, Syrphi's voice rang out.
"Glowstones—all collected."
The sack brimmed with them.
Easily over 10kg.
Hard to spot in the dark, yet she'd gathered that much so fast. Her confidence made sense now.
"Deep Rift Water's full too, looks like."
Arma's Bladder had stopped absorbing.
Direk carefully sealed the lid and hauled it ashore. But he couldn't carry it far.
Obviously.
Arma's Bladder only held the 50 liters—it didn't lighten the load.
A short while later.
Objectives complete, Direk finally voiced his nagging question.
"So how're we carrying this out?"
"With this, of course."
Syrphi drew a stone from her robes, glowing with an otherworldly green light. Direk recognized it at a glance.
"A Return Stone?"
"Yes. Normally teleports to the main gate, but the Count tweaked it for the north outskirts."
A magic tool usable only within Arsen Academy: the Return Stone. The outskirts meant no prying eyes.
"Carriage'll be waiting at the north gate too, so no worries on that front."
Direk breathed a sigh of relief.
Transport to the mansion was sorted. Before departing, Syrphi shot him a curious look.
"Um, one thing I'm wondering."
"Shoot."
"Found mana stones near the Zone 4 boundary. You gather them ahead of time, Professor?"
"Mana stones?"
"Yeah, mostly top-grade. Roughly six, by my count."
Six top-grade mana stones.
Greed flickered in Direk's eyes. Invaluable rarities—and key to his research.
Which explained his response.
"Ahem! Yeah, mine."
A brazen lie, delivered with utter nonchalance.
Not a twitch in his expression as he kept talking.
"Last time I swung by, had too much gear, so I stashed 'em here temporarily."
"Ah, figured. Got it."
She nodded quietly.
Then turned away.
"Well, I'll be off then."
"Right. Give the Count my regards."
"Will do. Take care."
Short farewell.
She gripped the glowstone sack and Arma's Bladder, then activated the Return Stone.
Fwosh!
A burst of pure white light.
Moments later, Syrphi was gone. The instant she vanished, Direk bolted.
Somewhere to be.
'Near the Zone 4 boundary, she said?'
Half-skeptical, he hurried over. Upon arrival, his eyes bulged.
"...!"
Syrphi hadn't lied.
Top-grade mana stones, shimmering brilliantly.
Six of them, arrayed at precise intervals. Direk blinked his widened eyes and muttered.
"Who the hell left these here..."
But there were other things too.
Neatly butchered chicken, rabbit, and deer. Arranged like offerings for some ritual.
"Planning some kinda ceremony?"
Plausible theory.
But he brushed it off. Not the priority.
Priority was the top-grade mana stones before him. Direk swallowed hard.
'No one's around to see.'
No recording devices either.
Take 'em, no one the wiser.
'Even if there's fallout...'
He had an out.
Pin it on Syrphi—she'd been with him the whole time.
Decision made.
"Heh, hehehe."
Greedy chuckle.
In a blink, all six stones were pocketed.
"Luck's on my side today."
He chucked the presumed offerings into the lake and sauntered off.
Too euphoric, his guard down? He missed it entirely.
Pssht! Pssht!
Gray smoke leaking from the mana stones, seeping into his body. Oblivious, Direk pressed on.
Toward Zone 2, where the students waited.
7.
Meanwhile, at that very hour.
Zone 2's exam grounds buzzed with instructions for the second test.
"Second exam's a treasure hunt."
"Find a material with steady mana flow around here and turn it in. That's it."
"Smoother the flow—fewer distortions—the higher your score. Keep that in mind."
"Exam starts now!"
Supervisors' call as the signal.
Students kicked off instantly.
30-minute limit.
Without mana use, time was tight.
Faster the better.
Students darted about, scouring the area.
But not all.
Some wandered leisurely, like on a stroll. Ullan's group—strong performers from round one.
Leisure with reason.
"This'll do nicely."
"Me, too. This, one."
Five minutes in.
Noa and Dilia Arpen had their targets.
Mana's favored.
They could see mana flows, skipping tedious methods to snag steady ones easily.
Ullan, no such luck.
"Hmm."
Brow furrowed, scanning around. Staring changed nothing.
Pitying him?
Dilia chimed in softly.
"Want, me to, help some?"
"No. I'll find it myself."
Same answer as round one.
Stubborn where it counted least.
Dilia pouted. But he wasn't as bullheaded this time.
"Just tell me how to spot 'em."
This pace, he'd never finish. Noa fielded it.
"Easier than it sounds. Steady mana flow means the material's near-perfect itself."
"Near-perfect?"
"Yeah. So find ones barely fazed by outside interference."
"Outside interference..."
Ullan murmured low.
Noa pointed to her pebble, nabbed five minutes in.
"This pebble's flow is near-perfect steady. Barely any bends. Should shrug off most interference. Watch me demo..."
Prove it.
But then.
Snap!
Ullan snatched the pebble.
Gone in a blink. Noa froze, then lunged.
"H-Hey, wait...!"
Bad vibes.
And her hunch panned out.
Crunch! Crumble!
The pebble shattered with a racket.
Not mere shards—straight to dust. Ullan eyed the pouring fragments, head cocked.
"Not it?"
"...!"
"Picked wrong, huh."
Ullan deadpanned.
Noa's eyes went lantern-wide.
"Wh-What're you doing?!"
"Tested outside interference."
"No! I meant mana interference—not that! Mana!"
"Mana?"
Ullan frowned.
Like, what're you on about?
"Can't use mana today, right?"
"Gah, that's why we got these!"
Noa scowled, pulling an iron prod.
Handed out pre-explanation: 'Portable Mana Detector.'
Touch an object's surface—triggers faint mana response.
Gauge the flow from that reaction. Exam's core.
"Haa... lemme explain how. First, press the prod to the object..."
But before she finished.
Crunch! Grrrind!
Ullan's detector speared a nearby rock. Ground stone screeched as it sank to the hilt.
Frightening power.
Ullan tsked low.
"This one's a bust too."
"...Wrong way to use it."
"Slash instead of stab?"
"Start by not treating it like a weapon."
Noa sighed.
Words going nowhere.
"Fine. Dilia and I'll demo—copy us..."
She trailed off.
Dilia—gone. Where? Scanning around.
"Dilia's over there."
Ullan pointed one way.
Near the Zone 2-3 boundary. Dilia stood stock-still, blankly staring into Zone 3.
"Dilia!"
Noa hollered. She turned.
"What've you been staring at?"
"Something, bugs, me."
"Zone 3?"
Silent nod from Dilia.
Stoic-faced, she muttered.
"...Bad vibe's, coming."
Her words barely out.
A thin shadow stretched from Zone 3. Gray haze followed, then a distinct presence.
And then.
The figure revealed.
"That's...!"
A man, face ashen.
Billowing ominous gray haze.
Professor Direk Orminu.