Chapter 85
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Changing Future
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All mana has a color.
The shade of mana possessed by each mage varies wildly from one to the next, and the mana floating in the atmosphere carries all sorts of different hues as well.
Of course, no one knows exactly what determines those colors yet.
But there is one exception.
One color with a perfectly clear reason behind it.
'Ashen mana.'
The exact shade of ashes left after something has burned away.
No mage can possess mana of that color. No, forget mages—no living human can.
'Because this mana...'
Exists only in the Abyss.
In other words, it's the color you'll find only in Abyss creatures, monsters, or worshippers who've forsaken their humanity.
And yet, right here and now.
The owner of ashen mana stood before them.
Professor Direk Orminu, stepping out from Zone 3.
The moment they spotted him.
Noa stumbled back without thinking.
It wasn't just the ashen hue of his mana. The real reason lay in the sheer volume of it.
Even from a distance, the massive quantity was unmistakable.
His mana was swollen to the bursting point, and Noa's face went pale at the sight.
'He hasn't turned into a monster yet...'
But she couldn't let her guard down either.
With that much ashen mana wrapped around him, he could transform into a monster at any moment.
She simply couldn't tear her eyes away.
Dilia was no different.
"......"
Her face was frozen stiff as stone.
Dilia stared at Professor Direk with eyes full of intense wariness, subtly completing a spell formula in the background.
Just in case he tried anything foolish—she'd be ready to unleash her magic at a moment's notice.
Ullan's reaction, on the other hand, was something else entirely.
"Broke again."
Ullan jammed the portable mana detector into a nearby rock. He didn't seem to spare Professor Direk a single glance.
'Of course he'd say that.'
Noa and Dilia were the only ones who could see mana with their eyes and had noticed something off about Professor Direk's state.
Ordinary people like Ullan, who couldn't visualize mana, wouldn't sense a thing unless he actually turned into a monster.
"Ah, Professor, you're here?"
"Did everything go smoothly?"
The proctors were proof of that, greeting him casually the moment they spotted him.
Even as his ashen mana wafted out and coiled around their bodies, they didn't seem to notice anything amiss.
"U-Um, are you alright?"
"You don't look so good..."
"Feeling under the weather anywhere?"
The proctors voiced their concern.
And rightly so. Professor Direk's complexion was ashen and bloodless, utterly blackened.
His eyes were sunken, his skin dry and flaky, his whole appearance utterly haggard. He nodded weakly in response.
"......Truth is, I'm not feeling well at all."
His voice came back in a ragged rasp.
Like nails scraping across sheet metal.
Even without seeing his face, just hearing his voice made it clear he was in bad shape.
"So, with that in mind... do you think you could handle supervising the rest of the exam? I've been feeling heavy all over since earlier."
"Ah, yes! Of course."
"Leave it to us."
With their firm assurances, Professor Direk gave a slight nod and sank into one of the folding chairs set up in the exam area.
Then he hung his head, utterly motionless.
Meanwhile, with Professor Direk joining them, the second exam wrapped up before they knew it.
"We'll now begin the written exam!"
"Everyone, move to your assigned seats!"
The proctors pointed to the rows of portable desks and chairs that had been set up.
Noa and Dilia kept their eyes glued to Professor Direk even as they took their seats.
A short while later.
Once all the students were seated.
"Begin the exam!"
The final exam of midterms began.
The written test on mana detection.
Meanwhile, at that very hour.
A damp cave, untouched by sunlight.
A place rarely visited by any soul, yet hundreds of mages had gathered here, huddled close together. Mages of all genders and ages.
They shared two things in common.
First, every one of them was officially wanted by the Magic Tower.
Second, every last one possessed ashen mana.
The implication was clear.
They were Abyss worshippers.
"The day has finally come."
"The fifth experiment, is it?"
"I'm looking forward to seeing how this one turns out."
The annual gathering of Abyss worshippers.
Today's hot topic was, without a doubt, the "experiment."
Regens Outra—one of the church elders and today's host—watched the worshippers' chatter in silence.
Then.
A delicate voice tickled his ear.
"Um, Master."
The voice belonged to a girl in her mid-teens.
With hair as dark as the deep sea, she was Regens's disciple, taken in during his later years.
A mage of exceptional talent and aptitude—and an Abyss worshipper to boot.
"What is it, Estelle?"
"What exactly is this 'experiment'?"
The moment he replied.
Estelle fired off her question like she'd been waiting for it.
Regens tilted his head.
"Hm? Haven't I explained it yet?"
"No, this is the first I've heard of it."
"I see. Then let me explain."
The experiment was one of the church's grand undertakings.
The kind of mission every Abyss worshipper needed to know about. So Regens began without delay.
"To put it simply, the experiment means artificially widening the gaps."
"Gaps?"
"The rifts in the Abyss."
"......!"
Her eyes widened in an instant.
Estelle gasped in shock.
"I-Is that even possible?!"
"It is. If three conditions are met."
"What conditions?"
"Location, materials, and ability."
Regens's gaze deepened.
"First, the location must be near an Abyss Gate. In other words, experiments can only be conducted around the Mana Spring, Arsen."
The location was already a tough one.
The Mana Spring was currently managed by the world's top educational institution, Arsen Academy.
On top of that, the academy had been declared a neutral zone by agreement between the Empire, the Holy Kingdom, and the allied kingdoms.
That meant constant scrutiny—not exactly ideal for Abyss worshipper activity.
"Next, the materials: six top-grade mana stones. One placed at each vertex of a hexagram."
The materials were just as tricky.
Top-grade mana stones weren't something you could buy just because you had money.
The annual supply was limited, while the mages clamoring for them were countless as the stars.
"Finally, you need a ritualist with the knowledge and skill to open an Abyss rift using those first two conditions."
"......The last one's the hardest. Does the church even have a mage like that?"
"Exactly one."
"Who?"
"Deplin Chernio."
Dean of Arsen Academy's magic department, a grand mage who'd lived over a century.
Not church-affiliated, but someone who'd forged close ties with them.
That was Deplin Chernio.
The moment her name came up, Estelle fell silent. As if there was no room for argument.
But only for a moment.
She tilted her head again.
"But why go to all this trouble just to open Abyss rifts?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Even if we force the rifts open, it's not like the Abyss Gate itself will open. So why spend so much money just to...?"
Estelle asked, curiosity plain on her face. Regens stroked his goatee and replied.
"On the surface, it might seem pointless. But this experiment ties directly into the church's long-cherished wish."
"Huh? How so?"
"The more rifts we open, the sooner the Abyss Gate will open."
"R-Really?!"
"Indeed. We might even witness the gate opening in this era."
Estelle stared blankly at his answer.
At first, she'd thought it had nothing to do with the Abyss Gate—but this changed everything.
Opening the Abyss Gate at Arsen's heart was the church's ancient aspiration and sacred duty.
"I see. That's why..."
Everyone's so focused on the experiment.
Estelle finally nodded in understanding. Regens gave her head a light pat and smiled.
"And that's not the only reason."
"What's the other one?"
"Securing Abyss creatures."
"Oh, like the Kandira?"
"Exactly. When a rift opens, we use beast carcasses as bait to lure Abyss creatures from the other side into our world."
The moment she heard that.
Estelle's eyes went wide as saucers. Like she'd realized something.
A beat later, her voice trembled as she spoke.
"So you're saying the Kandira the church is raising right now..."
"All came through the rifts."
Regens drove the point home.
This was the moment the reason Abyss worshippers could command Abyss creatures—before the gate even opened—was revealed.
Then.
Estelle's eyes sparkled anew.
"One more thing I'm curious about."
Her eyes burned with scholarly zeal.
The questions came pouring out.
"What if we use humans instead of livestock as sacrifices for the Abyss creatures?"
"Of course. The quality of the sacrifice is determined by mana density. The denser, the stronger the creature that emerges."
The instant Regens finished answering.
Estelle's face lit up with a "just as I thought" expression.
"Then if we sacrifice a mage...!"
"It depends on the mage's level, but assuming an advanced mage, we could summon an Abyss familiar at least."
"......What? A f-familiar?!"
Abyss familiars were the direct subordinates of the Abyss overlords. True monsters on a whole different level from regular magic beasts.
"And if the rift opens when there are even more mages around, there's a chance an Abyss lord might respond."
"......!?"
Estelle's shock went beyond mere surprise—she was stunned.
Summoning an Abyss lord to this world was one of the church's cherished wishes too.
But that elation was short-lived.
A bucket of cold water followed.
"But realistically, it's impossible."
"Why...?"
"Think about where the experiments take place. The answer will come to you."
The moment she heard that.
Estelle's face lit up with realization.
Because the place where the rifts opened was none other than Arsen Academy.
A neutral zone under constant watch from every nation.
Sacrificing mages there? Summoning an Abyss familiar? It would trigger a massive investigation for sure.
"......That would cause a huge mess."
"Exactly. That's why we don't attempt it."
If they did, the Abyss worshippers' position would only narrow further. The Empire might even launch a full-scale purge of the church.
So it would never happen.
Regens drew a firm line.
A short while later.
As the two priests' conversation wrapped up.
A report suddenly came in.
"Elder. Word from Chernio."
"The experiment is about to begin."
The experiment is about to begin.
Regens's eyes darkened at the news.
He wasn't the only one.
Estelle, now aware of what the experiment entailed, and every other Abyss worshipper in the cave—all their gazes sharpened fiercely.
"I'm eager to see what results we get this time."
Hundreds of glowing eyes pierced the darkness.
The worshippers all turned south. Toward the continent's heart—the site of this experiment.
Where the Mana Spring, Arsen, lay.