Please Save Her
“Mana... in her body...?”
The test results came back quickly. Ever since mana—a new form of energy—had been discovered in the body, physical exams had become incredibly simple. There had been a lot of talk about how it was a great method for kids who hated shots, and judging by Seol-i's demeanor, she hadn't even realized she'd been tested.
The results were shocking.
“As you know, Han Seol-i isn't an awakener, right?”
“Yes...”
Awakeners had become far more common than before, but it was clear Seol-i wasn't one. They emitted a specific mana wavelength, so with a mana wavelength detector, distinguishing them was a breeze. Back in the chaotic early days when awakeners first appeared, countless crimes exploited that fact, leading to massive casualties. Even modern firearms struggled to subdue powerful awakeners. It had even sparked heated debates about awakener human rights—whether they should be treated as regular humans at all.
Even now, awakeners committing crimes with their abilities were a problem worldwide.
Most awakeners possessed mana, and once research revealed it could be used as an energy source, technology advanced by leaps and bounds. One such invention was the mana detector. Naturally, police stations had them too—essential for cops who needed to identify suspects on the fly.
When the tip came in about a suspicious kid and I first approached her, I'd checked for awakener status before getting close. No wavelength detected. So, Seol-i definitely wasn't an awakener.
“Non-awakeners shouldn't be able to hold mana in their bodies under normal circumstances. Yet somehow, she has an amount that dwarfs even typical awakeners.”
“Pardon...?”
Regular people couldn't contain mana in their bodies. Put differently, detecting mana in an ordinary body incapable of using abilities was extremely dangerous. It was like living with a ticking time bomb—you never knew when it might blow.
Removing the mana wasn't easy either. In the past, gates opening worldwide had exposed countless civilians to corrupted mana, wrecking their bodies or inflicting incurable diseases. Even uncorrupted mana was a huge issue if detected in a normal person. It was like harboring a massive benign tumor that could turn malignant at any moment.
The mere detection was risky enough, but to have an unfathomable quantity that defied comparison? By modern standards, it was an utter impossibility.
“What should we do? It's not impossible to extract the mana, but we can't guarantee success. And whether it works or fails, we have no idea what'll happen. This is unprecedented in academic circles...”
The doctor was stammering, clearly baffled. For a normal person, something catastrophic should've happened ages ago. In a way, sheer luck had been shielding the girl this whole time.
I bowed my head, my expression grim. Raising her until she could live independently suddenly felt pointless. And the idea that this little girl—whose parents were gone, who'd survived alone—could drop dead any second? It hit like a gut punch.
“Is there really no way? Money's no object!”
“Unfortunately...”
The doctor shook his head. Hospitalization for ongoing mana extraction was possible, but not recommended. Instead, he suggested traveling, letting her enjoy life to the fullest until the end, staying by her side. His face was etched with sorrow.
Dazed, I stared at the machine's readout. As an awakener who'd cleared countless dungeons, I couldn't ignore it even if I wanted to. The indicators screamed abnormal mana detection. Zilch for a civilian, but here it was off the charts—more than most awakeners could dream of.
I bit my lip hard. I had no choice but to believe it now.
“I understand...”
The doctor apologized for his helplessness, but it fell on deaf ears. Right now, I just wanted to see Seol-i. Maybe I'd imagined it all; seeing her would make it okay. I clung to the hope that the results were wrong.
Heading outside, I made for where I'd left her. The tests were done—now it was just waiting. I wanted to bolt from this place immediately.
“What the...?”
Where'd she go? Seol-i was nowhere in sight. She'd been right there moments ago, but now—vanished without a trace.
“Seol-i!”
Forgetting we were in a hospital, I called her name, searching frantically. Had I been the one hallucinating? No—that didn't add up. We'd done the exam, seen the results. Everything so far had been real.
But a non-awakener with that much mana? A child, no less?
“Is that even possible?”
Wait. A possibility dawned on me. Come to think of it, Seol-i had been odd from the start. A kid surviving alone in the mountains after losing her parents? In a range near a major city, no less. I'd overlooked it at first, but now it screamed wrong.
Above all, that mana inside her—vast enough to shame any awakener, too immense to quantify, jumping units entirely. No way that was normal.
As I mulled it over, footsteps approached. Seol-i? I turned. There she was, wide-eyed with fear, hurrying toward me.
She'd wandered off despite my instructions, but that aside—
“I wanna go home...”
Go home? She looked desperate to escape, terrified of something here. What could scare a mountain kid this much in a hospital?
No way. I couldn't believe my own suspicion. If it was true, I couldn't let it slide.
I clenched my fist. I couldn't snap at her now—not when she was already spooked. Showing anger would ruin everything. I had to stay gentle, like always.
Forcing down my rage, I smiled softly. “What scared you so bad?”
“N-no... N-nothing like that...”
“Okay~”
“Ugh...”
She puffed her cheeks at my grin, displeased. Unconscious habit, but better than before. Above all, it felt like we'd grown closer—my heart soared.
Yeah. For now, act normal. Can't let her sense anything's wrong.
“Seol-i.”
“...”
Was she still mad at my earlier reaction? No reply. How to cheer her up? After a moment's thought, I asked if she wanted anything.
My offer perked her ears. I told her to speak up if something caught her eye, then pulled out my phone.
“...”
Living in these mountains meant whatever happened was likely local. Slim chance, but worth checking. I sent a message to scour regional intel, then sighed, looking down at her.
If it was just some weird mana-filled constitution, great. But if not... I'd hunt down every culprit and wipe them out.