Mana Operation Method

Beyond the hyperspatial barrier untouched by Earth's light, in a world teeming with architectural styles from centuries ahead, unknown beings murmured in quiet conversation.

"Hey, Miria. Doesn't something feel off?"

"What's off, Er?"

Miria crossed her arms with a gentle, affectionate tone and a soft smile.

Er ignored her, peering through a translucent window floating in the air as he ruffled his hair vigorously.

"That planet we just started on. The mana density is weird."

Miria pondered for a moment before replying.

"You mean... Earth?"

"Yeah! Even during the scheduled update blackout, we should detect a steady amount of mana."

"Huh? Yeah, true."

"But there's none."

"What?"

"The planet itself has almost no accumulated mana! This is straight-up abnormal, no matter how you look at it!"

Miria frowned, her face clouded with worry as she examined the window hovering in the air. It was what Earth's intelligent beings called the System.

"That can't be right...? We sent puppets to check. There's no organic lifeform on Earth with a vessel big enough for that, Er."

"But it's true! I confirmed it through observation data. I wouldn't make a mistake that basic."

Er tapped a few keys on the transparent keyboard. The System window shifted to a polyline graph.

Miria leaned in, studying it closely.

"Hmm... Yeah, something's definitely wrong."

"Right? Right?"

"Almost no change in mana density... This is definitely out of place. We should call the others to verify."

Miria summoned her own System window into the air. At that moment, Er spoke cautiously.

"...But if that's the case, there's only one possible cause, right?"

"Huh?"

"It means there's a being on Earth capable of absorbing that much mana. A vessel vast enough to soak up nearly all the mana that should have permeated the entire planet."

Miria's expression ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hardened at his words.

"Er, you don't mean..."

"The Day of Death."

Miria's face drained of color. Hundreds of years ago. The moment the Immortals realized they too ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could perish. The incident where a single intruder mortal slaughtered dozens of them remained seared in her memory. It had been that shocking.

They'd hastily severed the connection to that world. The mortal had self-destructed along with the device, averting further catastrophe. But the trauma lingered, immortalized right in the heart of the grand plaza.

Miria swallowed hard as she gazed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at the obelisk evoking that massacre.

"But Er, that mortal died—"

"No."

Er cut her off firmly.

"We never found its soul."

Immortals reaped the souls of mortals they killed. They extracted memories from those souls, granted them new bodies, and used them as cornerstones on other planets. Commonly known as monsters.

"That's why we created the update periods. It was the only way to keep that thing in check."

The scars left by that terrifying, ambiguous existence—whether dead or alive—had altered even the eternal policies of the Immortals.

Er still remembered the chilling words that mortal had spat while glaring at him in its dying moments. Blood streaming from its head, lips trembling, eyes filled with murderous intent.

—I'll definitely... come back and kill you all. In the form you fear the most.

Thinking of it still sent shivers down his spine, like electricity coursing through his body. Er clutched his head.

"Haa, we can't redeploy the puppets to check again."

"Puppets lack a vessel. They dissipate without form the moment mana infiltrates."

The puppets disguised as game developers planted on Earth. The instant the planet's compatibility was confirmed and the device activated, those life-mimicking shells crumbled to nothing.

In other words, their direct means of observing Earth were gone.

"No choice. The project has started; we can't reverse it. All we can do is pray it's not that thing."

Er fiddled with the System window as he spoke. Miria watched his back with a troubled expression.

Silver Tree Guild leader Choi Ah-rin slammed her head onto the desk.

Thud! The monitor, mouse, keyboard, and stack of papers bounced up and fell back down.

"Aaaahhh, I don't wanna do thiiiis!"

She rubbed her forehead against the desk, whining. Her chief of staff standing beside her chided her.

"President Choi Ah-rin. Please maintain some dignity."

"You, I told you not to call me that!"

Choi Ah-rin shot up, pointing accusingly at the chief of staff.

The chief tilted his head, thought for a moment, then corrected himself.

"...President Choi Ah-rin-nim."

Just swapping the order. Choi Ah-rin gaped in exasperation before flopping back down in resignation.

"Whatever. I hate it. Why'd I have to become president in the first place?!"

"Your opposition to the government coalition earned you high public support. With the executive branch in total vacancy, they needed someone to fill the role urgently."

"But why me?!"

"The citizens judged you trustworthy. The country's in shambles; they can't hold elections right away."

Choi Ah-rin peeked up, eyes fixed on the chief.

"What the hell do they expect from me...? I was a hardcore gamer from the start!"

The chief pinched his chin between thumb and forefinger, scrutinizing her.

"Hmm... Your IQ?"

"Eek!"

Her small fist pounded the mahogany desk with a thunk.

"Sertina didn't object either."

Choi Ah-rin rolled her eyes, recalling Sertina's words from three days ago.

—President? You do it.

She'd said it in passing. That had weighed heavily in her accepting the interim presidency. No one could defy Sertina's word.

Choi Ah-rin scratched her head.

"Was that really agreement...?"

"She didn't say no."

"..."

Choi Ah-rin looked up at him with distrustful eyes. 'Is this really okay?'

Sertina had been quiet for three straight days since then. An inexplicable unease pricked at her chest. The aura Sertina had exuded that day could have annihilated the entire Republic of Korea.

She sighed deeply in despair and slumped over.

"Messages of concern and letters are pouring in from foreign governments."

"Ehhh..."

"We also need to resolve the punishment for former President Han Sung-ho and the ex-cabinet members."

"Ughhh..."

"Tomorrow's schedule includes the meeting with Sertina."

"Ughhhh... Huh?!"

Choi Ah-rin bolted upright.

"Tomorrow?!"

"Yes."

"I didn't hear about that!"

The chief glanced at the binder in his hand.

"It was set three days ago."

"Why tell me now, you incompetent chief of staff!!"

Choi Ah-rin finally lost her temper.

The world's currents were shifting. I felt it anew. Domestic monster reports and relentless foreign coverage had suddenly pivoted to Korea.

Sertina's danger level must be high in their eyes too. Naturally, I wasn't sitting idle. I sifted through ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the digital sea of information, extracting, processing, and devising efficient uses. I analyzed international order, global politics, public opinion, and the masses' gaze.

In short.

"Sertina-nim! Put down the phone and come out already!"

...I'd been holed up in my room.

I sluggishly slid off the bed. 'Such a hassle...'

After busting my brain and running around for nearly two months straight, I just wanted to rest.

Footsteps thudded on the floorboards. Cha Eun-joo flung the door open.

"Sertina-nim!"

"Eh..."

Cha Eun-joo placed her hands on her hips, looking down at me.

"You have a meeting with Choi Ah-rin! You'll be late at this rate!"

I slowly rose. Annoying as it was, I had to wrap this up. It was too important.

Cha Eun-joo asked why Choi Ah-rin wasn't coming here instead—fair point. But even as interim, Choi Ah-rin was the nation's top authority. Summoning her to my base would publicly declare me Korea's true power.

What was the point of setting up a shield if I undermined her position?

"Maybe I should've just let her come..."

"Sertina-nim!"

Cha Eun-joo scooped me up effortlessly.

...My small frame made it easy.

"Let's go."

"Don't wanna..."

I dangled limply as she carried me out. Right then.

"Huh?"

"Hm?"

Our puzzled gazes met in the air.

"12 PM... that's three hours from now?"

Three hours later.

Lee Min-ho, Yunsia, Kim Min-seok, Tier, Hwang Cheol-ho. The founding members of Eterna Guild gathered together.

"Damn, it's gone after all."

"Skills aren't activating!"

"Sertina-nim, are you okay?"

Under their worried gazes, I clenched and unclenched my fist, gauging the flow of mana.

"Hm..."

Power had indeed diminished. But it was worlds apart from last time. I could clearly feel it. Mana thicker and more vivid than the previous update.

I raised a single finger, drawing ambient mana into my dantian and condensing it to a point.

Fwoosh— Crimson flames effortlessly bloomed from my fingertip.

"Hm. Still works."

The guild members' eyes went wide.