Ch.144144 – Candy Pouch

<144 – Candy Pouch>

“Why isn’t the instructor stepping in!”

“Probably because he’s not confident he can subdue him without causing injury.”

Dark mana is a destructive force.

Not only is it powerful, but if handled carelessly, Zaku might self-destruct.

Unlike the instructor who hesitated to step forward in this life-or-death crisis, Oknodie took the initiative, attempting the restraint the instructor should have performed.

“It’s not too late. Let’s pull Oknodie out.”

“No. If we interfere now, it will only divide his attention and make things more difficult.”

“The gentleman is right. That lower class kid has been reacting sensitively to surrounding sounds and movements.”

In his unconscious state, he’s only reacting instinctively to external stimuli.

If they intervened and caused an unexpected reaction, Oknodie, themselves, and that lower class student would all be in danger.

“Is Oknodie going to be okay? She’s using such a dangerous power head-on.”

“Look at the output.”

Giselle pointed to the dark mana forming on Oknodie’s sword.

While the initial output was much higher when she first ignited the dark mana to attract attention, now she was merely coating the tip of her sword with a thin layer.

“It seems our little lady can freely control even the output of dark mana, which is extremely difficult to manage. Judging by how she’s reduced that troublesome power to just a thin layer on her sword.”

“Is that good news?”

“Absolutely good news. It means we don’t have to worry about our little lady losing control and going mad like that lower class student.”

Though Zaku appeared to have the upper hand in terms of visible power output, Oknodie maintaining a lower output was actually far more impressive.

‘I’m more worried about what comes after this.’

Giselle was concerned.

This incident would be the final blow to Oknodie’s already poor reputation.

All because of that student.

Zaku, an aspiring knight.

Giselle’s eyes grew colder than the winter wind as she looked at him.

* *

Morb had grown so strong.

It was his friend’s growth.

He should naturally feel happy about it.

Yet he wasn’t happy.

He couldn’t be happy.

Because he couldn’t be part of Morb’s success.

He knew it himself.

What qualities were needed for this test.

The Mana Verification Test.

A test that questioned one’s ability to handle mana.

-If you cannot handle mana, your blade will feed on the blood of people, not monsters.

-Eventually, you too will become a monster. Just a monster wearing human skin.

-Mercenaries who don’t know how to handle mana are such creatures.

His master had said.

Don’t become like me.

Rather stake your life on it.

His life hung on the vial in his pocket.

A small amount of medicine, not even a full cup of water.

Drink it and die.

Eight times out of ten, you die.

Even if you survive, you won’t be able to live the same life.

Side effects are almost guaranteed.

It depends on miraculous odds.

Yet his master had given it to him.

Saying that taking this medicine was better than not taking it.

Telling him that the remaining years living as the organization’s dog would be that harsh.

That dying would be more merciful than starting the “monster’s life” he often spoke of.

Despite that, he had made up his mind.

‘If Morb leaves the academy with me, then I can gladly accept my fate.’

He could have said they dreamed of changing their lives by entering the world’s best academy together but failed.

That they entered together and left together.

That those times were good.

He might have been able to live reminiscing about that for the rest of his life.

But Morb passed.

He’s now out of the failing zone.

If he fails here, he’ll be alone.

Living a dark life in the underbelly of society that others can’t even glimpse.

‘With 10 years of training, I finally stood beside you. I thought so for a moment. But if you move ahead again here, if I’m the only one going back…’

How many more years would it take then?

20 years? 30 years?

Perhaps even if he spent the rest of his life, he might never catch up to Morb again.

But he didn’t want to hold Morb back.

He had plenty of opportunities.

He could have tampered with their shared meals.

Or caused an accident during training.

All sorts of dirty methods came to mind, ways to bring Morb down to his level.

Yet he didn’t.

‘Morb. We overcame our hellish childhood together. We promised to become knights who would save people like us.’

How could he betray someone like that?

So he decided.

To betray himself instead of Morb.

Gulp.

He emptied the vial and got in line.

The instructor saw him drink the medicine but didn’t stop him.

Potion doping.

Even that was considered a student’s skill at the academy.

After all, if you can’t maintain the same level of doping consistently, if you can’t overcome the aftereffects of doping, you’ll eventually be weeded out.

That’s actually true.

It’s questionable whether he’ll even pass this test, and even if he does, how many times he can endure it is unknown.

This doping is meaningless.

It’s just a momentary extension of life.

Yet the reason he didn’t back down.

The reason he stepped forward, betraying his dream of becoming an honorable knight.

Was because he wanted to show.

That he could stand beside Morb.

That it was different from 10 years ago.

That the past 10 years weren’t in vain.

‘I’ll prove it. My 10 years!’

His heart sank and his senses distorted.

Dark mana rising from the tip of his sword.

Black energy flickered like flames, rising violently.

Kwang!

It created cracks in the rock.

Stone fragments scattered.

There was no time to feel the thrill of the destructive power greater than usual.

-Remember. If you’ve taken the medicine, you must stop releasing energy when you feel your heart tightening.

-Dark mana is a power that doesn’t tame itself to the user. The moment you lose control and exceed the control limit, I can’t guarantee your safety.

He couldn’t stop.

If he failed the test even after taking the medicine, he would eventually collapse from a dark mana-induced seizure anyway.

He couldn’t even guarantee whether he’d wake up again afterward.

‘Master. When I decided to take the medicine, I already gave up on safety. All I can do is run to the end.’

He needed more power.

To narrow the gap of talent.

To deceive the meagerness of effort.

His heart tightening with each moment.

His consciousness fading with each second.

He had to hold on a bit longer, swing this sword again and again.

Kwaaang!

It shattered.

He succeeded in a test he shouldn’t have been able to pass.

He faintly heard his classmates looking up to him, everyone’s excited shouts, Morb applauding and saying how amazing he was.

The sense of distance from the world, as if looking at it from underwater.

‘I see.’

He had already exceeded the control limit.

In exchange for this brief achievement, he had lost his entire life.

His master had always regretted not achieving that one moment of success.

What about him?

Was he satisfied with not becoming like his master?

Did he regret giving up his life?

Before Zaku could reach a conclusion, his vision closed and his consciousness evaporated.

* *

Just looking at the dark mana output and his intact body, I could tell.

This friend has lived a hard life!

NPCs with dark mana typically harbor much darker revenge than the motivation that drove someone like Isabelle of the exploration team.

At this level, he must have grown up witnessing at least ten thousand deaths.

A character with an unusual past and encounters.

He probably has too big a backstory to remain just an extra.

If handled well, he might become a named villain rather than just a minor role.

But he drank the dark potion, which rivals the light potion, so now he’s destined to self-destruct, unable to control the overflowing dark mana.

“Running into me, we’re both lucky!”

Until he met me, that is.

Actually, dark mana has an interesting gimmick.

The one with the smaller absolute value (purity multiplied by quantity of dark mana) is strongly influenced by the one with the larger value, consciously or unconsciously.

It’s not for nothing that monsters are controlled by demon races, or that mages die for demon races.

It’s the same principle by which demon lords control demon races.

When the absolute value of dark mana becomes overwhelmingly high, lower-ranked beings show absolute obedience and feel infinite loyalty, admiration, and even love.

How these feelings are made to manifest determines the individual’s identity and personality.

‘What identity should I give this round?’

Zaku flinched and looked nervous.

Looking at him, I pondered.

As an experienced player, I can do whatever I want.

Meaning I can act out any personality I choose!

But just because I can do anything doesn’t mean a 230cm muscular giant should go “Uwung?” while twisting their body—that would be the wrong concept.

There’s a saying in the world: TPO.

T: Time.

P: Place.

O: Occasion.

It means to act according to the time, place, and situation.

TPO is important for concepts too.

A 133cm, 11-year-old girl.

First-year co-valedictorian.

The reason I’ve been using speech and actions appropriate for a child since possessing this cute little girl character.

It’s because I’ve been following this TPO.

The dark mana gimmick concept shouldn’t deviate from this either.

‘Cute would be good!’

Suddenly bulging with muscles and beating everyone with brute force or making everyone submit with tremendous charisma doesn’t fit the concept.

So I deliberately lowered my energy to show Zaku an opening, and as soon as he lunged, I corrected my seemingly careless stance and raised my sword.

“?!”

Realizing he had fallen for a strong opponent’s trick, Zaku tried to stop his attack following dark mana instinct, but I stepped forward faster than he could retreat.

“Hya!”

Instead of cutting Zaku with my sword, I struck upward at the sword he was holding, momentarily increasing my dark mana output.

With a clang, Zaku’s sword flew away like a baseball, spinning and embedding itself in the far side of the testing ground.

“You shouldn’t do bad things. I’ll punish you like this!”

As he backed away with his blackened eye whites showing his bewilderment, I pinned his foot to the ground with my sword to prevent him from escaping.

A brief moment of stiffness from the pain in his body.

Not missing that opportunity, I jumped up and landed gracefully on the sword handle with one foot.

Flutter.

My uniform skirt billowed up to my thighs like a flower before settling down.

When our eyes met, Zaku trembled in fear, unable to move.

Are you scared?

But it’s too late!

I raised one hand to his forehead.

“Like this!”

A flick strengthened by incredible muscle power and the enhancing effect of dark mana struck his forehead.

Bwak!

With an incredibly painful sound, Zaku’s body jerked backward.

Thud.

The strong impact that shook his brain made him unable to rise even with dark mana, and Zaku simply passed out.

“No, if you knock out someone handling dark mana, the energy will surge even more…!”

“Ah, that’s fine.”

I stuck my finger deep into the mouth of the collapsed Zaku.

<Bloody Maria’s Mana Training Method>

<Absorption – Maria’s Elegant Meal>

Zaku’s dark mana, drawn to the greater dark mana force, came out in streams.

With so much ominous black energy gathering at my fingertips, I wanted to store it in some other form, and fortunately, I spotted something suitable.

The candy pouch at my waist.

‘If I’m going to eat it anyway, it might as well look tasty!’

The dark mana swirled and condensed into a black bead.

“If you make it into a snack like this, it works!”

I put the dark mana bead into the candy pouch and tightened the string to close it.

The instructor’s eyes widened to twice their size.

“That pouch is…”

“It’s a candy pouch!”

“Ah, if dark mana is stored carelessly…”

“It’s fine! It’s MY candy pouch!”

I thought he would be grateful for preventing a disaster, but the fear in the instructor’s eyes only grew.

Seeing him swallow hard while looking at my candy pouch, I panicked and covered the pouch with both hands.

“I won’t eat it!”

“You just swallowed while looking at my pouch!”

“I didn’t swallow because I wanted to eat it!”