Ch.218218 – Maximum Karma

<218 – Maximum Karma>

“All clear.”

“Are you certain? Bomb Moss Tincture can remain dormant for up to three days after consumption before exploding in the intestines.”

The healer who had examined her with magic scanning to check for bleeding, tumors in the stomach and intestines, or serious problems from internal moss growth, confirmed once more.

“I’m not sure if ‘clear’ is the right word, but something like Bomb Moss couldn’t harm this child’s stomach.”

“Is there a problem?”

“A problem indeed. Her organs have been exposed to dark mana for an extended period, forming the dark mana adaptation organ typical of Ma-kin. She could probably eat poisonous plants from the demon realm without issue.”

“…I see.”

“Since Destroyer is a former hero, I believe you understand the details.”

“I do. No need for further explanation. I’ll explain it to the child myself.”

Having finished her examination, Oknodie sat properly, sucking on a candy she had pulled from her pocket.

Bad news had come from the test results conducted before using the clinic’s transfer magic circle, checking for poison or factors that might worsen her health after transfer.

Destroyer couldn’t shake his heavy expression, like someone who had just heard of a friend’s death.

“Oknodie.”

“Yes?”

“This is serious. Listen carefully.”

Oknodie’s eyes trembled widely.

“Do I have an upset stomach? Can’t I eat for a while?”

“That’s not it.”

“Phew. That’s a relief. Or is it? I could have collected porridge while being sick.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Something far more terrible than such ordinary ailments has happened to your body.”

Professor Destroyer spoke harshly, unconsciously becoming agitated at the child who had no understanding of the gravity of the situation. He immediately regretted his behavior.

It’s not me who will suffer the most, but this child. I wasn’t mature enough.

“I’m sorry. I won’t get angry, so please listen seriously.”

“Am I sick somewhere…?”

“I was planning to talk about the demon realm in the second semester anyway. Though this has become an unplanned supplementary lecture, it’s relevant to you, so listen carefully.”

Ugh.

Oknodie was visibly dismayed, as if she’d been told the world was about to end, at having to sit through an unscheduled lecture before the transfer magic circle.

“Materials from the demon realm are infused with dark mana to suit the beings called Ma-族 or demon-族. This includes potential food ingredients as well.”

“Ew. I don’t like that place. Too many ingredients taste bad.”

“…So the abnormal dark mana in you is also influenced by attribute training from consuming large amounts of dark mana-infused substances since childhood.”

“…!”

“Am I right?”

“Y-yes. The Foundation gave me a lot.”

Those bastards at the Foundation.

I should have killed them myself, not just Oknodie.

Suppressing his anger, Destroyer continued.

“Anyway, consuming plants from the demon realm leaves small amounts of dark mana in the body. Some dark mana is expelled through excretion, but the more dark mana in the food you consume, the longer it takes to digest, and the longer your body is exposed to dark mana.”

“Oh. So that’s the setting.”

“Setting? What a strange expression. It’s not a setting, it’s a principle.”

“Ah, yes.”

“A body exposed to dark mana for extended periods undergoes mutation to protect itself from going berserk. It develops a way to safely accommodate dark mana and reduce bodily strain. We call this the dark mana adaptation organ.”

“Does eating that increase mana?”

“Don’t eat it. It’s already inside your stomach. Consuming dark mana isn’t good for your health.”

Oknodie still showed no signs of understanding the seriousness of the situation.

“Isn’t that better then? If I’ve adapted to dark mana, my body won’t get hurt.”

“What is the nature of dark mana?”

“Enhancement, berserk, destruction!”

“Exactly. Unlike normal mana, a body adapted to such unstable energy conversely cannot adapt to a normal state.”

“?”

“And that normality includes ‘healing magic’ that restores the body’s condition.”

“!”

Dark mana is a harmful substance.

Those exposed to it can never return to their lives before exposure.

“Not only can you not receive healing magic, but it will cause you pain if you do.”

“Ah. You mean the spike in synchronization rate? I already knew about that, but it’s fine. I learned the <Numbness> technique to temporarily cut off sensation!”

Cutting off sensation.

Such a thing isn’t easily done just because you want to.

Even knowing the theory, to cut off sensation, you must pierce or bind muscles and blood vessels to temporarily paralyze the nerves.

It’s not something achieved in one or two attempts.

It certainly isn’t accomplished with minor pain.

People train more desperately and urgently to avoid pain when that pain is greater.

But they mustn’t break mentally or despair.

They must not give up.

But the pain must be sufficiently agonizing.

One must repeatedly endure expertly designed levels of pain until mastering <Pain Blocking>.

Even among assassins, some senior assassins have died from shock or abandoned training and promotion because the training difficulty is so extreme.

Yet Oknodie had already mastered this skill at age 11.

At what age did she actually start training?

How long was she exposed to pain?

It’s frightening to discover the details.

‘I’ve decided.’

From now on, I’ll destroy every Foundation branch I find.

“That’s good. But the side effects don’t end there. Clerics from religious orders are trained to detect dark mana to distinguish between ordinary people and Ma-kin who have devoted themselves to Ma. If detected, you could be mistaken for a Ma-kin and treated as a traitor to humanity.”

“You mean the <Detect Evil Power> ability?”

“Yes. If you have an official hero certificate or mercenary records from the demon realm, you might avoid being dragged before inquisitors. But the time wasted in investigations and the damage to your reputation is considerable. Not to mention the lingering suspicion.”

Could they really be a Ma-kin?

Have they actually fallen to Ma?

What if a traitor is trying to deceive us?

What if they forged their identity?

Wouldn’t it be better to just kill them?

This is the general public’s typical reaction.

This is the future awaiting those detected with dark mana.

“Society is suspicious of those with dark mana. Those with weak social status might even lose their lives. So you too must learn the energy blocking technique to conceal your dark mana adaptation organ, just like past hero party companions.”

“I have a question!”

“…Don’t worry. I’ve walked the same path. I won’t judge you as an evil being or discriminate against you.”

“That’s not it. Is the reason hero parties always include holy classes like priests, clerics, or saints because they need someone to verify they’re socially safe people despite the dark mana?”

She’s hit quite a realistic point.

As always, she has good intuition.

“Correct. There are political reasons too. The monotheistic <Sophemia of the Sun> who selects heroes is recognized for her authority through her mighty power, but heroes chosen by the 12 good gods and 12 evil gods are essentially called god’s apprentice apostles and are in a different position from heroes.”

“Inferior knockoffs!”

“…The Foundation taught you well. To avoid being called knockoffs, the 24 gods take on roles of detecting or purifying dark mana in hero parties, praying they don’t fall into evil corruption, and certifying they aren’t harmful individuals.”

By guaranteeing the safety of the hero’s companions, their authority can rise to equal or exceed that of the hero party.

This is why archers or swordsmen might act rudely to heroes, but must be cautious and show the utmost respect to holy class companions who could label the hero’s party as heretics unable to overcome dark mana.

“But your hero party didn’t have a single priest!”

“That’s right. Nyarlathotep exposed the evil plots of other religious orders, diminishing the authority of gods and churches. As Sophemia’s hero, who already drew criticism from other gods for claiming to be the one true god, He earned even more hatred than previous heroes.”

Destroyer, despite being a hero party member, couldn’t travel with an authoritative priest from a religious order who could acknowledge their social status and stability.

Naturally, he personally experienced all the ailments and concerns he mentioned.

“So remember and learn well the technique I’m about to teach you.”

If you don’t want to experience the numerous unjust treatments that heroes who developed acquired dark mana adaptation organs from extended demon realm expeditions faced.

Though Destroyer had seriously decided to pass down secret techniques to his disciple, the tension had already left Oknodie’s face.

“Ah, I’m fine with that too. I already studied ahead.”

“…What? Studied ahead?”

“Before at the Academy, when Saint Yufi who travels with the hero cast the detect evil power spell on me, she couldn’t find anything!”

How did she learn that too?

If <Pain Blocking> is the first-stage technique that those exposed to dark mana should learn, <Dark Blocking> is a much more difficult second-stage technique!

It’s a technique to thoroughly hide dark mana in the body and remain composed while enduring the reaction of holy energy trying to detect the dark mana-tainted body.

Naturally, extreme pain follows until one learns it well enough for practical use.

The higher the level of the scanning priest, the longer the detection time, and the longer one must hold their breath and suppress their energy, increasing the suffering.

Moreover, Oknodie’s dark mana content is abnormally high—it’s surprising she hasn’t gone berserk or become an evil Ma-kin already.

If hiding a cup of water is harder than hiding a bucket, hiding a vast ocean is impossible.

Yet Oknodie made that impossible possible.

She must have worked to the point of nearly dying.

‘I’ve been too merciful.’

Just destroying Foundation branches when I find them isn’t enough.

I will hunt them down and destroy them.

Destroyer’s hatred for the Foundation reached its maximum.

‘There was a negotiation request from House Ceviche.’

He made his decision.

‘No more negotiations.’

Foundation destruction.

He’ll start by destroying the Foundation’s collaborator, House Ceviche.

He designates them as the Wiheomhae Foundation’s largest branch in the Kingdom of Florence.

And he will annihilate them.

All the wealth and power House Ceviche has accumulated.

“That’s fortunate then. No need to worry. Let’s return to the Academy now.”

“But wait!”

“Do you have another question?”

“Can’t you spare the Clown Mask Group instead of killing them?”

“…I never said I would kill them.”

“But you’re going to kill them anyway!”

Just when I thought it was all over.

This intuitive child keeps making me uneasy.

“Why? Why do you want to save a Foundation subgroup?”

“Because I need them?”

“You know they’re the culprits who create children like you, and you still say that!”

Oknodie tilted her head like a wagtail.

“What kind of child am I supposed to be?”