“Wish to escape?” I finally laughed. “Now you’re just messing with me. . . I should’ve known not to listen to the rambling of an old man.”

“Is that what you believe this is? Rambling?” He burst into a maniacal laugh. “Well. . . I guess even I would be wary of a stranger.” He continued to chuckle, making me strongly believe that at least one of us was insane. I let out a sigh and closed my eyes. “What if I told you that it was possible to break the so-called curse afflicting you?”

His words sent a chill down my spine. Sure, there was the possibility he knew about me before we even spoke, but there was no merit to lying about it. If he was in for a long con, then I’d just be playing a fool in his little play. Would I allow my pride to stand in my way, not wishing to risk seeming dumb? No. . . Even if it was all bogus, I had to play along. The benefits outweighed all possible risks.

“What do you know about my mana curse?” Without realizing it I deepened my voice making it sound commanding.

“Seems I’ve piqued your interest?” He stared into my eyes with a malignant smile. Honestly, if it meant escaping, I was willing to work with the Demon God himself. “Then let us address the issue that seemed unsolvable by whatever fools were having a look at your ‘condition’.”

That was the second time he emphasized a word, but it was hard to figure out why when I was so focused on how creepy he was.

“You’re calling a lot of powerful people fools,” I pointed out. Without knowing it, he insulted my father, a seventh-circle swordsman, the professors at the Grand Academy of Nuia, and even the high priest of the Solaris Holy Empire who visited me when I was ten. “Are you sure you can back it up?”

“Are you underestimating me because I mentioned that my powers got sealed away?” He dragged his nails across the stone floor. The look in his eyes told me he was getting excited. “Don’t you worry about me and simply focus on yourself. What’s important is that you manage to escape.”

“Why are you so keen on helping me?” I was bothered by his willingness so I had to ask. If there was something he wanted from me, I’d rather know what I was signing up for.

“The list is endless. . .” He chortled, showing off what yellow teeth he had left. “However, if you must know what interests me the most, it is the possibility of achieving the impossible. That, and the fact that your escape is likely to lead to me achieving my goal.”

“And what is that goal you speak of?”

“Alexander. . . I offer you my selfless help and you keep doubting me.” He had a proud smirk on his face while my instincts screamed not to trust him. It felt as if killing him was the smartest thing I could do, but something told me I wouldn’t win even though he claimed his powers were sealed. “Be at ease. I wish no harm to come to you. Without you, all of my planning would be pointless.”

Those were the first words I truly felt I could trust.

“Why did you ask about my family?” I formed a fist.

“I already told you, it was to learn more about you. How else am I supposed to understand your unique gift?” His facial expression softened. “To think a family would mean so much to you that you’d be willing to overcome your deeply trusted intuition and attempt to attack me if I had ill intent toward them. It’s so easy to find what motivates you. Hide it or it’ll become a weakness that will cost you dearly.”

“. . .” I stared at him, still dissatisfied with his answer.

“Your worries are pointless as the Kallis family you spoke of is of no interest to me.”

Hearing him say that made me sigh in relief. It was becoming easier to tell when he was being deceitful. Still, I couldn’t rely on that alone since he could’ve been fooling me from the start.

“Are you going to explain to me your goal or not?” I asked again, refusing to let him simply skip over questions he didn’t like.

“No.” He answered coldly letting me know that there wasn’t any point in pushing the subject further. “Now can we go back to your ‘mana curse’ you claim to have?”

No matter how I looked at it, he was in control. Foolishly saying that I’d refuse his help or threatening him by claiming I’d stay in Tartarus would’ve been idiotic. There was no way for me to dominate the conversation. The best thing I could do was simply reap the benefits, hoping it resulted in a successful escape.

“I’m listening. . .”

“The reason you’re suffering from the so-called ‘mana curse’ is because your gift is sealed away by powerful magic that blocked your mana core around your heart. You could even go as far as to say that your link has been broken.”

“Gift? Mana core? I possess no such things,” I explained foolishly.

“Yes, anyone who’d look at you would believe that to be the case. It is because the reality of your situation is so unbelievable that it made it impossible to even consider.”

“Then how did you figure it out?” I was a bit reluctant to trust him, but he seemed truthful.

“Look at your bandaged arm. Unwrap it and tell me what you see?”

Over the past two weeks, I had been visited by a healer who took care of my arm, fixing up the scarred tissue. I was told not to take off the bandages, but it had been a few days since I was last visited. Biting at the cloth, it tore easily. To my surprise, there wasn’t a single scar.

“It’s fully healed. . .” I said, lowering my voice.

“Indeed. . . It has been for a while now.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Tell me, how did you get those burns?”

The scene of Penelope passing on her spell to me resurfaced, making me avert my gaze for a second.

“It was a parting gift, a fire spell that allowed me to take out some of the people who captured me.”

I didn’t notice at the time that we were surprisingly loud the entire time, yet nobody came to silence us. It felt as if we were alone in the dungeon.

“Exactly my point,” he chuckled. “If it were a mana curse, your body would’ve rejected it completely. While harm could still come to you, allowing you to cast a spell or using healing magic on you would be impossible, even if it was done using a powerful gift. That’s what a mana curse would look like. However, what you have is nothing less than a master-class seal placed upon you to prevent your gift from awakening properly.”

“And what is my gift?”

“You were born with a mana core.” He burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“Are you saying that someone sealed away my gift which was a mana core awakening at birth, making it impossible for me to gather mana to create one because it already existed?”

“You’ve caught on. Not only can you not make a mana core since one already exists, but you can’t use it either because your link was severed. That’s why it appeared as if you were under the effect of a mana curse. Your core is filled to the brim, repelling any new mana from entering.”

“Does that mean that if we manage to break the seal, I’d be able to use mana?”

“Indeed. . .” He grinned.

“And can you break it?”

“No. . .” He sighed for the first time. “Whatever placed that seal on you was powerful enough to make it so that forcefully removing it would result in both our deaths.”

“Who would place such a seal?”

“Who knows. . . That’s for you to find out.”

“So what then? If you can’t remove the seal, then we’re back to square one.”

“Now, now. . . I thought you learned by now to trust me. Why would I tell you all this had I not been prepared?”

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He made a good point.

“Does that mean that there is something I could do?”

“You’re the only one who can, but there are two ways of going about it. The easy way or the impossible way. . .”

For a second his eyes seemed as if they were staring directly at my soul. It was obvious which method he preferred.

“Alright, tell me about the impossible way.”

“Ha! I knew I could count on you. . . You truly are a fine young man.” He praised me which felt unsettling, but at least he called me a man that time instead of a boy. “For you to reconnect with your core, you need to drain the mana within and let it circulate again. It’ll reawaken on its own after a while.”

“We don’t have a while. . .” I pointed out, assuming he knew about the auctions.

“Patience. . . I never said that unsealing your core was going to be our way out.” It was the first time he mentioned escaping as well.

“Sorry. . . I’m listening,” I let out a sigh, finding myself impatient as the conversation dragged on for a while now.

“How much do you know about mana cores?”

Was he going to give me a lecture? I was at loss for words, but there was no reason not to answer.

“All I know is that a mana core is essentially a spectral manifestation that serves as a sphere-shaped container formed around one’s heart. It holds one’s mana that they later use to cast spells. The quantity however depended on the core’s strength which increased by strengthening, a form of cultivation. It starts as a first circle core and gradually grows, potentially reaching beyond even the fifth circle you claimed to have.”

“Good. It seems you know the basics. However, there’s much more to it.” He paused thinking I’d interrupt him but was glad to learn I was intently listening to everything he had to say. “There are many different types of cores as well as two locations in which they can form. That is why when manifesting a core one must choose carefully. It is because there can only be one mana core manifested at a time. So, how does one choose? Well. . . The one around the heart allowed powerful spells to be cast and is often used even by swordsmen if we’re talking about the continent of Nuia. However, the second location for a mana core is the lower dantian. It is in the area a few fingers below your navel. When magic wasn’t as advanced, forming a mana core in your lower dantian was a common practice for martial artists wishing to learn how to utilize what they refer to as Qi. Don’t be fooled though, Qi and mana are two sides of the same coin. ”

“So, what’s the difference?”

“A perfect question. You’re by far my favorite student,” he chuckled. “Well, you’re my only student, but don’t let that discourage you. . .” It felt weird listening to him refer to himself as my teacher, but I guess he was in a way. “The answer is quite simple. Mana cores located in the lower dantian allowed mana to easily pass through one’s body, passively enhancing it. That alone was enough to improve their speed, strength, and even endurance which they obsessed over. However, compared to the one around the heart, it was inferior in every way. It took longer to master and while you could cast spells using it, the capacity of the dantian core was significantly smaller making it impossible to achieve greater heights. The physical enhancement that the lower dantian core granted was also not unique as the upper mana core showed similar improvements but to a lesser extent. To offset the downside of not being able to access high-tier magic, martial artists worked excruciatingly hard on developing what is now known as mana techniques, just another fancy name for a spell that had a different set of requirements. They were less mana intensive but required substantially more time to learn and had a higher physical demand on the body.”

“Are you saying that a mage with a standard mana core would be able to perform these techniques as well?”

“Indeed, but it would be a waste of effort since it would require one to train their body to a point where it would stagnate their growth as a caster.”

“Does that mean that martial artists would forgo learning spells?”

“Some do, some don’t. . . It comes down to preference, but their magic never exceeds a certain level.”

“If I may ask, what’s the importance of knowing all this? I already have a mana core around my heart.”

“Because the rule is that one can never form two mana cores unless we’re talking about you. . .”

“Is it because of my gift?” I asked, somewhat expecting he was going to say something like that.

“Partially,” he chuckled, shaking his head while looking up. “Whoever sealed away your core stole your chance of potentially becoming the youngest mage to ever reach the ninth circle. However, instead of looking at this as a curse to be loathed, let us use it as a unique opportunity to give birth to something unprecedented.”

“But I thought you said it was impossible. . . Is it because mine is sealed away?”

“That’s right. . .”

“But wouldn’t it be possible for anyone to awaken a second mana core if they sealed their first one beforehand?”

“A logical conclusion, but you’re ignoring one key detail. . .”

“My gift. . .” I mumbled, guessing he was alluding to it.

“Correct!” He burst into another maniacal laughter, taking him a bit before finally settling down. “The reason behind your unique situation is your gift that manifested the core. When it was sealed away, your link was completely severed. It is impossible to recreate such an effect directly on the mana core itself because when sealed it would simply block the user’s ability to draw mana from it, never actually stopping its circulation. Your core is full of waste that needs to be replaced with fresh mana. My guess is that you were quite the sickly child.”

He was correct. After the age of three, I often had unexplainable fevers which were believed to be caused by the curse. When I grew older, my body got stronger and could handle the stress.

“Nothing I couldn’t overcome. . .”

“So it would seem. . .”

“Still, why is it impossible to form two mana cores?”

“I was waiting for you to ask that which brings me to our next topic. Let us discuss what type of core you must form.”

“Type of core?”

“I’ll keep it simple. You should know that there are two types of cores that can be formed which can later be improved upon. There is the standard core that nearly everyone has, and there is the frozen mana core which only fools would create.”

“Let me guess. . . I’m going to be one of those fools.”

“It is your only option,” he laughed.

“Great. . .”

“Let me explain. . . Standard mana core takes a long time to develop and isn’t something we could rush even if we wanted to. A frozen mana core is on the other hand a very rare type that comes into existence utilizing reverse logic. The reason why frozen mana cores are avoided is that they fundamentally harm the owner, inflicting them with a constant imitation of the phenomenon called mana freezing. When a standard mana core ‘cracks’, usually due to strengthening when it’s empty on mana or excessively casting spells to the brink of exhaustion, mana begins to leak. When that happens, a caster is slowly drained continuously until the crack is repaired either on its own or using a different method. The longer the crack exists, the more likely it is to lead to death or the core completely shattering. Once shattered, one loses the ability to use magic ever again. Mana freezing is a term used to describe the feeling that the leaking mana causes. It’s excruciatingly painful, almost as if your soul was being frozen.”

“And I’d be feeling that pain constantly?”

“Yes and no. . .” he said, making me sigh.

“Just give me a straight answer. . . It’s getting annoying.”

I was slowly becoming impatient.

“Don’t worry, you’ll understand why that is one day. . . As for the pain, it would be to a far lesser degree since a frozen mana core is immune to mana freezing as it is fundamentally cracked and made directly from the phenomenon. However, that doesn’t mean it would be enjoyable. You’ll feel your vitality temporarily leave you each time you strengthen it. It’s a quick and easy way to achieve power without as much hard work in exchange for pain. Rare are those who wish to commit to such a lifestyle.”

“So I’m in for a lifetime of suffering. . .”

“Not quite. Your case is once again unique. Once you form a frozen core, eventually it’ll help you reconnect with your standard by drawing the mana out in a desperate attempt of repairing itself. Once the seal is broken, the heat provided by the solid mana core would offset the cold, making you perfectly balanced.”

“I see. . . That’s a relief, but that doesn’t explain why others can’t do it.”

“Because in order to form a solid mana core you need to draw in mana. The frozen mana core would be pulling it away, making it impossible to form a new core. Similar could be said in reverse. To form a frozen mana core, you must be void of all mana. . .”

“Which would mean that you’d suffer from mana freezing, causing your solid core to shatter before you could form a frozen one. . .” I cut him off, predicting the outcome.

“Now you’re starting to get it. Even if forming a frozen core is quick, to be completely void of all mana while trying to force it together would put such pressure on the original that it would shatter it. Many have tried in the past.”

“So why not make two solid mana cores?”

“When you draw mana to your body, the energy that circulates produces heat as mentioned. If two such cores existed, you’d be burned to death.”

“And two frozen cores would lead to your death due to excessive mana freezing?”

“That’s right.”

“So what if you’re highly resilient to cold or fire? Would it be possible then?”

“Not for a mortal. Even a fire spirit would struggle to keep such heat in check.”

“Does that mean that other beings might?”

“Find that out for yourself once you manage to escape. . .” he sighed. “We’re talking about you right now.”

He was right. For some reason, my interest in the logic behind it got the better of me.

“Yeah. . . It seems my only option is to form the frozen mana core.” He made too much sense for me not to believe him, but I was still wary. There were so many questions floating around my head in regards to who he was. “You mentioned that creating a core in the lower dantanin-”

“Dantian,“ he corrected me.

“Right. . . Lower dantian. You mentioned it would enhance my body. Would it make me strong enough to fight people like the Reaper? They referred to him as an elite.”

“Hell no!” he burst into another maniacal laughter. “The criminal organization that captured you goes by the name of Shadow Syndicate. They deal with all sorts of morally questionable work as you might’ve guessed, and the elites whom they refer to as Reapers are veterans with powerful cores. You’d be lucky to survive after months of training.”

“Then how am I supposed to escape?”

“You’ll find a way once an opening presents itself. Either that or you’ll die a dog’s death. So. . . Are you ready to fight for your freedom?”

I looked him in the eyes one last time before making my decision. Regardless of how much I hated the idea of trusting such a shady figure, the thought of seeing my family again motivated me to accept.

“Fine, I accept your proposal.” I sighed.

“You make it seem like you’re doing me a favor. . .”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t have your reasons.”

“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be thankful.”

“Once we escape, I’ll thank you properly.”

“Well, at least you’re determined,” he laughed, standing back up. He cracked his fingers and stretched his arms back, making it sound like all his bones were breaking. Considering how he sat there for two weeks, I was surprised he could even move. “Shall we begin?”

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.

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