"...Mandatory? Why?" Mike asked.
The orb floated beside him as they walked further into the city.
[ The suits prevent the humans here from dying. ]
Mike frowned."From what, exactly?"
[ From the curse. ]
It continued drifting forward, guiding him along a wide metallic pathway.
[ The curse did not only remove Mana from humans. It damaged their internal mana structure. Without stabilization, their bodies become unstable. ]
"Unstable how?" Mike asked.
The orb paused.
[ In mild cases, they lose control of their emotions and become violent. ][ In severe cases... their bodies break apart and turn into black crystal. ]
Mike stared at a family walking past—two adults and a child, all in the glowing suits.
"...And they explode into crystal if they aren’t wearing those things?"
[ Correct. ]
"Wow," Mike muttered. "So instead of a magical plague, it’s more like a... mana bomb inside people."
[ That is an accurate description. ][ The suits keep their internal Mana from collapsing. Without them, this city would not exist. ]
They continued walking.
Mike noticed the people giving him curious looks. Some pointed. Others whispered. A few even stared at his hands—maybe checking if he was glowing or mutating or something.
"...They know I’m not wearing a suit," Mike whispered. "Isn’t that dangerous?"
[ For them, yes. For you, no. ][ Their Mana is corrupted. Yours is not. It has been a long time since anyone like you appeared. ]
"Great. So I’m basically a walking miracle."
[ That is why the Administration wants to meet you immediately. ]
Mike rubbed his face.
"Yeah, that sounds like trouble."
[ The Administration will explain more. This way. ]
The orb guided him toward a massive building in the center of the city—the only one shaped like a dome, humming with energy.
Mike swallowed.
"...Yep. Definitely trouble."
As Mike approached the giant dome, the doors slid open on their own. A cool wave of air rushed out, carrying a faint metallic smell.
Inside, the building looked even more advanced. Floating screens displayed maps, numbers, and strange diagrams. Robots and humans in suits worked at terminals, typing quickly or scanning data.
Mike couldn’t help whispering,
"...This looks like a sci-fi control room."
The orb continued forward.
[ The Administration Chamber is ahead. Please remain calm. ]
"Yeah, sure. Totally calm," Mike said, even though his heartbeat was going a bit too fast.
After a short walk, they reached a circular room with a raised platform in the middle. Several tall pods surrounded it. The pods opened with soft hisses, revealing figures wearing more advanced suits—sleek black with golden lines.
These weren’t normal citizens.
These looked like leaders.
One stepped forward. His helmet folded back, revealing a tired-looking man with silver hair and sharp eyes.
"Welcome, mana-awakened human," the man said. His voice was calm but heavy. "We have been waiting for someone like you for a very long time."
Mike raised a hand nervously.
"Uh... hi. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything."
"You did not," the man replied. "You may call me Director Solen. I oversee the welfare of this city."
Mike nodded slowly.
"Okay, Director. So, what exactly do you want from me?"
Solen looked at him with a serious expression.
"We want you to help us cure the curse before our suits fail... and the last human city in Consyal-4 collapses."
Mike blinked.
"...That’s a pretty big problem."
"It is. And you are the only one capable of helping."
Mike sighed deeply.
"Of course I am... Why wouldn’t I be?"
Solen gestured toward a hologram that appeared in the air. It showed a human body surrounded by broken mana channels.
"This is what the curse does to us. But your body still contains stable mana. We need to study how it works."
Mike stepped back.
"Study? Wait—how much studying are we talking about? No dissecting, right?"
Solen shook his head.
"No harm will come to you. We only need your cooperation and your mana."
"...Just my mana?"
"Yes."
Mike let out a breath.
"...Okay. That sounds less horrifying."
The orb floated next to him.
[ Your assistance could save hundreds of thousands of lives. ]
Mike rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Alright. I’ll help. But if someone brings out a giant needle, I’m leaving."
Several suited scientists exchanged glances.
Mike swallowed again.
"...Yeah. That didn’t make me feel better."
"Relax," one of the scientists said. "We need your mana, and there’s no way to extract it unless you willingly release it."
She stepped forward, holding a pure white, crystal-like orb in both hands. Thin lines of circuitry ran through it, glowing faintly.
"We would like you to fill this orb with your mana," she explained. "If we can record what uncursed, stable mana looks like and compare it to our corrupted mana, we might be able to find a cure."
Mike stared at the orb for a moment.
"That’s it? Just... put my mana in the glowing marble?"
"Yes," the scientist said. "Nothing more."
Mike slowly reached out and touched the orb. It felt cool—almost too smooth, like touching polished glass. He took a breath and let some of his mana flow outward.
The orb reacted instantly.
Fwoom—
A gentle white light spread across its surface, swirling like mist trapped inside. The circuits lit up brighter, humming softly as if drinking in the energy.
The scientist’s eyes widened behind her visor.
"Incredible... It’s pure. Zero corruption. Perfect structure."
Another scientist leaned closer, practically shaking with excitement.
"Look at the stability rate! We’ve never seen readings like this in centuries!"
Mike pulled his hand back.
"Okay, okay—don’t get too excited. It’s just mana."
"To you, maybe," the first scientist said. "To us, this is hope."
The orb floated upward, held by a small drone, and was carried toward a large machine at the back of the room.
Solen stepped beside Mike.
"This is the first time in generations that we’ve had a sample of real, living mana. If this works, we may finally be able to reverse the curse."
Mike rubbed his arm.
"Well... I’m glad it helped."
But before he could relax, alarms suddenly blared.
BEEP—BEEP—BEEP—BEEP—
Red lights flashed across the room.
Mike froze.
"Uh... Is that supposed to happen?"