*BEEP!* *BEEP!* *BEEP!*
Lucien’s alarm rang at 10 am, aligning perfectly with when he had finished dressing up, as he had just pulled up one of the trousers he found in the wardrobe and applied a perfume he found in one of the top drawers of the room.
He opened his door and rushed downstairs, hoping none of the friends of the original room owner would see him. In the main hall, no one but the Division Captain and about 10 other soldiers stood patiently.
The Division Captain stood firmly, his legs stretched apart as he stared at the watch on his wrist. "Ugh... 5 minutes have already gone," the captain muttered as the minute hand on his watch landed on 5.)
Fortunately, the remaining 90+ soldiers eventually made their way to the main hall after preparing their separate breakfast—something Lucien was unaware of.
"As soldiers, time management must be your top priority!" The Division Captain explained. "Let’s head out now. Today’s mission is important and requires swift action."
The Division Captain stepped down from the platform and led the soldiers to an open field.
"Where’s Sir Vaelion taking us to?" People murmured for a while, watching their Captain, Vaelion, stare back at them. He said a few words that sounded foreign to Lucien.
After a string of gibberish sounds that Lucien interpreted as magic, a sword forged itself from the air around Vaelion and rested its hilt safely in his palm.
Vaelion gripped the sword tightly, sinking its blade deep into the wet ground. He closed his eyes and looked down, as though trying to concentrate. He squeezed his eyes shut; his eyebrows tightened before he eventually opened his eyes and faced the multitude of soldiers.
"196 cursed individuals. Let’s try it out!" The soldiers fell silent, staring back at Vaelion as if he expected them to perform a complex above their comprehension. Vaelion quickly read the atmosphere and replied with a sigh of disappointment.
"I explained this before: Based on my observations, those curses work by disturbing the natural flow of Mana in a person’s body, leading to physical alterations or death depending on their severity," he explained.
Lucien’s muscles immediately tightened as he stared deep into the eyes of the captain, his gaze locked as his eyes trembled in fear.
"That’s right, so if we find a way to restore a person’s original Mana flow, the curse should be lifted," he concluded.
After hearing this, Lucien slowly sank himself deeper into the crowd, away from Vaelion in an attempt to conceal his presence from him.
’He was able to send 196 cursed individuals from who knows how far. Who knows if he felt the disturbance within me,’ Lucien thought. ’This curse is always trying to protect me, though. Maybe I’m safe,’ he concluded, hoping to experience the best possible future.
The soldiers spread out individually in search of the cursed individuals with only one thought in their minds: infuse the victims with enough Mana to cancel out the curse. Vaelion had done it successfully on multiple occasions and was the co-founder of the technique as a result of his keen observational skills.
Lucien quickly disappeared into the distance, the words of the demon dwelling in him still echoing with each thought he conceived. "I’m not a normal human? But at the very least, I should have natural Mana."
He stopped walking and closed his eyes. The world around him was brimming with life and Mana: the wind, the trees, the sun’s warmth, and the grass he walked on.
His ears tingled in response to the odd sensation emanating from the rustling leaves of trees. The wind felt pure, as though he was experiencing heaven on earth. The grass beneath and around his feet swayed in the direction of the wind while his presence dictated the flow of wind.
It was then that he felt it. A clean, pure energy that surrounded him.
He visualized it as a white, slightly blue aura thin enough to be easily missed but fundamental enough to be felt.
"Ok, so next is to find the disturbance in this Mana as Vaelion said," he stated, trying to extend his perception beyond the area surrounding him.
"Aah! This is too hard. How can I possibly feel the natural Mana of people that aren’t right in front of me?" He said in frustration, lifting his hair and scratching his scalp as a habit.
[Don’t try to learn the normal way!] The thoughts of the demonic force’s words resurfaced, sending chills through Lucien by its mere conception.
"Wr— should I even do it here?" Lucien looked around him and saw nothing except the vast expanse of the greenland. "It’s a shame you all might have to either way," he sighed and approached the grass, touching it with his bare hands.
He’d grown attached to vegetation since it was his primary source of food in both his lives, and he always felt bitter seeing them get wasted. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists in preparation before calling its name.
"Wrath!" He called out in a fairly high volume. He felt nothing for a few seconds as expected, and suddenly, the visible crimson-red aura began pouring out of his body.
Lucien scrutinized his entire body and eventually the grass beneath him. They had begun withering away in a circular pattern around him.
Lucien closed his eyes once more, trying to focus on any Mana similar to what the demon within him was expelling. He felt the aura around him gradually expanding.
In a burst, his demonic aura shot out in every direction, encapsulating the entire piece of land in sight. The grasses and trees died off instantly, but vague locations of cursed individuals formed in his mind.
They had a similar energy seeping through their skin, but theirs was significantly weaker than what Lucien had.
*****
[Good boy. Learn from my words.] The demon’s voice slipped into reality.
Lucien was immediately drawn back into the dark abyss. ’Not again. Do I have to deal with this each time I use this power?’ Lucien thought to himself as he floated helplessly.
Lucien stared at his legs and saw the black color that painted his feet and lower leg slowly spreading upward.
[Do not let fear get a hold of you. You’re doing just great] the demon’s deep voice said, followed by a short, controlled giggle that ended with Lucien’s return to reality.