Chapter 23: Vol.1 Part 23: Mana Backlash

With a loud groan, Luna opened her eyes. It was quiet, and the cold morning air touched her skin. Despite the magic, it was still a tent, not a house with a stove, so the cold air could freely enter their shelter. She managed to turn her head with great difficulty. Her whole body groaned as if it were covered with thousands of cuts. She had been fortunate yesterday or at least assumed it was yesterday. She hadn't the faintest idea how long she had been asleep. The lights danced through the panes and illuminated the bed on which Jannet slept peacefully. The scene could almost have come from a movie. It was that peaceful.

She had to squint as her muscles began to burn like fire. She had saturated her muscles with so much mana that a backlash was inevitable. Well, maybe she overdid it anyway. Her body had worked in overdrive during the escape; her muscles were about to tear under the mana pressure, and now she was feeling the full side effects of it all at once.

The experiences she had in the forest were shocking to her too. The beholder wasn't just a monster; it was a beast, even among monsters. It was quite a bit larger than the rest of its species. She had no idea if the species had mutated significantly in the last few centuries, but a Beholder of such magnitude seemed unthinkable.

Her poor coat had to take the full impact. It was a good coat of the best quality. She regretted using it as a shield against the light, but that decision probably saved her life in the end. Now it only remains to be seen if Athylia can withstand an attack from such a behemoth.

Eventually, her physical needs overcame her need for rest. With enormous pain, she straightened her body and sat on the edge of the bed. Her feet dangled lifelessly off the edge. A glance at the bathroom told her how difficult this short journey would be in her current state.

Another moan of pain escaped her lips as she tried to sit up completely. It wasn't possible; her muscles wouldn't do it.

Somehow that must have roused Jannet from her sleep. Like an eagle, she opened her eyes, looked in Luna's direction, jumped out of bed, and rushed to her. Before Luna could say anything, Jannet leaped at her, arms outstretched and cat eyes wide. She only felt Jannet hug her before she was thrown back onto the bed in pain.

"Ahhhhh," was the only thing that escaped her lips as she was pushed into the mattress under Jannet's weight. Jannet lay on top of her but quickly rolled over when she realized something was wrong with Luna.

"Is something wrong, Luna?" a concerned voice asked. Luna opened her eyes with a pained face. Janne had already sat up and looked down at her with a worried face.

"Could you please treat me like porcelain? My body is going through a tremendous backlash caused by an overdose of mana in my muscles." Luna said, in excruciating pain. The collision had felt like an explosion of nerves for her. "I will probably walk around like an old person all day."

She saw Jannet's eyes widen and her mouth open and close like a fish trying to breathe.

"But most importantly, could you help me up to go to the bathroom? I can't get up on my own." She admitted. At the moment, she was nothing more than a wreck. Every single step felt wrong. Luna knew it was normal, but her bones felt rotten, her muscles felt like they were tearing, and her entire body felt like it was being remotely controlled.

She had to admit that without Jannet, she wouldn't have walked six feet on her feet. Jannet had to care for her like an elderly person, even in the bathroom. It took a whole 10 minutes until she was finally back in bed.

She had never looked forward to the fluffy feel of the blanket and pillow so much. She was finally able to breathe out and relax while snuggled up in one of her beds.

In the meantime, Jannet had gotten a chair and sat down at the sick person's bedside like a family member.

"Jannet, is your goal still to return to Earth, and if so, do you think you would be ready for whatever we need to do?" Luna knew how difficult it would be to cross the dimension they were in and get back to Earth. She wanted to give Jannet time to get used to the new circumstances.

In the next few days, they would go to Athylia. She was certain that Kanah did not want to remain at the wall during the impending invasion. Jannet would probably be safest there, assuming they could fend off the attack at all. She wasn't sure yet if it was smart to enter the city that was about to be invaded, but they had no choice now. Kanah would probably take them with her, whether they wanted or not.

Luna first wanted to convince herself of Athylia's power. If the walls were as mighty and impenetrable as Kanah had described them to be, then she would consider helping Athylia defend them. If the city gates were nothing out of the ordinary, she would flee with Jannet. Her decision to stay would also depend heavily on Jannet's resolve. It would be pointless to interfere in the actions of this reality if Jannet is unwilling to adapt to this world's values. On their mission, they would trek through challenging terrain, encounter monsters, and fight for survival. If Jannet isn't ready for that, then they don't even need to try.

Luna tilted her head to the right and waited. She waited for an answer that might determine Jannet's fate. She didn't expect Jannet to become a trained professional overnight with no problem taking someone's life. She was waiting for an answer as to whether she was ready and could work towards her goal.

It stayed calm. Jannet had a complicated expression on her face. She wasn't sure if she was ready for such an adventure. Luna decided that Jannet might need more time. But did they have the time? She preferred that Jannet be ready for what was about to unfold. The infection will almost certainly hit Athylia. Whether Jannet wants it or not

"I don't know," she ground out sheepishly. Jannet had seen the dangers lurking in the world. It was scary, especially when you come from an environment where there are no struggles for survival.

"Are you unsure because you're scared of what might stand in your way or because you don't want to kill if the time arrives?" Luna asked. She knew that with the right motivation, you could achieve almost anything. Why shouldn't adjusting to a life where you are constantly in danger be impossible?

"Both probably," she replied after a moment's hesitation. Luna raised one of her eyebrows. 'Is she ashamed of that?' she wondered in her mind.

"There's no shame in having that attitude," said Luna before she continued. "It's just a product of the environment you grew up in. Humans are incredibly adaptable; why shouldn't you be able to adapt to the new life in this world as well?" Something in that sentence seemed to cheer her up because moments later, she lifted her head and nodded. "I will do my best."

"It doesn't have to be right away, but you should never give up hope; that's the only way you'll come back to your world," Luna stated calmly and with a warm smile. She would have liked to ruffle Jannet's hair, but her arms felt like they were about to fall off when she tried.

At least it was a step in the right direction. Jannet could decide at any time whether she wanted to continue down this dangerous path. For now, they would have to find a way to jump between dimensions. Who knows where they would land first?

A creature would appear in her mind that would possess the knowledge, but Luna would rather not consult that creature. She wouldn't tell Jannet about its existence either. It is preferable not to be aware of its existence.

The adventure is determined to be interesting. Luna was also curious to see how much Jannet's world would change over time.

'Well, as long as her homeworld society is still standing. I have no idea what will happen once mana reappears in Jannet's reality.' She knew how much humans and animals could mutate. It could be a disgusting sight.

World trade could collapse as ships can no longer safely navigate the seas. Dragons reclaiming the skies, and the mana disease that afflicted Jannet, would all descend on Earth. Whether society will survive and how the modern world will change remains to be seen. 'You can't nuke everything after all, and who knows what effect radiation would have on mana mutations,' Luna thought to herself. She didn't want to know what kind of evolution a gigantic dragon could undergo.

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"Luna," came a voice, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Can I do anything about the backlash effects of mana overdose? " asked Jannet.

"Massaging should at least ease the symptoms, but apart from that, I couldn't think of anything." Luna thought about it for a few more moments. Someone who specializes in stimulating the cells with mana might be able to treat the side effects, but Luna had never tested that, so she wasn't sure.

Jannet suddenly towered over her. Before she could even say a word, her whole body was laid on her stomach. She didn't move a single muscle, so it didn't hurt. Luna was lying on her stomach her face turned to the side. "The posture on the bed isn't the best, but that should be fine," Jannet said in a rather reliable voice.

"You can massage?" Luna inquired a little skeptically. "I completed a medical degree and became a doctor, but I also did acupuncture massage training. So I have some basic knowledge." Jannet was proud, and you could hear it in her voice as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I suppose I should have taught myself that in my long life," Luna replied. "But the ability was never really worth it to me." At first, it was still pleasant. Jannet started gently and worked her way deeper and deeper into the layers of the body. Luna, on the other hand, wanted to howl in pain. The fact that her body was still fragile from the mana overdose didn't help either.

"I got really worried when I saw you lying unconscious on the wall," Jannet said before pushing her elbow deep into the layers of skin, hitting a trigger point.

"Yes, yes, yes, I'll be more careful next time," Luna groaned in great pain. "Could you be a little gentler with me?"

"You shouldn't just be a little more careful next time; you should always be a little more careful." Luna couldn't see Jannet's expression, but she could imagine that she was making an angry face; at least, that's what her grip felt like.

"I just didn't expect what I found in the forest. And I expected a lot." This seemed to pique Jannet's curiosity. "What was there that even you were overwhelmed with?" she asked.

"Do you know what a Beholder is?" Luna asked before trying to turn away again in pain as Jannet pressed another trigger point. "I've heard of it before, but other than that, I have no idea," she answered casually.

"Imagine a flying Medusa head, just not as pretty and with fewer tentacles on the head. One eye and lots of armor and spikes on the skin."

"Arrgh, why does that have to hurt so much?" Luna howled. "Come one; you didn't flinch when the spike pierced your leg and shoulder. Feel free to try and tell me it caused less pain." Luna wanted to answer but couldn't refute the claim, so the word got stuck in her lungs.

"Well, the problem is its eye. Unlike Medusa, you can look into the eye. It only becomes problematic when his eye shines a light on you. The effect can vary from beholder to beholder, but generally, it can be fatal." Luna said. She felt each one of her nerves. Now, despite the pain, it felt comfortable.

 "Like Medusa, some can petrify you, but others can powder you directly. The problem was the size. I would have gotten along with a normal or large beholder. But this monster went beyond all norms."

"Is the size of the critters so relevant? It should be significantly less mobile, which allows it to track you poorly. Where is the problem?"

"Well, I was in his territory, which means monsters could come for reinforcements at any time. Another problem was the mud, which the beholder controlled at a certain distance. If I hadn't awoken it fresh out of its sleep, I probably would have died." A scream of pain rang through the tent when Jannet hit another trigger point with high pressure. "Oh, sorry, it wasn't on purpose." Luna gasped before she continued.

"No spells of mine could have penetrated the skin, at least not ones I could pull off the cuff," Luna murmured. She was still frustrated that she couldn't fight back. Had she known what to fight against, she could have prepared better, and the escape wouldn't have been so risky.

"When escaping, the beholder's size being eight meters was a huge problem." Luna groaned again as Jannet tightened her grip, surprised by the size. "The light this behemoth could throw went for miles and pulverized trees in its path."

"And the normal variant can't do that?" asked Jannet. Luna deduced from her tone that Jannet was attempting to absorb all knowledge like a sponge. A good start; the more she knew about this world, the fewer dangers would surprise her.

"The light cone and intensity are significantly smaller in the normal case," said Luna. "The beholder's weakness is in their eyes; if you destroy it, you can easily take them out."

"Then I don't understand your problem; why didn't you just smash the eye? The spells you cast always looked so powerful. Just blinking could have been a problem," Jannet mumbled aloud to herself.

"If beholders didn't have protective mechanisms for their eyes, they would have been extinct long ago. The problem is that each beholder has their own way of protecting the eye. But the most basic form is a shield in the form of his aura. If the spell or object you're attacking with is too weak, it just bounces off an invisible wall," said Luna before she continued to speak. "I would be interested to know where such a monster suddenly came from. I saw no cave where it could have come from in the forest."

"I have one more question; how long do you think it's been living in the forest?" asked Jannet.

"If Kanah's information is correct, then it should have been here for about a week or two. Why?" asked Luna. "I was just thinking that maybe it had something to do with our dimension shift."

"You mean that the Beholder is from another world like us?" Luna asked a bit skeptically. It was not impossible for it to have been ripped into this dimension.

"It would be a possibility. I still have no idea how we got here, so another uninvited guest seems possible."

Her hands on her back were pleasantly warm, and she closed her eyes for a moment. Unfortunately, she had no idea about interdimensional travel, so she had no idea what the odds of dragging someone from another world with her were.

"I would put the theory on ice for now," Luna said, her eyes remaining closed as she spoke in a calm voice. "We should first clarify with Kanah how big beholders are in this world; if the size is normal, then there are certainly countermeasures already in place."

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