Chapter 168: Failing to Think Things Through

Early Afternoon - Late Spring : Kingdom of Kaelallan

*tap-tap-tap-tap* As I walked down the stairs behind the throne, I continued to think about what my plan was going to be, and, although I actually had quite a few options, I was in quite a troublesome predicament.

Currently, my best idea was to simply abuse railgun magic, but that idea had a.. unique complication. -Will they even be able to react to it? It’ll be no fun if I just slaughter them when they can’t fight back...-

Even though it was a fight that could even get me killed if I charged into the situation carelessly, I still somehow felt excited.

The more I thought about the thrill of a kill-or-be-killed fight where I had to use everything I had, the more my heart fluttered.

But before I knew it, I had arrived at the vault and needed to halt my excitement for a moment. -Alright, let's see if I can remember the code.-

Just looking at the vault, I couldn't actually see the buttons, but that changed with a quick aura scan. -To think someone could make a button that precise in this era… It puts machinery to shame…-

*click-click-click-click-CLANG*

-Sweet, first try!- Quickly making my way into the vault, I eyeballed the massive mana core for a moment, but turned to the few dozen weapons lining the wall first. -Maybe I could use one of these?-

They were all masterfully crafted weapons, but they were a little big for me.

There was one weapon that really caught my eye though. It was a massive greatsword that looked like something straight from ‘Monster Hunter’.

It was definitely too big for my body, but I at least had the strength to wield it comfortably with two hands.

-I just have no experience with any of these weapons..- "Ugh..." Scratching my head while trying to think of what to do, Ilios brushed past my leg and picked up the sword. -Hm?-

As he pulled it off the wall, the sword started to glow and became slightly smaller, just enough that it wouldn’t be too inconvenient for me to swing. "Woof." As if it was nothing, he turned around and set it in front of me with a smile on his face.

"You can do that?!" Quickly reaching down and patting his head, I reached for the blade and picked it up. "Oof..." -It's heavier too?- Although I could still wield it with two hands, its weight was not as minor as it previously was. -It does feel nice in the hands though…-

I ended up contemplating whether I should take it for a couple more minutes after that before eventually going, ‘might as well’ and setting it outside.

"Now…" -Time for you…- As I walked up to the mana core, I finally realized something important. -How am I going to absorb this?-

It was a little too big to realistically swallow, but I didn’t have the time to absorb it slowly.

-Should I just try to force it down?- Finally picking it up off the pedestal and bringing it outside, I changed to my dragon form and examined it a little more closely. -It might actually fit…-

Although it was close, I figured I could actually swallow it. -Even if it gets lodged, I can just crush it a bit and swallow it then…- "Well, here goes nothing!"

*tink* As I carefully put it in my mouth, an indescribable yet heavenly taste spread through my mouth. -If only I could take my time to enjoy the taste…- *Gulp*

Immediately forcing it down my throat, it quickly made it to my stomach.

"Alright, time to control the mana-" *Shatter* My thoughts came to a screeching halt as I heard a sound similar to glass shattering in my stomach and had my instinct scream at me.

*Vwooom* A wave of mana, thousands of times larger than I expected, exploded from the core as it disintegrated in my stomach.

Before I could even react, my reserve absorbed too much, too quickly...

..and exploded. *VWOOOM*

The colossal wave of mana that erupted within my body instantly shredded my organs and shattered my bones, sending a nearly unfathomable pain through my body.

*Thud* I collapsed to the floor before a single thought could come to mind, but right as I passed out, I felt an all too familiar, mysterious energy wrap around my body.

-Is this.. Death?-

- ~~~ - (Omnipotent)

"Haah.." -I should bestow that sword to Lawton just in case…- Oliver had a lot on his mind while he waited for Lawton and the Grandmaster to arrive, but whether fortunately or unfortunately, they arrived before he expected.

*Click*

-They’re here already?- Dragging him out of my thoughts, he looked up towards the door. "Please come in, you two."

Standing in the doorway was Lawton Keen standing next to an average-height, mature-looking elf woman. "Sorry, we are late my Lord."

"No worries, please speak comfortably." Putting on a serious expression, Oliver sat up straight at his desk. "I need you two to take a seat. We have something very important to discuss."

Both nodding their heads, they quickly made their way to the couches and went to sit down.

Right as they sat on the cushions though… *VWOOOM*

Everyone in the palace simultaneously paled from fear, whether they could sense what caused it or not.

The mana within the palace had turned unfathomably suffocating, now being easily dense enough to cause mana poisoning, but the suction that caused it was far too strong to allow that.

Mana flowed through walls, floors, and even people as if they weren’t there before being forcefully pulled through the thick stone below the palace.

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The first person in the palace to break from their fear-driven stun was Oliver when he finally noticed where the mana was flowing. -The shelter? WHAT DID HE DO?!-

Although his body was screaming, telling him to run away, he instead got up and started running towards the throne room.

Seeing Oliver dash out of the office, Lawton finally snapped out of his panic and he followed after him.

The only one to not move at all was Eulia Coletti, The Grandmaster.

She sat there, frozen from fear like everyone else, but the horror she felt wasn’t from her instincts.

She was simply the only one proficient enough with mana to notice just how wrong things were.

As she wracked her brain to figure out what could possibly cause the suction, she felt a horrible sensation in her chest.

That was when she finally looked at her reserve and noticed it was emptying itself.

Without even bothering to try and escape or prevent the suction, she eventually collapsed onto the couch, forced into a deep sleep by mana exhaustion.

But she wasn’t the only one.

People in the palace collapsed one by one, with Oliver being no exception.

*Thud* As his body fell to the floor, Lawton sprinted up to his side in a panic.

"My Lord!" But before he could even think of what caused the phenomenon, Lawton’s mind was wrapped in a fog. *Thud*

- Maria ~

Outside the palace, within the plaza of the Upper District, I was in a deep sleep. I had nothing else to do, after all, but that day, I was woken up by an unusual flow of mana.

-What the…- Quickly opening my eyes, I looked towards the palace to see it mostly encompassed by a dome of mana.

Just the thought of what could possibly cause the phenomenon made me shiver, but that awe quickly turned to fear when I noticed the bubble grow even larger.

My face continued to pale as the sphere grew and the immense suction of mana finally reached me.

The thought of escape was nowhere in my mind as I couldn’t even muster the strength to prevent my reserve from being drained. *thud*

Minutes ticked by like hours as all the energy was sapped from my body. Eventually though, I, just like the countless humanoids around me, ran out of mana to be drained and passed out.

-In front of the strong.. I guess we are all the same…-

- ~~~ - (Omnipotent)

On the opposite side of the upper district, Lucy was enjoying her lunch with Viviana when she noticed something odd.

People's auras, instead of simply exuding in all directions, were being pulled in a single direction.

"Is something wrong, Lucy?" Viviana gave her a worried look.

Quickly turning back to Viviana, Lucy tried to put on a smile. "Ah, n..no everything is f-"

"Hello students of the Academy, the school is going into lockdown." An old male voice resounded through the cafeteria through a transmission artifact. "An anomaly has occurred within the royal palace, causing people in the vicinity to collapse on the spot. Please stay calm and find a place to rest your head until you are instructed otherwise."

Lucy's heart dropped the instant she heard the first part of the announcement. -People are collapsing in the streets.. and the source is the palace…-

Her mind immediately jumped to conclusions as she hastily got up and ran outside, managing to get around the knights standing at the door. *Click*

After slamming her way through the door, she looked up towards the palace and noticed that it had been completely enveloped in a gargantuan hemisphere of mana.

The mana bubble had stopped growing and even started to shrink, but the suction was still just as strong.

"N..no…" Lucy's legs went weak as her mind landed in all the wrong places.

It was only a short instant later that she passed out from shock.

*pat* Managing to get to Lucy just in time, Viviana caught her as she fell over. "Lucy!" The scene of Lucy laying limply in her arms made her break into a panic. "GUARDS! PLEASE, ANYONE!"

Hearing her yelling, a couple of young knights came rushing over. "What is it, miss?!"

"My friend! She started freaking out inside and ran out here, b..but-but then she just collapsed!" She was crying incredibly heavily, being unable to keep composure any longer.

The knight quickly reached down and took Lucy from Viviana’s arms. "Please follow me miss, we need to bring her to the clinic immediately."

Viviana shakily got up and ran after the man, but that was when the students began dropping like flies, and children's screams could be heard through the entire building.

Viviana could do nothing but try and resist the encroaching feeling of exhaustion as she ran down the hallway. -Please… Just a little.. more…- *thud*

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