Talent Awakening: I, the Weakest Awakened, Start with Dragonfire Spell Chapter 491 492-The Experience of Death

In truth, for magi above level 1, there exists virtually no difference in the quantity of mana or in their affinity towards it.

Magi at this echelon have devised their own ans to covertly siphon mana from the mana ocean, rendering their supply seemingly infinite.

This, on another note, reflects the limitations imposed by the human soul's capacity.

The ability of a magus to absorb ambient mana is directly linked to the strength of their soul.

To directly assimilate the free-floating mana spanning the entirety of the underground stronghold, Two's demonstrated soul strength would have to surpass that of a level 1 magus by more than tenfold.

But is this the extent of Two's limit?

Nula didn't know.

Nor did he know if anyone did.

Perhaps those who did know had long since perished? Two didn't seem to embody such a ruthless persona.

But without a thorough understanding of an intelligence's operational paraters, any judgnt remains unreliable.

The tremors in the mana did not persist for long, converging in less than the span of three breaths before and after.

During this interval, Nula heard the guards outside being alerted, attempting to unlock the iron door.

Yet before it could open, all went silent.

What had transpired outside?

Once again, fear gripped Nula.

Each living being, to varying degrees, harbors mana within, the amount fluctuating with the organism's constitution and energy level, but it never zeroes out.

For, should it ever dwindle to nothing, that life form would cease to exist.

The mana absorbed by Two, perhaps, was not limited to that which freely floats in the air.

"What have you done?"

Though he had his suspicions, Nula's voice still trembled slightly as he asked softly.

"The people outside, are they all dead? Did you drain them?"

"Indeed."

The reply was succinct, yet it was laden with a kind of mana—a mana potent enough to instill fear in any living creature.

No being is devoid of the fear of death, a terror etched into the deepest recesses of biological instinct.

Two lifted his gaze to et Nula's.

"Do not disperse your mana shield; it is not over yet."

Not over? Hadn't everyone already perished?

What more was there to do?

Matter-energy conversion.

Suddenly, Nula rembered this term that Two had ntioned earlier.

He had studied the cultures of many worlds and understood this concept, which posits that the mass of material and energy can be equivalent in mathematical equations.

This idea overturned many antiquated physical theories, sparking a revolution in physics.

Although the concept of physics per se does not exist on the Avala Continent, analogous concepts certainly do.

Mana is the cornerstone of the world.

It forms everything within the world, and this "everything" has never been limited to living entities alone but also encompasses the fundantal matter—flesh, bones that constitute humans, rocks and soil that form mountains, the tumultuous waves of the oceans—all are transformations of mana.

This has been proven on Avala, and so have considered exploiting this property for various purposes.

Theoretically, it is feasible, but practically, it's been deed impossible.

But... could Two accomplish this?

If it could, does that imply its understanding of this world far surpasses what Nula and Dorek could fathom?

And why does it possess such a profound comprehension of mana?

Perhaps, this is destined to remain an unsolvable mystery.

Nula watched as the extinguished golden pupils of Two were reignited, a unique aura emanating from its being.

Though now kneeling on one knee, Two seed to be seated upon the clouds like a deity.

"I command, let all things return to chaos!"

Two's voice was not loud, but mana served as its herald, so this decree was disseminated across the area delineated by Two in an instant before Nula could even grasp what was happening.

Then, a peculiar sensation ensued.

It felt as though consciousness had suddenly plunged into a warm ocean.

Light vanished in a blink, and Nula's body was seized by gravity, plumting towards the abyss.

This experience reminded Nula of birds falling from the sky, perhaps they felt similar when their once powerful wings lost their mana for the first ti.

Would they feel fear? Should he feel fear? Nula tried to ponder this question, but in the warm embrace of the ocean, even thought was a forbidden act.

"You were careless."

A voice carried over the water's surface.

Its sound, distorted after passing through the dense layers of water, was still imdiately recognizable to Nula.

It belonged to Howard.

Yet, less than ten minutes ago, this voice had changed allegiance.

Now it belonged to an intelligence nad "Two."

I was careless?

What does that an?

What has been done to ?

Have I fallen into so trap?

Nula found his once infinitely diverging thoughts beginning to coalesce anew, akin to molding a clay figurine, with himself as the lump of clay being whimsically reshaped.

The reformation didn't take long, or perhaps, to a disengaged soul, the very concept of ti had lost its aning.

Light once again unfolded its embrace before Nula.

Opening his eyes, he discovered he was standing firmly on the ground, though the mana orb that once surrounded him had vanished.

A fear, as if plumting into an abyss, gripped Nula tightly.

He finally understood the aning behind Two's "You were careless."

His gaze shifted towards Two, who was slowly standing up without any apparent change, except for slightly dimr golden pupils.

"You were on the verge of returning to the embrace of the mana ocean. Had I not reacted swiftly, you would have beco fundantal mana, rejoining the world by now. How was the experience of death? Intriguing, wasn't it?"

What might have been a taunting joke, when uttered by Two, carried no such sentint.

It was a blunt recount devoid of any embellishnt or emotion, even the question sounded like a precise record.

Was that warm, lightless ocean the mana ocean? The place where every consciousness returns upon death, was it truly as such? Nula found it sowhat unexpected.

Although the existence of the mana ocean had been confird long ago, such a conceptual entity remains beyond the direct observation of modern magi.

Every magus who attempted to observe it t the sa fate: assimilation by the mana ocean, becoming the most fundantal mana to return to the world's embrace.

It was a majestic form of death, one many high-level magi choose when their lifespan nears its end.

In retrospect, there's sothing quite romantic about it.

Pursuing death in the quest for truth?

Or pursuing truth through death? The question remains forever unanswered.

"Not bad, better than I imagined. I thought there would be hell or sothing of the sort."

Nula forced a smile, knowing that facing Two required a certain ntal fortitude; no amount of shock would suffice otherwise.

"So, those people outside... the bodies, what did you do with them?"

Nula had an inkling of the answer but sought confirmation directly from Two.

"Matter-energy conversion, a considerably difficult technique even for ."

"I consud them entirely, bodies and souls alike, leaving nothing behind."

When Two spoke these words, there was a peculiar smile on its face.

Not terrifying, but distinctly non-human.

Beneath the facade nearly identical to that of a human, lay a soul utterly alien.

For the first ti, Nula felt so intensely the difference between Two and humanity, and so clearly perceived the distinction between different species.

To humans, the morals of ants hold no significance.

Two must see it similarly.

It's not human, so why adhere to human moral codes? Just as humans don't consider eating beef or mutton a sin, Two doesn't see the consumption of human bodies as a wrongdoing.

Everyone is similar; the only difference lies in the magnitude of power.

Two could have explained in a more euphemistic manner, but it chose not to.

Instead, it laid the facts bare before Nula's eyes.

You are conversing with a being you'd inevitably label a 'devil.'

"Gaining threefold for every energy spent, although digestion takes ti, overall, it's a significant gain. I should be able to restore quite a bit of functionality. It's just a pity it's not enough to reboot the secondary energy furnace; otherwise, I wouldn't need external energy support."

Two glanced at its fingers before returning its gaze to Nula's face.

"What's the matter, not quite adjusting? Or is it fear? Disgust? Perhaps you want to kill ?"

"I can understand all these reactions, but I hope you also understand sothing. If you make a move, the next thing I might digest could very well be your corpse."

Survival is the basic instinct of all beings, ranking highest among their primal urges.

"Is this your true nature?" Nula took a step back, retracting the short staff in his hand.

"What exactly is your purpose? Or rather, what are you?"