Schizophrenia...
A mental affliction born from damage to the immortal soul.
It causes a severe collapse between thought, emotion, and behavior.
They say one may lose even the dearest of memories to it...
But if the soul is immortal, how can it be harmed?
If you wish to wound the soul—use emotions as a weapon. That is the answer.
In a world where the strong devour the weak, this illness certainly exists—whether in the weakest of them or their mightiest.
---
"…"
Mana of Chaos did not answer, even after I called her...
But she comes and goes only as she pleases.
"I know you can hear me. This is the chance you've been waiting for. Do you think it's time to play like this?"
⟦Didn't expect you to perceive me this quickly~ Just what are you, exactly?⟧
"You don't know that already?"
⟦I am Mana of Chaos, the ruler of all types of mana. You think there's something I don't know? But...
Your existence is uncertain. How can I claim to know what you are?⟧
My existence...?
"So you're here just to satisfy your curiosity?"
⟦No. I chose you.⟧
So my suspicion was right...
"Mana of Chaos, you know better than I do that time is not on my side. I'll get to the point."
⟦Boring~~ I thought you'd get excited learning who I am.⟧
"Will you accept becoming my mana?"
Her answer... would determine whether I live—or whether death becomes the better end.
⟦You impudent brat. You've lived only a handful of epochs, and yet you think yourself worthy of wielding me?⟧
…Epochs?
Epochs?!
I've lived for epochs? An epoch is a thousand centuries... I haven't even lived for twenty full centuries.
She must have mistaken me for someone else.
If that's the case... I'm dead.
⟦But… you were the first to teach me about pleasure. The first to show me what sensation is.
So, if you pass my final trial—I will keep my word. I will form a pact with you.⟧
So she really did mistake me for someone else...
⟦I didn't. You are [¿¿¿]... and you will always be [¿¿¿] to me.⟧
...Unintelligible words—symbols I cannot hear or understand.
Once again, the Authority of Pride intervened.
But this—this is my chance. A rare one, to save myself and those around me.
"Name your trial!"
---
Six months later...
Damn this impossible trial...
She asked me to sense her presence—though all I could do was hear her voice.
Mana of Chaos…
First, I had to understand what chaos truly meant.
In the beginning of "space" where there was no such thing as "time"...
There existed chaotic space—where all types of energy intermingled without reaction. That was chaos.
Chaos was the origin of all energies, all concepts, all numbers.
Mana itself came from chaos—it formed the concept of nature, and the mana we use today.
But all of that... I had only heard about. I never truly understood it.
If chaos was the source of all energy... what of electricity? It follows patterns—stable yet variable.
Electricity is still a form of energy.
Wait…
I've been imagining chaos as something chaotic...
But what if chaos had laws of its own? Patterns. Principles.
Now it's becoming clearer...
They called it "chaos" because they couldn't comprehend it.
So chaos—wasn't truly chaos. It was a system, far more complex than their minds could handle.
Which means… Mana of Chaos is a fragment of those laws.
I don't need to comprehend chaos itself. I only need to understand her.
---
Two years passed…
Or at least that's how it felt.
My attempt to understand Mana of Chaos led me to question mana itself.
Eventually, I came to see that mana wasn't just fuel for spells...
It was a primordial force—one that linked us to nature... and beyond.
For example—
A man without mana must use an axe to cut down a tree.
But one with mana could simply direct it—and the tree would fall on its own.
Guided by intent. Empowered by nature itself.
Mana of Chaos... was something beyond even that.
Something greater than "supernatural."
Terrifying.
I finally understood...
My ability to use multiple Paths wasn't because of the Black Wish.
It was because Mana of Chaos had been watching me—for years.
There's a connection between the Black Wish and Mana of Chaos, yes.
But they are not the same.
The wish is mine.
Mana of Chaos... is the fuel for that wish.
You've outdone yourself, Pride...
⁂__
Alert!
A fragment of the ultimate skill 〔Black Wish〕 has been unveiled!
Spatial-temporal exit initiated to protect the wielder.
No rewards available—skill already at maximum evolution.
New entity detected: Absolute Existence [Mana of Chaos]
Warp in progress due to dimensional distortion!!
WARNING!
High-level space-time anomaly detected!
Returning to original temporal coordinates…
GLITCH!
Final segment of ⬛⬛⬛ not found. Evolution of ⟦Virtue of Despair⟧ has been canceled.
Current progress of Path: 65%
ANOMALY!!
Hidden functions discovered within the Absolute Existence!
🜲 Rewards 🜲
⟦Virtue of Pride⟧
⟦Virtue of Greed⟧
⟦Virtue of [¿¿¿]⟧ +4
User has not sealed original path. Five unknown Virtues have been sealed temporarily!
⁂__
What...
What is this!?
All these… Virtues?!
Are these truly—
⟦You finally understand why I exist~⟧
Despite the shock…
What matters now...
Yes...
Thank you—for everything you've done.
I truly mean it.
⟦Your wish is my wish. That is why I chose to follow you.⟧
…That means…?!
⟦From this day on, I am Mana of Beginning and End. I will be the force that carries your Path to its final form.⟧
…Thank you.
---
It took a whole month to purge and adapt to her existence…
Right now—I have no mana in my body.
Because—
⟦Choose your new mana core.⟧
She told me to choose a new mana center.
Having two different mana types within would only lead to death…
So I emptied everything.
"I choose the mind."
⟦°°⟧
⟦Are you certain?⟧
Yes.
Choosing the mind as a mana core means a single misstep could paralyze me.
But the mind… is the only bridge to the soul.
And a soul-linked core would strengthen my essence—enough to resist the pressure of future Virtues.
Of course, that's not all.
Since the dawn of time, the soul has remained one of the most mysterious phenomena in existence.
Souls are immaterial. Unconscious.
For example—air is material. You can feel it.
But the soul? It produces energy without consciousness.
Using that energy... is practically suicide.
Because human lifespans rarely exceed a few centuries...
Soul energy is finite. And once it depletes—death comes swiftly.
No matter how powerful you are…
Before death, you are but a bug with no means of resistance.
Even the Virtues… are not immune.
If their lifespan were infinite—they could perfect every Path. Even ones others already claimed.
But now...
A soul-linked mana core…
This is the risk I take, with my soul and life on the line—to feed a curiosity that won't rest until fulfilled.
⟦Alright then, brace yourself~⟧
Here we go…
She started weaving a thread—thin, invisible—between us.
Turning my mind… into my new mana core.
Then the transfer began.
⟦The transfer will take time. But that's not your concern now.
Spreading my energy to you will cause a major disturbance across the universe.
Big enough… to draw in things you do not want drawn.⟧
…I know.
I didn't choose the Dragon's Nest for nothing.