The air in the guild hall was heavy with tension. The chatter of adventurers, usually lively and coarse, was muted into low whispers as Ren and Lyra sat before the guild examiner's table. The large, rune-etched crystal lay upon a reinforced slab of steel, faintly pulsing with a sickly crimson hue.
Kara stood beside the examiner—an elderly man with deep lines across his face and a magnifying monocle strapped to one eye. His trembling fingers traced the runic fractures that spidered across the crystal's surface, and every so often, the faint echo of distorted whispers filled the room.
Ren said nothing, merely watching as the old man worked in silence. Lyra shifted uneasily beside him, her fingers drumming lightly on the table's edge.
After what felt like an eternity, the examiner finally exhaled. "This…" he began, his voice gravelly and uncertain, "…is no ordinary magic crystal." He leaned closer, eyes narrowing as the crimson light flickered erratically. "It's what we call a corrupted core. Something that should not exist naturally."
Kara's brows furrowed. "Corrupted? You mean it was tampered with?"
The examiner nodded gravely. "Yes. It appears this core was… forced into corruption. Someone deliberately infused dark essence into it—essence that clashes violently with mana's natural balance." He tapped the crystal gently. "The instability here… it's unlike anything I've seen. The energy inside is fragmented, incomplete. And—"
He paused, turning his gaze to Ren. "It feels as though whoever made this… paid the price with their own soul."
Lyra's eyes widened. "Their soul?"
The examiner nodded again. "The traces are faint but unmistakable. There's a residual imprint—shattered, broken, and fading fast. It's as if the very essence of the crafter was consumed to fuel this corruption. If left unchecked, this kind of crystal could infect the land itself, spreading miasma through soil and beasts alike."
Kara crossed her arms, her tone grim. "That explains the goblin horde and the hobgoblin mutation. They must have been exposed to this thing's aura for weeks."
Ren finally spoke, his tone calm but cold. "Then someone planted it there on purpose."
The old man gave him a wary look. "A possibility. Though whoever did… is either insane or desperate. Corruption of this scale doesn't just appear—it's crafted through forbidden rites, the kind even most dark guilds avoid."
Kara sighed heavily. "Wonderful. As if monsters weren't enough, now we've got lunatics playing with death magic." She turned to Ren. "You and Lyra did well to bring this back. We'll have it sealed and sent to the capital for deeper analysis."
Ren's gaze lingered on the crystal for a moment longer. The faint pulse reminded him of something alive—something watching. "Make sure they seal it properly," he muttered.
Lyra nodded, though her expression showed unease. "If this was made by someone… then they might not be finished."
Kara caught that and gave her a steady look. "That's why we'll be increasing border surveillance. But for now, both of you take the day off. You've earned it."
As they left the guild chamber, the faint sound of the corrupted crystal's hum followed them. Ren glanced back once, watching the faint red glow dim through the reinforced glass.
A chill crept up his spine—one he couldn't explain.
He didn't know why… but something deep within told him this was only the beginning.
The heavy doors of the guild chamber slammed open, echoing through the tense silence. A group of mud-smeared adventurers stumbled in—members of the clearing party that had been dispatched to survey the now-empty goblin den. Their faces were pale, and the lead scout clutched a torn satchel that dripped faint traces of dark residue.
Kara turned sharply. "Report!"
The scout bowed hastily. "We… found something in the lower chamber. Just beyond where the hobgoblin was slain." He swallowed hard. "A human skeleton, Guildmaster. Half-buried under the rock near a shattered ritual circle. Judging by the marks… it wasn't a natural death."
The examiner's monocle slipped slightly down his nose as his eyes widened. "A skeleton…?" He muttered under his breath, "So it's true, then."
Ren's gaze flicked toward him. "You mean the one who created the crystal?"
The old man nodded slowly, gripping the table's edge. "Yes. The mana traces were faint, but if a skeleton was found near the corruption site… it confirms my theory. The creator's soul was consumed during the process. That crystal…" He looked toward the faintly pulsing red shard on the table. "…is what remains of their essence."
Lyra crossed her arms uneasily, her eyes on the crystal. "So that's what drove the monsters mad."
But before anyone could say another word, Ren's system pulsed quietly in his mind—
[System Notice]
A remnant soul is bound within the corrupted crystal. Touching it may reveal residual energy.
Warning: Interaction will consume the crystal entirely.
Ren blinked once, his instincts stirring. His gaze fell back on the crystal, its faint heartbeat-like pulse suddenly synchronizing with his own mana flow. Kara and the examiner were still discussing containment, but the pull in his chest was too strong to ignore.
Without a word, he stepped forward.
"Ren?" Kara's voice was sharp, but he raised his hand slightly, signaling her to stay calm.
"I'll check something," he said quietly.
The examiner frowned. "Young man, I wouldn't—"
But it was too late. Ren's hand touched the surface of the crystal.
The reaction was immediate. The crimson hue flared violently, filling the entire room with a dark, pulsating light. The air trembled; mana surged like a wave crashing against an invisible shore. Kara and the examiner staggered back, shielding their eyes. Lyra instinctively reached for her dagger but froze as she saw Ren standing unmoving—his eyes glowing faintly azure, his expression calm.
The pulse intensified—then stopped.
The crystal shattered silently, disintegrating into dust that drifted through the air like faint embers. The oppressive aura that had filled the room vanished instantly, replaced by an almost peaceful stillness.
Kara was the first to break the silence. "…Ren… what did you just do?"
Ren opened his eyes slowly. "It's… gone."
The examiner hurried forward, examining the table where only a faint layer of ash remained. "Incredible… It's completely neutralized." He turned to Ren, disbelief written all over his face. "You—how did you do that?"
Ren hesitated for a moment, then replied simply, "It felt… like it was in pain. Like a trapped soul begging to be freed."
Both Kara and the examiner exchanged a stunned glance.
"Trapped… soul?" the old man murmured. "Then it was conscious to some degree…"
Ren looked at his own hand, flexing his fingers slightly as faint traces of warmth faded. "It's free now," he said softly, hiding the blue flicker still burning in his eyes.
[System Update]
You have absorbed corrupted mana essence.
+20,000 EXP gained.
Mana Capacity permanently increased by 16%.
Current Capacity: 684 / 684.
Ren's heartbeat steadied as he mentally dismissed the glowing notification window before anyone else could notice.
Kara exhaled heavily. "Sensitive to mana, huh?" she muttered. "That's one way to put it."
Ren offered a faint, weary smile. "I… can sense fluctuations others can't. Sometimes I just know what to do when mana feels off."
The examiner nodded, though his gaze lingered on Ren a moment too long. "Whatever you did, young man, you've saved us a disaster. That crystal's corruption could have spread across the region had it not been neutralized."
Lyra finally relaxed, her expression softening. "At least that poor soul can rest now."
Ren didn't respond immediately. He looked at the faint dust swirling across the table, and for just a heartbeat, thought he saw a shape—vague, almost human—bowing in silent gratitude before fading into nothing.
The weight in the air lifted completely.
Kara straightened. "We'll record this incident and close the case for now. But if something—or someone—was capable of creating such corruption… we'll need to prepare for worse."
Ren nodded slowly, already feeling the faint hum of mana newly coursing through him—stronger, purer, and dangerously alive.
As he and Lyra exited the guild hall, the last traces of red dust scattered in the wind outside, dissolving into the evening light.
And though Ren said nothing, he could feel it deep within his core—The crystal's pain… wasn't the end.It was a warning.