NOVEL NEXT Chapter 38: Excess Mana
The Reflect Dome thrummed like a living heart, its mechanical hum deep and resonant. Zakar hesitated for only a second before pressing his palm to the orb. The surface was smooth but unnaturally warm, as though it was alive. For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the orb awakened.
VRRRMMMM!
A shockwave of light tore across the chamber, bathing the hall in a brilliance that made Zakar wince and instinctively shield his eyes with his other arm.
The metallic ring that circled the bulb spun wildly, faster than any human eye could follow, until it was no longer a ring but a halo of pure radiance.
Strange rays erupted into existence around it, lines of an alien script flickering like fireflies before sinking back into the glow.
He gritted his teeth, refusing to stumble. His system chimed furiously in his head.
[Warning! Extreme mana density detected.]
[Reflect Dome struggling to stabilize output.]
[Power index rising… rising… stabilizing impossible!]
"What the hell…?" Zakar muttered under his breath, his body stiffening.
Kyara had risen from her seat. Her usually playful face was stripped bare of expression, her golden eyes wide with astonishment.
Carene's lips parted, the words caught in her throat, while Kenry, arms folded, leaned forward as if sheer proximity might allow him to understand the impossibility before him.
The Reflect Dome screamed. The light grew unbearable, then abruptly funneled inward, condensing into a single, razor-thin beam that projected numbers in glowing script across the air.
'15,462,899,568 Katanga.'
Silence crushed the room.
Zakar blinked. "What… is that supposed to mean?"
For once, Kyara's composure cracked. She let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh, as if the sound might cover her own unease. "Fifteen… billion?" she whispered.
Kenry swore loudly, his fist tightening at his side. "That's impossible! The Reflect Dome's limit is supposed to be five billion! It shouldn't even be able to count that high!"
Carene, pale and trembling, rubbed her arms as though trying to drive away a sudden chill. "He… he broke the Reflect Dome's threshold. That's… that's not supposed to happen."
The orb sputtered and dimmed, its once fierce glow collapsing into a faint flicker. Thin cracks spidered across its surface, and the metallic halo stuttered before halting entirely with a sharp clang.
Zakar pulled his hand back, flexing his fingers. "So? Did I pass your little test, or what?"
"Pass?" Kyara breathed, her voice sharp with disbelief. "You didn't just pass. You obliterated every known scale we have. No D-rank could no person could ever—"
Kenry slammed a boot against the floor, the echo rolling like thunder. "He's a fraud. He's hiding something. No registered D-rank should even cross a hundred thousand Katanga, let alone this insanity!"
"Kenry, shut up!!" Kyara snapped, though her own voice quavered slightly. She turned back to Zakar, her eyes narrowing, her earlier cheer nowhere to be found. "What are you, really?"
Zakar straightened his posture. For a moment, the weight of their stares pressed against him, and his mind whirled. He could feel his system humming within him, pulsing with quiet, dangerous energy. He wanted to tell them to go to hell, but instead he smirked.
"I told you already," he said calmly. "I'm a D rank."
His words struck the chamber like a cruel joke.
Kyara studied him, her gaze probing, almost hungry. But finally, she leaned back into her seat and crossed her legs with deliberate elegance.
"Fine. Keep your secrets. It doesn't matter for now."
Kenry gritted his teeth but didn't argue further. Carene remained quiet, though her eyes followed Zakar with a new, strange intensity.
Kyara flicked her hand dismissively. "Enough for today. The official examination begins tomorrow. That is when we'll truly see what you're capable of."
Zakar arched a brow. "So you're just going to let me walk out of here after all that?"
Kyara's lips curved faintly, though there was no warmth in the gesture. "Don't mistake this for mercy. Consider it… patience. Now go. Return to your little room. Sleep well tomorrow will not be forgiving."
'Did she just insult my room!?'
Before Zakar could retort, a rift ripped open behind him. The air crackled, tugging at his skin as though invisible hands beckoned him forward.
He stepped through.
---
The world twisted and reformed. In the blink of an eye, he was back in his quarters, standing near the edge of his bed. He exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. His heart still hammered, though his expression betrayed none of it.
Fifteen billion Katanga. The number echoed in his head like a curse.
'System,' he thought sharply. 'What the hell was that?
[Your mana index is immeasurable by conventional tools.]
[Reflect Dome displayed only partial data.]
[Estimated true mana potential: concealed.]
"Figures, seems like being an SSS rank is more fun than I imagine." Zakar muttered aloud. He sat on the edge of the bed, running his hands over his face.
"They're going to come for me sooner or later. Tailors, Negative Entities… all this madness. What did I even walk into?"
The door creaked open.
"Zakar!"
Sera's voice cut through his thoughts, bright and sharp. Myia followed closely behind, her expression tense, her arms crossed.
"You're back," Myia said quickly, almost breathlessly. "Good. We were looking for you earlier."
"What happened?" Zakar asked, noting the sheen of sweat on their foreheads and the raw urgency in their eyes.
"There was a fight," Sera said, stepping closer. "Between two players. It wasn't normal, Zakar. It was brutal."
Zakar leaned back slightly. "People fight all the time. What makes this different?"
"Yah I know." she muttered.
"Wait. Where is the lady? What happened to her?" Sera asked almost stunned.
"About that. Ehm. She kind of woke up and left nothing too long ago. Didn't you stumble into her? I expected you to see her." Zakar muttered lightly and smirked. His lie was silver coated comfortably.
"Okay. You didn't come to eat why?" Myia asked concerned. Zakar smiled.
"I didn't feel hungry that's all. I'm feeling sleepy. I was battered up much." Zakar said and lay flat on the bed. Almost immediately did he begin to sleep.
He had a tight task ahead. The Negative Entity, Tailors. Well all of it was going to settled just after he met with whoever sent the letter— Horis and Melissa.