Mana Madness

Now that they had an agreement on what they would be doing, all that remained was to get started.

"Jake, since you are new to this town, what you need first is an adventurer's card," Rion said.

"And how do I get that?" Jake asked.

"The guild. You can undergo a trial there to get the card, but as a Chosen, they might cut some corners for you.

There are seven ranks for adventurers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Obsidian, Legendary, and Mythic. Each rank is then split into three—one star, two star, and three stars," Rion explained.

"Rion and I are both three-star Gold, and in a few months, we will have the chance to take the Platinum exams," Seer added.

"You can't take it when you want?" Jake asked.

"No. Three-star Gold is the highest you can get right off the bat and also through adventures. After that, special occasions are needed to go up," she explained.

"But even then, getting Gold from the exam is not simple. The exams are extremely hard. There are people that have forever been lost to mana madness because of the exam, and that's a fate worse than death," Rion said.

"Mana madness? What's that?" Jake asked.

Rion looked at him, his expression tightening. "It's what happens when someone pushes their mana too far. See, your body's supposed to regulate mana naturally through your core, but there's a limit. Try to go beyond that—force too much mana through your veins, cast spells you're not ready for, or resonate with unstable magic—and it starts breaking you from the inside."

He paused, his expression went grim. "It starts small. You hear whispers in the flow of mana. See runes hanging in the air that no one else sees. Some people start talking to things that aren't there. But it gets worse."

"At some point, your core starts fracturing. Cracks form—tiny at first, but they grow. And when it breaks… the mana doesn't stay contained anymore. It floods your body, your mind. People lose control. They start casting magic without meaning to, lashing out. They forget who they are."

His voice dropped even lower. "Some become what we call Manaeaters—creatures that live only to feed on mana. Doesn't matter if it's from artifacts or people. They don't remember who they were. Just… hunger, hunger for mana."

"That's why the exams are so dangerous. They force you into situations where you either break through—or just break. So whenever someone enters, they advise them to never go beyond, and never approach anything carelessly," Rion finished explaining.

Jake was shocked to learn about such a state. It sounded terrifying, a life without control. It wasn't something anyone would want to live in.

"And these Manaeaters, what happens to them?" Jake asked.

"What do you think? They are killed as fast as possible," Seer replied. She looked up at the ceiling. "When you see it firsthand, you understand that you just have to put them down.

When you see them, you see a human or being that is in immense pain, but they can't stop the pain. No matter what they do, all they can do is consume and consume. The mana keeps mutating them the more they eat," she said. Her voice quivered slightly toward the end of what she was saying.

Jake heard that quiver. He could tell that she had some painful past, but he didn't dare to dig—they weren't that close yet.

"I'll try my best to not go overboard in the exam," he said.

"That would be for the best. I'd hate to be the one to cut you down," Seer said.

"Oh, what about those that suffer mana madness and don't become Manaeaters?" Jake asked.

"Many of them are locked away, as researchers try to use them to find a way to cure the madness. At least their lives would have meaning in that way," Rion said.

"I see," Jake said. He understood how terrible the mana madness was now. It was basically the end of the line for anyone.

After that, they finished whatever little discussion they had and decided it was time to head to the adventurers' guild.

The building was quite large—one of the largest that this town had—with three stories and very large space. It was built with polished wood and red bricks at certain parts, giving it a very nice look.

There were a ton of people entering and leaving the guild at the same time.

When people saw Rion and Seer walking along with Jake, Crypt, and Ophelia, they moved out of the way in a rush, allowing them to pass.

"It seems you two have quite the reputation," Jake said.

"It comes with having the mark. You are basically a plague to many," Seer said.

They got to the large double doors, pushed them open, and walked into the hall. The place was buzzing—people going up and down, some at the notice board, some at the bar and restaurant at the corner, and some at the counter at the far end near the stairs.

Many of them were clad in cheap armor. Some had robes and staves—it was what you would expect from any fantasy story.

Seer led them to the counter. Behind it was a young lady in a special uniform—green and black—with a silver-embroidered A on her chest.

"Welcome adventu..." she began her greeting but froze when she saw who was standing there. All the other receptionists looked away when they noticed as well, not wanting to look Seer in the eye.

"Lady See...r, it's great to see yo..u," the receptionist stammered through her words.

"No need for all that. I have someone that needs to take the adventurer test," she said and pointed at Jake with her thumb. Jake smiled and waved, but in doing so, the receptionist caught a glimpse of the mark. She let out a squeal before quickly covering her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she apologized quickly, feeling she had done something wrong.