Sometimes you have to do extremely vile things. That doesn’t mean I automatically become a bad person for committing something repulsive. But the fact remains — sometimes you have to sin.
I think I often spout nonsense, but given the circumstances, I have the right to. Anyway, this monologue is a lead-up to the current problem...
I’m dying. Literally. This body won’t st another week. If I were a depressed teenager, I might’ve even been happy, but here’s the catch: my phase of depression and puberty ended at 10, and now I’m 17. I’ve already cried my eyes out and vented all my aggression. Honestly? I’m scared. Really fucking scared. I never believed in gods or reincarnation; the only thing I’m sure of is that there’ll be nothing after death. And now...
Seems I’ve developed a habit of talking to myself. Well, that’s a mild manifestation of accumuted stress. The only thing that comforts me is that I won’t vanish into oblivion alone. Most haven’t realized it yet, but meticulous people like me have noticed: a strange energy has appeared in our bodies. For obvious reasons, the government denies it. I’ve read enough trashy literature, so I decided to call this crap “mana.”
To my deepest regret, this “mana” didn’t grant me superpowers or magic. The only thing that changed is my cognitive abilities. I became smarter, though I was already decent at analysis before. But now...
It’s hard to describe. In short — my brain feels like it’s awakened. When I tested what I’m capable of, I was pleasantly surprised.
TL;DR: I became a millionaire.
Long story: I predicted which cryptocurrency would crash and which would skyrocket. By investing a dolr, I multiplied my capital. A cliché success story.
I don’t need money anymore, so I transferred it all to my family. But the reason for my imminent death is absurd — our pnet is doomed. I can’t pinpoint the exact date, but probably this year. And it’s not just the pnet — while using “mana,” I poisoned myself...
For crity: “mana” is like blood, flowing through the entire body. So right now, a bunch of poison is circuting inside me, slowly breaking me down. It’s infuriating that just a few uses caused such severe poisoning, but facts are facts. If I don’t do something in a week — I’ll die.
Oh, I forgot to mention: “mana” has also appeared in animals. Unlike humans, they’ve developed supernatural abilities. They haven’t realized it yet, which is good — I don’t want to die even sooner...
Either way, I need to survive. To do that, I’ll have to use my upgraded brain, but according to my calcutions, that’ll cut my lifespan to 4 days. Fuck.
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Day 1
Tried searching for info online — total failure.
Day 2
Started analyzing “mana” as a phenomenon. My head’s splitting. Damn, it’s worse than I thought...
Day 3
Almost out of time. After analyzing “mana,” I found a way to “temporarily” dey death. But the method is disgusting, and I’ll probably go slightly insane. Still better than dying.
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Final Day
I’m at the pier. What I’m about to do will kill half the city. I evacuated my family, so I don’t really care. Though I do feel a twinge of guilt.
Most people hesitate when they see their victim resist. In my case, the killing will be indirect, so the psychological burden is minimal. Still, my life is more valuable than these strangers I’ve never even talked to.
I started the “ritual.” Calling it a ritual is too pompous. I just concentrated all the “mana” into one point. When I finished, the full moon rose — that simplified the process. According to my calcutions, “mana” in the environment spikes during a full moon (probably due to the impending apocalypse). But I wasn’t focused on theories — only on concentration...
What comes next will be hellishly painful. But it’s the only way to survive.
— AAAAAH, FUCK, WHEN WILL THIS END, BITCH? GODDAMN IT, SON OF A BRICK!
Why am I screaming? Because my insides and skin are turning to stone. At the same time, I have to maintain focus to avoid damaging my organs, which is giving me a migraine. Sounds simple, but the pain is driving me insane. All those “how to endure torture” tips from the internet? Total bullshit!
— AAAAAH, HOW MUCH LONGER, DAMN IT?!
Oh, and half the dogs in the city woke up and started barking at me. Now you know. Let’s continue the show.
— FUCKING HELL, IT’S TAKING FOREVER, YOU BASTARD!
Oh, my vocal cords turned to stone. Can’t scream anymore. Too bad — screaming helped me endure. My eyes hardened too, but it’s not as painful as I expected.
Theoretically, people should’ve woken up by now. Well, their problem — a tsunami will hit in 10 minutes.
Why a tsunami?
Simple: I sucked “mana” from the ocean, and now, after absorbing so much energy, I’ve become a giant magnet. Instead of iron, I attract water. I’m also jamming signals, so no one in the city can call for help.
So yeah, I’m indirectly killing a bunch of people. Am I a bad person? Well, wars and epidemics cim more lives. So I’m not guilty. Though... who am I kidding? I’m ashamed.
But I’m almost unconscious. About to bck out. The process is complete — I’ll wake up when this pnetary clusterfuck ends.
Created: Statue of the First Mage. Creator — the statue.
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Reincarnation
You might’ve encountered this trope in novels. I’m not one to ramble, so briefly:
My name is Jin Wu. In my past life, I lived in Korea and loved reading trashy stuff. Now I’m a reincarnator, and I’m currently searching for the Statue of the First Mage to prevent my character’s bad ending.
The novel I’ve entered is a reverse harem. I’m a side character, but the setting...
FUCKING DARK FANTASY!
I have no overpowered abilities or innate talent. All I can do is see stats in numerical values and advise on how to level them up. But damn, this crap doesn’t work on me! So I can give tips on getting stronger... super useful, right? Except the ability is mine, not my subordinate’s!
In the plot, this character dies midway because he accelerated the heroine’s growth too quickly. The author decided his presence broke the story’s logic and killed him off to avoid complications.
The author, damn it, had no idea how to develop the plot and threw in a bunch of asspulls. For example:
The First Mage is in a ke in my backyard.
Originally, this was a “plot twist,” but when my life’s on the line, messing with the plot is trivial.
Now the question: How do I awaken the statue if it’s in the center of the ke, and the ke is cursed to kill any living thing that enters?
