Chapter 46: Abyss and the Vacuum
Abyss’s statement sparked a flurry of discussion among the Druids.
Did this young man truly understand the sheer scale of the sacred tree’s mana capacity? Even a hundred high-ranking mages couldn’t drain it—and what would he even do with all that mana? Create a giant fireball and launch it into space?
Abyss, a calm smile on his face, watched them, grateful for their earlier outlandish proposals, which had made his own suggestion seem less radical. If they had been more conservative, some might have fainted from shock.
“Master Belator, are you serious?” Ambrosius asked, his voice filled with disbelief, as he looked at the unfazed Abyss. “Draining the mana around the sacred tree isn’t something a single person can achieve! The mana reserves here are immense! Even if you could project your image across the entire Ossi Kingdom, you couldn’t possibly…”
“Yes, it’s not a very practical idea,” another Druid said.
“If you had the time and the resources, it might be possible, but…”
“Absorbing so much mana at once could be fatal!”
The Druids voiced their concerns.
Abyss spotted Maggie in the crowd, a fruit in her mouth, likely her master’s attempt to prevent her from interrupting. She gave him a thumbs-up, her eyes twinkling, as if saying, “That’s my ABC!”
A lazy black cat, a knowing smile on its feline face, lay in her lap, its golden eyes watching Abyss. As Abyss met its gaze, it winked, its tail flicking Maggie’s chin playfully.
Abyss smiled back at them, then addressed the Druids. “You might not believe I can drain the mana from around the sacred tree, creating a vacuum, but please hear me out. I’ll explain my plan in detail.”
“Details?” Ambrosius asked, his tone skeptical. Abyss’s arrogance and his outlandish proposal made him feel like he was being mocked.
“Here’s my plan: First, I’ll gather all the mana in this area and compress it. As you know, mana is a natural resource. As long as I don’t use it for offensive magic, there’s no risk of an explosion,” Abyss explained, casually creating a simple diagram in the air with glowing lines of mana: a crudely drawn tree representing the sacred tree, a stick figure representing himself, and a swirling ball of lines representing the compressed mana.
“Then, the next step. I’ll carefully control the compressed mana, maintaining its stability. Once a mana vacuum is created, the sacred tree will naturally draw mana from its surroundings, likely through its roots. So, I’ll need you to observe its roots closely,” he continued, ignoring their skeptical glances.
“If there’s a problem with the mana flow in any particular direction, I can investigate immediately,” he said, spreading his hands. “It’s that simple. Once I’ve identified the source of the problem, we can easily solve it.”
“What about the animals?” Baggs, still perched on Maggie’s lap, suddenly asked.
“I believe the animals’ mutations are connected to the sacred tree. So, I’ll address that first, then investigate the animals,” Abyss replied calmly.
“Master Belator’s thinking is truly impressive. My admiration is boundless,” Baggs said, his voice dripping with flattery, making the nearby Druids cringe and subtly move away.
Ambrosius sighed softly. “Master Belator, your plan is bold, but do you truly believe it’s feasible? Perhaps we should consider more practical solutions.”
“It seems you doubt my abilities,” Abyss said, stroking his chin, then smiled at Ambrosius. “I have a special talent. My mana capacity and control are… exceptional. If you’re skeptical, I can offer a demonstration.”
Exceptional mana capacity? How exceptional could it be? He would likely exhaust himself before draining the sacred tree’s surrounding mana, perhaps even damaging his magic core in the process. Most high-ranking Druids knew their limits. With the current mana density, they could only drain a few cubic meters at most.
“What kind of demonstration?” Ambrosius asked, exasperated.
“If you don’t mind, I can drain the mana from this clearing. If I can do that effortlessly, perhaps you’ll believe I can drain the area around the sacred tree,” Abyss suggested.
The Druids began murmuring again, their skepticism replaced by curiosity.
Abyss’s confidence was hard to ignore.
“Then proceed,” Arcaiste said. “If you possess such power, show us.”
“Oh, it’s already done,” Abyss said, shrugging. “I’ve drained the mana and created a barrier to prevent external mana from entering.”
The Druids tried to absorb mana, but they found nothing.
The entire clearing was a mana vacuum.
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