Chapter 400: Phantom Mana.

Chapter 400: Phantom Mana.

The room fell into silence as the night gave way to the dawning day, and the first rays of sunlight streamed in through the window. A bandaged figure gazed at another person's missing arm, severed at the elbow, with nothing left but a pitiful stump. However, in his vision, there was something more there, a blue phantom of the missing limb.

‘Is the mana storing what was once his hand?’

As Roland contemplated, his eyes flashed with a blue hue. He employed the same skill he used to predict his enemies' movements, but this time, to his astonishment, it provided him with unique insights into this world. It was the first instance of him using this ability on a person with a missing limb, and it unveiled something intriguing. Although Bernir's arm was missing, the mana that reflected his body portrayed the limb as a complete, bluish phantom.

‘Does mana also store a person’s information like some sort of storage device? Is this perhaps how divine healing spells can work?’

He wasn't entirely certain about this theory, but it seemed to make sense in his mind. There were divine spells capable of restoring limbs, but their mechanisms remained a mystery. Initially, he had assumed they used a person's DNA to reconstruct the limb to its original form, but perhaps there was an entirely different method at play. If the mana within a person stored all of their information, it would provide an alternative explanation.

Two main types of healing spells and potions existed. The first type amplified a person's regenerative abilities to aid in wound recovery. Some monsters could restore limbs and even brain matter, representing one variation of this type. The second type consisted of divine spells that could magically revert an injured person to a previous state. As he examined the mana phantom, he contemplated the possibility that this state might be stored within mana itself.

This idea was a novel concept to him, as he had previously thought of mana as more of an energy source that circulated throughout the world. It was a resource that appeared on almost all living beings' status screens and was consumed when casting spells. The notion that mana might possess storage capabilities could open up new avenues for his research, particularly in the field of prosthetics.

Magical prosthetics were not a novel concept in this world; however, they were typically only accessible to magic casters. These prosthetics relied on a person's ability to manipulate mana and could only be operated by individuals who could use magic. Such individuals were not really using their lost limb, but rather replacing it with something akin to a mage hand. Over time, they became accustomed to moving the prosthetic as though it were a natural extension of themselves. For regular individuals, replicating this feat was impossible.

This new discovery offered a glimmer of hope in Bernir's situation and opened up the possibility of developing prosthetics for individuals who couldn't manipulate mana. If the information for the lost hand was stored within the mana itself, it might be feasible to connect that data to a replacement arm. While this endeavor would require extensive research and development, it held the potential to create a device that could replicate the functions of the lost hand and even restore the sensation of touch.

This revelation ignited a spark of inspiration within Roland and gave him some hope. However, there were some glaring problems with all of the theories that were rushing inside of his brain. He realized that the theory he had stumbled upon might not be a new discovery and that other mages could have attempted it before, possibly without success. Bernir was not the only non-mage that required a replacement limb, it seemed like a lucrative endeavor which meant that this feat would not be an easy one.

“Uhhh... Is that you boss?”

“Ah? Are you awake?”

“Aye...”

Roland snapped out of his thoughts upon noticing that Bernir had finally regained consciousness. His wife, Dyana, was outside the room, taking a break from watching over him. Roland's first instinct was to call her back in, as she was likely anxiously waiting for her husband to wake up.

“I should probably call Dyana over, she just went outside. I'm sure she'd want to know that her husband has woken up.”

“W-wait...”

However, before he could turn to leave the room, Bernir made an attempt to sit up. There was a problem, though - due to his missing right arm, the attempt was awkward. He tried to push himself up as if his missing limb was still there but ended up falling back onto the bed. As he looked at the missing part, he began to recall that day's events.

“Aye... that's right, me right arm... that monster took it...”

“Yeah... I’m sorry, It’s because of me if you didn’t go back...”

Bernir saved Roland’s life by bringing out the experimental rail cannon but also suffered for it dearly. If he had just retreated back through the escape tunnel, his arm would be still intact but on the other hand, Roland’s might have not been here.

“Nah, I made a decision, now I have to live with it and I’d do the same thing if I ... uhg...”

“Welcome back, oh Bernir woke up for a moment, I think he is getting better.”

“He did?”

He quickly gave Dyana that good news and watched her take off. Elodia, who was the one holding the child, smiled. Soon the two heard her sobbing slightly and Bernir trying to sooth her instead. Both Armand and Lobelia also soon awoke to share their own tale of being flung into several trees and having their bones broken. The only person who escaped from the entire predicament mostly unscathed was Elodia, who took it upon herself to tend to everyone's needs.

As everyone started to recover, Roland inquired about the events that occurred after he had blacked out. The only person who witnessed everything unfold was Elodia, and she painted a detailed picture of the events without leaving anything out. She started out at the exact end of the encounter where a group of Solarian knights rushed in to discover Agni.

The form of the Sunlight variant was quite distracting, and Elodia was surprised by how quickly the Solarian knights started to back away. It seemed as if they were afraid to touch the growling wolf who was protecting the passed-out Bernir and Roland. It was only after the soldiers from the city, along with Arthur, appeared a few minutes later that the tension cleared up.

With their arrival and Elodia's ability to calm Agni down, the two could receive immediate aid from the clerics gathered there. Sister Kassia was present as she had taken part in the monster subjugation. Once their lives were no longer in danger, everyone was rushed into the city, and the entirety of Roland’s home had been seized by the Church. As per usual protocol, they needed to search for any cultist survivors and potential future danger.

Arthur, who was the lord of this land, would typically have all the rights to lock down the place without the church's involvement. Unfortunately, when evil cultists were involved, not even a noble could do anything about it. By royal decree, they were allowed to take charge whenever evil forces were involved. This was one of the reasons that the Inquisition was feared, as not even nobles could fully oppose them.

It was clear that the Church of Solaria had taken swift and thorough action to secure the area and ensure that no remnants of the cultists remained. While he didn’t like the fact that a foreign force was patrolling his home this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. With a higher concentration of their focus there, it was less likely for a new wave of attacks to occur.

“So, where is Agni?”

“He actually remained back, I told him to protect our home until we return. Don’t worry about him, these paladins have a strange reverence for him. I think they see him as some sort of holy beast.”

“They do? Hm...”

The story soon came to an end and he was left with more questions. The reason for Agni not being here was that he was left back at the compound to protect it. He was not sure to what extent they worshiped his canine companion but this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. At least they didn’t seem fixated at forcing him anywhere which potentially gave him a new bargaining chip.

With all the information now gathered he needed to prepare. He couldn't afford to reveal too much too soon. He needed to play his cards carefully, especially when it came to dealing with an organization as powerful and enigmatic as the Church of Solaria. They held most of the power here and could potentially attempt to force everything out of him. Luckily this new revelation about Agni could provide him with a buffer as he was linked to the holy beast that the church worshiped.

“Are you sure that you are fine? You’ve been spacing out for a while now... Maybe you should get some sleep?”

“Oh? No, I’m fine, I’m just thinking about some things...”

“If I can help with anything then...”

“I know...”

Roland smiled, and for a moment, he just focused on his new wife. For a moment, he was scared that he would never see her again. Many people would not be able to endure such a traumatic event, but there she was, offering her support to him without even asking for anything in return. It just confirmed the fact that he made the right decision by asking for her hand.

“I appreciate your concern. I'll be alright, it's just a lot to process but I’ll get through this like I always did.”

“I know but... what do you mean by you? Didn’t you mean we?”

Elodia’s eyebrows furrowed and she seemed to be pouting slightly.

“Ah sorry, I guess... I’m still not used to this.”

With a gentle smile, she leaned in and gave him a warm kiss. It was a moment of solace amidst the chaos that had unfolded in their lives. The two of them had faced adversity, but their bond had only grown stronger. Now they just needed to do the same and face the next hurdle together.