Chapter 92 - Shadow (15)

Zverev headed north.

He joined a nomadic tribe in the northern Tentakel region and learned their lifestyle and alchemy traditions for a while.

They were the Plandius Tribe. They were an ordinary tribe maintaining primitive traditions, with fish and mare's milk as their staple foods. What was unique was that they had perfectly adapted over hundreds of years to the northern climate's extreme fluctuations and volatility.

There was one secret to how they could adapt and prosper in such a harsh climate where survival was difficult, with hail falling some days and blizzards raging on others. It was the power of “mediums”.

Surprisingly, one-tenth of the Plandius Tribe's population were mediums, who communed with nature and predicted rapidly changing weather to guide the tribe to safety in advance.

From our perspective, these mediums were “spirit summoners”.

Though there wasn't a precise explanation of what the “Tevris” factor Zverev was searching for was, he mentioned its connection to the Plandius Tribe.

Zverev believed that this unidentified factor played a crucial role in manifesting the abilities of “mediums”.

The Plandius Tribe's activity region bordered the “Land of Death” located at the continent's northernmost point.

So when he tried to move further north for research, all the tribespeople tried to stop him.

And he heard a strange story from the tribal chief.

The tribespeople, seeing Zverev's magical knowledge, believed he also possessed the talent of a “medium” and warned that "Those with medium power must never venture into the Land of Death."

Then, they showed him something.

A young man imprisoned in a coffin, his limbs bound by chains. The young man was constantly muttering something.

When asked what connection there was between the imprisoned youth and the Land of Death, they answered.

They said there was a huge pit in the Land of Death. It was so deep its depth couldn't be measured, and inside, demonic and chaotic energy writhed like an active volcano.

They called it the “Devil's Pit”.

Darkness that swallowed light poured out from it. This wasn't a metaphor—they said torches and light-emitting magic stones lost their power in that area.

And they told an even more bizarre story.

“All mediums who visit the Land of Death go insane.”

The youth bound in the coffin was a medium who had accidentally set foot in the Land of Death.

The symptoms were all similar. The mediums said hundreds and thousands of thought entities screamed and howled from the “Devil's Pit”.

And after visiting there, they showed signs of mental illness.

First, they heard hallucinations, then saw visions of black forms. Finally, their minds were dominated by something unknown and they would run to throw themselves into the “Devil's Pit”.

They had no choice but to bind them with chains and confine them in coffins because the “Devil's Pit” strongly pulled at their bodies.

It was a case that mostly matched Luna's symptoms.

They asked Zverev for help. They asked him to devise a way for the tribe's strong warriors to fight against the black forms tormenting the mediums.

Using knowledge gained from the Tornica Tribe who lived in a mana pressure zone, Zverev devised one recipe.

It required only two ingredients.

Maladirut, and Doppler's blood.

***

However, this was a recipe devised based on Zverev's hypothesis rather than being verified in a laboratory, and since the aftermath of the Plandius Tribe and the youth confined in the coffin wasn't written, it was difficult to consider it a definite solution.

Nevertheless, it was worth trying.

The first ingredient, Maladirut, was a rare herb that grew in areas where mana gushed from the earth and strong mana pressure formed.

What was unique was that it could grow in any terrain, climate, or even polluted environment as long as the mana pressure was strong.

Its special quality lied in its ability to materialize formless energy and store it in its roots.

If it grew in forests with many spirits, it would eat and materialize the energy left by spirit entities and store it in its roots, and if in a place full of thought entities, it would eat and store their energy. It had the power to convert spiritual energy into the material realm.

Moreover, during the conversion process, it also neutralized toxins and malice.

And when one inhaled the smoke from burning these roots, their sensitivity to the energy components contained within temporarily increased.

Some minority tribes also used Maladirut in communication and rituals with indigenous gods who governed the circulatory system.

Zverev predicted that Maladirut grown in the Land of Death, or Maladirut grown consuming Doppler's blood—revealed to be an otherworldly species—would improve sensitivity to the “black forms”.

Though a path was found, obtaining rare herbs and otherworldly beast blood was another problem.

I immediately set out to find someone who could give advice.

***

Art Club advisor Georgia received a stack of documents from her assistant and asked.

"What's all this?"

"Documents related to the Art Club."

"That's why I'm asking why there's so much. What's with all these demands for such a tiny special club?"

"Professor, half of those are club membership applications."

"...What?"

Georgia immediately took the documents and flipped through them one by one. It was true.

The number of applicants, which had been only six or seven per semester, had swollen to thirty.

Among them were some with Drama Club and Dance Club records. It was quite suspicious that they would abandon those places with such fierce competition to come to the Art Club. Following that, there were only two male applicants, which was what Georgia had hoped for.

"Really now."

Georgia shook her head as if disgusted and asked her assistant.

"Hey, do you know what's going on? Are any rumors going around school? Or did the prince suddenly develop an interest in art and make it fashionable in the Empire?"

The assistant scratched their head and made an expression as if embarrassed to speak the rumors themselves.

"Well... you know too, Professor. That male student who recently joined the Art Club has quite striking looks..."

Georgia hit her forehead as if she hadn't even thought of that.

"I'm going crazy. I'm really going crazy."

"Professor, I'm curious too, could I visit later..."

"Hey! Not you too!"

"Ah, sorry..."

Though she had seen countless men apply hoping to see female students, this was the first time female applicants had flooded in for the opposite reason.

She sighed. Having many applicants wasn't necessarily good. Either way, if art wasn't their main purpose, they would only disrupt the atmosphere.

"We'll need to screen very carefully this time too."

Just then, someone knocked on the professor's office door. Georgia was massaging her neck due to the applicant processing issue and said, "Come in."

A boy opened the door and entered. Georgia's eyes widened at the sight. Interestingly, it was Damian, the very person who had caused this application commotion.

"Hello, Professor. Actually—"

She cut him off mid-sentence.

"Oh my, perfect timing. Come here. Sit here."

She pointed to a reception sofa and had him sit. Then, she poured herb tea from a teapot and sat on the sofa opposite Damian.

"You came at just the right time. Now that you're here, we need to get our story straight."

"Pardon?"

"You, you've left the Art Cluh now."

"...?"

"No, not really left, but if anyone asks, just say that until this week, you left the Art Club."

"Is there some problem..."

"No, there's no problem with you. Don't worry. Anyway, you understand?"

If rumors spread that Damian had left, those who came with impure motives would be easily filtered out.

Damian thought quietly then nodded.

"I understand."

"Ah, right, so why did you come?"

"Actually, there's an herb I'd like to research personally... I came to ask you a few things about it."

Georgia took a sip of tea and said, "What is it? I should help if our Art Club member needs assistance. What herb do you want to research?"

"Maladirut."

Georgia's scattered energy suddenly calmed and her eyelids tensed.

"Hmm… Maladirut."

She leaned on the armrest for a moment, pressed her temple with her hand, and stared intently at Damian.

Though she wanted to ask about the reason, she held back.

First-year students would soon face the joint class. And many students were fiercely preparing to receive the highest grades in that class.

Georgia knew well that it was all in vain.

Effort wasn't important. What was important was seeing the essence. Maladirut was one of many ways to approach that essence. No one, not even Alchemy Department students, had come close to understanding Maladirut.

But having this refined Combat Department student, who seemed to have no interest in alchemy, ask about it... was extremely interesting. Of course, knowing only about Maladirut wouldn't accomplish anything, so hasty expectations were forbidden. But it was worth watching.

"Alche... no, you were from the Combat Department, correct?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Interesting. So what do you want to know about Maladirut?"

***

"Doppler? Why Doppler?"

"For research purposes."

Ella asked while fixing her gaze on documents. She had many more documents beside her than when visited before. She seemed extremely busy.

"Where would you see a Doppler? Are you planning to go search for one yourself?"

"If possible, that's what I'm thinking."

"The mask has special enchantments that prevent Dopplers from recognizing it. If you wear the mask and talk to people one by one in Rigbed, you might eventually stumble upon one."

"Is there no other way?"

"That's the most reliable method. Before research on Dopplers accumulated, Eternia actually did that to catch Dopplers."

"..."

"You don't need to search yourself. We keep Dopplers at the Magic Engineering Research Institute. If you want, I can help, but the issue is... I need to know your purpose. Do you need to see a Doppler directly? Or do you need materials from it?"

"The latter."

"That's possible. However, promise you won't put the Doppler's blood or secretions in your mouth."

"Is there a special reason why I shouldn't?"

"It's simple. It contains neurotoxins. You must never put it in your mouth."

"...I'll keep that in mind."

"Good. Come to the Magic Engineering Research Institute in three hours. I'll tell the magic creature researchers to prepare."

"Thank you."

Ella waved her hand, signaling him to leave.