Mana

Artens

One of the nations at the outskirts of the Azure Empire. They serve as border nations, protecting the rest by confronting any danger that attempts to breach the borders.

But... even though this might be extremely dangerous considering what I could come across... it actually works out all too well. If I play my cards right, I might be able to get my hands on one of the protagonist's allies... or should I say, cheat?

Esmeris Silver Tallen.

The estranged son of the Tallen family. Unlike me, that bastard is incredibly dangerous. Thankfully, he wasn't a villain, because if not, the already impossible game would have become truly unbeatable. He was supposed to be a side character, but he didn't stay in that role. I mean, if not for the godly items and weapons the protagonist conveniently 'stumbled' upon, they would probably have been equals. No, Esmeris was likely stronger!

Hm.

And there's something about him I never quite understood. It was his... confidence. He has an incredible level of self-assurance that borders on arrogance, and it intensifies whenever he steps onto the battlefield. In fact, sometimes I think he might actually be a hidden protagonist...

...hm.

...Why do I suddenly feel like I hit the nail on the head...?

...

Anyway. He is the wielder of the [Chronos Lock], one of the most broken items in the game. It was the very definition of a 'cheat.' I tried so hard to get my hands on it when I played the game—befriending that bastard was at the top of my list. I thought, maybe, if I could gain his trust, I could convince him to part with it. But boy, was that guy a steel wall!

Anyway, Esmeris was supposed to shock the world and his family during the entrance exam, where everyone would see just how powerful he really was.

However, the most important thing in all this is that he got the [Chronos Lock] before heading to the entrance exam—supposedly a year before that.

A year before?

In Arten City. 

Specifically during the [Arten Raid].

The [Arten Raid] was an arc in the game's future events, probably around the fourth arc of the third act in the game. But there was a previous [Arten Raid] before that, which was more of a background event leading up to the later raid. So, essentially, I'm in the right place at the right time. If my calculations are correct, Esmeris hasn't gotten his hands on that cheat just yet.

[You know your plans won't work without mana, right?]

"I do... but I don't care. I just need the item for now, then I can figure out my mana problem later," I said dismissively.

[... Suit yourself.]

"...Why do I feel like there's something more you want to say?" I asked, picking up on the strange tone.

[Shouldn't you—I don't know—make staying alive your priority? You literally have a month and a few days to live, and all you can think about is getting a damned relic?!]

"...Well, that... makes sense. Haah," I sighed. That was also a fact... but the truth was, I desperately needed that relic.

Hm... 

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

"What name should I call you?" I asked.

[... System?]

"Nah... that's too long. How about... Stem?"

[That's basically the same thing.]

"No, it's shorter."

[Just ask your question already, you dimwit!]

"... Tsk, annoying piece of crap," I retorted.

[Are you sure you want to go down this road again?]

"... Haah, sorry. So, I wanted to ask—is it possible to awaken without mana?" I asked, the one question that had been bothering me for so long.

[.... No.]

"So it's impossible?"

[I just said that. Yes.]

"Then how did I awaken?"

[Well, that's because you... Oh, I see... not enough privileges at this level.]

'Cheeky bastard... can't believe he actually caught on,' I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

"Why do I feel like you're doing this on purpose?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

[Whatever do you mean? It's just your imagination.]

"You're right," I replied sarcastically.

[...]

"But seriously, joke aside, was my mana sealed?" I asked, my tone becoming serious.

---

The Agent of Bad Endings.

During my first playthroughs of the game, there was a certain scenario where... 

Amael killed a heroine. 

Yes, I remember.

He was able to seduce one of the heroines and turn her against the main character due to the player's negligence. Then, he and the now-turned villainess planned the downfall of the main character. I remember that scenario perfectly...

... Something happened between him and that heroine, which led to him becoming extremely powerful.

That way... he was able to kill one of the heroines.

[Bad Ending No. 43: A Villain's Web]

Not just that...

... The Dark Church. 

It was said that they helped him by unsealing his demon bloodline. If that's the case, did they also unseal his mana?

[Haah... Yes, it's sealed.]

"...Then... can you tell me how to unseal it?" I asked.

[Well, there is a way... but there's a cost.]

My excitement dwindled. "LP?" I asked.

[No... AP.]

"What the hell is AP?"

[Affection Points.]

"...." I could only remain silent as my irritation grew.

[AP is obtained from your interactions with the main characters of this world, otherwise known as the Children of Destiny. Whether negative or positive emotion, it doesn't matter. AP can be used in the shop and to level up, while LP is used for high-end transactions and stat boosts. You need both AP and LP to level up. LP can be exchanged for SP, [System Points]—1 LP equals 2 SP. AP can be exchanged for EXP, [Experience Points]—100 AP equals 1 EXP. EXP can also be obtained from quests, as can SP.]

"...." Amael stood agape, letting the load of information sink in. "Wait... how many points do I even have?! And shouldn't I have some kind of bonus, given how difficult this whole thing is?!"

[Ding.]

"Stop the damn 'ding'! I know you're doing that on purpose!" Frustrated, I hid behind a tree as I heard a strange rustling noise.

[Fine, you got me...]

---

[Total LP: 150]

[AP: 0]

[SP: 0] 

[EXP: 0]

"Yeah... what did I even expect?" I muttered in exasperation.

"Don't turn..." I heard, and I froze instantly. 

I don't know why... 

But I felt it was better if I didn't turn.