As Sister Adah observed the man's body, she continued to observe his features. He was stripped down to his undergarments. Adah was trying to study the magical properties left on his body by the traces he left behind. As well as trying to figure out a way to wake him. She cast numerous different healings, anti-sleeps, awakens, and even cast sleeping spells to cancel any sleeping spell that might be present. With no bruises or signs of spells, curses, or natural diseases. Sister Adah couldn't understand exactly what was happening to him.
As for Kar, he had fallen asleep on the chair in the corner. He wasn't afraid that the man would wake up and try to hurt Sister Adah. Despite her innocent look, she is number three amongst the elites in terms of raw power and combat amongst her peers. She is number one in terms of healing and defense magic, on top of being amongst the few able to dual cast. He also believed one couldn't be too careful when dealing with the unknown, so he placed a few defenses and attack runes around the cave.
'Hmmm… From what I can gather, he has teleported here from afar, but I can't tell how far.' Placing her hand on her chin, she went deeper into thought. As I observe him, it's hard not to be struck by his imposing stature—tall and well-built. I can he carries himself with a quiet confidence. His body is a canvas of battle scars, each mark telling a story of past encounters, except for his face, which remains unblemished. It's an intriguing contrast that hints at a life filled with both struggle and resilience. Didn't the children say there was a weird shadow underneath him? What's odd is he doesn't seem to have a shadow, no matter how, where, or how bright I make the light. Did someone steal it? No, stealing it wouldn't be possible with the surveillance orbs at every corner of the city. It is possible that they left on their own accord for self-revival, but that's extremely rare even amongst legends. That was rarer than being born without a shadow. But being born without one was a trait only known to moon maniacs favored by the goddess Luna.'
Moon Maniacs, despite their name, are scholarly and wise people. But when it came to collecting Luna stones, their logic and critical thinking would be thrown away. At times, they could even make the assassin guild look like saints. This is how they got the name Moon Maniacs. Some areas even reserved the word Lunatic1(s) specifically for Luna worshippers. It wasn't hard to recognize them in a crowd. They all had some variation of a moon birthmark on the sides of their head, followed by many moon tattoos.
While still in deep, she had a sudden epiphany 'His mana could be heavily depleted' "Why didn't I think of that earlier? Not a drop of mana seems to be coming from him." 'Should I check his chakra points? If I do, I can accurately tell what's wrong with him, but seening all of him without his permission. I should get Kar's advice about what to do next.'
The awareness spell alerted Kar to Sister Adah's approach. "What is now? Hasn't anyone ever told not to disturb a cat when he's sleeping?" he said with a yawn.
Being a cat beast-man, Kar looked rather cute, yawning and scratching his ears. This made Sister Adah smile with the grin of a child who just got their favorite gift for Christmas. "So adorable," she whispered, knowing Kar hates it when she says that. However, Kar knew the meaning behind the faces she made; after all, they did spend a lot of time on the battlefield to gather. He immediately put his helmet up before asking again what she wanted.
Coughing, Sister Adah gained her resolve. "Where was I? I've tried every external test that I could think of on him and still came to the same conclusion. His mana maybe heavily depleted. I want to check his source points, but since his life isn't endangered, I don't want to break the law by invading his privacy. What do you think I should do?
Pondering for a short while, Kar replied, "I see your predicament. However, he is not a part of the kingdom. Which means his not fully protected by its laws. Even if you didn't do it, the council would. For the protection of the kingdom and its citizens. I suggest you set up a temporary magic quarantine zone around the room and proceed. I've already notified my guards about what's taking place. They will empty the spiral and set up a perimeter around it."
Just before Sister Adah finished placing the wards around the room, the guards finished emptying the spiral and setting the perimeter. The entire room was bursting with mana being drawn from all around. Sister Adah was ready and grabbed the young man's hand. Before she could insert her mana into his body, she toke deep breathes. A cooling feeling passed all over her body. The feeling was a strange but pleasant one. She didn't quite know what the feeling was. Due to the fact that she's never experienced it. Sister Adah couldn't help but let out a slight pleasant moan.
Sister Adah stuck in a trance thought to herself ¨How many times have I performed internal mana checks and not once did I ever have this feeling. I can tell
Kar, being a beastman, could naturally pick up on the increasing pheromones coming from Sister Adah and the stranger. He lowered his ears and tail in confusion about what was happening between the two before asking curiously, "Adah, what's going on? Are you engaging in mana immersion with him?"
Waiting for a response, Kar smiled and remembered that Sister Adah had never gone through a successful mana immersion past the First Occurrence. She had a unique mana signature that did not seem to be compatible with others. Mana immersion happens when two entities release mana into each other's bodies as a compatibility test. Usually, two people would volunteer to send and accept mana into one another's bodies. To try and trigger the Second Occurrence to confirm compatibility between them. This was because mana wasn't simply energy to be used, but part of their being, personality, ideologies, habits, and all. No two mana signatures were alike. Much like figure prints.
The First is the most common, essentially functioning as a doctor's check-up with a 100% success rate. The mana would be injected to the patient's body to access detect internal anomalies such as, sickness, mana blockage, or nutritional needs for example. This occurrence is usually left to healers due the potential of mana poisoning.
The second outcome is uncommon. It also went by two other names such as compatibility test or mana immersion. A majority of the world's population would engage in mana immersion to find a compatible mate or spouse. Some did it to establish or maintain healthy bloodlines. It was even useful for party building. When a successful connection was established, individuals gain the ability to communicate telepathically when in proximity to one another. A much rarer facet of this (occurring in only 1 in 100 immersions) is the ability to feel each other's emotions without the continuous expenditure of mana. This emotional link can be permanent. Lasting for the rest of their lives as long as both parties agreed so.
The third outcome is a rare occurrence, also known as soul entanglement or soul mate, with a staggering ratio of 1 in 10,000. As the name suggests, two souls separate a piece of themselves to merge and duplicate. Thus, creating entirely new intertwined soul pieces. The intertwined soul fragments then return to the soul to complete it again. Effectively creating a soul entanglement. Those who experience soul entanglement receive a slight boost to their mana capacity and overall strength. They also gain the telepathic and emotional connection abilities of the second outcome, along with new, unique attributes and spell mixtures that align with their elemental essences.
Based on recorded cases, the specific new abilities or attributes gained through soul entanglement aren't immediately apparent; they typically require training or constant battle to discover. In two documented cases, both entangled individuals reported receiving a buff when the other was within a certain proximity. However, the precise distance required for this activation and whether it was a unique ability of only those specific couples was never definitively established.
The First and Second Occurrences could happen with more than one person. Neither Kar nor Sister Adah knew she was going through the third occurrence.
Knowing that once the process started, it couldn't be stopped, General Kar had initially turned his head, affording Sister Adah a moment of privacy with whatever strange connection was forging between her and the mysterious man. However, several minutes later, an undeniable shift in the room's energy forced his attention back. He could feel both Sister Adah and the unconscious stranger becoming enveloped in a peculiar aura. Opening his eyes once more, Kar found himself staring at a mesmerizing dance of bright white and dark black energy swirling around the two figures. The swirling energies had an oddly calming effect on him, a stark contrast to the alarming nature of the phenomenon itself. He quickly activated a nearby memory crystal, recording this unnatural event with a sense of urgent foresight. Just as he finished, and as he began to approach Sister Adah and the strange man, they suddenly vanished
General Kar's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets, like a cartoon character, so much that they looked like they would explode. He immediately spread his mana and mental power, searching frantically for any clues, or at least a lingering mana signature before it completely dissipated. After a few agonizing minutes of searching the entire healing chamber, he found nothing. They were simply gone. No trace of mana residue remained, no ripple in the air that suggested their departure. With a grim set to his jaw, he immediately put out a wanted notice for the mysterious man, who he now presumed had kidnapped Sister Adah. He clutched the recording crystal tightly, its smooth surface a cold comfort. There was nothing more he could do but wait for the Queen and her council to arrive, dreading the questions and the implications of this unprecedented disappearance.
Beyond the healing chamber, Kar immediately ordered every sentinel and mage under his command to initiate wide-area mana signature scans across the entire royal complex, then the city, and finally the surrounding territories. He knew the chances were slim, but even a faint echo, a distorted resonance of the magic used, could provide a lead. He personally oversaw the calibration of sensitive magical detectors, hoping to pick up any residual energy that might have lingered, even if it wasn't a distinct signature.
General Kar, a man of action and C-rank power, refused to simply wait. The initial, frantic sweep of his mana and mental power was just the first wave of his desperate hunt. A city-wide magical alert was immediately activated. Every mage, arcane artisan, diviners and even magically sensitive commoner was instructed to report any unusual magical activity, strange apparitions, or individuals matching the description of the mysterious man. Wide-area mana signature scans spread across the entire royal complex, and city. Elite magical reconnaissance teams were dispatched to scout the immediate surrounding wilderness, looking for any signs of a hasty magical teleportation, a hidden portal, or even physical tracks. Information on Sister Adah was disseminated as well, though with strict warnings against alarming the populace. He knew the chances were slim, but even a faint echo, a distorted resonance of the magic used, could provide a lead. He personally oversaw the calibration of sensitive magical detectors, hoping to pick up any residual energy that might have lingered, even if it wasn't a distinct signature.
Simultaneously, the few guards who had been near the healing chamber, though not directly observing the room, were thoroughly interrogated. Even though they had seen nothing unusual, Kar pressed them for any faint sounds, smells, or feelings that might have seemed out of place in the preceding hours. He even had some subjected to truth-telling charms, though these too yielded no new information, only confirming their lack of direct involvement or knowledge.
Despite these immediate and extensive efforts, the feeling of a cold, unsettling void persisted. The silence from the diviners, the lack of even the faintest magical ripple, only deepened General Kar's grim realization that they weren't dealing with a simple escape. This was something far more profound and alarming.