“MASTER! The surveillance magic circle just picked up a very large mana surge!”

A young boy, dressed in an oversized blue robe and a dark black pointy hat ran into a laboratory completely panicked. The shelves and tables were lined with valves, test tubes and bottles with curious colored liquids in almost all of them. The sun coming in through many windows, seemed to give some of the liquids a luminescent glow.

An old man wearing a long grey robe and an equally long pointy hate. Facing his back towards the boy completely focused on his experiments. As he held a pink liquid filled bottle, he nonchalantly waved the boy off.

“Yes Juan, that’s how our magic circle works, we and the knights get alerted by it and the knights go handle the situation outside the walls. Juan, let the muscle brained knights handle it and get back to your assignment.”

“But master it’s a Behemoth class!”

The old man knew, his apprentice well. This wasn’t the first time he had come to him with a desire to skip work with such a ridiculous excuse.

“Behemoth classes aren’t rare around the outskirts of the city; the knights can handle it. In fact, it’s their job, unless… you have forgotten my dear apprentice…?”

Seeing his master getting irritated Juan could feel a sermon coming on, he could only mumble his thoughts.

“… it’s in the city…”

“The knights of the city- “

Hearing his apprentice’s mumble, the old man was slightly taken aback.

“Wait… Its… in… the city…?”

“Yes…”

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE THOSE BIGGOTS DOING?!”

Juan could only shrink back in shock at his master’s outburst.

“A Behemoth class, in the fucking city!! I made the god damn circle so this WOULDN’T happen! And what the fuck do those dumbasses do?!”

“Come Juan, we’ll go deal with this before the old coots on the council get wind of this!”

With a wave of his finger, Juan was lifted into the air by his buttocks as he floated next to the old man. A snap of his finger was all it took before he and his apprentice disappeared from the room in an instant.

----

It really wasn’t the best decision I made. The way I acted felt as though my actions were being dictated by someone else. I am normally able to keep my emotions in control. What happened just now felt completely out of my hands. My mind gained clarity the moment the bright red light appeared. The feeling of what if that power hadn’t stopped at just the building, the lives of so many people on my hands. I was terrified and confused.

‘In the first place, where did the mana come from?’

Having a mana signature, wasn’t the same as having actual mana, the mana signature is a fingerprint. The reason why I was reading on how to get mana in the first place was because this body didn’t seem to have a single drop of it.

‘At least… that’s what I had thought…’

But this wasn’t the time nor place to contemplate on this matter.

‘I need to leave… quick…’

The commotion wasn’t loud, but it was almost overpowering the sun with its light. Considering how most novels and stories go, this was bound to attract some large fish. My involvement might not be concealed even if I left, but leaving now and facing them later was definitely the better option.

‘I can’t exactly just start running… These guys look like they’re scared of me… If I start sprinting, I can only imagine the worst.’

‘So, the only other way out is…. Dorota. I have a lot of questions for that evil woman…’

The moment I activated the scroll, from my peripheral vision I saw what she did. Considering how quick her reactions were, she knew a lot more than she was willing to tell me about magic. She wasn’t an amateur either. But she somehow sees me as someone who is at least at her level or above when it comes to magic. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have immediately run.

‘If that is the case… All I need to do is… this…’

“Dorota?”

“Yes… young… master…?”

A disconnected voice, with a bit of static mixed in seemed to talk into my head. Dorota was nowhere near me, yet I could hear her voice.

“We need to leave, somethings coming. Going your way is the best…”

“…”

‘Was I being too vague…? She doesn’t believe me…? Or… did she not understand what I said…?’

A momentary silence, before I was completely engulfed in darkness.

----

“Juan, wake up the fat one. His entire body is covered in that behemoth's mana”

“Yes master!”

A dazed and confused Borras woke up to a stinging sensation on his cheeks. A boy who seemed barely 12 years of age was sitting on top him. His short wavy brown hair and even darker brown eyes perfectly complemented his tanned skin. A mischievous smile plastered on his face seemed to tell Borras that he was the one responsible for the pain on his cheeks. As if to prove him right, the boy slapped him again even when Borras was clearly awake.

“He’s awake master!”

“Very good Juan, now get off him. I have some questions for the fat bloat.”

As the boy stood up Borras could make out a figure of a man standing behind the boy. A dashing old gentleman, his skin a fair white. Long silver hair that reached his shoulders and a short neatly trimmed beard. His eyes a deep black. As handsome as the man was, what caught Borras’s eye was the emblem pinned to his robe. A golden three-point star, with the number 3 burnt into the middle.

‘The magic academy…’

This was a high-ranking wizard. Borras could feel the sweat start forming on his back. He was an adventurer that had gone through many near death situations and survived, yet the fear he felt when facing a true wizard couldn’t compare to any one of them. He was completely oblivious to his surroundings.

“You see, I’m a very busy man. So, since you’re currently the only one who’s completely soaked in the behemoth’s mana and is currently in the middle of where the surge of destruction originated, explain yourself in 50 words or less. Before I put your head on a pike and present you to the council.”

His words were quick and sharp. Hearing him Borras couldn’t help but look around his surroundings. He was surprised to see only dust and gravel. Some of his regulars were on the ground completely dazed.

‘What…? Where…?’

“Where… am I?”

The old wizards face started to form a frown. He was clearly getting impatient. The young boy on the other hand seemed to be having fun, with a smile on his face as he chimed in.

“I know! I know! This used to be an adventurer’s district!”

Realization soon hit Borras.

‘My… tavern… my… my…’

“MY BEAUTIFUL TAVERN!!!”

Tears streamed down his face as he started to bawl his eyes out. He worked 30 years of his life saving money to open ‘Borras & Chomp’. Years of deadly adventures where he could’ve easily lost his life. His life’s work completely gone.

“Juan, slap some sense into him. Clearly he’s still not awake.”

“Yes master!”

Looking at the sight of a child happily slapping a grown man who was crying like a baby, the old wizard could only close his eyes as he pinched his nose bridge, he felt a headache coming on. The old wizard could tell he had made the wrong decision instructing his apprentice.

----

Travelling in the darkness was an interesting experience. Whatever magic or skill Dorota was using it was something special. Stepping into a completely different dimension.

‘I shall dub this the ‘Shadow Dimension’, the most original name possible’

As the name implies the place was pitch black. It was a replica of the outside world, minus the living. There was not a single sign of life in sight. No trees, cats, birds or even people. How was I able to see even in this pitch-black darkness? There was light of course. The light came from what I can only assume are the only living beings currently in this place, Dorota and myself. The surroundings were completely monochrome even with the white light coming from both of us.

Bartha on the other hand was a black fog that shrouded around us seemingly protecting us. I already figured both Dorota and Bartha weren’t in the slightest bit normal. Bartha more so than Dorota. She was clearly the elephant in the room, her sheer size was enough to warrant a second glance. Yet, not a single person has ever reacted to her, as though she didn’t even exist. Why I could see and interact with Bartha, was a partial mystery to me. Seeing that Dorota didn’t seem to care, it was most likely that Dorota was the one allowing this or it could be something else entirely.

‘I can only assume she’s a ghost. Great, what’s next? A unicorn hell beast? Or maybe tiny mole people that want to eat your brains and suck your toes?’

I could only keep myself calm thinking up stupid thoughts and ideas. Dorota didn’t seem like she wanted to hold a conversation and I wasn’t exactly in the mood to talk to her either. Thus, our quiet journey through the ‘Shadow Dimension’ continued in a completely uneventful fashion. Though, I could occasionally feel Dorota’s gaze linger on me from time to time.

‘Does she have eyes behind her head?? How the fuck do I feel her gaze when I’m behind her???’

‘It might not be her gaze… maybe somethings in the darkness... watching us…’

The place was now giving me the creeps and I could feel a tingling sensation run down my spine, I wanted to leave this place quickly.

----

Dorota was deep in thought. She had thought she had Richard completely figured out. Yet, it seemed she was wrong. For her Richard had become slightly special. Getting his scowling reactions and displeasure gave her a sort of joy she never felt before. Even Dorota herself didn’t know why, but she didn’t care. She lived long enough to no longer care about the small details. She would much rather enjoy the moment than worry about the why, what, where and ifs.

She couldn’t help but think back to the first day she had met Richard. The day of her interview, the day she had tricked him into signing that contract. The presence and aura coming from Richard back than was the same kind you would see commonly coming from any person spoilt from a noble birth. Arrogant, lustful and Quick tempered. Yet there was a small difference, Richard had every right to be what he was, his mana was just that powerful.

Dorota was certain she would lose if she ever had a direct confrontation with Richard. The second time she had contact with Richard directly was the day she had gone to wake him up. She could tell immediately Richard was different. His face and demeanor, even his mana looked and felt the same, yet his eyes and gaze had changed. He was confused and afraid. Her interest in Richard started when she noticed he was trying to hide his own confusion and fear.

‘That day in the study…’

What Richard did than, reminded her of a time long since passed. It was the last memory she had of her own mother. Of course, she thought of it as a coincidence back then, even now she was a little skeptical on exactly what she had seen.

‘And… I let him enter the world I created…’

This place was special to her, it was something directly related to her very being. Her family, ancestors and her life itself was engraved in this monochrome world. Richard was the first living being she had ever let inside this place. Richard was easy to read, yet at the same time was oddly mysterious. What happened just now proved it even more. She felt a sense of curiosity she had thought that disappeared over the long years. Her gaze going through Bartha’s fog, looking at Richard,

‘Strange…’

Her life thus far wasn’t the most brightly lit. It was the same as this dimension, a complete monochrome in her surroundings and a black darkness where her light couldn’t reach. Looking at Richard who was calmly walking behind her emitting a faint glow, she could feel something indescribable. His light wasn’t doing anything extraordinary, but she could feel her monochrome world had expanded.

Even with her years of experience Richard always seemed to surprise her. But what happened today and the fact that she let Richard into this dimension had changed a lot of things for Dorota. She couldn’t help but think it was time she tried figuring things out, instead of just being an observer.

‘Weirdo…’

Was the weird one Richard or herself? She couldn’t help but feel that it all seemed funny.

‘All these years, and I get interested in a crazy bastard that would use a tier 5 spell on a bar squabble’

‘Well, it was an unprepared one though… but still... what a damn lunatic…’

With that thought, she couldn’t help but let out an audible chuckle. She could immediately feel Richard’s gaze on her back. She could tell what he was thinking,

‘The fuck is this evil hag laughing to herself for?? Crazy hag!’ A/N: spot on!

A small smile creeped it’s way on her face as she paved the way home. As dangerous and stupid as the event that occurred was, she was having fun.

----

It took almost an hour for the man to calm down enough to explain what had happened. Hermann couldn’t help but think it was a good idea he had activated a mana disruption spell as soon as he arrived. If he hadn’t, he might be completely swarmed by knights and other mages by now. Dealing with that sort of trouble was annoying and would end up being a lot of paperwork for him.

Looking at the man who had snot and drool dripping from his face, he couldn’t help but feel disgusted. To think this was once a famed adventurer known to many as ‘Borras the Shark Bite’. According to Borras, the Behemoth wasn’t a behemoth at all. It was a human noble; even more baffling was that, he supposedly looked young. A young noble strong enough to let out mana equivalent to a Behemoth.

‘Nonsensical’   

Behemoths were not called a behemoth for their strength or mana. It was their size that gave them that name. Mana was abundant, it was everywhere. The plants, people and animals breathed and ate mana. Yet mana cannot be contained beyond a vessel’s capacity, which was the size of their heart. For the man described by Borras to be able to do this much from an <Explosion> spell he would require to have prepared beforehand.

‘But there is no sign of any circuitry or magic circles in the vicinity…’

‘Could it be a scroll…? Even than… how could a human have enough mana to disintegrate an entire building…? The onlookers said he was devoured by a giant black fanged serpent…’

‘He was completely calm in that situation… so he had enough mana left to create that serpent and escape?’

Magic scrolls in the hands of people who didn’t understand their use were double edged swords. The scrolls when activated, regardless of the users own mana capacity would drain their mana to fuel and activate the spell.

‘Wait… the spell didn’t work correctly…’

<Explosion> was a destructive spell, it was capable of creating holes in mountains and craters as large as the castles. Yet, not a single person was hurt. The only things destroyed was the tavern leaving a large crater.

“Mast…”

‘Was it intentional? Maybe it wasn’t an <Explosion> spell in the first place… A trick to misguide us? But why?’

“Master…”

‘No casualties… A large crater where an adventurers’ tavern once stood…’

“Master!”

‘Black fanged serpent…’

“MASTER!”

Hermann’s thoughts were cut short by his apprentice’s constant nagging.

“WHAT?!”

“I need to go potty…”

The boy looked up at his master with an innocent smile. Hermann almost refuted, saying why the boy hadn’t gone before. But he realized he was the one that dragged the boy here in the first place when he didn’t need to.

‘Why am I worrying about this in the first place? I’ll just send an anonymous tip to the Knight Order and let them deal with this nonsense… Since it’s no longer an actual Behemoth it is no longer my problem! I, Hermann have better more productive things to do!’

“Master… I really need to go…”

‘…’

Feeling slightly annoyed, Hermann waved his hand and snapped his fingers to go back home.