Chereads / Wizard of Fate / Chapter 5 - Out in the Sticks

Chapter 5 - Out in the Sticks

With my newfound follower in tow, I made my way back to the Lab. Deep in thought, we stayed quiet for most of the trip, yet the silence was pleasant. She had climbed on my shoulder, and maybe because she was the first person to talk to me since arriving, I felt comfortable in her presence. Yet the one thing that couldn't leave my mind the entire trip was the one vital question I had left unasked...why was the mana density so low? Regardless of any God deciding to commit genocide or controlling the information the dominant race gets, the mana density of the world shouldn't be affected much. If anything, there would be even more mana in this world because only the most advanced of spells deal with the Void and cause actual loss of energy. Without performing extensive research, I only have two guesses about what is happening. Someone is siphoning this world's mana, much like I did to the rats. And two, some fool tampered with the Void. And They created a magical black hole that's slowly compressing the mana in this world into a singularity. Surprisingly both of these options would explain why my God sent me here. Thinking back to the moment Scribe had revealed my status as his priest in this world, I realized he didn't exactly explain what that would entail. Then again, when dealing with an ageless god with knowledge of what is, was, will be, and could be. It's probably best not to ask too many questions. When I was finally broken from my thoughts, we had made it back to my lab, and it was now that I needed to start plans for building my flock and spreading the faith of Scribe.

"Haven, how many of you are there in your brood?"

Being startled by my question, she took a moment to think before saying in a proud tone,

"I was born in the largest batch in over 400 years, counting all my siblings. We have about 42 of us!"

Without knowing more about the 'Spiders' breeding habits, I couldn't say whether that was a lot, but it would be enough for my purposes.

"Do you hold any gatherings or meet any regularly, child? The word of Scribe needs to be spread."

With an eager look, she practically jumped as she said,

"Yes, Father! Since we all stay in this city, we have a unique way of calling each other together! No other brood has been able to figure it out!"

With a nod for her to proceed, I stared intently at her as she started. I was curious how the inhabitants had adapted to a world with practically no mana for complex spellcasting. Perhaps they had developed more efficient spell formulae, in which case I could probably learn much from the beings here. Yet, in the next moment, my hopes were dashed. After observing her with 'Diviners Eye' active, I saw her use all of the meager amounts of mana in her body to simply strum a random thread of fate. Watching her fall to the ground, exhausted, I had to resist the urge to slap myself in the face. Sure, monsters with the mana type of Fate, so most monsters will be utterly ignorant of what she just did. Yet such an annoying method has gotten on the nerves of at least one or two Crones.After struggling to stand up she looked up at me and with what I assume is a smug face on an insect she said

"Well? What did you think? Cool right!?"

Without responding I merely gave her an encouraging smile.While thinking Perhaps this world is even more backwards than I thought