Valac Noctis had an Aetherion Exarch Body!? WTF!?
How come there was no NPC named Valac Noctis in Version 1? Did they kill him before the game storyline began? But, how could an Aetherion Exarch Body owner die so easily? There should have at least been a mention of him in the past.
This SSS-Grade body was like a f**king cheat code! You could do all types of magic with it. Yohan had been obsessed with finding the owner of this body back when we played the game.
Speaking of Yohan, I should go to the Stellar Magic Tower and meet him. Maybe he can help me figure out how to use magic in this world. I—
His thoughts were cut short by a sudden, stabbing pain that exploded in his chest, sharp enough to make him stagger.
The faint source of mana within him wasn't without its consequences; it was as if the tiny drop of mana he felt earlier had opened a crack, and now a full-blown flood was about to break loose.
Usually, kids awakened to magic around the age of fourteen. Their young bodies were far more flexible and accepting of the ambient mana in the air.
But Valac? He was already 21.
His body wasn't used to this kind of energy, and now it was suffering the consequences, the strain becoming unbearable as the mana continued to flood into him uncontrollably.
F**k! If only this body were stronger. An Aetherion Exarch and… looks like a Mana Absorption Body too? This is too overpowered.
Valac could feel the raw mana pushing at the edges of his consciousness, threatening to overwhelm him. The power was too much—too wild to contain.
His breathing grew labored, chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to maintain some semblance of control.
Sweat poured down his face, dripping onto the floor, while his vision blurred and the room around him began to tilt. The walls seemed to warp as the strain on his body intensified.
"Too much..." Valac muttered under his breath, his fingers clawing into the ground beneath him as he struggled to steady himself.
The mana inside him was like a wild beast, thrashing and tearing through his veins, and he had no idea how to tame it.
All Aamon had known was holy power. Not mana.
He gritted his teeth, pushing against the waves of raw power that threatened to drown him whole. His muscles quivered under the weight of it all.
"I can't—"
The pressure built, his body trembling violently from the immense force of the energy rushing through him. It was as if a dam had broken inside, flooding his veins with pure, unrelenting mana.
The sensation was exhilarating—yet terrifying at the same time.
Just when Valac thought he might lose himself completely to the overwhelming force, a blur of motion caught his eye.
Lav, who had been sulking under the pillow earlier, suddenly shot out, his small, winged form darting toward Valac in a frenzy.
"Kyu! Kyu!" Lav chirped, circling him rapidly, his tiny wings flapping with urgency. The dragon's panic mirrored Valac's own, and for a moment, their eyes met, both filled with equal fear and desperation.
But Valac barely registered the dragon's movements. His mind was too focused on the chaos within him. He could feel his consciousness slipping, the sheer magnitude of the mana threatening to consume him.
No… F**k! Please don't let me die from mana outburst. Not like this...
The little dragon, sensing the depth of Valac's distress, dove straight toward him, pressing its tiny body against his chest. A faint, warm glow began to emanate from Lav's scaled form, and for a brief moment, the overwhelming flood of mana started to ebb.
Is Lav absorbing my excess mana?
The sensation was like a soothing balm against Valac's frayed nerves. A calming presence in the midst of chaos. The raw power that had threatened to tear him apart began to settle, though only slightly.
Valac gasped, sucking in a breath as the crushing pressure on his chest finally eased. His entire body trembled from the ordeal, the aftershocks of the mana still lingering in his muscles and veins, but at least the immediate danger had passed.
Lav's warmth remained, the tiny dragon curling up tightly against his chest, its eyes closed as though sharing his burden.
"Thanks… Lav," Valac whispered, his voice weak, barely more than a strained breath.
But the relief was short-lived.
Even as the mana calmed, Valac's vision began to darken around the edges. His body was already too weak, too drained from the ordeal of trying to control such an immense power. The fight had taken everything out of him.
Lav nuzzled against his chest, offering what little comfort it could, but Valac was too far gone. The last thing he felt before slipping into unconsciousness was the dragon's soft breath on his skin and the faint pulse of mana still thrumming within him.
His eyelids fluttered shut, and the world went dark.
---
Time ticked away faster than it should have.
Valac lay on the bed like a corpse, his body completely still, his breath shallow. The room around him remained heavy with the oppressive weight of mana that still lingered in the air.
Lav hovered for a moment, chirping softly in concern before landing beside Valac's head, nudging him gently with its tiny snout.
The dragon tilted its head, its eyes glowing faintly as it watched over Valac. The little creature curled up beside him, protectively draping its small body over his chest.
But the room was not entirely empty.
In the far corner, a pair of golden eyes gleamed in the shadows, watching.
The scent of blood hung thick in the air, a metallic tang that mingled with the residual mana.
Scattered across the floor were the lifeless bodies of several assassins... silent, unmoving, their lives snuffed out in mere moments.
They had come for Valac. But it seemed their fate had been sealed the moment they stepped into the room.
A figure stepped forward, into the dim light cast by the faint glow of mana.
The man's clothes were drenched in blood
... not his own, and that of the assassins.
His golden eyes were locked on Valac's unconscious face, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"It seems you aren't a waste after all," he murmured, his voice low and laced with intrigue.
"Valac Noctis."