"How?"
There was no elaboration.
He flipped the next page.
Flip—
But the date…
[December 25, 2018.]
At the moment, it was 2022. Meaning, the content was written over four years ago.
A timeskip.
—I finally understood why Mother died.
—At first, I'd been told it was a terminal illness, but neither Father nor the doctors ever explained what exactly it was. I assumed they were sparing me the details.
—Now, I know. It took a lot of courage, but I've finally decided to write all this down.
—The illness is called Core Degeneration Syndrome.
—It happens when a person's mana core can't adapt to large mana exposures. Their body and their core lacks the adaptation a human needs in this mana infested world.
—They weaken over time, fatigue, weakness, random nosebleeds. It's rare, but apparently, it's hereditary.
—Her mana core couldn't store even the usual amount of mana most people carry. The exposure was too much for her.
—And the worst of it all? She didn't even know she had it until her dying breath, and neither did my Father.
—That was when I realized. Every spell I cast around her, every practice session, it all must have added strain to her core.
—My mother did always say she attended a regular school, and that she wasn't talented with magic.
—Maybe that's why Father and the doctors never told me. Because they knew I'd blame myself. And they were right.
—But then, why hadn't Father told me about it? Why hide it, knowing it's hereditary, and me and my Sister might suffer the same fate?
—Eventually, as Father's depression deepened and our family's finances worsened, I confronted him.
—I didn't expect it. He lashed out at me. He pointed fingers at me. He looked at me as if I was disgusting. He told me I should've died instead of Mother.
—The father who once looked at me with pride called me things a Father should never tell his child.
—Maybe it wasn't the case at first. Maybe he tried accepting it, but I don't know. I don't understand anything anymore.
—This family was falling apart.
—Father should die instead.
"..."
Flip—
The next page. The timeline kept jumping for some odd reason. Most probably, Vanitas had only been journaling his thoughts from time to time.
—I started showing symptoms. I knew this would happen, knowing how low my mana capacity was.
—It was my mistake in hiding it in the first place. I didn't want anyone to be disappointed in me. I thought I could overcome my limitations during my childhood.
—But no, that wasn't the case at all. My mana capacity was pitiful, and I was 17 years too late in finding out about this illness.
He froze, a sudden chill running down his spine.
He had come to realize now.
The nosebleeds, the stomach–ache, the migraines, and so on.
The body he was inhabiting…
"...I'm slowly dying."
He continued reading.
—But I won't let this illness get the best of me. Magic, which is slowly killing me, will save me. I'll make sure of it.
—I still have no idea what the cure is. Up until now, no Doctor has figured it out. But I've learned something interesting.
—It was only a myth. But there's this place called the Archives of Haven, which stores all the secrets of this world. I'm sure the cure to Mana Core Degeneration Syndrome is there.
"Archives of Haven..."
The name was familiar.
From what he remembered, the Archives of Haven was essentially a hidden library.
A game easter egg.
"I've never actually found it..."
But there were players in the forum community, who claimed they found the library.
However, they were greedy bastards who wouldn't share the information.
Due to that, players questioned whether it was an actual game feature, or a hoax.
—The Astrea Family is merely a Viscount ranked noble. Our influence didn't extend much compared to other noble households.
—But I will find it.
—My research up until now led to nothing. But I plan on taking the Ascension Licensure Exam. Once I become a Professor I'll have access to even more information.
"...So that's why he decided to become a Professor."
Professors were highly regarded NPCs in the game.
Especially ones working for University Towers.
They often had secret information, to which they would divulge to the players, depending on the action they took in the game.
But then, a sudden thought arose.
「Boundless Reservoir」
◆ Understanding: 0%
◆ Capacity: 5000/5000
◆ Fosters continuous growth in mana reserves, allowing mana capacity to expand and evolve over time.
————————————
"If I were to increase the capacity steadily, wouldn't I be able to save myself?"
From the diary, he could surmise the stigmata wasn't initially there.
"I don't know. 5,000 is a lot. But I still feel the symptoms."
He wasn't quite well versed on the lore regarding diseases.
While he had played the game in innumerable amounts of run—throughs, this was the first time Chae Eun–woo had heard of Core Degeneration Syndrome.
But in the first place, why would he pay attention to such part of the lore?
He had put more of his focus on the game's main storyline, while at the same time, improving his mechanical skill.
"There's no point, though."
The storyline didn't matter that much anymore.
Because he wasn't a player.
But a Named Character instead.
In fact, had already met one of them today.
"Astrid Barielle Aetherion."
A popular named character, due to her Princess–esque beauty.
Vanitas broke out of his thoughts and continued reading the diary.
—I might have accumulated disdain due to my actions. But I don't care. I'm dying, why would that matter?
—I'm grateful my little Sister didn't suffer the same illness as me and my Mother. She's average when it comes to magic, but her mana capacity wasn't anything to laugh at. She has potential.
—But it's funny. Genetics truly is a curse. While I'm supposed to be relieved, somewhere down the line, I just couldn't help but feel envious of my little Sister.
—Brother this, Brother that. Shut up for once, please.
—Why does Father want me dead, yet doesn't seem to hate Charlotte? The fuck is this? I don't understand shit anymore.
Vanitas closed the diary then. The contents were getting a bit too heavy, and it was getting heavily repetitive.
As he turned his head to the side, glancing at the window, the sun was slowly rising.
"Ah."
There was still a bit more time to sleep. So, Vanitas headed to bed and closed his eyes.
The moment he woke up, he did some light stretches, then stepped outside the room.
Then, Vanitas joined Charlotte at the table.
"Good morning, Charlotte."
Charlotte blinked her eyes, looking surprised, but managed to give him a smile.
"...Good morning, Vanitas."
The silence that followed was awkward.
Thankfully, the servants arrived with their breakfast, served piping hot.
"Please, enjoy."