Turning

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Chapter 262

For the sake of the patient's stability, Micalin allowed no one other than himself and Yuder to follow. Yuder shot a glance toward Kishiar, then followed Micalin directly up to the upper floors.

Inside the room they entered, following a corridor cluttered with broken items, several wounded mages lay asleep.

"These are the ones who were injured at dawn. I put them to sleep with magic for a quick recovery."

With that explanation, Micalin moved towards the innermost bed. As he gently touched the shoulder of a sleeping mage, the man slowly opened his eyes.

"Leader... are you here?"

"Yes, Skelly. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. I apologize for causing you concern and being unable to help....."

At Micalin's response, the mage called Skelly sighed.

"How can I not, knowing everyone is injured and struggling. But who is that behind you... I seem to see a new face."

To the young mage's anxious and defensive gaze towards Yuder, Micalin extended a reassuring hand.

"He's a collaborator who agreed to help overcome this situation. Just listen to our conversation, no need to worry."

"A collaborator?"

"Yes, Skelly. Actually, the reason I came to see you today is to hear more about the crack in the air phenomenon you mentioned yesterday. Do you remember what you said then?"

At Micalin's words, Skelly widened his eyes.

"If you mean the one I saw at the ruins... Wasn't it concluded that I was just being overly sensitive?"

"It was. But I thought that it might not be a false alarm."

"Pardon?"

"The crack you saw appeared again today. So, I thought we should revisit your account."

The mage, his arm bandaged, alternated his gaze between Micalin and Yuder, then slowly sat up.

"If that's the case... I understand. It was too strange to simply dismiss as a figment. I'll tell you everything I remember."

Skelly began to slowly recount the previous day's events.

"It was in the afternoon when I went to do my shift at the ruins. Gemma and Shail were repairing the barrier, and I was monitoring the changes in the distribution of magic power. It had definitely increased compared to a few days ago. While I was recording that, something strange caught my eye. At first, I thought it was the shadow of a tree, but upon closer inspection, it was a long crack that had appeared in thin air."

The crack that Skelly described was almost identical to what Yuder had seen.

'So, it wasn't the first time it appeared today.'

The crack witnessed before the disaster in his previous life wasn't a one-time occurrence. During the earthquake in the south, more than ten witnesses claimed to have seen something similar to the crack in different areas on different dates.

While not all of their statements might have been true, even the number of witnesses found after the incident suggested the possibility that cracks might have appeared and disappeared without anyone noticing.

Tracking the crack alone was difficult, so he had left it as a hypothesis. Now, knowing the truth quickened his heartbeat.

“Fearing a monster might emerge, I had hurried off to summon Gemma and Shail, but by the time I returned, the crack had vanished. Gemma speculated I might have seen an illusion. Shail too suggested that some had been seeing such illusions at the ruins recently and advised me to take a break from research for a while. I had agreed, but just in case, I reported it to the Leader.”

However, Micalin, upon hearing Skelly's report at that time, did not take the matter too seriously. It was common for mages, weary from long research, to occasionally see things. And not long after, the surprise attack by monsters that appeared with the darkness of night had robbed them of all leisure, and the story of the strange crack in the air soon faded from their minds.

"Thanks for telling me. Now rest a bit more."

After speaking, Micalin put the weary Skelly back to sleep and looked back at Yuder.

"What do you think?"

"It seems that the crack he saw is not much different from what I've seen."

"So, there is indeed a connection between these phenomena..."

Micalin frowned and fell into thought. Yuder, watching his expression, hesitantly spoke up.

"You just mentioned that there were mages who have seen illusions at the ruins recently, could it be possible that these illusions include such cracks?"

"Hmm, I knew that the number of people seeing illusions had increased, but I assumed it was due to the strain of recent advances in research."

Yet, Micalin fell silent, seemingly considering the point valid.

"We should look into it."

They headed back down the stairs. Yuder followed Micalin, mentally preparing what he would report back to the party.

"Leader, have you finished speaking with Skelly?"

"Yes, it seems what he saw was the same phenomenon as the strange crack that appeared today."

At Micalin's brief explanation, everyone gasped.

"So, ..."

"Although you're all busy with cleaning up the site, there's something you need to investigate immediately."

Micalin gave orders to the mages under him, including Lorna.

"Weren't there quite a few who claimed they saw illusions while exploring the ruins recently? Ask them what they saw, where they saw it, and if they felt anything strange at the time. Anything they can remember, even vaguely."

The mages nodded solemnly.

"Understood."

It didn't take them long to find answers. The responses they gathered while circling around were astonishing.

"It seems like two really saw illusions, while about half a dozen saw something like a crack in the air that could be mistaken for a shadow, like Skelly did. If we include those who are currently out in the village or those in the western base, the number may even increase."

The mages who had retrieved the answers also looked surprised, as if they hadn't expected such a result. The expression on Micalin, their Leader, grew even more grave.

"...So, did you also find out when this was first seen?"

"It's not certain, but among those present here, the first one to see it... it seems like at least a month ago. At the time, it appeared very briefly and vanished, startling them with the thought of a possible monster appearance, but when nothing happened, they soon forgot about it."

"Was it also near the ruins?"

"Yes."

Micalin, who seemed dumbfounded, raised his voice toward the mages.

"But how did not a single one of you think to pay attention to this until now? You should have reported to Tainu immediately!"

"I-I apologize."

"No... no, it's not your fault. It's probably because we've been constantly moving between Tainu and the Great Sarain Forest, with no one consistently staying put. Even I have not visited in the past few months, so who can I blame?"

Micalin, tucking back his tousled hair, turned his keen, saffron-colored eyes towards Yuder.

"It seems we, who claimed to be in pursuit of truth, have turned a blind eye to the phenomenon that was already unfolding. We've shown a shameful image."

"That's not true."

"About a month ago, coincidentally, significant changes in the distribution of magic power were observed at the ruins we were studying. It seems highly likely there's some sort of connection, but... right now, due to the crisis, it's difficult to go there."

"Then could you at least explain a bit more about what you were studying at the Magic Spring Ruins? I'm not sure what you mean by a change in the distribution of magic power, but if I understand what it is, it might help."

"Well..."

Micalin looked thoughtfully at Yuder and the rest of the Cavalry, struggling with what to say. Even though they had decided to cooperate, discussing the details of the research was obviously causing him some consternation.

However, he quickly made his decision.

"Have you ever heard that the number of mages entering the Pearl Tower every year is dwindling?"

The words, heavily uttered by the old mage, made all the Cavalry blink in unison. Yuder had vaguely heard about the issue in his previous life, but feigned ignorance for the moment.

"I think I've heard something about it... but I'm not quite sure."

"Among us mages, this has been one of the big problems that have been going on for at least several hundred years. Especially in the past few decades, it has gotten worse. There are even rumors that at this rate, mages might disappear altogether."

"..."

"The only reason why the number of mages is dwindling and the number of those who can't use offensive magic is increasing is simple. The magic power in this world is slowly thinning."

Upon hearing Micalin's direct explanation, the expressions of the mages standing behind them darkened.

"We were excavating the Magic Spring Ruins to find a solution to this. Although, by now, even the Pearl Tower doesn't have much hope for our research."

The research was on a much larger scale than Yuder had anticipated. As he listened to the complex explanations that followed, he tried to recall what the mages of the Western Mage Union had previously said about the Magic Spring.

Kishiar had told the Cavalry that there was a legend that the earliest mages drew their power from the Magic Spring. It seemed that the mages of the Western Mage Union had been excavating ruins presumed to be this Magic Spring in an attempt to find a way to restore their power.

'It's unclear whether the ruins they discovered really are the Magic Spring or where it once existed... But it's certain that, even unknowingly, more magic power has pooled there than anywhere else. Just like the mountain range where the Red Stone was found.'

Yuder didn't know much about magic, but thankfully, he now had Kishiar, who was knowledgeable on the subject, with him. When he subtly shifted his gaze, he saw the tall man still standing motionless, showing no reaction. He was fully focused, not missing a word of Micalin's explanation.

The mere thought that he didn't have to find the answers on his own made him feel significantly better.

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