FANSiA Originals and KakaoPage
I Became the Genius Bastard of a Noble Dark Clan
[Author/Original: Yuin]
[TL: Dekor]
[PR: Spades]
Episode 44
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'Different from regular mana. Definitely.'
When he first awoke in 'Christian's' body, one thing struck him as fortunate.
Of all the Magic Empire's noble houses, he was born into the Dark Mana Clan.
In truth, among the twelve great houses, the Dark Mana Clan was relatively weak.
The top five were:
Mystic Mana Clan.
Necro Mana Clan.
Obsidian Mana Clan.
Destruction Mana Clan.
Curse Mana Clan.
Especially Mystic, Necro, and Obsidian, whose power dwarfed others.
Yet Christian felt lucky to be of the Dark Mana Clan.
All because of Sacred Darkness.
'A power that opens the path to true transcendence as a mage.'
[If one fully masters Dark Mana Essence, they could threaten the Demon Emperor's throne.]
A rumor whispered in the Magic Empire.
Not baseless.
Even Patriarch Nordian hadn't fully mastered it.
Each eruption of Sacred Darkness yielded a fixed amount.
Nordian absorbed just under 80% of it.
Yet he was among the mightiest demon lords.
Even the Destruction Mana Clan's head, one of the top five, was said to yield to him.
Just under 80% achieved that.
The clan's primordial ancestor, who first harnessed Dark Mana Essence, absorbed over 90% and became the third-ranked Demon King.
Even he didn't take it all.
What if someone mastered 100%?
'They could surpass the Demon Emperor.'
Thanks to Sacred Darkness, Chris could aim for the empire's pinnacle.
He inhaled deeply.
And dove into the Sacred Darkness.
Pure darkness enveloped him, and he vanished into it.
---
The Dark Mana Clan was in an uproar.
The Black Sanctification's outcome.
All but one failed.
Unbelievably, the disgrace Christian caused it.
"No way."
"Roin lost to that trash?"
"The other branch lords too?"
"Is that possible?"
Mages buzzed, stunned.
An impossible event.
Even the gifted had limits against peers.
Yet he alone defeated four rivals?
That disgrace?
Naturally, disbelief reigned.
"Must've cheated. Used forbidden artifacts."
"Right. No way he beat Roin."
"Investigate and punish him!"
Convinced of trickery, they demanded justice.
An unexpected voice cut through.
"No need."
"!!"
Mages turned, startled.
"Second Lady!"
Late teens, perhaps?
A cold, beautiful girl.
Second Lady Jupien.
"No need to bother with that disgrace."
"Why, my lady?"
Puzzled faces.
Jupien and Roin were close siblings, unusually so, cherishing each other unlike others.
Yet?
"He won't return alive from the sanctum."
"!!"
"Trying to take more Sacred Darkness than his vessel can hold. His end is obvious. Not even a corpse will remain."
Mages swallowed hard.
'Now that you mention it.'
Two days since the ritual.
Christian still hadn't emerged.
"Even Patriarch Nordian had limits absorbing Sacred Darkness. That trash's vessel is obvious. He might already be dead from greed. No need to care."
Mages nodded awkwardly.
Sacred Darkness erupted every 2-3 years in limited amounts.
But not meant for one to monopolize.
Only a vessel like Nordian's could take nearly 80%; normally, 60% was the max.
Beyond that, the core collapsed, leading to death.
Jupien moved on, expressionless, to see the unconscious Roin.
'How dare he.'
She bit her red lips.
Roin and Jupien, though main line, had a different father—not Duke Langham.
Their father died fighting the Light Faction, and they grew up relying on each other.
Now her beloved brother was ruined.
His life wasn't at risk, but his future was.
No Sacred Darkness meant no main-line status.
'I won't forgive him.'
Her eyes darkened.
Unlikely, but if that disgrace returned alive, she'd make him pay.
---
More days passed.
Christian still didn't emerge.
The clan assumed he'd died in the sanctum from greed.
Interest waned.
"Idiot."
"Got what he deserved for overreaching."
But one waited.
Banshee maid, Marie.
Like a widow's stone, she haunted the main hall, awaiting Chris.
"That ghost?"
"Waiting for her master. Pointless."
"Might be fun if she joins him as a ghost."
Passersby snickered.
Marie turned sharply.
Her eyes flashed.
[Ohoho. Shut… up.]
"!!"
Chills ran through the mages, who swallowed hard.
They were 3-star mid-tier mages.
Yet her gaze froze them, mouths agape.
'A mere banshee with such presence? Not ordinary?'
'Could she be…?'
Marie smiled, her hands circling their necks.
No substance, being a ghost.
But it chilled deeper.
Like their souls were gripped.
[My heart… pounds waiting for the young master. Noisy chatter disturbs my devotion, doesn't it?]
"…"
[I might visit at night if I'm upset… so keep your filthy mouths shut. Ohoho.]
A banshee visiting at night meant claiming souls.
The mages, rigid, nodded silently.
After, Marie waited undisturbed.
Endlessly.
---
Meanwhile, Christian sank endlessly in darkness.
'How long's it been?'
He didn't know.
Time blurred.
Only deep darkness remained.
Pure, untainted, holy.
It enveloped him.
Not comforting.
Like water too pure for fish, its purity was overwhelming.
'Can I truly make it all mine?'
After absorbing for some time, he grew uneasy.
He'd expected difficulty, but it was tougher than imagined.
'Up to 60% was easy.'
70% too.
But past 70%, it grew heavy.
He understood why Nordian stopped short of 80%.
The burden grew exponentially. 80% felt distant.
If 80% was this hard, what of 90%? Or his ultimate goal, 100%?
'But I must. Without it, I have no chance.'
Sacred Darkness was immense.
Normal mana was 'fuel' for dark magic and martial arts.
Stored in the core, used as needed.
Sacred Darkness didn't store in the core. Not used like mana.
Its function was unique.
It transformed the user's constitution.
Specifically, it altered the core, changing mana's nature.
Mana became 'Dark Mana Essence.'
'The reason it's called that, though slightly different.'
Absorbing 10% of erupted Sacred Darkness changed 10% of one's mana.
20% for 20%.
50% for 50%.
70% for 70%.
Absorb 100%, and all mana became Dark Mana Essence.
Dark Mana Essence surpassed all other mana types.
It meant:
Mana came in types—ashen, yellow, crimson, scarlet.
Each suited specific dark magic or martial arts, requiring the right type for full power.
Curse magic needed ashen mana.
Blood arts, crimson.
Destruction magic, scarlet.
Without the right type, power was far below 50%.
Higher realms were limited.
Dark Mana Essence had no such limits.
It dominated all mana.
It ignored type restrictions.
Any dark magic or martial art could be used freely.
Higher purity amplified this.
At 50% purity, it wielded 70% of a native mana user's power.
60% purity, 80%.
Incredible.
'Nordian, with nearly 80% purity, wields all powers near-equal to native users.'
Less than 80% did that.
Over 90%?
It could outstrip native users.
100%?
Unknown.
No one had achieved it.
Perhaps undiscovered effects, speculated.
Certainly, to reach the empire's peak, Chris needed to master it fully.
'Let's see who wins.'
He opened his core wide.
Absorbing Sacred Darkness was simple.
Dive in, and it entered the core, transforming mana.
But exceed the vessel's limit, and the core collapsed, consumed by the darkness, leading to death.
Thus, the rule was to exit upon feeling limits.
For Chris, past 80%, he felt grave danger.
'Risky, but I can handle it. Up to 90% is doable.'
He gritted his teeth, enduring.
His vessel, far greater than Nordian's, made it possible.
The challenge began beyond 90%.