Mana is like air—present everywhere, at all times.
But with the dungeon core releasing it in massive quantities throughout the city, the air here has thickened… saturated with raw, unfiltered energy.
And if you _pressurize_ and _compress_ this vast amount of mana into a single point—
"You basta—"
**BOOM**
A violent surge of light erupted from the estate. A blinding explosion of mana, so intense it split the atmosphere like a nuclear blast.
It shook the ground.
It cracked the sky.
It _shattered_ everything into dust.
From miles away, it could be seen—a blinding beacon and a booming roar that silenced the world around it.
---
Far beyond in certain plain untouched by time, a certain goddess observed the chaos below. Her eyes narrowed with interest as the explosion rippled across the realm.
> "So… he's finally accepted that power."
She closed the book in front of her and stood, her long hair floating with divine weightlessness.
> "A force capable of shaking the entire realm... I was right about him. He'll be the perfect replacement. Even the world barrier is starting to tremble."
It was all according to her plan.
---
Back at the ruins of the estate, there was... _nothing._
No mansion.
No stone golems.
No Kyle.
_Nothing but dust._
I looked at my hand.
Not just my fingers now—my entire arm was turning pale white, corroding by the mana.
My body felt heavy, saturated with power it was never meant to hold. I stepped onto the broken street, picking up the sword of a fallen knight. My reflection on the blade caught my eye—my appearance now more demon than human, eyes glowing, skin cracked with raw energy.
Still, I walked. One step at a time toward Central Street Market.
The fog... was lighter now.
_Was that because of the explosion? Or something else?_
But for some reason, I could see through it clearly now.
---
Elsewhere, the shockwaves reached the resistance.
"What was that, Seraphina?" Kaelyn asked aloud, stunned as the sky still glowed faintly from the blast.
"I don't know… even I'm feeling nauseous from this one," Seraphina replied, holding her head. "Forget it! Focus! Prepare your spells—we're striking the dungeon core!"
She tried to remain calm, but deep inside, she was also thinking about it.
_That explosion… wasn't it in the direction of the Duke's estate?_
A single name echoed in her mind, whispered almost involuntarily—
"Alve…"