“Hey, are you alright, brother?”
Through my blurry vision, a man—no, an old man—seemed to be peering down at me. Huh? Was I sleeping? Where? Surely, it was in my bed. Though, the comfort left much to be desired.
“…Good morning?”
“You seem a bit out of it. This isn’t the best place to rest. Let’s move, shall we?”
Without waiting for my reply, the old man hoisted me over his shoulder like a sack of rice. Although my consciousness was awakening, my body still hadn’t caught up, leaving me completely at his mercy. Where’s my bed?
I could feel my hair brushing softly against my cheek, tickling it as it swayed. Looking down from atop the old man’s shoulder, I noticed the hair was almost dragging on the ground. Whose hair is this? Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the old man’s white hair. Could it be… mine?
The old man was walking along a mountain path. Massive trees that seemed to split rocks as they grew surrounded us. Splitting rocks? I haven’t walked many mountain paths, but this felt… different. Still, with trees growing on a slope, it sure seemed like a mountain trail.
The old man’s arms were thin, and his body was as frail-looking as a crane’s. Yet, despite carrying me, his steps were steady and without any sign of difficulty, as though my weight—or even his own—didn’t affect him.
“Brother, do you remember what happened before you woke up? Have you seen any monsters?”
“I was lying on my bed, watching videos. If we’re talking about monsters, then only the ones in stories.”
Oh, that’s right. I wasn’t just napping—I got swallowed by something dark…
“You, brother, are what we call a Sleeper.”
“Sleeper? Excuse me, I think I can walk on my own.”
I lightly patted the old man’s back.
It would’ve been nice if he’d considered a more comfortable way to carry me; my stomach felt uncomfortably compressed.
“About two hundred years ago, something called mana flooded the Earth. Every now and then, there are people who just keep sleeping because of it.”
“Two hundred years? Mana?”
Finally set down from the man’s shoulder, I blinked as my eyes focused. Before me stood an old man with a long white beard—something you’d hardly see in modern Japan—wearing long robes resembling martial arts attire.
What is this? A kung fu movie? Just as I thought that, I noticed a boy standing nearby, and our eyes met.
“Right now, the mana you were immersed in is probably making it hard for you to sense things properly. But give it some time, and you’ll instinctively begin to feel its presence,” the boy spoke.
His hair was a deep green—no, more like teal? Maybe it was blue? His eyes were amber. He, too, wore something resembling a martial arts uniform, though it had a more fantasy-like flair.
The boy seemed to be around fourteen or fifteen, teetering on the edge of youth and manhood. Though his build was still somewhat delicate, it was clear from his frame that he was well-trained. His hair, appearing greener in the sunlight and bluer in the shadows, added a fantastical touch.
Though I hadn’t noticed him before, it was likely because my senses were still dulled. The old man’s voice, presence, and other sensory input had probably grounded me, allowing me to separate myself from the hazy world around me.
I hadn’t fully registered the boy until my consciousness had fully awoken.
“…”
So, this is what the world looks like two hundred years in the future. Seems like things have gotten pretty chaotic, huh?
“My name is Konten, and this here is Aono.”
The old man, introducing himself as Konten, gestured toward the boy beside him. Aono, with his blue-green hair, gave a silent nod.
“I am Sentsui—”
Wait… Me? My mind is still a bit muddled. I feel like I’m still half-asleep.
“Japan—or rather, Earth—has changed a lot since you fell asleep, brother. To be specific, monsters have started appearing. We’re still in monster territory, but they won’t approach because of your presence. For now, let’s keep moving while we talk.”
They won’t come near because I’m here?
“Master, before we proceed, may I confirm something?” Aono asked, sounding serious.
“Ah, yes, that’s right. Sorry, brother, but could you take your clothes off?”
“…Huh?”
Is this a mugging? No, they said they wanted to confirm something. What exactly are they confirming? That odd request helped jolt me further awake.
“There are creatures on this Earth called Majin, which are people who’ve been turned into monsters due to mana exposure. Their distinguishing feature is something called a ‘demon mark.’ Right after waking, people have a strong presence of mana clinging to them, which makes it difficult to distinguish whether they’re human or not. On the bright side, this also keeps monsters from approaching,” explained Konten.
I see. So that’s why “my presence is keeping the monsters away.” It seems like my presence acts as a smokescreen, but until the monsters sense Konten and Aono, they might still be drawn toward us. Moving quickly makes sense. But isn’t it dangerous to stay in a place with such dense mana for too long?
“And why do I have to take off my clothes?” I asked while trying to piece things together with my limited knowledge.
“If you’re human, you’ll have at least one of the four ‘Sacred Marks.’ Majin, on the other hand, have something called a ‘Demon Mark,'” Aono explained with a serious expression.
“Sacred Marks… Demon Marks…”
Has the world turned into some sort of edgy fantasy while I was asleep?
Wait, does this mean I’ll be in trouble if I don’t have one of these ‘Sacred Marks’? My mind raced as I tried to recall what little I knew.
At some point, Earth became flooded with something called mana. Many people and animals were engulfed by it and fell into a deep sleep, but most woke up soon after. Those who remained in slumber became known as “Sleepers.”
The world they awoke to was overrun by monsters. Dungeons and labyrinthine forests formed in areas rich with mana, and the people who awoke were also affected.
While firearms still worked, they could only kill monsters if they were imbued with mana or used by someone who possessed mana. Even when killed, monsters would often regenerate unless the mana was fully extracted. Mana sometimes attached itself to machines, though that was rare.
People soon discovered the existence of mana and something called the ‘Holy Maiden.’
The overflowing mana contained within it the power of the Holy Maiden. Though she had once been filled with hatred, she was apparently kind toward humanity, granting them the strength to survive in this mana-infused world.
Humans gained five abilities:
The [Hero], who excels in combat and possesses a powerful physique.
The [Saint] or [Holy Maiden], who can use healing and restorative magic.
The [Mage], who can use offensive magic.
The [Enchanter], who can imbue objects or people with mana, enhancing their abilities. When used on objects, they are called [Producers]; when used on people, they are sometimes called [Support Mages].
When a person with a Sacred Mark defeats a monster, the mana released turns into something benevolent—’Good Mana’—which strengthens the person. It’s like gaining experience points in a game.
Though similar phenomena occurred in other worlds, it seemed more pronounced on Earth. Even without the Holy Maiden’s presence, her will had fused with the mana, influencing the world.
You couldn’t respawn like in a game, but the world itself seemed like something straight out of a fantasy RPG.
By the way, while I was asleep, the Holy Maiden apparently spoke directly into the minds of those who were awake.
“Can you hear me… directly in your mind…”
That’s how it went. Well, it wasn’t the mind, but the heart, wasn’t it? There’s a fine line between appealing to the heart and brainwashing, though. Either way, they’re pretty similar.
Mana itself isn’t inherently bad. It’s just that the mana in those other worlds had become tainted due to various misdeeds, including the grudges of past Holy Maidens. Because of this, it was often referred to as ‘miasma.’
‘Miasma’ and ‘Good Mana’ were essentially the same substance, though their effects on humans were vastly different. Those who lacked the Sacred Mark and absorbed too much tainted mana would become Majin—a type of monster. Even those with Sacred Marks could become monsters if the miasma overwhelmed the Good Mana within them.
Mana has a tendency to ‘accumulate,’ ‘gather,’ and ‘multiply.’
Those with Sacred Marks tend to accumulate and amplify their powers, often becoming obsessed with self-improvement.
On the other hand, monsters are driven by destructive instincts, seeking to gather mana by breaking vessels—whether those vessels are human or otherwise. Higher-level monsters and Majin can suppress their destructive urges through reason, but this is usually done to gather mana more efficiently.
Hello there, I’ve just woken up, and I’d like to say this edgy fantasy world isn’t my fault. You can blame the Holy Maiden for that.
