The night had grown late. One by one, the residents of the small apartment fell into their dreams, leaving behind an almost oppressive silence. Teddy sat back on the sofa, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
From the corner of his mind, he felt the presence of something familiar. 「You look restless again, Teddy?」Axcel's voice echoed in his mind, calm and deep. Teddy didn't need to look for the source of the voice. He knew Axcel was near, like a shadow that always followed him.
"I'm still confused," Teddy whispered. "About energy... about the difference between Mana and Arkana."
For a moment, only silence answered. Then, slowly, Axcel spoke. 「In Alythoria, humans used an energy called Mana. It flowed naturally, gently, and the human body was designed to hold it without resistance. Mana was contained in the Mana Core, which every human possessed since birth. The only difference was the quality of the Mana Core.」
Teddy nodded slowly, confirming in his mind. Mana had been a part of his life before—easy to control, like breathing air. And for some reason, he had a Mana Core of the highest quality, Divine level, which was why he could absorb the Heart of Mana artifact into his body.
「However, in this world」continued Axcel,「what rules now is no longer Mana. It is Arkana. A wild energy that seeped across the land after the great catastrophe. Arkana is unstable, not entirely friendly to the human body. Furthermore, there is no container for Arkana within the body, like the Mana Core that forms when a human is born, at least not yet.」Teddy clenched his hands in his lap. "But... it feels like I can also use Arkana."
「That's right. You can. Your body has adapted, partly thanks to the Heart of Mana embedded within you.」Axcel's voice sounded more serious.「But just because you can, doesn't mean it's safe.」Teddy sighed and then said, "From what I feel, it seems like Arkana and Mana enter the body in ways that aren't too different."
「Exactly. Imagine your body has tiny pathways—like underground rivers—called Mana Channels. Energy from the outside, whether it's Mana or Arkana, will find its way through those channels.」Teddy pictured his body filled with invisible streams, winding and flowing with power.
「Usually, pure Mana enters calmly. But Arkana... it enters like a storm. Rough. Uncontrolled. The human body, accustomed to the gentle flow of Mana, can be damaged if it takes in too much Arkana without a filter.」
Teddy furrowed his brow. "And this is where the Heart of Mana plays a role?"
「Exactly.」Axcel continued, his tone flowing patiently, like an old teacher. 「The Heart of Mana acts like a filter. When Arkana enters your body, the Heart of Mana transforms it into a more refined energy, similar to the Mana you're familiar with. This process allows your body to channel the energy without having to fight against it.」
Teddy fell silent. There was so much to understand. So much to consider. But suddenly, Teddy asked, "But what if, inside our body, there's something like a Mana Core, a vessel to contain Arkana?" 「It's possible, we might be able to use Arkana just like Mana, but for now, it's all just theory, because in Alythoria, the Mana Core forms when humans are born,」Axcel replied. Teddy looked down, gripping his knees tightly. "So, it's better to just use the energy that's already been converted, right?"
「Yes. Use Arkana only after it's converted into Mana through the Heart of Mana. That's much safer. At least… until we truly understand what Arkana is.」
For a moment, only the ticking of an old clock in the living room could be heard. "Alright, then, it looks like we need to adapt quickly to this world, because I don't want to lose my loved ones again."
Hearing this, Axcel let out a small laugh and said,「For a human who's killed a God, you seem pretty pessimistic. Everything will be fine. What you need to do is train and become strong so you can protect the people you love.」
"Haha… You're right, my friend. Maybe I've been too pessimistic. Maybe fear is what's making me weak," Teddy said, his spirit reigniting. The same spirit he had when he stood alone, challenging the Gods.