Ashley's fingers began to glow, and the golden Mana Pathways and Mana Zones of the Divine Pawn glowed in response.
Sir Luminar was shocked and perturbed.
Not only did this kid have a Dormant Mana Pathway, but he could suddenly use the Mana Drain technique exclusive to the Nether Contracted.
"I wasn't expecting to see a member of that organization here," Sir Luminar smiled.
"What organization?"Ashley, not letting his guard down, frowned and asked.
Sir Luminar's smile dropped seeing the genuineness in Ashley's question, then he laughed. "So, you aren't one of them, but can use their techniques."
Ashley didn't reply, but focused his mind on draining the Divine Pawn's Mana, trying to ignore his questioning.
But he couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right.
He was currently on Sir Luminar and was about to drain his Mana, yet the man didn't retaliate, almost certain that nothing would happen to him.
Why was he so confident?
After some moments, Sir Luminar scoffed. "I wouldn't try absorbing my Mana if I were you."
"Why is that?" Ashley replied, without looking up from his fingers.
Sir Luminar hesitated. "Well…"
At that moment, Divine Mana flowed through Ashley's fingers, giving his pale hands a golden glow.
Ashley's eyes widened in surprise. "I… did it."
But that insecure feeling didn't go away.
Ashley decided to momentarily forget about it and focus on the outcome of his success.
Forgetting to check internally, Ashley watched as the Golden Mana travelled through his fingers to his arm to his chest, where his Dark Core was situated.
Immediately, the Golden Mana met with his core, Ashley felt like he had just had a heart attack. His insides were burning, as if someone had placed him inside fire but it only affected him internally.
Ashley hacked up a mouthful of blood, his body convulsing and his expression dazed.
What felt like a moment of breakthrough backfired as a channel for pain.
Using the opportunity, Sir Luminar grabbed Ashley by the arm and threw him off his body, causing the poor boy to bounce across the floor before crashing into a wall.
Sir Luminar got up, shook his head, and sighed. "This is what happens when Divine Mana moves through Dormant Mana Pathways and Mana Zones of a Nether contracted. In short, coming in contact with the Dark Core."
Some moments passed, but Ashley was still sprawled on the floor, screaming and wriggling in pain.
Sir Luminar readied his sword. "I will now purify your soul, for the sake of the world and to free you from the shackles of darkness," he said in a solemn voice laden with mock pity.
Just as he was about to move, Ashley stopped shaking, becoming deathly still.
***
In Ashley's dark mind space…
"What the hell happened to me?"
[You absorbed Divine Mana with a Dormant Pathway, and the Dark Mana in you clashed with it, you runt.] Calcifer face-palmed.
"Why didn't you tell me about the repercussions?" Ashley screamed.
Calcifer sighed. [You're the one who demanded to know a technique that could help you win.]
Ashley didn't reply. Then he said in a furious tone, "And you wanted to send me to my death."
[Stop your whining, runt, you didn't die at the end.]
Ashley hissed.
[But at least now your core is Awakened, though your Mana Pathways and Zones may be in some little damage, but congratulations! You finally sensed your Mana Pathways and Mana Zones! You also finally evolved your Dormant Mana System to Awakened Mana System.]
"Little? What's little in being burnt from the inside out? And evolved? Mana System? Is this one of those game anime? Do all contracted have systems? The worst though, is that I may not even be able to use Dark Mana again."
[Well, not really… You currently have Divine Mana in your body, and your Core would want to find ways to expel it, so that will leave it to corrupt the Divine Mana and change it to Dark Mana, thereby removing the stress of trying to sense and draw Dark Mana directly from your core.] Calcifer remarked, then added sarcastically, [Maybe you should be using Mana like this instead!]
Ashley didn't reply, only letting out a low growl.
[The only thing is that you'll have to endure till your Core has corrupted all the Divine Mana within you.]
"Easier said than done."
[It's up to you, runt.] Then he gently added in a whisper, [Don't… just die.]
***
Back in the physical world, Sir Luminar was still studying Ashley from a distance, trying to confirm if the Divine Mana had killed him or something else.
After some moments passed with no signs of movement, Sir Luminar walked toward Ashley.
In that moment, Ashley's eyes shot open, his body jerking up from the floor. He checked himself, noticing some burn marks and aches in his body, but he knew what he had to do.
Sir Luminar's eyes narrowed. "So, the Divine Mana didn't kill you," he remarked.
"Of course it didn't kill me, just who the hell do you think I am?" Ashley grinned.
Sir Luminar looked down as if thinking of what to say. "Err… a weak child of the outskirts?"
"Divine bastard!" Ashley frowned.
Ashley was glad that he was lucky enough not to have been cut into pieces during his "conversation" with his contract. But that wouldn't prevent the Divine Pawn from still trying to kill him.
"Alright, listen up…" Ashley started.
He looked around, then walked towards the kitchen utensils section. He carefully scanned the tools before selecting two knives, a butcher knife on his left and a normal one in his right.
"…to have a fair fight, I will be using these." He finished.
"Oh, no more mopsticks?" Sir Luminar laughed.
"Nope, lost interest in them, besides…" Ashley grinned as he waved them in the air, trying out a couple of swings he had watched in those samurai anime back then. "…I think these bad boys suit me well."
Both men calmly approached each other, stopping five meters apart, before taking on a fighting stance.
'Survive till my Dark Core corrupts the Divine Mana and gives me the boost; how hard can that be?' Ashley thought.
One second, Sir Luminar was in front of him; the next, he was in front of him, swinging his sword in an arc.
Ashley quickly defended, raising the butcher knife to block. He almost regretted it as he shuddered, a jolt of pain shooting through his left arm.
The sound of metal striking metal reverberated throughout the mall.
'Glad that butcher knife is thick,' Ashley thought.
Not wasting time, he quickly counter-attacked, thrusting the normal knife in a stab.
The result was the knife hitting the armor, doing nothing to dent it in any way.
But that wasn't what he was going for.
Quickly twisting the knife, Ashley drew it in an upward slash.
Sir Luminar, sensing the danger, retreated.
If not for his quick reaction and battle experience, Ashley's knife would've cut right through his jaw into his mouth.
Sir Luminar smiled. "Hmm… is it me or you've gotten stronger?"
Without waiting for Ashley to reply, he rushed in again, striking in a sweeping motion.
Ashley retaliated on time, blocking the attack and counter-attacking, to which Sir Luminar blocked.
Both men were caught up in a dance of swordplay, metal striking metal, sword striking knives.
Their arms moved in a blur, untraceable to an observing eye.
Then the worst happened.
Ashley, in his fit of sword play, blocked a counterattack, to which he lost his footing, due to the force of the strike and the pained state of both his arms.
Sir Luminar, seeing the advantage, kicked Ashley's leg, causing him to fall on the floor with a yelp.
Standing above Ashley, he placed the tip of his blade on Ashley's neck, taking in deep breaths.
"Never did I think I would have much fun playing with you; you never seem to stop surprising me. For a second there, I thought the Divine Mana would have ruptured your body from the inside and caused a Core Explosion, but that didn't happen," he said.
Ashley didn't reply; he too was slowly but steadily catching his breath. Sir Luminar, though slightly, drew his sword back.
Ashley thought that Sir Luminar would've let him up so they could continue the fight, but instead…
Sir Luminar darkly smiled.
"I win."
Then, he thrusted his sword at Ashley's throat.