BLACK GEM

Steven unzipped the bag and discovered a black box. Steven took the box carefully out of the bag and began inspecting it. There were white and red glowing carvings on that box that entwined with each other, producing a very stunning pattern, and Steve felt something from the box that he couldn't put his finger on. It was a comforting feeling, similar to when he thought about his mother.

He attempted to open the box after carefully inspecting it, but after some time he couldn't discover a method to open it, but just as he was about to give up, he pushed the leftmost piece of the box while placing it on the ground.

Steven was taken aback because he had discovered something. Steven noticed steam rising from the box as soon as it was opened. His heart began to race faster. As soon as the steam dissipated, he noticed a gorgeous black gem with little red and white particles swimming inside it. As soon as he laid his eyes on the gem, he sank into a trance and peered into the gem for some time.

Steven came to as he realized he had been staring at the gem. Despite not understanding what the gem was, he immediately returned it. It felt good to hold the gem near to him, but he had a feeling something unexpected might happen if he did. something he couldn't undo.

After placing the gem inside the box, he carefully placed it back on the ground. He gathered himself and looked around the bag, discovering a book with a completely black cover, no labels, and the same carvings as the box. At first, Steven was hesitant to open the book, but after ten minutes of thought, he did so.

In today's society, books are scarce because most people read on holograms and tablets. When Steven opened the book, he found it to be well-kept. He started flipping through the pages until he found something written in one of them, "MANA AND ITS PROPERTIES," which he read aloud. Steven was taken aback. Mana was something that people like him could only dream of.

Only the nobles and the richest households possessed mana. People who lived in slums could never obtain mana, even after they sold themselves. Mana originated from mana cores, which were organs that humans did not have at first, but when mankind discovered new races with whom they coaptated and allied, they gradually discovered that mana was something that flowed all over the universe.

Mana could be found wherever and everywhere, but certain worlds lacked it, as did Earth, so they created artificial mana. A person's potential was determined by the quality of their mana core. The better the quality of a mana core, the greater the person's potential and worth. Steven planned to join the army and obtain an artificial core created by humans, similar to the artificial mana. However, the quality of the artificial core was inferior to organic mana cores from other species.

As Steven read through the book, he discovered that there were many types of mana cores, each of which originated from a distinct mana beast. The mana core grades ranged from E to S. E, and C was the lowest grade of mana core and was primarily artificially made. And the organic mana cores from B to S were all extracted from higher species of mana beats.

The book also included a list of various mana cores, which he found fascinating because all mana cores include different colored partials. "Is this ge-no, is that a mana core?" Steven asked as he examined the box and the gem. He wondered aloud about the similarities between it and the cores in the book, but he couldn't find a mana core that included a pitch-black color.

After considering the black mana core, he began reading the book again and came across something with the heading "How to Use a Mana Core." Upon seeing the heading, he immediately skimmed through the chapter about it and discovered a method to use it and make it his power. He began to consider it because he was thinking about leaving for the army recruitment camp and was planning to work his way up the ranks of the army to obtain an artificial mana core, but if that black gem was a mana core, there would be no need for him to work his way through the ranks for years, and it might happen sooner because of the mana core.

He could enhance many aspects of his plans for the feat if he obtained a mana core before spending several years in the army, and it would benefit him if he was deployed to some foreign world. But there was one problem: if the mana core, or what he thought was a mana core, was merely a beautiful jewel, it would be harmful because the book told him to slow it down after dropping some of his blood on it.

He was debating if he could take that chance or not. After all, doctors didn't exist in the slums. Steven didn't want to risk his life if he didn't have to. Steven had eaten many unthinkable things in his life, but none like this, and he was afraid that he might choke to death. He was exhausted after thinking about it and without obtaining any results, so he lay down on the mattress on the floor.

He lay down and thought of his mother, father, and Starfall, and his face darkened as he did so. He had spent his life in the slums, where he had to fight for everything every day. Looking back, he realized how much he had endured and how much he had earned in those ten years. He had a run-down house and little to eat, and all he had was the result of everything he had worked for.

He'd spent his entire life suffering from hunger and thirst. He had led a difficult life and was eager to change things. He only had to take the first step. While pondering this, he rose up and reached for the box containing the black mana core.