Mutagen

<strong>Day 241 - 12:36 PM - Margaha Valley, Mount Canlaon, Municipality of Murcia, Negros Occidental</strong>

Right after lunch, the whole group gathered around the table they had just tidied up.

While Mei and the others wanted Mark to take some rest, they still needed to discuss how long they should stay here and what would come after.

Mark actually wanted to return home already. However, no one here wanted him to do that.

In fact, Odelina and the others back at the base were already informed about Mark's current condition. And sadly, they all sided with Mei in this one.

They had the right reason, however. Although Mark might look better now, one slightly hard poke on his darkened right arm and his body would go shaking numb. Returning to the base, it would be fine if Mark spent time playing video games. It could be considered a way of resting and relaxation. However, ever since his workshop in the cliff house was built, Mark had been its resident. He spent time inside planning and creating things. He would end up working all day and even late at night without realizing what time it was already.

And everyone in the base was aware of this behavior of his.

It was better to get Mark away from his workshop as far as possible because even his current condition would not stop him from doing more than he must.

After all, one of the things that Mark was the worst at was taking care of himself. Even in his current state, the chance that he would just sit back and relax would be almost nonexistent. Even now, he was not resting properly and was tinkering with things instead.

"So, how long should we stay here?" Mark asked Mei and the others. "I don't really think we should stay too long. This isn't our place."

"About a few days to a week?" Mei replied. "We already asked permission."

Mei then turned to Alawana, the [Diwata] leading this mountain. Her two sisters were not present, however.

"There should be no issues, even if we allow you all to take permanent residence here," Alawana nodded. "This place would have stopped existing if not for the help of all of you here. A few days of stay was still far small compared to the favor we owe."

That was right. There was no way the residents of this mountain would chase their saviors away. Mark's group might have Demons and Humans, but it could not be compared to losing their safe home. And worse, the lives of the residents could have vanished along with it.

Mark could only shrug. It would have been better for him if any of the residents of this mountain would protest about their stay, but it would be impossible. Not to mention the residents could be more afraid than thankful. After all, they were people who fought and killed a powerful enemy that their army had no way of defeating.

"You seem too eager to leave despite your condition," Magwayen, who was also present, chimed in. "Although this world's condition was something you cannot rest with, overworking is no better. Take a breather from time to time as your companions wanted you to do."

"Well, I have no allies here, I guess."

Mark gave out a sigh in front of everyone. Then, showed a slightly sad expression.

Everyone was speechless... But it was quite effective as they showed hesitation in their faces. Even Mei, who definitely knew that Mark was faking it, had a bitter expression. Aephelia and Amihan had it harder. These two were extremely loyal to Mark, and it was not surprising if they took his willful side.

However, no one said anything or sided with Mark entirely. They were doing it for his own good.

"To think that they would hesitate for your obvious fake act," Magwayen shook her head. "You really got your people under your fingers."

"But they're still persistent," Mark stopped the fake act. "Oh well. I'll just lay about for a few days."

"Don't joke around. I doubt you'll actually lay about and stay still."

Spera grumbled.

"Well, there's a lot for me to do. If you all are not too insistent, I would rather leave immediately."

Mark replied.

"Leaving? That's definitely not going home, right?"

Jaeya asked while putting Theodore to sleep in her arms.

Mark tapped his chin. He slipped up. It was not like his slip of the tongue was obvious, but Jaeya, a [Telepathic], was more perceptive of the underlying meanings of people's words. She was right, though. Going home was the most logical thing in his condition. However, that was the last thing in his mind.

Since Jaeya's words already made everyone suspicious, Mark might as well tell them, although some of them might already be aware of it, especially Mei.

"It's going overseas. Right?"

Mei interjected.

Going overseas. It literally meant going to other countries. While it was something not surprising in the past, this thought could surprise most people in the current state of Earth.

The sisters, Bella and Donna, who were watching silently in the background, were surely surprised. However, as the two already saw many absurd things about this group in the few days they joined them, going to other countries in the middle of the apocalypse was really lacking in comparison.

"That's one thing. But before that, I want to recover as much [Miasma] as I can," Mark replied. "And I won't be able to recover any just by sitting here and doing nothing."

Aside from Bella, Donna, and the [Diwata], Alawana, everyone in Mark's group pretty much already knew how his [Miasma] worked. And Mark had a point in this one.

There were different kinds of [Miasma].

One kind was [Miasma] born of natural corruption. It could appear in areas untouched places where the decay of nature was prevalent. This kind of [Miasma] could slowly devour everything and spread.

Another kind was the [Miasma] caused by unpleasant events in a certain location, leaving curses and negative energies there. It was the kind of event back in Bay City which could cause Formless Demons to be born.

Mark's [Miasma] was different, considering it was the [Miasma] of a Formless Demon, the Deity of Bloodshed. It would corrupt and transform condensed magical energy into its own and grow.

While the world was now brimming with magical energy in the air after the Fusion of Dimensions, it was not enough. Back in the immemorial, the time the Deity of Bloodshed was born, the magical energy was far thicker because of the existence of Gods. The Formless Demon in that time fought and conquered continuously, sacrificing lives and making his power grow. Yet, it took the Deity of Bloodshed countless years to reach the strength of a deity before he was sealed.

Thus, if Mark wanted to recover the [Miasma] he had lost, he needed to be proactive.

"Why not use the crystals?" At this time, Spera had an idea. "Since the crystals are made of magical energy, you can use it to recover your [Miasma], right? The attribute of the crystal doesn't matter anyway since the energy will get converted."

"I already tried that."

Mark replied.

Earlier, while the others were out and fighting, Mark was not exactly resting. He fixed his [Storage Ring], checked his loot, and also tried a few things. One of those things was to try and absorb a crystal he had using [Miasma].

"And the result?"

Spera asked for the result, but she had already noticed that something was wrong.

"It's inefficient," Mark answered. "The energy within the crystals is counteracting with the [Miasma] to some extent, and I only managed to absorb energy far less than the crystals are supposed to have. It will only end up wasting resources if I used this method."

"The energy in the crystals is too pure, isn't it?"

Ilia chimed in, and Chimetrice was in the same conjecture. These two had some knowledge about these crystals since they came from far back in the immemorial.

And in reply to Ilia's question, Mark nodded.

The crystals created by the [PsyCrystal] were the solidification of pure and condensed magical energy.

On the other hand, [Miasma] was a corrupted form of energy. Although it needed to absorb magical energy to grow and expand, a type of energy too pure would neutralize it to some extent.

The energy that was too pure for [Miasma] to absorb... It was similar to the energy that most Gods had. The very same frequency of magical energy that Sinogo acquired.

There were better ways for Mark to restore his [Miasma], but definitely not the crystals... And definitely not with Amihan's help, as she also had a power of a God.

"Should I let my people offer you their magical energy?"

At this time, a suggestion came from the side. It was the [Diwata], Alawana. Alawana's suggestion was a pretty good and effective one. After all, Mark only needed magical energy, and the source was not a problem as long as the energy was not too pure. Even if the fraction was small, the magical energy of the magical creatures would suffice. Besides, it was not like Mark needed to kill them in order to absorb their energy.

However...

"I know you're being thankful and want to return the favor, but I won't really recommend your suggestion," Mark tried to decline. "With what is happening in the eastern areas of the mountain, you will need to conserve your people's magical energy."

Alawana fell silent. Mark was right, after all. With the population of the magical creatures in the mountain drastically decreased, they would need all the hands they could get to protect their home.

Mark then felt someone staring at him... and he stared back with a slight tilt of his head.

Mei was staring at Mark with a stern look on her face and slightly puffed cheeks. She knew that Mark was not compassionate enough to worry about this mountain filled with people he did not know. She knew that Mark was just finding excuses so that Mark did not have to stay here all bored to death.

"Gege..." Mei softly spoke. "Just a few days. Please?"

Mark sighed and slumped on the table. There was no way he would be able to say no to that.

Those around them had funny expressions.

Mark, a person who fought and killed the near DemiGod Sinogo, could not go against his wife.

Mei would usually support Mark even in his foolish shenanigans, but definitely not now when the problem was Mark's health.

"Then, a few days it is, right?" Jaeya smiled. "About traveling overseas, when do you plan to depart?"

This question was something important.

"If possible, in a month or so," Mark replied while slumped on the table. "I want to recover as much strength as I can before that. Then, check on Catanduanes one last time. After all that, the first stop will be the closest one, China."

China was not exactly the closest country to travel to. However, that was where the closest [Inheritor] supposedly was according to Val Flora, the information broker from CNC.

"But Gege, can we really trust that woman about that information?"

Mei asked Mark as he took out the piece of paper he received back in Corregidor Military Settlement.

"At least I can tell that she's not trying to trick me," Mark replied. "And whether the information is true or not, it's our only lead."

'The lead to fulfilling the promise to Freed.'

Mark thought in his mind.

Freed asked Mark to find the other [Inheritors] and check if they were worthy of having such power. So far, Mark already encountered five, of course not including himself, Mei, and Iola, whose crystals came as a set.

And there should be nineteen crystals all in all. Mark encountered barely half of the number and all was by luck. And so far, only one did not pass the criteria Freed gave and Mark retrieved the crystal back. Two [Inheritors] were together with General Perez while the other two were on his side now.

Mark had a lot to do, but he could not move around as he wanted because of his current condition.

It was such a nuisance for him, but it could not be helped at all. It was the result of fighting someone powerful.

Although they won, they had to take losses and make sacrifices, unfortunately... And Mark, despite incurring these losses feeling weakened, could not just sit still.