"Miasma?" Aziel repeated. "What is that?"
"Think of it like Mana's... cousin or something. Similar in some ways, both are mystical energy, but fundamentally different."
"Different how?" Aziel peered intently at the ring, intrigued despite the unsettling undertones of Blackie's explanation.
"Mana is the lifeblood of this world—present in the air, water, and trees. Nature generates it as part of the natural cycle," Blackie explained, adopting an instructive tone. After a pause, it continued, "Miasma, however, is an outsider. It's not a natural energy of this world and only appeared recently."
Aziel frowned. "If it's not natural, where does it come from?"
"The Abyss."
The word hung in the air, heavy and ominous.
Aziel remembered the Crazy Beast, Blackie's description of the bottomless chasms that spawned them.
A shiver traced its way down his spine.
Blackie continued, "Miasma originates from there. It bleeds out from the Abyss, spreading to the areas around it. That's why Crazy Beasts are so different from normal Beasts, they're creatures of Miasma, not Mana."
Aziel considered this, his brow furrowed in thought.
Mana, natural, life-giving. Miasma, unnatural, from a dark abyss. Opposites.
"So, Mana and Miasma are like... rivals?" He ventured, trying to simplify the complex idea.
"More like oil and water," Blackie replied, fixing his words. "They don't mix—they push against each other."
"Push?" Aziel asked.
"Exactly. In areas saturated with Miasma, near the Abyss, Mana users struggle to restore their Mana. Their bodies naturally take in Mana, but in areas filled with Miasma, there is no Mana to absorb, like trying to breathe where there is no air. Don't worry, they won't die, they just can't refill their Mana pools."
Blackie's words created a clear image. Aziel could almost sense the opposing forces, the unseen boundary between them.
"And the same holds true for Miasma users, correct?" Aziel deduced. "Outside the Abyss, in Mana-rich areas, I'd have trouble replenishing my Miasma, wouldn't I?"
"Yes," Blackie conceded.
Aziel nodded slowly, processing the information. It was a complex magic system.
Mana, Miasma, their pools, the Abysses, Crazy Beasts... it was a lot to take in.
"But... if they're like oil and water, what happens if they bump into each other? Like, if Mana and Miasma meet?" He asked, curious.
"Nothing dramatic, actually," Blackie said, dispelling any image of explosions or catastrophic reactions in Aziel's mind. "They just don't mix. Like, two separate things, running alongside each other."
"Hah...So, if I use up all the Miasma in my pool, how do I get more? Do I have to go for a swim in the Abyss or something?" Aziel said, but a hint of seriousness underlay his playful tone.
Blackie answered in return, welcoming Aziel's joke, "Not quite swimming, thankfully. But you're on the right track. Replenishing your Miasma pool in a Mana-rich environment like this... well, it's like trying to fill a bucket with holes in the rain. You might catch a few drops, but it's going to take a while. It all comes down to how much Miasma are there around you. To properly refill your Miasma pool, you'd need to be near a source of Miasma. Like the Abyss. Or at least, somewhere close enough to catch the... Miasma fumes, shall we say, leaking out."
Aziel considered this, his eyes drifting towards the cave entrance, then back to the forest beyond.
The Abyss... based on what Blackie had said, going there wouldn't be that easy right?
"Hold on a sec... Miasma comes from the Abyss, right? Like that Crazy Beast—a miasma creature. That makes me wonder... since I use Miasma for my magic, does that mean I also originated from the Abyss?" Aziel started to question his origin.
"Yeah, that's right. Actually, you're from the Abyss. In fact, you're not even human. You're a cursed creature born in the depths of the Abyss, and all those Crazy Beasts? They're your offspring," Blackie said, his tone serious.
Aziel's eyes widened in disbelief, a wave of shock washing over him and momentarily freezing him in place as he struggled to process the weight of Blackie's words.
"Hahaha!! Just kidding! You're not special or anything. You're just like any other human," Blackie burst into laughter, clearly enjoying his little prank.
Aziel felt an irritation bubbling inside him at Blackie's teasing. A vein throbbed in his temple.
This guy's got a death wish.
He took a deep breath, reminding himself that he needed information from Blackie, not a brawl. He forced a smirk onto his face, playing along.
"Haa… that's a good one. Alright now back to the topic. Like I told ya, you use Miasma instead of Mana. And the reason for that is pretty simple, really—it's because what you consume isn't a Mana Stone, but a Miasma Stone," Blackie explained.
Blackie then told Aziel about Miasma Stones.
Like Mana Stones, Miasma Stones was one of the way for humans to wield magical power, but instead of Mana, they rely on Miasma as the source of energy.
Both stones were crystalline in appearance, though Miasma Stones were stark black, reminiscent of obsidian, in contrast to the white, crystal-like Mana Stones.
Consuming either type of stone granted humans the ability to manipulate their respective energies.
Both offered a boost to physical resilience, yet their magical manifestations diverged.
Mana Stones were known to bestow elemental magic and had a chance, albeit slim, of unlocking unique magic.
Miasma Stones, while enhancing physicality, did not grant elemental magic. Their unique magic manifestation was even rarer, occurring in a mere 1% of consumers, compared to the 10% chance associated with Mana Stones.
Other than that, a crucial distinction lay in the user's connection to the environment.
Mana Stone users could only directly draw upon their internal Mana pool to fuel their magic power, whereas those who consumed Miasma Stones could tap into both their internal Miasma pool and the ambient Miasma in their surroundings.
Finally, and perhaps most critically, consuming a Miasma Stone carried a significant risk.
Unlike Mana Stones, which were relatively safer, Miasma Stones demanded immense mental fortitude from the consumer.
Should the individual lack this mental resilience, they risked succumbing to madness, transforming into a Crazy Beast.