Chapter 148: Erosion and Personality Collapse

Chapter 148: Erosion and Personality Collapse

The day after the quarterly evaluation meeting, Luo En wasted no time heading to the School Library.

As the fourteenth-ranked member, he now possessed elevated privileges to access hidden knowledge. This was precisely his goal—using his newly acquired status to explore the forbidden territories sealed away from ordinary apprentices.

"Third-level restricted chamber?"

The gray-robed elder guarding the library entrance raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing the badge on Luo En’s chest as it pulsed with the special blue frequency reserved for the top fifteen ranks.

"So you’re the one who benefited from yesterday’s ranking evaluation."

Luo En nodded humbly. "Yes. I hope this opportunity allows me to acquire more knowledge."

The guardian’s eyes darkened slightly. "Knowledge is a double-edged sword, young one. The farther you advance, the more carefully you must tread the abyss beneath your feet."

"I’ll keep your words in mind", Luo En replied politely.

The restricted chamber was even more concealed than expected—a semi-transparent mana barrier silently suspended at the staircase’s end.

Pressing his badge against the barrier, Luo En felt a faint spiritual wave sweep over his body, verifying his identity and qualifications. Moments later, the barrier rippled like water, revealing a passage.

The interior space was smaller than anticipated, but its atmosphere felt suffocatingly oppressive, as though the air hadn’t circulated in centuries.

Luo En headed straight to the "Spirit Corruption and Pollution Research" reading room, easing the door open.

The air inside carried an indescribable stagnation, heavy with the scent of aged parchment. A dimly glowing mana crystal lamp provided weak illumination. Ancient texts and manuscripts lined the walls, some chained to shelves—a clear warning of their sensitive contents.

Approaching the central Guidance Stone, Luo En recalled Aolifu’s recent abnormal symptoms. Placing his palm on the stone, he declared:

"Spirit corruption. Black Mage path."

A flicker of red light warningly flashed across the stone’s surface, hinting at the danger of these topics. Yet, a moment later, blue light guided him toward a specific bookshelf.

Before a cabinet sealed with specialized mana, Luo En presented his badge again. The door slowly opened, revealing rows of dust-covered ancient texts:

Comprehensive Treatise on Spirit Corruption, Theory of Consciousness Mutation, Pollution Conversion and Symbiosis, The Awakening Path of Black Mages...

Luo En’s gaze settled on the final volume—a thick, black-bound archival record bearing an eerie symbol of an eye entwined with tendrils on its cover.

As he carefully removed the book, a wave of icy mana seeped out, attempting to penetrate his spiritual defenses. Luo En swiftly mobilized his spiritual energy, isolating and dissipating the intruding force. It seemed to be a mere test.

On the first page, a crimson warning read:

"This text is for reference only by high-rank mage candidates. Never attempt any rituals or theories described herein. Violators will face the 'Ultimate Punishment.'"

Luo En inhaled deeply and turned to the first chapter.

"Spirit corruption is an inevitable fate for every mage. As mages ascend in spiritual energy mastery and delve into abyssal knowledge, the accumulation of spiritual pollution will inevitably reach a critical threshold. Orthodox mages choose purification and suppression, while Black Mages embrace acceptance and transformation..."

The following sections detailed the three stages of spiritual pollution: mild, medium, and severe.

Mild pollution manifested as minor emotional fluctuations, sleep disturbances, and perception anomalies—manageable through conventional means for most mages.

Medium pollution, however, led to drastic personality changes:

"Individuals with medium-level pollution exhibit severe emotional instability, with negative emotions greatly amplified. Anger becomes fury, anxiety becomes terror, jealousy becomes hatred. Additionally, hallucinations increase in frequency, and the corrupted will begin hearing whispers from the 'Abyssal Chasm,' gradually believing these voices."

In the detailed symptoms section, Luo En found a near-perfect match to Aolifu’s observed traits: drastic mood swings, hyper-reactivity to stress, strange skin patterns, and irrational shadowing in his gaze.

"A classic case of medium-level pollution, and he seems to be showing no effort to suppress it..."

Luo En confirmed inwardly: "It seems Aolifu has indeed embarked on this path."

Continuing, he found records on "Awakening":

"The Black Mage path is essentially a mutation cultivation method symbiotic with pollution. Orthodox mages view pollution as an enemy, but Black Mages harness it as a latent power source, converting polluted mana into their own through specialized rituals and mental training. This process, known as 'Awakening,' signifies complete fusion of spirit and pollution. Awakening Level measures a Black Mage’s control over pollution. Every 10% increase in Awakening Level triggers qualitative leaps in power and mutation. Medium-level corrupted individuals can achieve approximately 10% Awakening through specific rituals. At this stage, the Black Mage’s body undergoes beneficial mutations—skin toughens, senses sharpen, and most notably, spell effects intensify."

Luo En paused, pondering. A mere 10% Awakening Level could bring such dramatic enhancement. No wonder many risked this path.

Flipping further, he discovered deeper insights:

"Black Mage power originates from two primary sources: extreme emotions from living beings and soul mana. Extreme emotions—particularly fear, despair, and pain—generate unique energy fluctuations that Black Mages can harvest via rituals. This explains why many Black Mages conduct cruel live experiments—not merely for research, but to collect this precious mana. Soul mana is rarer and more potent, typically extracted from dying or freshly deceased organisms through specialized rituals. This mana exhibits extremely high conversion efficiency, significantly boosting Awakening Levels."

The book detailed how Black Mages combined harvested mana with their existing spiritual pollution to form a symbiotic relationship. This transformed pollution from chaotic erosion into a controlled power source.

"Black Mage spells carry a unique 'Erosion Trait,' capable of penetrating targets’ defenses and accelerating their spiritual pollution. This allows Black Mages to gain advantages against orthodox mages of equal or even higher ranks."

Luo En focused intently on this section. The Erosion Trait sounded terrifyingly effective—bypassing normal defenses to directly attack an opponent’s spiritual foundation.

Yet the text openly warned of the horrific costs:

"As Awakening Levels increase, a Black Mage’s personality gradually disintegrates. All negative emotions amplify exponentially, rational thought gives way to instinct. At 30% Awakening, most Black Mages lose all social functionality, becoming violently antisocial. At 50%, they are nearly unrecognizable as human, their cognition diverging radically from normal beings. They dwell entirely in their own madness, driven only by primal desires and impulses. Awakening Levels exceeding 70% are exceedingly rare. Records indicate that among a hundred such cases, fewer than one maintains control. These entities partially transcend physical and spiritual limitations, perceiving and manipulating forces beyond reality. As for 100% Awakening—this exists only in legends. Fully awakened Black Mages transform into ‘Apostles,’ beings rivaling Archmages in terror."

Luo En closed the book, heart pounding.

An Apostle rivalling an Archmage?

He recalled a previous book on innate talent hierarchies—the top-tier Archmage "Clock King" with the first hierarchy talent, who sacrificed himself to banish a mere dozen Apostles...

Black Mage power was indeed tempting, but the price was complete self-destruction. Not physical annihilation, but total personality and soul corruption.

Taking another volume, Pollution Conversion and Symbiosis, he hoped for more details on the Awakening process.

This book was more technical, filled with complex rituals and theoretical derivations.

"The core of the Awakening Ritual lies in guiding accumulated spiritual pollution to fuse with externally harvested mana, forming a symbiotic loop. This process is extremely dangerous—any misstep causes spiritual collapse and irreversible mutation. The ritual must occur in specific environments, typically high-pollution zones or spatially unstable nodes. Black Mages require special mediums—usually objects saturated with extreme emotions or biological tissues—and a vessel to contain the fused mana."

The book only roughly described the ritual process, including partial rune configurations, chants, and spiritual energy manipulation techniques. Critical sections were entirely redacted—a precaution against reckless experimentation, given power’s endless allure.

Luo En noticed multiple references to "Cursed Black Crystal", a key medium for guiding polluted mana.

"A Cursed Black Crystal is an extremely rare material, reportedly inspired by ancient Black Mages’ discoveries in the abyssal depths. It possesses powerful mana attraction and conversion capabilities, making it an ideal medium for the Awakening Ritual. However, prolonged exposure to Cursed Black Crystals accelerates spiritual pollution accumulation, creating a vicious cycle."

This description reminded Luo En of Ma Kusi’s report on Xin Xi Ya’s disappearance: strange experimental records and alchemical tools found at her residence.

"So, both Xin Xi Ya and Aolifu are attempting this Awakening Ritual. Xin Xi Ya seems to have completed it and defected, while Aolifu may still be in preparation."

Returning to the book, he read further on post-Awakening abilities:

"A Black Mage at 10% Awakening sees a 30% increase in spell potency, supplemented by a basic Erosion Effect that inflicts minor spiritual pollution on targets. Their physique begins beneficial mutations—skin hardens, senses sharpen, and so on. At 30% Awakening, Black Mages rival Full Mages in power, potentially surpassing them in combat due to the Erosion Trait. Their spells carry potent Erosion Effects, rapidly weakening targets’ spiritual defenses and causing hallucinations or temporary spiritual disarray. At 50% Awakening, Black Mages reach the Moonlight Rank mage level. Their spells transcend reality’s constraints, directly affecting targets’ souls and consciousness structures."

The text included accounts of notable Black Mages and their unique abilities. One entry caught Luo En’s attention—a Black Mage known as the "Void Singer."

Reportedly, at around 35% Awakening, he created a special spell called "Mind Devouring Curse." This spell infinitely amplifies a target’s greatest fear, ultimately shattering their psychological defenses.

After hours of reading, Luo En set the final book aside, massaging his aching eyes.

He had gathered extensive information on Black Mages and their Awakening path, yet new questions emerged. One thought lingered persistently: Would the Career System classify the Black Mage path as a viable profession? If the Career System could integrate Black Mage erosion powers, could it circumvent these terrifying side effects, enabling a more controlled power application?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end