At that very moment, Rowen's entire body trembled violently as his consciousness was suddenly pulled into a strange and unfamiliar dark space before he could even react.
When his vision gradually cleared, endless darkness stretched in every direction, while the only source of light came from the surging crimson mana continuously pouring through the empty void before him.
Standing amidst that endless darkness was a hideous creature whose twisted body was covered with countless wriggling mouths, each one greedily devouring the mana flowing into Rowen's body.
The horrifying sight caused Rowen's pupils to contract violently as cold sweat instantly drenched his back because he had never imagined that such a terrifying creature had been hiding inside his body all this time.
At that moment, the hideous creature slowly turned toward him before letting out a grotesque laugh that echoed throughout the silent darkness.
"Hehehe..."
"So..."
"You finally noticed me."
Its countless mouths twisted into a horrifying smile while continuing to devour the surging mana without the slightest intention of stopping.
Instinctively, Rowen tried to seize control of the mana flowing into his body, but no matter how desperately he struggled, every strand of mana continued rushing toward the creature as though it completely ignored his will.
The creature's laughter became even louder as it looked at Rowen with endless ridicule.
"So you've finally learned to resist."
"What a pity..."
"It's far too late."
"I've been feeding on your mana for all this time."
"You think a foolish child like you can stop me now?"
Its laughter echoed throughout the entire mind space, making the surrounding darkness tremble slightly.
"With this much mana..."
"I can finally destroy your body completely."
"And after that..."
"I'll devour your soul as well."
Rowen's face instantly turned pale as he stared at the horrifying creature before asking in a trembling voice,
"Who are you?"
"Why are you doing this?"
The creature burst into laughter as though it had just heard the greatest joke imaginable.
"Hahaha..."
"Poor child."
"You don't even know what I am."
"But it doesn't matter."
"Knowing the truth won't change your fate."
Its countless mouths suddenly opened even wider before greedily swallowing the torrent of mana pouring into the space.
Rowen desperately tried to wrest control of the mana back, but every trace he absorbed from the Blood Red Mana Stone disappeared almost instantly into those horrifying mouths.
The gap between them was simply too great.
Just as despair began consuming Rowen, a ripple suddenly spread throughout the darkness.
The chaotic mana that had been surging wildly abruptly came to a complete halt, as though the entire space itself had suddenly frozen.
A tiny figure slowly stepped out from the light.
It was no larger than the palm of a hand, yet its entire body radiated a gentle golden glow that illuminated the surrounding darkness.
Without saying a single word, the tiny creature casually waved its little hand.
Buzz—
An invisible force instantly swept across the entire mind space.
The violent mana immediately calmed, while the dark aura released by the hideous creature completely dispersed as though it had never existed.
Everything became silent.
Only then did Rowen finally regain his senses.
His gaze slowly swept across the endless darkness before realization gradually dawned upon him.
"So..."
"This is my mind space..."
His breathing became uneven.
The endless darkness surrounding him...
It was his own consciousness.
And the hideous creature before him...
It had been hiding inside him all along.
So...
The nightmares that had haunted him ever since his grandfather's death...
They had all been caused by this creature.
It had been secretly devouring his mana.
It had been the reason his body continued growing weaker every single day.
It hadn't wanted his mana.
It wanted his life.
Rowen slowly shifted his gaze toward the tiny golden creature.
Although it was no larger than his palm, the moment it appeared, the terrifying creature no longer seemed invincible.
For the first time since entering his own mind space, a glimmer of hope finally appeared within Rowen's eyes.
Meanwhile, the hideous creature's laughter had completely disappeared.
Its countless mouths slowly closed as it stared at the tiny figure with unconcealed disbelief.
For the first time...
Fear appeared upon its twisted face.
"You..."
"Who are you?"
The tiny creature didn't answer.
It didn't even spare the hideous creature a single glance, as though its existence wasn't worthy of any attention.
Instead, it calmly turned toward Rowen before finally breaking the heavy silence.
"Kid."
"I can help you remove this vicious curse."
Rowen remained completely silent as he stared at the tiny creature without blinking.
Although it was only the size of his palm, the strength it had displayed completely exceeded his imagination.
With nothing more than a casual wave of its tiny hand, it had effortlessly suppressed the terrifying creature standing before him.
That overwhelming display of power erased the final trace of hesitation lingering within Rowen's heart.
If anyone could save his life today, it was undoubtedly the mysterious little creature standing before him.
Without wasting another second, Rowen firmly made up his mind.
"What do I need to do?"
The tiny creature gave a satisfied nod before slowly floating toward Rowen.
"Don't resist."
"I'll help you get rid of that curse."
Rowen didn't ask any further questions.
Compared to the creature that wanted to devour his soul, he naturally chose to trust the mysterious being before him.
"Alright."
The tiny creature slowly raised its little hand before gently placing it against the center of Rowen's forehead.
The instant they made contact, a brilliant golden light illuminated the entire mind space.
A warm energy quietly flowed through Rowen's consciousness as an invisible connection rapidly formed between them.
"Within only a few moments, the dormant connection between their souls awakened."
A faint feeling of familiarity welled up within Rowen, as though that connection had existed long before this very moment.
The tiny creature slowly withdrew its hand before revealing a gentle smile.
"My name is Fern."
"I am a Spirit of Growth."
Rowen silently repeated the unfamiliar name while carefully observing the tiny spirit before him.
He had never heard of a Spirit of Growth, nor had he ever read about one in any history book.
Only then did Fern slowly turn toward the hideous creature for the very first time.
His calm expression remained unchanged as he looked directly at the grotesque being.
"The thing before you..."
"It is a curse."
"And a particularly vicious one."
"It has been secretly devouring your mana ever since it entered your body."
"That is why your body continued growing weaker with every passing day."
"It is also the reason your Awakening ultimately ended in failure."
Rowen finally understood everything after hearing Fern's explanation.
"So..."
"Everything was because of this curse."
Fern quietly nodded before continuing in the same calm tone.
"You no longer need to worry."
"I'll destroy it."
"However, doing so will require me to consume a considerable amount of my own strength."
"After this battle, I'll become extremely weak and require time to recover."
"Even then, I'll still be able to help you."
Rowen slowly nodded after listening to every word without interrupting.
His grandfather had truly prepared everything before leaving this world behind.
However, another question quietly surfaced inside Rowen's mind after learning the truth.
He slowly looked toward the hideous creature before asking in a low voice,
"How did this curse enter my body?"
"And who put it on me?"