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Chapter 538 - How Much Time?

"That is a perfect example." The mixed diety smiled, "The only difference is that mana is universal and in all planes, we are exclusive to our virtual plane. And our plane does have a few different levels, or maybe realms would make more sense."

"Like this one for example, this is the realm of souls." The diety indicated to the gates leading to the temple where players resurrected, then to the flames of hell below, and also to the rest that appeared to be empty.

"The realm of souls was not within the design and we can\'t manipulate much within here. It is not created by the gods, but rather by every living thing. The collection of their beliefs of what the afterlife would be is what forms this world. And the only realms you will be able to see and enter are those you believe or at the very least consider plausible."

"Yes, you, players\'. Your belief that you will resurrect is crucial to it actually functioning. Without your belief, we will not be able to sustain the resurrection of the Chosen."

"Does that mean-?"

"No, we have learned how to avoid death. However, it would no longer be possible to return as your avatar. Each death would be final to the avatar."

Ziraili decided to chip in here since this was her area of expertise, "This is actually what the XP is used for, and partly why we increase the XP cost so much with every ten levels is to help sustain the ever-increasing demand on the temple\'s existence."

"XP as I am sure you know and understand by now is also mana. We had just quantified it and placed labels on it, creating artificial levels and giving rewards at those levels."

"What would have happened without our interference would be a smooth gradual increase in attributes as XP raises, no sudden jump once you reach a new level."

"Is that why the consequences of being under-leveled are so high?" Eldrian asked.

"Indeed, it isn\'t just a fact that you are lower level. Your entire being is weakened and the strain of keeping you alive until you recover your strength results in a universal cost of attributes. There is also the danger of reaching a critical point."

"And, what does this mean for me?" Eldrian asked, worried that now death was again something he had to worry about.

It wasn\'t hard to quest what the critical point was. Clearly, it would be when the negative reached more than your attributes, bringing one or all into the negative. Eldrian assumed at such a point, or close to such a point, your avatar would not be able to be recreated.

"You don\'t need to worry Eldrian. Belief is indeed an action that can only be done while not knowing, but knowing and understanding is just as strong, if not stronger than belief."

Eldrian did not ask any follow-up questions for a while, he was doing his best to work through what he now knew. After a few minutes, he knew what the most important question was.

"How long? How much time do we have?"

"Ah, of course. This is a truly important question to you." The mixed deity nodded and quickly did some calculations.

"Unless anything changes it should take a few thousand years for the change you brought to affect the strongest beings, it will take ten times as long for it to affect everyone." The deity\'s tone seemed to indicate that this was no time at all, but to Eldrian it was an unthinkable amount of time.

"Once this happens, the strongest should be able of wielding powers equal to us. If there is then a conflict, the world will be destroyed."

"A thousand... Ten thousand years?" For the first time in a long time, Eldrian breathed out a breath of relief.

"Unless something changes. You were never in our calculations, before your arrival this world would still have been able to exist for millions, billions of years. You have hastened its destruction many folds."

Eldrian did not mind this, instead, he smiled and laughed in relief. Certain that if in the simulation it would take at least a thousand years, then surely it would take more on Earth.

Gaia didn\'t want to ruin his uplifted mood, but unfortunately, there was nothing else they could do.

"However, I am afraid that something will change."

Eldrian\'s mood deflated quicker than a pierced balloon and he folded like a sack of potatoes. "Why?" He mumbled after a good amount of time had passed.

"Because technology is constantly developing and players are slowly bringing it into ANW. At the same time, they are slowly taking magic with them to Earth and Miracle will sooner or later pick up on the changes."

"In fact, how we have managed to keep them from doing so thus far is a mystery." The mixed deity said, sure they had done what they could to make it as unclear as possible. But the signs had always been there.

Luckily, for the most part, ANW had just been a small part of Miracle. It had only recently been shoved into the spotlight when a certain player managed to control a spell.

One should consider ANW more a pet project of Miracle, and only with its release has this changed.

"Then..."

"You won\'t be able to do anything unless you reach the level of a legend, and reaching such a level with your limited lifespan should be impossible. But nothing is ever impossible, the question is rather the cost it will bring and if you can bear it."

"Wha-"

"That, that is a thing that only you can know and decide if you will." The mixed deity turned back into the grandmotherly operation.

"But enough of the doom and gloom. You should not blame yourself and you should not destroy yourself in trying to repair what cannot be repaired."

Eldrian nodded, sure a part of him wanted to blame himself but he understood clearly that this had never been his intention. He hadn\'t even ever thought something like this was in the realm of possibilities.

"What about Earth, what will happen to it?"

"How much mana did you see?" Gaia in her grandmotherly appearance asked.

"Not much, the only elements I could see were light and dark and their numbers were less than that of light and dark here."

Gaia nodded, "That is good news then. Elemental mana is the most stable mana, it is a type that can regulate itself to maintain a semblance of balance."

"While it is worrying that there are limited elements, if they are so few then it would mean all other forms of mana should also be few."

"Unless someone personally intervenes and tries to manipulate and agitate things, it should take many times longer for things to be affected by mana on Earth."

Eldrian nodded, he was about to ask what was next but instead he thought of something. Or more correctly Two told him something he had mostly forgotten about.

"I have started absorbing mana. Mostly in critical situations, but-"

"That is what happens with all who enter the simulation and reach a high enough affinity. It is part of the reason why the pain reduction starts to fail." Ziraili answered, "Once you become too immersed, your brain subconsciously learns what mana is."

"It is not to the level of being able to use it, but it is enough to slowly start drawing in the mana in your surrounding."

"This happens because your subconscious wants to equalize your avatar and your body. You can consider what is happening to be similar to gaining XP and leveling up."

AN: A big thank you to everyone who continues to read and support the story on WN.