The Mob Character Who Woke Up!-Chapter 79: History Class (3)

Kaizen opened his mouth to respond but Leo had already turned to the student on his other side, asking them the exact same questions without waiting for any answers because his attention span was apparently measured in fractions of seconds.

Before anyone could respond to his theories, Leo's eyes tracked downward to his desk where a small ant was making its way across the wooden surface, and just like that, the great mysteries of magical origin were completely forgotten in favor of watching an insect walk.

Kaizen sighed quietly. At least Leo was consistently Leo.

Professor Morgrave seemed satisfied with the murmuring and excited whispers rippling through the classroom.

These students were at least interested in learning about something genuinely important, which was better than the usual apathy she had to deal with.

Every mage worth their salt should understand the origins of their power, should know the history that shaped the world they lived in. Humility and knowledge were what allowed mages to survive long enough to become old mages instead of dead mages.

"Listen carefully. I will explain this only once."

The whispers died instantly. Professor Morgrave's voice dropped lower, taking on a quality that seemed to resonate with something ancient and fundamental.

"In the beginning, before recorded history, before the first empires rose and fell, the gods looked upon our world and found it wanting. They saw potential in the barren earth and the primitive creatures that crawled upon it. And so, in their infinite wisdom or perhaps their infinite boredom, they bestowed upon this realm a gift that would change everything."

She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.

"The Fountain of Life."

The classroom had gone so quiet that Kaizen could hear his own heartbeat drumming in his ears. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"The Fountain flowed with the very essence of existence itself. Mana. Pure, undiluted, and infinite. It enriched the land beneath our feet, turned barren soil into fertile ground. It saturated the water, making even the smallest stream pulse with energy.

"It filled the very air we breathe, invisible but ever present. Every living organism on this planet, from the mightiest dragon to the smallest insect crawling on your desk, exists and thrives because of the mana that flows from that ancient gift."

Leo glanced down at the ant on his desk with newfound respect.

Professor Morgrave continued, her voice taking on an even darker edge.

"Naturally, all the intelligent species that arose in this mana-rich world came to worship the Fountain. They built temples around it. They brought offerings. They feared its power even as they revered it.

"And then, as intelligence so often does, they began to wonder. Could this power be claimed? Could it be controlled? Could they take this divine gift and bend it to their own will?"

She smiled, but there was no warmth in it.

"Thus, magic was born. Not from the gods directly, but from mortal ambition and curiosity. We learned to draw from the Fountain, to channel its power, to reshape reality according to our desires. For a time, it seemed like paradise. An age of wonders where anything was possible."

The smile vanished instantly!

"But where there is power, there will always be corruption. Where there is light, shadows will inevitably gather. The devils, those entities from the spaces between spaces, the things that exist in the cracks of reality, they too desired the power of the Fountain.

"They could not claim it directly, for the gods' blessing rejected their twisted nature. So instead, they did what devils do best. They corrupted. They whispered. They promised. They turned mortal against mortal, mage against mage, kingdom against kingdom."

Her voice had grown so quiet that students in the back were leaning forward in their seats to hear.

"War erupted across the entire world. Not a war between nations or armies, but a war between those who had been corrupted by devil whispers and those who still clung to their humanity. The Fountain of Life, that source of all magic and prosperity, became the greatest prize in a conflict that would reshape the very foundations of reality.

"Blood soaked into mana-rich soil. Cities that had stood for thousands of years crumbled in a single night. The very fabric of the world began to tear under the strain of so much concentrated magical warfare."

She paused again, and in that silence, Kaizen could feel every student holding their breath.

"That was the Age of Shattering."

A collective exhale rippled through the classroom, and someone in the back let out a long, awed sound that was echoed by several other students. The revelation settled over them like a heavy cloak.

'Age of Shattering? That sounds ominous and important and like something I should have definitely known about before now.'

'So the Fountain of Life is the source of all magic? The gods created it and just left it here for anyone to use?'

'And devils were involved from the very beginning? This world's history is infinitely more complicated than the guidebooks let on.'

Kaizen forced himself to stop speculating and just listen. Making assumptions based on incomplete information was a good way to get himself killed, especially when the professor was clearly building toward something even more significant.

Better to absorb everything first and analyze it later when he had all the pieces instead of constructing elaborate theories that would just be proven wrong in the next sentence.

Professor Morgrave noticed the reaction from her students and allowed herself a small, satisfied smirk.

Good. They were paying attention. They understood that this was important. That this mattered.

"If the mere mention of the Age of Shattering has you all making noises like you just witnessed something incredible, then you will absolutely lose your minds when I tell you about what came after."

She leaned forward slightly, and her voice dropped to barely above a whisper, forcing every student to strain their ears to catch her words.

"The Age of Madness."