Made in Abyss Chapter 050

The Cradle of Desire is the fiftieth chapter of the Made in Abyss manga series.

Synopsis
Belaf, Vueko, and Wazukyan discuss on what to do since their "Pseudowater" appears to be either infected, or some unknown creature of the Abyss. They note that it should have been safe to drink since they boiled the water first, but the creatures of the Abyss seem to be resilient. Wazukyan is impressed with their ability to survive. They decide to continue using it anyway, as a stopgap from dying of thirst.

Wazukyan inquires to the Interference Units about a stone relic found by the scavenging team, which is revealed to be an Artifact called the Cradle of Desire. The Artifact is said to be able to grant the user's deepest wish when touched, if the mind of the holder is not "messy or complex," as it tends to be the case with mature humans. The fate of the food scavenging team was due to the state of their minds. They also mention that if Ganja wishes to use the Cradle of Desire, then a juvenile person is preferred.

After seeing that Irumyuui is still suffering from the effects of the water, Vueko requests to have Irumyuui use the Cradle of Desire to try and save herself and the others. The Interference Units say that there is a high chance that giving the Artifact to Irumyuui will grant her wish. Wazukyan gives Vueko permission to use the Artifact on Irumyuui and tells her that Belaf is now sick as well. He tells Vueko that he believes this will bring them salvation.

The day after Irumyuui was given the Artifact, she is all better and doesn't feel any pain. But the Artifact has now fused with her body, being implanted in her chest. Irumyuui is also still disfigured from the illness caused by the water, with a demented left hand. As time progresses, Ganja puts their efforts into supporting Irumyuui and Vueko, hoping that they will become healed by Irumyuui's wish.

However, as time goes on, more and more people die. In order to help, the Interference Units attempt to gather water from sources higher up in the Abyss. However, none of the water is drinkable, and it contaminates the drinking barrels, making them unusable.

As time passes, Irumyuui becomes more and more metamorphosed, turning into a strange hollow-like creature. She no longer eats and has no longer feels pain. It makes Vueko cry to see how Irumyuui has changed, and she hopes that she made the right decision by making Irumyuui use the egg.

One day, Irumyuui gives birth to a creature with a similar appearance to a Neritantan of a Hermit Rat. Vueko is horrified but supports Irumyuui, as she doesn't know what else to do. The next day, the baby dies due to it not having organs for ingesting food. Vueko gives the child a funeral while wondering if this was what Irumyuui wished for: to be a mother. If that was Irumyuui's wish, then who answered it?

Irumyuui then proceeds to give birth to more and more of these "children", which all promptly die of starvation. This causes Irumyuui a great deal of grief and Vueko tries to comfort her, as Irumyuui never gets used to the pain of loss. Eventually, Vueko finally falls ill like everyone else. She wakes up to find diarrhea in her bed. While being sick, she is unable to continue looking after Irumyuui. All she wants is water.

One day, Vueko wakes up to find Wazukyan feeding her some form of broth with a scent of fat. It's the most delicious thing she's ever tasted. After eating the broth, Vueko passes out.

Upon awakening, Vueko finds that she is completely healed. She finds Wazukyan and is overcome with a sense of dread over what he fed her. She panics for a moment. When she tries to question him, he interrupts her, revealing that everything is alright, and that the others have been healed as well. He says, "I told ya, didn't I? That kid saved everyone."

Character Appearances

 * Belaf
 * Interference Units
 * Irumyuui
 * Vueko
 * Wazukyan

Bestiary Indexing

 * Irumyuui's children
 * Pseudowater

Trivia

 * It is here that it is learned that "Round Artifacts are shaped of wishes. From wispy ones to powerful ones."