The Evolution of Mana Echoes

Ch 4 - Pt 2 The Boy Without Mana

A moment later—

BOOOOM!

Thunder crashed above the open ceiling. One loud strike, then another, and another. The whole sky seemed to shake. The castle trembled, and the ground vibrated under everyone’s feet. Several examinees stumbled and nearly fell over.

Tyda looked up, frowning. “Now what?”

Then he saw it.

High above, something strange was forming. Bright light and deep darkness swirled together, mixing in a way that shouldn’t have been possible. For just a split second, shadowy shapes appeared in the clouds. They looked like spirits, but no one could see them clearly. They showed up, then vanished just as fast.

The moment Tyda looked at them, a powerful shock ran straight through his body.

It felt as if lightning had struck him from the inside out.

His muscles locked up tight. His vision blurred for a moment. A sharp, painful jolt shot through every limb and bone.

Tyda dropped down onto one knee.

“Urgh!”

Sweat broke out across his forehead. His breathing turned rough and uneven. His fingers dug hard into the stone floor beneath him.

What was that?

What in the world just happened?

Far away, beyond the mountains.

Deep inside the headquarters of Daeda Guild, a massive man sat upon a large stone throne. His eyes were closed, and heavy golden gauntlets covered both his hands. The room around him was completely quiet.

Then, his eyes snapped open. He lifted himself slightly from his seat. For the first time in many years, a look of surprise crossed his face.

Even farther away, across the North, Central, and South Continents, other powerful figures felt the same strange shift in energy. Some stood on top of high towers. Others sat alone in dark rooms. Some were seen only from behind, while others stayed hidden deep in the shadows.

All of them felt it. Even though they were separated by thousands of miles, they all turned their attention toward the same place.

Sigil Mountain.

Back inside the castle hall.

CRASH!

A bottle slipped from Raylight’s hand and fell to the floor. It shattered, and dark sake spread across the stone.

For the first time since he had arrived, the usually lazy and drunk guild master looked frozen. He stood up straight, staring upward. His easygoing grin was completely gone.

What was that? Was that even mana?

Not far away, Julius lowered his head. One hand rested tightly on his knee. His expression had changed completely.

That was terrifying.

The whole hall stayed quiet. No one could explain what had just happened.

Then suddenly—

“HEY!”

A loud voice rang out, cutting through the silence. Everyone turned to look.

Tyda stood back up. His face looked annoyed, and sweat still dripped down his forehead, but his legs were steady. He pointed straight toward the throne.

“Great Sage!”

Every eye in the room locked onto him.

“Where did all those spirits go?” Tyda gestured around himself. “I haven’t gotten any mana yet!”

Silence.

The Great Sage did not answer. Tyda waited. Nothing happened. The whole hall just stared. A few examinees looked like they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

Then someone laughed. Another joined in. Soon, laughter erupted all over the room.

“Hahahaha!”

“He’s serious!”

“He didn’t get any at all?!”

The blond boy with Divine Mana smiled, looking amused. The brown-haired woman covered her mouth and laughed softly. Every single person in the room was now focused on Tyda.

The Great Sage finally spoke.

“A person without mana…” The old man’s voice echoed clearly across the hall. “That is quite rare, boy.”

Tyda’s face darkened.

The Great Sage continued. “I am sorry to say, but this means you have failed.”

The laughter died down. The old man’s eyes stayed fixed on Tyda.

“You were not chosen by Goddess Prana.”

“You were not found worthy to receive mana.”

His words hung heavy in the air. They felt final and unchangeable.

Bren froze in place. Maya looked horrified. The rest of their friends stood there, too shocked to speak.

Then—

“SHUT UP!”

Tyda’s roar shook the whole hall.

Everyone stared in shock. Several examinees gasped.

“He just yelled at the Great Sage!”

“Is he out of his mind?!”

“Does he want to get himself killed?!”

Tyda’s fists trembled at his sides. Anger, frustration, and disbelief all swelled up inside his chest until it felt like it might burst.

But he never lowered his head or looked away.

The guild members watched quietly. None of them stepped in to stop him.

Beside the throne, one of the hooded guards took a step forward. His hand rested firmly on the hilt of his sword.

“Kid,” he said, his voice cold and sharp. “Speak to the Great Sage with such disrespect one more time, and I will end your life right here.”

The second guard moved forward as well. Both swords slid halfway out of their sheaths. The sound was loud and clear.

Tyda immediately pointed back at the throne. “HEY OLD MAN, LISTEN—”

Before he could finish his sentence…

WHOOSH!

The two guards vanished. No one in the crowd could follow their movements. One second they stood beside the throne, and the next…

Two sharp blades rested right against Tyda’s neck.

Gasps rang out everywhere. The swords glinted in the light, touching his skin. One pressed from the left, the other from the right. Even the smallest movement would be enough to cut him.

Bren took a step back instinctively. Maya grabbed his arm, her face pale.

“Tyda…” Bren’s voice shook. “Please stop. You’re going to get yourself killed.”

The blades pressed lightly, and a thin line of red blood appeared on one side of Tyda’s neck. But he didn’t flinch or try to pull away.

The Great Sage raised one hand. “Let him speak.”

The swords pulled back just enough to give him room.

Tyda took a long, deep breath. His hands slowly unclenched, then tightened again. His voice became lower and steadier.

“Listen to me, old man.”

The whole room stayed completely silent.

“I don’t know why Goddess Prana didn’t give me any mana.” His jaw tightened. “And honestly, it makes me furious.”

He lowered his head for a moment. His shoulders shook slightly. Everyone watched closely. The laughter from earlier was gone. No one made a sound.

Then Tyda lifted his head again.

His eyes burned with a fierce, unbroken determination. They were clear and sharp, showing no sign of giving up.

“But I don’t care.”

His fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.

“I DON’T CARE!”

Tears formed in his eyes and rolled slowly down his cheeks. They were not tears of fear or weakness, but of frustration and refusal to accept defeat. They were the result of every early morning, every long day of training, every bruise and every drop of sweat that had led him here.

Tyda raised both arms high, his voice echoing across the whole castle.

“Even without mana…”

He pointed toward every examinee, toward every guild member, and straight at the throne itself.

“I will become stronger than all of you!”

The hall went dead quiet.

“I will reach Mythic Rank!”

No one laughed. No one spoke. His words hung in the air, raw and full of fire.

The blond boy with Divine Mana stared at him. Then a real smile appeared on his face—not mocking, not arrogant, but one that held a hint of respect.

The brown-haired woman watched him too. Her strange smile stayed, but her eyes now held something new: curiosity.

At the front of the hall, the guild members exchanged glances, looking surprised and interested.

Raylight kept his eyes fixed on Tyda. His broken bottle lay forgotten on the floor, and his face showed no clear expression at all.

And for the first time…

The Great Sage smiled.

It was a small, quiet smile. It looked like the smile of someone who had just seen something completely unexpected—something that should not have been possible.

“Interesting,” the old man said softly.

He looked at Tyda more closely than before, as if he had just found something that no one else in the room could even see.