The Evolution of Mana Echoes

Ch 5 - Pt 1 The Sage Throne

“Let the boy go.”

The Great Sage’s voice rang out across the hall. It was calm and steady, but it carried more weight than any shout ever could.

The two hooded guards obeyed right away. The swords that had been pressed against Tyda’s neck slowly pulled back. Cold air brushed against the thin red line left on his skin.

Even though the blades were gone, the heavy feeling in the room stayed. No one relaxed. No one moved an inch.

Tyda rubbed his neck once, then lifted his head again. His eyes never left the old man sitting on the throne.

The Great Sage stayed perfectly calm. The other examinees remained silent. The guild members kept watching closely.

Tyda took a deep breath.

Then he spoke.

“I’ll say it again.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet hall, every single person heard him clearly.

Bren looked worried right away. “Tyda…”

Maya grabbed his arm, looking scared. “Someone stop him.”

“I’ve trained and waited for years for this,” Tyda said, ignoring them.

He started walking forward.

One step. Then another. The sound of his boots hitting the stone floor echoed through the whole castle. Every examinee watched him. Every guild member watched him. No one could understand what he planned to do.

Tyda just kept moving. Straight toward the throne. Straight toward the Great Sage.

The distance between them grew shorter with every step.

The rows of seats where the guild representatives sat were right in his path, but Tyda didn’t even glance at them. Not once. His eyes stayed locked only on the old man ahead.

Julius narrowed his eyes. The leader of Encore Guild finally spoke up.

“Hey, kid.”

His voice carried natural authority—the kind that usually made people stop and listen at once.

Tyda kept walking. He didn’t slow down or answer.

Julius frowned. The other guild members noticed. Across the room, the leaders of Gaijin, Midnight Mayhem, and Holy Grail all turned their attention to Tyda, following every step he took.

The air in the room felt heavier and heavier.

Meanwhile, Uloyd from Daeda Guild crossed his arms. The man was a careful planner, and his expression slowly turned serious. It wasn’t what Tyda said that bothered him—it was what he did. The boy paid no attention to the guilds, even though they were the strongest groups in the whole Eastern Continent.

It was as if they didn’t even exist.

As if the only person in the entire castle was the Great Sage himself.

Tyda finally stopped. He was now much closer to the throne. Close enough to see the fine threads woven into the old man’s white robes. Close enough to feel the deep, ancient power that rested on that seat.

The hall grew even quieter.

Then he raised one hand and pointed his finger straight ahead. Toward the throne. Toward the Great Sage. Toward the highest position in the whole building.

A slow, confident grin spread across Tyda’s face.

“Even that throne,” he said, his voice carrying clearly. “One day, old man, it will be mine.”

Shocked gasps rose up from every corner of the room. Many examinees looked horrified just hearing the words.

Tyda kept going. “I don’t care if it takes ten years or a hundred.” His fist tightened at his side. “I don’t care if everyone says it’s impossible.” His eyes burned with strong will. “Even without mana, I will beat every single one of you.”

He pointed first toward the guilds, then turned back to the throne.

“Every last one of you.”

For a moment, there was total silence.

Then—

BOOOOOOM!

Bright golden mana exploded outward from the Great Sage.

The whole hall shook. The pressure was so strong it felt like standing in the path of a storm. The old man’s white hair lifted slightly as golden energy wrapped around him like a blazing sun. The air itself seemed to bend and twist around that power, and the stone floor under everyone’s feet began to vibrate.

At the exact same time—

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Blue mana erupted from every guild member. Daeda, Encore, Gaijin, Midnight Mayhem, Holy Grail, and Aurora—all of them released their power at once.

Energy flooded the entire castle. Bolts of blue lightning flickered around some of the strongest members. Their eyes glowed with power. The pressure became so heavy it felt like it could crush stone.

The examinees froze.

Many dropped to their knees right away. Some fell flat on both knees, too weak to stand. Others grabbed the floor with shaking hands, trying to hold themselves up. One young man cried out in pain.

“What is this?!”

Another struggled just to breathe. “My body won’t move!”

A girl tried to stand, but her legs gave out immediately. Sweat covered her whole face. “I can’t get up!”

Fear spread fast through the crowd. This pressure wasn’t attacking them—it just existed, and that alone was enough to push more than a hundred people down to the ground.

Several examinees started shaking all over. Others stared at the guild members with pure terror. Some even screamed.

“AHHHHH!”

“These people are like monsters!”

“How can anyone become this strong?!”

Tyda felt it too.

The heavy force crashed into him like a mountain falling from the sky. His legs shook hard, and every part of his body screamed at him to kneel down.

Then—

THUD.

One knee hit the cold stone floor.

Tyda gritted his teeth so hard his jaw ached. Every muscle in his body trembled violently. Sweat poured down his face and dripped onto the ground. His breathing turned rough and fast.

Damn it…

Move…

I have to move!

His arms shook uncontrollably. His vision blurred around the edges. The pressure kept pushing harder and harder. Around him, Bren, Maya, and their friends were barely able to stay conscious.

Tyda lowered his head and slammed his fist against the floor. The impact split the skin on his knuckles, and blood began to seep out.

Then he shouted.

“I’M NOT GOING TO LOSE!”

His voice rang through the hall. The pressure only grew stronger, but Tyda’s eyes stayed sharp and clear.

“I’M NOT FINISHED YET!”

His voice cracked from the strain.

“I HAVEN’T ACHIEVED ANYTHING!”

The castle shook once more.

Slowly, Tyda began to push himself back up. His legs nearly gave out again. Every muscle burned, every joint felt like it was on fire. But he kept forcing himself upward—little by little, inch by inch.

The boy stood back on his feet.

Several examinees stared in complete disbelief. A person with no mana at all, standing tall under this weight. This was the combined power of the Great Sage and the strongest guild leaders in the whole Eastern Continent.

Tyda took in a deep, shaking breath.

“AHHHHHHH!”

A loud shout burst from his chest. His whole body shook, and blood dripped from his fists where his nails had dug into his palms.

But he did not fall.

He lifted his head again and looked straight at the Great Sage.

The determination in his eyes had not changed one bit.

“Just wait,” Tyda said, pointing once more toward the throne. “All of you.”