Tower: Rebirth of the Absolute Demon
Chapter 42: Ch 42: The Truth Behind Mana

Chapter 42: Ch 42: The Truth Behind Mana

Michael couldn’t mask his astonishment. The words "half-assed energy" and "mana" lingered in his mind, their casual dismissal cutting deeper than any blade.

In front of him sat a man who radiated an energy far denser, far more ancient than mana... a presence that made his 10th-circle Transcendent strength feel as insignificant as a grain of sand against the vast ocean.

And then there was the throne, the throne of Void.

Void.

The most forbidden force known to magicians, a power that transcended even the laws of nature itself.

Michael had once delved into the edges of its knowledge and barely escaped with his sanity.

And now, this man... no, this being lounged upon it as if it were nothing but a cushioned seat.

*****

{A/N- info dump}

Magical prowess was measured by the number of mana circles a magician could form around their heart, the heart acting as both storage and conduit.

Unlike cultivators who utilized dantians, magicians used their heart to channel mana, each circle marking a significant advancement.

But the formation of these circles wasn’t something that could be forced.

It was dictated by an unfair system... talent.

No amount of effort could overcome the absence of talent.

Novice: 1 circle. The most basic foundation.

Apprentice: 2–3 circles. The height of achievement for the talentless.

Magicians:

4–6 circles. Only those with inherent ability could reach these heights.

Grand Magicians: 7–8 circles. Reserved for prodigies, those born once in a generation.

Archmages: 9 circles. A near-mythical wall that only the most brilliant minds could scale.

Transcendents: 10 circles. A realm spoken of in hushed tones, an unattainable heaven.

In the current age, only three individuals had reached the 8th circle. None had even dared dream of touching the 9th, let alone the 10th.

*****

Michael’s own journey was one of unparalleled brilliance, but it was not without its revelations.

When he reached the 9th circle, he gained the ability to manipulate the forces of nature themselves... laws in their most basic form.

And upon breaking through to the 10th circle, those laws became visible to him, like threads interwoven into the fabric of existence.

But something was wrong.

The laws of the world were incomplete.

They were broken, fragmented, and weak.

Mana itself felt like a pale imitation of what it should have been, a shadow of something far greater.

This realization had consumed him.

He spent centuries studying the mysteries of the world, delving into forbidden knowledge, and unearthing secrets that had been buried in time.

Finally, he arrived at the truth.

Mana was not the original energy of the world. It was a diluted, degraded version of a superior energy that once existed.

The world itself was crumbling, held together by frayed threads.

His discovery shattered him and elevated him.

Driven by desperation and enlightenment, Michael reached the 10th circle and fused himself with the laws of the world, becoming its "brain" to stabilize its decay.

But even as he sacrificed himself for the world, he held onto a single hope... that one of his descendants would find the truth and finish what he could not.

Now, standing before him was not his descendant, but a man who spoke of mana’s incompleteness with ease, as if it were common knowledge.

Who was he?

What was he?

Michael, overwhelmed by curiosity and reverence, fell to one knee and bowed his head low.

"Sir..." he said, his voice trembling with equal parts fear and respect.

"Who exactly... are you? And how do you know that mana is incomplete?"

Ye Tian chuckled, the sound reverberating like an unspoken command through the distorted space.

"Who am I?" Ye Tian said, resting his chin lazily on his hand, crimson eyes glinting with amusement.

"Instead of asking ’who’ shouldn’t you be asking why mana is incomplete?" His grin widened.

Michael’s breath hitched.

This man wasn’t just someone who knew the truth... he was the truth, the answer to all of Michael’s questions.

Ye Tian raised his hand and made a beckoning motion.

"Come closer."

Michael obeyed, standing directly before the enigmatic figure.

"It’s better to show you than to explain..." Ye Tian said, standing up from his throne.

Without waiting for permission, Ye Tian placed a finger on Michael’s forehead.

Immediately, an explosion of pain erupted in Michael’s mind as Ye Tian began transferring his memories.

Michael’s body convulsed as images flooded his mind... Ye Tian’s memories, his life, his journey.

The beginning... Ye Tian’s rise from nothing.

Battles that defied logic, wars that shattered stars, and enemies who could extinguish galaxies with a flick of their hand.

His ascent to the apex of existence, conquering cosmos after cosmos.

And then...

The horrifying truth.

Ye Tian didn’t just conquer the cosmos. He rebuilt them from scratch, bending the laws of creation to his will.

And in the end, when all had been achieved, when no challenge remained... he destroyed it all.

The visions ceased, and Ye Tian withdrew his finger.

Michael fell to the ground, clutching his head.

Pain unlike anything he had ever experienced coursed through his body as the weight of Ye Tian’s memories pressed down on his soul.

"No... No, this can’t be..." Michael muttered, his voice hoarse.

Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably as his mind tried to process the sheer enormity of what he had seen.

He screamed.

A guttural, primal scream.

He rolled on the ground, writhing in agony as his body and soul rebelled against the truth they had just been shown.

"Stop... please... STOP!" he begged, his voice breaking.

But Ye Tian remained seated on his throne, watching with a casual smirk.

"Ah, the sweet sound of comprehension..." Ye Tian mused, crossing one leg over the other.

"Does it hurt, Michael? Does the truth weigh on you?"

Michael’s screams continued, echoing endlessly through the distorted space.

Ye Tian leaned back, his laughter filling the void.

For hours, Michael’s torment played out before Ye Tian, who watched with unrestrained amusement.

Finally, when Michael’s voice had gone hoarse and his body could take no more, he fainted.

Ye Tian shook his head, his laughter fading into a low chuckle.

"Mortals..." he said with a sigh, leaning back against his throne.

"They always take it so... personally."

He smirked again, crimson eyes gleaming.

"But now... the real fun begins."