Chapter 7: Mana Awakening — Part 2

Returning to the present, Chuck stood there with shock in his eyes, staring at Nor, who was sitting on the grass in front of him and drawing mana into himself.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

All the mana around them had begun flowing toward Nor.

Without leaving even a trace behind.

— How is this possible?.. — Chuck whispered, feeling the mana in the area grow denser and denser.

In his entire life, he had never seen anything like this.

For an ordinary awakened person, drawing mana from within a radius of one meter was considered normal.

For the gifted — five meters.

In rare cases — ten.

But right now, Chuck was watching Nor draw mana from hundreds of meters away.

And that was only what he himself could sense.

More… I need more…

Nor, as if losing control, began drawing in mana even more fiercely, devouring everything in his path.

Somewhere inside the guild.

— Alright, here are your documents for today… — Orlan said with a smile, looking at Edora as she sat behind her desk.

— Yes, yes, wipe that smirk off your fa—

She suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

At the same moment, Orlan's expression changed as well.

Both of them turned their heads toward the guild's backyard at the same time.

Their faces grew serious.

Whoosh.

In the next second, they vanished from the room.

Appearing in the backyard, Orlan and Edora saw Chuck.

He was on his knees beside Nor, who was still sitting on the grass and drawing mana into himself.

But that wasn't the main problem.

They immediately felt an enormous pressure in the air.

It was so strong that their feet were pushed several inches into the ground.

— What's going on here?! — Orlan shouted at Chuck's back.

Chuck turned his head with difficulty and quickly explained the situation, doing everything he could to stay conscious.

For him, the pressure of the mana was far too strong.

And with every passing second, it only grew heavier.

After hearing Chuck's explanation, Orlan and Edora's eyes widened.

Even they had never done anything like this during their awakening.

And they were considered two of the most talented people in the entire Miron Empire.

— We need to stop this! — Orlan shouted to Edora.

But in the next second, the pressure intensified.

Now they could barely move.

Edora gritted her teeth, trying to take a step forward, but immediately stopped.

— We can't… — she said quietly, realizing that the mana pressure near Nor was even stronger.

And then…

Thud.

— DAMN IT, CHUCK! — Orlan and Edora shouted at the same time.

Chuck had lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.

Without hesitation, Orlan and Edora gathered all their strength and mana.

They were ready to force their way to him at any cost.

Even if it meant suffering serious injuries.

But in the next moment, a voice sounded from above.

Quiet.

Yet filled with such power that space itself seemed to freeze.

— Calm down...

Orlan and Edora sharply raised their heads.

Their eyes widened.

A man who looked to be around forty, with dark blue hair, was floating in the sky.

He looked down at them with a calm, almost indifferent gaze.

— Emperor… — Orlan and Edora whispered in unison.

In the next second, they felt an invisible energy wrap around their bodies and lift them into the air.

They were about to shout that Chuck needed help, but immediately froze.

Chuck was floating beside them as well.

Unconscious, but safe.

What power…

That thought flashed through Orlan and Edora's minds at the same time.

After rising to the same height as the Emperor, Orlan and Edora heard his question:

— What is happening here?

— I can explain everything, — Orlan said, lowering his head in a respectful bow while still suspended in the air.

Then he quickly began explaining everything that had happened.

As he listened, the Emperor shifted his gaze toward Nor and frowned.

What is that?..

Just a few minutes ago, he had been sitting in the palace when he suddenly sensed a massive gathering of mana several hundred kilometers away from the capital.

Without hesitating for even a second, he rushed here immediately.

I thought someone was breaking through to the Emperor stage…

But now, looking at what was happening, he understood.

Even someone breaking through to the Emperor stage could not draw in mana at such speed and in such volume.

And right at that moment, the pressure became even stronger.

Emperor Klaus instantly raised his hand.

In the next second, his aura spread around Nor, surrounding the entire area with a dense barrier.

It prevented the pressure from escaping beyond its limits.

Otherwise…

The entire city could have been destroyed.

Seeing the Emperor restrain that force all by himself, Orlan and Edora unconsciously held their breath.

So this is how powerful Emperor Klaus really is…

But before they could feel any relief, they heard his voice.

— This isn't over yet… We have guests.

Klaus gave a slight smirk and looked to the side.

In that instant, space distorted.

First, a purple-haired woman stepped through, looking no older than her mid-thirties.

A moment later, a brown-haired man followed behind her, his appearance closer to that of someone in his early thirties.

Yet both of them radiated pressure no weaker than Emperor Klaus's.