Echoes of Hollow

Hmm...

Stopping under a tree, Alyia shields her eyes from the sunlight with one hand and looks up. As the gentle breeze sways the leaves and her hair, the ring on her finger briefly glimmers, flashing twice in quick succession.

"I knew I shouldn’t have trusted them. A red portal... What were those idiots thinking?"

Suddenly, a lightning bolt cracks through the clear sky, slicing through the clouds.

"Oh, a rupture? They got that excited?"

Her body floats, rising toward the heavens.

"Let’s see, what could they be doing in there?"

Stretching one hand out, she holds the space, preventing the dimension from fully restoring as it continues to rebuild. Sitting on a cloud, Alyia shapes it to her will, making it comfortable for her to stay for as long as needed.

"I hope they didn’t come up with any stupid ideas."

The change is imperceptible to most, as in the reality she resides in, it hasn’t happened. However, in the dimension where Hye and the others are, the fragments have fused, but not in the way they should have. The barrier preventing external interference was not restored.

Crossing her legs, Alyia snuggles into the soft, fantasy-like chair made of clouds. She lets out a quiet yawn. Resting her cheek on her fist, her eyes focus on the space ahead, observing every corner of one of the dimensions on the other side.

***************

With the dagger in hand, Hye charged at the creature. The flames approached rapidly, dominating his vision.

In his mind, the image of when Lior had pulled them to the ground flashed. That thin yet resilient layer of mana, protecting not only his body but also a certain area around him. Hard, but not brittle. Sturdy and malleable. The barrier was created, and the flames didn’t touch him.

Leaping forward, the scene of the rock being sliced with a single motion of hands crossed his mind. Then, moving the small dagger, the mana expanded, sharp, taking the form of the blade and extending far beyond its actual reach. With a single strike, the hydra’s head fell.

"Hey! Wait!" Lior exclaimed, halting the monster's movements entirely. "You’re moving too fast! I haven’t even taught you anything yet!"

Casting one last glance at the paralyzed creature, Hye turned to hear what Lior had to say.

"First, let’s start with basic refinement. It seems you’re using too much mana unnecessarily. As I said, mana is the materialization of ideas. For it to be used effectively, your thoughts must align with those same ideas."

"I think I understand what you mean, but I’m not sure how to execute it... Could you give an example?"

"Yeah, give an example," Addiah said, fully engrossed in Lior’s explanation. Her bright eyes focused on him, causing Lior to step slightly to the side, swallowing hard and acting strangely. For some reason, the air felt slightly warmer.

"All-All right, an example..." He tried looking in Hye’s direction, but as if drawn by a magnet, his eyes couldn’t leave the face beside him for long. "Starting with the basics... clear your mind. Achieving neutral mana is the first step."

"Clear my mind... And how should I incorporate that into my mana? Is it automatic?"

"N-No...! I’ll... I’ll explain, wait!" Lior stammered as Hye’s black eyes drew closer with every question, full of curiosity. Far from being displeased, Lior found it overwhelming, even for him, to keep his own mind clear.

Taking another step to the side, he sighed. Teodoro, standing near the edge of the rock, shot him an annoyed look.

Looking forward, Lior resisted the urge to glance back again. Clearing his throat, he raised a hand.

"Actually, I misspoke a little. Instead of keeping your mind completely blank, you should refrain from useless thoughts and focus solely and exclusively on your mana."

Moving gracefully, his fingers glided through the air. Then, before everyone’s eyes, a river formed, flowing perfectly, even as it split into multiple branches. In the end, the waters molded themselves into the shape of a human figure.

"Starting from the beginning... body reinforcement. A common mistake is using only a small portion of available mana to reinforce the body, as most people don’t do it correctly."

"By expelling part of it..."

"Exactly. That’s unnecessary—useless, in fact."

"Useless?" Addiah and Yang Kai asked, confused.

"Y-Yes... Physical enhancement isn’t achieved by expelling mana outside the body, but by increasing its flow."

The flow intensified uncontrollably, causing mana to burst out in large quantities from the river and its branches.

"See? It’s a waste. The expelled mana isn’t used in any way; it has no purpose."

"Then... what’s the correct way to do it?" Addiah asked, looking at her hands, where mana enveloped her fists.

"Like this."

The intensity remained, but the flow calmed in all areas. Even though it ran voraciously, the waters stayed within the boundaries of the river, flowing with precision.

"But... in your case, there’s a problem."

"My mana flow, which you can neither see nor feel."

"Exactly. Are you able to do this?"

"No..."

"What?!" Yang Kai and Addiah exclaimed.

"Then how can you use and see mana?" Addiah asked. "Even the 'laws of the world'?"

"Well, as for seeing... I just can. It became natural after feeling it for the first time. As for using it, like I said before, I just replicate the sensation I feel when using abilities. It’s not hard."

"Not hard..." the two murmured, incredulous.

Clenching her fist, Addiah felt something swell within her chest. Anger, envy—a mixture of feelings useless for her own growth, but ones she couldn’t suppress due to her inadequacy. Yet, that wasn’t all. Facing someone even Lior and Teodoro hesitated to compare themselves to, the surprises came as quickly as her confidence crumbled.

"But this flow," Hye said, "if I can’t feel it or it doesn’t exist, couldn’t I just create one?"

"Excuse me...?"

The four stared at him, bewildered. How could they comprehend? A distinct anomaly that didn’t even appear to have mana, yet could wield it. That alone was theoretically impossible. But to create a mana flow from scratch—something that exists in every living being from the moment of conception? Even for beings who observe entire realities like films or destroy them with a single step, this defied reason and crossed into the absurd.

'Huh...?' Witnessing the emergence of a beam of light in a place devoid of anything but himself, Samael approached it. 'Boy, you are...' His eyes widened as a chilling sensation reverberated through his soul. No other word came to his mind except 'a monster.'

He leapt back as the light, after forming a thin line, rapidly expanded into a river. The waters flowed calmly, following their path perfectly despite the lack of boundaries.

'...But this is strange... It shouldn’t be like this. Your aunt and that child were the same... Do you do this consciously, or is it the opposite?'

'What do you mean?' Hye asked, having finally completed the flow within himself. 'Aunt and Hilary don’t have a flow either?'

'None of you three have one. Yet, unlike you, their mana could still be sensed, especially the girl’s.'

'Then what’s the difference between us? Why can their mana be sensed, but mine can’t?' Clenching his fist, the intensity of the flow increased, the waters rushing faster yet remaining stable. 'Did they also create their own flow?'

'I don’t think so. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. After all, you were already using mana before, even without seeing or feeling it.'

'So?'

'Mimicry. Seeing how you created your flow, that’s the only plausible answer I can think of.'

Hye’s gaze shifted toward Lior’s body, specifically his innermost essence. He immediately understood what Samael meant. He hadn’t created it—he’d simply copied what was in front of him, ignoring everything else.

"But if that’s the case," Lior said, standing beside Teodoro and analyzing Hye from head to toe, "why can we feel his mana now? Mimicking a flow shouldn’t affect that."

"..."

"Seriously? You’re not going to answer me? Why not?"

"Well... if you think about it," Teodoro interjected, "setting aside what’s possible or impossible, he might’ve just copied the properties of your mana, no?"

"What? But that’s..."

"Impossible," Lior was about to say. However, observing the flow Hye created and the way mana coursed through it, he sighed. Even the smallest details were identical. Exactly identical.

"So, he’s transforming his own mana into something identical to mine, is that it? I don’t know… I think I’m not feeling well…"

"Well… do you want me to change that?"

"Change?" the two asked. They looked at each other in silence, then turned their eyes back to Hye. "You can change that…?"

"Hmm, I’m not sure. But maybe? If I’ve done it once, I think if I focus on what needs to be altered, it’s possible."

"So, it’s possible to change mana properties? Don’t take this the wrong way, but it really shouldn’t be possible for you to use it."

"Are you talking about the heat?"

"Yes, the… What...?"

When Hye raised his hand, Lior and Teodoro smiled, for there was nothing else to do but that. The flow? The properties? If his hair had been any color other than black, they would’ve noticed right away.

Black flames emerged from his hands, intense and dancing, moving as though they were alive.

"Haha…! This is truly ridiculous…" Raising his hand, Lior conjured the same flames. However, as they collided, Hye's absorbed the other in the end. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to use this properly…?"

"A long time…?"

"Oh, put a *very* in front of that… Damn it...!"

"..." Watching that disheartened and shaken expression—something quite similar to the faces of Addiah and Yang Kai—Hye felt a small prick in his chest. Not anger, but perhaps guilt… Though, according to books, the feeling best suited to describe this situation would be… pity?

Extinguishing the flames, he sighed.

"I’ll change the mana’s properties, don’t worry."

Saying it is easy, but doing it isn’t. Despite his decision, how was he supposed to actually do it? Looking around, he observed the mana flows of everyone present. Teodoro immediately stepped back. Addiah turned her body pointlessly. And Yang Kai hid himself without delay.

Hye sighed.

The flow each person possessed was unique, just as the properties of their mana were. But how was he supposed to create his own?

"This is much harder than I expected…" he murmured.

His eyes wandered, turning to the trembling creature behind him. Its body had a single flow, but its necks differed, each possessing its own unique mana properties.

‘Something hot and intense for the fire-spitting head. Quick and unpredictable, yet powerful, for the lightning. Calm and fluid for the water. Invisible and omnipresent, not contained by a single flow but encompassing the whole from neck to head, for air. The poison seems to be a mist… Of all five, it appears the most dangerous, even in the way it flows. Make one mistake, and it will be your last.’

Gradually, the channel he created began to be undone.

"Wait…!" said Lior, noticing the steady cessation of mana in Hye’s body. He smiled, embarrassed. "Before that, could you give me the flame you copied?"

‘Oh… greedy bastard...’

"Huh? You don’t respond to me, but when you open your mouth, it’s to insult me? Are you mad at me or what?"

"I thought that was pretty obvious by now..."

"Whose side are you even on?"

"..."

Extending his hand, Hye offered the flame.

‘That’s not the flame he’s talking about,’ Samael said.

"Huh? If it’s not this one, then which one is it?"

‘Search deeper within yourself. In your case, although connected, the heat you feel doesn’t come from the mana flow.’

Closing his eyes, he searched every corner of his body, following the traces of heat within that resembled the flames in his hand.

"I see," he said, as he encountered a creature freely dancing in the void within him. Its long, scaly black body reminded him of something, but the hair flowing down its back and its horns made it distinct.

The creature chased its own tail, and as it bit down on it, the vortex created gave birth to a black flame, larger and more intense. Despite having no visible eyes, it somehow seemed to be watching him.

‘Are you sure you’re going to give him something like that?’ Samael questioned before Hye could hand the flame to Lior. ‘Do you even realize what you’ve just created? That’s not just a flame—it’s the heart of a dragon. The flame of your very existence. A normal human could never use or even dream of crafting something like this.’

"They couldn’t? But I used it… and so did he."

"Well, we’re not exactly normal, are we?" Lior asked with a smile. "At least now I’m certain you’re not."

‘Many would kill to possess what you’re holding. Many already have. And countless others have died seeking even a single ember. Are you really just going to toss it away?’

"..."

"Don’t worry. I won’t force you to do this."

‘But you weren’t planning to tell him the truth either.’

"...Truly..." Lior admitted. "But even if they seem small from your perspective, I have my reasons for wanting it. And I’d have nothing to offer in return. I considered offering you a weapon, but that dagger would render it useless. In the end, not telling you seemed like the only viable option. I didn’t expect we had a snitch among us, though…"

"Does this have something to do with your problem?"

"Excuse me...? Oh, she even told you about that? Well, yes, in a way, it does. To be honest, I wouldn’t say I desperately need it—just that it would be good to have it, you know?"

"I see…" Hye extended his hand.

"What? Seriously? You’re really going to do it?"

**Chapter 86, Part 4**

Nodding, Hye handed over the flame. Without a word, Lior and Teodoro exchanged glances. Somehow, he had created that flame entirely by chance. But to discard it so carelessly? Did he simply not see its true value, or did he genuinely not care?

"If you ever argue with Alyia, I promise I’ll take your side," Lior said with a smile.

"Alright… now…"

The flow within him extinguished, cutting off everyone else’s ability to sense his mana. But then Samael observed the birth of a new flow—more complete and versatile.

‘Huh? Is it just me, or did you actually use the creature’s different flows as inspiration?’

Like the waters of a river, the mana flowed fluidly and adaptively, capable of being calm and serene or powerful and destructive. Soon it transformed again, becoming fire—intense, hot, and radiant. Speed was a characteristic taken from lightning, yet it didn’t compromise the mana’s calm and perfect fluidity. Like an omnipresent barrier, air molded itself around the channel and its now broader branches.

"Hmm, I think that’s enough for now…"

"For now...?" the two irregulars asked. "Are you thinking of doing that again?"

"Maybe? I’m not sure. Only if I come up with something more useful than this."

"And they called *me* a genius…" murmured Teodoro in disbelief.

"This isn’t genius," Lior replied. "It’s monstrosity. Watching him makes me think he can do anything, even things that should theoretically be impossible due to his system and level."

‘Increase the flow…’

Something already flowing quickly intensified further before Samael’s eyes. There were no flaws or disturbances. Even in the most distant parts of Hye’s body, like his fingertips, no mana was wasted.

As he felt his strength growing, Hye clenched his fists.

‘Hmm, there’s definitely a difference. I’d say the results are at least several times better this way.’

With no effort, his hand moved alongside the dagger, slicing through the air and everything ahead, including two of the hydra’s heads.

"What’s the next step?" Hye asked, turning his back to the regenerating creature.

"Excuse me...? Ah, yes, of course, the next step..." Lior and Teodoro exchanged anxious glances.

‘What now?’ Teodoro said as the two conversed mentally. ‘I told you this wouldn’t work. Thinking body reinforcement alone would be enough was pure idiocy.’

‘Alright, I get it. Repeating it won’t help. Try to think of something… Maybe manipulation beyond just emotions and ideas?’

‘Imposition of will? That’s way too advanced. Skipping steps could destabilize his foundation.’

‘Well, in theory, he already did that unconsciously by manipulating the "laws of the world" and creating his own mana flow, so it shouldn’t be a major issue… I think…’

‘…If she complains, remember this was *your* idea.’

Lior nodded, and with a sigh, Teodoro stepped forward. "So, now, we’ll go with… huh?"

Something reverberated in his mind, echoing desperately as his name was called.

Hye witnessed a familiar scene—the whitish glow in the boy’s eyes before him. Yet he felt his fist tighten before he could even register the strange situation. After all, why were his fingers wrapped around Teodoro’s neck?

"This power…" Like a mere spectator trapped in and limited to half his own body, words left his mouth that he no longer controlled. "How dare you use it..? Return it…"

"H-Hey," Lior said, confused. "What are you doing, little bird? Trust me, you don’t want to do this… not now."

"D-Damn it, why are you trying to talk to him…?" Teodoro questioned, the glow in his eyes flickering. With a renewed flare, they came alive alongside his wings. "Bastard… get me out of here!"

"…Even if it’s such an insignificant part…" Samael continued, ignoring Lior and focusing on Teodoro’s wings. "I’ll make you regret trying to claim it."

"Oh, crap…" Lior sighed. "I tried to warn you, so don’t blame me for this later."

The skies parted, and as if commanding the heavens, they stopped Addiah and Yang Kai from even thinking about standing. Alyia descended through the air toward the furious archangel.

"Let him go," she ordered. "Now."

Though no longer restrained by the chains, which shattered along with the skies, the hydra lay trembling on the ground. Its instincts screamed that if either of the two beings present noticed it, death would be the best outcome it could hope for.

"I won’t say it again."