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.