Within the Academy of Raya Lucaria, a path extended from the Church of the Cuckoo. Only by following it could one use the water wheel to reach the institution's true lecture halls. Along this essential path lay a stone bridge, but its far end marked the boundary of a forbidden ground, off-limits to all sorcerers. For in the wasteland beyond the bridge resided one of the White Kings, a being renowned for his destructive might. Anyone who dared to trespass was immediately attacked. Rumor had it that he was the same White King who tutored Radahn, later brought back to the academy. Others claimed, however, that this was not Radahn's tutor, but another of his kind who came to the academy for a different reason. After imprisoning their queen, the academy's sorcerers had attempted to assault the White King on several occasions, but their efforts ultimately came to naught. The White King paid the sorcerers on the bridge no mind. He considered the far end of the bridge a boundary; so long as no one crossed it, they would not be attacked. Given this, there was no reason to waste effort antagonizing him. Bai Shi crossed the far end of the stone bridge. Beyond it lay a vast expanse of overgrown weeds. Amidst the weeds stood a massive stone stele, and beside it, a crackling ball of purple lightning. Bai Shi knew that was where the White King was and strode toward it. As he stepped into the weedy clearing, a pitch-black void materialized within the purple lightning, and a figure slowly emerged. From the void emerged a tall White King with skin like stone. The White King had long white hair, strikingly pointed ears, and his body was covered in silvery patterns that flowed across his entire frame. If not for his ancient features, the White King might have resembled the elves from various films and television series. As he was now, however, he looked more like the Night King from another of George R.R. Martin's creations. The White King stood nearly three meters tall, wielding a heavy sword of pale meteoric iron. Though his frame was gaunt, his stone body possessed a power impossible to ignore. They are sometimes called the Alabaster Lords, a name that alludes to the marble-like nature of their skin. The White King roused from his slumber and gazed at Bai Shi, who stood before him. He assumed this was just another foolish sorcerer disturbing his slumber and was about to drive him away when he noticed something unusual about the young man. The White King stared intently at Bai Shi. In his perception, the man was cloaked in a white, luminous aura. Yes, there was no mistaking it. That was the light of his homeland. The man bore the mark of their origin. The White King looked at Bai Shi and slowly spoke. A voice, incredibly deep and resonant with an almost mechanical timbre, rumbled: Bai Shi was taken aback for a moment by the sheer resonance of his voice. Aside from the absence of any electronic crackle, the sound was truly astounding. If someone could record that voice and post it online with a title like, "Is My Mic Exploding?" it would surely go viral. Bai Shi quickly collected himself. ‘*It? He must be referring to the Outer God, the one that resembled a white dwarf star.*’ ‘*It did leave something on me back then.*’ Bai Shi nodded and said: “If you are referring to the star among the cosmos that radiates white light, then yes, I have seen It.” “It bestowed a power upon me, but I do not know how to use it.” “I have heard that the gravity magic of the White Kings is incomparably powerful, far surpassing that of the Black Kings. For that reason, I wish to become your apprentice and learn.” The White King nodded silently. Read complete versıon only at 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦•𝘯𝘦𝘵 Bai Shi’s words pleased him, especially the part about the White Kings being stronger than the Black Kings. “If you wish to learn, then I will teach you.” Bai Shi was delighted that the White King was so agreeable, consenting to teach him without hesitation. “My name is Bai Shi.” Now he would be able to master gravity magic as well. Gravity magic was incredibly versatile and could be applied in many situations. Putting aside its offensive capabilities, the future prospect of flight alone was enough to make Bai Shi strive to master it. Besides, Bai Shi wanted to see what the white dwarf star had left him and what purpose it served. “Then I will be in your care as you teach me gravity magic. By the way, how should I address you?” “Ordina. Call me that.” “Very well, Teacher Ordina.” White King Ordina began teaching Bai Shi right then and there. As a member of a cosmic race, he was not one for pomp and ceremony. Ordina extended the hand that was not holding his sword, palm facing up, and said to Bai Shi: “Alright, place your hand on mine.” Bai Shi did as he was told, placing his hand on top of Ordina’s. Instantly, purple gravitational energy materialized in the White King's palm, and Bai Shi’s hand was firmly held in place by its force. The White King spoke slowly. “Though I have had more contact with humans than my brethren, I am not adept at the academy's methods of teaching.” “Glintstone sorcery has been studied by countless people and needed to be widely disseminated, which is why it developed a formal pedagogical standard.” “Moreover, glintstone sorcery is a precise art; the slightest variance in mana will lead to failure.” “But gravity magic is much simpler and more direct. It is more about the mastery of gravity itself.” “Therefore, you must find understanding through contact. First, comprehend what gravity is.” Bai Shi nodded, understanding this approach to teaching. As long as one's mastery of gravity was deep enough and their mana sufficient, its applications were far more varied than the rigidly defined art of glintstone sorcery. Radahn's versatile applications of gravity were a clear example of this. Furthermore, extraterrestrial beings like the Black and White Kings and the Crystallians were not here to be instructors; teaching was merely a secondary activity for them. It was no surprise they would use such a primal teaching method. Bai Shi focused, sensing the gravitational energy flowing from the White King. The first thing he felt wasn't some profound, mystical insight, but rather the sheer power of Ordina's mana. The Black and White Kings were an alien race that had descended upon the Lands Between. They showed no ambition for conquest, content to find a place to quietly exist, yet they were still revered as kings. Undoubtedly, this respect was earned through their unparalleled strength. The power possessed by the White King named Ordina before him was already at the highest echelon of champions. It had to be said, these beings from beyond the stars were truly formidable. Even the numerous, mass-produced larval Astels all possessed power at a champion's level or higher. The Full-Grown Fallingstar Beasts were on par with top-tier champions, while an adult Astel was in the same league as a mighty demigod. The Black and White Kings likely all fell somewhere between the champion and top-tier champion levels of power. Bai Shi coated his hand in his own mana and, through contact with the White King's gravitational energy, began to convert it into the same. During his battle with Radahn, Bai Shi had unleashed Wave of Destruction several times with the Ruins Greatsword. As such, he already had a slight understanding of gravity magic. Though it wasn't deep, it was better than knowing nothing at all. Soon, through his efforts, the mana in Bai Shi’s hand changed its form. A purple energy, identical to Ordina's, appeared in his palm. The moment this purple gravitational energy emerged, it immediately began to resist and clash with the energy in Ordina's hand. Bai Shi's hand was repeatedly pushed away from Ordina's. Gravitational energies repelled each other; this was one of the properties of the magic. Ordina watched Bai Shi with a look of surprise. As cosmic beings, they were born with the power of gravity, so this level of control was nothing to him. Among humans, however, Bai Shi's feat was exceptionally remarkable. He had lived in the Lands Between for a very long time and had come into contact with many humans. This was the first time he had seen someone master gravitational energy so quickly. Was it because of such talent that he had received It’s favor? Ordina considered this, then amplified the gravity in his hand severalfold, forcing Bai Shi to continue resisting his energy. Under such pressure, the mana in Bai Shi’s hand transformed completely into a pure purple, and arcs of purple lightning danced in the space between their palms. Bai Shi flexed his fingers. His palm was now completely separated from Ordina's, and he could move it freely. Seeing that Bai Shi could now skillfully conjure gravitational energy, Ordina dispersed the mana from his hand. “Very good, very good. You have great talent.” “In that case, I shall try to teach you gravitational pull directly.” “Once you have mastered that, there will be nothing left for you to learn.” Bai Shi raised an eyebrow. Skipping straight to the highest difficulty? “Let's give it a try.” Ordina raised his hand once more, aiming it at Bai Shi. Bai Shi complied, raising his palm to meet it. The next moment, a gravitational wave emanated from Ordina's hand, and a powerful pull washed over Bai Shi. Bai Shi tried to counter it with the gravitational energy he had just learned to wield. But the very same energy that had been effective moments ago was now effortlessly shattered by the gravitational wave. Bai Shi frowned. Ordina's mana output didn't seem to have changed, so why was the result so different? Ordina explained to Bai Shi: “Unlike those black ones, we command the force of attraction within gravity.” Bai Shi’s mouth couldn't help but twitch. The teaching methods for gravity magic were really quite crude. In short, he had to figure it out himself. And according to Ordina, gravitational pull was supposed to be the most difficult part, yet he still had to grasp it through his own intuition. After trying for some time, Bai Shi asked Ordina: “Teacher, is this gravitational pull already a sorcery?” Ordina shook his head. “This can’t yet be considered gravity magic. It is merely an application of mana.” “Gravitational energy is the foundation, but it can be extended into different forms.” “Gravitational pull, repulsive force, gravity lightning, waves of destruction... these are all different, more advanced forms of gravitational energy.” “Once you master these energies, you can use them however you please, and it will all be called gravity magic.” “You should think of this step as akin to forming the glintstone in glintstone sorcery. That might help you understand it better.” I had to go out for something today, so the will be a bit later >_<>