As Unwan listened to Genius Nort's words, he absorbed a great deal of new information. Although most of it was common knowledge to many, for Unwan it was entirely new.
First was how easy it was to reach the Reader rank. Logically, this made sense, nearly all the Ruins in the Shining Kingdom had already been claimed. Those occupations naturally made it easier for new Owners to advance to Reader. Second were the wars over claiming the Night Curse. Whether against other kingdoms or against Night creatures themselves, there had been countless bloody battles in recent times, or at least during Nort's years on the front lines. Despite all those hardships, the Shining Kingdom had somehow managed to preserve its strength.
And lastly, even the inner Shining Kingdom built within the Night Curse offered no true guarantee of safety. How could it? After all, the Night Curse Realm was the most savage and merciless place. In such a land, not only surviving, but enduring even a few hours or days on one's own was astonishing in itself.
Moved by Genius's solemn words, Unwan thanked him for his service to the kingdom and for today's lesson. With a command, he gestured toward the grimoire resting on the table, causing it to float silently in the air. He then set off toward the faculty of "Spell Control and Concentration". But...
'You can't think on an empty stomach.'
'That doesn't apply to you.'
'And why not? I'm human too.'
'Being human doesn't mean living in comfort.'
Still, Unwan went to the dining hall. Despite having been here for nearly three days, this was his first proper lunch. He chose a braised beef. After all, if one wanted to understand the variety of flavors in the world, this dish was a good place to start.
After finishing his meal, Unwan continued on his way toward the room he had been searching for. Having grown irritated by Unwan constantly asking for directions, Genius Nort had drawn him a map of the academy. It wasn't very precise, the lines were crooked and rough, but it was good enough to understand. If he wasn't mistaken, the faculty of "Spell Control and Concentration" was only a two-minute walk from the dining hall.
Following the paths on the map, Unwan found the room. The map had been accurate. He stepped inside.
And immediately encountered something strange.
The room wasn't very large, yet it was packed with people. Simply moving inside was difficult. Just like the "Martial Arts" faculty, there were between thirty and forty students gathered there. For an academy of this size, the room was far too small. Throughout the academy, facilities and lessons focused on magic and combat were especially numerous due to their popularity.
Three instructors stood before the students, handing something out. Soon, Unwan realized what it was meditation rugs.
Because the door had opened, everyone turned to look at him, which made him slightly nervous. One of the instructors stared at him for a moment before asking,
— Are you here for spell control?
The expressionless boy replied.
— Yes.
— What's your name?
— Unwan.
— Good. Take this.
She handed Unwan a rug. Unwan accepted it, then hesitated, unsure of what to do next. So he simply joined the group of students.
— "If everyone is ready, let's begin," one of the instructors said.
Everyone slowly filed out, moving forward in an orderly formation. Unwan didn't know where they were headed at first, but after a short while, he understood. They were going toward the academy garden.
The academy itself was vast, so naturally the garden was equally enormous. When they finally arrived, they saw a wide, flat space with a slight rise in one area. It was large enough to comfortably accommodate fifteen groups like theirs. Other students from the same faculty and their instructors were already present. The area was enclosed by stone walls, with rows of trees planted in front of them, completely obscuring the walls from view. Birds perched among the branches.
None of this was accidental. This place was designed purely for meditation: quiet, peaceful, free of unnecessary noise.
As the three instructors explained how to meditate, Unwan realized which aspects he had been doing correctly and which he hadn't. As they took turns speaking, Unwan tried to commit their words to memory.
— And finally, try to remain perfectly calm during meditation. Focus on your grimoire, or your spell. Strengthen your spiritual connection.
The instructors told everyone to spread out, lay down their rugs, and begin meditating.
Unwan chose a spot slightly closer to the trees, yet somehow still near the center. He sat down slowly, regulating his breathing as he tried to calm himself. His grimoire still floated beside him as Unwan closed his eyes and began to think about it.
'So, my grimoire - the Grimoire of Universe. The power to edit the force between any two objects. Through it, I can apply pressure to an object… or remove it entirely.'
He recalled the times he had used it, analyzing each situation.
'The first time I used it, I slammed a boy named Dorgon into a wall, shattering his bones.'
Unwan chuckled softly.
'Still, he fell afterward. Of course, how could anyone remain standing after breaking that many bones? Then I pressed him into the ground. With such force that he lost consciousness within seconds. All with a single wave of my hand.'
But Unwan's expression tightened. To keep his state from shifting, he focused on his breathing again.
'No, that's not all. Before that, I tried a small experiment. I attempted to throw him into the air. I raised my hand upward toward him. Nothing happened.'
A faint irritation surfaced in Unwan's mind. The words echoed again and again.
'Nothing happened. Nothing happened.'
He tried to remember the moment more clearly. Then, a small detail resurfaced. A slight smile formed on his lips.
'No… Dorgon felt lighter. I could tell from his expression.'
And a question emerged.
'But why? Gravity edits the force between two objects. If there was nothing in the sky, then why did he feel lighter?'
As Unwan pondered, a thought crossed his mind.
'In that case… perhaps the gravitational force between him and the ground was reduced. Possible... Possible...'
'But how far does that possibility extend? Where is its limit?'
It was as if a light flickered on. Or rather, a candle of insight was lit for that moment.
'Where does the boundary of possibility lie?'
Unwan opened his eyes. Slowly, he looked around, then picked up a stone from the ground, slightly smaller than the palm of his hand.