Chapter 79: The Weight of Power
The ruined city trembled.
The Calamity-Class Mana Beast loomed over the battlefield, its six burning eyes locked onto them, its body pulsing with darkened mana.
The top ten had fought with everything they had.
And yet—they had barely made a scratch.
Selene's beacon of light still burned in the sky, but—
Help was too far away.
They had only seconds left.
And the beast had decided to end it.
A low rumble vibrated through the ruins.
The air grew heavy.
Kael's body locked up. His breathing hitched. His mana froze.
The others felt it too.
Something was coming.
No—someone.
And then—
The sky split apart.
A single figure descended from above.
Headmaster Varian Drakos Eldoria.
He did not rush.
He did not dash forward in haste.
He simply arrived.
And the moment he did—
Everything changed.
The Arrival of the Headmaster
Kael barely had time to process it.
One second—the beast was ready to kill them.
The next—
It was frozen in place.
Not by fear.
But by something far worse.
Gravity.
Varian raised a single hand.
And the air collapsed.
The ruins groaned. The ground splintered beneath their feet.
And the Calamity-Class Mana Beast—
The unmovable force that had withstood everything—
Began to sink.
Its massive form buckled under an invisible weight.
Kael's mind raced. What… kind of power is this?
The beast struggled—its mana flared in resistance.
But the weight only increased.
Like the world itself had turned against it.
Varian's golden eyes gleamed.
"Enough."
He clenched his fist.
And the beast—smashed into the earth.
The entire ruined city shook as the Calamity-Class Mana Beast was pinned.
For the first time—
It roared in agony.
Varian's expression remained unreadable.
"You were getting ahead of yourselves," he said, his voice calm. "This… is not your battlefield."
The beast twisted, shrieking, trying to rise—but it could not.
Kael couldn't move.
Not from injury.
But because the force pressing down on the battlefield was too overwhelming.
Even Lucian, even Mira—even the strongest among them struggled to stand.
This was absolute control.
This was power.
And Kael wanted it.
Varian exhaled. "Stay down."
And then—
The Calamity-Class Mana Beast was crushed.
Its body imploded, collapsing in on itself, its form reduced to nothing more than shattered mana.
And just like that—
It was over.
Kael's Awakening
The weight vanished.
The battlefield fell silent.
Varian turned to face them—his golden gaze locking onto Kael.
"You're ambitious," he said. "I like that."
Kael froze.
The Headmaster was speaking to him directly.
"You've survived the Alpha," Varian continued. "And now, you've survived this."
A pause.
"Not bad."
Kael swallowed hard.
Varian extended his hand—and Kael felt something pull at his core.
His Arcane Sigil pulsed.
A new mission appeared before his eyes.
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
[Mission completed]
NEW ABILITY GRANTED: GRAVITY SIGIL.
Effects:
Gravity Burst – Unleash a wave of force that crushes enemies.
Weight Manipulation – Alter the weight of objects and yourself.
Gravitational Pull – Anchor enemies in place.
Kael's breath caught.
This… this was different.
This wasn't just an improvement.
This was an entirely new power.
Varian turned away.
And with that—
The Headmaster vanished.
Leaving Kael, his body still buzzing with newfound strength, and the others—stunned at what had just happened.
This mission…
This power…
This was just the beginning.