743 Chapter 743 Training
The scene was set against the backdrop of a towering mountain, its peak piercing the sky, a testament to nature's grandeur. Aldred stood at its base, a solitary figure dwarfed by the colossal structure. His eyes were focused, reflecting a deep concentration as he prepared to test the limits of his newly acquired spatial magic.
Rayanor and Shuzib stood a safe distance away, their eyes fixed on Aldred and the mountain. The air was thick with anticipation.
Aldred inhaled deeply, his mind resonating with the intricate knowledge he had absorbed. He extended his hands towards the mountain, his palms facing the massive rock formation. Slowly, he began to weave the fabric of space, manipulating the reality around the mountain.
The air around the mountain started to shimmer, like heat rising off hot pavement. Gradually, the base of the mountain began to blur, the lines of reality warping and bending. Aldred's body tensed, his focus unwavering as he channeled more energy into the spell.
Rayanor watched in disbelief. "Is he really going to…?"
Shuzib, equally astounded, could barely find the words. "If he does this, it changes everything we know about magic and its capabilities."
As they watched, the mountain started to dissolve, like a mirage fading away. The massive structure seemed to be swallowed by an invisible force, disappearing bit by bit until nothing remained but a clear view of the horizon where it once stood.
Aldred, his energy spent, lowered his hands and took a step back, panting slightly. The mountain had vanished entirely, leaving no trace behind.
Rayanor was the first to break the silence. "By the stars… Aldred, you just made an entire mountain disappear!"
Shuzib, still in shock, added, "This… this is beyond spatial manipulation. You've actually altered reality on a massive scale."
Nearby, a group of locals who had been enjoying the scenic view were now staring in disbelief at the empty space where the mountain once stood. Murmurs and gasps filled the air as they tried to comprehend what had just happened.
One local, an old man with a weathered face, spoke up, his voice trembling with awe. "The mountain… it's gone. How? Is this a miracle?"
Aldred, regaining his composure, turned to face Rayanor and Shuzib. "This won't be enough to defeat her. I need to train more."
Aldred, his gaze lingering on the void where the mountain once stood, turned to his companions, his expression one of solemn resolve.
"I need to focus and meditate here for a while," he announced. "The depth of this magic is more profound than I imagined. I must understand it completely to ensure our victory against Zelthrax."
Rayanor, nodding in agreement, replied, "I'll continue the search for more ancient texts. There might be other lost arts of spatial and gravity magic that can aid us." His voice carried a tone of determination, understanding the gravity of their quest.
Shuzib, ever the strategist, added, "I'll assist Rayanor in his search. And I'll arrange for a contingent of Celestial Platoon guards to patrol the area. We can't afford any interruptions or threats while you're in meditation."
Aldred nodded his gratitude. "Thank you, both. Your efforts are invaluable." He then turned and walked a few paces away, finding a serene spot where the energy of the planet felt strongest.
As Aldred sat down, crossing his legs in a meditative posture, Rayanor and Shuzib began their respective tasks, leaving him in solitude.
The air around Aldred began to shimmer with a subtle energy, the fabric of space bending and twisting in response to his deep concentration.
Hours turned into days, and Aldred remained in his meditative state, unmoving like a statue.
Around him, the landscape began to warp and fluctuate. Small objects levitated off the ground, orbiting him like satellites. The ground beneath him pulsed with a rhythm, echoing the cadence of his deepening understanding.
However, as Aldred delved deeper into the complexities of spatial and gravitational magic, he realized the monumental challenge he faced. The knowledge he had absorbed was a labyrinth of theories and practices, each more intricate than the last.
"It's like navigating a maze within a maze," he murmured to himself. "Every answer leads to more questions."
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and purple, Aldred opened his eyes briefly. He could feel his power growing, his control over spatial magic becoming more refined, yet the complete mastery he sought seemed just out of reach.
"The laws of space and gravity… they're interconnected in ways I never imagined," he pondered aloud. "To bend space is to influence gravity, and vice versa. But there's a harmony to it, a delicate balance that must be maintained."
As he resumed his meditation, the anomalies around him grew more pronounced. Small vortexes appeared, swirling with a quiet hum. Pebbles and leaves danced in the air, tracing patterns of invisible forces at play.
Meanwhile, Rayanor and Shuzib continued their quest, scouring ancient libraries and consulting with scholars and mages.
They sent regular reports back to Aldred, each new discovery adding pieces to the puzzle.
One night, as Aldred reached a new depth of meditation, a profound realization dawned upon him. The knowledge he sought wasn't just in understanding spatial magic as a tool or weapon; it was about understanding its role in the fabric of the universe, its relationship with all things.
With this newfound insight, Aldred felt a shift in his perception.
The anomalies around him calmed, settling into a harmonious flow. He knew then that he was on the cusp of a breakthrough.
As Aldred's meditation reached a crescendo, his understanding of spatial and gravitational magic culminated in a moment of daring experimentation. With deliberate and intricate hand gestures, he began to weave an elaborate spell, the air around him crackling with unseen energies. His eyes, now glowing with an otherworldly light, were fixed on the distant star that illuminated the planet.
In a sudden burst of power, the star began to warp and distort. It was a breathtaking spectacle, as the celestial body, billions of years old, started to collapse inward, its light bending and twisting. Within moments, where once there was a star, now lay a rapidly forming black hole, its event horizon a dark, foreboding ring in the heavens.
Aldred's triumph, however, was short-lived as he realized the gravity of his mistake. The planet they were on, with its teeming human population, depended on that star for life. Panic set in as he understood the consequences of his actions.
"By the gods, what have I done?" he whispered in horror. He had eight minutes - the time it took for the star's light to reach the planet - to reverse the cataclysmic change he had caused.
Around him, members of the Celestial Platoon, patrolling the area, noticed the abrupt disappearance of the sun. Alarms blared, and chaos ensued as they scrambled to understand the sudden shift from day to night.
"Commander, the star… it's gone!" one of the guards radioed in a panic. "We're detecting massive gravitational fluctuations. It's a black hole!"
Aldred, his mind racing, focused all his newly acquired knowledge and power into a single, desperate effort. With shaking hands, he began to reverse the spell, attempting to reforge the black hole back into a star. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled against the unfathomable forces he had unleashed.
Rayanor and Shuzib, realizing the dire situation, rushed to Aldred's side. "Aldred, what happened?" Rayanor shouted over the growing wind caused by the black hole's gravitational pull.
"I… I made a mistake. I'm trying to fix it," Aldred gasped, his voice strained under the effort.
Shuzib, his face pale, added, "You have less than eight minutes before the effects reach the planet's surface!"
Aldred's hands moved faster, tracing complex symbols in the air, his incantations growing more fervent. The black hole began to fluctuate, its dark heart pulsing as Aldred fought to reshape it.
On the planet, people looked up at the sky in confusion and fear, witnessing the impossible - their sun, a constant in their lives, had vanished, replaced by a dark void.
In the command ship orbiting the planet, orders were barked as the crew prepared for emergency evacuation procedures. "Prepare all ships for immediate launch. We need to evacuate the planet's inhabitants!"
Back on the ground, Aldred's efforts were reaching a critical point. The black hole shuddered, its darkness flickering. Beads of light started to emerge from its depths, growing brighter and more intense.
With a final, desperate push of his will, Aldred released the spell. The black hole erupted in a blinding flash of light, its dark core unravelling and reforming into the familiar warm glow of a star.
Exhausted, Aldred collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. Not because he ran out of stamina or mana but because he was holding his breath the whole time. He almost killed a lot of innocent people after all.
'When did I become this caring to people I don't know?'
The star shone brightly once again in the sky, its light bathing the planet in its life-giving radiance.
Rayanor and Shuzib rushed to Aldred's side, hel
