Using the Stone Orb, Jonathan designed a series of extreme training regimens for himself.
Without relying on battle qi.
At first, his body nearly collapsed under the strain. His bones trembled constantly, and some even began to crack.
Ten times normal gravity was almost devastating for him. But with the Dao Fruit constantly healing his injuries, he was lucky enough to make it through the most difficult initial stage.
The bottleneck in his physical body began to loosen.
Autumn passed, and winter came.
Nearly four months went by in the blink of an eye.
The place where Jonathan was training had been covered in thick white snow. Everything was blanketed in white.
The fallen leaves were buried beneath the deep snow, where they would become nourishment for the earth.
Four months had passed, and he had already failed the graduation assessment. But Jonathan didn't care.
His efforts hadn't been in vain.
His body had broken through to the seventh level two months ago, and his spiritual force had broken through as well. It had once again been strengthened by the Dao Fruit, multiplying several times over in an instant and reaching the mid-eighth level.
After his breakthrough, the Stone Orb could produce up to sixteen times normal gravity with his spiritual force, equivalent to the Gravity Spell cast by a ninth-level Earth-element Arch Magus.
Still, he felt he hadn't reached his limit. At most, he might be able to reach twenty times normal gravity.
Under this Gravity Spell, Jonathan continued training.
In two months, his physical body had reached the mid-seventh level. His battle qi also improved rapidly as he trained in the appropriate Gravity Field, and two days ago it reached the peak of the seventh level.
"Compared to my breakthrough in spiritual force, my battle qi training really is much slower."
A seventeen-year-old peak seventh-level warrior could rank among the best in Yulan history.
"With the Stone Orb, I'm practically a Gravity Arch Magus, and I'm unaffected by gravity myself. Even against a ninth-level warrior, I could win with ease."
After all, ninth-level warriors generally had only sixth-level physiques. Even with battle qi, they would move very slowly in a sixteenfold Gravity Field—probably slower than fourth- or fifth-level warriors.
Killing them would be easy.
"I finally have some ability to protect myself. Once I return, I'll announce that I've reached the seventh level."
With his current strength, there was no need for him to stay at Ulada Magic Academy and rely on its influence anymore.
"Time to head back!"
He dispelled the Gravity Field, slung three bulging packs over his shoulders, and ran recklessly through the forest. In less than half a day, he had left the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
But this place was completely unfamiliar to him. A group of people approached, including both warriors and magi, heading toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Jonathan stepped forward and asked, "Could you tell me whether this is the territory of the Dark Alliance or the Holy Union?"
The young warrior at the front, clad in brown armor, replied, "The Holy Union. What, are you from the Dark Alliance?"
"But you just came out of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, didn't you? Could it be..."
"I did just come out of the mountain range. Thanks."
"Is this the Fenlai Kingdom?"
A magus answered, "That's right. Follow the main road for a little over a day, and you'll reach the capital, Fenlai City."
Jonathan's heart stirred. A supercity—and it'll be destroyed in a few years. It'd be a shame not to go take a look.
He set off toward Fenlai City. The others watched his retreating figure, thoughtful, but soon continued on toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Although the Holy Union and the Dark Alliance were bitter enemies, the conflict was mainly between the Light Church and the Dark Church.
Ordinary people could travel between them without trouble, and some large merchant groups did business on both sides.
As for the Dawson Chamber of Commerce, it had branches all over the Yulan Continent.
The others had said it would take a little over a day to reach the city, but that was for them. Jonathan needed only two hours to arrive at Fenlai City's gates.
Fenlai City was not only the royal capital of the Fenlai Kingdom but also the Holy Capital of the Holy Union, since the Light Church's headquarters stood in the city's western district.
That district was entirely governed by the Light Church, while the eastern district was under the Fenlai Kingdom's control.
For that reason, Fenlai City's size and prosperity far surpassed those of Black Phoenix City.
Walking along Champs-Élysées Avenue, the main street in the eastern district of Fenlai City, Jonathan saw that the road was paved with smooth flagstones and wide enough for several carriages to travel side by side.
Hotels, clothing stores, weapons shops, bars, and all sorts of businesses lined both sides of the street.
A neat row of tall, upright pine trees also ran along either side of the road.
Jonathan walked into a bar, casually ordered a few drinks, and sat by himself, quietly listening to the gossip around him.
Some people talked about the Yulan Festival a few years from now, saying the once-in-ten-thousand-years celebration was sure to be incredibly lively.
Others talked about the geniuses who had appeared in Fenlai City, or the debauched private lives of the nobility: who had an illegitimate child, or who was keeping a mistress outside the home.
There wasn't much useful information, but it was entertaining enough to listen to.
Bars were always full of all kinds of people, good and bad. A young man like Jonathan, walking in with three bulging packs, soon caught the eye of a group seated off to the side.
Their gazes lingered on him for a long time. The corner of his mouth curled slightly, and a trace of coldness crossed his face.
A quarter of an hour later, he paid and left with his packs.
He deliberately took a secluded alley. Suddenly, two people appeared at the far end. Looking back, he saw three more closing in behind him.
Every one of them wore a vicious expression.
"Gravity Field—eight times!"
With precise control, he made the Gravity Field fill the alley without affecting the buildings on either side.
Thud, thud, thud—
After a series of thumps, the men were crushed to the ground. Blood poured from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths. Their internal organs burst, their bones shattered, and they died on the spot.
Jonathan withdrew the Gravity Field and left the alley. After turning a few corners, he emerged once more onto Champs-Élysées Avenue.
Then he checked into a hotel and went straight to bed.
As the top magical genius at Ulada Magic Academy, Jonathan's name, appearance, and personal details had all been sent to the Light Church from the moment he was admitted.
Both sides had placed plenty of spies and informants in each other's territories to gather intelligence.
The Light Church had taken an interest in Jonathan. Naturally, Linley, a genius born and raised in the Holy Union, had also caught the attention of the Dark Church.
It was very difficult for either side to infiltrate the academy, but after graduation, that might change.
Jonathan hadn't expected to be recognized on his very first day in Fenlai City—and for the news to be reported to the king of Fenlai, Clyde.
"Jonathan? The top magical genius at Ulada Magic Academy in the Dark Alliance?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I understand. Have someone keep an eye on him discreetly. Report any unusual developments to me."
The man was a palace guard named Rayson, an eighth-level warrior. He had been lucky enough to see Jonathan once, and had happened to run into him while home on leave.
After Rayson left, Clyde summoned another guard and had him go to the eastern district to deliver the news to Bishop Gilmer.
That evening, Jonathan woke up, ready to take another look at Fenlai City by night. He would leave in the morning and head back to the Dark Alliance.
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