BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM—!!!!
The gravity descended once more.
Not gradually.
Not violently.
Absolutely.
The invisible force swallowed the chamber.
The reinforced floor groaned beneath the unbearable weight as ancient runes blazed brighter than ever.
The air itself had become heavy.
Every breath scraped against my lungs.
Every heartbeat demanded effort.
Every movement...
Carried the weight of a mountain.
**BANG!!**
Another prodigy collapsed.
Then another.
Then another.
Their bodies struck the alloy floor one after another until only three figures remained standing.
My brother.
The white-haired youth.
And me.
The three of us breathed heavily.
Sweat streamed endlessly from our bodies.
The gravity wasn't simply crushing flesh anymore.
It was crushing will.
---
The white-haired youth roared.
Blue energy erupted around him.
His aura expanded violently, forcing back the invisible pressure for only a brief instant.
**BOOM!!**
Cracks spread across the floor beneath his feet.
His muscles bulged.
Veins surfaced beneath his skin.
He took one step forward.
Then—
**BANG!!**
His knees shattered against the floor.
His aura dispersed instantly.
He lost consciousness before his face touched the ground.
Silence.
Only two remained.
---
My brother growled through clenched teeth.
Blue energy flowed around his body in steady waves.
Unlike the others—
He didn't waste it.
He compressed it tightly around himself.
Supporting muscles.
Reinforcing bones.
Increasing stability.
His control...
Was impressive.
Very impressive.
Even Caelion glanced toward him.
"...Good."
A single word.
Praise.
Rare.
Yet—
My brother was already reaching his limit.
His breathing grew uneven.
His shoulders trembled.
The gravity continued increasing.
---
I closed my eyes.
Not to concentrate.
To listen.
Prime Instinct...
Was calm.
It wasn't telling me to resist.
It wasn't telling me to endure.
It simply asked one question.
Why...
...are you fighting gravity?
My breathing slowed.
The answer came naturally.
I wasn't.
I was fighting...
Myself.
The unnecessary tension in my shoulders.
The stiffness in my knees.
The instinctive fear that made my muscles tighten.
Fear...
Consumed energy.
Resistance...
Consumed energy.
Pride...
Consumed energy.
I exhaled.
Everything unnecessary disappeared.
---
The world changed.
Not around me.
Within me.
Every muscle relaxed.
Yet became stronger.
Every joint loosened.
Yet became steadier.
Every heartbeat slowed.
Yet pumped more efficiently.
The invisible pressure didn't lessen.
My body...
Simply stopped arguing with it.
The light-blue aura surrounding me quietly thickened.
Not explosively.
Naturally.
Like morning mist gathering over a tranquil lake.
Tiny blue sparkles drifted peacefully through it.
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
Each one shone like a tiny star.
Soft.
Beautiful.
Alive.
They slowly drifted upward.
Toward my head.
One by one...
They disappeared into my hair.
The black strands gradually gained a faint light-blue sheen.
Not bright.
Subtle.
Like moonlight reflected upon flowing water.
Blue sparkles shimmered between every strand.
As though an entire night sky had hidden itself within my hair.
Behind me—
Blue lightning quietly appeared.
Not wild.
Not destructive.
Thin arcs slowly circled behind my head.
One circle.
Then another.
Rotating gently.
Perfectly balanced.
Like rings orbiting a distant star.
The chamber became silent.
Even the gravity array seemed...
Calmer.
---
Caelion stopped walking.
For the first time—
His indifferent expression changed.
His eyes narrowed.
Not from surprise.
Recognition.
"...Impossible..."
He whispered.
So quietly...
Only he heard himself.
---
My brother looked toward me.
His pupils widened.
"...Vel..."
Even he could feel it.
The pressure surrounding me hadn't increased.
It had...
Disappeared.
Not because gravity weakened.
Because every ounce of it was being accepted...
Redirected...
Perfectly distributed.
Nothing resisted.
Nothing wasted.
---
Prime Instinct.
This...
Was Prime Instinct.
Not a technique.
Not a transformation.
An understanding.
The body naturally choosing the most efficient answer...
Without thought.
Without hesitation.
Like breathing.
Like flowing water.
Like the universe itself.
---
My heartbeat echoed quietly.
One beat.
Two.
Three.
Every beat synchronized with the drifting blue sparkles.
Something inside me clicked into place.
The final barrier...
Didn't break.
It dissolved.
I finally understood.
Prime Instinct had never been teaching me how to move.
It had been teaching me...
How not to interfere.
The body already knew.
The universe already flowed.
I simply had to stop standing in its way.
A smile appeared across my face.
Small.
Peaceful.
Complete.
---
Then—
The gravity doubled again.
**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM—!!!!**
The entire chamber shook violently.
My brother's eyes widened.
His legs buckled.
"...Damn it..."
**BANG!!**
He dropped onto one knee.
His golden aura flickered violently before stabilizing.
He was still conscious.
Still fighting.
But no longer standing.
Now—
Only one remained.
Me.
Silence filled the gravity chamber.
Twenty students had entered.
Only one still stood.
Caelion stared at me.
Not because I was stronger.
Not because my energy was greater.
But because...
I was using less.
Far less.
Every ounce of power.
Every fragment of strength.
Every drop of energy.
Nothing leaked.
Nothing was wasted.
Perfect control.
Perfect efficiency.
The ancient instructor slowly closed his eyes.
When they opened again...
There was no indifference left.
Only interest.
"...So..."
His deep voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"...someone from this generation has already reached the door."
He slowly raised his hand.
The gravity disappeared instantly.
The overwhelming pressure vanished like a receding tide.
The room erupted with gasps as everyone drew deep breaths.
Several students remained lying on the floor, unable to move.
Others sat where they had fallen, completely exhausted.
I remained standing.
My breathing was steady.
My heartbeat calm.
The light-blue aura surrounding me slowly faded back beneath my skin.
The blue sparkles dissolved one after another.
The faint blue sheen within my hair gradually disappeared.
The circular arcs of lightning behind my head faded into nothingness.
Everything returned to normal.
As though none of it had happened.
Caelion looked at every student before finally speaking.
"This..."
He paused.
"...was your first lesson."
His gaze lingered on me for only a heartbeat.
Then moved away.
"Strength is temporary."
"Understanding..."
"...endures."
Without another word—
He turned and walked toward the chamber's exit.
The massive alloy doors slowly opened.
Before leaving—
He stopped.
Without looking back—
He spoke one final sentence.
"Rest."
"Tomorrow..."
"We begin learning how to fight."
The doors closed behind him.
**CLANG!!**
Silence remained.
But every student understood.
Today...
They had merely learned how to stand.
Tomorrow...
Their true training would begin.
**— End of Chapter Twenty-Four —