Gravity Mage with Level-Up System

Stacie, who appeared to be a middle-aged woman with a stern but graceful appearance, was anything but ordinary. In truth, she was an ancient being, a monster who had long outlived the norms of time.

Her serene face concealed centuries of dark knowledge and murderous deeds. As she walked, her long cloak brushing the decayed earth, she glanced down at the small scroll in her hand, her next mission briefing.

Her eyes scanned the parchment, absorbing every detail. She raised an eyebrow, intrigued by what she read. The Shadow Skull always assigned her to high-stakes missions, but this one seemed different. It wasn't a powerful wizard or a major political figure she was tasked with eliminating. Instead, the target was... a student.

Stacie paused mid-step, a flicker of surprise crossing her cold features. A student? She knew the Shadow Skull never issued ordinary assignments to someone of her caliber. There had to be more to it. Her curiosity piqued, she read further, diving deeper into the intel with growing interest. By the time she finished, her lips curved into a sinister grin.

The target was no ordinary student—it was a special wizard seed, someone spotted by the Mage Union as having immense potential. The realization made her eyes gleam with malice. The Shadow Skull was playing the long game, eliminating threats before they could grow. This student, though untrained and inexperienced now, could one day become a powerful force—a threat to their plans.

Stacie chuckled softly to herself. She had faced hardened wizards, warlords, and armies. Taking out a mere academy student seemed laughably simple by comparison. The reward for completing this mission would be substantial, as it always was with special assignments.

Yet, she believed this would be the easiest of them all. It was a cleansing—clearing away the Shadow Skull's potential future threat before it ever had a chance to rise.

With an evil grin still playing on her lips, Stacie pocketed the scroll and continued her journey. The student would never know what was coming, and by the time anyone realized, it would be far too late.

Though Stacie's grin lingered as she thought about her seemingly easy target, her expression soon faltered as her eyes settled on one particular part of the mission details: ""the Magic Lord"". Her steps slowed, and a rare hint of unease flickered in her otherwise cold and calculating gaze.

The Magic Lord. Even someone as fearsome as Stacie Sharpe, known for her lethal poison magic, had reason to fear such a being. Her magic could kill wizards well beyond her level, leaving behind nothing but death and decay.

Many had fallen, thinking they could outmatch her, only to discover that her poison knew no limits. It could corrupt, destroy, and devour life in a heartbeat. She had claimed the lives of powerful wizards, generals, and seasoned veterans, each one reduced to dust by the invisible, creeping death she wielded.

But the Magic Lords were a different breed entirely.

The mere thought of one made her muscles tense, her breathing ever so slightly quicken. Magic Lords weren't just powerful wizards; they were beings who had transcended the limits of ordinary magic.

They had achieved mastery over ""rule power"", the very essence of magic itself. Rule power wasn't just about casting spells or manipulating the elements; it was the ability to bend the fundamental laws of magic and reality. They could reshape their surroundings, nullify attacks, and, worst of all, isolate her poison.

Her poison, as deadly as it was, could be rendered useless in the presence of a Magic Lord. While her enemies had often underestimated the creeping, insidious nature of her toxic flowers, a Magic Lord had the knowledge and control to identify and neutralize the threat before it could take root. Unlike her, they had full command over their rule power—an advantage that made her feel vulnerable.

Stacie's brow furrowed as she mulled over this. She had yet to fully master rule power herself. Her talents lay in manipulation and corruption of organic life through poison, but controlling the deeper, more fundamental aspects of magic was something that eluded even her.

This imbalance left her exposed when facing those who could not only detect her poison but dismantle it entirely. And the thought of coming face to face with a Magic Lord was enough to plant a seed of doubt in her otherwise fearless mind.

Still, her mission was clear. Eliminate the academy student. Yet, if the Magic Lord was present—or worse, involved—things could take a dangerous turn. The fear was there, lurking beneath her confidence, but she knew one thing: she had to be more careful, more calculated. A direct confrontation would be suicide.

She needed to plan, to outmaneuver, and strike before anyone, especially a Magic Lord, could act.

With a sigh, she continued her walk, the decayed landscape behind her a stark reminder of her capabilities. Yet in the quiet recesses of her mind, she knew that this mission could be her greatest challenge, not because of the student—but because of the shadow of a Magic Lord looming over it.

There was one more thing that troubled Stacie, a lingering doubt that gnawed at the edges of her confidence. Though the mission briefing hadn't provided many details about it, there was a subtle mention of ""the Mage Union's involvement"". That alone was enough to unsettle her.

The Mage Union was a vast and powerful organization, a collective of the strongest and most influential wizards across the world, dedicated to maintaining balance and enforcing the laws of magic.

If she offends then not only she will die, the organisation behind her will be destroyed as well. Especially they are dark wizards, there is even more reason for her to not come across them.

So much so she has already decided to ditch the mission if anyone from the Mage Union is protecting the target. She hopes that the intel of the Shadow Skull is accurate. Otherwise, she won't hesitate to use poison on them.