Gravity Mage with Level-Up System

From MC’s Perspective:

Inside the hotel room…

I lay comfortably on the worn but plush sofa, sinking into its fabric as I connected to the hotel’s online network using the temporary code. The dim light from the lamp on the side table flickered slightly, casting soft shadows across the room.

My fingers hovered over the screen for a second before I typed in the hotel’s name – Kimbler’s Inn. I wasn’t familiar with the place, but something about it felt old, almost forgotten, like it held a story behind its weathered walls.

When the connection finally stabilized, I searched for the hotel, my eyes scanning the results that popped up. There it was, Kimbler’s Inn, appearing on an outdated webpage with a few lines of basic information.

The building had stood for over a century, nestled in the heart of the city, serving as a pit stop for travelers from all over the world. I clicked through the photos and guest reviews, though most were unremarkable. Some mentioned the charm of its old-world architecture; others noted the eerie stillness that seemed to hang in the air at night.

After about twenty minutes, I closed the page. I had enough to know where I was staying, but my real focus shifted to something far more pressing.

I needed to know about the Small Alliance Nation. My temporary ID wouldn’t last forever, and the countdown had already started the moment I crossed into their borders. The digital clock on the screen reminded me that time was slipping away.

I couldn’t afford delays, not when my destination was the Ancient Redwood Country. My fingers moved faster now, typing in keywords, searching for anything that might help. Anything that would give me an edge.

Ms. Gloria’s face flashed in my mind. Her wide eyes, the tremble in her voice when she’d heard my plan. She didn’t believe me—not even for a second. Panic had gripped her, but it wasn’t me she was afraid of. No, it was something else.

Something deeper that I needed to understand. What had made them so fearful?

The search results blinked into view, a flood of news articles, reports, and documents. I sifted through them one by one, unraveling the tangled history of the region.

The Small Alliance Nation had its roots in ancient conflicts, but the recent headlines caught my attention: tension at the Headquarters, the political maneuvering, the uneasy alliance between the regions. Nothing good ever came from places where power was concentrated like that.

Thirty minutes later, my head was swimming with information, but I had to stop. The history of this place was too vast to absorb in a single sitting. If I had more time, I could dive deeper, but right now, I needed to focus on what mattered—the current situation. The state of affairs today, the players involved, the risks ahead.

At least, thanks to the internet, I had what I needed: the essentials. The clock was still ticking, and now I had a clearer picture of what I was walking into. The next move was mine to make.

The Small Alliance Nation is a patchwork of six regions, each with its own deep history, distinct culture, and fierce independence. Centuries ago, these regions were entirely separate nations, governed by their own rulers and traditions.

But in the last few hundred years, something remarkable happened. The most powerful individuals from each region—the nobles, the wealthy, and the influential—came together.

They set aside their differences, though not entirely their ambitions, and formed a singular government. It was a fragile unity at first, a tentative alliance built on mutual benefit and collective power, and that’s when they named it the Small Alliance Nation.

Yet, while the regions were unified on paper, the real power still lay in the hands of those ancient families and clans, their influence passed down from generation to generation. The families that had formed the backbone of this union centuries ago still quietly pulled the strings behind the scenes. One such example is the very place I find myself in now.

The hotel I’m staying at, Kimbler’s Inn, is not just any hotel. It has a powerful backer—the Kimbler Family. This family isn’t merely wealthy or well-connected; they’re one of the founding families of the Small Alliance Nation itself. Their influence stretches far beyond these walls.

The Kimblers, in fact, are descended from one of the wizards responsible for uniting the six regions in the first place. Their patriarch, an enigmatic figure in history, used his knowledge of both magic and politics to create the foundation of this government. Today, the family stands at the top of the hierarchy, their fingers in the highest circles of power.

But as I dug deeper, something even more shocking came to light. Among the lists of powerful clans and families, two names struck me like lightning—the Blaire Clan and the Moody Family. Both are more than just prominent; they are ancient and dangerous in their own right. And if my hunch is correct, they are closer to me than I realized.

Ms. Gloria. The memory of her fearful eyes came rushing back. If I’m right, she belongs to the Moody Family, one of the founding families with a history as long and storied as the nation itself.

Their ancestor, like the Kimblers, was one of the original wizards who helped form this delicate union of regions. But the Moody family, known for their secrecy and control, still wields immense power today—power that Ms. Gloria seemed all too aware of.

Then there’s the Blaire Clan, another name that sent a chill down my spine. The man who caused the trouble earlier—the one who had nearly derailed everything—he’s part of the Blaire Clan.

Their family is known for its ruthless ambition, their rise to power marked by cunning and force. Their ancestor, too, was one of the original wizards, and their influence has only grown stronger over time.

These two families—the Moodys and the Blaires—both descend from the wizards who formed the Small Alliance Nation. Their legacies are woven into the very fabric of this place, and now, somehow, I’ve found myself caught between them.

What they fear, what they hide, is still a mystery, but one thing is clear: the history of this nation is not as united as it seems. The old rivalries and ambitions never really went away. They’ve just been buried beneath layers of politics, magic, and ancient bloodlines.

For a second, a cold shiver ran down my spine, a bad premonition gnawing at the back of my mind. I had already made an enemy of Don Blaire, and knowing his kind, he wouldn’t just let me walk away unscathed. Men like him thrived on vendettas and would go to great lengths to settle scores.

The tension between us was palpable, and I knew it wasn’t going to fade anytime soon. Worse yet, I couldn’t rely on Ms. Gloria for help. She saw me as nothing more than a passerby, a transient figure who would soon disappear from her life. I couldn’t ask her for anything without risking more trouble.

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The best thing I could do was leave. Get out of this city before things escalated. The Small Alliance Nation might be united, but its cities operated like individual worlds, each with its own rules, secrets, and dangers. This city I found myself in—Topset City—was no exception. It had its own pulse, its own structure, and leaving wouldn’t be as simple as just walking out.

Topset City was divided into three distinct zones. The outer area sprawled with common folk, bustling markets, and everyday workers. It was where most of the city’s population lived, and to outsiders, it was all they’d ever see.

But the real power was in the inner area, a walled-off section of the city reserved for the wealthier and more influential residents. Here, politics and commerce collided, where deals were made in shadowy corners, and secrets were currency.

And then, there was the third zone—the most important of all: the private estates. These weren’t just houses or mansions; they were fortresses, hidden from the public eye, where the ruling families of the city—the Blaires, the Moodys, and others—resided.

Their sprawling properties were protected by ancient wards, magic that had been passed down through generations, designed to keep intruders out and ensure their privacy. If my suspicions were right, the Blaire Clan and the Moody Family had their estates here, deep within the city, behind layers of security both magical and physical.

For a moment, I struggled to calm the sudden unease settling in my gut. It only took a few seconds, but the reality of the situation hit me hard. I was in a city controlled by ancient families with deep roots in both politics and magic, and I had already caught the attention of two of the most powerful of them.

The balance of power in this place was delicate, and I was a stranger with no allies, tangled in a web I barely understood.

I couldn’t afford to stay. The Blaire Clan and Don Blaire wouldn’t let my transgression slide, and even if I managed to escape them for a time, Don Blaire was someone who would track me down eventually.

I needed to leave Topset City—preferably before sunset. But with each passing minute, the city seemed to close in around me. Every corner felt like a potential threat, every shadow a reminder that I was out of place here.