CHAPTER 56: 56: LESSONS IN GRAVITY X

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His mind wandered back to the village. He pictured Gael scratching his beard over a ledger, the miners swinging hammers in the small forge, the faint hum of mana as new blades were born. He wondered if any of them had realized how quickly their lives were changing, or how far he had come in such a short time.

"They’re going to be shocked when I walk back in as a Circle One mage," he thought with a quiet satisfaction. "The man they followed into the wild will come back... different."

Fizz stirred in his sleep, muttering, "Master Forgetful... better... not... drop... pancakes..." before curling tighter and resuming his soft snores.

John’s guilt softened into warmth. He pulled the corner of his cloak over the tiny puffball to keep him warm. "You’re a menace," he whispered, "but you’re my menace."

He let the forest lull him toward sleep. The distant trickle of a stream mixed with the rhythmic chorus of crickets. The stars blurred as his eyelids grew heavier, and the faint hum of the black hole core in his chest became the last thing he felt before slipping into dreams.

Tomorrow, they will leave the forest. The dirt paths would wind toward familiar hills, and soon the wooden palisade of the village would come into view.

Tomorrow, he would walk the path to see the look on their faces when they realized he had become a true mage.

And tomorrow, Fizz would wake up, demand pancakes, and probably bite him again.

But for tonight, under the quiet blanket of the forest, John slept with a small smile, the crackling embers keeping him company while the little elemental mumbled about glory, fur, and syrup in his dreams.

Soon the morning came gently.

The trees shifted as sunlight filtered down through the forest canopy, slicing golden beams through the fog. Birds chirped overhead, and the distant scuttle of the squirrel broke the silence. It’s the same one who’s home John had destroyed with his black hole magic.

John stretched with a groan, blinking as a shaft of sunlight warmed his cheek. Fizz was already awake, perched on a broken branch, his tail flicking with sleepy energy as he munched on the last of the food John had given him before bed.

"Morning, Master Doom Ball," Fizz chirped, chewing loudly. "You were snoring like a donkey with sinus problems. I almost drew a moustache on your face with mud."

John sat up and rubbed his temple. "You’re a walking Human Rights violation, you know that? We are going back home."

"And you’re a snore master. We’re a perfect match!" Fizz hopped down to John’s shoulder with a satisfied burp. "Today we go back? Maybe fight. Definitely roast. Let’s go!"

John rolled his eyes but smiled. They packed quickly. John tying up his supplies, Fizz gathering extra pine nuts for snacks (and potential weapons, he claimed). With the fire buried and trail checked, they set off through the trees.

Their journey back would take a week on foot. John had memorized the winding path they had taken when first venturing into the forest, but now it felt shorter, clearer. It was like the land itself was familiar now, not foreign. And unlike the journey out, this time they were stronger. Ready.

By midday, they reached a clearing with broken stumps and wild blue flowers. The air turned humid, and a strange buzzing filled the air.

Fizz sniffed. "I sense something... hideous. Something... fat maybe."

John glanced around. "I don’t see anything."

Then the bushes exploded.

A creature burst out. It was four legged, plated in bony bark, with a face like a snapping turtle fused with a centipede. Its back pulsed with green sacs, and its claws dug deep furrows into the earth.

Fizz screamed... not in fear, but in laughter. "Oh no! It’s the swamp mosquito’s ugly cousin!"

The beast roared from the disrespectful comments.

Fizz hovered above it, grinning. "I shall name you: Butt Tumor Beetle. You’re so ugly you will make mirrors cry!"

John stepped forward calmly. His black cloak rustled in the wind as he raised a hand.

"Circle One Mage," he muttered, eyes narrowing.

The beast lunged. Fast.

Too slow.

John summoned his Black Hole Palm without a chant. The tiny coin size void surged forth, humming with force. As it approached the beast, it bloomed outward. John’s manipulation flaring with control and the sphere yanked the monster sideways in mid charge.

The beast tumbled, flipping over its own bulk. Its claws flailed, tearing trees as it crashed.

Fizz cackled. "He slapped the beast with gravity! You just got an orbital bitch slapped!"

The creature snarled and launched spikes from its back. John sidestepped cleanly, his movements measured, eyes calm. He summoned another black hole and flicked it upward. Then snapped his fingers. The orb detonated midair, not in power but in pull, ripping the spikes off their path and sucking them into the void before it vanished.

Fizz clutched his belly. "Oh my fluff, this is glorious! You’re like a black hole chef tossing salad with physics! You had style, this time."

The beast recovered and roared, bounding again with feral speed. John didn’t move. He flicked his hand. This time, the black hole orb curved in a perfect arc and met the beast in mid leap.

Thwump!

The force didn’t kill it outright, but it crushed the trajectory, bending the creature’s body like it had hit an invisible wall of force. It collapsed onto its side, legs twitching.

Fizz flew down with a slow clap. "Well, well, look who’s suddenly a big stylist mage now! Where’s Master Forgetful? Who’s this guy with aim and style?"

John just walked over and placed his hand on the beast’s head. With a quiet breath, he summoned a final black hole and dropped it like a raindrop onto the creature’s skull.

Shrrrrk!

The void devoured the beast’s upper half before vanishing.

Fizz blinked. Then his voice rose in awe. "Okay, I respect that. Still gonna mock you, but damn... You were so cool just now."

John didn’t even gloat. He simply wiped his palm on a cloth and kept walking.