Solo Leveling: Forceborn

"Power is useless if you don't know how to wield it."

The training hall was empty, except for me and the faint hum of the overhead lights. It smelled of old sweat and rubber, the floor scuffed from years of combat drills and clumsy footwork. The guild had let me borrow the space for a few hours. They figured I needed time to adjust—to figure out what being a B-rank Mage actually meant.

They were right.

I stood in the middle of the room, fists balled. The air around me felt thick, like it weighed more than usual. It wasn't natural, but it was not foreign either. My awakening had left something lingering in my bones, a hum of energy that wasn't there before. Gravity. My power. But what did that mean?

I stretched out my hand and focused on a single dumbbell lying on the floor, but this time, I thought to use just one, and it was light, ten pounds. I focused and willed the energy inside me to flow outward. The weight wobbled, then lifted an inch off the floor. It hovered there, shaking slightly. A thrill shot through me.

I pushed harder. The dumbbell shot upward, smashing into the ceiling with a loud clang. I winced, releasing my hold. The weight dropped, landing with a dull thud.

"Okay," I muttered to myself, "so control needs work."

The next hour, I experimented. I was easily lifting objects, if only I balanced things properly. But gravity was more than letting things float into place. It was force and weight and motion. I tested to raise pressure in a tiny section of floor. The tiles cracked, a spiderweb of fractures radiating outward. I smiled. This might be fun after all.

Next, I turned my attention inward. Could I manipulate gravity on myself? The thought was both thrilling and terrifying.

I closed my eyes and focused, picturing the tug of the earth releasing around my body. The feeling happened immediately. My legs felt light; my feet touched the ground so lightly they almost skipped it. And then, in a single thought, I shoved. My body launched upward, slamming me into the ceiling. Pain radiated from my shoulder.

"Damn it!" I hissed, collapsing to the floor.

Clearly, I needed a little more finesse.

Combat application was the next logical step. The room had a row of training dummies lined up against the far wall. They were old but sturdy, made to withstand abuse. Perfect.

I started with a base attack, straining the gravitational pull upon one of the dummies. Its wooden frame groaned, arms snapping off as it became too much to handle. Not bad. It wasn't enough.

What about movement? I focused the air around me, forcing it to press downward. The effect was instantaneous. The dummy crumpled to the ground, pinned down by invisible weight. I felt the strain in my chest and the mana leaving me like water through a sieve.

"So, there's a limit," I said, leaning on the wall and catching my breath.

But what if I did not merely pin? What if I pull?

I visualized a gravitational well, a singular point that drew everything toward it. The energy inside me responded, coiling like a spring. With a sharp exhale, I unleashed it. The dummies were dragged forward, slamming into each other with a resounding crash. One of them splintered, its head rolling across the floor.

The power felt... intoxicating.

By the end of the session, I was drenched in sweat, my limbs trembling from exhaustion. Every muscle in my body ached, but it was a good ache. Progress. I'd learned the basics—lifting, pinning, pulling—but there was so much more to explore. Could I use gravity to shield myself? To enhance my speed or strength? The possibilities were endless, limited only by my imagination and stamina.

Still, there was a downside.

I could feel the strain on my mana reserves. Each use of my ability drained me, some techniques more than others. And once that well ran dry, I'd be defenseless. Vulnerable. I needed to train my body as much as my powers. Endurance, strength, control—it all mattered.

As I left the training hall, my mind buzzed with ideas. Gravity wasn't just a weapon. It was a tool, a force that could shape the battlefield and give me an edge. But mastering it would take time. For now, I was just scratching the surface.

"You've got this," I told myself.

And for the first time in a long while, I believed it.