After rushing out of the training grounds, I headed straight for my room. My mind was racing. Elemental Jade Stone? What even was that? And more importantly, why didn't anyone bother to mention it until now?
I threw open the door and began tearing through my belongings like a desperate treasure hunter. The room, already in its usual state of organized chaos, quickly devolved into an outright warzone.
"Come on, come on… Where are you?" I muttered, shoving aside clothes, scrolls, and a suspiciously old sandwich I really didn't want to think about.
Finally, beneath a stack of dusty books, my hand closed around something smooth and cool. I pulled it out and stared at it.
It was a small, shimmering stone that glowed faintly in my palm. The colors swirled inside it like a mini rainbow trapped in glass. This had to be it.
"Why do I have this?" I wondered aloud. Then it hit me.
Oh right. I stole it from the sect's treasury to impress Li Mei.
"Great," I muttered, shaking my head. "So it's been here the whole time, and I've been running around like a clueless idiot. Typical."
Before doing anything reckless, I flipped open Astel's Beginner Guide and skimmed through the section on Elemental Jade Stones. The guide had a whole list of categories, each corresponding to a different type of magic the stones could imbue.
Fire: Ignites weapons with searing heat.
Water: Enhances fluidity and defensive maneuvers.
Earth: Fortifies strength and durability.
Wind: Boosts speed and precision.
Gravitational: Manipulates weight and force.
Gravitational magic? I froze, rereading the last line. I quickly glanced at my stone, noticing the faint purple hue swirling within.
"That's it," I whispered. "This one's gravitational!"
Excited, I skimmed the instructions. Apparently, I had to align the stone's energy with my weapon by channeling my Qi or whatever semblance of Qi I had into the blade. Easy enough in theory.
I placed the stone against the katana's hilt and closed my eyes, focusing my intent like the book described. A faint warmth spread from my hand into the blade, and the stone began to dissolve, its energy seeping into the metal.
The katana trembled slightly, glowing faintly as intricate runes etched themselves along the blade. When the light faded, the weapon felt... heavier.
I gave it a cautious swing, and the air around the blade seemed to ripple. Testing it further, I jabbed at a nearby stool. Instead of simply toppling over, the stool was yanked downward with a heavy thud, cracking the wooden floor beneath it.
"Whoa," I breathed, staring at the katana in awe. "This is insane."
Grinning like a maniac, I glanced at the guide again. The gravitational magic didn't just make the blade heavier it allowed me to control the force of my strikes, amplifying their impact.