Gravity Mage with Level-Up System

From the MC's Perspective:

As the fight dragged on, I kept my gaze fixed on their movements, carefully observing the Poison Wizard's frantic attempts to retaliate. Her face was pale, her lips drawn into a thin line, but the venomous gleam in her eyes remained. She wasn't done yet, despite the exhaustion evident in her ragged breathing.

A glint sparked in my eye. I decided to use the system to check her status. With a simple mental command, a translucent screen popped up before me, detailing her current condition.

My brows furrowed as I skimmed the information. Her mana reserves were dangerously low—she was nearing the point of collapse. I sighed inwardly, feeling a strange mix of satisfaction and pity.

Not yet, I thought, closing the status panel with a subtle flick of my fingers. It wasn't time to strike. Not until she was truly vulnerable. Timing was everything. I waited, biding my time, watching as the tide of battle slowly turned in my favor.

Meanwhile,

The Zero Puppet I had sent was making matters worse for her. Every clash chipped away at her defenses, and every second, Stacie Sharpe—renowned for her deadly poisons—grew more desperate.
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Her toxic magic had begun eroding the Puppet's metallic limbs, leaving dark, hissing scars on its hand. Yet, despite her efforts, something was wrong. Very wrong.

Stacie's eyes darted between the Puppet and the corroded marks she had inflicted. Fear crept into her features. The puppet didn't flinch, didn't scream in pain or react at all.

No wizard could withstand her poison without showing some sign of agony. Even the strongest of mages would at least grimace, their skin paling as the venom worked its way through their veins.

But there was nothing. The silence, the blank stare of the Puppet, unsettled her more than she would admit. Stacie's mind raced, searching for an explanation.

She had encountered strange magics in her lifetime—wizards with body-altering abilities, wizards with flexible bone structures that defied normal human limitations.

So perhaps this wizard was using some bizarre physique magic she hadn't encountered before. She shook her head, frustrated by the lack of response from her enemy.

Time ticked on, each passing moment a mounting pressure in the air.

Ten minutes later,

The Zero Puppet's energy core began to dim, alerting me through the system that it was nearing the end of its power cycle. Without mana stones, it wouldn't last much longer. I didn't have time to wait any longer. Commanding the Puppet, I issued one final attack.

With a swift and silent motion, the Puppet lunged. Its dagger glinted in the dull light as it pierced through the air, landing a devastating blow on her left shoulder. The blade sank deep into her flesh.

Stacie's eyes widened in shock as the pain hit her all at once. She staggered back, collapsing onto the ground, gasping for breath.

Swoosh!

Without a second thought, the Zero Puppet disengaged, retreating swiftly towards its owner. Its job was done—for now.

As it made its way back, I prepared for the final phase of the confrontation. The battle was far from over, but victory was now within my grasp.

...

When the puppet reached me, I instantly understood the situation. Its energy had run dry, just as I anticipated. With a quick glance at the wear and tear on its form, I calmly removed the remaining mana stones from its core.

They were depleted, but they'd served their purpose. In one smooth motion, I stored the puppet inside the system space, its bulky form disappearing in an instant. The entire process took mere seconds.

Turning my attention back to the battlefield, I scanned the direction where the Poison Wizard, Stacie Sharpe, had fallen. She was tending to the deep wound on her leg, grimacing in pain.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of my lips—this was the opportunity I'd been waiting for. She was vulnerable, and there was no way I would let her slip away now.

Swoosh!

With a burst of speed, I sprinted toward her. My movements were swift and silent, each step closing the distance between us. When I arrived, she had already noticed my approach. Despite her injury, Stacie was still alert, preparing herself for what was to come.

The air around her shimmered with the remnants of her poison magic, a toxic haze that made the very atmosphere feel heavy and dangerous. I didn't want to linger in that cloud for too long.

Stacie's eyes locked onto mine as I closed in, and for a brief moment, I saw surprise flash across her face. But the emotion quickly faded, replaced with cold caution.

She wasn't going to make the mistake of underestimating me again. Not after the last few exchanges. Her bodyguard—the Zero Puppet—was gone, and now she was fully exposed. She knew it, and so did I. She was planning her escape.

I watched her closely, her mana reserves were depleted, but there was still a dangerous glint in her eyes. She gave me one final look before turning to flee.

Not so fast.

"Gravity Blast!" I shouted, channeling my energy into a spell.

A surge of raw power built up in my hand before erupting in a concentrated beam of gravitational force. The spell shot through the air at breakneck speed, aimed directly at her retreating form.

Stacie's body tensed, sensing the incoming threat, but it was too late. The force of the Gravity Blast slammed into her back with devastating impact.

Pfff!

She gasped, blood spraying from her mouth as her body convulsed under the weight of the attack. I could tell the blow had ruptured her internal organs. Her face was twisted in agony, her disbelief palpable.

She staggered, struggling to remain upright as pain wracked her body. She was defenseless, her once lethal poison magic now useless with her mana reserves drained dry.

Before she could make another move, I raised my hand for the final strike. Another spell formed, crackling with destructive energy.

This time, the spell tore through the air with a vicious ferocity, slamming into her arm with brutal force.

CRACK!

Her arm was ripped apart, the flesh and bone shredded by the sheer power of the blast. She collapsed to the ground.

...

On the other hand, I observed her broken form sprawled across the ground. Blood soaked her once-imposing figure, and the air around her was thick with the scent of iron and poison. Her life was hanging by a thread, but I knew better than to let my guard down.

If I allowed her to escape, she could alert others, and the consequences would be dire. My location had to remain a secret. I couldn't afford to draw attention, not until I crossed the borders into the safety of the Ancient Redwood Country.

I clenched my fist, my gaze narrowing on her trembling body. There was only one solution.

"Gravity Blast," I muttered, the incantation slipping from my lips with cold precision.

This time, I poured more power into the spell, channeling my energy into the third stage of the Gravity Blast. The spell crackled with energy, its aura darker and more foreboding than before. The sheer force I was about to unleash would be overwhelming, a blow that even a top-tier wizard couldn't survive.

In an instant, the attack shot forth from my hand, a beam of devastating gravitational energy tearing through the air. The ground trembled beneath me as the power of the spell surged forward, unstoppable and merciless. In the blink of an eye, it reached its target—Stacie Sharpe, the once-feared Poison Wizard, now reduced to a bloodied figure lying helpless on the battlefield.

Boom!

The impact was cataclysmic. The force of the blast shook the earth as it struck her already battered body. Her internal organs, barely holding on, were obliterated instantly under the immense pressure.

Pfff!

Blood spewed from her mouth, painting the ground beneath her a deep, dark red. Her body convulsed one last time, and with that, the life force within her began to rapidly fade. The vitality that had once coursed through her veins dwindled to nothing.

In her final moments, her eyes were wide open, filled with a desperate, unwilling gaze. Her face was twisted in disbelief, unable to accept the reality of her demise. The renowned Poison Wizard, feared and respected by many, had fallen—her life snuffed out like a flame in the wind.

With a quiet exhale, I lowered my hand, my heart steady, my mind already thinking ahead. The deed was done, and now it was time to move on before anyone else discovered.

I appeared in front of the lifeless body, the air around her still heavy with the aftermath of the battle. Without hesitation, I activated the system, running a quick scan to ensure she was truly dead. The screen flashed with confirmation—no trace of life remained.

Satisfied, I bent down and, with a swift gesture, stored her body within the system space. Her identity was still a mystery, and though I was certain she was the infamous Poison Wizard, I would verify it later. For now, there was no time to waste.