Caelum Nihil's voice deepened, the faint swirl of silver starlight tightening in the Starveil.
"...But hear well, Blank," he murmured, his tone shifting into firr and colder. "Astral Overdrive is no ordinary power. It is not a toy. It is not a shortcut."
The air around thickened, the invisible strands humming with tension.
"It is a blade that cuts both ways."
I swallowed hard, my hands curling slightly at my sides.
"I offer it to you because the path you walk demands it," Caelum continued, voice sharp as a blade's edge. "But you are not to treat it like so new skill you can flash in every fight, every challenge, every brush with death."
The Starveil pulsed once, dim and heavy.
"Use it only when necessary."
His voice dropped lower, a whisper that slid into my bones.
"Because every ti you invoke Astral Overdrive, you invite deeper into you."
I tightened my grip on the cup, the faint ripple of steam rising to my face.
'How could I forget... when one of my friends died because of it.'
I still rembered the mont — burned into the back of my mind.
Astral Overdrive isn't so convenient "power-up." It's a contract you sign with your body and soul as the paynt.
When you activate it, you don't just burn mana. You invite sothing far bigger into yourself — the essence of a Patron, a force your body was never designed to hold. The flesh strains. The nerves fray. Every heartbeat under Overdrive is like standing one inch from a collapsing star.
My friend thought they could handle it. Thought they could push just a little longer, win just one more fight. But their body... couldn't keep up. I watched the mont the power surged too far — when the blood vessels ruptured, when the heart gave out, when the soul started tearing under the weight of the Patron's rge.
I clenched my jaw slightly.
'Tsk. That's why I can't just throw this around.'
"This is not a buff," Caelum said softly. "It is a fusion. A true rge between Patron and Vassal. And the more we rge, the thinner the veil between us grows."
He let that linger, like a warning coiling in the dark.
"Too many uses... too soon... and you may find that the part of you which is mortal," Caelum murmured, "starts to fade."
I let out a slow breath, steadying myself.
"...Understood."
The silver strands around dimd slightly, as if my answer satisfied him.
"Good."
The Patron's presence pulled back slightly, the weight lifting just a little from my chest.
"We play a long ga, Blank. Do not burn yourself out in the opening moves."
The Starveil pulsed one last ti, softly, like the gentle closing of cosmic curtains.
"For now, focus on what's ahead. Survive, adapt, and climb higher my Vassal."
And then, like the hiss of a candle being snuffed, the Starveil vanished, and its silver threads fading back into the ordinary air of my apartnt.
The kettle's hum returned. The faint noise of cars outside drifted in again.
I stood in the kitchen, fists slowly unclenching, breath steadying.
Astral Overdrive.
A power few mortals would ever touch.A weapon I could only draw when the edge of death closed in.
I exhaled quietly and reached for my tea again.
'Got it, Caelum.'
As I lifted the tea to my lips, a soft chi echoed through the air.
A pale system window flickered into view right in front of , its golden borders pulsing faintly.
-
[Notification] — Ultimate Skill Received
You have acquired the ultimate Astral Skill:
『Astral Overdrive』
— A limited-ti fusion between Astral Patron and Vassal.
— Temporarily draws upon the Patron's cosmic essence, amplifying all physical, ntal, and magical attributes beyond mortal limits.
— Duration and amplification increase with Vassal's strength.
⚠ WARNING: This skill places extre stress on the user's body and soul. Excessive or reckless use may result in permanent damage or erosion of the mortal vessel.
-
I stared at the window for a long mont, the words pulsing faintly, almost like they were alive.
'So it was official now.'
Not just a whispered promise or a future possibility, the system itself had acknowledged it.
I set the cup down quietly, fingers tightening just slightly.
'Astral Overdrive...'
Another window slid open.
-
[Skill Details Unlocked]
『Astral Overdrive』 (Lv. 1)
Activation Cost: 80% total mana pool
Duration: 3 minutes
Amplification: x5 all base stats
Cooldown: 72 hours
Note: Duration and amplification increase as Vassal's connection with Patron strengthens.
Special Effect: When active, the user's body emits a veil of silver light, marking the rge between mortal and cosmic essence.
-
A slow grin crept across my face.
'Ha...'
I leaned back in the chair, still staring at the glowing system window.
'This really is the most broken skill there is.'
My fingers tapped lightly on the table.
'Astral Overdrive wasn't sothing just anyone could get. In fact, in this tiline, I was sure—absolutely sure—that I was the only one holding it right now. Which ant, I was already ahead. Way ahead.'
Everyone else was still fumbling through early labyrinth, scrambling to form raid groups, trying to figure out which Patron to align with. anwhile, I was sitting here with a cheat code no one even knew existed yet.
A quiet laugh slipped from my mouth.
'This ti... I won't be the one chasing. I'll be the one pulling ahead.'
I downed the rest of my tea in a single smooth gulp, set the cup aside, and stretched.
'Ti to move.'
After a quick shower, I threw on a black hoodie, jeans, and boots. The mask, of course, hung comfortably in my pocket—just in case I needed it.
I stepped out into the city.
Davao was alive, bustling with the usual chaos—street vendors calling out, students rushing by with backpacks, office workers glued to their phones, taxis honking as they weaved through narrow streets.
I took a deep breath. The real world was still here, still noisy, still grounding.
But I didn't have ti to stand still.
Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through my contacts.
[Noel Bora] — my friend, my old ally, one of the few I trusted before everything went wrong.
I typed out a short, sharp ssage.
"Yo. We need to et. Today."
The reply ca back almost instantly.
"Sure, man! City of Davao, right? Let's et at the plaza."
I smirked.
'Good. Just like old tis.'
I slipped the phone back into my pocket and stepped into the streets, weaving through the crowd.
If I was going to build my next move, I needed allies, and the first piece on the board was already waiting.
'Let's go.'
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