Markus spent the remainder of the weekend in bliss.
Fishing with Sloane.
Alchemical experiments with Isolde.
Feed the pet egg with a drop of blood each day.
Meditating on the prayer cushion whenever he could.
**
Sunday night
[Law of Space: 10%]
…
…
…
[System Initialising]
[System Updating]
…
…
…
[Nyx 1.0]
[Welcome User]
Name: Markus Blackwell
Age: 10
Class: Void Apprentice
Affinities: Space (L), Time (L)(Sealed), Fate (EX)
Health: 15,000/15,000
Mana: 40,000/40,000
Level: 32
Strength: 100
Agility: 100
Constitution: 100
Intelligence: 200
Available free attributes: 20
Laws: Space (10.00%)
Active Skills:
Spatial Slash (1.1x)
Void Severance (1.1x)
Spatial Bubble (1.1x)
Spatial Barrier (1.1x)
Spatial Domain
Passive Skills:
Body refinement (Tier 3)
Void Perception
Dimensional Inventory (100 x 100 sqm)
Fate's Eye
Equipment:
Heavenly Scriptures of Space
Valerian Academy Student Badge
Aurelian Royal Family Crest
Dimensional Storage Ring (Tier 3)
Dimensional Storage Ring (Tier 1)
Jörmungandr's Egg
Prayer Cushion
[Congrats on unlocking 10% of Space, my son.]
[Your next milestone, law of space 25% Level 40]
[Would you like to save the Blackwell Estate as a safe point?]
[Yes/No]
"Yes"
..
..
"Can I converse with the system?"
[You may ask the system questions after unlocking the law of space at 50%]
…
…
The awakening of Nyx 1.0 changed everything.
This isn't just a status screen anymore—it's a direct link to his mother's legacy and a mechanical guide that transcends the "Common Sense" of the Valerian Empire.
Markus, yawning, went to bed, ready to depart for the academy the next morning.
**
Markus made a small incision on his finger and let a drop of blood drip onto the Jörmungandr's Egg.
[Days left to hatching: 7 days]
(This system is pretty useful.)
Markus nodded in approval, heading down to the dining room.
"Markus, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Make sure you finish your food!" Isolde nagged, a spread of meat, seafood, veggies and fruits covered the entire dining table.
"Honey, you only make pancakes for me!! Markus gets everything in the fridge!!" Sloane grumbled as he fought Markus for the food.
"He's a growing child; he needs more nutrition!" Isolde nagged at Sloane, "Stop stealing his food!"
Markus finished his meal and hugged Sloane and Isolde tightly, "I'll be back as much as I can, love you both, Grandma, Grandpa."
Markus went out into the driveway and left in a sedan sent by the academy.
**
The following week, Rosanne and her team, including Markus, went on their way in portal exploration tasks within the Valerian Royal Capital.
They were Tier-1 tasks as the portals were light blue, and there were military guards stationed outside the portals.
Both portals were dungeon portals for beginners below tier 1, level 1-10.
The group completed their tasks and reached peak tier 0 (Level 10) by the end of the day.
Each mission netted them 10 contribution points, bringing Markus's total to 640.
**
At the weapons combat class.
Markus trained in a combat simulation room; his combat awareness and physical reflexes outshone those of the second-year students.
Wielding a double-edged sword with his left hand, he cut down combat dummies while using his right hand to deflect incoming spells with his spatial barrier.
Markus exited the simulation room, drenched in a puddle of sweat. He had developed his personal sword technique.
[Sword Skills]
[Vorpal Strike: A long-range linear attack.]
[Meteor Strike: A 5-hit sword skill that combined one-hand sword attacks with unarmed combat moves.]
[Spatial Ascension: A 12-hit sword skill that is faster and stronger than any other one-handed sword skill.]
(This system seems to transcend logic itself; sword attacks I developed registers as a sword skill that can be cast instantaneously.)
**
Markus went to the mission hall after having lunch with Rosanne and the gang.
Markus scanned his badge at the nearest digital reader.
[Tier 1 - Harvest Glimmer herb]
Location: Outskirts of the Forbidden Forest
Objective: Collect 10 stalks of Glimmer Root.
Reward: Up to 50 CP, dependent on the quality of harvest.
[Tier 2 – Tutoring Session]
Location: Valerian Royal Family Estate
Objective: Tutor the youngest daughter of the Valerian Crown Prince
Requirements: Proficiency in the lightning element
Reward: 150 CP
[Tier 2 Portal Maintenance]
Location: Academy Grounds
Objective: Clear a level 25 dungeon portal to stabilise its energy output.
Reward: 50 CP
[Tier 2 Portal Exploration]
Location: Blue Mountain
Objective: Explore a newly formed portal, determine if it's suitable for relocation into the academy grounds.
Requirements: 1 Student with tier 2 or above combat abilities
Reward: 500-1000 CP
[Tier 2 Escort Quest]
Location: Brooklyn City
Objective: Escort and protect a group of students from the Brooklyn Academy for a hunting mission
Requirements: 1 Student with tier 2 or above combat abilities
Reward: 100 CP
Without hesitation, Markus selected both portal tasks.
[2 Combat missions accepted]
[System quest: 0/5 Dungeons Cleared]
[Reward: 10 Attribute Points]
**
Markus promptly entered the academy's basement and stepped into the tier 2 portal.
A pack of 4 Velociraptors sprang at Markus as he crossed the portal entrance.
[Velociraptor] Level 25
[Velociraptor] Level 25
[Velociraptor] Level 25
[Velociraptor] Level 26
[Spatial Domain]
The 4 prehistoric beasts froze in mid-air.
Its serrated teeth gleamed in the moonlight.
Jaws wide open, with a biting force of 30Kg, ready to tear apart its prey with its pack members.
Markus calmly gazed at his predators and unsheathed his sword.
Its blade is forged from volcanic glass, smooth yet terrifyingly cold.
[Meteor Strike]
The four Velociraptors died instantly; the sword skill imbued with Spatial laws cut through bone like tofu.
(Hmm, I haven't levelled up in a while, seems like fighting weaker beasts doesn't contribute much to progression.)
Markus breezed through the dungeon.
Leaving a trail of blood in his wake.
Bodies of long-lost prehistoric beasts lay scattered.
The mana apocalypse not only enhanced beasts in the wild.
It also resurrected fossilised remains in the ground and in museums worldwide.
'If this T. rex exists in a portal under the basement of Valerian Royal Academy, what about fossils still buried out in the wild?' Markus thought to himself.
The potential of higher-tiered prehistoric beasts made him shudder in cold sweat.
In the boss room, a peak tier 2, level 29 Tyrannosaurus rex charged at Markus.
[Vorpal Strike]
-8,000
[Tyrannosaurus rex] Level 29
[Health: 52,000/60,000]
Vorpal strike, enhanced with spatial laws, severed the tail of the massive 40-foot-long beast.
Losing its balance, it nosedived into the ground.
Markus deployed his spatial domain and leapt over its massive body.
[Spatial Ascension]
-5,000
-5,000
-5,000
-5,000
-5,000
-5,000
-5,000
-5,000
-5,000
-5,000
-5,000
-5,000
[Tyrannosaurus rex] Level 29
[Health: 0/60,000]
[Level Up]
Name: Markus Blackwell
Age: 10
Class: Void Apprentice
Affinities: Space (L), Time (L)(Sealed), Fate (EX)
Health: 15,000/15,000
Mana: 40,000/40,000
Level: 33
Strength: 100
Agility: 100
Constitution: 100
Intelligence: 200
Available free attributes: 25
Laws: Space (10.00%)
Active Skills:
[Spatial Slash] (1.1x)
[Void Severance] (1.1x)
[Spatial Barrier] (1.1x)
[Spatial Bubble ](1.1x)
[Spatial Domain]
Sword Skills:
[Vorpal Strike]
[Meteor Strike]
[Spatial Ascension]
Passive Skills:
[Body refinement (Tier 3)]
[Void Perception ]
[Dimensional Inventory (1000 x 1000 sqm)]
[Fate's Eye]
Equipment:
Heavenly Scriptures of Space
Valerian Academy Student Badge
Aurelian Royal Family Crest
Dimensional Storage Ring (Tier 3)
Dimensional Storage Ring (Tier 1)
Jörmungandr's Egg
Prayer Cushion
System quest: 1/5 Dungeons Cleared
Reward: 10 Attribute Points