----------------------------------------------------------
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: 34
Strength: 110
Agility: 110
Constitution: 110
Intelligence: 200
Available free attributes: 0
Laws: Space (20.00%)
Active Skills:
Spatial Slash (2x)
Void Severance (2x)
Spatial Bubble (2x)
Spatial Domain
Sword Skills:
Vorpal Strike
Meteor Strike
Spatial Ascension
Passive Skills:
Body refinement (Tier 3)
Void Perception
Dimensional Inventory (100 x 100 sqm)
Fate's Eye
Equipment:
Heavenly Scriptures of Space
Key to the Temple of Space
Valerian Academy Student Badge
Aurelian Royal Family Crest
Dimensional Storage Ring (Tier 3)
Dimensional Storage Ring (Tier 1)
Prayer Cushion
----------------------------------------------------------
Markus sat atop the fallen dungeon boss, reveling in the starlight above.
The space core sitting within Markus's body doubled in size.
His measly 2cm core grew into a 4cm core.
[Law of Space: 21%]
(After the size of my core grew, my understanding of Space deepened.)
(If the core size of 2cm = law understanding cap of 20%, 4cm should raise my upper limit to 40%.)
**
Markus withdrew the Key to the Temple of Space from his inventory, its attraction towards the doors at the end of the dungeon increasing with time.
This door had subtle differences from the temple doors before.
Specks of starlight lit up parts of the door, forming a star formation.
Atop the looming doors, ancient text read.
[Sagittarius, the Starlight Archer]
"Alright, guys, this is the part where you probably can't follow," Markus explained, "Only those who wield the power of space can enter."
"As you all just saw my battle with the dungeon boss, the dungeon environment should produce a water type or earth type boss."
"I'm afraid that if it were just you four, you wouldn't stand a chance against it; spatial powers transcend common logic."
The double doors creaked open.
Behind them sat a purple portal.
A deep violet raging storm was swirling, warning anyone who approached.
"Nagini, set up a spatial barrier before we enter. We can't risk the girls getting curious," Markus commanded, stroking Nagini's little head.
A spatial barrier, condensed with 100% law of space set into place, preventing anyone from crossing through to the portal.
**
Markus stepped through, standing in a sea of stars.
The Akashic Records appeared before him; their ancient language bore a prophecy.
[The Akashic Records]
[Born under Sagittarius]
[The chosen one returns home]
[The heart of stars]
[The river of time]
[He must live with his battle scars]
Having served its purpose, it faded out of existence.
Markus took out the prayer cushion and sat amongst the stars.
8 stars, brighter than the rest, shone with all their brilliance.
[Legacy of Sagittarius]
[Skill Unlocked]
[Starlight Bow]
[Description: Conjures a bow made of starlight, draws arrows made of celestial energy]
[Mana Cost: 200 per arrow]
[Law of Space: 25%]
The stars lost their lustre after serving their purpose.
Markus sent the prayer cushion back into his inventory as space destabilized around him.
**
As Markus stepped out of the violet storm, the blindfold still around his neck, he felt the weight of the Starlight Bow etched into his soul.
The sea of stars had vanished, replaced by the salty tang of the Jersey coast and the sound of Rosanne's excited chatter.
He looked at his hand—for a split second, it seemed to flicker with the same starlight that had formed the Sagittarius constellation.
He was no longer just a student of the Valerian Academy; he was a 'Heart of Stars' in a world of mere mortals.
"BIG BROTHER! YOU'RE BACK!" Rosanne leapt towards Markus, clinging onto him like a koala cub.
"Are you all right? What was in the purple portal?" A barrage of questions shot through her little mouth.
"Calm down, there was nothing behind the portal," Markus patted her head, "I stepped in, and it was just a sea of stars."
"There were no monsters, no land, no dungeon, it's just nothingness," Markus explained.
"Whoa, it must be very pretty!" Rosanne exclaimed.
Markus walked up to a corner of the dungeon where the core sat, a glowing blue exit portal nearby.
"Let's get through the exit portal, Rosanne, take the core and exit after we're all out," Markus stepped through the blue portal, relieved that this expedition ended without casualties.
Rosanne hopped through with a gleaming blue orb in her hands, "Brother, here take it!"
"No, you take it, you're doing the reporting for this dungeon, remember?" Markus shook his head; this lazy girl always tries to find new ways to slack off.
"I'm sure everyone is exhausted from this portal exploration. Let's find a nearby restaurant to eat and rest," Markus said.
They flagged down a taxicab and told the driver to drop them off at the best restaurant nearby.
[Looney's Beachfront Restaurant]
"Welcome to Looney's. Do you have a reservation?" The Maître d' asked.
"No, we do not have any reservations. Do you guys have a table for 5?" Jessica asked.
The Maître d' looked through his handheld tablet, checking for seat availability.
"We just have an opening for a table of 5 with the perfect view of the beach. Could you guys wait for 5 minutes while we clean up the table?"
He handed the dinner menu over to the excited group of teens.
"Please take your time to browse our dinner menu, sushi menu, and drinks menu."
The Maître d' handed them 3 menus for them to peruse.
The girls excitedly pointed at several items, and in no time, the floor manager brought the group to their table.
"AHEM!" Rosanne cleared her throat, ready to order, "We would like a Fish board, with Yellowfin tuna, Shrimp, grilled, and topped with crabmeat, for the sauce, we would like lemon butter and sweet chili & garlic, for the sides, we would like crispy Brussel sprouts and roasted baby carrots."
"We would also like a lobster roll, 12 California rolls (sushi), 5 glasses of soda water infused with lychee essence, and for dessert we would like 3 Spanish Basque cheesecakes, and 2 triple chocolate cake, that will be all for now!"
A piping-hot basket of toasted baguette arrived at their table, paired with olive oil, and it was a perfect start to the preceding courses.
The group frantically took photos of the food and the scenery, sending photos back to their family to make them jealous.
After making payment, Markus asked if there were any lodging nearby to spend the night before heading back to the academy.
They spent the evening walking down the beach, burning some calories whilst digesting their heavy meal before retreating to a 4-star hotel for the night.
