《The Ascension Age》


 Chapter 1: Ascension Age

    Chapter 1: Ascension Age


    Far away from Earth, around billions of light-years away. At what could be considered the center of the Universe, an infinitesimally small point of energy could be found. It had been here for over 13.8 billion years in silence. This was what remained after the first Big Bang.


    Well, it would probably be better to say that the Big Bang happened for its sake, so calling it ''remaining'' would be incorrect. It saw the Big Bang happen as it rapidly expanded until it finally calmed down again. At the moment, everything around it was dark, except for the point itself. The Universe''s matter had long since separated from it, and all that matter''s light was now too far to reach this ce. That only made the site look even more empty and lonely.


    However, little did the races of the Universe know that this small point had finally awoken. Inside, extremely powerful reactions, capable of destroying entire gxies, were happening nonstop. To be more precise, just a fraction of those reactions would be more than enough to send a gxy to its end, let alone every reaction urring inside there.


    Each reaction happened more and more frequently as time passed. It was as if something inside that infinitesimally small point was trying to break free. Eventually, the small point couldn''t endure it anymore. If there existed a microscope capable of seeing something of this size, one would have witnessed what looked like a crack appearing on a white shell.


    It seemed like a lot of time had passed before it happened. However, for a human''s sense of time, all of it happened in less than a blink of an eye. At the same time that crack appeared, there was noing back. The white shell was then pulverized as the energy inside it was released.


    The impressive thing was that all the living beings in the entire Universe felt it when it happened. It didn''t matter whether they were intelligent or not. All of them looked in the same direction. For some intelligent life forms, it was quite weird since they ended up looking at the ground. Of course, that was because they were on the opposite side of theirs, considering the small explosion''s location. Hence, they thought something had happened in the ground instead.


    That kind of thought didn''tst for long, though. That was because, following that strange sensation, a voice echoed in everyone''s minds. No, to be more precise, it was some kind of thought, or perhaps, a memory. Many intelligent living beings in the Universe didn''t have the human capability to ''speak,'' or ways of creating a sound wave that humans called a voice. Of course, they still had their own methods ofmunication.


    Leaving that aside, that thought was in some kind ofnguage that none of the creatures in the Universe had ever interacted with before. Nevertheless, every single intelligent being in the Universe understood what it said. The thought materialized in their minds in different ways depending on each life form. For humans, it felt very ancient, transcending the limits of time.


    "Come, my children. The time has arrived for you to leave your shells and follow me to a higher stage."


    Everyone was taken aback. In some way that no one could exin, everyone could tell this wasn''t a joke or anything. Something deep down in themselves told them that everything was real. It was not something their own races could ever hope to achieve.


    Could it be a god? Do gods really exist? Was science wrong all this time? They could all feel the power of the one behind that archaic voice. For humans, even Earth''s existence was nothing more than a grain of sandpared to a desert, perhaps not even a thousandth of that.


    All the humans and other races spread in the Universe paid attention, waiting for this ancient being to continue his or her words. However...


    "Gigon, I think I forgot to turn on the speaker. Try it one more time," said a feminine voice.


    "What?! You''re kidding me, right? Do you know how long I practiced that sentence, Gigan? I had a full script ready! I was looking so cool!" Gigon could not help but say, though he quickly recovered. "Oh, well. I can just try it again. Tell me when I can start using the cool presentation."


    Everyone was at a loss for words. That God didn''t look very... godly...


    "Are you an idiot? I told you to try it right now because I think I fixed it. That means the speaker should be working. Everyone received all that nonsense you just said."


    "You can''t be serious! What about my heavenly entrance speech?"


    "Fuck your heavenly entrance speech! Stop wasting my time and continue," said the feminine voice as she continued, "Sometimes, I don''t know why I work with you, Gigon."


    Gigon felt wronged but decided to leave it aside for now. "Oh, well. Whatever. Errr... Testing, testing. Can you hear me?"


    That ''thought'' went quiet for a moment before continuing, "Hey, Gigan. Is this thing really working? I couldn''t capture a single thought of answering from this incubator. Perhaps we should reset this Universe and start a new one."


    All of a sudden, an innumerable amount of thoughts reached whoever wasmunicating to them at the same time. They didn''t know what it was all about. Nevertheless, every creature in the Universe felt unprecedented danger when the word ''reset the Universe'' appeared in their minds. It was like an extremely old fear, something that had been infused deep inside of each creature''s DNA, had rmed them at the same time.


    "Oh! So you did hear me. Why the hell did you all go silent? No, wait! With the number of intelligent life forms in this Universe, what are the chances that you all refused to answer simultaneously?"


    Countless thoughts answered his question at the same time as well, with him soon responding, "What the hell do you mean by taking it more seriously?! I''m always serious! Huh?! Who the fuck said I''m a kid? What?! I dare you to send me such a thought again! The hell?! No, I''m not Elvis. First of all, who the hell is Elvis? I''m not Jesus either, for fuck''s sake!"


    Of course, these were only a few of the thoughts he answered. Just the fact he could reply to such an uncountable number of thoughts was already heaven-defying itself.


    "Fuck all of you!" Nheless, he lost his patience in the end. "Do you even know who I am? I might as well be called your God, you pieces of shit! No, I definitely am your God! I can wipe you out with a singlemand!"


    The feminine voice intervened again, though. "Gigon, remember what we''ve discussed. No more wiping out universes just because you''re angry. Did you forget how much they cost? Now, stop wasting time and get into the main topic."


    Gigon, or what they thought the ''god'' was called,mented.


    "Sigh... fine. I''ll just block their thoughts before I destroy this incubator. Listen up, ants! I''m giving you all one chance! Just one chance of escaping your Universe''s constraints. Soon, all of you will start to feel a new kind of energy appearing in your surroundings. Well, those closer to its source might have felt it already. As for what you call it, that''s up to you."


    Gigon continued, "It has been over 13.8 billion years since your Universe was created."


    Although the ''god'' said 13.8 billion years, that was only the case for humans. All the other intelligent lifeforms in the Universe heard that remark with a time unit specific to their races. After all, years, months, days, hours, and so on were things made using Earth''s rotation around itself and the sun as a base. Other races would obviously have different time counting methods.


    "Well, for me, it was just a few days. Haha!"


    "Gigon, no one cares how long it felt for you. Stop bbering and continue your exnation."


    "Fine, fine...sometimes, you''re too boring, Gigan."


    No one knew what to say about it. This event was life-changing for all intelligent living beings in the Universe. But why was the ''god'' so...immature?


    "Ahem...it has been over 13.8 billion years since we''ve created this Universe of yours. This also happened to be the time necessary to nurture your Universe''s Special Energy. Once again, you can call it whatever you want since each Universe is different. Now that it''s ready, we have released it. Don''t worry. It doesn''t present any danger to any of the life forms in the Universe. In fact, this is the key to the evolution of your races. Be it yourselves or technology, everything will depend on it."


    Gigon then continued.


    "And with that, let me dere the start of the Ascension Age! Which one of your races wille out on top? I''m looking forward to it!"

 Chapter 2: The Changes

    Chapter 2: The Changes


    As soon as Gigon dered the Ascension Age, he soon disconnected. All races, especially the intelligent races in the Universe, went into an uproar after that. That''s because it didn''t take long before that special energy began to reach even the most remote corners of their Universe.


    Other than that was the fact that the majority didn''t even know if there were more intelligent life out there in the Universe or not. Gigon''s appearance, together with that energy, was the proof that most of them had been looking for.


    Of course, all the races immediately began to work with that special energy. They could feel it even with their bodies, so they had to use it somehow. As formunicating with others, that was basically impossible at the moment. After all, lightspeed has been considered as the fastest thing in existence if one didn''t count the expansion of the Universe itself. Simply put, it was too slow of a speed if one hoped to travel to anyone''s backyard.


    As one could imagine, there were very, very small exceptions. There were a few races that were lucky enough to not go extinct and were born rtively close to each other to the point where even lightspeed wasn''t necessary. Once again, these instances were almost nonexistent. The majority was still too far away from each other.


    In any case, a technological race immediately started all over in the Universe. All races were looking for a way to utilize this energy. From what they heard from Gigon, this new energy would probably be the solution for the mobility issues they had until now. Everyone was quite hopeful. After all, this special energy was able to cover the entire Universe in just a few weeks at most.


    Using lightspeed was no good. After all, once one traveled at that velocity, time would run slower for them. That meant that the beings outside and the ones traveling would be disconnected from each other by who knows how many years. That was a huge issue.


    Well, to be honest, that was the concern of lucky races. Though, there was still one huge problem for the majority of the intelligent races...they simply didn''t know what to do with the energy.


    One must understand that technology was a very advanced stage of a race. Chances are that a race would never develop it even if they were intelligent. Take humans, for example. They''ve already existed for two million years, but only in the past few hundred years did they finally begin to grasp it.


    On the other hand, more than 99% of the intelligent races in the Universe were still in the medieval era. They could build houses, use fire, and things like that. Unfortunately, the discovery of technology, whatever form it might be in theirs, wasn''t one of them. First of all, even if they could be considered ''intelligent,'' the majority were only at a level of simplemunication and basic improvements, even if the conditions were right.


    Of course, it didn''t take too long before all the races understood a simple principle. They could instinctively absorb that energy into their bodies. Some were quicker to grasp that idea, others not so much. Of course, it wasn''t an exception for any of them.


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    That was just the start, though. Soon, the animals and nts of theses began to change due to the same reason. It was obviously the ''evolution'' that Gigon spoke of. Previous docile animals started to be tougher. As for those that were dangerous to start with, they became even more terrifying.


    For example, back on Earth, animals like bears, tigers, lions, hippos, rhinos, and so on had be strong enough thatmon firearms were almost useless now. This same situation was happening everywhere in the Universe. Humans were far from being the only ones with this issue.


    Humans could be considered to be lucky in this regard already. They hadpletely dominated their own. So, except for areas where humans allowed those beasts to exist, they weren''t at risk of being taken over. Ons where the intelligent race was still far from dominating their, especially those races without advanced technology, this change made their lives into a daily game of life and death.


    Of course, there were intelligent races who were better off than humans in this regard. They took control of the situation even faster. It''s just that these races were extremely rare since races with technological advancements were scarce to start with.


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    Nevertheless, all the intelligent races had reached the same conclusion. Use the special energy to get stronger. There woulde a time where it would be necessary, so they needed to be prepared.


    And just like that, eleven years had passed on Earth. In the end, Earthlings named this new type of energy ''Ster Energy'' since it came from somewhere in outer space. It was a simple name but a very convenient one.


    Though, it turns out that using the special energy was harder than they thought when it came to implementing it into technology. There was no equipment made for analyzing it, let alone for using it. Worst of all, all the metals and other materials that humans knew of were useless when it came to this new energy. The only thing they knew was that they could absorb it to increase their bodies'' strength.


    Unlike mindless animals, humans at least thought about how to use Ster Energy. They controlled it little by little, finding out the best ways of implementing it to their bodies. Of course, another thing became clear after that. There were those who were good at itpeople who simply could absorb and control this energy much better than others.


    Once again, the world was made painfully aware of a word that existed shortly after the invention of words, talent! Everyone could use Ster Energy, but only a few could make good use of it. Naturally, a new upation was created. It was an upation that had its own system. Humans called it the Ster Riser!


    Twenty-one years, three months, nine days, and 14 hours after Ster Energy had appeared, a human had reached what scientists theorized to be the next level of Ster Energy use, the Ster Maniption Level. Of course, humans were not the only ones. Many other races, including those without technology, began to enter a simr level as well. It''s just that they named it differently.


    Nevertheless, it made one thing clear for everyone. They didn''t know where the limit of Ster Energy use was, which made everyone excited. Time began to pass, and more breakthroughs continued to appear. The new generation used the experience of the old to go further.


    However, that was not the only thing that changed.


    With that, a new system was put into ce. So far, humanity knew of two levels.


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    The first one was the Ster Body Transformation Level, which improved one''s body beyond normal human limits.


    The second level was the Ster Maniption Level. At this level, humans wouldn''t only be able to control the Ster Energy inside their bodies, but they could also manifest it outside.


    The third came muchter and was called the Ster Foundation Level.


    As time went on, more levels were being discovered. Unfortunately, the human race still hadn''t found a way to incorporate Ster Energy into their technology. At most, they could use the existing ones to measure a Ster Riser''s development by analyzing their bodies.


    However, one thousand, three hundred, and seventy-seven yearster, a new discovery was made on Earth.

 Chapter 3: Star City

    Chapter 3: Star City


    nts, which were noted to also have the ability to absorb Ster Energy, haven''t changed much during this time. They simply used it to grow taller and stronger. Though, ultimately, they were still just nts.


    But at this moment, a certain tree located in an area of high Ster Energy density suddenly passed through a transformation. It was as if the nt had reached the Ster Maniption Level itself. After the scientists analyzed it, they finally found the very first material in the world capable of storing Ster Energy!


    It didn''t stop there, though. Soon, deep down in an iron mine, a shining ore had been found as well. Just like the nt, it had the power of storing Ster Energy. Not only that, but Ster Risers were even able to drive their Ster Energy inside it. Such changes began to happen everywhere. It was slow at first, but the pace gradually increased as time passed.


    Only then did the smart heads of humanity understand. It wasn''t because there were no materials that they could use with technology and Ster Energy. It was because they didn''t get to evolve yet. And now that they did, they obviously became useful for their Ster Risers.


    With that event, the world once again passed through a huge transformation. Before, humans had the industrial revolution, which was soon followed by the technological revolution. Now, a new era had started, the Ster Technological Revolution!


    Once again, they weren''t the only ones. Be it by coincidence or not, the other races also began to find these materials at the same time. In a certain way, the real technological race between all races had just started! Well, at least for those who had discovered technology. Nevertheless, those new discoveries made all races'' technological advancements experience a boom. They could finally apply Ster Energy to something else other than their bodies. Not to mention that they soon found out that its use was far beyond what they initially thought.


    Unfortunately for humanity, their speed of development paled against some other races in the Universe, and this fact would pull their legster.


    Year 1638 after Ster Energy first appeared. This year, the human race became a lower member of the Baulmu Ster Alliance.


    Well, it wasn''t as if Earth had much of a chance to refuse. By the moment the Baulmu Alliance, which consisted of three main races at the forefront, arrived on Earth, humanity still hadn''t figured out how to use Ster Energy to travel above lightspeed. In fact, their best efforts only reached a point where they could achieve 3% of that velocity, let alone surpassing it.


    These three races were called Zamal, Ortan, and Spiritas.


    The human race was akin to a sitting duck waiting to be eatenpared to them. There was nothing they could do when the Alliance arrived. Their Ster Risers surpassed them in power. Their technology had left humanity eating dust as well. Their Risers didn''t even need to take action. Just the weapons on their spaceship could vaporize humanity from existence.


    Fortunately, the worst-case scenario didn''t happen. Humanity wasn''t turned into ves. That''s because humanity had at least discovered the technology and could use it. The majority of races didn''t even know what technology was. Those races had an even more pitiful end since they couldn''t measure the difference between themselves and the Baulmu Alliance. In humanity''s case, they understood how passive their situation would be the very moment the Alliance appeared on their doorsteps.


    Of course, it wasn''t as if everything was bad news. With the appearance of the Baulmu Alliance, they also received many of their technologies. After all, intelligent races, especially those that already knew the principles of things like atoms, cells, and so on, were just too rare. Humanity would be much more useful if they were integrated into the Alliance instead.


    Of course, such a change only happened on the surface. In fact, humanity was gathering the resources of their own system and a few nearby ones for the big shots. Without the power to refuse, the Earthlings joined this endeavor.


    Other intelligent races were put under theirmands, which they used to help with the extraction of the resources. At the very least, the Alliance wasn''t wicked. As long as a race didn''t resist, they wouldn''t forcefully enve them and even give several benefits. Humanity made sure to make full use of that, which in turn also increased their own power. They couldn''t challenge the top nine races of the Baulmu Alliance, but they weren''t at the bottom either.


    Then again, humans had always been opportunistic creatures, so this trait was at full disy during the years.


    One thing worth mentioning was the origin of the name Baulmu. In the end, that was how the top nine races called the Milky Way Gxy. Thus, the Baulmu Alliance. Humanity was quite surprised at first to see that so many intelligent races existed in this gxy. That being said, just how many others existed outside? One must not forget that races with technology were less than 1% of the total at first, but there were already 12 at this level in the Baulmu territory. Let alone the races who didn''t know of it.


    Well, there was a problem between the races that weren''t technologically advanced. Most of them only had a basic level of intelligence. That being said, they weren''t good to be used. Between the races without technology, the Alliance only took in the races that had the brains to understand it, while they left those who were too dumb alone. Well, it was more like those races would need a very long time to evolve their brains, just like humans did in the past.


    Year 1856.


    Earth didn''t have separate countries anymore. Because of how many races were part of the Baulmu Alliance, Earth couldn''t be taken as several separated entities. They only had one global currency that was used in their trade through the gxy. Well, that and many other amendments were made during the years. Today, humanity had finally reached a stage of pseudo-unity that some wouldugh at if told several hundred years prior. They had to do it for their own sake.


    In this new single country called Earth, which spanned all world''snds, was a new city. People from all over the world came here, looking for their own chance at a bright future. The ce was called Star City and was also Earth''s hub to the cosmos. Any human who ever dreamed of one day leaving the would have to start their journey here.


    Today, a Ster Land Train had just arrived in the city''s Main Station. From inside, a young man of no more than 14 years old stepped out. He looked around helplessly, not noticing that he was blocking the people behind him who arrived on the same train.


    *Pah!*


    Suddenly, an older woman hit the young man''s head, bringing him back to reality as she asked, "How much longer will you block the path? Get out!"


    The young man quickly apologized and stepped out of the way. He didn''t care about the pain. He only paid attention to all the different races around.


    It was possible to see many other races walking in Star City. After all, Earth wasn''t a bad to live on. Things like a race''s type of breathing air, if they breathed at all, or any other environmental issue ceased to be a problem long ago with the advancement of technology. Obviously, that was all thanks to Ster Energy.


    There was one thing that would shock a human from the past, though. Be it coincidence or not, other races ended up evolving to have simr humanoid forms as well. It was called evolution by convergence, which, in fact, had also happened to the human race itself in the past. Of course, other races had their own special traits, but they weren''t too different from humans, save for a few exceptions. After all, there were always exceptions to the rule. Nevertheless, those intelligent races with non-humanoid bodies were very rare.


    All of that only made the young man''s eyes more dispirited. He came from a small town on Earth, so it was extremely rare to see other races there. Earth was still a human, after all. In the end, he couldn''t help but mentally remark.


    ''Aire Ruehnar, you really are out of luck...why must I be obligated to enter the Ascension Age School?''


    The reason for that was simple, aptitude! However, don''t misunderstand this word. Aire was anything but talented. There was one thing called Ster Measurement. If a human was found to be inside the threshold, they were obligated to receive Ster Riser Training. In other words, going to the Ascension Age School in Star City.


    Aire Ruehnar... was at the very limit of eptable aptitude. If he had done just slightly worse, he definitely wouldn''t have gotten it. Worst of all, he himself didn''t want to take part in all of this. Ascension Age? The Exploration Era? The path to breaking out of the Universe? Be a powerful Ster Riser? He couldn''t care less about all of that.


    Unfortunately, fate had other ns for him.

 Chapter 4: Roaming Stellar Light

    Chapter 4: Roaming Ster Light


    Aire didn''t have many ambitions. Until Aire found out that he had the minimal aptitude to be a Ster Riser, he always thought that he would inherit his mother''s shop. It wasn''t anything big, let alone something that could make him rich. His hometown didn''t have more than twenty thousand inhabitants, so the business was basically a little better than being an employee for some otherpany.


    The thing that made him feel more helpless was how his mother and father were excited after his aptitude test results came back. Even if he had barely reached the threshold, it wasn''t anything easy to do so. It''s said that you wouldn''t have more than one or two Ster Risers every ten thousand humans.


    Of course, everyone could absorb Ster Energy, but the level they could reach was different for each person. And with that came the aptitude test. Aire, carrying the hope of his parents, could only ept it and move to Star City.


    Aire went out of the station and immediately felt lost. However, he didn''t seem to be worried. Instead, he put on some kind of sses, but that only covered one of his eyes while the other was free as hemanded, "Ster AI, show me the path to the Ascencion Age School."


    Immediately, Aire''s eye shone with several lights. This was the device that reced the worlds'' smartphones. It could do basically anything that a smartphone could, but much better. Not only that, but it also worked on Ster Energy. That being said, as long as the person charged it with their own Ster Energy, it would work just fine. Electricity had already be quite an outdated type of energy nowadays.


    In front of Aire''s eye, a perfect map of the city, with every step he should take, presented itself. It even had the path mark on the ground for him to walk.


    It looked incredible. Unfortunately, Aire''s model was quite old already. The newest models weren''t just good atmon applications. They did much more than that. For example, they had all kinds of sensors that could track one''s progress in Ster Energy. That was only one of its functions. Then again, Aire didn''t have money for that, nor did he intend to spend on such a thing.


    ''So far from home...''


    Obvious, Star City''s Ster Path School wasn''t the only one avable on Earth. However, it was still the closest one to Aire''s hometown... even though it was over two thousand kilometers away. There were two more schools, but they were even further than this one. For Aire, the shorter the duration of his travel, the better, so he came to Star City.


    ...


    As Aire continued on his path, he passed by several boards that showed the news of the gxy. On the screens, one could see several Ster Scientists talking about some kind of change that was happening recently.


    Aire got somewhat curious since everywhere he looked, people were talking about it, so he ordered his AI, "Ster AI, show me news about the Roaming Ster Light."


    That''s what the Ster Scientists called it. Immediately, a small screen at the corner of Aire''s eye appeared while thementator''s voice entered his head.


    "Two months ago up till now, a phenomenon that is now called the Roaming Ster Light has been happening all over the Baulmu Alliance''s territory."


    As mentioned before, the Baulmu Alliance was the one in control of the Milky Way Gxy. It''s just that Baulmu was how they called it, not Milky Way. Only the humans remembered that name.


    "Several alliance ships are analyzing this phenomenon. Unfortunately, every time they get close to the light, it disappears. Thus, the word ''Roaming'' in the name. So far, no one can tell what it is or what it can be used for. It doesn''t seem to be following any specific path either, blinking in and out of existence in our gxy."


    "Scientists believe that it might be connected to the Ascension Age announcement made by Gigon thousands of years ago. However, nothing could guarantee that either."


    The Ascension Age. Ever since Gigon talked with every race in the Universe, he hadn''t appeared again. The intelligent races understood very well that they were nothing more than birds in a cage. Billions of years since the Big Bang was nothing more than a few days outside it. Of course, many proposed that Gigon was lying or that he existed in our Universe and was tricking everyone. He probably found some lost technology that allowed him to do what he did.


    Unfortunately, no one had a way to prove it. By now, there were even those who doubted whether Gigon and also Gigan existed. After all, conspiracy theories always had a lot of sess.


    Aire continued to listen to the news as his AI continued, "Fortunately, it''s possible to identify where the Roaming Ster Light would appear every time it went away. It''s as if it''s telling the races of the Baulmu Gxy where it wanted to be."


    As Aire listened to that news, he couldn''t help but think.


    ''Are they idiots? Isn''t it obvious that the light is ying with them? First, it tells them where it is, then disappears as soon as they get close. The process repeats itself after that. If it was me, I would have given up a long time ago.''


    "So far, Ster Scientists were only able to tell that a ridiculous amount of Ster Energy can be found inside the Roaming Ster Light. No technology known by the Baulmu Alliance and the territories in its surroundings would be able to store such an amount. They''re afraid that this Roaming Ster Light might appear close to an inhabited. If that happens, it might turn catastrophic. On the other hand, nothing might happen either. The Ster Scientists aren''t sure which case is possible."


    Thementator then continued, "The general consensus is that the Roaming Ster Light is looking for something. However, no one can tell what it is. All the Ster Scientists can do is follow it wherever it appears."


    Aire then turned off the news as he focused on his path to the school as he thought, ''Looking for something, huh? Well, it has nothing to do with me anyway, so who the fuck cares.''


    ...


    Around two thousand light years away from Earth, there was a point of bright light floating in space. The weird thing was that this light was very gentle, which didn''t impact one''s eyes even if one looked directly at it. Naturally, this was the so-called Roaming Ster Light.


    Just a few hours ago, it had been on the other side of the Baulmu Territory, up to eighty thousand light years away. However, light years ceased to be a problem for the races of the Universe a long time ago. Obviously, it was thanks to Ster Energy. Because of that, the three main races of the Baulmu Territory discovered how to enter the fourth dimension. This technology allowed the spaceships to cover thousands of light years, in terms of distance, in just a few minutes.


    That wasn''t all. The fourth dimension was also used formunication. With that, sending and receiving information from all inhabiteds of the Baulmu Gxy wasn''t a problem at all. This was also the reason why it was possible to find the Roaming Ster Light. It affected the fourth dimension, which allowed the Ster Riser to pinpoint its location just a few hours after it disappeared.


    What the Ster Scientists didn''t understand was how it traveled. If it used the Fourth Dimension, following the trace left behind by it should be possible. Unfortunately, there wasn''t a single ripple in the Fourth Dimension every time it disappeared. Nheless, it affected the Fourth Dimension once it reappeared somewhere else. In their eyes, the Roaming Ster Light had the secrets for the next breakthrough in Ster Energy Technology.


    Inside one of these spaceships was a group of Ster Scientists led by a woman called Ramalia. She was part of the Ortan Race, one of the three main races of the Universe. The team she led had many other races making part, including a few humans. Though, the three main races were the majority in there.


    "We found it again. How is it? Is the new reading equipment ready?"


    One of the Ster Scientists immediately replied, "Yes! All the spaceships are positioned in their ces. We can start at any time."


    "Good! We had to create this equipment in a hurry, but the pulses of Ster Energy should be almost imperceptible. If this was the reason why the Roaming Ster Light disappears every time, it shouldn''t go anywhere now."


    Following that, she quickly raised her hand and gave the order. "Start!"


    Simr equipment activated inside over three hundred spaceships, all positioned far away from the Roaming Ster Light. If they got any closer than it, then the light would disappear again.


    Everyone felt nervous, thinking that the light might just disappear at any moment. However, as time passed, they felt more and more rxed.


    "Great! We''re finally getting some readings. I just hope we weren''t too slowpared to the other gxies'' powers."


    Suddenly, the expression of the man controlling the equipment in Ramalia''s ship changed.


    "Not good! It''s going to disappear again!"


    "What?! Oh,e on!!!"


    However, Ramalia quickly got ahold of herself before saying, "Check the Fourth Dimension. I want to know exactly where it''s going to appear next time."


    Eventually, the Roaming Ster Light became much brighter than usual all of a sudden before disappearingpletely.


    Ramaliamented, "Sigh, several hours until we find it again."


    Or so she thought.


    "Found it!"


    "What?! Already? Could it be that it went somewhere close?"


    ...


    Back on Earth, Aire had finally arrived in the Ster Path School. As he looked at it from a distance, he couldn''t help but twitch his eyes. ''This is ridiculously enormous!''


    He wasn''t exaggerating. There were only three Ster Riser Schools on Earth, so they had to amodate an enormous amount of students. The school''s estate extended for several kilometers with buildings that looked more like skyscrapers. Such a magnificent sight left even a bored guy like Aire impressed.


    Aire quickly got ahold of himself as he thought, ''So what? The best thing is to keep a low profile and pretend to not exist. Perhaps I''ll be discharged by graduation.''


    However, as soon as Aire took his first step forward, a feminine voice echoed in his mind, saying, ''I finally found you, Master!''


    Following that, Earth''s sky suddenly brightened with light. The entire world, including the side where it was night, was affected by it. Fortunately, the phenomenon didn''tst long, though. A few secondster, everything returned to normal. Of course, that event immediately caught everyone''s attention as the whole world was in an uproar.


    In the middle of all of this, no one noticed Aire''s body on the ground.

 Chapter 5: Go BOOM!

    Chapter 5: Go BOOM!


    Of course, no one took notice of him because every single person was looking at the sky. Though, once the light disappeared, the people passing by saw his body there.


    "Ah!"


    Immediately, a girl that was by his side screamed as everyone''s attention was grabbed. Soon, a big crowd gathered around him, watching as some people helped Aire up on the ground. Because the Ascension Age School was about to start a new year, many students and even teachers passed through the entrance. Obviously, it caught their attention.


    "Hey! Are you okay? Wake up! Someone, help me bring him to the clinic. The dormitories'' clinic is the closest, so let''s go there." A few people then helped bring Aire away.


    However, little did they know that Aire wasn''t unconscious. Instead, huge changes were happening to his body. Because of that, he couldn''t move at all. All he could do was think about what just happened.


    ''What was that? Someone talked to me, and then my body went limp after that. I can''t even open my eyes at the moment. What did that thing mean by Master? Was it because of what happened in the sky?''


    Out of nowhere, the same feminine voice echoed in his mind once again as it said, ''That''s right, Master. That was me. I couldn''t help but feel excited to finally find you, so I was a little too eager. Sorry about that.''


    Aire was taken aback by that. After all, he couldn''t talk at the moment. That being said, didn''t this ''girl'' or whatever just read his mind?


    ''That''s correct, Master. We''re linked by soul, so I can see what you''re thinking.''


    Aire began to have a bad feeling about this as he thought, ''Errr... Usually, someone would ask you what happened, who you are, and things like that.''


    Aire wasn''t one of them, though. ''However, don''t worry. I simply have no interest whatsoever. Go ahead and find someone else. I promise I won''t say a single word about this.''


    Are you kidding me? There''s no way in hell I want anything to do with it. He already had his own hidden problems to deal with. Why should he get even more?


    However, the voice quickly answered, ''That''s not possible, Master. There''s only a single chance to merge with apatible living being, and you are that being. We''re now a two-in-one force!''


    Aire''s bad premonition had be a reality.


    ''Like hell we are! Get away from my body right now! I told you, I don''t have a smidgen of interest in what you are or what you want. Besides, there should be plenty of people stronger, more intelligent, and especially richer than me. I''m just a nobody who wants to live a peaceful life, so just go ahead and disappear!''


    Unfortunately for him, the voice had terrible news as it said, ''Master! That''s not possible. At the very least, not at this puny level of yours.''


    It then continued, ''If I separate from you right now, not only will I die, but I will also bring you down with me. After all, the same way I need your soul to exist, it also applies vice versa.''


    The voice then got excited as it added, ''But you shouldn''t feel too sad. I''m here to make you shine like a star. Together, we will seed in this Ascension Age! We''re going to be the light that illuminates the path for everyone. Isn''t that great?!''


    Aire felt like crying already.


    ''Great...your ass! Who the hell wants to shine like a star? I don''t want to shine. No, even better, please bring all the light away. The greater the shadow I can make, the better! Now, I don''t know how you''ll do it, but I want you to disappear right now and not involve me in it.''


    The voice sighed before saying, ''Master, I told you already. We''re a two-in-one force now. I can separate myself from you, but I can guarantee that both of us are going to die straight away.''


    Aire was helpless.


    ''Why should I believe you?''


    ''Because I wouldn''t lie to my Master!''


    Aire then concentrated as he continued to think.


    ''Alright, just ignore the voice. As long as you pretend it doesn''t exist, it will go away at some point. Yes, that''s the best course of action.''


    As mentioned before, the thing that entered Aire''s soul could hear his thoughts, so it immediately... started to cry.


    *sniff, sniff*


    Aire was taken aback by that thing''s reaction. What bullshit was that? Unfortunately for Aire, he was indeed connected through soul with whatever it was. That being said, he could feel its emotions, making him feel like crying as well.


    He tried to ignore it at first. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done. Eventually, he couldn''t take it anymore.


    ''Ahhhh! Alright, alright! I won''t ignore you, okay?''


    The girl''s voice finally seemed to calm down a little as it asked, ''Re-really?''


    Aire confirmed, ''Yes, so just stop it. Your emotions are overflowing inside me. If you don''t stop, I will end up crying as well.''


    Aire noticed that the thing''s emotion finally settled down and sighed in relief. He soon said, ''Seems like you''re okay now. Well, to be honest, I really don''t want to ask anything. Out of nowhere, the skies go bright, and then you appear. Doesn''t matter how I see it. I''ve gotten involved in something big, so I''ll try to turn it into as small of a deal as possible.''


    He then continued as he asked, ''First of all, what''s your name?''


    The voice went silent for a moment before answering, ''I don''t really have a name since I''m just an Ascension Age Soul Assistant.''


    ''Ascension Age Soul Assistant? What is- No, forget it. I don''t want to know what it is. Since you don''t have a name, I''ll call you... errr...''


    Aire had never really named anything before, so he couldn''te up with a good idea. It was then that he remembered his Ster AI from hismunicator.


    ''Ster Ai... Ster... Alright, I''m going to call you Ste. You have a girl''s voice, or at least that''s how it sounds in my mind, so that''s okay, right?''


    The voice pondered over it before responding, ''Ste, Ste... Yes! I love it! From now on, I''m Ste!''


    Aire couldn''t help but feel happy. Not that he wanted to, but that Ste''s emotions affected his own. But he also felt like Ste was just like a child, or so it seemed.


    ''Ahem... alright, calm down first. Ste, I will repeat what I said before. I just want to live a peaceful life. However, I can''t live with you inside my soul, right? To be honest, I don''t know if I believe that souls exist. I always thought that a mind was nothing more than electrical pulses. Anyway, it doesn''t change the fact that we can''t keep going like this. Tell me, how do I get you out without affecting both of us?''


    Ste immediately replied, ''Master, you''re too weak to do that. Before you obtain better control over your soul, separating the two of us is impossible unless we ignore both our deaths.''


    Aire narrowed his eyes...or he would if he could move his body at the moment. ''I don''t like that. Too weak? Controlling my soul? Why does it feel like I''ll have to do a lot of work to reach that point?''


    Ste agreed with him. ''But of course!'' Ste mentioned as if stating a fact. ''How can you increase your Ster Level without putting in hard work? Don''t worry, Master. I can definitely help you reach that level. By then, you will understand how amazing I am and won''t want to separate anymore.''


    Aire immediately disliked the idea.


    ''Out of the question! It goes against my ideal path of a quiet and calm life. Even if I have to live with you in my mind for the rest of my days, I absolutely won''t do anything that goes against that objective.''


    Ste couldn''t help but feel sad again as she said, ''But Master... sniff, sniff... If you don''t increase your level soon, your soul and body wouldn''t be able to sustain my presence. Master, I don''t want you to go BOOM!''


    Aire felt a chill on his back when he heard that.


    ''BOOM?''


    ''BOOM!''


    ''What you mean by going BOOM?''


    ''I mean... KABOOM!''


    Aire''s mouth would definitely twitch if it could move at the moment.


    ''You must be fucking kidding me!''


    Ste wasn''t.


    ''I''m not lying, Master. I don''t want you to go BOOM!''


    ''Can you stop saying BOOM so many times?! I feel like I''m going to explode any second now!''


    ''Should I say BANG instead?!''


    ''Great! Now someone''s shooting me down! I guess it''s a much better way of dying than exploding, right?''


    ''...Like hell it is!''


    Ste immediately went silent after that.


    Aire sighed before continuing, ''Alright, we''re starting off on the wrong foot. First, stop calling me Master. I''m not anyone''s Master, nor do I want to be one. Call me Aire. My name is Aire Ruehnar.''


    ''Alright, Ma- Aire!'' Ste was obviously delighted to hear that when she answered.


    Once again, her happiness filled his own emotions. ''Okay, okay. Now that we''ve gotten that out of the way, can you tell me why I can''t move my body?''


    Ste got all excited again as she began to exin, ''That''s because Aire became my new host. Thanks to that, your body is now bing a lot stronger to hold my existence.''


    Aire didn''t like that, though. He then asked, ''Does that mean my aptitude is now better than before?''


    ''Yes, yes! That''s it! Isn''t that great?''


    Aire obviously disagreed as he replied, ''Can it not?''


    Ste was puzzled, though.


    ''But Aire...you need to be great to not go BANG KABOOM.''


    ''Oh! So not only was I shot down to death, my body even exploded after that! Great!''

 Chapter 6: We Are Dead

    Chapter 6: We Are Dead


    Aire tried to calm his emotions as he asked another question. ''Moving on. Does that mean I''m not going to be human anymore?''


    Ste immediately shook her head as she replied, ''Of course not! Aire will still be human. All your bodily functions will work perfectly fine. It''s just that they''ll be much better than anyone else. On the outside, you will look just as you always did.''


    Aire was a little relieved by that.


    ''Well, that''s something,'' said Aire as he continued, ''I would hate to find out that my appearance had suddenly changed.''


    Ste nodded as she said, ''Exactly. Your body still works just like any other human. You pee and poop like everyone else. If Aire decides to have sex with a woman, she will still bear your child. Well, since your child has half of your DNA, he or she will be much stronger than your average human as well. Isn''t that great?''


    Aire let out cold sweat after hearing that. ''S-Sex?!''


    Aire was nothing more than a boy from a small town. Obviously, he had no experience in this topic whatsoever... especially with his personality that kept others at bay. Well, that is if one didn''t consider some ''inte resources.'' As for children, that was even more out of the question.


    Ste didn''t know that, though. ''Yes! In fact, Aire, you will be very sessful in bed. I''m sure they will love your manhood.''


    ''Th-they?!''


    ''But of course! The best thing is for you to spread your seed as much as possible. Well, considering how good of a material you will be, there should be nock of females wanting to bear your children. That''s how nature works. The females always select the strongest male to have children with.''


    Aire felt like crying already as he said, ''To hell with that! I''m absolutely not having more than one woman in my life. I want to find the right person and live a calm life with her! What bullshit are you talking about? Spread my seed? I''ll kick everyone else out!''


    ''But...'' Ste was taken aback. ''Your superior seed...''


    ''Superior seed your ass! Do you even know thews? I would need to provide for each child of mine. Besides, do you think I would simply impregnate someone and leave right after? I''m not a beast!''


    Ste felt sad as she muttered, ''That...would be such a waste...''


    ''Fuck you and your waste! First of all, I have no intention of starting a rtionship anytime soon. I still don''t know how to get my calm life back, let alone thinking about starting a family.''


    Aire finally calmed down sometimeter as he thought, ''She acts like a kid most of the time and can still do that while talking about sex. Just what kind of...of...'' Aire then remembered something. ''I still don''t know what she is. But...I also don''t want to know so that I won''t get involved. Then again, I don''t want to explode either.''


    Eventually, Aire gave up and asked Ste, ''Sigh...alright. Forget about sex, okay? That''s something for me to decide, not you.''


    Ste didn''t mind as she replied, ''Okay, Aire. But if you change your mind, I''ll give it my all to help spread your seed through the Universe.''


    ''FORGET ABOUT MY SEED!''


    Ste got scared and almost cried again.


    ''So-Sorry, Aire~.''


    ''Forget it.'' Aire then took in a deep breath and calmed down again as he asked, ''First, tell me. What exactly are you?''


    Ste became excited again. It was impressive how Ste''s emotions fluctuated so fast.


    At the moment, everything was ck to Aire. He couldn''t see anything since he couldn''t even open his eyes. However, some kind of ''field'' appeared in his mind. Even he couldn''t tell how that happened, but he could truly see an enormous open space now. It''s just that Aire couldn''t see himself. He could move his vision everywhere, and at any distance he wanted, but that was about it.


    Right in the middle of that space, a little girl appeared. Her body was ethereal, but she definitely looked like a human. She had ck straight hair with clear eyes. She also used a few clothes that matched her body very well. Simply put, she was quite cute.


    There was one problem, though. Aire recognized that little girl as he asked himself, ''Why am I seeing my younger sister?''


    Ste smiled in Aire''s direction before saying, ''This is the first image that came into your mind when I tried to condense a visual body. N Ruehnar, right? This shows that she has a very important spot in your heart. I see... so that''s Aire''s sister. She''s very cute. I like her!''


    ''Choose someone else.'' Aire didn''t like that, though. ''It creeps me out to see my sister''s body talking to me with someone else''s voice.''


    Ste looked away with a bitter smile as she said, ''Errr... I can''t do that anymore. The first chosen image is the one tost. But, but! I will grow up just like everyone else, even in this image. So you''ll be able to see how your sister will look in the future even if you can''t contact her. That should make you very happy. Isn''t that great?''


    ''Do you think I''m a siscon or something like that?'' Aire couldn''t help but ask while feeling annoyed.


    Ste was puzzled as she asked, ''What''s a siscon?''


    Aire sighed helplessly. ''Oh, well. Whatever. Even though your voice is different, it''s still a kid''s voice, at least. It matches N''s appearance.''


    In fact, Aire was incredibly annoyed because it matched way too well.


    ''So, will you tell me what you are?''


    ''Ah! That''s right!''


    Ste then put on a serious face...that looked anything but serious...and began to exin, ''I''m an Ascension Age Soul Assistant. I was chosen between countless candidates by Gigan and Gigon toe to this Universe and help apatible host break out of it. I''m fully trained in several supporting skills that will help you be the best!''


    Aire was taken aback as he asked soon after, ''Gigon and Gigan? You mean the ones who started the Ascension Age?''


    Ste nodded as she said, ''Yes! It seems like everyone still remembers him and her.''


    ''Why would you leave that ce ande here?'' Aire couldn''t help but ask. ''Isn''t the outside much better?''


    Ste shook her head as she answered, ''I don''t know? I was chosen when I was born and was transformed into an Assistant. I have no idea how things are outside the Universe.''


    Aire felt a chill on his back as he asked her, ''Are you okay with that? I mean... what about your parents? Wait, does your race even have genders, parents, and things like that?''


    Ste nodded with an angry expression, saying, ''Of course, we have! Aire, we''re not aberrations, okay? Have you ever heard of gic variability? That''s the key to evolution, and even the ones outside are no different.''


    Ste then continued, ''But...I can''t tell you about my parents.''


    ''Is that a secret?''


    ''No...it''s just that...I don''t remember them.''


    Aire narrowed his eyes... or he would if he could. He really didn''t like this thing about taking a newborn''s soul to use for whatever reason. However, Aire didn''t know the situation outside. Plus, it wasn''t like the Universe they were in at the moment was a flower garden either. Besides, he could feel the empty feeling from Ste when she talked about it.


    ''Okay, forget about that. The important thing is that you''re alive now, right? Who knows? You might be able to meet them in the future.''


    Ste immediately brightened up again.


    ''Yes! And Aire will help me get there, right?''


    Aire wanted to refuse that. But when he looked at Ste''s excited expression, he somewhat couldn''t bring himself to say no.


    Using my little sister''s face is not fair!


    ''Oh, right!'' However, the topic of his future ''explosion'' was more important at the moment. So, he changed the topic. ''You said that I need to improve if I don''t want to die with you. What do you mean by that?''


    Ste then exined, ''I meant exactly just that. You need to increase your strength if you don''t want your body to copse with me. At the moment, you''re at the very 1st Stage of Ster Body Transformation. The only reason you can hold my existence at the moment is that most of my abilities are sealed. Otherwise, we would be both dead already. Hahaha!''


    Aire felt like giving the girl a beating. Sadly, he didn''t have a body in that mind world. Aire then calmed down and thought about what she said.


    Ster Body Transformation. That was the first Level that all living beings of the Universe were in at the start. This was also the Level where the Ster Risers would train their bodies to be fullypatible with Ster Energy.


    In total, it had four stages: Ster Blood Stage, Ster Bones Stage, Ster Organs Stage, and Ster Paths Stage. Aire, obviously, was at the very first Stage, Ster Blood. He had to absorb Ster Energy little by little, making all of his red blood cellspatible with Ster Energy.


    Naturally, the Ster Bones and Ster Organs Stage had the same mechanics. He would use his blood cells to bring Ster Energy to his Bones first,pleting the transformation of the bones. After that, only the organs remained as the process was repeated. Once all three stages were done, he would start thest one, the Ster Paths Stage.


    During this stage, one would create channels that worked the same way as blood vessels. The only difference was that it was only used for Ster Energy alone. Not only that, but it was several times better than using red blood cells to do the work.


    ''How far do I need to go to hold you back?''


    Ste pondered for a bit and then answered, ''I need you to reach the Ster Maniption Level.''


    Ster Maniption Level. That was the Level that came right after Ster Body Transformation.


    ''I see... Oh, well. We can take our time to slowly move in that direction.''


    However...Ste had other ns. ''Aire, that won''t do. It''ll take just one year for my first ability to be unsealed. If you don''t get there in time, we''ll both be dead.''


    ''What?!''


    Aire instantly felt like crying.


    One year! Only the top geniuses would be able to create such a miracle, and that was because they had the resources for that. Aire didn''t even have a ce to fall dead, let alone afford the resources for such a thing.


    However, it was then that he remembered something. ''Oh, right! You said you have abilities as an Ascension Age Soul Assistant, didn''t you?''


    Ste immediately nodded as she replied, ''Yes! They''re mostly sealed. However, the best one is still open.''


    ''So, which one is open?''


    Ste brightly smiled as she answered, ''I have the ability to cheer you up!''


    Aire''s heart froze for a moment as he instantly thought, ''Alright, we''re definitely dead.''

 Chapter 7: So Much For a Silent Escape...

    Chapter 7: So Much For a Silent Escape...


    It turns out that Aire wasn''t the only one brought to the clinic. That sudden event caught a few more people unaware, causing quite a lot of idents. The clinic had more than 200 beds, which showed just how many students lived in the dormitories for the clinic to be this big. The school was just that enormous.


    At the moment, all of them were upied, and there were even more students on the ground. Simply put, the clinic was in chaos, and it wasn''t just this one. The other clinics spread out in the school estate were just as busy.


    That being said, no one thought of anything that Aire passed out. There was nock of unconscious people in the clinic at the moment. Aire was lucky, though. He was quite close, so he got a bed. Well, because of theck of beds, the nurses and doctors had to... improvise.


    Aire had been ''unconscious'' all this time. It wasn''t far from the truth since he didn''t even have his sense of touch during his ''body upgrade.'' He didn''t know that he was brought to the clinic or anything like that. All he could do was wait while talking with Ste.


    Eventually, Ste brightened up and gave him good news as she announced, "Yay! The transformation is done!"


    Aire was taken aback. Sure enough, he really began to feel his body again. His senses began to return, and he could ultimately tell that he was in a bed. Aire wasn''t surprised since that would be the natural thing to happen. He fell in front of the entrance of the Ster Path School, so there was nock of people to see that he passed out. Obviously, he would be brought to a hospital, clinic, or whatever.


    ''Weird...'' However, he felt something strange... ''why do I feel like someone''s hugging me?''


    Aire''s feelings were returning oh so slowly, so even though he could tell that, he couldn''t move yet. With that, he thought, ''That makes no sense. I''m a patient, you know? Who would try to hug a patient in a hospital? Could it be... a molester?!''


    Aire did his best to move. Unfortunately, it was way too difficult. Besides, whoever was hugging him was putting a lot of strength into it.


    Eventually, he was able to at least open his eyes. Following that, his heart froze for a moment.


    "What the hell is happening here?"


    At this very moment, there was a girl tightly hugging him. From the looks of it, she felt veryfortable since there was a smile on her face. Of course, any person would find this situationpletely ridiculous, maybe even consider if it was some dream. Aire was obviously no different.


    To understand how this came to be, we need to go back a few hours in the past. When the Roaming Ster Light came down, it released an enormous amount of Ster Energy around the. Obviously, Earth''s own Ster Energy went intoplete chaos because of that.


    One must remember that Ster Risers used Ster Energy to train and breakthrough into the next levels. That said, this school, which had the highest number of Ster Risers on Earth, had many Risers practicing when the event happened.


    Because of that, the energy inside their bodies also went out of control. Let alone Aire and the girl on his side, the school''s clinics were simply filled to the brim with Ster Risers that were injured by the chaotic Ster Energy from outside. More than half of the ones brought to the clinic were knocked out because of it. That being said, the doctors and nurses werecking the necessary beds for everyone to lie down.


    There were many students who didn''t lose their consciousness, so they were left on the ground without a bed. As for those who passed out, the staff could only put them together in the beds while they did their best to examine everyone. Aire could be considered lucky since there were even a few beds with three people on them!


    The doctors couldn''t afford to let them leave before they recovered their consciousness. Ster Energy injuries were very serious, and before the Risers woke up, they wouldn''t be able to examine them correctly. If something went wrong while they were unconscious, it might be toote once the doctors found out. In fact, it had already happened five times since the Roaming Ster Light appeared, which prompted the doctors to prohibit any unconscious Riser from leaving the school''s clinics.


    As one could imagine, that''s how Aire was ced together with another Riser. The doctors were too busy to care about the Riser''s gender from the sheer number of patients. Especially because the number of beds wouldn''t match the difference in the number of both genders, so they didn''t even try. Last but not least, those on the beds were all unconscious or had very serious injuries, so it wasn''t the time to care about appearances.


    Aire did his best to move his head. He wasn''t the only one in that situation. The curtain in his bed was partially closed, leaving only the front open for when the nurses or doctors passed by. Well, there were also cameras recording everything everywhere. Still, he could tell that the ce was full just from the noise.


    Aire tried to ask the girl to let him go. Unfortunately, he couldn''t do much more than a whisper with his strength. No, to be more specific, that was because of how much strength the girl was using. He could barely take any air at all, let alone let out any voice.


    ''Ste! How long until I can move again? I can''t stay in this situation.''


    Ste then replied, ''Move? What are you talking about? There''s no way you would be able to move.''


    ''Don''t tell me that...'' Aire felt a chill on his back as he asked, ''My body is paralyzed?''


    Ste couldn''t help but look at Aire as if he was an idiot... it''s just that her face made it look cute anyway. She then replied, ''Of course not! If that happened, then we would really be destined to die, Aire.''


    Aire sighed in relief for a moment but was still puzzled as he asked, ''Then, why can''t I move? I''m doing my best, but I can''t even move an inch.''


    ''Obviously, it''s her fault.'' Steughed as she exined, ''This girl hugging you is at the Ster Paths Stage, three entire Stages above you. Not only that, but she already finished creating her Ster Paths. Even though your body has improved a lot, you can''t possibly win in a contest of strength against her.''


    Aire felt like crying but had no tears. Didn''t that mean he was just too weak to do anything? The worst part was that she was pressing his neck while holding him with her arms and legs. His voice couldn''t get out at all.


    ''What did I do to deserve this?'' Nheless...he thought, ''Well, it''s not too bad.''


    Ste couldn''t help but cheer up.


    ''Go, Aire, go! This is your chance. Since you''re already in the perfect position, you could start spreading your seed now.''


    Aire almost vomited blood. Sure, the way she was hugging him would indeed allow him to put his friend inside the girl if he put in a bit of effort. However...


    ''Fuck you! Are you telling me to have sex with her in front of everyone? Can''t you hear how many people are in this room alone? What the hell are you thinking?''


    Ste was puzzled as she said, ''That''s weird. I thought animals didn''t care about appearances during reproduction.''


    ''You''re talking about unintelligent animals, idiot! I don''t know about other races, but we humans would definitely not have sex in front of others,'' said Aire as tears wereing from his eyes already.


    Well, there were a few exceptions, like AV actresses and actors. But that definitely wasn''t the case at the moment.


    ''You humans are soplicated. It''s just the natural way of things. Why care so much about it? Let me tell you something very good. This girl is quite good. I can guarantee that your child will be very talented. How is it? Do you want to have her now?''


    Aire''s embarrassment began to change into anger very quickly. However, he quickly calmed down. It was obvious that Ste simply didn''t understand how the world worked. However, Aire had a bad premonition a secondter.


    ''Do you mean she''s a genius?'' Ste nodded in response.


    ''Yep. I checked the average level of humans before bing your assistant. She''s definitely at the very top of the list of possible partners you might want to choose in the future. Did you like that information? Feel excited now?''


    Aire''s mouth twitched in response. Excited? He was terrified already. A top genius! There''s no way in hell she''s just a nobody.


    ''I have to get her away from me before she wakes up. My low-profile life depends on it!''


    Aire might have been at the very limit of the eptable aptitude in the past. However, he still had a basic idea of how to use Ster Energy. Aire might not be her match, but she was sleeping. Perhaps he could squeeze his way out.


    Aire then concentrated and began to focus on the Ster Energy in his surroundings. At that moment, he finally noticed the results of his body transformation. The amount of Ster Energy that Aire could feel and absorb was much higher than before. He felt it to be as easy as breathing.


    ''So this is what talent means...no, forget it! Focus on your task. Your life depends on it, Aire! You can definitely make a silent escape.''


    Aire waited for his blood to circte through his body while it brought Ster Energy together. Without any Ster Paths, the process was slow like that. Though, Aire was already divinely fastpared to others.


    ''Now!''


    Aire couldn''t control Ster Energy, but his body could make use of it as long as it was there. Now that he let it circte through his body for a while, he had a short moment where his strength was much higher than normal.


    ''Ohhhhh!!!!''


    Little by little, Aire began to squeeze his way out, trying to escape by going down the bed. After all, his and the girl''s head were close to the wall, so he definitely couldn''t go up. However...


    *Moan!*


    Suddenly, a reverberating moan echoed throughout the room, attracting everyone''s attention. When they looked in the direction of Aire''s bed, they saw how Aire''s head was suddenly squeezed in between the girl''s legs, with his nose and mouth touching that special ce. To make things worse, the girl was only wearing a skirt, so the only thing between his face and ''that area'' was her underwear.


    The room, which was quite noisy just a moment ago with the patients and the workers, froze in silence.


    It wasn''t over, though. Her own moan made the girl finally regain consciousness. When she looked down, she saw how she was squeezing Aire''s head against... well, you know where...


    "Ahhh!"


    *Bang!*


    The next second, everyone could see a body flying through the room as poor Aire thought, ''So much for a silent escape...''


    After that, Aire hit the wall on the other side of the room, which made his vision go dark.


    ''Oh, it seems like you''re really passing out this time,'' said Ste as Aire''s consciousness left him, but not before he mentally cursed onest time.


    ''Well...shit!''

 Chapter 8: Could It Be...

    Chapter 8: Could It Be...


    Aire didn''t know how long he had been out, but the deep pain in his head told him that some time had already passed. Unsurprisingly, he was right. He was hit by a Ster Paths Stage Riser. Even if his body and talent had superbly increased, he was still just an ant in front of that girl.


    Aire then struggled to open his eyes as the headache continued. He touched his head just to find out that it was wrapped in bandages. ''Sure enough, I hit my head quite hard.''


    Eventually, he managed to endure the pain and opened his eyes. He was still in the clinic, but it was not full of students anymore. It turned out that three days had gone by, so the majority had already been treated and sent their own ways. Of course, there was quite a bit more movement than usual due to the Light Event, but it wasn''t anything hard to handle.


    It was then that Aire noticed someone sleeping on the side of his bed on a chair, which made him feel a chill on his back as he thought, ''Wh-What is she doing here?!''


    As one could expect, that was none other than the girl who sent Aire flying the other day. Aire couldn''t understand why she was beside him, let alone sleeping there.


    ''Could it be that she wants revenge but decided to wait for me to wake up first?''


    Another thing that Aire found weird was that Ste wasn''t saying anything at the moment. He couldn''t even feel her presence anymore.


    ''Was everything from before just a dream?''


    Naturally, he decided to y things safe. He slowly got up from the bed, trying to not make any sound. His idea was to disappear from the clinic before the girl woke up as he thought to himself, ''I''m going back home! I don''t care anymore. If the government wants to punish me because I gave up, then so be it!''


    Aire then opened the curtain around his bed again. Unfortunately, Airecked one more thing other than motivation to seed. Luck! At the very moment he opened the curtain, he saw a doctor who came to check on his current condition stop right in front of him.


    "Oh! You finally woke up. Boy, you really gave me a scare back then."


    The doctor then looked at the girl sleeping and called out, "Hey, Altina! Wake up, your friend just woke up."


    Aire felt like crying. Friend? The only memory he had about this girl was the kick she used to almost kill him... and the smell of a certain ''special ce'' on her body. Hey, Aire''s a man too, you know? Don''t judge him.


    The girl then rubbed her eyes before looking at Aire. It was easy to see the bandage with a red spot due to his injury. After that, she remembered what happened and shot out of her chair in a sh.


    "Ah! You''re finally awake!"


    Aire let out cold sweat as he remembered the girl''s strength.


    "Ahem... Before you say anything, know that it was all an ident. Also, I''m a poor guy from a small town, so I don''t have much to give aspensation. I did my best to leave your side without waking you up, but you were just too strong, which ended up with me and you in that situation."


    Altina couldn''t help but feel embarrassed after hearing his words. It was obvious that he was talking about what happened three days ago. However, contrary to his expectation, Altina didn''t seem angry, just flustered.


    "Ju-just don''t talk about that anymore, okay? I''m not here to take revenge or anything. Instead, I wanted to apologize for hitting you."


    Aire was truly surprised this time. Which woman would apologize to a man who put his head between her legs while she slept? This thought made him ask her, "Errr...could it be that you liked it?"


    The doctor and the girl froze for a moment. In an instant, the flustered expression on Altina''s face changed into anger.


    "What did you say?"


    Aire quickly raised his hand, trying to exin himself.


    "Wait, wait, wait! That''s not what I meant. Trust me, I''m not a pervert or anything like that. It''s just that I found it too hard to believe when you said that you wanted to apologize. Doesn''t matter how one sees it. The one at fault was me, not you. Even though it was an ident, I should have considered that such a thing could happen."


    After that, Altina''s angry expression had rxed a bit. At the very least, Aire''s words made sense.


    "Hmph! You better mean that." At the same time, the doctor wasughing out loud on the side, which annoyed Altina even more. "Doctor Zule, can you stop already?"


    Zule did his best to hold it back since Altina began to reveal the reason for her apology.


    "You see... all the clinic''s rooms are filled with cameras, which records everyone all the time. I indeed felt like killing you after the kick I gave. However, the nurses held me back. Well, many things happened, and I got the record, which I nned to use against you... just to find out that it wasn''t your fault."


    Zule tried to control himself and continued in Altina''s ce.


    "You know? Altina has a few sleeping issues. Simply put, she was the one who entangled herself with you. I''m surprised you could even breathe in that situation. Hahaha!"


    "Anyways, the record showed how you tried your best to leave Altina''s grasp, which miserably failed when she pressed your head between her legs. Simply put, she didn''t want to let you go while she was half sleeping. That''s how much she loves your... embrace."


    Altina went bright red again as she shouted, "Zule, do you wanna die?!"


    Zuleughed even more and quickly ran out of the room. As one could see, Zule and Altina obviously knew each other quite well for him to treat her like that.


    Well, Aire was still a little lost in the middle of all of that.


    "Well...it''s a good thing that my integrity was confirmed through the cameras. In any case, sorry for what I made you pass. As a girl, I understand that the event was a lot more traumatizing for you than for me."


    Altina looked away, trying to not think about what happened anymore. She then replied, "That''s fine. The fact that it was my fault doesn''t change. That''s because I always slept with my plushies, so I got used to embracing them while sleeping. So, I''m also sorry."


    Aire and Altina smiled at each other after that before Aire changed the topic.


    "Ahem...leaving that loveedy scene behind, why did you pass out? From what doctor...errr...Zule, right? Anyway, from what he said, it seems like you also were brought here unconscious."


    Altina nodded as she replied, "I was. The problem was that I already finished opening all my meridians. That means I''m at the peak of the Ster Body Level with all stagespleted. When the Roaming Ster Light arrived, I was trying to break through into the Ster Maniption Level. Do you know about the Roaming Ster Light?"


    Aire nodded in affirmation. How could he not know? Ste was the Roaming Ster Light herself, and she was living inside his body. Nevertheless, he waited for Altina to finish talking.


    "It''s good that you know. The Roaming Ster Light was known for having an enormous amount of Ster Energy inside itself. That was all that was known anyway. From now on, I''ll tell you what has been shared with the public through the media."


    Aire''s interest was piqued. He still had no idea what happened after Ste''s appearance.


    "ording to the report of the Ster Scientists of the Baulmu Alliance, the Roaming Ster Light exploded when it touched Earth. However, instead of causing damage, the whole energy disappeared after engulfing the for a few seconds. The scientists already tried to find where it went by using the same method as before, but they couldn''t anymore."


    Aire sighed after hearing that. Of course, they couldn''t find it after that. Ste''s power was mostly sealed, after all. There''s no way they can use the Fourth Dimension to find her location anymore.


    Altina continued with her exnation, "In any case, those few seconds after the explosion made all the Ster Energy go chaotic in our. That deeply affected my breakthrough. I lost control of the energy, and it greatly affected my mind. I''m still feeling some headache because of that. That''s why I passed out."


    Altina then looked at Aire before asking, "What about you? Why did you lose your consciousness?"


    "Oh! That''s because the Roaming Ster Light has sentience. It entered my body and improved it so that I could hold its presence like a vessel. It was that improvement that made me lose consciousness. I tried to get rid of her, but it seems like our lives are connected now. If she leaves, both of us die. By the way, I gave her a name. It''s Ste. It''s a good name, right? She said she was sent by Gigol to help me with the Ascension Age."


    "..."


    ''AS IF I COULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT!''


    Obviously, those words only yed inside Aire''s mind. He would never say that aloud. After all, he didn''t wish to be ab rat anytime soon.


    "Ahem...I''m not too sure either. I think it''s probably because of the chaotic Ster Energy as well. Perhaps I''m a little more sensitive to it."


    Altina nodded, not doubting it. With the number of people who went through the same situation, no one would doubt either.


    "Alright, Aire. Now that I''ve confirmed you are okay, I need to take my leave. By the way, the entrance ceremony will start in a few hours, so you should quickly head back to your room and change."


    Aire was taken aback as he heard that. That''s right! He arrived at the school three days prior to the ceremony. Naturally, it was about time!


    ''It seems like everything had ended well. Fortunately, I didn''t catch much attention,'' he thought to himself.


    Little did Aire know, but he was already a hot topic of this entire gigantic school!

 Chapter 9: News

    Chapter 9: News


    Zule did a quick check-up on Aire''s head and confirmed that there wasn''t anything wrong other than the injury. Since it was already treated, Aire was allowed to leave the clinic. While on his way out, Aire focused on that mind world inside his soul.


    "Ste, are you there?"


    "Oh! Do you need anything?" Sure enough, Ste''s presence reappeared as she responded.


    Aire sighed in disappointment after hearing her words, though. For a moment, he thought she had really gone away. How good would that have been?


    "Whatever. Why were you so quiet after I woke up?"


    Ste smiled in response before saying, "Right, right! Aire, I was checking through my abilities as you slept. It turns out that you''re a lot morepatible with me than I thought. I don''t know why, but there''s something in you that made it possible. With that, I was allowed to unlock at least one of them. Well, it''s just a bonus ability, but it''s definitely beneficial at your current stage."


    Aire narrowed his eyes when Ste said ''something in him.'' However, he left it aside for now since he had an idea of what Ste was talking about.


    Instead, Aire''s interest was instantly piqued by that so-called bonus ability. So far, she could only cheer for him. However, it seemed like she had some use now.


    "Oh! That''s good, then. Go ahead, tell me. What''s this new ability of yours?"


    Ste didn''t waste time and immediately used it.


    "This..." In response to his question, Aire felt the Ster Energy in his body run faster. Although it couldn''t possiblypare to someone at the Ster Paths Stage, he was definitely doing it better than an average person. That and his new talent made this an amazing ability.


    Ste puffed her chest in pride as she exined, "This is called Energy Blood Flow Assistance. I can temporarily increase the cirction speed of the Ster Energy in your body. Of course, this is only useful for the Ster Blood, Bones, and Organs Stages. Once you reach the Ster Paths Stage and begin to create the Ster Energy Paths in your body, this ability will lose its purpose."


    One must remember that the Ster Body Level had four stages: Blood, Bones, Organs, and Paths. That meant that this ability was made for those who were still starting their journey as Ster Risers.


    "Wait, that''s weird. You said that this ability was opened because of yourpatibility with me, right?" Ste nodded in response and waited for Aire to continue.


    Naturally, he continued, "If I wasn''t thispatible with you, then this ability wouldn''t have opened before reaching the Ster Maniption Level. Doesn''t that mean your first ability would be useless in that case?"


    Ste shook her head as she replied, "Not at all. The ability that would open at the Ster Maniption Level is different from Energy Blood Flow Assistance. I told you, didn''t I? This is just a bonus ability. It means it only opened because of ourpatibility. Otherwise, it would have never appeared."


    Aire nodded after hearing that. Since that was the case, then it wasn''t much of an issue. "Alright, go back and work on it. I need to head to the opening ceremony. Once I get back to my room, I''ll ask you about the other things."


    Ste nodded after that as her ethereal body disappeared together with her presence. However, it was then that Aire noticed a problem. He looked around as his expression turned worse.


    "I didn''t go through the school''s entrance procedure. With that...where is my room exactly?"


    Without much choice, Aire could only ask where the administration office was located. He only took a few seconds to find a pair of students discussing something with theirmunicators. It wasn''t rare to see something like this at a school with so many students like this one.


    "Hi there. Would you mind telling me where I can find the Administration Office?"


    The guy on the left was taken aback for a second but didn''t mind it as he replied, "Oh! You''re quite far from it. Take the next left street and board Student Transport Apparatus #01. It''ll bring you straight to the school center. You can ask anyone there, and they''ll tell you how to get to the administration offi-"


    Before he could finish his reply, the guy stopped talking as he looked at Aire''s face. Immediately, he pushed his friend by the shirt as he eximed, "Hey, look! Look! It''s him! It''s him!"


    The guy''s friend was also surprised to see Aire as he shouted in shock, "Holy shit! It''s actually you!"


    "Right? I didn''t recognize him at first because of the bandage on his head. However, look at his face! It''s definitely him!"


    "Errr..." Aire was puzzled by their reaction, though. "Do we know each other?"


    The guysughed in response as one of them replied, "No, nothing like that. Anyway, don''t mind us. Just do what I told youStudent Transport Apparatus #01. Trust in my words."


    Aire began to feel that something wrong was about to happen. It wasn''t hard to guess that it definitely had something to do with what happened between him and Altina.


    "Come on, you can''t leave me in the dark. Tell me, what are you looking at in yourmunicators? It''s about me, right? I just left the clinic after being unconscious for three days! I have no idea what''s happening outside."


    "Fine." The guy on the left felt quite some pity after hearing that, saying, "You won''t get ess to the school''swork before you finish your registration anyway."


    He then put a hand on Aire''s shoulder as he continued, "Brother, you really chose the worst person possible to take action against. I have to say, I admire your courage."


    Aire''s mouth twitched in response. What courage? That was an ident!


    Aire sighed and then began to say what he thought would happen.


    "Let me guess. Altina is some rich princess. Someone then recorded what happened between her and me in the clinic before sharing it in thework. Now all the rich boys of the school hate me for trying to touch their goddess. Is that the whole story?"


    The guy on the right looked at Aire with a weird expression. "What kind of trashy novel cliche is that, brother? I think you''ve read way too many stories in your free time."


    Aire was taken aback.


    "Really?!" Nevertheless, he sighed in relief. From the looks of it, the situation was far different from what he thought. "So I''m not the target of all jealous men in the school?! Great! To be honest, I also thought it''s too much of a cliche. However, with my recent luck, I immediately thought of the worst case possible."


    The two guys thenughed out loud as one of them replied, "Hahaha! Worst case possible? Brother, you should have wished for that cliche. At least, it wouldn''t be that bad."


    Aire''s expression then changed after that, prompting him to ask them, "Alright, just tell me already. What''s it all about?"


    One of them then passed his ownmunicator for Aire to see the information. At the same time, he gave an order to the AI, "Ster AI, show me the recent news about Crazy Bitch Altina."

 Chapter 10: Surprise

    Chapter 10: Surprise


    Aire was taken aback as he repeated those words. "Cra-Crazy Bitch Altina?"


    It didn''t matter how Aire wrapped his head around it. Thest thing that would appear in his mind was calling Altina a crazy bitch. At the very least, she didn''t give him any reason to think of her like that.


    Not long after, the guy''smunicator showed the news that was requested.


    "Let''s give a big thumbs up for our new hero, Aire Ruehnar! Even though he was a new student, he still tried to get along with Crazy Bitch Altina, almost losing his life in the process! Know that everyone is hoping for you to get better, brother."


    "Crazy Bitch Altina attacks once again! This time, she tried to **** a new student who passed out because of the Roaming Ster Light event. Can you believe that? However, everyone in the room noticed her actions, which prompted her to end her assault by kicking our fellow student. He hit his head, and up to the moment of this post, he is still unconscious."


    "You won''t believe what Crazy Bitch Altina did this time..."


    More and more simr news appeared one after another. Not even a single article condemned Aire whatsoever, which he found ridiculous.


    ''In that kind of situation, aren''t men the ones supposed to be criticized? What did she do for the entire school to hate her like this? Usually, I would try to say that it was an ident, and everyone would still think I''m a pervert or something. Well, I guess that would also be a cliche?''


    Indeed, that was supposed to be the natural course of events. But what puzzled Aire more than anything else was that Altina didn''t seem to be the type of person described in these school news outlets.


    ''Could it be that she was pretending to be a nice person? Oh! Maybe that''s the reason why she didn''t use me! She knew that it wouldn''t work, so she decided to apologize instead...''


    ''...''


    ''Like hell it was!'' Aire immediately discarded that possibility. If Altina was really just like the news pictured her, let alone apologizing, she wouldn''t even care about him at all. She wouldn''t even appear in front of him again. However, that was obviously not the case. Zule told Aire how Altina had spent herst three days in the clinic, worried that she might have seriously injured him. Is that the kind of behavior one would expect from someone called Crazy Bitch? Obviously, there was a lot more behind this story.


    The guy then took hismunicator back before saying, "Do you see, brother? You''re a hero for trying to get involved with her. No one dares to do so. Of course, I know that many of these stories are probably distorted, but that shows just how dangerous that girl is. You should try and be careful to not get involved with her again."


    Aire didn''t know if he should feel relieved or not. After all, his face and name were all over the school''swork. He could still fool others if he moved the bandage on his head, but it wouldn''t work for long.


    Suddenly, the expression of one of them changed as they said, "Ah, shit! The entrance ceremony is almost going to start! We need to go right now if we want to get good seats."


    "Fuck, that''s right! Anyway, Aire. It was nice meeting the school''s new legend."


    Aire felt like crying as he replied, "I don''t want to be a legend at all!"


    The two guysughed in response as they prepared to leave. "Hahaha! Don''t worry. As long as you don''t get involved with her, everyone will probably forget about you in a week or two. This is the Ascencion Age School of Star City. Over 700 thousand students are trying to be Ster Risers here. Believe me, your news will be buried under other news very soon."


    Aire sighed in relief after that. He wanted to ask more about why Altina was treated like that, but those two were in a hurry to leave. He quickly thanked them for the information and fixed the bandage on his head. He made it as difficult as possible for anyone to see his face. Following that, he went to the street mentioned before and took the Student Transport Apparatus #01.


    The school was incredibly enormous. The Student Transport Apparatus moved over 200 kilometers (125 miles) per hour. Even at that speed, it took ten minutes to arrive at the school''s central region. Fortunately, Aire still had a few hours before the ceremony began, which should be enough for him to at least find out where he should go.


    There, he asked another student passing by where the administration office was located while making sure his face was hidden. Sure enough, it was very easy to find it once one arrived at this ce.


    However, Aire couldn''t help but feel impressed by Altina''s fame. He wasn''t able to check while he was in the transport. But now that he was walking, he passed by a few boards that showed the news circting throughout the school. Although the news about him and Altina weren''t the only ones being disyed, they were definitely at the top ranks.


    ''Oh well. It seems like those guys were right. With how much information ising and going, everyone will forget about me soon enough.''


    Aire soon arrived in the Administration Office after a few minutes of walking. There, he took a queue before he was attended by the staff at one of the counters. The staff was obviously surprised to see that Aire was the same guy on the news, but Aire made sure that he wouldn''t open his mouth before he at least left the building.


    Aire was then registered for this year''s curriculum and received his Ster Identification. He also found out where his luggage had been sent to, which was his room. The only thing he didn''t like was that the students had to share rooms. Then again, that made sense since there were just way too many students. Unless Aire had some kind of background, his only option was to ept it or rent a room for himself inside the school. Of course, a private room in one of the three Ster Riser Schools built in this world was anything but cheap, so he immediately gave up that idea. Yep, Aire was poor!


    Aire put those thoughts behind since he knew he had to participate in the ceremony. He then took another transport and eventually arrived at his dormitory, which was, as one could imagine, far away from the school''s central region. Fortunately, the dormitory was quite empty at the moment since everyone was heading to this year''s opening ceremony. That being said, the few people Aire passed by didn''t recognize him even though a few of them were discussing his story with Crazy Bitch Altina.


    ''Phew...finally. I''m in my room.'' Aire took in a deep breath before using his Ster Identification to open the door. His roommates were probably at the ceremony, but there was also a chance of meeting someone.


    ''ording to the rules, rooms are shared between four people. There is also no division between genders either, which is a school policy. Those who don''t like it for whatever reason would pay for a private room. Well, that''s just an excuse for the rich princes and princesses. Even an entire year of ie from my family''s shop wouldn''t be able to pay for a single week of a private room in this school.''


    Aire then entered the room and noticed that at least one of his roommates was still there. However, just as he was about to introduce himself, his expression changed as he shouted.


    "Kymei?!"


    The man looked in Aire''s direction, obviously shocked to see him.


    "Aire?!"


    They pointed at each other in dismay before asking at the same time, "What are you doing here?!"

 Chapter 11: Fate Play

    Chapter 11: Fate y


    Kymei Zafri. Aire knew him from back then at primary school. They had gone through sses together for an entire academic year. However, they weren''t exactly friends or anything like that. They barely ever talked with each other during that time. Not that they hated each other, of course. They just didn''t have that many things inmon.


    Kymei was the pr opposite of Aire. He was good at sports, which made him quite popr back then. He wasn''t too bad at studies either. As for Aire, well...he was just your average student. Not good or bad at either of them, just normal. Of course, there was also the fact that Aire never tried to put effort into anything due to howzy he was.


    Aire and Kymei were then sent to different sses in the next year, so they stopped interacting with each otherpletely after that. Aire heard a thing or two about Kymei gaining a few titles in his junior years in sports. Then again, they were localpetitions in their own city, so it wasn''t anything that impressive either.


    Eventually, Kymei received a schrship, which required him to move to another city. That was thest thing Aire ever heard about Kymei. In a certain way, it was quite surprising that they even remembered each other. However, there was a reason for it, and it was linked to the ''something in Aire'' that Ste mentioned some time ago.


    "It seems like you really kept my secret, huh?"


    Kymei scratched the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed as he replied, "That''s obvious, no? If not for you, I would be done for. It was thanks to you that I even had the chance of getting that Future Riser''s schrship." Kymei then looked at Aire before asking, "Do you still have that power?"


    Aire nodded in response as he raised his hand. There, a white light began to umte little by little. A few secondster, Aire stopped doing that as he gasped for air as he muttered, "Shit, it''s still hard as hell."


    This was a secret that only he and Kymei knew about. Not even Aire''s parents or sister ever heard about it.


    Kymei thenughed after seeing Aire''s condition. "Hahaha! Well, that ability of yours really saved all my efforts." Kymei''s expression then turned serious before asking, "By the way, have you gone after an exnation for it?"


    "No. I told you before, I just want a calm life. If I went out and showed this skill, many things could have happened. Perhaps, I would have even be ab rat."


    Kymei nodded, not finding it strange.


    To understand the peculiarity of Aire''s ability, we need to talk about Ster Energy itself. Ster Energy wasn''t invisible. It''s just that it''s so spread in the surroundings that one couldn''t see it with the naked eye.


    However, for Ster Risers at the Ster Maniption Level and above, they could gather Ster Energy independently. The name of the level already said it. They could manipte Ster Energy. When that happens, the Ster Energy that they gather around them was silver in color. The higher the level of the Riser, the more Ster Energy they could manipte, and the easier it became to see that silver color.


    That was the point here. Aire''s ability was definitely rted to Ster Energy. However, his energy was colored white! Not only that, Aire found out through his own tests that it had a ridiculously high healing capability. After researching on the inte about it, he soon found out that such an ability didn''t exist. Not that Ster Energy couldn''t be used to heal that. In fact, many medical devices used Ster Energy nowadays, which gave several times better results than old electrical machines.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t find anything about Ster Risers using Ster Energy to directly heal others. Well, information about high-level Risers was confidential, so perhaps they could do it at higher levels. Of course, Aire didn''t want to risk it. After understanding that, Airepletely stopped using his healing ability. Aire already thought that the reason Ste chose him was most likely because of it as well.


    "That''s not bad either. However, you''re now in the Ascension Age School. You can just practice some Ster Energy skills and pretend you came up with this idea. Isn''t that perfect?"


    Aire sighed after hearing that. The reason Kymei even knew about it was because of an incident. Kymei had seriously injured his leg one time. To make things worse, it happened right before a decisive match. Kymei would eventually recover from it. Health care at this age had really advanced a lot that even a serious injury like that could bepletely healed in just a few days...which Kymei didn''t have at the time.


    Don''t misunderstand, though. Aire didn''t try to help him because he felt pity for the guy or anything like that. It was basically a mutual agreement. Aire''s family was at risk of losing their small shop because of a financial crisis. Aire might bezy, but he wouldn''t simply ignore his family. That being said, he found out about Kymei''s problem and invited him for a private conversation.


    Kymei''s family wasn''t rich, though they could be considered well off. That match where Kymei would take part was his chance to enter a better school dedicated to future Ster Risers. It was something that only powerful people could buy their entrance into. If not that, one could only hope for a schrship, which didn''te by easily. How could Kymei wait for a few days to recover? Unfortunately, no medicine or equipment would help him in that situation.


    The deal was very straightforward. The first condition was that Kymei would never tell anyone about Aire''s ability. Even if he did, Aire would deny it to the very end. Second, he had to transfer a certain quantity of money to his family''s ount after Aire healed him. It had to be anonymous. As for what reason would be given to the bank for the anonymous ''donation,'' that was up to Kymei''s family to decide.


    Kymei immediately agreed and had his father and mother transfer the money. Just like Kymei, his parents were desperate for a solution to the point they didn''t even ask how it would work. Besides, it might be a lot of money to Aire''s family, but it wasn''t that much for Kymei''s. That being said, they thought it was worth a try even if they lost it.


    Sure enough, Kymei met Aire in a hidden ce in school. His parents tried to find out who would heal him, but Kymei was sessful in deceiving them. He couldn''t risk scaring Aire away just because his parents came together. Not to mention that he didn''t think Aire was a bad person to start with.


    In the end, Kymei came back to his home with his legpletely healed, much to his parents'' delight. Once his parents asked who healed him to thank the person, Kymei didn''t say a single word. He wasn''t well acquainted with Aire, but he wouldn''t break their deal. After all, he really got that schrship because of that, which led him to get the necessary abilities to be epted in the Ascencion Age School two yearster.


    Last but not least, there was Aire''s ability itself. Suppose he tell others about Aire''s power. The problem wasn''t whether others would believe it or not, but that Aire would probably never use it on him again in case he needed it. For Kymei, that was an advantage that he simply didn''t want to lose.


    Now, these two acquaintances met up again as if fate was ying with them.

 Chapter 12: Why Crazy Bitch?

    Chapter 12: Why Crazy Bitch?


    Suddenly, Ste''s voice appeared in Aire''s mind as she said, "Aire, you didn''t tell me you could do that?"


    Aire didn''t seem to care, though.


    "Obviously. It''s a secret, after all. Then again, you''d eventually find out anyway. Alright, go back and unlock the ability. We can talkter."


    Ste seemed somewhat unwilling, but she knew that they had a lot of time, so she disappeared once again.


    Kymei, seeing that both of them went silent, decided to talk first. However, just as he was about to open his mouth, the door behind them opened. Another one of their roommates had just arrived.


    Nevertheless, Aire received another shock straight away as he shouted, "Al-Altina?!"


    "Aire?!"


    Kymei then remembered something, eventually shouting in realization, "Wait! Aire, Aire, Aire... Ah! Aire, could it be that you were Crazy Bitch Altina''s victim?"


    Altina, who was surprised to see Aire in her room, immediately forgot about it as she looked at Kymei and asked, "Little Mei, did you say something?"


    Ster Energy began to gather into Altina''s body as she approached Kymei. Her fingers started to make cracking sounds soon after, making it sound quite scary. Unsurprisingly, Kymei''s expression went pale like he had seen deathing his way.


    "Wait, wait, wait! You know I didn''t mean that, right? I''m talking about the news, the news! I''m not the one who said that! Trust me!"


    Altina still had a dark expression but eventually decided to leave it be. They were roommates, after all.


    "Hmph! I better not hear it from your mouth again."


    Kymei sighed in relief when he saw Altina forgiving him. Even one beat him to death, he wouldn''t dare offend this girl. She was just too tyrannical!


    Aire, who looked at that scene, couldn''t help but ask, "Err... I might sound rude, but can someone exin to me what''s happening? Altina, why is everyone calling you Crazy Bitch?"


    Altina red at Aire, which gave him a chill, but she just sighed in the end. She understood that Aire didn''t have bad intentions when he asked that.


    "Well, it''s a pretty long story. I joine-"


    *Beep! Beep! Beep!*


    Suddenly, an rm set off from Kymei''smunicator, which made him and Altina''s expressions change yet again. "Shit! The opening ceremony! You two, we can talk along the way. Aire, that bed over there is avable. The pieces of furniture around it are yours to use. The staff already brought your luggage here a few days ago while you were in the clinic. Change quickly, and let''s leave."


    Aire nodded, knowing that they didn''t have much time. He hastily went to the bathroom and changed into the school''s uniform, which he received beforeing to Star City. Altina did the same thing right after. That''s why she came back to the dormitory instead of heading to the ceremony area.


    Sure enough, both sides began to ask questions as they took the Student Transport Apparatus.


    Aire then told her that this was the room he received when he went to the Administration Office. Not long after, Altina''s expression became worse as she said through gritted teeth.


    "Zule, you just wait!"


    Aire wasn''t an idiot, so he understood what that meant.


    "So it was that doctor who arranged it?"


    Altina nodded as she replied, "Who else would it be? That guy has quite some connections, so he definitely arranged for it. I can already guess what he''s thinking. ''It will be fun.'' I wonder how that idiot has this much power."


    Aire then repeated his question, asking, "What about the Crazy Bitch thing? We did talk before, and you even stayed back in the clinic to take care of me when you noticed it wasn''t my fault. However, all the non-official websites in the schoolwork seem to be doing their best to frame you. Did you offend someone you shouldn''t?"


    Altina bitterly smiled in response as she thought about when she joined the school a year ago. She was at the same age as Aire, 16 years old. However, due to her talent, she was epted one year before Aire did. At that time, Altina caught a lot of attention because of her numbers.


    Everything was fine until that point. Altina had high talent, but it wasn''t like she was the best in the school. There were many like her and quite a few above. That being said, the attention put on her was shared with a few others as well.


    However, that was where the problem resided. The Stars Path School was anything but equal. Although it had been a few thousand years since Ster Energy appeared, Ster Energy Resources were still limited. If one wanted to obtain better treatment, they had to prove themselves.


    Well, that''s what Altina did...in a very brutal way. In other circumstances, Altina was pretty much like any other girl. She liked cute clothes, makeup, gossip, and so on. Altina was as girly as she could be. Even now, she looked amazing even though the uniform was the same for everyone. However, when it came topetitions, it was as if she was a whole other person.


    The Universe is big, and danger is everywhere. The concept of peace seemed to be around, but that couldn''t be further away from the truth. There was nock of intelligent races who wanted to expand their own territories. Nothing stopped other powers froming out and attacking the Baulmu Alliance to take their resources as well. That being said, Ster Risers were expected to be warriors! Naturally, the Ascension Age School addedbat to its curriculum, which was considered one of the most important characteristics.


    Altina...far exceeded her peers in this aspect. Duringbat tests to determine who would receive more resources, she even beat a few Risers at the Ster Maniption Level! That was crazy!


    Aire already understood the rest from there. The higher your Ster Level, the more resources one needed. For Altina to beat down people above her level meant she was taking away their resources as well.


    Altina then exined how she ended up offending quite a few influential students with strong backgrounds. The Ascension Age School had the best resources on the for new Ster Risers. Then again, one couldn''t buy it with money since it was deeply regted by the Baulmu Alliance. What the Alliance needed were talents, not rich princes and princesses.


    Those people couldn''t do anything against Altina directly, but they could still attack her indirectly. And that was how the Crazy Bitch Altina name came to be.


    Aire looked at Altina and couldn''t help but sigh as he asked, "Can''t you do anything about it?"


    "If I could, I would have done so already." Altina shrugged her shoulders. "Just so you know, I''m not rich. Naturally, I don''t have their influence. As for the school, they see it as a way to prepare you for the future, so they don''t intervene as long as it doesn''t get physical. Of course, if we''re talking aboutbat tests, then it''ll definitely get physical. However, the teachers will be watching it from every possible corner, so no one would try to get revenge during a test. After all, the punishment for breaking the rules is something that none of those idiots are willing to pay."


    "What''s the punishment?"


    Kymei, who came with them, answered that question as he replied, "Your Ster Energy Resources will bepletely cut off for an entire year at least. Depending on how serious it is, being banished from the school is also possible. No money can save you from it."


    "No wonder no one tries to break the rules." Aire instantly understood. "One year without resources for those people might be worse than death. It''s better to get less after being defeated by Altina than not getting anything at all."


    Altina nodded as she responded, "Well, I''m already used to it. Besides, it won''t reduce the number of resources I get, so that''s fine. They might beughing right now, but I''ll beughing at the end. Hahaha!"


    Eventually, the transport began to slow down until itpletely stopped.


    "Alright, we''re here. Let''s go."

 Chapter 13: Im Definitely Dead

    Chapter 13: I''m Definitely Dead


    However, Aire noticed a ring problem when he came out of the transportation. Everyone around them began to look in his direction. Well, to be more precise, everyone looked in Altina''s direction.


    ''Fuck! Am I an idiot? With how famous this girl is, she would obviously attract everyone''s attention. Why did Ie together with her?''


    Aire tried to sneak out of there, but Kymei immediately put his arm around Aire''s shoulder as he said, "Brother, that''s the wrong path. Our seats are in that direction."


    Aire felt like crying as he whispered to Kymei, "You just don''t want to be sacrificed alone."


    Kymei smiled as he dragged Aire along. After all, Kymei was also in a higher stage of the Ster Body Transformation than Aire.


    "Hehe! You think so?" he whispered back. "Don''t worry. If you get hurt, you can just use your skill to heal yourself."


    "You know very well that I won''t use it. Why the hell do you think I''m still using these bandages on the head? First of all, there''s no way that it''ll get physical with the school''s rules."


    "Is everything fine, Aire?" Altina noticed that Aire and Kymei were acting strange and couldn''t help but feel a little worried. "Could it be that your head''s still bothering you? If you need to, I can give an excuse to the teacherster."


    "Eh?" Aire was taken aback as he replied, "Errr...No, I''m fine..."


    With how worried Altina seemed to be about him, how could he say that he wanted to stay away from her? He lost to her caring in an instant.


    Seeing that, Kymei yfully smiled before saying, "The truth is that he thinks-"


    *Pow!*


    Out of nowhere, Aire punched Kymei in the stomach, making the guy kneel on the ground as he coughed. He might be stronger than Aire, but that didn''t mean he was made of metal. A well-delivered punch would still hurt a lot. Obviously, that only made Altina even more puzzled as she asked, "This...What''s happening between you two?"


    Aireughed as he helped Kymei up back to his feet. "Hahaha! It''s nothing, just some joke between old friends. Right, ''Little Mei?''"


    A vein popped out of Kymei''s head.


    *Pah!*


    In retaliation, he pped Aire''s back with so much strength that Aire even felt dizzy. After that, he replied, "Hahaha! Aire''s right. It''s just a joke between old bros. There''s no malice behind our actions. See? I just did the same thing."


    Aire felt like crying. Kymei didn''t hold back at all, so it really hurt like hell, especially since his Ster Riser level was higher than his.


    Altina''s worry finally disappeared as she giggled a little. "You two look like some idiots. Anyway, stop ying, and let''s keep going."


    Aire and Kymei continued ahead as they said to each other while keeping their voices down.


    "Did you need to p me that hard?"


    "That''s your fault for calling me by that name."


    "Hey, Altina called you that. Howe you didn''t do anything?"


    "She''s terrifying when she''s angry...you aren''t."


    "What kind of reasoning is that?!"


    They quickly caught up to Altina after that.


    Sure enough, Aire could see all the eyes were focused on them. Those people didn''t conceal their words either.


    "Hey, isn''t that the guy Altina attacked in the clinic?"


    "It''s really him! Holy shit! Is he crazy?"


    "Well, he was hit in the head, so he might really have gone crazy."


    "Hahaha! That would be a good pair. A crazy guy with Crazy Bitch Altina. Isn''t that hrious?"


    "So much for a hero, now he''s a ve..."


    Altina narrowed her eyes as she tried to ignore all of them. With a single nce, she knew that the ones bad-mouthing her were part of the group that had been spreading the news all year long. Unfortunately, she understood that trying to refute them would lead to nowhere, so she didn''t talk back. However, a certain someone couldn''t hold it.


    "Hahaha! The sound of the losers'' dogs is really something else! I wonder if they know that it sounds like music to my ears. In the end, they can only send someone else to make a fuss. Truly, what a bunch of idiots. No wonder they lost. Since they waste their time with such actions, it''s obvious that they never had any hope of winning. Come on, dogs! Bark louder! I still can''t hear you! The louder you bark, the worse your owners probably are. Isn''t that great?!"


    Altina was taken aback as they looked at Aire. Is this guy an idiot? It was apparent that the real perpetrators were observing them close by. Doesn''t he understand that he would also buy a fight against those people like that?


    The one most shocked was obviously Kymei. He knew very well how much Aire hated to attract attention, so he couldn''t understand why he was doing that. The old Aire would definitely stay quiet, pretending to not exist until everyone forgot about him.


    "What did you say, trash?!"


    "I dare you to say that again."


    "Aren''t you the real dog here? Crazy Bitch Altina''s Dog!"


    Altina and Kymei quickly pushed Aire to their side and hastened their pace, leaving those people behind. Of course, there were more people ahead who also were looking at them. It''s just that the hired bad-mouthing personnel stayed back there.


    After they distanced themselves away from them, Altina then looked at Aire and asked, "What are you thinking?! Do you have any idea how your life will be like if you do that?"


    Kymei nodded as he said, "That''s right. They''re already annoying as they are, and you just added oil to the mes. Are you really Aire?"


    Aire was the one who wanted to ask that question here. The problem was...he also didn''t know! For a moment, anger overcame his reason, and Aire acted on impulse. He couldn''t understand why. It''s as Kymei said, the real him would never do such a thing.


    Of course, it only took a moment for Aire to understand why that happened. That''s because he saw a very angry image of his ''Little Sister'' in that mind world created by Ste. Ste was furious at how the others were talking about Altina.


    "They are despicable! Just you wait! My Aire will trash all of you!"


    Aire felt like crying but had no tears. Only now did he remember that Ste''s emotions affected his own. When she saw how Altina was being treated, her anger became his anger.


    Aire bitterly smiled as he looked at Altina. Since it came to this, he could only keep up the y as he replied, "Sorry...it''s just that I couldn''t hold myself back after seeing that."


    Altina quickly looked away as she said, "Idiot." She couldn''t help but be a little red with such a straight answer.


    Kymei couldn''t care less, though.


    "I''m starting to think that you really are as crazy as they said. Alright, forget it. We already left that group behind. But be aware, Aire. Although no one will touch you due to the rules, I''m pretty sure those dogs'' owners will take action. I wouldn''t be impressed if the news board included you with Altina from now on."


    Aire''s face went gloomy after hearing that. Soon after, he once again turned his attention to his mind world and Ste as he said, "First of all, I''m not your Aire! Second, is there a way to stop your emotions from affecting me?"


    Ste looked at Aire from puzzlement as she asked, "Since when did my emotions affect you?"


    Aire almost vomited blood after hearing that. It turns out that Ste didn''t even know it!


    "Alright. I''m definitely dead."

 Chapter 14: Its me

    Chapter 14: It''s me


    Surprisingly, Aire''s group moved quite far ahead in the opening ceremony area. It became even more apparent when you thought about the over 700 thousand Ster Risers studying here. Sure enough, the ce was enormous to be able to hold so many.


    However, Aire found it strange. He heard on several asions of other studentsmenting that they needed to move soon to take a good position during the ceremony. However, it was about to start in just a few more minutes. It should be impossible for his group to find a ce all the way ahead, right?


    "Errr...I don''t think there are more free seats. Shouldn''t we go back?"


    Altina and Kymei looked at Aire with a smile as Altina said, "Don''t worry, there will definitely be seats avable for us ahead."


    Aire then pondered a bit before asking, "Oh, is it because of Altina''s talents? They''re giving special seats for those students they think are better?"


    Altina nodded as she replied, "That''s correct. Well, I''m not the only one, though. Your old friend also has a seat for himself."


    Aire looked at Kymei in shock after that. "You?!"


    Kymei''s mouth twitched after seeing that, though. "What?! Did you think I was just some average student? I might not be as impressive as Altina, but I''m still quite good, alright?"


    Aire had to admit that Kymei had always been good with sports. Perhaps, after he was epted into the pre-Riser School, his talents were brought out into the limelight.


    "Okay, I understand that you two have seats reserved for you," said Aire while feeling confused. "But what about me? I have nothing to do with neither of you or the geniuses with seats. Just so you know, my abilities were barely eptable to even enter the Ascension Age school." Of course, Aire thought he would rather note instead.


    However, the moment he said those words, Altina looked at him in shock and asked, "You...barely have the talent to enter the school?"


    Kymei was even more surprised as he said, "Impossible! There''s no way someone with no talent whatsoever would end up in our dormitory. We thought that since you became our roommate, you also had your own abilities."


    Aire was as lost as they were when suddenly, he thought of a possibility. Following that, his attention shifted to Ste inside his mind as he shouted, "S-T-E-L-L-A!!!"


    Ste, who was listening to everything, suddenly looked away as if she didn''t know anything, saying with a smile on her face, "What a nice day for a ceremony, truly beautiful."


    "Beautiful your head!" cursed Aire while fuming. "You didn''t tell me anything that you could change the system files."


    Surprisingly, Aire was correct. Everything was done through the Digital Ster Network. Like most things, theworks nowadays worked on Ster Energy. Ster Communication could also be done through the help of the Fourth Dimension. The Fourth Dimension was even able to let a spaceship leave the gxy in at most a few minutes, so it was obviously much faster than electricity or even light. That being said, Ster Energy Technology had already taken most of the world, with only a few small and remote ces being the exceptions.


    Ste was an assistant sent by Gigon, the god that started the Ascension Age. Naturally, she was bound to be able to use it better than anyone else in this Universe.


    Aire continued toin, "Didn''t you say that you only had a single ability open, the Energy Blood Flow Assistance thing? Where did this hacking ability of yourse from?"


    Ste narrowed her eyes as she defended herself, "It''s just some hacking skills. Compared to the Ster Network on the outside, this school''swork is a joke. I don''t need to unlock any special abilities to do that."


    It turns out that Zule had nothing to do with Aire''s room changing.


    "Is that so?" Aire didn''t feel the least bit happier, though. "Then, why the hell did you put me in the same room as these two? No, wait! Now I know why such a coincidence happened," said Aire as everything became clear in his mind.


    "I was really perplexed when I found Altina in the same room. I mean, we have over 700 thousand fucking students here! What are the chances of that happening? It was always you!"


    Ste felt wronged. "Why are youining? I told you before that your talent at the moment definitely doesn''t lose to them. It''s just proper that you''re assigned to a dormitory where the top students stay. Shouldn''t you be thankful? The facilities close to that dormitory are also the best."


    Aire felt like crying. If just he knew about that before...


    "Then, why didn''t you give me a free room?"


    Ste yfully smiled as she answered, "Because it would be boring."


    Aire truly felt like giving that girl a beating. Too bad she was using his sister''s face. ''Calm down, Aire, calm down. This is, in fact, something very good. I can tell her to hack the school''s system and take my name off the students'' system. That way, I''ll be able to go home!''


    Unfortunately, Aire had to drop that idea straight away because of Ste''s next words.


    "Unfortunately, I can only make simple changes like that one for now."


    "What?!"


    Aire''s dream shattered straight away as he asked, "Why?!"


    Ste then pointed at Aire himself and exined, "Because Aire needs to train. If you gain everything easily, how can you improve? I won''t give you extra resources or anything like that. You need to fight for it yourself. Besides, the system my Soul relies on wouldn''t allow me to give you extra advantages either."


    Aire couldn''t help but ask, "But can you...take my name out of the students'' list so I can go back home?"


    Ste was puzzled by that question, prompting her to ask.


    "Why?"


    Aire felt that there was still a chance, so he replied, "So that I can have my calm life back! I don''t want to be a Ster Riser. First of all, I couldn''t care less about the Ascension Age!"


    Ste pondered over it for a bit before saying, "Well, that definitely wouldn''t give you an advantage. However, would you be able to reach the Ster Maniption Level without being here to fight for resources, receive lessons, and use the training equipment? Don''t forget, we only have a year. Also, as my abilities continue to unlock, you will have to continue improving to hold them."


    Ste then looked as if she wanted to cry as she continued, "I don''t want to go BOOM."


    "This..." Aire forgot that part...


    "Ahem...perhaps staying at school isn''t too bad."


    Ste''s eyes brightened straight away as she said, "Right?! Right?!"


    Nheless, Aire was still annoyed with the actual situation.


    "But you have to give me a free room."


    Ste immediately shook her head, though.


    "No can do."


    "Why?"


    "Because you''re poor."


    Aire almost vomited blood. "Common money is also included in your non-hackable rules?!"


    "Yep. Well, it would be a terrible idea anyway."


    Aire knew he would regret asking this...


    "Why?"


    But he did it anyway.


    "Because you''re poor."


    Sure enough, he hated the reason. Nheless, he understood what Ste meant. "Simply put, a poor guy like me suddenly having a rich guy''s life would be too suspicious, right?"


    Ste nodded as she replied, "Another part of my mission is to keep my host safe, after all. Don''t worry, Aire. I already gave you one of the best free shared rooms."


    Altina''s room, of course.


    "Sigh...whatever."


    During the time Ste and Aire talked, they eventually arrived at their seats. Sure enough, there was one with Aire''s name on Altina and Kymei''s side. It was a row of four seats at that. It was at that moment that Aire remembered something as he asked, "Oh, right! Who''s the fourth member of our room?"


    Following his question, a voice came from behind and replied.


    "It''s me."

 Chapter 15: Sera

    Chapter 15: Sera


    Aire immediately looked back and saw another woman making her way in their direction.


    Nevertheless, he wasn''t surprised this time. After all, the rooms were intentionally made mixed with the intention of teaching the students to get used to it. A room with four, with him and Kymei as the men. Naturally, thest one was supposed to be a woman. As mentioned before, this was the Ascension Age School, which trained Ster Risers. These Risers would be sent out of the at some point in spaceships to help defend their Baulmu Territory, go out for exploration, and things like that.


    Spaceships carried big crews, and space inside was limited. If the Risers began to find problems up there because of gender issues, that would beplicated. That being said, the school might as well work on it while they were still onnd. Thus, mixed rooms for everyone...except for those who could pay for private ones.


    One mustn''t misunderstand, though. Rooms had nothing to do with the resources managed by the Baulmu Alliance. A room, in the end, was just a room. As for Ster Energy Resources, these ones definitely couldn''t be bought with money. Well, it''s still possible to acquire Ster Energy Resources with money. However, they were definitely not at the level of the ones procured by the three Ster Riser Schools.


    Usually, such resources were the dregs thrown away by the Baulmu Alliance that didn''t live up to the specifications. They had impurities, poison, not enough energy to make a difference, or maybe the energy was too chaotic to be consumed safely. That''s why it was still possible to buy such a thing with money...which didn''t change the fact that they would still be very expensive.


    Going back to thest roommate, she was a ck girl, the only one in their group. She was just like Altina, someone who joined the school the previous year thanks to her talent. In the Ascension Age School, that wasn''t anything out of the ordinary. ck, mixed, white...the prejudice about skin color was long gone. For that, Earth had the subjugation of their by the Baulmu Alliance to thank.


    As mentioned before, Earth was separated into countries before the appearance of the Baulmu Alliance. However, once Earth surrendered, the Baulmu Alliance eliminated all borders. If one wanted to think about countries, then Earth was that country.


    Aire then smiled as he extended his hand, introducing himself as he said, "Hello, I''m Aire Ruehnar. Your new roommate." At the same time, he thought, ''Not that I wanted to be in this cmitous room, though.''


    The girl narrowed her eyes as she deeply stared at Aire. Her expression then went dark as she asked him, "Are you perhaps that Aire who took part in the clinic incident with Altina?"


    Aire was left with his hand hanging there. Obviously, that girl didn''t want to greet him at all. Without any other choice, he retracted his hand and nodded with an awkward expression. "Ahem...that was indeed me."


    *Bang!*


    Out of nowhere, the girl kicked Aire''s stomach, forcing him to kneel on the ground as she said, fuming, "You piece of shit. Because of you, Altina''s situation, which is already bad, turned even worse."


    *Cough, cough...*


    Aire felt like he was going to vomit out his lunch.


    "Wait, Sera! I told you, it was all my fault," Altina spoke as she jumped between Aire and Sera. "If not because of my bad sleeping habits, that wouldn''t have happened at all."


    Sera narrowed her eyes, seeing Altina defending the guy as she asked her, "Why must you always handle everything by yourself?" In the end, she sighed before hugging Altina. "Fine! But if he turns out to be like those pompous trash people who can''t take a loss, I''ll break his neck." It was pretty obvious that Sera considered Altina to be quite important.


    Aire felt a chill on his back. He might not defend Altina, but he wouldn''t bad mouth her either.


    However, it was then that Altina''s expression became a little red as she remembered what happened a few minutes ago at the entrance. "Aire wouldn''t do that. He even went out of his way to defend me instead."


    Sera was taken aback as she looked at Aire. As for Aire himself, he wanted to say that he also didn''t defend her because he wanted to. Then again, he also couldn''t tell that Ste was responsible for his fit of rage at that time.


    "Is that true?" Sera asked before adding, "I can''t see him as the type of guy that would put his life on the line for others."


    Touch!


    Sera was 100% correct. He wasn''t! He definitely wasn''t that nice guy. However, it also seemed like a bad idea to tell her that he didn''t want to.


    It was then that Kymei sent Sera a message through hismunicator as he said, "Sera, take a look at the video. It''s all over the non-official student media."


    In response, she then put on hermunicator and began to look into the video. Sure enough, it showed the moment Aire lost his control and bought a fight against all the people bad-mouthing Altina. During those moments, Aire looked like apletely different person.


    "This..." Sera looked at Aire as if she saw a ghost. When she heard that he defended Altina, she thought it was just some minor event that no one would pay attention to. However, she didn''t expect him to buy a fight against everyone else just because he was angry at how Altina was treated.


    Immediately, Sera''s opinion of Aire had turned upside down, apologizing to him as she said, "So-Sorry, Aire! I misunderstood!" She then came forward and helped him get up. To her, someone able to do such a thing was definitely not a bad guy. She didn''t believe Aire did that just to conquer Altina. After all, anyone who only thought about getting a woman would definitely not try and buy a fight against the entire school because of it.


    Aire bitterly smiled as he looked at Sera, thinking to himself, ''Well, at least she isn''t an enemy anymore.''


    Though, Sera continued apologizing as she asked, "How can I apologize to you? I did something terrible just now."


    At that moment, Ste''s voice echoed in Aire''s mind as she said, "Ask her to ept your seed!"


    "Your ass!" said Aire as he almost passed out in rage. Aire truly wanted to give Ste a beating.

 Chapter 16: Zules News

    Chapter 16: Zule''s News


    Disappointed, Ste went quiet once again.


    Aire then recovered from his rage before saying to Sera, "Ahem...i-it''s fine. An apology is more than enough. Now then, do we really need to sit here?"


    Kymei, Sera, and Altina looked at Aire, puzzled as one of them asked in response, "Yes, why?"


    Aire''s mouth twitched after hearing that as he looked around. It seemed like those three were already used to catching attention. At the moment, most of the people around them, including a few members of other races, were looking at them. "Could it be that it doesn''t bother you at all to be the center of attention?"


    Sera then puffed her chest with a smile, saying, "It''s only natural for this goddess to attract so much attention."


    Kymei wasn''t thinking like that, saying instead, "Errr...I''ve been sharing a room with these two for a while, so it''s simply unavoidable." Kymei also thought that he would rather not be with those two.


    As for Altina, she simply said, "Well, you know my story, so there''s nothing I can do about it."


    "There''s no need to apologize, Altina," said Aire. "However, wouldn''t it have been better if we had just blended all the way back, leaving these seats empty?"


    Suddenly, a man''s voice came from behind Aire, instantly responding, "No can do!"


    Aire was taken aback and immediately looked behind. However, he didn''t need to see who it was since Altina''s dark expression said it all.


    "Zule, you have a lot of courage to appear here."


    Altina was fuming, still thinking that the one who sent Aire to their room was him. "Why did you involve Aire even more? Was there really a need to send him to our room?"


    Zuleughed out loud,pletely ignoring Altina''s rage as he replied, "Hahaha! Why wouldn''t I? It seemed fun!"


    Aire was once again taken aback. Wasn''t it Ste who changed his room? Why did he answer as if he did it himself?


    ''What''s happening here, Ste?''


    Ste, who was listening to everything, thenmented, ''Hmm...most likely, he also had the same idea as me. It seems like I did all that work for nothing.''


    Aire narrowed his eyes, though. If that really was the case, Zule definitely noticed that someone changed Aire''s room before he could do it. However...


    "At least, that was the n." Zule then sighed before continuing, "Unfortunately, it wasn''t me who changed Aire''s room."


    Altina didn''t really believe that. With that, she asked, "Do you think I''m a kid? I know you have your own connections. Otherwise, how would Aire be there? He even said that his talent is barely good enough to enter the school, let alone head to that dormitory."


    Zule smiled in Aire''s direction after hearing that, saying, "Low talent, huh? I have to say, you''re quite modest, boy."


    Aire looked away, trying to avoid Zule''s gaze. Sure, he was barely good enough before, but now...it seems like Zule also tested his talent when he was unconscious in the clinic.


    Kymei, Altina, and Sera then looked at Aire with confusion as one of them asked, "What does he mean?"


    Aire really wanted to say that he didn''t have the talent until a few days ago. Unfortunately, no one would believe that. With that, he thought to himself, ''How am I going to exin this?''


    "Sorry...I just didn''t want to be judged because of my aptitude, so I prefer to not talk about it." In the end, he used the first excuse that came to his head.


    Nevertheless, Zule wasn''t sure about one thing as he said, "The only thing that I want to know was how you masked your aptitude during the test back in your city. I checked your files when I treated you to make sure I wasn''t missing any special condition. When you received your test, you really were just barely at that level."


    Aire scratched the back of his head as he answered, "I...held back..."


    Zule and the others were taken aback. Everyone wanted to be a Ster Riser. Unfortunately, the majority didn''t have the resources or the talent for that. However, it looked more like Aire didn''t want it at all. Well, at least Kymei wasn''t surprised since he still remembered that Aire had always beenzy.


    Even with that, Zule found it weird. "The equipment used to measure aptitude is very precise. It shouldn''t be something that someone can easily fool..." However, it was at that moment Zule understood. "Ah! I see...so that''s why."


    Sera, Altina, and Kymei immediately looked at Zule. It looked like he really knew something...well, there was also another guy who was curious...


    ''You know why? Howe since even I don''t know about it?'' thought Aire.


    Zule didn''t notice Aire''s weird expression as he continued, "The equipment is very precise when ites to preventing candidates from trying to appear stronger than they really were. For example, doping, hidden Ster Devices, infusion of Ster Energy by an elder, and so on."


    "However, the equipment has nothing to prevent someone from holding back. Nor did the developers think that someone would try and not show their real talent. After all, who doesn''t want to be a Riser? Aire is literally the first person I''ve ever heard of that tried to hide his abilities."


    Sera, Kymei, and Altina showed an expression of realization...and so did Aire. "Oh! So that''s what happened!"


    "Wait! Why are you looking like you''re also surprised, Aire?"


    Aire was taken aback for a moment, prompting him to hastilye up with an excuse as he said with cold sweat behind his back, "Ahem...I was just surprised at how precise Zule''s analysis was. He truly nailed it."


    Surprisingly, everyone agreed with that.


    With that being said, Kymei returned to the previous topic, asking, "You said someone changed Aire''s room first?"


    Zule nodded, responding, "Exactly. After all, I found out that his aptitude was much higher than the files, so I submitted the change. We can''t let him live with the low-level ones."


    ''I want to live with the low-level ones, though!'' Thought Aire...


    Zule continued, "However, the fact that he was assigned to your room was nothing but coincidence. Hahaha! Perhaps someone in the administration office saw my beloved Altina''s news and decided to put him together since he had the necessary aptitude. Truly, what else could it be if not fate?!"


    Little did they know that fate''s name was Ste.


    Zule then patted Aire''s shoulder as he said, "Anyway, it''s a rule that everyone with marked seats has to use them for the ceremony unless they have a valid reason. Otherwise, one would get a punishment."


    Aire bitterly smiled after hearing that. It seemed like his idea of getting away wouldn''t work.


    Altina still had her doubts about Zule''s words, but she decided to leave it be. Instead, she asked something else. "So, what made youe here? I doubt you came all the way here just to tell Aire that he couldn''t leave, right?"


    Zule nodded with a smile, saying, "As expected of my Altina, so sharp!"


    "Your Altina is almost giving your death as well."


    Zule quickly put some distance between him and Altina, knowing that she would really attack if he gave her a chance. "Cough, cough...anyway. I just came here to tell you that the new rules for this year''s Resources Dispute Program have been decided. I was close by, so I decided to give you a heads up before the principal announces it during the new year ceremony."


    Kymei, Sera, and Altina''s eyes lit up. The Resources Dispute Program, also known as the Resource War! There were many ways of acquiring Ster Energy Resources for one''s training. However, the School War was the best one, responsible for at least 60% of all the distribution made to the students. The rules changed every year, and unsurprisingly, it was no different this time.

 Chapter 17: Resource War

    Chapter 17: Resource War


    However, Zule seemed to be feeling down as he said, "Even though I came here to tell you this...you treated me like that. Sigh, forget it. I better go back."


    Altina immediately jumped forward and began to massage Zule''s shoulders as she said, "Come on, big brother. You know that your little sister here was joking."


    Aire was left at a loss for words. As far as he knew, Altina wasn''t that shameless...or perhaps she was? Aire couldn''t help but whisper at Sera, asking, "Are they siblings?"


    Sadly, before Aire could get an answer, Sera and Kymei also jumped to make Zule feel good, saying, "Big Brother Zule, you''re our idol! You definitely wouldn''t mind telling us this small tidbit, right?"


    Aire didn''t know what to say anymore. However, he soon noticed Sera, Altina, and Kymei looking in his direction, their meaning obvious.


    ''Why aren''t you helping?''


    He couldn''t help but wonder if knowing about it just a few moments before the announcement was so important that they gave up all their dignity. Worst of all, Zule was also looking in his direction, obviously unwilling to talk if he didn''t start topliment him either.


    ''Fine! I''m already in this shit anyway. Some extra embarrassment won''t make much of a difference anymore.''


    With that, Zule seemed satisfied with their treatment and began to talk. He also made sure to keep his voice down so that no one else other than Aire''s group could hear. "Well, first, let me congratte you all on your new team."


    In an instant, everyone was confused as one of them asked, "Team? What team?"


    Zule smiled as he lifted one finger, exining the rules, "Rule number one, your roommates are your team members. Unlike the previous Resource Wars, this one will be disputed in teams instead of individually."


    Except for Aire, the other three were shocked by that news. Soon, one of them asked, "Groups? How? What if one team member drags the others down?"


    "In that case, make sure to carry them," said Zule as he shrugged his shoulders. "You know how the rules are. Once decided, there''s no changing it. I might as well tell you this, but quite a few students received this news and used their backgrounds to change into rooms with other strong members. As you know, something like changing one''s room isn''t anything heaven-defying, so money can still buy it."


    Aire narrowed his eyes as he asked, "But what about the so-called private rooms? Isn''t it useless to have them now?"


    "That''s not the problem." Zule shook his head as he replied, "The point is in which room you''re registered when the ceremony starts. Your team members can pay for a private room, but no one else cane in and take their ce."


    "Well, this is also one of the reasons I decided to put Aire in your team. After all, I don''t think anyone else with enough talent would want to enter the same room as you guys."


    Aire''s mouth twitched as he thought to himself, ''And did you ever think I wanted it?''


    Zulepletely ignored Aire''s expression and continued, "Well, in the end, Aire was sent to your room before I needed to make the change myself, so it''s fine."


    Sera couldn''t help butment as she said, "But you know very well that we aren''t that talented. Truth be told, our Ster Energy Absorption rate is almost the same as any othermon riser student."


    Altina and Kymei nodded after hearing Sera''s words. Aire also remembered that Altinamented something like that before. It''s wasn''t because of her Aptitude for Ster Energy but her fighting skills that brought her up to this point. From the looks of it, Kymei and Sera weren''t much different, so Aire wondered what kind of skill they had to be put together with Altina.


    Zule nodded, not minding it at all as he replied, "It''s fine, it''s fine. You three exceed in your own fields even though your aptitude isn''t that great. I truly believe you can make a good team. You were able to get your resourcesst year thanks to that, so why wouldn''t you be able to do it again? It''s just that you need to help each other instead of only yourself."


    Sera didn''t dwell on that topic for long. Since that rule had already been decided, whatever they said would make no difference. Instead, she asked something else. "So, we can now expect many more missions in groups than we usually did, right?"


    "Yep," Zule confirmed. "We always had many tasks where teams were necessary. Nevertheless, the distribution of points was made depending on each person''s contribution to those missions. However, this time, it''ll be distributed ording to each group''s overall performancepared to others, not individually. Naturally, more of these group missions will be given."


    Kymei had another worry as he asked, "How will the initial standing be decided?"


    Aire asked something else first. "What do you mean by initial standing?"


    Altina answered that for him, saying, "Think of it as a race. First, you need to decide on who will get the best positions before the race starts, right?"


    Aire nodded and waited for her to continue. "It''s basically the same thing. The initial standings give you the right to select many things ahead of others. That''s why many risers go all out during this period. Of course, you can fight for better standings as the year goes by, and the school strongly approves it. Nevertheless, it''s always easier said than done."


    "Hahaha!" Out of nowhere, Zuleughed in response. "You had to see Altinast year. She truly pierced through all obstacles with brute force. Oh man, that really was a sight to behold."


    Altina looked away, pretending she didn''t hear anything.


    Zule smiled at Kymei, who made the question in the first ce. "Smart boy. Usually, the initial standing of each Ster Riser is decided through a few tests. However, the school seems to be putting a lot of effort into the group''s overall strength."


    Zule then sighed as he continued, "You won''t like this, but the initial standings will be decided through...the group''s overall Ster Energy Aptitude Measurement!"


    In an instant, Kymei, Altina, and Sera''s expressions went dark as they all said, "That''s not fair!"


    "I know," Zule agreed. "But the school seems to not want to waste too much time with low-level talents. After all, people like Altina, Kymei, and Sera, who can ovee theck of Ster Energy Aptitude through other fields, are just too rare. In the end, the talented ones are those who usually end at the top. If you want to get into a better position, you will all have to work hard for it."


    Aire couldn''t help but sigh while thinking, ''Work hard, the two words I hate the most in this world.''

 Chapter 18: Looking for you

    Chapter 18: Looking for you


    Although Altina, Kymei, and Sera had ugly expressions due to the unfairness, they had to admit that Zule was right. They were put together in the first ce because of how odd they were. Even without high Ster Energy Aptitudes, they still exceeded enough in other fields to make up for it. However, they were extremely rare.


    Every year, the top-rankings were dominated by those with high Ster Energy Aptitudes. Not even 1% of those there were people like Altina''s group. That being said, it simply wasn''t worth it using precious and rare Ster Energy Resources equally since it would be a waste. The Baulmu Alliance needed warriors, not fairness. If a small percentage was impacted because of it, the alliance would simply ignore it.


    It was then that Altina looked at Aire and asked, "Wait! But you said Aire has a very high aptitude, right? Just how high is it? Can he help us go up?"


    Aire felt a chill on his back. Isn''t that the same as asking him to be the main focus of their group? He totally didn''t want the attention. "Ahem...it''s not that incredible..."


    "To be honest, I''m not sure," replied Zule with a pensive expression. "I tested his aptitude while he was recovering. However, because he was sleeping, I didn''t get any proper results. I only know that he''s definitely above average. However, if he doesn''t show it while he goes through the test, I wouldn''t be able to tell exactly where he stands."


    Aire''s eyes lit up as soon as he heard that. ''Great! I just need to do my best to hold back as much as possible,'' he thought with hope in his eyes.


    However, Ste''s voice sounded in his mind right after, saying, "Aire, are you trying to kill us? If we don''t get resources, you won''t increase your level! Do you have any idea how much worse our situation will be if you do that?!"


    "What do you mean?" Aire soon asked.


    Ste sighed before continuing, "Isn''t that obvious? Back then, we could have gotten a great initial standing just by using your aptitude. That being said, we had a much better chance to fight for resources. But now, everyone''s aptitudes will be used for it. That means that it''ll be even more difficult to get there."


    Aire couldn''t help but ask, "Can''t you simply hack the system and send the resources to us?"


    Ste shook her head as she said, "I told you already. I can''t. It goes against the rules of the Ascension Age Soul Assistants. I can''t break it even if I wanted to."


    "Why the hell do these rules even exist? It only makes things more difficult!" Aire cursed.


    Ste didn''t care as she said soon after, "If you want toin, leave the Universe and tell Gigon, not me. I''m not the one who created them. However, if you don''t get resources, you won''t have the chance to even leave this, let alone the Universe. Aire, you can''t hold back!"


    Aire wanted to cry already. Nothing worked the way he wanted to. "Fine..." Though, it was then that he thought about something. "By the way, how good is my aptitudepared to others?"


    Ste pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, "I don''t know?"


    Aire''s mouth twitched as he asked, "What kind of useless assistant are you?"


    Ste dropped her head after hearing that. "Sorry..."


    "Sigh... whatever. I''ll find out when they bring up the tests," mentioned Aire. "After all, they need precise results for the team''s overall strength."


    No one knew what Aire was saying to Ste, nor did they notice anything different. Because those conversations happened in his mind, everything was just extremely fast. He didn''t really need to ''talk'' with Ste, nor did she need to ''talk'' with him. Everything was exchanged through thoughts, so no more than a few seconds passed during their ''conversation.''


    Zule then turned around, preparing to leave as he said, "Anyway, that''s about it. As for the rest, they''re more or less the same. The ceremony will start soon, so pay attention. By the way...we have a new principal, see ya!"


    Zule then disappeared in the middle of the crowd as Altina and the others went to their seats. New principal? They weren''t interested in that. The principal of a ce like the Ascension Age School was a figure way too far from their level.


    "Well, we can only do as much as we can. Everyone, make sure that you give your best during the aptitude test. We might have no chance of getting a top position, but we can''t fall to the bottom either."


    Sera and Kymei nodded after hearing that. Aire did too...albeit somewhat unwilling.


    Because of how big the ce was, many disys were ced everywhere for those all the way back. Others simply used theirmunicators to watch the opening through there. Nevertheless, everyone paid attention.


    Not long after, the opening ceremony finally started. A woman followed by many instructors went up to the stage. However, the moment she appeared, many eyes widened. That''s because she wasn''t just anyone. There was almost no student in the school who couldn''t recognize her. Well, there were a few who didn''t know...including Aire.


    ''I didn''t expect the principal to be from another race...'' That''s all Aire could tell.


    However, he quickly noticed Sera''s shining eyes by his side. It was as if she was seeing god itself as she muttered in disbelief, "It''s...it''s her!"


    Kymei and Altina also seemed to be thoroughly amazed by that as one of them said, "This year...will definitely be interesting."


    Aire didn''t know what they were talking about. But before he could ask, the woman began to talk.


    "Hello, everyone. As some of you probably know, the principal of the Ascension Age School had changed. However, I believe none of you knew who it was until now. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Ramalia Sol, the new principal."


    Immediately, Ste''s voice echoed in Aire''s mind as she said, "Hey, look! It''s her!"


    "Do you know her?" Aire asked with a puzzled expression.


    Ste nodded as she replied, "When I was looking for you, she kept following me everywhere. She had hundreds of starships under hermand. She was very cool!"


    "Looking...for you?" Aire immediately had a bad premonition after hearing that.

 Chapter 19: Ramalia Sol

    Chapter 19: Ramalia Sol


    Only an idiot wouldn''t understand why someone like that appeared on Earth. Ramalia was a member of the Spiritas Race, one of the three main races of the Baulmu Alliance. She was also a reputed Ster Scientist, known in the entire Alliance''s territory and even outside it. Obviously, she was also the one put in charge of what happened to the Roaming Ster Light.


    As mentioned before, due to evolution by convergence, most intelligent races had obtained a humanoid form, more or less. Of course, for the Spiritas, it was the humans and the other races who were simr to them and not the other way around. It all depended on which race was looking at the other. The Spiritas just so happened to be one of the closest ones to humans. Nevertheless, they had one difference that anyone could identify, a tiny blue crystal on their races'' foreheads.


    This was not put there by them but was something they were born with. Many believed that the Spiritas'' high average IQ was also due to that, the Spiritas included. While a human would take over a decade to reach a mature mindset, only considered an adult at the age of eighteen or so, the Spiritas would already achieve that by the age of seven or eight. It''s just that their bodies were still at a kids'' level, taking more or less the same time as humans to fully develop.


    Naturally, that gave the Spiritas a huge advantage in the evolution of their race as a whole. It was also thanks to their higher intelligence that they were able to take a spot as one of the leading races of the Baulmu Alliance. Many of the Ster Technology used nowadays was invented by them.


    Aire thought about how the Roaming Ster Light descended on Earth, so Ramalia was obviously here to look after it. However, why would shee to the Ascension Age School? After all, the phenomenon happened across the entire when Ste arrived.


    Ramalia couldn''t possibly know what Aire was thinking, so she just continued her speech as she said, "Many of you are probably curious why I would take the position of principal in a of humans. After all, I could do the same thing in any of my own race''ss where the conditions are many times better. Well, it''s no secret if you think about it a little. Obviously, it''s because of the Roaming Ster Light."


    Sure enough, that was the idea in the heads of many of the students. There''s absolutely no reason for someone like Ramalia to stop on a like Earth. As for being a principal of a Ster Riser School here? That would be a joke in any other situation.


    "Nheless, I don''t intend to make light of my work here. Since I''m now the principal, I will obviouslymand this school to the best of my abilities," Ramalia continued. "As for why I came here, that''s because I believe it to be the best ce to start looking at the effects of the Roaming Ster Light."


    "The Roaming Ster Light dispersed when it arrived on this, so it might have done something to its popce. I''m taking the position of school principal so that I can verify what changes the human and the other few races Ster Risers went through. I hope you all cooperate with me during this year since it might be a turning point in the era of the Ascension Age."


    Quite a few couldn''t help but feel excited. What if there actually were changes left behind? Could it be that humans would evolve faster now? Of course, there were also those who didn''t like it. After all, it might not be a good thing. In the worst case, the Baulmu Alliance might even kill all humans to prevent problems.


    After stating the reason for her appearance in the school, Ramalia finally began to exin the year''s rules for the Resources Dispute Program. The majority were shocked as they looked at their own roommates. As for those who were able to afford private rooms, they received a notice in theirmunicators, showing which room they would have taken if they couldn''t afford it. That meant that the Riser Students inside those rooms would be their teammates as well.


    Of course, there were a few exceptions, like Altina''s group and a few children of influential people. They had long found about it and made the arrangements, which turned into alliances of some sort between themselves.


    Once Ramalia finished her part, a few other instructors and teachers took her ce to say their pieces. In any case, the entire school only cared about two thingsthe new rules of the Resource Dispute Program and Ramalia''s arrival. Once the ceremony was over, all the news media on the entire talked about Ramalia. Everyone was waiting to see what she would find out regarding the Roaming Ster Light.


    At some point, the ceremony was over, and everyone was given permission to go back to their dormitories. On the way down from the stage, one of Ramalia''s subordinates was already waiting for her.


    "How was it, Tulo? Did you find any suspicious case?"


    That was obviously the guy''s name.


    Tulo then shook his head before answering, "No. The problem was that the Roaming Ster Light caused a huge shift in the''s Ster Energy for a period of time. Because of that, many suffered bacshes and other problems. It''s impossible to pinpoint any specific case out."


    Ramalia wasn''t surprised by that. First of all, they didn''t even know if the Roaming Ster Light had some use or if it was just a phenomenon caused by Ster Energy. If that was the case, then they''re just wasting their time here looking for ghosts.


    "Continue the investigation. I will stay here for the foreseeable future. Also, send all the files regarding the students of this school to my terminal. I want to check out a few things."


    "Yes, principal."

 Chapter 20: Talking with Stella

    Chapter 20: Talking with Ste


    It was decided that the rechecking of aptitudes would be done the next day, so the students were allowed to head back to their respective rooms. Aire''s group, obviously, had somewhat gloomy expressions on their faces. They truly didn''t like how the initial standings would be done this time.


    Sometimeter, Aire went somewhere alone so that he could finally talk with Ste. He also wanted to think more about their current situation.


    "Aire, what was that ability of yours? You''re not at the Ster Maniption Level yet, so howe you can release Ster Energy out of your body?" Ste asked, confused by this fact.


    However, Aire could only shake his head as he replied, "I don''t know either. I found this out by coincidence when I got injured during a school trip. Fortunately, I was alone at the time, so no one else saw it."


    Aire then made the same ball of white Ster Energy appear on his hand for a moment as he continued, "However, my Ster Energy when I use this ability seems different from the others. Everyone else''s Ster Energy is silver. However, mine ispletely white. I believe that''s the reason why you thought I waspatible with you."


    Ste nodded before asking, "You said before that it has potent healing abilities, right?"


    "Yes." The ball of white Ster Energy then disappeared as Aire continued, "Well, to be honest, I don''t know if it can be used for anything else. I only know that it can heal better than anything else. Can''t you check it yourself?"


    Ste pondered for a bit before responding, "I can try to analyze this power. As you said, Ster Energy is supposed to be silver, so I don''t know what is happening either. Perhaps this is some new perk Gigon added without me knowing before I was sent to this Universe."


    Aire sighed with a hint of disappointment in response. He thought that Ste might know something about it. In any case, there was no point talking about it any further, so he moved onto another topic. "Alright, let''s leave that aside for now. For my own well-being, I won''t use it unless extremely necessary. Let''s talk about your hacking skills instead. Can''t you really hack anything else?"


    "It''s not that I can''t hack anything else," Ste replied as she pondered over this issue. "It''s just that I can''t use it to give you an advantage that''s not present inside my locked abilities. If it is something trivial, then it won''t matter. For example, don''t you have money in your ount to buy lunch? I can hack into the system and pay for it in your stead. But if you ask me to hack a foodpany so that you can start selling their food to make money, then I can''t do that."


    Aire quickly understood what she was trying to say. Simply put, he couldn''t use the ability for cheating. Nevertheless, he could think of a few other uses that wouldn''t go against Ste''s rules, requesting, "In that case, I want you to prevent any news of me from appearing. However, do it smartly. The non-official school news board works on the system of trending posts. The more people look into it, the higher the rank that post obtains. Those rich idiots that are after Altina will probably do the same thing against me."


    He then smiled as he continued, "That being said, don''t delete the news that they put up. Just make sure it doesn''t go trending. It shouldn''t be against your rules, right?"


    Ste pondered for a bit before nodding. "Okay, I can do that. Oh, right! In that case, I can also do the same thing for Altina. I will slowly make the news about Crazy Bitch Altina gradually go down before permanently staying there within a few weeks."


    Aire pondered for a bit and agreed with her. He might not want to get too involved with someone as famous as Altina, but he wouldn''t refuse to help her if it brought no problems to his side. "Alright, do it for her as well. Fortunately, I have just appeared in those people''s eyes, so they won''t even have a chance to send us up in the rankings."


    "Done!" Not long after, Ste answered with a smile on her face. "I already hacked the trending ranking. I have to say, though. You were definitely skyrocketing through the ranks. However, I easily found out that it was mostly due to someone pulling strings behind the scenes, paying many students to use their IDs to help those fake news about your group be trending."


    "That quickly?" Aire was surprised as to how easy Ste made it look. "You weren''t kidding when you said that the level of the Ster Technology of our Universe was a joke, huh? Anyways, good job, Ste."


    And with that, Ste seemed to have finally done something good for him. Well, he wouldn''t be in that situation if not for her anyway.


    Ste, obviously, jumped in joy as she said, "Hahaha! Am I not the best, Aire~?!"


    Aire also felt her happiness turning into his own once again, prompting him to say, "Alright, alright. No need to be so excited because of something like this. By the way, I need you to control your emotions from now on."


    "Okay~!"


    Ste agreed in less than an instant. However, Aire couldn''t help but feel that his words would make no difference in the future. "Sigh... whatever."


    He then changed the topic, asking, "Now, how about you talk more about the locked abilities I would obtain in the future? What should I expect to get once I reach the Ster Maniption Level?"


    Unfortunately, Ste shook her head as she replied, "Sorry, Aire..."


    Ste dropped her head soon after as she continued, "It''s also part of the rules that I can''t reveal those before you reach the respective level."


    Well, Aire more or less expected that much. "It''s fine, it''s fine. Even if I knew, it would have made no difference since I''m not there yet. In any case, I need your hacking skills for something else."


    "What is it?"


    "You know that Ramalia is definitely here on Earth because of the Roaming Ster Light, which is you, right?" Ste nodded and waited for Aire to continue. "I don''t know what she ns to do, so I want you to keep an eye on the system and tell me if there''s something I need to pay attention to. If you see something suspicious that could reveal your existence, tell me right away. Not only it won''t go against your own rules, but it will, in fact, protect my development."


    Ste nodded once again, responding, "Okay~!"


    Ste and Aire talked for a bit more before Aire finally went back to his room. However, he soon found out that Kymei, Altina, and Sera were in the middle of a discussion. "Oh! Aire! Where have you gone?! We were waiting for you."


    "For me?" Aire was slightly confused, prompting him to ask, "What do you need me for?"


    Kymei then put a hand on his shoulder before saying, "We need to get as far as possible in the aptitude test tomorrow. We want to talk about how we should proceed with it. Since you''re part of the team, you naturally need to listen and contribute as well."


    Aire didn''t mind since the resources were also linked to his own survival. "Very well. But first, I want to ask you and Sera something. I know that Altina exceeds inbat, and it was this ability that brought her up in the ranksst year. But how about you two?"


    Sure enough, that was something very important to know now that they were a group.

 Chapter 21: Deciding On A Job

    Chapter 21: Deciding On A Job


    Sera nodded before responding to Aire''s question. "I guess you''ve already noticed, but I''m a big fan of senior Ramalia. Even though she''s from another race, she''s still a genius I look up to. To be honest, she exceeds in any field she dips her finger into. That''s probably why she was selected as the leader to research the Roaming Ster Light. However, the thing she excels the most at are Ster Suits."


    Aire thought he heard that name before, prompting him to ask, "Ster Suits...I think I saw some information regarding those somewhere before. Aren''t they things used by Ster Risers that can increase their overall power? I think it was some kind of armor...or something."


    Sera''s eyes lit up as she nodded, replying, "Yeah! Those ones, alright! They''re the dream of every Ster Riser who wishes to reach the top!"


    However, Sera quickly noticed Aire''s confusion and understood why, exining, "Don''t worry, it''s not rare for normal people who haven''t entered the world of Ster Risers to not know much about them. After all, they''re extremely expensive and often involve many secrets. That being said, it''s highly unlikely that you''ll see them in the media. You will need to intentionally look for it if you want any information to appear in the search results."


    Sera continued, "Even then, the information you''ll get are regardingmonly used Ster Suits, not those superb models. Those models are all old ones that only poor Ster Risers would use. Of course, even those things are still much better than having none."


    Sera looked more like a kid as she continued to talk about the Ster Suits. "Now then, I guess it''s pretty obvious, but I''m a student who is focused on Ster Suit research. As mentioned before, my Ster Energy Aptitude isn''t that much betterpared to any other Riser, just slightly. However, I''m pretty confident in my skills as a Ster Suit Designer."


    Kymei shrugged his shoulders as he threw a bucket of cold water over Sera''s excitement, adding, "However, she never had the chance to really use her designs, just drafting them."


    Hearing that, Sera could not help but turn gloomy as she let out a sigh. "Sigh... That''s what it means to be poor. At most, the teachers let me help with their research. However, Kymei''s right. I haven''t obtained the opportunity to use the designs I thought of. Fuck! I have so many ideas! Why must money make the world go round?!"


    Altina couldn''t help but hug Sera after hearing that as she said, "Don''t worry. One day, I''ll have enough money to build a Ster Suit, and I''ll make sure that you''re gonna be the one to create it."


    Sera immediately hugged back as she wept about theirck of money. Not wanting to bother them, Aire turned to Kymei and asked, "Ahem...how about you? You were always good at sports back in school. Could it be they have something like Ster Sports?"


    Kymei''s mouth twitched as he replied, "To hell with Ster Sports! Do you think the Baulmu Alliance would waste their Ster Resources on sports? Fuck that! First of all, I only used sports in the past since it was one of the best methods to be recognized earlier."


    Kymei then calmed down a bit before heading back to the main topic, telling Aire his upation. "Sera''s good at designing Ster Suits, while Altina''s good atbat. As for me, I''m good at Ster Rune Circuits."


    "Ster...Rune Circuits?" Aire pondered over that for a bit before asking, "Isn''t that something only intelligent people work with? I think you said something you shouldn''t have."


    Sera and Altina couldn''t help but burst withugher after hearing that. With just onement, Aire drove away all their gloominess. Well, there was one guy who wasn''t the least bit happy about thatment.


    "Fuck you!" Kymei felt killing Aire. "Just so you know, your grandfather, ME, am an amazing Ster Rune Circuit researcher. What? Just because I was good at sports back in school, you thought I was an idiot?"


    "Yes." Aire nodded in response, not hiding his real feeling at all. Unsurprisingly, poor Kymei wasughed at even more by Altina and Sera after that.


    "Hmph! Then, what about you?" Kymei soon asked, trying to get back at Aire. "Can you do anything at all? So what if your talent is greater than us? If you can''t do anything else, then you might as well be useless."


    Aire nodded straight away, responding, "Of course, there''s something I''m very good at."


    With that, Sera, Kymei, and Altina''s interests were piqued as Aire continued, "I can fall asleep in less than 30 seconds!"


    *Bang! Boom! Crash!*


    Without hesitation, Kymei gave him a thorough beating. Poor Aire really thought that it was an amazing ability. After all, everyone else he knew always said that they took some time to fall asleep unless they were extremely tired, some even taking hours. But for Aire, he could do that at basically any time of the day or night. Sadly, the others didn''t share his beliefs.


    "How can you beat up your roommate like that? Where''s the friendship between team members?"


    Altina then grabbed Aire''s shirt and pulled him up, saying, "Friendship your ass! Since you don''t have anything you''re good at, you''ll spend the rest of the day practicingbat with me."


    Aire couldn''t help but let out cold sweat as he hastily said, "Wait, wait, wait! I should at least have the right to choose something I could do, right? Otherwise, won''t it be a waste of time?"


    Altina narrowed her eyes before asking, "Like what?"


    Aire pondered over it and had an idea as he thought, ''Sera and Kymei seem to be doing some kind of easier job. At least, it doesn''t seem to have heavybor.''


    "Kymei, your field is rted to Ster Suits as well, right?"


    Kymei nodded, responding, "Yes. In fact, it isn''t wrong to say that one can''t exist without the other. Sera''s a Suit Designer, while I''m a Circuitry Researcher. Ster Suits need both of them, or it won''t be anything more than a beautiful piece of metal."


    Aire smiled in response before asking, "In that case, isn''t there any other field in the middle of those two where you could use my help?"


    "Field in the middle?" Sera began to think about it as an idea popped into her mind. "Oh, right! Aire has high Ster Energy aptitude, so he''s bound to be able to manipte a lot of Ster Energy in the future."


    Kymei knew where Sera was going, saying, "Hey, that might really work now that you say that."


    The two of them then brightly smiled at Aire, which gave him the chills. Soon, he asked, "Wh-What is it that you need help with?"


    Sure enough, they answered straight away, simultaneously replying, "We need a Ster Smith!"

 Chapter 22: Stellar Smith

    Chapter 22: Ster Smith


    Aire couldn''t help but ask, "Smith? As in cksmith?"


    Sera nodded, answering, "Well, it''s not wrong to think about it that way."


    Kymei also added, "The problem with it is the enormous Ster Energy Aptitude requirement, so it should be a perfect fit for you."


    "Does that mean I''ll have to hammer metals and things like that?" Aire immediately began to think of the heavy workload that would greet him once he did that.


    However, Sera and Kymei shook their heads as one of them said in response, "What the hell are you talking about? Are you perhaps living in the medieval age? Although you will indeed work with metals and other materials, there''s no need for hammers. Well, there are hammers, but you won''t have to strike metal like some old craftsman in the medieval ages."


    Kymei then began to exin, "It''s fine that you don''t know about it since it isn''t a profession that many take on. After all, this is extremely taxing on the Ster Riser. Not only that, but most of the Risers disdain this job since they''re never recognized. Unfortunately, people think there''s no point in trying it since it involves nothing more than preparing the materials for someone else to work with."


    Sera nodded as she continued in Kymei''s ce, saying, "High Ster Energy Aptitude and little attention. That makes everyone think that this is a thankless side upation for Ster Risers. No one wants to do something that won''t bring them benefits. That being said, the number of Ster Smiths is very, very limited."


    Aire, of course, didn''t want to do that either. A heavy workload was definitely something he didn''t want to experience. "Sorry...but I don''t think this job is a good fit for me."


    Altina smiled brightly after hearing that as she soon said, "Great! Since you don''t want to do that, you will be my punching ba-cough, cough...mybat practice partner from now on."


    Aire''s expression went pale straight away as he hastily replied, "You were going to say punching bag, right?! Right?!"


    Altina looked away after that, pretending she didn''t hear the question. Nevertheless, the faint smile on her face showed how excited she was to get a new punch bag for free. Not to mention that it was a punching bag with high Ster Energy Aptitude! How could she not be happy?


    Aire, on the other hand, was almost crying. Though, he soon asked the two once more, trying to keep his hopes up, "I-Is there any other type of job worth consideration?"


    Sera and Kymei shook their heads as one of them replied, "If you really want to be part of this team, you have to do something worthy of our time. I can design Ster Suits, Kymei can work on the Ster Rune Circuits, and Altina can give us all thebat data we need. If we have a Ster Smith on our team, we will finally have everything to start working on our own Ster Suits."


    Aire still tried to persuade his way out of that idea. "Didn''t you say that being a Ster Smith was a thankless job? Would it be of any use in this year''s Resource War? What can we even use it for?"


    The othersughed before exining, "Wrong! What Sera said was that most think it''s a thankless job, not that it really is one. I believe you understand that we already have quite a few Ster Suit Designers and Ster Rune Circuit Researchers, right?"


    Aire nodded and waited for them to continue as one of them soon asked him, "That being said, why are Ster Suits rare?"


    Aire immediately answered, "Didn''t you say that it''s because they''re expensive?"


    Kymei nodded as he responded, "Yes, they are expensive. After all...materials processed by Ster Smiths are always in high demand, but there is always little supply. Thew of business. The higher the demand, the higher the price. But, if we have our own Ster Smith..."


    Aire understood even though he didn''t want to, asking as he scratched his head while sighing, "So, you want me to be the bridge between money and our team''s Ster Suits?"


    Sera, Kymei, and Altina nodded as one of them said, "Yes! As long as you get to do it, we will be a lot closer to creating our own Ster Suits."


    Kymei then mentioned, "You have always been a guy who didn''t like attention. With that, this is the perfect job for you. Most don''t care too much about the Ster Smiths even though they''re their own lifelines. You will be as inconspicuous as possible. Save a lot of money when you need a Ster Suit, and help our team."


    "Just so you know, although many don''t take this job, Ster Smiths are definitely included in the Resource War," Altina said as she looked excitedly at Aire. "Of course, I would love to have you as my punching bag as well! In any case, the choice is up to you."


    Aire''s mouth twitched in response as he thought, ''She didn''t even try to hide her intentions this time.''


    Aire quickly calmed down as she looked at Altina. In the end, between a heavy workload or a heavy workload filled with suffering, the choice was obvious. "Ahem...I think I can try my hand at Ster Smithing."


    Kymei and Sera immediately patted Aire''s shoulders as one of them said, "Great! During the aptitude tests tomorrow, all the new students will need to select a side upation. Of course, there are other upations, but those upations are of no concern to us. We want our Ster Suits."


    Aire couldn''t help but ask, "What kind of other upations are there?"


    Kymei pondered over the question for a bit before mentioning a few, "Well, you have those rted to starships. For example, aiming to be a captain or work at the bridge and things like that. The Ster Chefs, which is just a fancy name for chefs who cook with Ster Energy Materials. There''s also the Ster Hunters who go out into the area dominated by Ster Creatures to hunt for their body materials. There are also a few with little use you can check by yourselfter."


    Aire immediately understood. There was definitely some much easier side upation he could choose, prompting him to ask, "Can I select something else other than Ster Smith and Sparring Partner?"


    Unfortunately for him, the group wasn''t having it. "No! If you do that, you might as well quit school and not drag us down. Having three team members who want to work is still better than having one in the group that doesn''t want to do anything."


    By now, Sera and Altina had already noticed Aire''szy nature.


    Without any other choice, Aire could only agree with it, consoling himself through his thoughts.


    ''At least people won''t care about me...''

 Chapter 23: First Test

    Chapter 23: First Test


    On the next day, every team was sent to retake their aptitude test. That''s because the students were still young, so they had a lot of room for development. It wasn''t rare forte bloomers to appear, so the test was retaken every year. That being said, whether the team rule had appeared or not, the rechecking of aptitudes would still happen.


    With as many as over 700 thousand students, there were obviously many buildings for each purpose. Naturally, the ces where one could retake their Aptitude Tests were plenty. Aire''s group had just arrived at one of them.


    "Everyone, line up! There''s no need to rush. We have an entire day to go through it. If you aren''t able to do the test today, you can still do it in the next three days before the sses start." Outside, the school workers helped organize the students that wanted to take the test.


    Aire''s group was just about to enter one of the queues when out of nowhere, Zule''s voice resounded at the front of the queues. "Altina,e here! I''ve prepared everything for you already! You can start your test straight away."


    Altina felt like crying after hearing that. After all, everyone looked at her with dark expressions. They had been waiting in line like everyone else, so why can her group jump forward? That obviously didn''t do well for the fame of her moniker.


    "Shut up, Zule! I''ll wait in the queue!" Altina shouted from behind. However...


    "If you don''te forward, I''ll tell your roommates everything you did while you were at the pool when you were five years old. Oh, man! Those were such good memories. I''m sure everyone would love to hear it!" threatened Zule with a yful smile.


    Altina''splexion turned ghastly pale after hearing that, prompting her to dash forward as she shouted, "You dare!"


    Without any other choice, Aire and the others could only follow suit. A few minutester, they were brought to a private room where a few pieces of equipment could be seen.


    In the end, Aire couldn''t help but ask Kymei and Sera, "I''m starting to be more and more curious about these two. Are you guys sure they''re not a pair of siblings or something like that?"


    Kymei pondered over it for a bit before replying, "Altina insists that they aren''t. However, they''ve always been like that, so I''m not sure."


    Sera had a theory, though. "I think Altina and Zule are lovers. Or at the very least, they have an arranged marriage."


    Aire felt like he had been enlightened, saying in response, "I see! Now everything makes sense. Well, you guys know the old saying. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin."


    Altina was close to exploding in rage already. Though, she still tried to maintain herposure as she said, "I can hear you!"


    Unfortunately, Zule also heard it, so he replied, "I can also hear it! To think you would guess our rtionship so easily. Indeed, Altina is my brid-"


    *Bang!*


    Out of nowhere, Altina kicked Zule''s stomach, which sent him flying back as she said with a tone of intense anger, "Who the hell is your bride? I don''t remember such an agreement ever being made."


    Zule, who magically seemed to have no injuries whatsoever, headed back quickly.


    ''Is this guy made of metal?'' Aire thought to himself as he was truly surprised that there were no injuries after he was hit with such strength. If it was him, he would be unconscious already.


    Ste''s voice then appeared in his mind, telling him, ''That''s not it. It''s just that his Ster Riser Level is much higher than anyone here. Unfortunately, with my abilities sealed, I can''t see it clearly since the difference is too wide.''


    Kymei and Sera seemed to be used to it, so they didn''t say anything.


    As for Zule, he immediatelymented, "Sigh... you don''t know how to have fun at all. By the way, I don''t mind bing your real fiance if you wish."


    Well, that didn''t make Altina the least bit happy, redirecting the topic back to where it was supposed to be, "Cut the bullshit! So, can we do the test already? If I know you as well as I think, you definitely took these pieces of equipment without telling anyone."


    Zuleughed, not trying to hide it at all as he replied, "Hahaha! As expected of my Altina, only you understand me." Altinapletely ignored him, though.


    After that, Zule pointed at four chambers he had prepared for Aire''s group as he started to exin, "These are the Ster Energy Aptitude Test Capsules. The Ster Processor will first check your Ster Riser Level and the Stage you''re currently in. Soon after, it will match it with your bone age. After that, the capsule will start to deliver a lot of Ster Energy inside. Your objective is to absorb as much as you can during the one minute you''ll be inside."


    "Just one minute?" Aire asked with a hint of confusion.


    Zule shrugged his shoulders as he responded, "It can''t be helped. The capsule can only release that much Ster Energy because it''s being fed through the schools'' Main Ster Energy Reserves. However, it takes a long time and even more Ster Energy to gather it. Don''t forget, we have over 700 thousand students, so it has to be enough for everyone to do the test."


    Kymei and the others didn''t waste time and headed straight to the capsules. "Let''s not waste any more time. We all want to get over with it and go back to work."


    Aire could only sigh and enter a capsule as well.


    Zule looked at the four of them through the windows in the capsules before saying, "Alright, I''ll start it now. Do your best." Zule then essed the terminal on the side before initiating the test.


    In less than an instant, Aire heard an electronic voice resound inside his capsule.


    -Student ID: 706QTO28B100, Aire Ruehnar.-


    -Bone age: Approximately 16 years and seven months.-


    -Riser Level: First Stage of the Ster Body Transformation, Ster Blood.-


    -The test will start in ten seconds.-


    -Ten, nine, eight...-


    ''Aire, the Energy Blood Flow Assistance can be used anytime you want. Remember, you need a good score to help you get the resources for training. I don''t want to explode with you,'' Ste said just as the chamber was about to release Ster Energy.


    -Three, two...-


    Aire nodded as he replied, ''Fine. Since there''s no way back, I might as well see how I can do.''

 Chapter 24: Lab Rat

    Chapter 24: Lab Rat


    Following that, Ster Energy flowed into the capsule, being extracted directly from the school reserves. There was so much of the stuff inside the capsule that Aire felt overwhelmed. After all, such levels of concentration would be impossible on the outside.


    ''Focus, Aire. You need to absorb it!'' Ste hastily said, snapping Aire back to reality.


    Aire then took a deep breath in response and began to absorb it. As mentioned before, only at the Ster Path Stage would one be able to create Ster Paths for better use of Ster Energy. Before that, Ster Energy had to be transported through the cells, which was slower whenpared to the Ster Paths. However, Aire had the Energy Blood Flow Assistance, which increased the speed that it flowed.


    Zule examined everyone from outside as he nced at the disy that showed what was happening. ''The minimum score for Ster Energy Absorption Rate is 100, or you won''t be selected to enter the Ascension Age School. The average score was around 313 ording tost year''s tests.''


    Zule then got closer to Aire''s chamber as he paid close attention to him. ''Each Ster Level and their stages have the same score, so the score won''t improve if you simply enter the next stage and have the ability to absorb more Ster Energy because of that. The Baulmu Alliance has already ounted for the improvement, making sure that the score would only change if you''ve really turned out better or worse after your breakthrough.''


    Zule then noticed how the Ster Energy in the capsule entered Aire''s body at a very high speed. It couldn''t bepared to Altina, who was at the Ster Path Stage and had opened all Ster Paths already. However, it was definitely not something you would easily see in a Ster Riser at the Ster Blood Stage. ''Come on, boy. I''m counting on you to help her. Don''t let me down.''


    *Beep, Beep, Beep...*


    Zule soon heard the disy nearby beep, making him focus his attention onto it. Surprisingly, the first one to obtain their results was Sera, with a score of 423 points. Just as Sera mentioned in the past, they were above average, but they weren''t that impressive. 423 points just proved that conjecture. ''Altina and Kymei shouldn''t be too far away from it.''


    Soon after, that point was automatically added to the school''s ranking lists. The first one was the Team Score, which would be the sum of all four members. The second one was the individual score. Obviously, thetter was for oneself.


    -Sera Lakamine, 432 Points, 1856th position.-


    Considering that there were more than seven hundred thousand students, Sera should be grateful that she appeared there. However, not even a secondter, her position began to decline.


    ''Not surprising. After all, everyone''s still going through their tests, so her position will keep falling in the next three days. If she does as she didst year, Sera should end up at around the 7000th position,'' Zule thought.


    *Beep, Beep, Beep...*


    -Kymei Foliu, 451 Points, 1632nd position.-


    Sure enough, as soon as Kymei''s position appeared, it began to drop as well as more and more students went through their tests.


    *Beep, Beep, Beep...*


    Altina was the next one after Kymei. Zule wasn''t surprised that Aire was thest one to finish. After all, he had never taken this test before, so he would need a few more seconds to adapt before he could absorb Ster Energy efficiently.


    -Altina Larael, 512 Points, 1175th position.-


    Naturally, Altina''s rank began to drop as the other two did. Nevertheless, Zule couldn''t help but show a surprised expression. ''This girl really doesn''t know when to give up. Compared tost year''s result, she was able to improve by more than 50 points. As always, hard work will never betray you.''


    While Zule was thinking of something else, Aire felt reallyfortable at the moment. The Ster Energy running through his body was moving naturally. Without a doubt, that was the result of the Energy Blood Flow Assistance skill from Ste''s system. However, it was then that Ste''s voice echoed in his mind, telling him, ''Aire! We''re super lucky! Go, breakthrough now!''


    Aire was taken aback after hearing that, responding, ''What?! Breakthrough? You mean I should try entering the Ster Bones Stage?''


    He then continued with his words, not thinking it was possible, ''You''re crazy! The capsule will only work for a minute, and I used more than 20 seconds already. If I run out of time, I might suffer a bacsh due to theck of Ster Energy for the breakthrough!''


    Steughed in response, saying, ''Hahaha! Are you looking down on a body modified by the Ascension Age Soul Assistance? Trust me, Aire! No, trust your sister''s face! You will seed for sure!''


    ''Fuck you! I already said not to bring my sister into this!'' However, Aire understood that if he could really enter the Second Stage of the Ster Body Transformation Level, Ster Bones, it would be of tremendous help. After all, he only had a year to reach the Ster Maniption Level.


    ''Alright, I''ll try that now!'' Aire decided to believe in Ste and immediately tried to attempt a breakthrough...or so he wanted to. ''Errr...how exactly do I do it?''


    Ste felt like crying! ''You don''t know?! No, forget it. We don''t have time. Just do what I say.''


    Outside, Altina, Kymei, and Sera had already exited their capsules. After all, they didn''t need more than 15 to 20 seconds to finish their test. Together with Zule, they all looked at Aire as he continued with his test. However...


    "Is it me, or is there way too much Ster Energy entering his body?" Kymei asked, confused as he looked at the disy representing Aire''s capsule.


    "Hahaha! This boy is quite crazy. He''s attempting a breakthrough!" Zule, on the other hand, noticed what Aire was doing straight away.


    "What?! Did he lose his mind?! What if the supply of Ster Energy stops?" Sera and Altina asked at the same time.


    Zule shook his head, replying, "There''s nothing we can do about it. The capsule will only work for one minute for each student. Even I can''t change that. However, I don''t think he would try it if he wasn''t confident." Zule''s eyes shone as he looked at Aire. Somehow, he felt that Aire would definitely seed.


    Suddenly, the amount of Ster Energy being used by the capsule skyrocketed on the disy. Following that, Sera, Kymei, Altina, and Zule felt a burst of Ster Energying from the capsule. After that, the Ster Energy around Aire stabilized just in time for the capsule to stop working after one minute was gone.


    "This..." Altina''s group couldn''t believe what they had witnessed.


    Aire took a step outside and stretched his arms as he said, "Phew... I was afraid for a moment that it wouldn''t work. Fortunately, it went well."


    He couldn''t help butugh after that, continuing, "Hey guys! I''m now at the Ster Bones Stage!"


    Kymei was the first one to recover after hearing that, asking in shock, "What the hell?! Since when did a breakthrough happen this quickly?! That''s impossible!"


    Sera and Altina quickly recovered before nodding vigorously as one of them asked Aire, "Yeah, yeah! How did you do that? Everyone takes an hour at the very least, and those are the really top-ranked geniuses. Not to mention that they use a lot of Ster Resources to do so! Are you even human?!"


    Aire was taken aback as he asked Ste, ''Ste, is what they said true?''


    ''Well, they don''t have the perfect breakthrough method like you do. Consider it a free perk I''m giving you. Hahaha!'' Ste said all of that while feeling very proud of herself.


    However, Aire was already sweating as he asked Zule, "Wh-What if others find about it?"


    Zule yfully smiled in response as he replied, "It seems...we have a newb rat."

 Chapter 25: First Test Results

    Chapter 25: First Test Results


    "Lab rat?!" Aire almost passed out after hearing that.


    Altina, Sera, and Kymei also gave Aire weird looks. It was just way too fast! That broke any record in existence. Not only that, but everyone was pretty sure that no one in the three schools for Risers on Earth did anything like that either.


    Altina then took a deep breath before looking at Zule and asking, "Zule, can we keep it a secret? If we let him out right now, I''m pretty sure we won''t find anyone else for our team. We can''t lose any members just when the Resource War is starting."


    Sera and Kymei nodded in agreement. They were also afraid of the same thing. After all, their team score would only count the three of them if Aire was taken away.


    Zule, of course, immediately took advantage of that situation, saying, "But of course...as long as my Altina cooks tonight."


    C-cooking? Sera, Aire, and Kymei were left speechless after hearing that. Wasn''t that way too cheap of a price? In an instant, the three of them looked at Altina, screaming with their eyes to ept Zule''s terms.


    However, Altina''s face was as pale as a ghost as she responded, "Do-Does it really have to be cooking?" It was obvious that there was a reason why Zule mentioned that.


    Zule nodded,pletely ignoring the plight in Altina''s eyes as he said, "Uh-huh. I won''t ept anything else other than seeing my Altina cook."


    Soon after that, he looked at Aire and the others, telling them, "You guys should make sure toe as well. Trust me, this is a sight to behold."


    Aire''s group became even more puzzled after that. Obviously, they became more curious as well. Just how could cooking make Altina act like that?


    Sadly, Altina didn''t have much choice, though. She gritted her teeth and nodded in the end, responding, "Fine! However, only one meal! No desserts or appetizers!"


    "Deal!" Zule immediately nodded without even thinking.


    Aire sighed in relief and then asked something else, "By the way, how did my test turn out?"


    Only then did everyone remember that they haven''t looked at Aire''s result yet. "Oh, right! The score!"


    Without dy, they all looked at Aire''s individual ranking, expecting something extraordinary. After all, he was even able to breakthrough in just one minute! How ridiculously high would his talent be to do that? However, everyone''s expression looked off as soon as they saw the result.


    -Aire Ruehnar, 125 Points, 103856th position.-


    In fact, that position only shed for less than a second, so they almost missed it. That''s because Aire''s position was plummeting so fast that they weren''t able to keep track of it.


    "What the hell?!" Naturally, they couldn''t understand what happened...except for Zule.


    "Oh! I see...hahaha!" Zuleughed out loud, catching the attention of Aire''s group. "It''s simple, really. Aire''s result was taken at the very end of the test, which was at the very moment he finished his breakthrough. No one ever thought someone would try a breakthrough during this test, so the program didn''t ount for it."


    Zule then pointed at the capsule, continuing, "When Aire finished his breakthrough, his Ster Energy Absorption calmed down so that his Riser Level could stabilize. That was the moment the score was calcted. After all, Aire wasn''t in the Ster Blood Stage anymore, but the Ster Bones Stage instead. Simply put, he only spent a second or two in that level inside the capsule. So, the capsule did a reading of what it could, which is why he ended up with this meager result. If Aire does the test again, we should be able to see his real score."


    Everyone understood that Zule wasn''t done talking, though.


    "However..." Zule shrugged his shoulders after that as he said, "It''s against the rules to take this test more than once. After all, this is an expensive test that uses too much Ster Energy. If we let everyone try it several times, the school''s reserve will definitely run out of Ster Energy. I''m sorry, everyone. But it seems like this is your final result. Even if I put him inside the capsule again and rerun the test, the system won''t ept an update to his student ID."


    Altina and the others''plexions went pale after hearing that. Didn''t that mean that their already subpar rank would be lower than before?


    Altina tried to salvage the situation, saying, "It can''t be, right? The result was wrong. It only happened because of his breakthrough. Surely there must be a way to do the test again. If we exin the situ-"


    However, she immediately noticed the problem here as she muttered, "His breakthrough..."


    Zule nodded, responding, "Exactly! If we exin why the test went wrong, that means you have to tell the truth about his breakthrough inside the capsule. In other words, that means losing him as a team member. That being said, your situation would be even worse."


    Aire scratched the back of his head in response, saying, "Sorry, guys. I thought that if I was in the Ster Bones Stage from the very start, I would be able to help the group even more." Well, it wasn''t a lie, but he was more afraid of his death instead.


    Sera and the others couldn''t help but sigh after hearing that. In any other situation, Aire''s breakthrough would indeed be a big boost to their team. But the moment he chose to do so was just too poor.


    Sera then shook her head, saying, "Well, I guess there''s nothing we can do about it. Altina, Kymei, and I are still considered above average in our results. When we include your below-average one, I guess our ranking will still start in the middle of the pack."


    Altina and Kymei were still unwilling, but they knew the school''s rules when it came to the Ster Risers'' test. There was no way they could take it back.


    Fortunately, Altina quickly recovered after that, saying, "Whatever. There is no point crying over spilled milk. Our only chance now is the next test."


    Zule agreed with Altina, telling them, "Exactly. It''s time to test your aptitudes for your side upations. Well, each one of you will have to move to your own upation faction to do it."


    "upation faction?" Aire did not know what that was, so he asked.


    Kymei then exined, "It''s very simple. Each upation has a faction dedicated to that job. In my case, it would be the Ster Rune Circuitry Researcher Faction. Altina is in the Warriors Faction, while Sera''s in the Ster Suit Designers'' Faction. As for you, the Ster Smith Faction is where you need to go for the upational test."


    Aire couldn''t help but ask, "But I''ve never tried this Ster Smith job before. Will it be okay?"


    Zule answered that question, saying, "It''s fine. Just like the Ster Energy Aptitude Test, all factions have a scoring system for new applicants. Just go there, and they''ll take care of the rest."


    He then looked at everyone before saying, "Alright, time to go. I need to send these capsules back to their ces before anyone notices I took them away. Hahaha!"


    Altina and the others didn''t know what to say about that, so they simply turned around and left the area. At the very least, they could count on their upation tests.

 Chapter 26: Stellar Smith 17th Faction Branch

    Chapter 26: Ster Smith 17th Faction Branch


    Aire made his way to the so-called Smith Faction. Then again, it wasn''t as if it was located in a single ce due to the school''s size. He simply went to the closest one to his dormitory. ''I wonder if there is a way to avoid this...'' he thought along the way. Well, he knew it was just his wishful thinking.


    Since upations were also considered part of one''s team total score, there were quite a few queues on each upation faction... except for the Ster Smiths. As soon as Aire arrived there, he noticed that the counter waspletely empty. If not because of the big sign saying that the tests should be taken there, Aire would think he had arrived at the wrong ce. ''Sure enough, Risers hate this job.''


    "Hello, how can I help you?" Out of nowhere, an attendant of the workshop greeted Aire.


    Aire looked at the guy and asked, "I came to take the test for Ster Smiths. What should I do?"


    The attendant smiled back in response as he replied, "Oh, you cane with me. A few Risers are doing the test, but there''s more than enough space for you to join." Soon after, he guided Aire towards a different hall.


    As soon as the door opened, Aire felt a wave of hot, dry air blowing on his face. He looked at the ce and could see multiple machines. Unfortunately, Aire couldn''t recognize any of them. Near a few of those machines, some students were going through the test. Last but not least, there was only one examinator who walked around the room as he looked at each candidate''s work.


    There was only one thing that was simr for all participants even though they were doing different jobs. All of them were sweating buckets as the machines absorbed their Ster Energy nonstop. The school couldn''t possibly spare its reserves to power up the Ster Smith Equipment, so the students had to do it themselves. It wasn''t because the school didn''t want to, but because the profession just used way too much of it.


    The supervisor then stopped by one table after another during the test.


    "Very good. Increase the amount of Ster Energy infusion by 17%. It should be just enough to concentrate the metal''s properties."


    "You, move away from there. I told you, don''t get too close to the Pinpoint Furnace when you use your Ster Energy. The heat might follow the cables, invading your body in the process."


    "Hey, you can stop the test. Unfortunately, your Ster Energy reserves and maniption skills aren''t enough for the job. Head back to your dormitory and select another upation to practice."


    "Oh, you there. Your skills in manipting Ster Energy aren''t that good, but it isn''t at the level of being hopeless yet. I can see that your Clearcut Skills are very polished. If you can hold on until you finish this piece of Maren te, I''ll let you pass the exam and give you a score for your team."


    After some time, the supervisor looked in Aire''s direction and smiled at him, saying, "Oh, a new yer? Come,e. The Smith Faction is open for everyone willing to at least try it out. Just keep in mind that we can''t keep anyone without enough Ster Energy reserves or maniption skills."


    Before Aire could answer, the supervisor pulled him with great gusto inside as the attendant left the room before asking, "Tell me, how good are your Ster Smith skills?"


    Aire scratched the back of his head in response, saying, "The truth is that I only decided on this upation recently, so I don''t know anything. Well, my team members said that this job should fit my aptitudes well."


    The supervisor nodded with satisfaction as he responded, "That''s more than enough. If you don''t know the job, then we can just teach you. However, there''s nothing we can do if you don''t have the necessary Ster Energy reserves or maniption skills. By the way, I''m the supervisor of the 17th branch of our Ster Smith Faction, Due Xomeu." Due was really amicable, which made Aire feel that their conversation slightly awkward.


    Nevertheless, Due ignored the feeling as he continued, "Anyways, I need to know your Riser Level and Stage. Also, it would be good to know your name."


    "I''m Aire Ruehnar. As for my level and stage, I''m at the Ster Body Transformation Level, Ster Bones Stage. This is my first year in the Ascension Age School," Aire answered straight away.


    "Alright. Aire, there''s a quick way to see if you have the aptitude to be a smith or not." Due then brought Aire to one of the Pinpoint Furnaces before exining, "This is a Pinpoint Furnace. From the name itself, it''s obviously used to heat up metals. However, only fire propelled by Ster Energy can be used on Ster Materials. This furnace isn''t as good as the newer models nowadays, but it can still do its job. Besides, it''s one of the easiest to operate. You can control the temperature, strength, the position of the melted metal, its form, theyers when creating alloy, and so on."


    "Don''t look down on this furnace. Even though it''s an easier model to use, that doesn''t mean the job is easy in any way. It will drain the Ster Energy in your body nonstop, so it''s very taxing on the body. That''s why only students with high Ster Energy Aptitude and control can be epted."


    Aire nodded as he touched the controls, asking, "Alright, how should I operate it?"


    Due then looked at one of the Ster Smiths that was helping him with the test. "C,e here. We have a new guy. Teach him how to use the furnace. I''ll check on him once I''m finished checking the other candidates." After that, Due left to continue his observation.


    Aire was quite surprised, though. He could see that most of the students taking the test and the workshop assistants were men. C was one of the only three women he could see in the ce. "Is it harder for women to be Ster Smiths?" Aire asked with a hint of curiosity.


    Cughed as she calibrated the furnace for Aire''s level and experience. "Of course not. However, look at the other Ster Smiths and me. We''re all sweaty and dirty. Do you think most of the women with high aptitude would select such a job?"


    Aire bitterly smiled as he apologized, "Guess not. Sorry."


    C didn''t mind it, responding, "Don''t worry, that at least means that only women who really like the job would join it." C finished the calibration just after she was finished saying that. "Alright, go ahead. I''ll tell you how to operate it. We''ll start with an easy job so supervisor Due can obtain a good assessment from you."

 Chapter 27: Real Gem

    Chapter 27: Real Gem


    Aire nodded and started to follow C''s instructions.


    "First, put on this belt. It''s connected to the Pinpoint Furnace and will absorb the Ster Energy you have in your body. Because you''re still in the Ster Bones Stage, there isn''t much for you to manipte. Nevertheless, it should be enough to melt down a piece of Suruca Ore," C said as she took the ore from a box. After that, she exined the ore she took out, "Suruca Ore is amon Ster Material that isn''t too hard to find. The melting point is only 356 Savs, which someone with high Ster Energy Aptitude should be able to do in a minute or so."


    Aire was left confused after hearing the material''s melting point, prompting him to ask, "Savs? Is that some kind of temperature measurement?"


    "Oh, you really are clueless about Ster Smiths, aren''t you?" C asked as sheughed.


    Aire scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as he replied, "Sorry. As I said, it was my roommates who rmended this upation to me. I''m truly clueless about it. If you want, I can leave straight away."


    C immediately shook her head, responding, "There''s absolutely no problem with that at all."


    How could shein? Risers with high Aptitudes were already very hard to find, let alone one who wanted to be a Smith. In a certain way, the Ster Smith Faction had the most lenient requirement for members to join as long as they reached the required Aptitude and maniption. Have you never heard of it? No problem. Came out to take the test without knowing anything whatsoever? They can teach you. It was that simple.


    C then gave a quick exnation, "Sav is indeed the unit of measurement for temperature. However, the temperature of fire fuelled by Ster Energy works differently than normal heat. Because of that, the Baulmu Alliance created this new measurement method."


    "Why is that?" Aire couldn''t help but be curious, which pleased C.


    "Have you ever heard of the Kelvin measurement?" C asked with a smile.


    "Yes." Aire nodded before continuing, "If I remember correctly, it has something to do with the famous absolute zero. Kelvin measurement starts right from this point. Since it''s impossible to go any lower than absolute zero, measurements were made starting from there. That''s the Kelvin measurement."


    C nodded with satisfaction as she said in response, "Good, you''re exactly right. Kelvin starts from absolute zero. However, the truth is that with Ster Energy, it''s now possible to go even lower than absolute zero. That''s Ster Absolute Variation, or Sav in short form. Just like how heat can be added infinitely as long as there''s enough energy, cold can be colder without limit thanks to Ster Energy."


    Aire then remembered something he learned in ss before. "Wait a minute, that doesn''t make sense. Cold is nothing more than the absence of heat. That''s why absolute zero exists. After all, once all heat is removed, there''s simply no way to go lower."


    C couldn''t help but look at Aire with different eyes as she said, giggling, "Now look at that. You seemed to be interested in this kind of thing. This is a great quality for a Ster Smith."


    "You''re exactly right again. Unfortunately, you forget how Ster Energy changed the Universe. Thanks to Ster Energy, we''ve discovered the Fourth Dimension, didn''t we? It''s basically the same thing. Now we know we can go even further, surpassing the simple absence of heat. It''s that simple. So far, the lowest temperature achieved that''s known by the public is -12896 Sav," she continued.


    "How much would -12896 Sav be in Kelvin?" Aire asked straight away.


    C shrugged her shoulders in response as she said, "That''s why I used Kelvin to exin. It turns out that the Baulmu Alliance Races also knew of absolute zero before we met each other. However, each race had a different name for it. Obviously, it would be too much of a hassle to keep converting everything, so they all reached an agreement and came up with this name, Sav. You can go infinitely hot and infinitely cold."


    Aire had to admit that this conversation was very entertaining. "I see..." Soon after, Aire began to use his Ster Energy to fuel the Pinpoint Furnace. "Good, I got the gist of it. What should I do now?"


    C nodded as she exined the controls to Aire. Following that, Aire followed the steps and controlled the Ster Fire in the furnace to melt the Suruca Ore. At first, he was having some difficulties with the task. After all, not only did one need to control the fire, but the material inside as well. Position, form, concentration of heat, all of that had to be adjusted at the same time.


    "Keep calm. It''s only this hard at the start. With Ster Energy, you can do many things at the same time. It''s just an issue of getting used to the equipment," C said as she observed the process, giving Aire a few words of encouragement.


    Every now and then, C would give Aire a few directions, which made the process a lot easier. Eventually, C gave him the order, "Alright, that should be enough. Use your Ster Energy to control the fire and start the melting process."


    Aire took a deep breath and followed C''s order. The Ster Energy in his body was still being absorbed by the belt, but this time, it was happening at a faster rate. Nheless, Aire ignored that as he paid attention to what was happening inside. At some point, Aire began to feelfortable, and the burden of controlling all of that disappeared little by little. ''It''s as if I suddenly grew wings. Because I''m a human, I don''t have wings, so I obviously wouldn''t be able to use them well from the get-go. However, it turns out that it isn''t as hard as I thought.''


    C stopped talking and smiled at the sight, seeing that Aire didn''t need her help anymore. Soon after, someone put a hand on her shoulder, startling her a little. "Oh, superv-"


    However, Due covered her mouth, shaking his head as he whispered, "Keep quiet, or you will break his concentration."


    Due noticed when Aire started the melting process, so he came back to check. Though, he didn''t expect that Aire would grasp the methods this quickly. ''Seems like we''ve got a real gem here.''

 Chapter 28: Welcome Aboard

    Chapter 28: Wee Aboard


    Well, that''s what Due thought at first. After all, Aire was doing quite well while his Ster Energy was still being absorbed by the Pinpoint Furnace. However, he noticed something peculiar as he looked at the other few candidates who were also going through the tests. ''This boy... is not sweating at all...''


    For Ster Risers, the temperature of the room they were in wasn''t enough to make them sweat. What caused that was the constant use and control of their Ster Energy, as well as their high concentration at controlling the equipment. When putting all of that together, they would naturally sweat buckets, let alone someone who had never tried it before.


    Due then looked at C for a moment before asking her quietly, "Are you sure you configured the Pinpoint Furnace to his level?"


    C, who was also impressed, nodded as she replied, "Of course! You know me, I wouldn''t make such a rookie mistake. Besides, the only level worse than his is the Ster Blood Stage. That should still be enough to give him some difficulty, but he isn''t feeling any."


    Due had to admit that C was right.


    Time passed, and soon, the one minute C mentioned before was over. The Pinpoint Furnace then stopped as the controls turned off. The Ster Fire inside the Furnace had also disappeared, leaving only brown liquid lying there.


    "Could it be that I seeded?" Aire asked, surprised at how easy he found melting Suruca Ore was. He then turned around to look at C, only to then notice Due there. "Oh, supervisor Due. Did I do it right?"


    Due couldn''t help butugh out loud as he said, "Hahaha! Right? It''s perfect! Your objective was to simply melt down the ore. I didn''t expect that you would do it without even breaking a sweat. I have to say, your Ster Energy Aptitude is terrifying." Due wasn''t trying to make Aire feel better. He truly thought that way. After all, he knew just how hard it was.


    C also nodded as her eyes glistened. "Truly, a real gem. You''re just perfect for the Ster Smith upation."


    She then looked at Due before asking, "Supervisor Due, how about we admit him into the Ster Smith Faction straight away? With such high control and aptitude, he''s bound to do great in the upation."


    Aire was taken aback by those words, prompting him to ask, "Bu-but...what about the other tests? How can my team receive the points for the Team Score if I don''t try the other equipment?"


    Due immediately understood what C wanted as he replied, "Oh! Don''t worry. We will test you right away. It''s just that we know that you can be a Ster Smith, so we''ll admit you in before we continue."


    While saying that, he thought in his head, ''Are you kidding me? If you suddenly decide to go out and try other upations, you''ll definitely be epted. Our Branch is alreadycking in members. There is no way in hell will I let you go that easily.'' Of course, Due didn''t say that out loud, afraid of making Aire give up on the upation.


    Aire didn''t see anything strange about it since Altina and the others told him that they needed it. Since they wanted to make him a member straight away, then that was for the best. Besides, Ste was bothering him nonstop to do so. "Aire~! You need to be a Ster Smith. Because of how bad this universe''s equipment is, it turns out that this job will be perfect for you to get a better grasp over your Ster Energy Control. It''s perfect!"


    Aire''s mouth twitched after hearing that. Stepletely ridiculed their equipment and made it look like it was a good thing. "Alright, alright. I understand. They already invited me in, didn''t they? So, shut up, will you?"


    Though, it was then that Aire remembered something else. "Oh, one more thing. That Energy Flow Blood Assistance was pretty good. I could feel it during this job."


    Ste was happy to hear that as she replied, "Right? Right?! I''m amazing! Don''t worry. You''ll gain ess to even better skills in the future!"


    Aire and Ste''s conversation onlysted a few seconds through their mental connection. Aire then paid attention to Due and C again as he smiled, saying, "Alright then, I''ll ept your offer. What should I do next?"


    Due immediately put on hismunicator after hearing that, responding, "It''s very simple. I just need your student ID. After that, I can ess the system and include you in our Branch."


    Aire immediately gave him that, saying, "That''s handy. My Student ID is 706QTO28B100."


    Due nodded and checked Aire''s iD. However, he was taken aback as soon as he looked at it, muttering, "What?! That makes no sense!"


    C and Aire became curious as they simultaneously asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Due took a deep look at Aire and eventually asked, "The report says that you only have 125 points for Ster Energy Aptitude. How''s that possible?" Sure enough, that result went against what Aire showed just now.


    Aire scratched the back of his head as he got closer to Due before whispering in his ears, "Supervisor Due, that''s a personal issue, so would you mind ignoring it? Unfortunately, I can''t tell you about it right now."


    If it was any other faction supervisor, they would definitely try to get to the bottom of this issue. However, we were talking about the Ster Smith upation. They alreadycked so much in talents. How could Due let Aire go just because he wanted to know his secret? Whatever it was, it most likely wasn''t as important as having Aire joining their Ster Smith Faction. That being said, Due whispered back at Aire, "Oh, I see. Don''t worry, young man. I won''t let your secret go out. No one cares about the Ster Smith results, so I doubt anyone would notice any difference."


    Aire couldn''t help but have a better impression of the supervisor. The phrase ''no one cares'' couldn''t sound more divine in Aire''s ears. "Thank you, Senior Due."


    "Hahaha!" Dueughed in response as he said, "It''s fine, it''s fine! Come, let''s start the next tests. By the way, I already added you to our 17th Ster Smith Faction Branch. Wee aboard."

 Chapter 29: How Many Points?

    Chapter 29: How Many Points?


    Due then left once again to check on the other candidates while C was entrusted to continue Aire''s test. "What did you tell him back there that he gave up questioning you?"


    Aire scratched the back of his head in response, saying, "Errrr...let''s just say it''s a personal issue." He obviously couldn''t tell her either.


    C shrugged her shoulders, not minding it. "Well, whatever. Let''s head to the Ster Clearcut Machine. Unlike the Pinpoint Furnace, this one doesn''t have too much of a requirement for Ster Energy Aptitude. However, the control necessary is far higher. That''s because most of the materials used to create Rune Circuitse from this since those are extremely small parts."


    "I see..." Aire immediately thought of Kymei. He did mention that his field of expertise was Ster Rune Circuitry. ''No wonder Kymei and Sera wanted a Ster Smith so much.''


    Just like before, a belt was attached to Aire, leaving his hands free to operate the controls. C once again exined everything and even used the Suruca Ore Aire had worked on before to test him. Once again, it turns out that Aire felt quitefortable with these kinds of machines. It took some time for him to get used to controlling many things while his own Ster Energy was being drained, but he was fine by the end of it.


    And just like that, Aire was introduced to other pieces of equipment one by one while the candidates ahead of him had already passed by there. Aire also noticed that other candidates began to use the machines that he used before. They were other new Ster Riser students that arrived after Aire was finished his test. Sure enough, Due treated every single one of them well, trying to make them feel at home. He only sent them away when he was sure they weren''t cut out for the job. If there was even a small chance that they could make it through, he wouldn''t let them go unless the candidates themselves wanted to leave.


    Of course,pared to other upations, the 17th Ster Smith Branch was as deserted as any of the remaining ones. The only exception would be the Main Branch in the school, which did have quite a few students taking the test. Nevertheless, it couldn''tpare to the other upations'' main branches either.


    "Alright, Aire. You did very well. In fact, it was several times better than I could have imagined. To be honest, your Ster Energy Aptitude and control of the equipment are definitely above the Ster Bones Stage," Due said with a smile.


    Aire was surprised himself. He felt that the job would be excruciatingly tiresome, but he didn''t feel that way. It was then that Ste exined, ''The reason it feels easy is because you''re operating everything below your new body''s limits. Naturally, it feels a lot easier than it is for the others.''


    Are wasn''t the least bit disappointed as he replied, ''Great! That means I can stick to my Riser Level while not being too tired. It''s perfect! I love the Ster Smith upation! Hahaha!'' Aireughed out loud in his mind as he said that.


    Ste sighed in response as she said, ''But Aire~... If you keep taking easy jobs, it won''t have much of a point for your training. Next time when youe to learn more about the job, make sure to operate the equipment using a configuration for someone at the Ster Organs Stage.''


    ''What?! Can''t I make do with the actual level?'' Aire still hoped that Ste would agree to her words.


    Unfortunately for him, Ste''s eyes began to get teary once again as she muttered, ''Bu-but... if you don''t train properly... we''re gonna go boom...'' Ste''s feelings once again invaded Aire''s mind, forcing him to give up.


    ''Alright, alright! I''ll make sure to do that. In any case, I believe Senior Due would tell me that anyway.'' Aire was truly too weak against his sister''s face.


    ''Really?! Thank you, Aire~!'' Ste''s emotions, obviously, changed in less than a second.


    Sure enough, Aire was right about his assessment. Due intended to do exactly that as he said, "Aire, you''re already part of the Ster Smith Organization. However, we don''t have time to train you right now because of the ongoing tests. We''ll send you the schedule for new Ster Smiths once we''re finished with the tests."


    He then said, "Also, since your aptitude is higher than your Riser Level, we''ll be raising the difficulty of your routine as well. It would be a waste to keep you at the same configuration as other Ster Bones Stage Risers."


    Aire could only nod as Steughed in his mind, responding, "Yes...Senior Due. I''ll be back once you have figured it out."


    Due left soon after to watch over the other students as he left C to exin the rest. She then told Aire, "Alright, because Ster Smiths are scarce, we have a few perks. For example, we have priority over Ster Energy Materials thate to the school over other factions. That''s because we wouldn''t be able to use much of it to start with. There''s also the fact that everyone needs Ster Smiths." While doing so, she brought Aire to the Branch''s office to finish Aire''s final registration.


    "That being said, you shouldn''t have much problem selecting the materials you want to work on. However, you should try and not stand out too much. Almost no one wants to be a Ster Smith, but everyone wants to have one at their beck and call. If you already have ns, then don''t ept any offer that appears too good to be true. Chances are that you will sign a lifetime contract, and your contract will work you to the bones."


    Aire immediately nodded as he made a mental note, thinking to himself, ''Even if God himselfes here, I will not sign any contract.'' The phrase ''work to the bones'' was more than enough for Aire to never forget C''s warning.


    "It''s good that you understand." C then arrived at her personal terminal in the Office and put Aire''s data inside. "Alright, your final score for the Ster Smith upation is now online. You can check it through yourmunicator at any time."


    Aire''s interest was immediately piqued. Just how many points did he get?

 Chapter 30: Riser Technique

    Chapter 30: Riser Technique


    This time, however, Aire''s score was truly a wonder for his team. With a total of 786 points, his overall ranking instantly jumped to the top 5000. Those points were acquired after Due considered everything. Aire''s control over the equipment, his Ster Energy Aptitude for the specific jobs, his sense for the various processes, the results, and so on.


    It was truly an impressive number since Aire only got 125 points on his first test with Zule. In the end, he finished both tests with 911 points.


    "This...isn''t this too good?" Aire muttered in surprise. The score he got was way beyond what he expected.


    C shook her head as she said, "Of course not! You''re truly underestimating your Ster Smith Aptitude. If you paid attention to the other Risers going through the test, you would have noticed that none of them got even close to what you did."


    She then continued as she asked, "There''s also another benefit for you, have you noticed?"


    Aire immediately looked back at his overall score and immediately noticed what it was. "Oh! Both my scores are added together, but it isn''t possible to see how much I got from each test."


    C smiled in response as she replied, "Exactly! You seem to have some issues you wish to hide, right? That''s just perfect for you. Although your position of rank 4567 is pretty good, it isn''t to the point where the whole school wille after you. After all, there are thousands of Risers above you. Besides, your position will most likely fall once the three days of testing are over."


    Aire was more than happy with that. He was able to help his team with that by not dragging them down while he didn''t stand out too much. That was perfect for him. "By the way, what position you think I''ll end up at?"


    "Hmm..." C pondered over the question a bit before responding, "I would put your final score around the 8000 to 9000th position. This, of course, is based on the score fromst year. You can check that as well in yourmunicator."


    Aire quickly did as she said, and sure enough, he got ess to thest years'' scores. "Oh, I see...well, that''s good enough for me. Is there anything else I should do?"


    C shook her head, saying, "Not really. You can head back to your dormitory. You might as well use the day to do other things since your friends will most likely take a long time toe back."


    Sure enough, Aire''s Ster Smith Test finished much faster than Altina, Kymei, or Sera''s upational tests did. He called them through hismunicator and found out that none of them were even close to starting their tests yet. That showed just how many people filled their test locations. "As expected of the most undesired upational job, I guess?"


    Without anything else to do, Aire headed back to his dormitory to organize his things. After all, he spent a lot of time with the school''s arrangements that he didn''t have the opportunity to do it before.


    *Beep.*


    Out of nowhere, Aire''smunicator shed as he obtained a video message from Zule. "Hey, Aire. Have you already selected your Riser Training Technique?"


    Zule seemed to be doing something in the background as he continued, "I looked into your files, but I couldn''t find anything rted to that."


    Though, Aire''s only response was that of confusion. Riser Training Technique? He had never heard of such a thing before. "Could it be something rted to the skills Risers can use after entering the Ster Maniption Level? Like attacks and stuff like that?" Aire asked.


    He had seen some demonstration of Risers'' abilities online before. The government used it to attract even more people with the talent to be Risers. There were many uses like flying, offense, defense, and so on. Of course, it wasn''t only battle-rted. Their abilities could also be used in many other fields like construction, transport, research, etc.


    Zule shook his head as he rified, "That''s not it. Well...you could say that all those abilities are rted to it somehow, though. Anyway, these techniques are used to increase the speed of your development. Depending on your affinities, a special technique will be selected. That should increase your development speed a lot."


    Aire was surprised to hear that. However, a question quickly popped into his mind right after, prompting him to ask Zule, "Wait, should I have taken this technique before going through the tests today? I could have done much better."


    Zule shook his head as he said in response, "It would be useless. After all, you just arrived here a few days ago. There''s no way you could get used to it before the tests. You would need at least a few months to get used to it so that it could present a significant change to your overall ability."


    Zule then smiled as he continued, "That''s why Altina''s Spiritual Energy Aptitude Score increased by over 50 points after a year. Well, she had always been the effort above talent type, so the technique helped a lot in her case. Others wouldn''t have gotten that far in a single year."


    Aire understood what Zule was getting at. "I see...well, I''m up for any extra help in improving," Aire said, bing slightly excited to get a technique that would make his already good aptitude even better. "Where should I go to get one?"


    Zule nodded as he answered, "Come to my privateb. I have ess to most of the techniques avable in our school. I can help you find your affinities and then select the best technique."


    "Privateb?" Aire got even more curious about Zule''s identity, asking him, "I''ve been wanting to ask you this before. Just who are you?"


    Zuleughed in response as he dodged the question. "Me? I''m no one special. Let''s just say that I have a few perks that give me a few advantages, that''s all."


    He then changed the topic as he said, "Anyway,e by my ce. I''ve already sent the location to yourmunicator." After that, Zule ended the call.


    As soon as he did that, Ste''s voice echoed in Aire''s mind as she told him, "Riser Technique! Aire~! Let''s head there, quickly! I want to see them!"


    Aire nodded in response before leaving his room.

 Chapter 31: Elemental Affinity

    Chapter 31: Elemental Affinity


    Sometimeter, Aire arrived at an inconspicuous building not far from his dormitory. If not for the fact that it had the wordb in the front, Aire would have thought he came to the wrong ce. ''Still, why would he build hisb in such a ce?''


    Surprisingly, Aire was right to think like that. Any teacher in the Ascension School had quite a few advantages. For example, it wouldn''t be hard for them to get a ce close to the school''s center where they would be closer to everything else.


    Aire then shook his head, cing these thoughts behind. It had nothing to do with him, after all. He quickly arrived at the counter, where a young man was dealing with a few documents. Soon, he asked, "Hello, is this Zule''sb?"


    The young man looked at Aire for a moment before nodding, saying, "You should be Aire, right? Senior Zule is waiting for you in hisb." The guy then pointed in a certain direction before continuing, "Take the third door on the left. You will arrive at his office at the end of the corridor. I''ll send him a message. I''ll tell him you''re here."


    Aire nodded and headed straight to where the young man pointed. After arriving at the ce, he knocked on the door, only to be greeted with silence. "Seems like he''s not here yet."


    He then decided to wait inside and opened the door. The room looked quite high-tech. Many disys and equipment that Aire had no idea what they served for could be seen throughout the room. However, what caught his attention were the few framed pictures on the desk. "Hmm...this little girl looks a lot like Altina."


    "That''s because it really is her," a voice said from behind Aire.


    Hearing that, Aire turned around and saw the familiar figure of Zule entering the room. "Oh, Teacher Zule. No one answered the door, so I went inside myself. Should I not do that?"


    Zuleughed in response, saying, "Hahaha! Feel free to enter whenever. Even if you didn''te inside, I would have pulled you in. After all, you definitely won''t find cuter photos of Altina than this ce." Zule shrugged his shoulder right after, saying, "Well, she probably would hate to know that I''m showing it to you."


    Aire understood what Zule meant, trying to figure out what was on his mind as he asked, "It''s exactly because she would hate it that you would show them to me, right?" Aire was more or less aware of Zule''s personality.


    "Hahaha! You''re the one who said that, not me." Zule tried to brush responsibility off with those words.


    Aire shrugged his shoulders in response before asking, "What exactly is your rtion with her?"


    Zule shook his head as he answered, "That you will have to ask her. Well, I doubt she''ll open her mouth and tell you. Hehe!"


    Aire wasn''t that much interested in their rtionship to begin with, so he didn''t insist. "Alright, what about the Riser Techniques you told me?"


    Zule then turned around as he said, "Come with me. I''m going to bring you to myboratory. We can check what kind of affinities and constitution you have there."


    After passing through a few security checks, Aire eventually arrived at Zule''sb, which was enormous. "Isn''t this a bit too exaggerated?" He thought that perhaps he was brought here to truly be ab rat.


    "What are you talking about?" Zule said with a hint of confusion. "If you look at thebs of the top researchers in our school, you''ll probablyugh at my face because of how small my ownb looks." Zule couldn''t help but show a sad expression when he said that.


    He quickly recovered though as he said, "Anyway, let''s leave that aside. Come here."


    Zule then brought Aire to a small tower where several colored rings floating around it could be seen. "We need to test your elemental affinity."


    "What should I do?" Aire found the equipment quite interesting...although he didn''t know how to use it.


    Zule nodded in response as he exined, "It''s quite simple. Can you see the two handlers on both sides?" Aire nodded and waited for Zule to continue. "Just put your hands on them, and the Ster Elemental Asserting Processor will do the rest. Those floating rings represent the several known elements that can be controlled by Ster Energy. Depending on which one shines, that would be your elemental affinity."


    Aire was happy to hear that. "Oh! That''s quite simple. Alright, can we start?"


    Zule then headed to a terminal located by the small tower''s side and inputted a fewmands in it. Soon after, the tower seemed toe to life as the rings began to spin around it. "Alright, everything is ready. Your Ster Energy will be absorbed once you hold the handles. Because the Ster Energy is processed by your body, it will have a hint of the Element that suits your body the most. Go ahead, try it."


    Aire nodded and immediately put his hands on the handles. Sure enough, it was as Zule mentioned. His Ster Energy began to be absorbed by the tower while the rings began to spin even faster. However, the spins started to slow down one after another, leaving only the topmost ring unaffected.


    However, as soon as Zule saw that, his eyes widened as he said in surprise, "Well, that''s a surprise!"


    Aire could not help but think something had gone wrong as he saw Zule''s reaction. "What is it? Did something wrong happen?"


    Zule shook his head as he said, "No, nothing wrong happened. It''s just that it has been a very long time since something like this happened."


    Eventually, the topmost ring began to shine with light, a white light. At the same time that white light became brightened, Zule had an ecstatic expression on his face. "Hahaha! Great! This is great!"


    A few secondster, the equipment turned off, turning all the rings t static once more, including Aire''s elemental ring. Aire took his hands off the tower soon after and looked at Zule with curiosity as he asked, "So? What happened?"


    Zule''s mind, which was lost in his thoughts, came back when Aire called his attention. "Aire, my friend. You truly are a wonder. To think that you would have a deviant elemental affinity. It''s truly impressive."


    Obviously, Aire immediately thought of his healing abilities before asking, "So, what''s it about?"

 Chapter 32: Techniques

    Chapter 32: Techniques


    Zule then began to exin, "Deviant Elements are like what the name suggests. They''re Elemental Affinities that aren''t mainstream."


    He then pointed at the rings floating around the small tower, except for the topmost one, continuing, "Each of these rings represents amon affinity. The main four are Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind. The majority of the living beings in our Baulmu Alliance are born with one of those."


    Aire understood as he said, "However, I''m different."


    "Exactly!" Zule eximed with an excited expression. "That''s what we call a deviant element. There are many types of deviant elemental affinities like metal, dark, light, lightning, void, and so on. The problem is that those are way too rare. You just so happen to have one of those."


    Aire couldn''t help but ask, "Which one do I have?"


    Zule shrugged his shoulders as he replied, "Well, I believe you can control what we call the Mirage Element."


    "Mi-Mirage?" Zule''s answer went in apletely different direction than Aire previously thought. After all, what about his healing ability? He thought that he would control the Light Element instead. ''Well, I only thought that I had Light Element Affinity because that''s what healers in the games I yed did...''


    Zule then pointed at the topmost ring in the small tower as he continued, "Can you see the white light in this ring? Pay close attention. It''s notpletely white."


    Aire looked at it closely, and sure enough, it had a slightly yellow hue to it. It wasn''tpletely white as he initially thought. With that, he asked, "So, this is the color of Mirage, right? What can it do? Create illusions?"


    Zule nodded, responding, "Pretty much. The good thing is that these illusions are very hard to discern from the real thing. You can also use it to disguise real things, making them even harder to see through. Simply put, this element is a huge boon in team battles. I''m sure Altina will love it when you guys go and do a battle test."


    Aire looked away, not finding the idea as exciting as Zule made it seem. "Ahem...is there any other use for a Mirage Element user?"


    "Another use?" Zule went silent for a moment before responding, "Well, it''s quite a good ability for jobs that need conceptualization. For example, your roommate, Sera, is a Ster Suit Designer, right? You can use it to bring her ideas to life before trying to create the thing itself. It wouldn''t be as good as building the real thing, but it''ll help out quite a lot."


    Aire sighed in response after hearing that. From the looks of it, his healing abilities weren''t part of the set of skills the Mirage Element offered. ''Then, what affinity could it be? Could it be that I have two different Elemental Affinities?''


    "What about Light Element? What are its abilities?" Aire asked, still thinking that it had something to do with his Healing abilities.


    Zule thought he understood why Aire asked that, responding, "Oh, you''re saying that because you think Mirage and Light are corrted, right?" Aire nodded and waited for Zule to continue. "Well, you aren''t wrong to think that way. Mirage Affinity Risers do manipte light to create their illusions. However, it isn''t the same as having Light Element Affinity. For example, the Light Element can be used to enhance one''s body activity, but a Mirage Element Riser can''t do that."


    "Enhance? I thought Light Element Risers are like in the games, healers." Aire immediately used that excuse to try and extract that information.


    "Hahaha! Healers?" Zule couldn''t help but find that funny. "You''ve yed way too many games. Well, there aren''t many Light Element Risers out there, so I can''t be sure that one of them can''t do that. Though, at the very least, I haven''t heard of a Light Element Riser able to heal others. They can improve their allies'' body strength for a short time, though. As for themselves, they can keep it going as long as they have enough Light Enement and Ster Energy gathered."


    Aire couldn''t help but narrow his eyes. In the end, the Light Element Risers he thought of can''t heal others. However, he hadn''t given up yet, so he came up with an idea to keep asking. "Oh, is that so? Now you''ve made me curious. Since that''s how it is, which type of Elemental Affinity can heal others?"


    Zule stopped to ponder for a moment before shaking his head, saying, "Now that I think about it, I don''t think there is any."


    Aire then shook his head, disappointed as he muttered, "It seems like I won''t find an elf to heal my injuries in the future, then."


    Zule''s eyes lit up as he said, "Oh! So you also have the same dreams as me! That''s right! That''s how a man should fantasize! Come,e! I''ll give you a few of my collections. Just make sure to not let Altina find out." At this point, he began to pull Aire away.


    Aire felt like crying, though. He didn''t have this kind of interest... well, he was young, so he did think of simr things once or twice. Nevertheless, he was only using those words to deceive Zule. After all, he couldn''t let the secret about his healing abilities spread. "Wait, Zule. Aren''t you forgetting something else? The Riser Technique! Am I going to get one?"


    "Oh, that''s right!" Zule put a hand on his head as he recalled this topic. "I will have to ess the database of the Baulmu Alliance to see if I can find any. After all, deviant elemental affinities aren''t something you see every day. Just so you know, our Earth only has seven deviant element risers."


    Zule then headed to another terminal and used his credentials to ess the Baulmu Alliance Network. Aire didn''t know, but the ess Zule just used wasn''t avable for just anyone. "Errr...let''s see...oh, here we are. Mirage Riser Techniques. There are five of them. Which one do you want?" Zule asked as he pointed at the names on the screen.


    However, before Aire even said anything, Ste''s voice echoed in his mind, telling him, ''Just take all of them. I''ll fuse them together and make something appropriate for you.''


    Aire sighed and nodded as he asked Zule, "Can I look into all five first?"


    Zule didn''t seem to mind, saying, "Sure, take your time and let me know when you select one." Following that, he passed the techniques to Aire before warning him, "Be aware that these techniques are quite rare, so I don''t know how they will behave. Also, don''t tell anyone I let you take them."


    Aire nodded before closing hismunicator, saying in gratitude, "Thank you, Teacher Zule."

 Chapter 33: Monotonous Tasks

    Chapter 33: Monotonous Tasks


    While Zule exined the techniques to Aire, he took the chance to talk with Ste mentally. ''Ste, I thought I would have Light Element Affinity, but it seems like the Light Element can''t heal others.''


    Ste nodded, saying with a slight frown, ''I know. However, I can''t tell you much about it since I also don''t know why. Well, I probably do, but most of my memories are blocked together with my abilities.''


    ''You will have to think of something yourself. Perhaps you can use Kymei''s idea. Wait until you reach the Ster Maniption Level and pretend you created the technique on your own.''


    Aire shook his head in response as he responded, ''No can do. With Ramalia overseeing the school, the moment something as incredible as a healing ability appears, she''ll probably consider me as a result of your disappearance.''


    ''Hmm...that''s true.'' Ste agreed with that point. ''Well, you can keep it hidden and only use it when necessary. Or you can also wait until you have a position high enough that disying this ability won''t be a reason for you to be ab rat.''


    ''Well, I guess those are the only options.'' Aire couldn''t think about anything else either.


    Following that, Aire opened the Mirage Riser Techniques and passed them to Ste. Of course, Aire simply pretended that he was taking a quick nce at them in front of Zule. ''Are these enough?''


    As a support assistant, Ste was able to check the entirety of the techniques in just a few seconds. ''Hmm...to be honest, I would want at least a few hundred of them to make something good enough. However, such a thing is obviously impossible. Try to get Zule to give you Light Riser Techniques as well.''


    Aire nodded before asking Zule, "Teacher Zule, you said that Light is connected to Mirage. Would you mind giving me Light Element Riser Techniques as well? I want to take them into consideration to work better around these Mirage Techniques."


    Zule didn''t seem to mind, responding, "Errr...sure...but I doubt you''ll be able toe up with anything. After all, no one else was able to create other Mirage Techniques before."


    Zule then smiled as he patted Aire''s shoulder, continuing, "Well, who knows? Perhaps you can make some breakthrough there. Since you''re taking Light Element Techniques, I''m going to give you the Dark Element ones as well. After all, control over darkness is also part of the Mirage Techniques."


    Aire was happy to hear that and soon saw 13 more files appear in hismunicator before Zule warned him. "As I''ve mentioned before, don''t pass these files to anyone else, or I will be in quite some trouble."


    Aire immediately responded, "Yes, teacher Zule."


    A few hourster, Aire came out of Zule''sb and headed back to his dormitory. At the same time, he asked Ste, ''How is it? Did those techniques help with anything?''


    Ste nodded with a smile, saying, ''Because there weren''t many to start with, there wasn''t much to be improved. Nevertheless, Ipiled the best possible result after taking those techniques into consideration. Can I pass it onto you?''


    Aire nodded, saying, ''Go ahead.''


    As soon as Aire agreed, a stream of information began to enter Aire''s head. ''That feels ufortable somehow...''


    ''Don''t worry,'' Ste reassured him. ''It''s not like I can manipte your existing memories. Besides, the system rules prevent me from trying anything that could harm you. All I''m doing is adding new information, which you''ve already agreed to take. If you disagree to receive any information, I can''t add them to your memories.''


    Aire sighed in relief, saying, ''That''s good, then. Now that I think about it, this is a very convenient ability.'' Aire couldn''t help but have a few ideas on how he could use the feature.


    Unfortunately for him, Ste knew what he was thinking about. ''You can''t use it to learn everything in the school or anything else. It''s part of your training to study and remember the information yourself. What if I''m not here anymore? Will you turn into a vegetable without me?''


    ''Sometimes I find you really useless...'' Aire said with a disappointed expression. ''Oh well, whatever. Let''s take a look at this Mirage Element Technique once I get back to the dormitory.''


    As Aire expected, there was still no one in the room when he came back. In the end, the queues for any other upation were just way too long, so Altina, Kymei, and Sera wouldn''t be back anytime soon. Ignoring that, Aire went to his bed and began to use the technique.


    Ster Energy began to slowly enter his body, which Aire used to enhance his blood cells. Thanks to the Energy Blood Flow Assistance skill, his blood cells were able to carry a lot more Ster Energy to his bones than others could. On top of that, the Mirage Technique also absorbed the elements in Aire''s surroundings. In the end, everyone could use all elements. The difference was how good one would be with each one.


    In Aire''s case, Mirage Element was mainly focused on Light and Dark Elements...or, to be more specific, how to manipte them and create illusory copies. Unfortunately, Aire wasn''t at the Ster Maniption Level yet, so he couldn''t control them at all. ''Nevertheless, I can at least guide them to the right ces thanks to the Mirage Riser Technique. My improvement has be even faster now, but...''


    Aire soon noticed a problem, and so did Ste. ''That''s right. There''s just not enough Ster Energy around for you to use the full potential of your aptitude. Let alone the Energy Blood Flow Assistance and my Age of Mirage Technique.''


    Aire couldn''t help but ask, ''Age of Mirage?''


    ''Exactly! That''s the name I gave it. Cool, right?'' Ste seemed very proud of her naming sense.


    Aire scratched the back of his head and decided to ignore the name as he asked, ''So, I guess I arrived at the point where I would need Ster Energy Resources, right?''


    ''Yep. But it will take a few days until the Resource War starts. It might not be much Ster Energy, but it''s better than nothing. You better not have any other ns for now,'' Ste said with a smile.


    Aire shrugged his shoulders as he responded, ''If there''s one thing I''m confident at, it would be my ability to endure monotonous tasks. This one just so happens to be one of them.''

 Chapter 34: Speaking of the devil

    Chapter 34: Speaking of the devil


    Altina and the others eventually got back from their tests by the time it was night. In fact, it was supposed to take even longer than that, but with Zule''s assistance in the Ster Energy Aptitude Test, they saved quite a few hours.


    At this point, Aire stopped his training as the four of them gathered on the table. "Alright, Aire. How was your Ster Smith Test? Was it any good?"


    "You bet," Aire responded with a smile on his face. "I got a total of 782 points from my Ster Smith test alone. In the end, my total score jumped straight to 911 afterbining it with my score from the Ster Energy Aptitude test."


    Altina, Sera, and Kymei were surprised to hear that. "Really?! That''s great!" Aire had really gotten a lot more than they expected.


    Sera then connected hermunicator to one of the room''s disys, showing her results. "Alright, here''s my score in the Ster Designer upation." Soon after, a score of 1167 points was disyed for all of them to see.


    "That''s great, Sera," Altina said, excitement visible on her face. "You''ve improved more than 150 points since thest time!"


    Aire was shocked by her results, though. He thought he had done an excellent job, but he soon noticed that it wasn''t as much as he initially thought.


    Kymei was the second one to show results, showing a total of 1024 points in his upational score.


    Aire couldn''t help butment, "Aren''t you guys way too overpowered? I thought I did great with the score I got, but you guys are just humiliating me."


    "Hahaha!" Kymei couldn''t hold hisughter. "That''s because I, your grandfather, am just too good."


    *Pah!*


    *Ouch!*


    "Cut the crap!" Unfortunately, Altina didn''t like the joke. "Aire, there''s nothing wrong with your score. That was your very first time trying an upation you''ve never heard of before. So yeah, you did surpass our expectations."


    Sera agreed with Altina. "She''s right. Now it''s all up to your own dedication to the job. Don''t give up. We really need a Ster Smith for our Ster Suits."


    Aire sighed after hearing that but nodded in the end. Following that, his eyes rested on Altina as he asked, "By the way, how did you do in thebat test?"


    Altina smiled before connecting hermunicator in the disy. In the end, Aire''s mouth went agape as the number 1582 was disyed there. "Oh,e on! You did more than double than what I got."


    Altinaughed as she said, "I wouldn''t have gotten a fight against the pompous young masters of the school if I wasn''t that good." Altina then changed the disy, which showed their team''s total score considering all the tests they''ve taken.


    -Dormitory 174, Room 863-


    -6074 Points Total-


    -3981st Position.-


    "Well, not that amazing, but we''re definitely far above the majority," Kymei said as he nodded.


    Altina was quite satisfied with their current position, saying, "Thankfully, Aire recuperated losses in the Ster Smith test. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have made it to the top 5000. Of course, there are still three more days ahead of us, so we''re probably gonna fall in rank."


    Sera agreed with Altina. "That''s true. However, I don''t think we''re going to fall below 5000 anymore. Even if we do, it''ll be by a small margin."


    "By the way, what should we do now?" Aire asked with a hint of confusion. He was the only new guy here, after all.


    Sera then sent a link to Aire''smunicator in response, telling him, "Open the link. That''s the official website you can use to check everyone''s tasks during the resource war. Once a group eventes out, it''ll appear there. Also, your individual task can be found in the same ce. Just use your student ID, and the list should appear to you."


    Aire immediately followed Sera''s instructions and found his own schedule. As for the group schedule, that would be decided after the ranking was established.


    "Hmm..." Aire soon found several sses to take. That was to be expected since he was still only sixteen. There were a lot of studies for him to attend. After that, there were other types of sses directed to Ster Risers. Obviously, they had a lot to do withbat, Ster Energy usage, space, knowledge about races, and so on.


    "So, leaving my studies aside, my first Ster Riser-rted task will be this Ster Energy Absorption Training," Aire said with a hint of uncertainty as he looked at the others.


    Sera took a quick look and nodded. "That''s pretty much it. However, we all know your Ster Energy Absorption ability is definitely insanely high. That being said, you better put on a good show during it, pretending to not do that much better than what your result shows."


    Kymei shook his head, saying instead, "No, he should take this training to reveal his ability instead."


    Unsurprisingly, everyone looked at Kymei as they waited for him to continue exining. And so, Kymei took the chance to continue. "Can''t you see? Aire can simply say that he didn''t know how the Ster Energy Aptitude test worked before doing it the first time. That''s why his result was low. We can use this ss for Aire to slowly pretend to get used to it and increase his score without anyone paying much mind."


    Aire and the others had to admit that it was a good n. "That''s definitely a good idea. By then, the fact that Aire is in the Ster Bones Stage won''t matter much anymore. He can simply say he had a breakthrough recently or whatever."


    "It''s decided, then." Aire nodded. "I won''t go all out from the start but will gradually increase my Ster Energy Aptitude Score as time passes."


    Everyone agreed with him. "That''s good."


    With that decided, Altina changed the topic, saying, "Alright. Now, let''s use the next few days to focus on absorbing Ster Energy. After all, the factions won''t be open before the tests are over."


    It was then that Aire remembered something. Soon, he asked, "Altina, weren''t you trying to enter the Ster Maniption Level when that problem with the Roaming Ster Light happened? Aren''t you going to try anymore?"


    Altinaughed in response, saying, "Of course, I''ll try again. In fact, I''m just waiting for Zule to arrive to give it another shot."


    Coincidentally, someone knocked on their door.


    "Speaking of the devil..."

 Chapter 35: Amazing Time

    Chapter 35: Amazing Time


    Zule then barged inside with a happy expression, saying, "Hello, everyone! It is I, your beloved teacher Zule. I came today to help my dear Altina with her breakthrough. Does anyone want to watch?"


    Altina sighed in response, muttering, "Sometimes, I wonder how we''ve gotten acquainted with each other...perhaps it was some kind of curse."


    Zule nodded, hastily responding, "Yes, the curse''s name is love! There''s no stronger curse in this Universe!"


    Everyone bitterly smiled after hearing that, already expecting this kind of situation. Following that, Zule took out a box from inside his clothes before passing it to Altina. "Alright, let''s start the process. Altina, here''s the Ster Crystal."


    "Thank you," Altina said as she took the box. "I just need to follow the same steps as before, right?"


    Zule nodded in agreement, going through the steps as he said, "Yes. Focus all the energy into a single point, and you''ll be able to condense a Ster Nucleus. The more energy you take, the faster it will be. However, speed isn''t the key. The important part is how you feel about its existence. Take your time and condense it as you see fit. Remember, everyone is different, so you can only rely on yourself on that part."


    Altina then took a deep breath and opened the box. Soon, Aire could see a light-green crystal brimming with energy, prompting him to ask Ste, ''Ste, do you know what that is?''


    ''Yes. That''s a Ster Crystal, though it''s quite low-level. Nevertheless, that should be enough for someone trying to enter the Ster Maniption Level,'' Ste replied.


    Soon after, Aire noticed the energy of the crystal flowing like streams before circling Altina. Little by little, that energy entered her body from several sides as more energy came out of that crystal to fill the gaps left behind.


    Aire then got close to Sera before asking, "What is she doing now?"


    "Exactly what Zule said. Everyone has their own design. Of course, it doesn''t mean that you can create some kind of weird shape like a tree or anything like that. All nuclei are mostly round, with a few deformations on them. Those deformations are what can be considered the fingerprints of the nucleus."


    Sera continued, "The differences aren''t only there, but in the internal structure as well. Some nuclei are morepact, while others prefer to keep it with an empty space. Others simply let it form in whatever shape ites. In the end, it''s very personal. It''s a task that no one can help you with."


    Aire nodded even though he didn''t understand very well. He couldn''t be med, though. After all, anyone would only truly understand the concept when the timees for them to form their own Ster Nucleus.


    As Altina continued her breakthrough, Aire took the chance to ask Zule something else. "By the way, how hard is it to get those Ster Crystals?"


    "Those are rewards from several of the tasks promoted by the school during the year," Zule responded as he paid attention to Altina. "You better not have wrong ideas, though. Even I can''t get these things if Altina didn''t have the right to use them. She obtained quite a fewst year and kept them for this breakthrough. I doubt someone would seed. Then again, if anyone is found in possession of a Ster Crystal without registration, the banishment of the school will be the least of their problems," he soon warned as if he had seen it happen before.


    Time passed as everyone cheered for Altina in silence. Every now and then, the Ster Crystal in Altina''s hands would shatter after losing all its energy. Around an hour and four Ster Crystalster, a burst of Ster Energy soon came out of Altina''s body.


    Aire had to hold himself in the chair to not fall on his back. The same thing could be said for Kymei and Sera. The only one who didn''t move a single inch was Zule. Let alone move, Zule didn''t even blink as he smiled at the sight.


    "As expected of my Altina! You didn''t let your beloved teacher down." Zule couldn''t help butugh as he said that.


    "Who the hell is your Altina?" However, Altina was truly happy that everything went okay. "Oh well, I''ll let it pass this time. Say, how many crystals do I have left?" She asked right after.


    "Only three. However, you better keep them for the next time you try a breakthrough," Zule answered straight away.


    Sera immediately hugged Altina, ignoring their conversation. "You did it! I was afraid you had some lingering injuries in your Ster Paths because of thest failure. Fortunately, it seems like you''re fine."


    Altina nodded with a smile, responding, "I''m quite surprised as well. It''s normal for injuries to be left behind after such a strong bacsh, but I was totally fine after I woke up again."


    Kymei immediately nced at Aire, who turned his head away, thinking, ''Don''t look at me. I''m sure I didn''t do anything...or at least I don''t remember doing it.''


    Zule then patted Altina''s shoulder before saying, "Alright, I want my dinner now. You better keep your part of the deal."


    Altina didn''t mind this time. "Well, it''s a deal, after all." Soon after, she looked at everyone else and said, "Just wait in the living room. I''ll prepare our meal tonight."


    Surprisingly, neither Kymei nor Sera had ever eaten Altina''s food, so they didn''t know why Zule put so much importance on it. "Errr...sure...we''ll wait."


    "Do you need help?" Aire felt that he should at least help since she agreed to cook so that Zule would keep his secret. "I''m free at the moment anyway."


    "No. I''ll do it myself." Altina then extended her hand to Zule, who passed another box with a Ster Crystal in it. "Alright, I believe none of you have ever tried Energy Food before, right? Truth be told, it''s quite a waste of Ster Crystals, but taste-wise, nothing canpare to it."


    Zule couldn''t care less about it. "So what? This is my Ster Crystal, so I use it as I see fit. With your talent for cooking, this is the best use for it."


    After that, Altina went to the kitchen and began to prepare their food. That night, everyone had an amazing time together.

 Chapter 36: Rank

    Chapter 36: Rank


    The three days of testing passed in a sh while Aire''s group used it for their training. Because of the tests, all the factions were closed for the students, so after the three days of testing were over did the factions open their doors again. On the morning of the fourth day, the final rank was announced.


    -Dormitory 174, Room 863: 6074 Points.-


    -Position: 4759th-


    Aire''s group looked at that and sighed in relief as one of them said, "We could have done better if Aire''s tests didn''t get that problem. However, it still went well."


    Kymei nodded as he prepared his things. "That''s good enough. After all, the people ahead are probably some Risers with high Ster Energy Aptitudes, not side upations. If we consider only our side upations, I believe our room would have gotten at least in the top 1000."


    Soon after, he turned around and prepared to leave, saying,. "Anyway, the factions are finally open again. I postponed my tasks on the Jaka Transmission Ster Rune because of the tests, so I need to go." Before anyone could answer, Kymei was already gone.


    Aire couldn''t help but ask, "What is this Jaka Transmission thing?"


    Sera then exined as she also prepared to leave, "It''s a type of rune that can work with sixnes of Ster Energy at the same time. It was first implemented by the Cu Research Team on Zuao of our Baulmu Alliance. Kymei and his friends there are researching it to see if they can increase the output of eachne without reducing the number ofnes." Of course, that just left Aire more confused.


    Altina then touched his shoulder and shook her head, giving Aire a piece of advice. "Give up. I also took a long time to barely understand what they mean, but I''m still leagues away."


    Sera couldn''t help butugh before she alsoforted Aire. "Don''t worry. As a Ster Smith, you''ll eventually get used to all these terms. Probably much faster than Altina since her warrior faction usually only teaches the basics of Ster Suit maintenance. As for your faction, Aire, they''re deeply connected to both mine and Kymei''s."


    After that, Sera put her things on her back and made her way out of the room. However, just as she was about to leave, one thing popped into her mind. "Oh, right! I''m struggling a bit with the alloys necessary for my new project. Usually, I wouldn''t be able to get them without paying an exorbitant price. Though, I think it shouldn''t be too hard for you if you get used to forging it. The alloy I need is called Latom Blue."


    Aire was taken aback from hearing that, hastily saying in response, "Wait! I just joined the faction. There''s no way I can forge anything of quality, let alone an alloy." Obviously, Aire had no confidence whatsoever.


    However, Sera reassured him. "It''s fine. This is one of the simplest alloys out there. If you ask to be taught this first, I don''t think the Ster Smith Faction Branch you''re in will refuse to let you work on it first." With that said, Sera turned around and left.


    Altina, of course, left as well. "Well, I guess this is my turn. I''ll see you here tonight."


    "Aren''t you going to bring anything with you like Sera and Kymei?" Aire asked, seeing that Altina was leaving only with her clothes and bag.


    Altina shook her head in response, replying, "I''m part of the warriors'' faction. For security measures, all weapons and rted equipment are kept at the faction. We''re prohibited from bringing it back with us. Anyways, I''m going. See ya."


    Aire was thest one remaining. "Well, I have the normal sses this afternoon, so I guess I''ll just sleep until then."


    ''Stop right there!'' Ste, obviously, wouldn''t let that happen. ''Are you trying to kill us? Stop running away from work, and let''s go to the Ster Smith Organization. Since the others are already open, our own organization should be open as well.''


    ''Sigh... I should at least have some time toze around, no? After all, I''ve broken through on the very first try.'' Aire was unwilling as always.


    However, Ste''s eyes began to get teary when she heard that. Naturally, her emotions also started to invade Aire''s.


    ''Fine, fine! I''m going, I''m going! Just don''t start crying, okay?'' Aire once again lost before it even started.


    ''Thank you, Aire~!''


    Unwillingly, Aire made his way to the Ster Smith Faction. Surprisingly though, C was already there, waiting for him. "Hey there, you finally arrived. Didn''t you read my message, telling you toe earlier?"


    "Message?" Aire then put on hismunicator, which he usually took off while sleeping. "Oh, there is a message. Sorry, I didn''t see it."


    C sighed before grabbing his hand and pulling him inside. "Alright, just make sure you turn it on first thing in the morning from now on. Let''s go to the repository. I need you to take the study material and focus on learning the basics of the equipment and materials you''ll work on during the next weeks."


    Aire couldn''t help but ask, "Is there a need for you to follow me on that?" It was a valid question since C was supposed to be one of the few Ster Smiths avable.


    "Don''t worry. I''m one of the teachers around as well. Not to mention that I''ve already finished normal school, so I''m free to do whatever I want during the day. That being said, I work as a teacher in the morning and as a smith the rest of the day."


    C then winked at Aire as she continued, "Besides, Branch Supervisor Due ordered me to teach you personally so that your Ster Smith aptitude doesn''t get wasted."


    Aire thought that to be unnecessary. However, C was so eager that he couldn''t say that in her face. "Sigh...fine. By the way, my roommate asked me if I can start working on Latom Blue Alloy first for my training."


    C pondered a bit and nodded in the end. "Well, it is one of the easiest Ster Alloys to make, after all. No problem. Once you finish learning the basics with me, I''ll let you work on it."


    Aire was satisfied to hear that, asking soon after, "Thanks. Also, how long are we going to study in the repository?"


    "That depends on your learning abilities. Usually, memorizing and understanding everything you need at first should take one to two weeks."


    "That''s quite a lot, no?"


    "There''s no helping it. After all, our equipment has too many modes of operation that work differently depending on the material used," C exined. "One to two weeks just to learn the basics is already very quick."


    Aire didn''t think it was that bad. After all, monotonous tasks were things he liked to do. Not because he was diligent, but because he waszy to do any heavy work instead. "That''s fine, I guess. I''ll do my best to learn as fast as possible." That was a lie. Aire was, in fact, nning to look as dumb as possible so he could stay there for much longer. Unfortunately for him, Ste''s presence made that situation highly unlikely to happen.

 Chapter 37: I had an idea

    Chapter 37: I had an idea


    Partially against his will, Aire was forced by Ste''s emotions to take the studying seriously. In the end, he couldn''t hide it from her when he wasn''t giving his all.


    However, it turned out that Aire''s unwillingly all-out effort shocked C, who had been teaching him during the morning. "I have to say, you definitely have cheat-like memory. You already memorized everything in just three days! How crazy is that?"


    Aire, of course, was also impressed with that result, prompting him to ask Ste, ''Ste, does my body improvement also affect my memory?''


    ''Isn''t that obvious? After all, the brain is also part of the body,'' Ste replied as if it was nothing. ''It goes without saying that your IQ increased a lotpared to the old you.''


    Aire scratched the back of his head as he thought, ''It''s not as if I wanted to be like this.'' Of course, he didn''t say that out loud. Soon after, he looked at C and asked, "Ahem...well, that''s good and all. Can I start working on the Latom Blue alloy now? My roommate''s asking for it every single day."


    C nodded, responding, "Of course. Come with me. I''ll bring you to the forging room."


    It didn''t take long for them to arrive there. Surprisingly, they weren''t the only ones there. The type of equipment used for each Riser Level has different configurations, so it wasn''t exactly a good idea to have a single room for each person. It would be too much of a waste. That being said, a few other Ster Smiths were practicing there.


    "Alright, Aire. Since you''ve already memorized the materials most used at your level, can you tell me which ones are used for Latom Blue Alloy?" C asked as they headed to a counter. It was possible to acquire the Ster Ores and things like that there as long as one was a registered Ster Smith.


    Aire nodded and said to the clerk, "Hello, please arrange for me 3 kilos of Ditao Ore, 1.6 kilos of Parafix Lime, and 2.1 kilos of Ster Blue Iron."


    "Right away~!" The clerk immediately grabbed the materials for Aire and put everything under his name.


    "Don''t I need to pay for them?" Aire asked, puzzled.


    C couldn''t help butugh before saying, "Nope. At the moment, what the other upationsck aren''t Ster Ores and things like that. What theyck are Ster Smiths who can process them. Because of that, as long as the material isn''t something rare, the school is more than happy to sponsor new Ster Smiths with the necessary materials for their training."


    Aire was quite pleased to hear that, soon asking, "What about the end product?" Naturally, he also wanted to know if he could have them.


    "Well, that isn''t as simple. Since the school is already providing you the materials for free, they will take the end result for themselves," C responded. "However, we can''t have our Ster Smiths working for free either, even if they didn''t provide the material. That being said, you still get 20% of everything you''re able to produce. Of course, if you pay for your own ores, then you can have everything at the end."


    Aire nodded before opening hismunicator to call Sera, saying, "Hey, how much Latom Blue alloy do you need?"


    "Oh, you''re already going to forge it?" Sera seemed very happy on the other side. "No, forget it. You wouldn''t call me otherwise. I need at least 12 kilograms to work on the hands of my new design. Would you be able to do it?"


    Aire didn''t mind since he would need to practice a lot, responding, "Alright. It might take some time, though."


    "No problem. You''re already far ahead of what I expected. Just let me know when you have them. Also, thank you." After saying that, Sera disconnected right after.


    C, who heard the conversation, then warned Aire, "I hope you keep some for yourself as well. After all, you can get someone to work with and try making your own Ster Suit in the future."


    "Don''t worry. My roommates already have it covered." Aire couldn''t help but smile as he said that.


    C then joined Aire in his first session of Latom Blue Alloy forging, helping him with the first batch. Once again, Aire proved that this was a job truly fit for him. With his amazing Ster Energy Aptitude and fine control over the equipment, it only took him two hours to go through the Pinpoint Furnace, Clearcut Machine, and Ster Internal Structure Harmonizer device. "I''m not surprised anymore since I''ve seen your talent first hand when you arrived here for the test. Then again, I must say you''re really fast. When I tried to create Latom Blue Alloy during my first time, it took me more than six hours, and that was after I failed three times."


    Aire scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. Sure enough, he wasn''t used to receiving praises. "Thanks... I guess."


    Aire then took the refined alloy out of the furnace, feeling quite good with himself. This alloy was harder than the Suruca Ore he tried forging during the test. This time, Aire truly felt tired. However, he was quite happy to see that it went so well. "Well, I guess I only have to give it back to the faction, and they''ll separate my share, right?"


    C nodded, saying, "That''s correct. Let''s head there. I want to check the SMA Level.


    "SMA Level?" Aire asked with a hint of confusion.


    Only then did C remember that she hadn''t talked about that yet, exining, "Oh, right. SMA stands for Smith Material Aplishment level. This is calcted by how well the materials have fused together, the ws, possible internal cracks, and things like that. We use the Baulmu Alliance''s chart as the basis. It goes from 0% as the worst to 100% as the best. As you can probably imagine, the higher it is, the better the product. Don''t worry. It can be tested straight away through the Ster Radiation Measurement. You''ll see."


    Aire nodded as they quickly returned to the clerk before Aire passed him the alloy. After the dredges mixed in the process, Aire seeded in forging 3.17 kilograms of it. The clerk then put it inside a big chamber and used a disy terminal by the side to initiate the process.


    "By the way, what would be a good score?" Aire asked, somewhat curious.


    "Anything between 30% to 50% is already good. It''ll be very good if you can get between 60% and 70%. More than that, and you''ll have all the students involved in Ster Suit creation crawling on your legs to be their Ster Smith," C said with a grin.


    Aire nodded, not expecting it to be that good anyway. The tests onlysted two minutes before the result was disyed for them.


    -Latom Blue Alloy, 42.9%.-


    C was very satisfied with the result. "Good! Really good! For a first try where you didn''t even fail, that''s an amazing result, Aire. I''m sure your roommate will be very satisfied with that."


    Aire was happy as well. "Thanks, C. Do you mind if I work on a few more of it?"


    "Sure." C nodded. "Just don''t forget that you also have your normal sses.


    Aire guaranteed that he wouldn''t miss them before taking more materials to forge even more alloys for Sera. This time, however, C didn''t stay with him since it was obvious that he didn''t need her help with it anymore. ''Hmm...42.9%, huh?''


    Ste couldn''t help but say, ''I think I have an idea.''

 Chapter 38: See?!

    Chapter 38: See?!


    Aire paid attention to Ste in the mind world when he heard that. Soon, he asked, ''Idea? What kind of idea?''


    ''That power of yours...I don''t think it''s exactly heading...'' Ste muttered with a pensive expression.


    ''Not healing?'' Aire was slightly puzzled to hear that. ''What do you mean by that?''


    Ste continued with her train of thought, saying, ''What we do know is that no cultivator has the same power as you. We asked Zule, who seemed quite knowledgeable about the affinities out there, but neither Water nor Light seems to be rted to it, right?''


    Aire nodded, responding, ''That''s correct. However, it could also be just because he has never seen any other affinity, not that there isn''t any.''


    Ste didn''t deny that. ''That might be true. However, what I think you have there isn''t a healing power, but some kind of repair ability. Simply put, your power has the ability to make things right.''


    Aire was taken aback for a moment. However, he quickly understood what Ste wanted him to try. ''Wait! Are you telling me to try and use this power of mine during the alloy creation process?''


    Ste nodded in agreement as Aire immediately refused. ''Out of the question! Did you forget? I''m trying to hide it! What if someone finds about my ability, huh? I don''t have time to be ab rat while we need to increase my level.''


    ''Don''t worry.'' Ste shook her head in response as she eased Aire''s worries. ''I told you I have an idea, didn''t I?'' Aire nodded and waited for Ste to continue talking. ''All the equipment used by you during the forging process uses your Ster Energy to fuel it. What you need to do is just focus this power of yours on the cable connecting you to the machine itself. Just so you know, I already checked the equipment you''re using here. No one will be able to use its data to find out your ability.''


    Ste became more excited as she continued with a grin, ''First of all, no one will think that you can control any kind of power since it''s only possible at the Ster Maniption Level. You''re far away from that. Also, although that power is definitely connected with Ster Energy, the fact remains that you can''t control Ster Energy itself yet, only the repair power.''


    Soon, her mind was made up as she said, ''This is the perfect cover! The right way for you to show your abilities without anyone learning your secret.''


    Even though what Ste said made sense, Aire was still concerned that he might be caught. ''I don''t think it''s a good idea. I''ve barely gotten used to making the Latom Blue Alloy. Besides, C already said that I''m doing very well as it is.''


    Ste scolded Aire after that as she got angry. ''Stop being such a scaredy-cat! The better you do here, the higher our chances of getting Ster Energy Resources for your training. Don''t forget, none of your secrets will have any meaning if you die in the end.''


    As always, Aire also felt angry because of her. ''Right! What''s the point if I die in the end! Let''s do this!''


    ''As expected of my Aire!'' Ste, obviously, was very happy to hear that.


    As for the poor Aire, he quickly recovered after Ste''s emotions got back to normal. ''I''m telling you, this emotion sharing of yours is truly annoying.''


    Nevertheless, Aire knew that Ste was right, so he decided to give it a try. He headed to the Pinpoint Furnace after making the preparations and collecting the materials necessary. After he put on the belt once again, he looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to him. ''Oh well. Let''s see how this will turn out.''


    The furnace was turned on as Aire controlled the disy keys, working with his absorbed Ster Energy to melt the materials. During that time, Aire focused on his abdomen and let his power surface under it. Sure enough, Aire could feel his power being absorbed by the Pinpoint Furnace as it was being added to the Ster Fire and otherponents that utilized his Ster Energy. ''Alright, alright...easy and steady. No need to rush, Aire...''


    This time, Aire took twice the time to finish using the Pinpoint Furnace. In fact, he wanted to take even longer. Sadly, his energy ran almost dry there. In the end, others could only see Aire kneeling on the ground, gasping for air. ''Holy shit, this power of mine uses too much Ster Energy. If I didn''t pick up the speed at the end, I think I would have passed out due to exhaustion.''


    Fortunately, no one thought it to be strange. People gasping for air and feelingpletely dry was amon urrence in the Ster Smith Faction. It''s just that Aire had only experienced it for the first time.


    Aire then sat down and rested for an hour before getting up again. ''Ste, I won''t use the power on the next equipment. I simply don''t have enough Ster Energy to do that.''


    ''No problem,'' Ste said as she looked at Aire''s condition. ''This should be at least enough to see if my theory was right or not. Just finish the Clearcut and Ster Internal Structure Harmonization like usual.''


    Aire nodded and moved onto the next steps of the Latom Blue Alloy forging. Because he wasn''t using his power this time, the rest of the process went smoothly, just likest time. In the end, Aire forged a total of 2.46 kilograms. ''Weird... I used the same amount of materials this time, but I got so much more waste products.''


    Ste didn''t find it strange. ''If the quality of your work really increased, then it makes sense. After all, that would mean your power helped eliminate most of the unnecessary properties of the alloy.''


    Aire nodded and went to the clerk on the counter once again. "Hi, could you check the SMA of these alloys for me, please?"


    "Right away." The clerk quickly took it and put it inside the chamber once again. However, this time, the equipment took quite a few extra minutes to finish, which surprised the clerk. "You must have forged quite a good alloy. It only takes this long when the results surpass 60% SMA."


    Eventually, the disy showed the result on the monitor.


    -Latom Blue Alloy, 84.3%.-


    The clerk opened his eyes wide. "This..."


    As for Aire, he let out cold sweat as Ste puffed her chest in pride and said with glee, ''See?! I knew I was right!''

 Chapter 39: Golden Egg

    Chapter 39: Golden Egg


    Aire felt like crying. He thought that it might work, sure. Of course, he wasn''t expecting something this great of a boost, especially since he was only able to use it during the Pinpoint Furnace stage and didn''t have the energy to keep using his power anymore after that. ''Ste, this isn''t good. Such a result will definitely catch everyone''s attention.''


    Ste shrugged her shoulders in the Mind World as she said, ''Well, what''s done is done. In any case, supervisor Due has already considered you a genius when ites to smithing. He''ll probably cover your ass this time so that you won''t leave.''


    Sure enough, Due came flying when he received the clerk''s call. After all, such a result couldn''t be ignored. He quickly talked with the clerk, warning him to keep his mouth shut before pulling Aire to a corner and asking, "Aire, how did you do that? I was already impressed that you achieved a result of over 40% on your first try. Nevertheless, I can''t understand how you''ve improved this much on just your second try."


    Aire scratched the back of his head, thinking up of an excuse as he replied, "Errr...to be honest, I just find it too easy. When I tried to make my first alloy, I paid attention to all the wrong steps I made. On the second try, I just fixed them. I didn''t expect the result to reach so high like that. Perhaps...I was lucky?"


    "Lucky?" Due had to admit that there was a chance that someone would be lucky during their forging process. After all, there were many variations during it, so although it was rare, some people might really hit the jackpot.


    "That might indeed be the case. Can you try it again?" Due asked not long after. He had to confirm it.


    Aire shook his head as he said in response, "I can''t. My ss will start in one hour, so I need to leave." Aire obviously didn''t want to stay there much longer. "Besides, I used up almost all of my Ster Energy after the second try. There is no way I can force myself anymore. I need time to recover."


    As soon as Aire said that, Due took out hismunicator and began to make a few calls. In just a minute, everything was dealt with for Aire. "Alright. I''ve already arranged your absence from today''s ss. As for your Ster Energy, I''ll give you a Ster Crystal so it could recover faster." Sure enough, Due wouldn''t let Aire go away that easily.


    Aire understood that he wouldn''t be able to leave. However, Ste didn''t want him to do that anyway. ''Hey, you aren''t thinking about hiding the fact you can forge such high SMA alloys, right?''


    Aire was taken aback, responding, ''What are you talking about? Of course, I intend to hide it!'' Thest thing Aire needed was a lot of attention.


    ''That won''t do.'' Ste shook her head right after. ''If you do that, you won''t even be able to do that again. After all, you''ll have to hide your abilities forever since it wouldn''t make sense if you suddenly one day go back to forging this quality of metal,'' Ste said. In the end, she had never been a big fan of Aire''s ideas of hiding his talents all the time.


    ''I see...'' Aire had to admit that Ste was right. Besides, forging such high-quality alloys would be of great help for Sera and Kymei. Aire didn''t forget that it would need all four of them to create the Ster Suits. ''But what if someone connects it to my Ster Energy Aptitude results?''


    Steughed in response as she replied, ''Hahaha! Did you forget the first excuse you gave Zule? Just say you held back because you didn''t want to catch too much attention. Besides, you''re forgetting something else.'' Aire''s interest was piqued as he waited for Ste to continue. ''Aire, the test results of both Ster Energy Aptitude and side upations are shown together. It doesn''t disy how much you have on each one of them.''


    Aire understood where Ste wasing from, inwardly heaving a sigh of relief as he responded, ''That makes sense. Still, the teachers and especially that Spiritas called Ramalia would have ess to my separated results. Ramalia just so happens to be after you as well.''


    Ste shrugged her shoulders as she said with a smile, ''I''m an Ascension Age Assistant sent by Gigon from outside of this Universe. Do you really think Ramalia would be able to find me in your body? You''re underestimating me way too much.''


    Aire had to admit that Ste was right. After all, if it was just covering her own presence, she wouldn''t have any issues hacking whatever testing equipment was used on Aire. All those would get were normal results. ''Alright, guess I''ll follow the n.''


    Not too long after, Aire was given a Ster Crystal provided by Due himself. Usually, these things were quite hard to get. Nevertheless, Due''s a supervisor of one of the Ster Smith Faction Branches. He had the right to ask for a few if necessary.


    Aire then sat down and began to recover his Ster Energy with the Energy Blood Flow Assistance skill. Ste wasn''t dumb, so she made sure that Aire would absorb Ster Energy to increase his power as well and not only recover his energies. Around an hourter, the Ster Crystal cracked because of theck of Ster Energy inside.


    "This..." Due looked at Aire with a hint of surprise. "You absorbed everything already?"


    Aire nodded in response. "Yes. Fortunately, this was enough for me to fully recover. So, should I start now?" Aire asked with a smile.


    Due, who was nning to keep the rest of the crystal''s energy forter, sighed and nodded as he said, "Sure...go ahead and show me if you really have the ability."


    Aire nodded and put on the belt to use the Pinpoint Furnace. Just likest time, he gathered his power under the belt so that it would be absorbed together with his Ster Energy. On top of that, Ste hacked the equipment, preventing Due from finding anything different during the process.


    By the time Aire finished all the steps and got the Latom Blue Alloy, another three and a half hours had passed.


    Following that, Due immediately sent the 2.43 kilograms of alloy to be tested.


    -Latom Blue Alloy, 81.67% SMA-


    Due''s sadness due to the loss of his Ster Crystal immediately disappeared as his eyes lit up as he said while cackling, ''My 17th branch has finally found a golden egg! Hahaha!''

 Chapter 40: Stellar Suit Arm

    Chapter 40: Ster Suit Arm


    Due could see how tired Aire was after the process, so he patted his shoulders and said, "Alright, that''s enough for now. Go sit down and rx."


    He then smiled as he continued, "Aire, it''ll be quiteplicated to hide your achievements from others, so I rmend not trying to do so. To be honest, I would like you to give up on everything else and focus on just the upation."


    Aire immediately shook his head as he said in response, "Thank you, supervisor Due. However, I don''t want to give up bing a Riser." Of course, that was a lie. It''s all because it would be the fastest way to get the resources he needed, so he couldn''t stop, nor would Ste let him.


    Due already expected that answer, though. "Well, it was worth a shot. In any case, I want you to make the upation your main focus. I told the clerk not to reveal this information, but it will be in the system sooner orter," Due said. "If you do so, it''ll be easier to gather the Ster Energy Resouces you need for your training since higher ranked teams will request your services."


    "If it''s just that, I can work around it." Nevertheless, Aire had his conditions. "However, it''s way too early for me to take any assignments. So far, I have only worked with this Latom Blue Alloy. Supervisor Due, I want to learn how to forge other materials as well. After all, my own dormitory team is also working on making a Ster Suit. I intend to prioritize them over any others whoe around."


    Due didn''t see a problem with that as he said with a smile, "That''s great! As long as you make it your main focus, I can work everything else out. I will have one of our Ster Smiths work with you from now on, teaching you everything you need. If you have any specific material you want to work on, we can arrange that. Of course, don''t get ahead of yourself. You''re only in the Ster Bones Stage, so your Ster Energy Reserves are very limited to work on anything tooplicated."


    Aire smiled as he nodded in response. With everything arranged, Aire left the Ster Smith Faction and went to his sses. Thanks to Due, he wasn''t given any punishment for his early absence and was able to catch up with the lessonster.


    Later that night, Aire headed back to his teammates'' dormitory and told them about the news.


    "What?!" Sera couldn''t help but hold Aire''s arms as she looked at him with her eyes open wide. "Over 80% SMA?! Are you serious?! For real?!"


    Sera wasn''t the only one. Kymei put his arm around Aire''s shoulder as heughed out loud, saying, "Hahahaha! 80%+ SMA! 80%+ SMA! Hahaha! Great! That''s simply great! As expected of the man I recognize. Aire has actually done it."


    Aire nced at Kymei in response and asked, "Recognize? Since when were you doing that? As far as I can see, you just started to recognize."


    "Minor details, minor details..." Kymei answered as he waved his hands. "Leaving this aside, Aire, you need to prioritize Sera and I from now on, understood?"


    Sera couldn''t agree more, saying, "Exactly! With some high SMA material to work with, our ns to build our own Ster Suits wille to fruition!"


    Altina, who didn''t understand much about their jobs, couldn''t help but ask, "Is this really such a big deal?"


    Kymei and Sera nodded vigorously as one of them replied, "Of course it is! Not only are high SMA materials much easier to work with, but they''re also a lot more resistant. Both Kymei and I will be able to jump several steps ahead in the Ster Suit project we have in our hands."


    Sera''s eyes suddenly lit up as an idea popped into her head. "Hey, Kymei! Suppose we get the Galot Alloy, Tempered Viran Iron, and the Latsil Powder with this level of SMA. Couldn''t we skip the stress processing calction? We could jump straight to Arm Composition!"


    Kymei immediately agreed as he responded, "Definitely! I have all the runes ready, or, to be more specific, all their blueprints. They''re all based on the Arm design you made. If Aire brings us those materials with a simr SMA, we can bring them to life."


    Aire and Altina were puzzled as one of them asked, "What are you even talking about?"


    Sera then responded with an ecstatic expression, "Simple. We might be able to use a real Ster Suit during our first team mission!"


    She then rified herself, continuing, "Well, not an entire Ster Suit, but only an Arm. Nevertheless, that would give us a huge advantage!"


    Altina, who was part of the Warriors'' Faction, immediately gave a green light! "Do it! You''ll need someone to do stress testing on the prototype, right? Count me in!"


    Aire raised his hand, saying, "But I haven''t even tried forging any other material yet. It''ll take some time for me to learn even if I start working them straight away."


    Sera and Kymei didn''t mind as one of them replied, "It''s fine. Just see what you can do. Even if we can''t get it for the first team mission, we would still get it at some point if you pull this off. Just try your best!"


    Aire sighed and nodded in response. Team Missions were part of the Resource War. If they could get an advantage and end up with good results, that would give Aire''s team more resources than any other tasks they could do alone. Even the Ster Smith Faction orders couldn''tpare. That''s why Due wasn''t surprised when Aire refused to give up everything else for the Ster Smith upation.


    As good as Aire might be, he was only one of the genius Ster Smiths of the school. Being a Ster Smith might be a shunned profession, but that did not mean no one was doing it. Other branches of the Ster Smith Faction also had their stars.


    "Alright. However, I won''t promise anything." It was then that Aire thought about something else. "By the way. Will I be able to forge those materials you requested while only in the Ster Bones Stage?"


    Sera and Kymei nodded as one of them replied, "Kymei and I can work on Ster Suits, but we''re rtively new to it. That being said, we also can''t work with difficult materials. Simply put, everything we will ask you will be on par with your and our levels."


    And just like that, the ns to build a part of a Ster Suit started.

 Chapter 41: Popular

    Chapter 41: Popr


    Aire returned to the Ster Smith 17th Branch the next day to ask Due to teach him about the materials he wanted to work on. However, as soon as he got inside, he noticed a smallmotion at the counter. In any case, it wasn''t his problem, so he ignored it and went to the side, trying to enter the forging area.


    Unfortunately, as soon as those people saw him, they immediately gave up talking with the employee on the counter and rushed over to where he was.


    "It''s him. It''s Aire!"


    "Aire, wait! We need to talk!"


    "Aire, right? Ignore these guys and follow me!"


    "Fuck off! I arrived here first, so I have the right to talk to him before any of you!"


    "Ha! Why would I care about that? In the end, it''s up to who he wants to partner with."


    Aire was quickly surrounded, not being able to even walk a single step. ''What the hell?!'' Obviously, he felt overwhelmed by the sudden poprity.


    It was then that Ster Energy began to condense in the area and envelop all those students. Following that, as if they had been grabbed by invisible hands, everyone was moved further away from Aire as a man walked in as he said, "Alright, everyone. That''s enough for now. Aire''s a member of our 17th Branch, so I won''t allow you to bother him."


    "Supervisor Due!" Aire said with glee as he was happy to see the man. At the same time, he heard Ste''s voice say, ''Wow! He''s quite strong. Supervisor Due''s already at the Ster Core Level. Well, I guess it makes sense considering his age and the resources he''s entitled to.''


    Aire was taken aback to hear that. The Ster Core Level was three entire levels above Aire''s current level. Such a level was incredibly difficult to achieve. ''As expected of the Main Ascension Age School on Earth, I guess?''


    Aire then put these thoughts behind before asking, "What''s happening here?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" Due asked in response with a smile. "I told you before that your results would be uploaded to the system sooner orter. It just so happens that a result like yours took priority, so it happened very quickly." Dueughed as he exined and then pointed at everyone, saying, "Now, all these teams are looking to have you be their personal Ster Smith. Not bad for the most rejected and difficult side upation, right?"


    Aire bitterly smiled when out of nowhere, he had an idea. Soon after, he smiled at everyone before saying, "Everyone."


    With that, all the people trying to scout him paid attention, which allowed him to continue. "I believe you''re only here because you haven''t checked my information."


    Aire then pulled out hismunicator and sent a message to everyone present. Naturally, those people didn''t waste time and looked into it as he said, "As you can see, I''m part of the Crazy Bitch Altina''s group. Are you sure you want me to be your personal Ster Smith? Hahaha!"


    The room went silent for a moment when soon after, everyone burst out.


    "Who cares about that?!"


    "It has nothing to do with your abilities."


    "As long as you forge me high SMA materials, I don''t mind even kneeling and kissing Altina''s foot!"


    "Who cares about kissing? Aire, our team can pay you quite well!"


    "Besides, the news about her isn''t getting as much attention as before, ording to the non-official media ranking."


    Aire''s mouth twitched after hearing that as he thought, ''Right! I asked Ste to make Altina''s news disappear little by little. A lot of time has passed since then, so the news about her should be quite sporadic and far down in the rankings. How could I forget that?!''


    "Ahem! Alright, I was just joking. The fact is that I will focus mainly on my own team. At most, I can take side jobs when I have free time." Well, that was Aire''s only alternative. No one would be able to me him for focusing on his team, after all. ''Why the hell is this job so avoided while everyone wants to take advantage of it? Shouldn''t it be the opposite?!''


    Ste immediately answered even though he was only talking to himself, saying, ''Heavy work and definitely high Ster Energy Aptitude. Don''t forget. Not everyone has the same capability as you to achieve such amazing SMA, so they don''t even try doing it.''


    Aire sighed after hearing that but had to admit it was true. However, Aire didn''t expect that the war over him would continue even after he said he could only take side jobs when he was free.


    "I''ll get it! Let''s sign a contract, then!"


    "Shut up! He will sign with my team!"


    "To hell with all of you. My team can pay more than any of those!"


    "Aire, we don''t care if you only use your free time to work. We''ll take everything! Sign with us!"


    In the end, Aire could only look at supervisor Due by his side, his eyes obviously begging for help.


    Supervisor Due, who was already expecting such a move, put a hand on his shoulder before announcing, "All of you, I want your teams to file the conditions on which you would work with Aire and send them to my 17th Branch''s server. Aire will then look at each of your conditions and decide on his own which are the best offers." Of course, Due was nning to help Aire choose correctly when that timees.


    Everyone there more or less expected that to happen. Nevertheless, they had to at least try and snatch Aire first before it. Now that the supervisor of the 17th Branch stepped in, they could only follow those rules. They would have to think very well about how much they would offer and how much they wanted from Aire''s time. If they asked too much or offered too little, some other team would definitely get the ''free time'' mentioned by Aire, which they couldn''t afford to lose.


    Supervisor Due then brought Aire inside the private area of the Ster Smiths and told him, "Alright, Aire. Just work on your training today. As I mentioned before, I''m giving you a personal teacher who will work with you alone during the time you''re here."


    Right after, someone patted Aire''s shoulder and said, "Hey, it seems like we''re together again."


    Aire couldn''t help but smile and respond, "Hey, C. It seems like you''re going to be stuck with me, huh?" Because C was already used to Aire and had a great deal of experience, Due simply chose her again.


    "Hahaha! Don''t worry. Uncle Due here is paying me quite well to be your personal teacher," C said as sheughed. From the look of delight on her face, Due gave her quite a good deal.


    Due didn''t feel that happy with how C called him, though. "Ahem...here on the 17th Branch, I''m supervisor Due, not Uncle Due. Understood?"


    C shrugged her shoulders, saying nonchntly, "Fine..."


    Due sighed as he looked at Aire''s weird expression. "Well, as you can see, she''s my niece. Anyways, she won''t go easy on you just because of that, so be prepared. Also, I''ll help you decide on which job to chooseter on when the files arrive."


    Aire nodded as he thanked Due, "Thank you, supervisor Due."


    The three of them talked for a bit more before Due finally decided to leave.


    Taking the opportunity, Aire looked at C and headed straight into the main topic. "C, I need to learn how to work on these items." Aire then passed her the list with the Galot Alloy, Tempered Viran Iron, and Latsil Powder. After all, that was Aire''s priority.

 Chapter 42: I Think I Can Do It

    Chapter 42: I Think I Can Do It


    Although the other materials were still considered to be on Aire''s level, they were definitely harder to work with than Latom Blue Alloy. In the end, Aire now began to fail in the process, having to do multiple attempts to achieve the minimal SMA necessary for a material to be used, 15%.


    Aire didn''t head straight into using his power after that, though. Instead, he practiced some more so that he could learn how to save more energy. After all, his power alone would be a huge draw to his reserves.


    C, of course, was the one guiding him during this time. Every day Aire dropped in, she would be there to take care of him. Of course, it wasn''t as if Aire appeared in the Ster Smith Faction every day. After all, Aire was adamant to not use his weekends to work. Even Ste''s nagging and emotional changes weren''t enough to make him move his ass.


    C didn''t teach Aire just those three materials, though. Ster Smiths had to be aware of all materials and tasks in the Faction. Naturally, she also forced him to work on other projects so that he could learn. In fact, if Aire wasn''t that talented, he would have already received several other tasks to work with as part of his curriculum. After all, the Faction didn''t teach for free, so many of the Ster Smiths had to work on other materials that they didn''t want to as a way of paying the Faction back. For Aire, his high SMA was the payback that Due needed.


    Time passed in a sh, and soon, two weeks went by. Back at Aire''s dormitory, Sera couldn''t help but ask, "How is it? Can you forge the materials?" She obviously wanted to know if he could do it since she and Kymei had already finished the theoretical part.


    "Yes. Just today, I finally seeded in processing the Latsil Powder. Believe me, it was quite hard to create that one since you have to work on such tiny particles all the time," Aire answered with a tired expression.


    Nevertheless, Sera, Kymei, and even Altina got excited. "Really?! How''s your SMA on them at the moment?"


    Aire shook his head with a light sigh as he replied, "At the moment, they''re far from the 80% average you need. However, that''s because I haven''t applied my own methods yet. I''ll try working on it from tomorrow onwards." Aire then warned his group, saying, "However, I can''t guarantee it will work. Perhaps I''m just very good with Latom Blue Alloy and not with other materials. So, if I fail, I don''t want to hearints. I just started this work as a Ster Smith, after all."


    Sera and Kymei nodded after hearing that. As part of those that helped in the building of Ster Suits, they knew that things weren''t that simple. "No problem. Let us know tomorrow."


    *Plin!*


    Suddenly, everyone''smunicators shed at the same time. Sera, who just so happened to be looking at it, immediately checked to see what it was, only to blurt out, "Holy shit! The first team mission is out!"


    Naturally, Aire and the others immediately took out theirmunicators to give it a look.


    -Dormitories 151 to 200''s team mission.-


    -Location: Samuria Swamp.-


    -Objective: Collect as many Ster Energy Bubbles as possible.-


    -Each team''s initial starting position will be based on their positions on the ranks.-


    -The mission will start in 240 hours.-


    Sera, Kymei, and Altina''s eyes lit up as they simultaneously said, "Ster Energy Bubbles!"


    "What is that?" Obviously, Aire didn''t know what those were.


    Altina grabbed Aire''s arms as she exined with an excited expression, "Those are some of the best Ster Resource Rewards you can get outside of Ster Crystals. These bubbles are made of pure Ster Energy. The energy umtes at the bottom of the Samuria Swamp all year long until it reaches a critical mass. After that happens, the Ster Energy bursts at some random points for an entire week. Nevertheless, because it''s happening under a swamp, it ends up forming many bubbles of Ster Energy instead of simply dissipating in the air."


    Aire understood what Altina was getting at, so he asked, "So...we can use these bubbles to increase our level, right?"


    Sera and the others nodded as one of them replied, "Exactly! That''s why it''s such good news for us. There are over a thousand dormitories in the Ascension Age School, so it''s hard to get a mission in such a good ce. Not to mention that there are still Ster Crystal Rewards given after the mission. It''s like receiving two rewards at the same time!"


    Aire couldn''t help but ask, "That being said, we need topete against the other teams to get the bubbles. Am I right?"


    "Yes," Kymei responded. "However, we have Altina on our side, so I think we have a good chance of getting a lot of them. Although we won''t be able to fight against the top-ranked teams, we won''t fall that much behind."


    Aire was already satisfied with that. He didn''t like the mission nor thepetition. Nevertheless, the extra help with Ster Energy would definitely give him another boost. "Good! I''ll give it my all on the forging tomorrow." Aire then looked at Sera and Kymei and asked, "How long do you think you need to finish those Ster Suit Arms?"


    Sera and Kymei exchanged a few words before saying, "Five days! We''d need at least five days to build something stable enough."


    Aire nodded, saying in response, "That means I have five days to deliver you those materials since we only have ten days before the mission starts." Aire then pretended to ponder over the issue as he talked with Ste in the mind world, asking, ''Ste, do you think it is feasible?''


    ''Sure!'' Ste seemed quite confident. ''It''ll be tight. Nevertheless, with your ability, you should be able to reach the SMA level they need in the next five days. The worst part, which is to learn how to create those materials, is alreadyplete. You just need to apply your power on them from now on.''


    Aire smiled as he looked back at everyone in the room and said, "I think I can do it."

 Chapter 43: No Sleep

    Chapter 43: No Sleep


    On the next day, Aire headed back to the Ster Smith 17th Branch. Thanks to the approaching team mission, all other regr teaching sses were canceled, giving the various groups time to prepare themselves. With that being said, Aire could now focus entirely on the materials he had to create.


    "Alright, let''s start with the easiest one, the Gallot Alloy." C didn''t mind as she began to help him. However, it turned out that her help was unnecessary since Aire had already memorized the process. As long as he could at least forge it, the rest would be easier as long as he added his power into it...or so he thought.


    ''Aire, I think your own ability as a Ster Smith is also a factor,'' Ste could not help but say as Aire finished the Gallot Alloy with only 57% SMA.


    ''What do you mean?'' Obviously, Aire did not understand what she was trying to say.


    Only then did Ste exin, ''You can definitely make high SMA alloys with your power. However, the problem is within how good your work is during the process.''


    With that, Aire understood what Ste meant. ''I see...because the Gatom Blue Alloy was already at 42% SMA when I forged it, my power helped fix the issues until an SMA of 80%+ was achieved. However, because the Galot Alloy that I can forge without my power was only at 15% SMA, my power was only able to boost it to 57%. If I want to reach 80%, I first need to improve my own ability to forge this alloy to around 40%.''


    Ste nodded in satisfaction after hearing that. ''Exactly. However, I believe you can do it even with only five days to work with, Aire.''


    ''How?'' Aire couldn''t help but ask with a hint of curiosity.


    Ste smiled before saying, ''That''s simple. Since you''re only practicing to improve your skills as a Ster Smith, you don''t need to use your power. That being said, you don''t need to worry about running out of Ster Energy. The Energy Blood Flow Assistance can provide you with enough energy for you to practice it as many times as you want.'' Ste then pointed to the Pinpoint Furnace. ''These pieces of equipment are set for Risers at the Ster Bones stage, but this skill puts you at the same level as someone at the Ster Organs Stage, a very talented one at that.''


    Aire nodded in excitement as he responded, ''I understand. I don''t have regr sses to take part in anymore either, so I just need to try more with the extra time avable.'' Well, Aire didn''t look very excited about the idea. After all, it was even more work. With that, he let out a sigh as he muttered, ''Sigh...but I guess that''s the only way.''


    C, who noticed the several changes in Aire''s expression, couldn''t help but ask, "Why does it look like you think it''scking? You just created a 57% SMA Galot Alloy, you know?! Shouldn''t you be happy?"


    Aire bitterly smiled as he nodded, replying, "Yeah...kinda. I feel like I missed a lot of things." Aire then looked at C before asking, "C, I need to train more on these materials. I''ll return to the basics of their forging steps, so you''ll see my SMA drop a lot. However, it''s all ording to my n. Make sure to tell me where I''mcking from now on."


    C didn''t quite understand what Aire meant since he already had a huge SMA. Even she would have a very hard time reaching 57%, while it looked like Aire could repeat it anytime he wanted to. ''Supervisor Due told me that Aire had some special talent that even he can''t understand. Perhaps this is what helps Aire reach those insane numbers.''


    In the end, C nodded as she offered her help. "Alright, let''s start from the basics once again."


    During the next two days, Aire and C spent almost all their time in the Ster Smith 17th Branch. That surprised everyone there since it looked like Aire''s Ster Energy Reserves never dried out. Nevertheless, Due gave orders that no one should bother him or C.


    On the morning of the third day, Aire forged some Latsil Powder to test its SMA level.


    -Latsil Powder, 36.8% SMA.-


    "That''s it!" Obviously, Aire was delighted to see such a number. With such a number, he could increase it by around 40% with his power added. "I finally know where my mistakes were. C, I''m starting on the other materials now. This time, I''m going to forge them for real."


    C didn''t see anything different in Aire''s process other than his quick improvement. Other than that, he followed the same process as everyone else when they trained their forging abilities. To improve their average SMA by 20% in just two to three days was extremely good. Unfortunately, she couldn''t tell what Aire saw during this time that gave him so much confidence for the next attempts.


    Aire once again started with the Galot Alloy, which he could now reach 38% to 41% SMA without his power. During the process, C saw how Aire''s Ster Energy Reserves were exhausted much faster than normal. ''He''s at it again. It''s only when he uses this much Ster Energy that he reaches those crazy numbers.''


    Sure enough, the results came out three hourster.


    -Galot Alloy, 80.4% SMA.-


    Once again, his results caught supervisor Due''s attention, who had been monitoring his improvement from far away. ''Just how does he do that? What exactly can he spend his Ster Energy so much on that he can force the SMA to reach this level?'' Nevertheless, he was happy. Whatever the method may be, it was good news for his 17th branch. Word of Aire''s ability had already begun to reach the other branches, especially the main one. Little by little, the Ster Smith Faction was turning some of their eyes in the direction of their branch.


    ''Just wait until the rookies'' creation contest starts. This time, we won''t be ranking at the bottom,'' Due thought to himself with a smile.


    Aire didn''t know what Due was thinking. Instead, he immediately gave away the school''s portion of his work before sending the rest to Sera and Kymei as he called them on hismunicator. "It worked. I''m sending some Galot Alloy. Which materials do you want me to work on first?"


    Kymei was the first one to reply, saying, "I need the Latsil Powder."


    Sera agreed with Kymei as she said, "Yes. You can do the Galot Alloy and Tempered Viran Iron after the Latsil Powder. After all, my designs will have no use without Kymei''s runes."


    "Very well," Aire said as he nodded and immediately went back to work. Well, in fact, he had to sit down somewhere and recover his Ster Energy first. Nevertheless, he didn''t intend to even sleep anymore during the next three days.

 Chapter 44: Thanks for the Meal

    Chapter 44: Thanks for the Meal


    Sera headed back to the dormitory on the fifth night as always, preparing to sleep due to tiredness. It''s just that she arrived earlier than usual. She had been revising her designs together with Kymei''s runes time and time again, waiting for Aire to finish the materials they''ve asked for.


    However, she noticed that she wasn''t the only one in the room. At the corner of his bed, Sera could see Aire''s ghastly expression. Somehow, it seemed like his soul had left his body, with only an empty vessel remaining. It was hard to imagine that he was a human anymore. "A-Aire...I haven''t seen you in thest few days. Are you...alright?"


    Aire''s mummy-like face slightly lifted as he tried to curl his mouth into a smile. Well, Sera only found it creepy. He then looked back down after that, and only then did Sera notice that he was working on hismunicator. After some time, Aire finished what he was doing and said, "I just arrived as well. If you don''t mind...I''m going to sleep now."


    *Thud...*


    Without even waiting for an answer, Aire''s body copsed on the bed, and soon, only his soundly snores could be heard.


    ''I wonder if he died...'' Sera thought for a moment. Not long after, her ownmunicator shed, indicating that a message arrived. Sera quickly opened it to check, and soon enough, a smile appeared on her face. ''Hehe, no wonder you look like that.''


    It turns out that Aire had finished forging the materials Sera and Kymei requested. Knowing that, she looked at the sorry state of Aire''s body as an expression of determination appeared on her face, muttering to herself, "If he can go this far, then so can I."


    Sera then sent a message to Kymei, telling him that she was going to the Ster Runes Faction to help him now that the materials were about to be delivered. As she did that, Sera also told Altina about Aire''s state through another message before finally leaving the room.


    Around an hourter, Altina returned to their dormitory room, which was quite early for her as well. Obviously, she saw Sera''s message and ran back to the dormitory to take a look at Aire out of concern. Well, all that was there for her to see was a mummy in its eternal sleep on the bed... or so what Aire currently looked like. Altina couldn''t help but sh a smile as she thought back to the time when Aire defended her in the opening ceremony. ''You''rezy...but when ites to your colleagues, you can still go all out, can''t you?''


    Altina then kneeled by the side of Aire''s bed for a moment to check on his condition, confirming that he was quite feeble. It was obvious just how much he had pushed himself during thest few days just so that their team could have a chance at creating the Ster Suit Arm.


    After some time, Altina nodded and got up before heading to her wardrobe. She took a small box there, just like the one Zule brought in the past and opened it.


    ''I used most of its energy...'' Altina thought to herself for a moment. As expected, there was another Ster Crystal inside. It wasn''t as good as the ones she used for her breakthrough since she spent a lot of its energy. Nevertheless, it still had its uses.


    Altina headed straight to the kitchen and began to prepare an Energy Meal using the Crystal. She simply thought that Aire deserved that much even if such use was considered a waste of resources. Around an hourter, Altina finished preparing everything and was about to wake Aire up when hermunicator shed as well.


    Surprisingly, t was Sera and Kymei calling her as one of them said, "Altina, we need to do the stress test. Can youe over? We''re just about toplete the fingers of the arm."


    Altina looked at Aire for a moment before nodding at Sera and Kymei, responding, "Alright, I''m heading there right now." After that, she closed hermunicator and put the food by the side of Aire''s bed in a way that its heat wouldn''t dissipate that quickly. With that done, she then left the dormitory.


    Aire slept like a rock, not waking up for the next twelve hours. Though, even for sleeping that long, none of his roommates were back yet.


    Out of nowhere, Ste''s voice echoed in Aire''s mind, shouting, ''Aire, you already slept too much. Wake up!''


    Aire, whopletely ignored Ste''s call, continued to snore.


    Ste pondered for a bit when after some time, she smiled. Immediately, she essed Aire''s data on the inte, essing anything that he used in the past. For her, such a low-level hack was very simple. Not long after, images of one of Aire''s most loved ''movies'' began to y in his mind.


    ''The hell?!'' Sure enough, Aire got up in a sh! Aire might be a ''little''zy, but he was still a very healthy boy. Obviously, he had his own sources of entertainment. ''What do you think you are doing?!''


    Steughed as she answered, ''I thought you liked these kinds of things. Oh~! Look at that, how does his thing fit inside her? No wonder your browser history is full of this actress.''


    ''Who said I like those?'' Aire rebuked straight away.


    However, that only made Ste look at Aire with a weird expression as she muttered with a hint of a surprise, ''Wait! You don''t like these? Aire, could it be that you...y on the other team?''


    Aire almost vomited blood after hearing that! ''Like hell I do! I''m on the straight team, alright?! At the very forefront at that!''


    ''Then, you like these videos, right?'' Ste asked once again, cornering Aire.


    ''I...do...'' Aire was almost crying already. Ste acted like a kid most of the time, but it was at moments like these that Aire had his doubts whether she was only pretending.


    Ste couldn''t help butugh as she cut the video off in his mind. ''Alright, alright. At least I got you up. Look beside now. Altina prepared a gift for you.''


    Only then did Aire''s attention focus on his sense of smell as he looked at the table. Altina''s Energy Meal was still in perfect condition even after many hours, thanks to the conservation technology that existed nowadays. At the front of the table, there was also a small note. ''Thanks for the effort. -Altina.''


    A smile appeared on Aire''s face as he prepared to eat. "Well, thanks for the meal."

 Chapter 45: Looking Forward

    Chapter 45: Looking Forward


    Time soon passed in a sh as the day when the mission would start eventually arrived. Everyone from Dormitories 151 to 200 gathered at the school''s private station, where the airships would bring everyone to the Samuria Swamp. Aire''s group, obviously, was there as well.


    However, Altina noticed something different this time. The usual people who would talk about her out loud were almost nowhere to be found. There was one or another here and there, but they were nearly drowned out by the massive number of students present. "So weird..tely, all the fake news about me began to drop down more and more in rank. I''m sure the people I pissed off didn''t let me off the hook, so it''s kind of weird."


    Sera and Kymei shrugged their shoulders in response as one of them said, "Well, who cares? As long as they aren''t making trouble, that''s enough for us."


    Aire, who was just listening to the conversation, faintly smiled. As Atina mentioned, her enemies didn''t give up at all. However, with Ste''s help, they simply couldn''t force their way up in the media news ranking. People usually forgot about things that weren''t rted to them quite quickly if they weren''t reminded. Since news about Altina barely made it up the ranks, it naturally fell into oblivion quickly.


    There were a total of twenty airships waiting for the Riser students. As for the number of participants, it was a little shy of ten thousand. Of course, this was only one of the missions urring at the moment. All the other dormitory teams below 151 and above 200 had their own missions in other ces. That being said, Aire and the others could see that the station was truly packed with much more than their own mission teams.


    Sometimeter, themunicators on Aire''s group received a video call. Well, it was not only them, but all the other students and their groups as well.


    -Hello, everyone. I''m Vaxo Luter, a teacher responsible for thebat program and the one in charge of the Ster Bubble Hunting Mission. All students of dormitories 151 to 200 are required to take airships number 20 to 30. If you fail to board one of them, you and your team will be disqualified from the mission. Alright, once the airships take off, I''ll talk to you again.-


    Aire and the others looked at each other before focusing on the disy showing the locations of the airships. "Gates 20 to 30 are quite close. Let''s go."


    They quickly made their way over, just to see that airship number 20 was already full. They kept moving through the various airships one by one when finally, they arrived at thest airship and got inside. Eventually, the enormous airships took flight around 30 minutester, leaving the school behind.


    This is a ridiculously big airship, "Aire said as he looked at it from inside.


    Sera nodded in response, saying, "That''s to be expected. After all, the Ascension Age School has over 700 thousand Riser students. To carry the students to the mission areas, they need to be at least this big. Each one of these can carry over a thousand people easily. However, it''s far from being considered something big if you look at the spaceships outside Earth. In the end, this is just crude transportation."


    Aire couldn''t help but feel curious about the spaceships outside. "Well, maybe I''ll be able to see those one day."


    As Aire''s group talked with one another, the other groups prepared for the mission. Eventually, theirmunicators received another call from Vaxo again.


    -Alright, it seems that you''ve all made yourselvesfortable. As all of you know, the mission will be to capture as many Ster Bubbles as possible. Whether you use them for your own training or not, that''s up to you. All of you shall be given a bracelet, which can be used together with your own Ster Energy to cast a special that can capture those bubbles and store their Ster Energy.-


    Vaxo continued. -This device is necessary since anyone below the Ster Maniption level can''t control Ster Energy outside of their body on their own. Don''t worry about the consumption of Ster Energy, though. The energy necessary to capture the Ster Bubbles is nothingpared to the amount you''ll gain from obtaining them.-


    -The rules are simple. Everything is valid! There''s no need to worry about killing or gravely injuring someone since we have countermeasures in ce. These same bracelets will cast a gel over your body that will protect you from anything that could possibly kill you. It will activate on its own as well. However, be aware that once that happens, you''ll be considered out of the contest. Not to mention that any extra Ster Energy you obtain from the Ster Bubbles will automatically be transferred to the opponent who defeated you.-


    Altina couldn''t help but get excited. Nothing made her happier than being able to go all out.


    -Another thing. As I mentioned, we don''t care about what you will do with the Ster Bubbles'' Ster Energy. However, you won''t be able to use it before the mission is over. That being said, you better make sure you can protect it well.-


    -The mission willst for three days, which are the days where the Ster Bubbles wille out the most. Once the mission is over, all the Ster Energy acquired by your team will be equally shared between all members. With that being said, even if some of your teammates are defeated, they can still gain something as long as at least one member survives. Of course, the remaining member would have to have enough Ster Bubbles to share.-


    The screen then changed to the Samuria Swamp. -The area of this mission is 50 kilometers in radius, whichpletely covers the swamp. You''ll be able to see whether you''re close to the borders or not through the maps in yourmunicators. Also, any team member that leaves this area will be disqualified. Remember, you''re not the only ones there. The Ster Beasts are also roaming around, so be careful to not be caught off guard.-


    Vaxo''s face appeared once again as he smiled. -I and the other instructors are looking forward to your performance. Alright, everyone should head to their designated tforms.-

 Chapter 46: It was Amazing!

    Chapter 46: It was Amazing!


    Aire and the others nodded at each other before heading to the tform marked in theirmunicators. Soon after, the door closed behind them, isting their team from all the others on the airship. After that, Aire asked, "What do we do now?"


    Altina smiled in response, saying, "You just need to wait for now."


    Sometimeter, Aire heard some sort of click sound. However, before he could even ask what it was, the ground under his feet opened, making him and his team members fall from the airship. "The hell?!" Aire was frightened once he saw himself falling from so high. "We''re gonna die!"


    However, Altina, Kymei, and Sera justughed out loud in response. "Hahaha! Just enjoy the trip!" It was as if they didn''t mind it at all.


    Aire quickly pondered about what he should do, trying to find a solution to stop his fall or at least reduce the speed. However, he actually didn''t need to do that as several rays of yellow light shot out from the airship above. In less than an instant, these rays hit him and his team. Not only that, but Aire also noticed several more rays of light hitting other teams in the distance.


    His falling speed then began to slow down considerably due to the yellow light. Eventually, when he and his team were just ten or so meters away from the ground, the ray disappeared, leaving them to deal with thest part.


    Fortunately, Aire was already in the Ster Bones Stage. That was already enough for him to resist a fall of ten meters without any issues. Obviously, Kymei and the others had it even easier since their levels were higher, especially Altina.


    "You guys could have at least told me that they would do that," Aire muttered inint while his face looked as pale as a ghost.


    "Hahaha!" Altina and the others couldn''t help butugh out loud. "You should know that they wouldn''t just drop us to die."


    Altina then moved by his side and helped hime out of the mud below. "Alright, that''s enough for now. Let''s check out where we are."


    Aire could only sigh and nod in response. They quickly checked their positions and found themselves somewhat closer to the border than the swamp''s center, where the Ster Bubbles were more frequent. "We''re around 35 kilometers away from the best Ster Bubble Gathering Area. Of course, keep your eyes open since there''s also a chance of some bubbles appearing further away."


    Aire and the other nodded as they began to move forward. Soon, Aire asked the others, "What about the other teams? Where were the top-ranked teams of our mission groups released?"


    Sera pondered over the question for a bit before answering, "They have the best position, but they wouldn''t be sent straight inside the ce. If I''m not wrong, they would appear around 15 to 20 kilometers away. Of course, a swamp is a hard ce to move about, so this 15-kilometer gap to them is a huge advantage. We''ll need to put a lot more effort just to get there."


    Aire''s group used the roots of the trees to travel, trying to avoid the mud and water below. "Keep your eyes open for other teams as well. Just like us, they also saw where we were dropped. Although I don''t think anyone will try to buy a fight without reaching the center of the swamp, you never know what to expect."


    However, the first one to attack them wasn''t another Riser student group. The water under the roots where Airended suddenly moved before an enormous jaw came out.


    *Roar!*


    Aire was taken aback as that thing emerged in his direction. It looked like an enormous alligator, only several times stronger and faster. That was the result of Ster Energy in the world. Not only did humans evolve because of it, but even animals.


    Aire had never fought anything in his life, so he was paralyzed by the sudden attack. However, just as the alligator''s mouth was about to chomp Aire in half, Altina appeared by its side like a ghost! Her hand then shone with a bright light as her arm was covered by some kind of yellow armor.


    Ster Suit Arm!


    The armor had several lines of silver light running through. That was the color of Ster Energy once it was gathered, showing that the piece of armor was fully charged. Altina''s own Ster Energy then burst out, increasing the power of the armor even more. Following that, Altina''s hand then formed a fist as she punched the alligator''s head.


    *Bang!*


    The jaw that was just about to take Aire''s life was then sent flying! Ster Energy spread everywhere as Altina''s piece of armor suddenly disappeared right after.


    Aire, Sera, and Kymei then looked at the alligator that flew several meters away above a broken tree, which snapped from the impact. There was a huge hole on its head as its brain fluid gushed out. The alligator was as dead as it could be.


    Only then did Airee back to himself, noticing that his body was trembling nonstop. Soon, he muttered, "I...almost died just now, didn''t I?"


    Altina patted his shoulder as she shook her head, replying, "Not really. Look at the bracelet on your wrist."


    Aire looked down and saw that it was shining with silver light as well. However, it began to disappear little by little before it came back to normal.


    Sera then exined, "If the alligator truly got close to take your life, the bracelet would have activated, covering your body with a gel that would harden instantly. None of the Ster Beasts of this swamp have enough power to break through it, so you were never in danger to start with."


    Aire still couldn''t stop his body from trembling, though. "I see...that''s good to know."


    Altina then smiled at Aire. "There''s nothing wrong about being afraid. In fact, I would have been surprised if you were able to react on your first time in the wild. Sure, you hadbat sses back in the Ascencion Age School. However, multiple theories can never beat experience. Now that you''ve experienced it first hand, I''m sure you''ll be able to do something next time."


    Aire nodded as he soon said, "I understand. Thank you, Altina."


    Kymei then looked at Altina before asking, "Alright! Now that it''s gone, let me ask. Altina, how was it? Was our Ster Suit Arm any good?!"


    Sera and Aire immediately paid attention to her as Altina''s eyes lit up, replying with a toothy grin, "It was amazing!"

 Chapter 47: Sucked Dry!

    Chapter 47: Sucked Dry!


    Altina had done a few stress tests on the Ster Suit Arm back in the Ascension Age School. However, using it in real-lifebat was another story. "The consumption of Ster Energy bes higher. However, it''s not enough to dry you out too quickly. I believe I can battle for one minute or so all out while this arm is deployed," Altina said with an excited expression. "As for its strength, I definitely wouldn''t be able to put down the alligator with a single punch as I just did. If my hunches are correct, I would say that mybat power, thanks to this arm, increased nearly three times."


    Sera and Kymei immediately high-fived between themselves as Sera said with glee, "Hahaha! As expected of the real deal. Even though we used materials at the Ster Bones Stage, it was still this powerful!"


    Altina nodded as she replied, "I can''t help but want to put on aplete Ster Suit. Just how amazing would that be?!"


    As Altina and the others discussed the Ster Suit, Aire noticed something weird a hundred meters away from that. Sadly, it was somewhat hard to see since there were a few trees on the way. Nevertheless, he was sure that he saw some lighting from there.


    Aire looked around and saw that nothing else came out after killing the alligator, so he went ahead to take a look. He didn''t have to walk the entire 100 meters. Once he covered half the path, he finally saw its form clearly. "That''s..." Aire immediately turned around as he called the others, shouting, "Guys! It''s a Ster Energy Bubble!"


    Altina and the others immediately looked in his direction before looking at the ce Aire pointed at. Sure enough, although it was harder for them to see, they had seen Ster Energy Bubbles before. That being said, they could tell it was the real deal even if they were farther away than Aire.


    Aire didn''t waste time and immediately rushed over as Altina and the others followed right behind. However, Aire didn''t even cover ten meters when out of nowhere, another shadow jumped at him,ing from behind a tree.


    "Aire!" Altina and the others screamed just as the shadow was about tond a clean hit. Even Altina wouldn''t be able to arrive there in time with her speed.


    However, things yed differently this time. Aire''s body moved almost unconsciously. He raised his arm as a silver light came out of another bracelet device there. This wasn''t the bracelet given for the mission. Instead, it was the one that kept the Ster Suit Arm in an inactive state.


    *ng~!*


    In the very next second, Aire''s arm was covered by metal as the sound of metal hitting metal echoed.


    "What?!"


    It turned out that the one who attacked Aire was also a Riser student. His team just so happened to see the Ster Bubblee out, so they prepared tond an ambush on Aire''s team before collecting it. At the same time, they sent out one of their members to take the Bubble. Fortunately for them, the ambush was perfect. They were sure that Aire''s group hadn''t seen their movements. Unfortunately, Aire reacted far faster than the enemy thought. It was just too quick!


    Following that, Aire jumped back, using the counterforce of the attack to move away from the enemy. That ended up being the right decision since the moment Aire retreated, two more Riser studentsnded their attacks, which were supposed to be the backup n in case the first one failed.


    However, the most shocked ones weren''t the Risers they were fighting against. Instead, it was Aire''s team, especially Aire himself. Aire felt like everything was pure deja-vu. Even though he failed to notice the enemy, his actions were precise and efficient, which frightened him. ''How did I do it? I couldn''t even move when the alligator attacked me before,'' Aire thought for a moment.


    Ste thenughed in his mind as she responded, ''Hahaha! Don''t underestimate yourself, Aire. I told you before that your body is many times better than before, including your brain. These guys just tried to ambush you. However, your brain has already experienced that feeling before. Naturally, you knew very well how to react even if you did it subconsciously. Trust me,mitting the same mistake twice would be a very rare thing for you.''


    Of course, all those words were exchanged in the mind world, so only a second passed in reality.


    "Itol, that''s a Ster Suit!" The guy who first attacked Aire immediately identified the thing on Aire''s Arm.


    "What?" Itol, this group''s leader, was taken aback before hastilymanding, "Retreat!"


    Itol knew very well what a Ster Suit meant, even if it was just a part. He had no intention of fighting against it withmon weapons. However, how could Altina, someone in the First Stage of the Ster Maniption Level, let them leave like that?


    Before Itol could take a single step back, she had already appeared right in front of him. Her arm shone with silver light, just like Aire''s before a punch came in the direction of Itol''s face. If it connected, Itol would definitely die!


    However, Itol''s bracelet shone with silver light as well as gel enveloped his entire body. As soon as Altina''s punchnded, the gel was already deployed, absorbing the whole attack''s energy and dissipating it. The members of Itol''s team could only widen their eyes from this sight. If Aire was already fast, then Altina'' was simply ridiculous! Fortunately, their leader was the first one to be attacked, which gave them enough time to turn around and flee.


    Aire eventually got back to himself and tried to pursue them as well. However, he began to trip everywhere, showing his obviousck of experience in situations like that.


    Kymei and Sera were thest ones to arrive. They decided to follow Aire since they were certain that Altina could take care of herself.


    As Ste mentioned, Aire wouldn''tmit the same mistakes for long. At first, the enemy in front began to open distance from him, trying to move together with the guy who took the Ster Bubble''s Energy. However, not even ten seconds had passed as Aire''s movements started to match the guy in front of him. Another ten secondster, Aire was already moving faster than him, much to Sera and Kymei''s delight!


    "Go, go! You just need to stop him, Aire!" Kymei shouted from behind.


    Sera agreed with Kymei, saying, "That''s right. If you dy him, we can catch up."


    Aire nodded and continued to increase his speed when out of nowhere, he fell on the swamp and lost consciousness.


    Sera and Kymei almost vomited blood! Aire...had run out of Ster Energy. He forgot to deactivate his Ster Suit Arm, so it sucked him dry! Well, that made sense. Altina could only sustain it with her Ster Energy Reserves for just a minute. Aire, who was still three stages away from her level, couldn''t possibly get close to that.

 Chapter 48: Expectation

    Chapter 48: Expectation


    Aire had gone unconscious for ten minutes or so when suddenly, he felt his body turn warm as something enveloped it. Eventually, he woke up once again, just to see in front of his field of vision a bracelet from someone he didn''t know glisten with silver light. It was then that he remembered what happened and got up straight away, asking in a hurry, "What happened?!"


    Aire looked around and saw that Altina was holding someone else, preventing him from escaping. "Hey, look. The Snow White has woken up."


    Kymei and Seraughed as they nodded, one of them saying, "Hahaha! Indeed. I wonder if he even knows what happened."


    Aire then noticed that the bracelet shining with silver light was from a guy from the team that attacked him. It did not take long for him to put everything together, understanding what had transpired. In the end, Altina captured a member of the enemy group, ready to finish him at any time. However, because Aire passed out, they needed Ster Energy to help him recover.


    That being said, Altina struck a deal. Their group would use the Ster Bubbles they got on Aire, and Altina would let the three of them go. The enemy team was already down one member, so they couldn''t afford to lose another one, or they really would be a step behind.


    "Hey, Altina. I''ve done my part of the deal. He''s now awake. How about you let Itol go?" the guy who gave Aire Ster Energy asked.


    Altina smiled before kicking the guy she was holding farther away from them. "I always keep my word. Go, next time we see each other, we''ll be enemies again."


    The group of three then looked back where their team member was defeated and sighed before speeding away.


    Aire couldn''t help but scratch the back of his head as he apologized. "Sorry...I didn''t expect the Ster Suit could suck me dry like that. It''s my fault that you had to use the Bubble''s energy on me."


    Altina, Sera, and Kymei shook their heads as one of them replied, "You''re new to this, so there''s nothing wrong with getting used to it. Besides, this is the first time all of us are using Ster Suits...even if it''s just a single part."


    Aire bitterly smiled after hearing that. Nevertheless, Aire was curious about something else. "However, why did you do such a deal? Wouldn''t it have been better to simply defeat the guy who had the Ster Bubble and then use it on me?"


    Altina shook her head as she answered, "The guy who had the Bubble''s energy was the farthest away between the remaining three. If the other two decided to hold us back, he would definitely escape. That''s why I captured the closest one first and made this deal. Only then did hee back and pass the energy to you."


    "I see..." Hearing that, Aire couldn''t help but sigh as well.


    Following that, Kymei stepped forward before saying, "Alright, we''ve already wasted ten minutes in this ce, so we''re falling behind. We need to hurry up and increase our pace." One must remember that many other teams were still moving to the main area.


    Altina, Sera, and Aire agreed with Kymei before they began to run once again. "By the way, Aire. How are you feeling? If necessary, we can slow the pace down so that you can recover more Ster Energy."


    Ste immediately disagreed in the mind world as she said, ''There''s no need, Aire. With your new body and the Energy Blood Flow Assistance Skill, you don''t need to sit to recover. Just focus on absorbing the surrounding Ster Energy while you move.''


    Aire smiled and then looked at Altina and the others before replying, "There''s no need. That Ster Bubble''s energy was impressive. I''m basically halfway recovered already thanks to it." Naturally, only Aire heard Ste''s voice, so he had toe up with an excuse while keeping the secret.


    Everyone nodded in response, and soon, they increased their speed even more. This time, however, they were much faster than they were at first. That''s because Aire was now a lot better at moving between the tree roots than when they started the mission. Sure enough, Ste was right. His ability to learn and adapt was just simply ridiculous! He even surpassed kymei and Sera''s speed, both of which were one stage above him in the Riser Path.


    Altina couldn''t help but point it out, asking, "Aire, how did you do that? When the alligator attacked you, your body didn''t even move. But when you were ambushed once again, you acted like an experienced veteran. The ambush obviously worked on you, but you reacted perfectly even though that happened. Not only that, but your ability to move on this terrain has also increased ridiculously."


    Aire shrugged his shoulder as he came up with an excuse. "How can I say this...I''m the type of person that would remember any event that had a big impact on me. My body would instantly adjust, making sure it never happens twice. That being said, when it happened the second time, my body simply moved on its own."


    Kymei couldn''t help but sigh in wonder, muttering, "I guess that''s what you can expect from someone with such a huge Ster Energy Absorption Aptitude like him. If not for hiszy nature, I wonder how strong he would be right now."


    Sera and Altina nodded after that. They also attributed it to Aire''s own talent, which was a very good thing for their team.


    Far high in the skies, Vaxo looked at the enormous disy on the airship. There, over a hundred smaller screens were showing video feeds and information of every team inbat. Of course, there were a lot more than just 100 teams. Nevertheless, it wasn''t a problem since the school put more people to apany the development.


    However, there was a screen that caught Vaxo''s attention. With his Ster Riser Level, paying attention to all hundred screens wasn''t anything difficult. On the screen, he saw Aire''s team make their way to the middle area.


    Suddenly, someone appeared on Vaxo''s side, saying, "That boy''s quite interesting, isn''t he? He obviously had never been inbat before, so he was almost disqualified because of the alligator. Nevertheless, one time was enough for him to learn how to deal perfectly with the situation to the point it''s almost unbelievable when it happened a second time."


    Vaxo nced by the side and faintly smiled, saying, "This is just the start. He and his team aren''t the only ones with some interesting folk." Vaxo then looked at a few other screens as expectation filled his gaze.

 Chapter 49: Bount

    Chapter 49: Bount


    Sometimeter, Aire''s group got into another fight. "Kymei, the shooter is yours!"


    "On it!" Kymei then took out something that looked like a rifle from his back. However, instead of bullets, the magazine looked more like a battery. Of course, it wasn''t filled with electricity, but Ster Energy. It''s not like firearms didn''t work. After all, Kymei, Sera, and Aire are still in the Ster Body Transformation Level. At their level, Ster Ammunition was several times more effective.


    First, things like air resistance were useless to it. Only proper barriers like the swamp trees or the enemies'' protection devices would be of any use. Second, Ster Ammo could be recharged anytime, anywhere. Just like the Pinpoint Furnace Aire used in the Ster Smith Faction, the rifle could also absorb Kymei''s Ster Energy.


    *Bang, bang, bang!*


    Kymei and the enemy shooter immediately started to jump everywhere while shooting at each other. Of course, they also provided support for their team members when necessary. Sadly, the equilibrium didn''tst for more than a few seconds.


    Kymei''s rifle suddenly changed color as he passed behind a tree. At the same time, Kymei''smunicator, which was in front of one of his eyes, showed several data nonstop as he thought to himself, ''Gotcha!''


    The moment Kymei passed behind that tree, he shot at the sky once. He didn''t even need to slow down. To the enemy shooter, this move made it seem like he simply passed behind the tree to make himself harder to be hit. Not to mention that Kymei''s weapon had aimed directly at him afterward to keep shooting.


    However, at the very moment the guy jumped to the side to hide behind a tree, his own bracelet shone with silver light. In a fraction of a second, his entire body was covered by the gel, hardening straight away. The enemy shooter couldn''t understand why that happened as he became encased in the gel. However, his doubts also onlysted a moment. That''s because a red ray of light hit the gel on his head, which was dispersed by the gel''s strength.


    "Nice shot, Kymei!" Sera said from the side.


    "Hahaha! Don''t look down on a Ster Rune Master. Calctions of paths and many others are things I do during my breakfast," Kymei said with an air of confidence as he aimed at the next target. His Ster Weapon was equipped with a redirection shot. However, it didn''t work automatically. Such ability was deactivated for the purpose of training. That being said, the shooters had to calcte the trajectories in real-time while predicting their enemy''s movements. It was definitely easier said than done.


    *Bang! Bang! Bang!*


    Following that, Kymei began his barrage of shots, putting the enemies on the defensive.


    Sometimeter, out of nowhere, Aire''s arm shone with silver light once again as he and the enemy ahead traded blows. In an instant, it changed into an armored arm that elerated towards the enemy''s weak point. In fact, it wasn''t supposed to be a weak point considering Aire''s speed. However, with the Ster Suit Arm''s support, a weakness that shouldn''t have existed had appeared.


    *Boom!*


    *Arrgh!*


    A body was soon sent flying as the enemy''s bracelet shone as well, also encasing him in gel. The guy couldn''t help but curse inside. After all, how could he imagine meeting a group with a Ster Suit ready to use? ''Weren''t the top teams the only ones supposed to have something like that?''


    Of course, if he knew that Aire knew almost nothing about battles one hour ago, he wouldn''t have paid attention to the Ster Suit but towards Aire''s unbelievable adaptability. Without the guy knowing, Aire used him to get used to fighting others head-on!


    *Crack! Shatter!*


    The guy didn''t even hit the ground before someone else was sent flying in the same direction. Altina had just broken the enemy''s weapon with her own Ster Suit Arm before hitting his body. Naturally, he was also protected by the defensive bracelet and encased by the gel. He was just like Altina, someone at the Ster Maniption Level. However, not only was he worse atbat, but Altina also kept her Ster Suit Arm hidden until the veryst moment. She used it tond a decisive blow while spending the least amount of Ster Energy possible.


    And just like that, thest ones remaining were Sera and her opponent. Seeing that the other three were defeated, the guy turned around and tried to flee. However, how could he beat Altina in speed when he couldn''t even defeat Sera? Besides, there was another guy faster than him in this terrain, Aire!


    *Bang, bang, bang...*


    With Kymei''s long-ranged support, Aire and Altina quickly caught up to him. Naturally, all that was left was another body encased in gel.


    "Alright, let''s get out of here! Quickly!" Altina said as the four of them immediately disappeared amidst the trees.


    Sure enough, it didn''t take long for another team to appear there, guided by the ruckus created by Aire''s team a few moments ago. They quickly looked around and saw the four bodies encased in gel. "They''re gone. As for whether they got a Ster Bubble or not, there''s no way to tell."


    "Should we follow their track?" a girl asked in that team.


    "No," another person replied. " They defeated this group quite quickly. Although they should have spent quite some energy, they''re still a dangerous bunch if they''re able to do something like this. Even more so actually since it doesn''t seem they lost any of their own members."


    Their leader then nodded his head, saying, "He''s right. Let''s get out of here. I doubt we were the only ones who noticed what happened. Let''s focus on heading towards the main area."


    That group then turned around and disappeared in another direction.


    Back at Aire''s team, Kymei used hismunicator to connect to his defensive bracelet, the same one used to capture the Ster Bubble''s energy. "Wow...those were some fat sheep. The Ster Energy in their bracelets is equivalent to at least three Ster Bubbles!"


    Altina and the others smiled after hearing that. Soon, one of them asked, "This is just the start. Sera, what''s the best route?"


    Sera immediately opened the map as she analyzed the data, soon responding, "Which one do you want? The hard but probably more bountiful, or the easy but long roundabout?"


    Aire was just about to say the easy one when Altina answered. "The bountiful one, of course!"


    Poor Aire could only bitterly smile in response and follow Sera''s guidance.

 Chapter 50: Ambush and Counter Ambush

    Chapter 50: Ambush and Counter Ambush


    Sera didn''t have superbbat abilities like Altina, superb shooting abilities Kymei, or superb adaptability like Aire. However, if there was one thing she was good at other than designing Ster Suits, it was tactics! One must remember that the area where the Ster Bubbles appeared the most wasn''t all that big, considering the number of teams. Nevertheless, she was able to predict the best ces to finish a battle before other teams could intervene. She was also the one who came up with their formations.


    Well, Sera had to change that formation many times after she noticed Aire''s ridiculous improvement. Whatever he did for the first time would end up being incredibly terrible. But as he repeated those things, he would reach a degree of aplishment that far surpassed Sera and Kymei. The only one he couldn''t surpass inbat-rted aspects was Altina. At the very most, he would match her, and even that was hard to do.


    ''In any case, that''s beneficial for us. The more used he bes to this situation, the easier my work will turn out. It''s a lot better when I don''t need to think about someone who needs protection in our formation,'' Sera thought as Aire ran in front of her. ''Well, to be honest, the one in need of protection has now be me. Hahaha!''


    "Altina, Aire, Kymei, we''ve heard battles going on in those three directions. However, I''ve already selected the direction that would be ideal for us. Considering our speed and the time lost in thest fight, our best route is through the east side, making an arc through the northeast about 230 meters from here to catch the winner of the fight there."


    Altina and the others nodded in response as Sera soon shouted, "Let''s go!"


    Somewhere else, two Riser students were running away. One of them seemed to have an injured leg while the other gasped for air. "Fuck! Fuiedio and Renan got defeated. Even though we survived, we lost half of our members. On top of that, I even broke my leg! Howe two more teams have joined the fray without caring for anything else? Haven''t they ever thought they could lose everything?"


    "Stopining and keep running," the other guy said as he helped his friend move. "It shouldn''t take long before others arrive where we battled. In any case, the reason why those other two teams joined the battle was probably because they noticed each other''s presence. Neither side wanted to give up the fat sheep, so out came that shitty situation. Be happy that we still won in the end. All we need to do is hide for now since we''ve gotten quite the reward."


    Out of nowhere, a voice came from behind one of the trees they passed by. "Too bad you won''t get to cherish your rewards."


    "What?!" Both Risers were taken aback and immediately tried to step away. Unfortunately, it was toote for them. Silver light pierced through the tree, shooting broken wood pieces all over the two. As they tried to protect themselves, three shadows appeared from behind, already expecting them to jump in that direction.


    Naturally, the one who broke the tree with brute force was Altina. As for Sera, Kymei, and Aire, they were the ones who prepared to intercept that team once they tried to move away from Altina''s ambush.


    *Arrrgh!*


    In just a few seconds, their bracelets shone with silver light as the gel enveloped their bodies. From that moment onward, their team was out of thepetition.


    Sera didn''t waste time and used her own bracelet to transfer those guys'' Ster Bubbles to her own. However, she didn''t take everything. Aire, Kymei, and Altina also took their share, transferring the Ster Energy. After all, it would be a terrible idea to have all the Ster Energy concentrated on a single member of their team.


    "Wow! Look at the number! It seems like this team got quite in a brawl back there. Our Ster Bubble Counter instantly jumped from 7 to 21!" Kymei couldn''t help but say those words, visibly excited.


    However, Sera immediately reprimanded him, saying, "Shut up! Although I calcted that they would try to escape through this route, I might not have been the only one that has done so. Let''s leave this ce, quickly!"


    Aire and the others nodded in response and immediately began to run using the route set by Sera. Unfortunately, Sera was right. She was very good with tactics, but she wasn''t the only one who excelled in it.


    For a moment, Aire and Altina felt like something was off. However, there was nothing in their surroundings, which prompted them to look in other directions. May it be coincidence or not, Altina looked up at the tree branches while Aire looked down into the swamp. In the very next second, they saw someone attack Sera and Kymei from these two directions.


    They didn''t have time to warn them, so they immediately moved out as their arms shone with Ster Energy once again.


    *ng! ng!*


    "What?!" The ambushers were taken aback to see someone move against them. They made sure to hide their presence before attacking, so how did Altina and Aire notice that they were there? In the end, the impact against Aire and Altina''s Ster Suit Arms forced those two back.


    Of course, the danger wasn''t gone yet. "Careful, two people are missing!"


    Altina then grabbed Sera by the waist as she used the enemy''s attack to jump away. Of course, Altina was a prodigy in battle, so she knew that she definitely couldn''t retreat to the opposite side of their exchange. Instead, she focused her Ster Energy on her right leg, kicking the root of the three and forced her retreat path slightly to the left.


    *Vuf!*


    Sure enough, Altina was right. In the very next moment, she felt a sharp gust of wind by her side as a sword missed her back.


    In Aire''s case, he hadn''t experienced a two-step ambush yet, so he obviously had a worse time handling it than Altina. He was sessful in dodging the enemy''s attack, but Kymei wasn''t so lucky.


    *Crack!*


    Altina, Aire, and Sera could only hear the sound of Kymei''s shoulder bone cracking as he was sent into the swamp. Even though it wasn''t an attack capable of crippling his body or taking his life, Kymei was ced in a bad spot.


    Well, it was also the same reason that prevented the defensive bracelet from activating and covering him in the same gel, which would have disqualified Kymei. Only if the Riser was about to receive a fatal attack or one that would cripple them would the bracelet activate. That way, all the participants would always aim for the kill, trying to force the bracelets to stop them. What saved Kymei from that fate was obviously Aire''s reaction time, dodging an attack that was aimed at him instead of Kymei.


    "Kymei!" Altina shouted as she released Sera and tried to help Kymei.


    "Did I say you could leave?" Too bad for her, though. Her opponent was also in the Ster Maniption Level, so he immediately jumped in her way, trying to stop Altina. At the same time, he shouted at his group members, "It''s Crazy Bitch Altina! Finish the others quickly while I hold her down."


    "Out of my way!" Altina tried to break through as her arm shone with silver light. Obviously, she equipped her Ster Suit Arm. However, the guy''s arms and chest also shone in the same way as different colored Ster Suit Arms and a Chestpiece appeared.


    *Bang!*


    In that instant, Altina narrowed her eyes. Her opponent...also had a Ster Suit! Not only that, his set was a lot moreplete than hers!

 Chapter 51: Underestimation

    Chapter 51: Underestimation


    ''A top-ranked team, huh.'' Altina immediately understood that they were entangling with a problematic bunch. That being said, Altina couldn''t focus on anything else as she fended off the guy she was fighting against.


    Sera couldn''t help Kymei either since she wasn''t that good at fighting to start with. This was a team ranked higher than their own, so it was obvious that they knew how to fight. In fact, she was put on her back foot from the very start against her opponent, having to do everything just to not be overwhelmed.


    On Kymei''s side, he tried to get out of the swamp, but his injuries and the pain caused by the injuries made everything more difficult. He wasn''t at risk of dying or getting crippled, but that didn''t mean the injuries weren''t a burden. Not to mention that he could see the enemy''s shooter move away from the battlefield, heading to another position to give his team long-range support. ''Fuck!''


    Kymei then gritted his teeth before shouting, "Altina, Sera, Aire, get out of here. You can''t go down with me. As long as you survive, I''ll still get a share in the end." Soon after, Kymei aimed his Ster Rifle at Sera''s opponent, trying to create an opening for Sera to leave. He thought that with Aire and Altina''s own abilities, they wouldn''t need help to retreat, so he only focused on Sera.


    *Bang! Crack!*


    *Arrrrrgh!*


    However, in the next second, everyone saw something that left their mouths agape. The first person who attacked Aire was sent flying with one punch. Following that, that person''s bracelet shone with silver light as the gel enveloped his entire body, protecting it from any further damage.


    One-hit KO! The enemy''s shooter didn''t even have enough time to retreat before his friend was already defeated!


    Soon after, Aire shouted back as he pounced in the shooter''s direction, "Fuck you, Kymei! Who the hell is going to let you y the defeated hero? If someone here has to be disqualified first, that one has to be me! I''m the one who wants to head back andy down in bed, not you! I won''t let any of you get any rest on a warm bed before me, you hear?! I''m thezy one here, not you!"


    Kymei, Altina, and Sera didn''t know whether tough or cry. They understood this part of Aire''s personality after being this long together. That being said, they knew he wasn''t lying. Aire would totally curse Kymei for three days and three nights if Kymei got to leave the mission before him.


    Of course, the enemy team thought they were just joking. Besides, that mattered little at the moment. What they cared about was...how the hell did Aire defeat their team member that easily?!


    However, Altina immediately understood why. Simply put, they underestimated Aire due to his Riser Level. Aire was at the Ster Bones Stage of the Ster Body Transformation Level. However, after this long, Altina knew that Aire was far above what any Ster Bones Stage Riser could take on. Even she didn''t know if she would be his match at the same level or not.


    When the shooter tried to take distance, he left his friend, who was also in the Ster Bones Stage, to take care of Aire. They also had Ster Suit Pieces to use. It''s just that other than their leader, the rest of them only had one or two pieces. Aire''s opponent was the only one at the Ster Bones Stage, while the rest was above it. That being said, he was only given a single Ster Suit Piece, which covered one of his arms like Aire''s.


    That was their huge mistake. Aire was improving at breakneck speeds. Not to mention the fact that Aire could totally fight any average Riser at the Ster Organs Stage and possibly win. Naturally, when that guy''s friend was distracted for a moment, Aire took this opportunity and dispatched his opponent straight away.


    Kymeiughed out loud as he took the chance toe out of the swamp. He was still feeling a lot of pain, but none of that mattered for him at the moment. "Hahaha! Now look who''s in a bad position." As he said that, he took position close to a swamp tree and immediately began to fire back.


    The enemy''s shooter couldn''t do anything since Aire was darting in his direction. He was already in the Ster Paths Stage, but Aire was simply much better than him at moving in this environment. Not to mention that he was specialized in long-range battles, not close-range ones.


    The only reason he participated in that melee ambush earlier was that they found Aire''s team out of nowhere. To prevent Aire and the others from noticing their presence, the only option for them was to attack at close range. If the shooter tried to get far away first, Aire and the others would have probably found them.


    That being said, Aire''s Ster Bones Stage strength and crazy learning abilities were enough to match a Ster Paths Stage Riser in closebat.


    *Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...*


    Kymei shot nonstop, which put Sera''s opponent on the defensive instead of the offensive. Of course, things didn''t get any better for them. Altina''s opponent had three Ster Suit Pieces. Too bad that his opponent was Crazy Bitch Altina, who could match hisbat power with only a single Ster Suit Arm. Not only that, but the fact that he was using three pieces meant that his Ster Energy was being drained much faster than Altina''s. If things yed out like this for longer, he would pass out due to theck of Ster Energy consumed to maintain the suit.


    The leader of their group understood that the situation was now dire and finally made his decision. "Spread out and run! We will regroup againter!" Of course, he knew that, most likely, another one of his team members would be a sacrifice for the other two to run away. ''That''s fine. I have most of the Ster Bubbles'' energy. As long as I survive, we won''t leave this ce empty-handed. As the mission continues, I might even have a few more chances to fish in troubled waters.''


    He had some Ster Suit Pieces and was a high-level Riserpared to the average students in this mission. He had the right to feel that confident.


    Altina saw her opponent turning around to run away, but she didn''t try to stop him. The entire battle hadn''tsted more than 20 seconds yet, so she knew the guy still had enough Ster Energy to use. It would take too long to take him down, and it would possibly attract more opportunists. Instead, she immediately gave up on him and assaulted Sera''s opponent.


    Naturally, Sera''s opponent had no chance when Altina joined the fray before he was put down in a matter of seconds. Altina then turned around and went after Aire''s opponent. While all that happened, Kymei continued to shoot his rifle, making sure that neither of them would escape. In the end, the enemy''s leader was wrong. Aire was much better at moving in this environment, so his two team members had to be sacrifices for him to run away instead of one.


    Altina and the others then quickly collected their Ster Energy before Sera set up another route. 36 seconds. That was all it took for the entire event to be finished before Aire''s team disappeared from the area.

 Chapter 52: Im Counting On You

    Chapter 52: I''m Counting On You


    Back on the monitoring airship, Vaxo looked at the ranking of the teams participating in the Ster Bubble capture mission. There were over 10000 teams participating, so the rankings changed nonstop. Of course, on the other end of the list, the number of fully disqualified teams also increased nonstop. By now, 1248 teams had beenpletely wiped out and were out of the mission.


    Vaxo then paid attention to the top 100, watching as their numbers fluctuated. Aire''s group was also there, but they were far below in the 93rd position. The first ce was the 169th Dormitory, 19th Room, a team led by a girl named Luana Pascol. They had acquired a total of 112 Ster Bubbles and still had their four members alive and well.


    The second was the 153rd Dormitory, 45th Room. Its leader was Paril Liantin, with his team acquiring 106 Ster Bubbles.


    Surprisingly, the third-ranked team was from the same dormitory as Aire''s group, 174th Dormitory, 28th Room. Their leader was Vrati Sue. His team had acquired the equivalent of 99 Ster Bubbles in terms of energy.


    As for Aire''s team, they now reached the 52nd Bubble after defeating thest group. It was less than half the amount of Ster Bubbles the first-ranked team had. However, it wasn''t a bad result at all. First of all, Aire''s starting point was much worse than the top teams, who began to collect Ster Bubbles much earlier. Second, they still had their four members, which was already bing a hard feat to maintain.


    "It has only been a single day, and only 23 teams in the top 100 still have their four members. As for the rest of the teams below, more than 40% of them have already lost at least one team member. What do you think, Oivy?" Vaxo asked the guy by his side.


    "As always, thepetition for Ster Bubbles is very aggressive," Oivy didn''t find it strange as he answered Vaxo''s question. "I wonder if we will even have 10% of the teams remaining when the mission is over. From the looks of it, the top teams are already identifying their main opponents and are trying to keep themselves away from them."


    Vaxo nodded as he said, "That''s a smart move. There''s no point in confronting other stronger teams, only to fall prey to some random group who might be lurking in the surroundings. They''re also creating their own territories, showing the others that they won''t retaliate as long as they don''t bother their teams. Of course, this is only valid for the top teams. The average ones are still being attacked with no mercy due to the huge difference in strength."


    Oivy agreed with Vaxo''s words. "Indeed. We still have two more days to go, so those teams probably won''t attack each other before thest few hours remain. Nevertheless, it will definitely happen."


    Vaxo smiled in response to those words, looking forward to those moments. Of course, although most of the top teams were doing that, some exceptions existed. Vaxo looked at Aire and Yuvie''s Teams. Yuvie, obviously, was the name of the leader of the group that attacked Aire. Aire''s was positioned 93rd, while Yuvie''s was 67th. He saw how Yuvie''s group prepared the ambush and seeded in it. However, he was even more impressed by how Aire turned the tables in their favor. "That boy''s learning ability is simply spectacr. Not only that, but he can disy abat strength one stage above his own. He looks just like that girl Altina, who also can do the same in an even fight in terms of Riser level."


    Oivy smiled. "To think that twobat geniuses would fall into the same team. It seems like the management of the school missed Aire''s real potential. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have put him in the same team as her."


    Vaxo didn''t mind, replying, "Well, a lot of the students with big backgrounds used some backdoors to be in the same teams, so it isn''t exactly unfair. I''m happy to see that such a coincidence had urred."


    Vaxo then turned his attention away as two more strong groups began to fight. As surprising as Aire might be, he was far from being the only one. Vaxo, Oivy, and the others had a lot more to look at than only him.


    Sera didn''t keep their team in the main Ster Bubble area. Instead, she guided them outside it so that they could check Kymei''s injuries as she asked him, "How is it, Kymei?"


    Kymei touched his shoulder and couldn''t help but grunt in pain. Before, the adrenaline was preventing him from feeling it too much. However, now that they finished fighting, it immediately showed that things were not so easy. "It''s quite bad, but nothing that could dmission me out ofbat."


    Sera shook her head as she said in response, "Liar! After you came out of the swamp and started to give me support, I haven''t seen even one of your predictive shots. Obviously, the pain has made it difficult for you to calcte the enemy''s steps, so you could only shoot in straight lines."


    Altina and Aire nodded after hearing her words. After seeing Kymei use his arc shots so many times, they knew that it was weird for him to not use those in the final stretch of the battle.


    Seeing that hiding it would be meaningless, Kymei bitterly smiled as he responded, "Well, it''s not that I can''t use my predictive shots, but that the impact of the rifle on my body when I shoot is a lot stronger. If I force it, I might have really activated the gel on our defensive bracelets. A weak support is still better than none, so I refrained from doing it."


    Kymei then looked at Aire, who understood the meaning in his eyes. However, Aire shook his head as he pointed his finger to the skies. Kymei then looked up and could see the semnce of the monitoring airship between the leaves. Obviously, they were being constantly monitored. Naturally, Aire couldn''t use his power here.


    However, it was then that Ste''s voice appeared in Aire''s mind as she told him, ''They''re monitoring what their eyes can see through the monitors. Don''t worry about that. I can hack the cameras and sensors, making it look like you''re just patching up Kymei''s shoulder. No one will notice that you used your power to fix him.'' Ste smiled right after as she added, ''Don''t forget, I''m here to help you.''


    Aire''s eyes shone in response as he soon said, ''Great! I''m counting on you, Ste!''


    Ste''s expression brightened like the sun when she heard that. Soon, she responded with great enthusiasm, ''Definitely!''

 Chapter 53: Fixing Kymei

    Chapter 53: Fixing Kymei


    However, Aire noticed a problem. ''Wait, wouldn''t it be the same as giving me an advantage? You said you couldn''t do that due to the rules.''


    Ste shook her head as she rified, ''The problem here is that you can''t use your power if someone''s monitoring you. Not being able to use your own strength is worse than giving you a small advantage. That''s why I can do it without breaking the system''s rule. After all, it would put you in danger if others find out about it, so your safety is considered a greater priority by the system.''


    Aire nodded in response, thinking that he might use this loophole to his advantage in the future. ''Great! Then, let me take care of the rest.''


    Aire then looked at Altina and Sera before saying, "I have a way of mitigating the damage Kymei received with a shoulder technique my family uses. It won''t heal his injuries, but it''ll stabilize it long enough until the mission is over. That way, he can continue to give us his usual long-range support."


    Altina and Sera were surprised to hear that, with one of them even asking, "Are you sure?" They found it hard to believe since Kymei didn''t seem to be faring that well. Nevertheless, they definitely needed something like this at the moment. Otherwise, it would be better to simply move away from the main area and hide Kymei before moving to the center again. That would be a lot better than trying to protect him.


    Aire looked at Kymei, who understood that Aire had a n to use his power. With that, Kymei told the two, "Alright, while Aire does his thing on me, you two move slightly farther away from us to keep guard. That way, if some enemy appears, Aire and I will have time to react."


    Altina and Sera immediately nodded before Sera told where she and Altina should stay. Soon after, the two girls moved a few dozen meters away, covering the main path that could be used to attack Aire and Kymei.


    Kymei and Aire then looked at each other and didn''t say a single word. Both of them knew that they were being monitored, so it was better to not talk about Aire''s power either. Whatever way Aire had to hide its usage, it wouldn''t matter as long as it worked.


    Aire then touched Kymei''s shoulder as Ste essed the monitoring system that was focused on them. Obviously, that was the airship above them and their own defensive bracelets. ''Alright, Aire. They won''t see anything else other than you doing some simple massage on Kymei''s shoulder. You can start.''


    Aire inwardly nodded in response before touching Kymei''s shoulder. The palm of his hand then began to shine with a faint white light. After using it so many times in the Ster Smith Faction, Aire had be used to controlling it. He also understood that it had nothing to do with the Light Element but that it was some kind of repairing power. It did not matter what it might touch since it would still bring back things to their optimal state. That''s how it worked.


    Kymei was reminded of the same sensation he felt back when he and Aire made that deal. His knee was healed in the same way, and Kymei couldn''t help but feel like it had never been injured before. Now, the same thing was happening as Kymei''s bones were connected back to their positions.


    The process onlysted for ten or so minutes, but Aire was able topletely eliminate Kymei''s injuries. Or better yet, he brought Kymei''s body back to its optimal state once again. Following that, Aire patched Kymei''s shoulder to make it look like he had done some work before calling the girls back. "Altina, Sera, I''m done."


    The two immediately headed back as they looked at Kymei''s shoulder. Soon, one of them asked him, "How is it? Can you use your predictive shot?"


    Kymei got up and moved his shoulders for a bit before lifting his Ster Rifle. He kept moving it up and down until, eventually, a smile appeared on his face. "That''s definitely a convenient technique. I know it isn''t healed, but I''m certain I can battle without worries for the next two days."


    On Aire''s mind, Ste confirmed that everything had gone smoothly. ''The guys monitoring the mission didn''t see anything wrong either.''


    Sera then warned Kymei, "Of course, once the mission is over, you must go and have it checked."


    Kymeiughed in response, replying, "Hahaha! By that time, I would already have used my Ster Energy to fix the issue. Don''t forget that I''ve already surpassed the Ster Bones Stage." Sure enough, Risers have a much better healing capability than normal humans from the past. Kymei wasn''t lying about his ns at all.


    Altina couldn''t care less either way. "Alright, we''ve already wasted enough time in this ce. Sera, show us where we should go. Try and find the best route for us now."


    "There''s no need. I already know where we need to go." Sera then passed the route to everyone''smunicators. "This is only spection. However, based on the battles we''ve gone through while in the main area, I believe this point is where most of the action will happen during the second day. The Ster Bubble appearance frequency in the other two areas don''t seem as good either."


    Aire couldn''t help but ask, "Wouldn''t that make it the most dangerous location?"


    Sera, Altina, and Kymei nodded as one of them responded, "Exactly. However, with big riskses big rewards." Before Aire could evenin, Altina and the others departed. Sure enough, they wouldn''t give Aire time toin about heavy work.


    During the second day, the ranking of Aire''s group began to increase. What before was 93rd, they were now in the 44th position. Not only that, but they were also making a name for themselves as one of the few teams that still had four members and Ster Suits. Well, just a single piece of the suit, though. It''s just that the majority didn''t have even that.


    At some point, Aire''s group had marked a small territory as theirs. With their own strength and Altina''s reputation, the other top-ranked teams didn''t dare to get close. Of course, Aire''s group wasn''t idiotic, so they didn''t barge into the territory of top-ranked groups either.


    Eventually, the second day was over as the third andst day began by the time the sun had risen. By now, more than 80% of the teams were eliminated or had already left the main area. The ones who left knew that they would be risking too much by losing their Ster Bubbles'' energy, so it was better to keep it and wait for the mission to be over.


    As for the remaining ones, they weren''t satisfied with just a decent harvest. They wanted a lot more in both Ster Bubble energy and rank. One must remember that the team missions were given to all the students, not only those who came to Samuria Swamp. After the mission was over, the total score would be calcted between all Risers in the school, which would also be added to their initial ranking.


    That would help with their initial standings for the next missions as well. Naturally, they all wanted to aim higher and start in better positions. As for the ones who already had great initial standings, they were very confident in themselves. The teams trying to move up the ranks would simply deliver them more Ster Energy as a reward in their eyes.

 Chapter 54: Battle Maniac

    Chapter 54: Battle Maniac


    Another Ster Bubble appeared from the swamp''s surface before Sera moved and captured it with the. The Ster Energy inside quickly moved into her bracelet before it was stored forter use. At the same time, Kymei checked the actual ranking, which could be seen in everyone''smunicators.


    "Hey, with that bubble, we went up one position," Kymei said with a smile. "We''re now 43rd."


    Altina didn''t seem to be worried about that. "Stop looking at the rank and pay attention to the surroundings. There are less than six hours to go before the end of the mission." Naturally, Altina was ready for when the other teams began to move.


    Nevertheless, Aire found it strange as he could not help but say, "Altina, as far as I know, you wouldn''t be here, waiting for others toe. I thought you would be the first one to suggest that we should attack."


    Altina''s mouth twitched in response, replying, "What? You think I''m some sort of crazed battle maniac or something?"


    Sera, Kymei, and Aire nodded in agreement to her words without even thinking twice. Naturally, Altina felt like giving these guys a beating.


    "Fuck all of you! I very well know the difference in strength between the top teams and us. We are all more or less equal, so waiting in a terrain that we dominate is obviously the best choice," Altina said as if stating a fact. "I haven''t forgotten the main objective. Get as many Ster Energy Bubbles as possible or the equivalent from other participants. I don''t want to move before other teams do so."


    Sera couldn''t help butment, "However, you won''t stay here forever, right? After all, our initial standings depend on our final position in the ranking."


    Altina nodded, responding, "Of course. However, it''s the same for all the other teams in the swamp. If they want a much higher position in the school''s overall ranking, they would need to move as well. In the end, this is a test of patience. We''ll have to see who''ll move out first."


    Altina was right. Everyone who possessed their own territory in the Ster Bubbles'' Main Area didn''t want to move away from theirfort zone yet. At the very least, they didn''t want to be the first ones. Everyone wanted to fish in troubled waters.


    Unfortunately, Vaxo wasn''t willing to wait for that to happen. "Is the system ready?" he asked as he looked at one of the subordinates in the airship''smand room.


    "Yes, teacher Vaxo. We can start at any time," the subordinate immediately nodded as he replied.


    Vaxo yfully smiled in response, soon saying, "Alright, start! Let''s see how they deal with it."


    Back on the ground, the defensive bracelets on the members of Aire''s group shone with silver light as a voice soon resounded from it, telling them, "The mission will onlyst for six more hours. From now on, every team will lose 50% of all the Ster Energy inside their bracelets every thirty minutes. To prevent it from happening, each team will have to defeat at least one member of an enemy team and capture their Ster Energy Reserves. Time starts now."


    The entire region went silent after that message yed out. However, it onlysted for a few seconds. Soon after, the sound of battles began to echo everywhere in the Main Area and the areas close to it. Several teams that had previously left immediately pounced right inside. Sure enough, they were waiting for the top teams to battle it out to try and take them out by surprise. Now, however, such a thing was out of the question.


    Those weren''t the only ones, though. All the teams that were initially hidden far away, not nning to rejoin the fray, had to change their ns on the spot. Without any other choice, they all made their way to the Main Area as well.


    Back at Aire''s group, all their faces were grim. Let alone the top teams. They would now have to deal with many smaller teams at once.


    "Sera, can you find a safe route with the least number of groups?" Altina asked in a hurry as she heard the sound of approaching enemies.


    Sera shook her head as she hastily replied, "The sudden change has made everything too random. We''ll have to battle for a while while I analyze the battlefield."


    Soon, Aire saw several shadows approaching from Sera''s back as he hastily shouted, "There theye!"


    Altina didn''t lose her cool as she jumped forward. At the same time, Sera controlled the team''s formation,manding, "Altina and Aire will form the front. I''ll try to prevent anyone from getting close to Kymei while he gives long-range support. Everyone, staying in one spot is the worst option for us. We''ll advance as we attack. We can''t stop!"


    Altina and Aire nodded as they replied in unison, "On it!" The two then immediately started to fight the team that had just arrived while Kymei gave long-range support. Sera wasn''t nearly as good as Kymei with Ster Guns, but she still had one, so she just shot while keeping an eye on the surroundings to prevent Kymei from being ambushed.


    *Bang! Crack!*


    The first team that arrived wasn''tplete, with only three members. With Aire and Altina''s strength plus their Ster Suit Arms, they quickly dispatched two of them while thest one was injured by Kymei''s predictive shot. The guy understood that their team had found a tough bone to chew, so he immediately turned around and ran away to look for an easier target.


    Altina and Aire didn''t waste time and absorbed the Ster Energy Bubbles from the two defeated opponents. However, they didn''t wait for them to finish before Sera ordered their team to keep moving. Sera was the tactical brain in their team, so Aire and Altina didn''t dare to go against her words.


    Sure enough, three more teams appeared right where they were just a few secondster, initiating a free-for-all battle. Even with Aire and Altina''s strength, being swallowed by such a brawl wouldn''t be a good thing.


    "We''ve defeated two, so we will keep running. We now have 53 minutes before 50% of our teams'' total Ster Energy is lost," Sera told them.


    However, Altina suddenly smiled before looking back at her, suggesting, "Now that I think about it, with so many easy fat sheep heading to the main area, do we really need to hide?"


    Sera pondered over the suggestion for a bit before saying, "I understand that this is a chance to umte a lot of Ster Energy. However, if we get tired before the six hours are up, we''ll end up in a tight spot."


    Kymeiughed in response, saying, "Hahaha! You''re forgetting something very important. We can use the Ster Energy we got to recover ourselves. Sure, it''ll reduce the equivalent number of Ster Energy Bubbles, but we can obtain a lot more from the other teams. I say we go all out!"


    Altina immediately agreed with Kymei, responding with a grin, "Well said, Kymei! We did that to let Aire recover on the first day, so we can do it for ourselves as well."


    Aire, of course, preferred to not do so. "Ahem...isn''t it too risky? What if we bump into really strong teams?"


    Altina''s eyes lit up when she heard that, replying, "Simple, we beat them up too. Hahaha!"


    Kymei and Sera shrugged their shoulders as they had already expected such an answer. Sure enough, Altina was a battle maniac through and through.

 Chapter 55: Pincer

    Chapter 55: Pincer


    "Two enemy teams approaching us from the west and southeast. Although they probably didn''t agree on it, they''ll definitely pincer us like that. Run in the north-northeast direction. That way, we can force both of them to get closer to each other first," Sera said as she looked at the map.


    Aire and the others immediately nodded and changed direction. Sure enough, it didn''t take more than 30 seconds before they heard the sound ofbating from behind them. Those two teams noticed that they were pursuing the same target. But since the target was further away, they quickly changed their ns and attacked each other. It was a fight against time, so they needed opponents.


    Sera lightly grinned when she heard that and stopped before turning around and heading back. However, she didn''t move in a straight line. Instead, she guided everyone while moving in an arc, trying to pincer attack one of the two enemy groups between the other one and themselves. Sera then calcted a position on the map within a few seconds before sending a location on the map to her group. Soon, she ordered, "Kymei, head to the point shown in themunicator. You should have a free view of the battlefield while having a bit of protection against teamsing from behind. Aire, Altina, you can head straight towards them. If possible, focus on a single target and try to get close without being seen. I''ll be at a position between you two and Kymei to give orders."


    "Alright!" Altina and Aire immediately dashed forward as Kymei moved to the position mentioned by Sera. Sure enough, Sera was very good at tactics. This ce on the map was still within their own territory, so she made sure to record everything in her memory so that she could make the best use of it.


    The thirty-minute limit was approaching, so the two enemy teams were going all out against each other, trying to defeat at least one opponent of the other group. Nevertheless, they knew that they might be ambushed by other teams since they were showing their current position with the sounds of their battle. That being said, they still kept a bit of vignce towards their surroundings.


    Suddenly, the leader of the team that Aire''s group wanted to pincer attack shouted, "There''s one guying from the left. He might have other team members, be careful."


    Altina''s cover was perfect. Unfortunately, Aire had little experience with ambushes. The fact that he could move faster than others at his level in this swamp only made it easier to find his position. "Shit, I screwed up."


    Altina, who was by his side, didn''t mind, saying, "Forget that and follow the n. Sera already ounted for it when she sent us through this route. Your learning abilities are ridiculous, so you''ll get it the more we try."


    Altina and Aire jumped right on one of the guys while Sera and Kymei were nowhere to be seen. Since only Aire and Altina had appeared, their target tried to jump in a direction where he could drag them into the battle with the others. At least that way, his team would have a chance of evening things out. However...


    *Bzzzzzz!*


    Out of nowhere, his defensive bracelet shone with silver light before the gel enveloped his entire body, much to his shock. At the very next moment, a red shot came from behind a tree, moving in a curved trajectory that hit his head perfectly! If the bracelet hadn''t activated, he would be dead now.


    Aire and Altina couldn''t help but smile after seeing that. Even if their ambush failed, it didn''t mean that Kymei''s move would. "Nice!"


    The battle was still ongoing, so Altina and Aire grabbed the body covered in gel and retreated while siphoning the Ster Energy in the guy''s bracelet. His teammates and the other enemy were taken aback by that sight. "These guys will kill us if we keep fighting. Let''s force them into the fight before we''re done for." the leader of the team that lost one of its members offered. They were only a group of three when this brawl started. With one of his members gone, he only had himself and a friend remaining.


    "Alright." The other team also had three members, so he immediately agreed. "Get them through the left while we move through the right. However, if I see you running away, we''ll do the same. Let''s see if they''ll choose to go after your two-member team or ours with three members."


    The leader of the pincered team gritted his teeth and nodded before he left with his teammate...or so he tried. The moment his friend turned around to initiate the attack, the person fighting him took the chance and aimed an attack at his vital point. "You...!"


    It was toote...in less than a second, another body covered in protective gel appeared. Seeing how he was fooled, the leader immediately lost his patience and attacked as he shouted, "Fuck you, shameless bastards!"


    However, the leader of the enemy teamughed as he jumped in front to stop the guy. "Hahaha! Did you forget? Everything''s valid in this ce. With that, we now have 30 min-"


    Soon, his words were interrupted as his defensive bracelet activated, enveloping his entire body in gel, just like what happened with the previous person.


    "What?!" He couldn''t understand. Altina and Aire had left. On top of that, he made sure that the position he selected to stop the enemy leader would be in a blind spot where Kymei wouldn''t be able to target him. With that, why did his bracelet suddenly activate? Of course, he knew that it was only possible because someone was about tond a fatal strike on him. He just didn''t know how that happened.


    His eyes moved a little, trying to see who was behind him when out of nowhere, Aire delivered a punch straight into the protective gel with his Ster Suit Arm.


    Seeing that his ambush worked well this time, Aire couldn''t help but smile as he muttered to himself, "Oh! So that''s how I can approach others without being noticed. I guess it works."


    Sure enough, Aire once again learned from his previous mistake and made up for it. As for why he was there. As soon as Altina and Aire pushed the first guy''s body away, Aire saw a message from Sera appear on hismunicator, telling him about the next n of attack.


    Sera knew that the other team would try to stay out of Kymei''s range, so they could use only so many ces to protect themselves. With that information in hand and the fact that this was their territory, Sera understood very well where such a thing would happen. In fact, she sent out two different locations. Aire would be in one of them while Altina would be in the other. In the end, Aire was the lucky one.


    Only now did the other two teams understand that Aire''s team had never nned to retreat to absorb their first target''s Ster Energy. It was all a smokescreen for when they ambushed them a second time.


    *Arrrgh!*


    Suddenly, another body was covered in protective gel as it was sent flying. One must not forget that Altina was sent to the second location. As for what she found there, it was obviously the two guys who were absorbing the Ster Energy of their defeated enemy. The same enemy that they had fooled just a second ago!


    And just like that, only one member of each of the two groups remained while Aire''s group was still intact.

 Chapter 56: I Have an Idea

    Chapter 56: I Have an Idea


    As soon as those two guys were defeated, Sera appeared on the top of one of the nearby trees and began to shoot down.


    *Bang, bang, bang...*


    "Take them!"


    Altina and Aire then swapped their opponents as they turned off their Ster Suit Arms to save on Ster Energy. Everything happened too quickly, so the two remaining guys took some time to react. However, they could feel the danger, which immediately prompted them to give up on fighting. They simply started to run away at that instant.


    Then again, one of them was the leader of a team...although he was thest member. Surprisingly, he was also at the Ster Maniption Level, the same as Altina. That being said, Aire and Altina didn''t try to stop him. Instead, they aimed at the other guy, who was just an average member of his already defeated team. With Kymei moving to a new position, the guy had nowhere to run before his fate was ultimately sealed.


    Surprisingly, the team that was wiped out was not the one who was first pincered by Aire''s and the second enemy team. Instead, it was their leader, the only one who survived while everyone else, including the team who fooled him, was disqualified. ''Fuck! Even if you pay me, I won''t head back there!'' He quickly disappeared in the distance as he thought that.


    After the guy left, Kymei appeared where Sera, Aire, and Altina were staying with the first guy''s body. Without wasting any time, they began to absorb all the Ster Energy from those people, five of them at that! By now, their reserves had so much Ster Energy that they might be worth quite a few Ster Crystals.


    Sera didn''t let her focus slip, though. "Alright, let''s leave. However, we''ll keep moving inside our territory to keep thend advantage."


    Kymei and the others nodded as they quickly followed Sera.


    Using the advantage of the terrain and Sera''s tactics, Aire''s group kept ambushing other groups who entered their territory nonstop. Of course, they weren''t the only ones. All the teams who survived in the main area with four members also had their own strengths. That being said, very few of them were overwhelmed by the sudden change in rules. In any case, they didn''t leave their territories either. Since many small fries wereing their way, they might as well stay and have their feast.


    It wasn''t before five hours had passed, leaving less than one hour for the mission to be over, that the main area grew silent once again. By now, those who had the confidence to try entering it had already been defeated or survived the chaos. Unfortunately, the rule was that they would lose 50% of their Ster Energy every thirty minutes...


    Back at the airship, Vaxo and Oivy smiled at the scene. "The fun time is about to begin."


    Aire was nervous. He knew that the next opponents would be anything but easy. Not to mention that it didn''t mean that all the easier teams had beenpletely wiped out. Some might still be lurking, waiting for a chance. After all, if they didn''t have much Ster Energy at the start, then there wasn''t much reason for them to join the battle in the main area earlier. They could simply wait till the end and try to ambush one of the teams who survived and gain a lot of Ster Bubble Energy.


    However, it was at this moment that another message came out of the defensive bracelets, telling them, "From now on, the location of each person will be shown on the map together with the amount of energy they have equivalent in Ster Bubbles. If you still don''t have enough, you can use this information to go after everyone else''s."


    Altina and the others bitterly smiled after hearing this. However, the one who felt it the most was Sera. After all, most of the terrain advantage that she was using to ambush the trespassers was now gone. No, it was better to say that ambushes werepletely out of the question. Everyone would be able to tell if someone else was approaching or not.


    Of course, Aire''s team immediately opened their maps to look at everyone''s positions. However, it was then that they became surprised. That''s because...there was almost no one heading in their direction! Sure, a few people were heading their way, but nothingpared to the other top teams. "What?! Why are we being ignored?"


    Kymei quickly paid attention to the numbers. Eventually, he understood why. "Hahaha! Look at the amount of Ster Bubble Energy we have. No, to be more specific, look at how much each one of us has. After that, pay attention to the other teams."


    Aire and the others quickly checked the information. Sure enough, they understood what Kymei meant. "I see...to think that such a thing would happen."


    At the moment, the amount of Ster Bubble Energy Aire''s team had was evenly shared between their fou members. Altina was the one with the highest amount, with a total of 105. As for the team member with the least amount, that one was Kymei, with 101. Aire had 102, while Sera had 104. That was the trick here.


    "Because we shared our bubbles evenly, it would be very annoying to have to defeat all of us at once to get our Ster Energy," Kymei exined. "However, except for two more teams, all the other top-ranked groups have gathered most of the Ster Energy Bubbles on their leaders. Naturally, it would be a lot better to have a single person down than an entire team. Look, the top-ranked team''s leader closest to us has almost 400 Ster Bubbles alone, while his team members only have 10 or so."


    Altina couldn''t help but grin after hearing Kymei''s exnation. Soon, she suggested, "What do you want to do? Should we also join in on the fun?"


    "Would that be a good idea? It''s going to be crazy everywhere else." Aire obviously didn''t want to.


    However, Sera''s eyes shone as she looked at the map. "Hey...I have an idea."

 Chapter 57: Ring of Fire

    Chapter 57: Ring of Fire


    Everyone''s attention was immediately piqued. "What kind of idea do you have in mind?"


    Sera then began to run in the direction of the closest top-ranked team''s territory as she told them, "Follow me."


    Aire and the others nodded in response and quickly went after her. Not too long after that, they left the territory they had defended for a long time. Sometime after that, the sound of battles began to resound once again.


    All the teams, including the big ones, were fighting against each other. Sure enough, many of them preferred to avoidbat until the very end before robbing other teams of their Ster Energy. In any case, the area had be embroiled in battle once again.


    Somewhere in this chaos, Aire''s group made their way through the teams without Ster Energy Bubbles. Naturally, they still had a lot more Ster Bubbles than the groups outside, so some of those enemy groups decided to target them instead.


    However, they were underestimating Aire''s group. At the moment, Sera and Kymei were being piggybacked by Aire and Altina. At the same time, Sera guided them through the field, avoiding most of the battles. Not to mention that Kymei and Sera kept shooting back, dying them in the process. One must remember that Aire was already far faster in this ce than anyone below the Ster Paths Stage. As for Altina, she was a Riser at the Ster Energy Maniption Level. Because of that, the other group couldn''t really catch up to them unless their leaders gave up on their teams and focused on pursuing them. Obviously, that wouldn''t happen since all of them thought of the possibility of it actually being a trap.


    With that, Aire and Altina kept running, entering different battlefields and leaving them a few momentster. Everywhere they went, they caught a bit of attention, forcing some of the enemy groups to pursue them. Before the ones chasing them could even give up, they had already run a lot further away from their initial positions.


    Back on the monitoring airship, Vaxo seemed to understand what was happening as he muttered, "Now, would you look at that. I almost didn''t notice what they were trying to do."


    Oivy paid a little more attention and nodded, responding, "I see...that''s indeed very audacious. I wonder if any of the teams down there have noticed what they''re trying to do."


    On the map in front of them, they saw how the teams that would pursue Aire''s group would eventually give up. However, the ces where they gave up the pursuit were exactly where Sera wanted it to be. After that, without even noticing, they would change their targets once more, going after the Riser with the most Ster Energy close to them.


    And just like that, those top-ranked teams were gradually being forced out of their territories where they held the advantage. After all, the enemies wereing from almost all directions, leaving only a small lifeline for them.


    Sera looked at themunicator and smiled as she said, "Good! Altina, Aire, how are you holding up?"


    Altina and Aire didn''t seem too bothered, surprisingly. "We''re fine. We''re using some of the Ster Energy in our bracelets to recover and keep running. We just hope your n works."


    Sera shrugged her shoulders as she responded, "It''s not like we have much to lose since we can keep our distance from the actual enemies. However, if it works out as I imagine, we''ll be in for a feast."


    Time soon passed, and 25 minutes had gone by since Aire''s teamst defeated an enemy. That meant that they had to find someone to dispatch in five minutes, or they would lose 50% of all the Ster Energy they had umted so far. However, Sera didn''t seem that worried. Instead, she kept looking at the map every now and then while helping Kymei fire back at anyone pursuing them.


    Eventually, the moment she waited for arrived. "That''s it! We brought together most of the top teams into the same area. Now the other groups who are after their Ster Energy are all flocking there. If any of the big teams try to leave that area, they''ll be everyone''s target."


    As soon as Sera said those words, Altina and Aire stopped and let the twoe down their backs. Right behind them, there was a team that Sera purposely arranged to follow them closely.


    "They''re out of energy! Attack!" Sure enough, they didn''t waste time and attacked Aire''s team.


    Unfortunately for them, Aire and the others were anything but tired. Altina and Aire immediately pounced at the iing enemies while Kymei and Sera provided support. This team wasn''t anything hard to deal with. After all, their leader, who had the highest Riser Level, was only at the Ster Paths Stage of the Ster Body Transformation Level. Not to mention that they didn''t even have any Ster Suits.


    As for Aire''s team, they had greaterbat power, not to mention their Ster Suit Arms. Not even a couple of minutes after the battle started, they had already dispatched two of the enemy''s group members, leaving only their leader and another guy alive.


    Sure enough, those two guys didn''t waste time and ran away without even thinking. It was obvious that they had been fooled, so there was no point in staying anymore. Aire''s group didn''t pursue them either since they could see how much Ster Energy Bubbles they had. From the very start, they had almost none, which meant going after them would be a waste of energy. It was good enough for them that they could restart their 30 minute counter with the two defeated ones.


    Sera immediately looked at the map on hermunicator and took a deep breath as she muttered in disbelief, "Holy shit! There are so many points moving in that area that I can''t even read their names."


    Aire and the others were also surprised to see the oue of Sera''s n. It didn''t matter how strong the teams inside there were. With so many people flocking around them and the danger of the other top-ranked teams confined in that ce, they also began to fall one after another.


    Eventually, Sera saw the opportunity she had been waiting for. "There it is! Their leaders are trying to escape while using their team members as scapegoats. This is our chance!"


    Altina, Aire, and Kymei couldn''t help but be amazed that Sera''s n had worked out this well. If they had missed the right timing or Aire and Altina failed to keep up the pace, they would have been the ones surrounded and defeated by the starving crowd.


    However, they also noticed a problem. "Hey, look! One of the teams that were outside the ring of fire is also going after the fleeing leaders."


    Sera''s expression became dark as she cursed, "Fuck you! Do you know how much effort I put in to make this happen?! Everyone, let''s go! We can''t let them take all the Ster Energy away from us."


    With that, Aire''s team headed to the area where the running leaders were moving towards.

 Chapter 58: Last Obstacle

    Chapter 58: Last Obstacle


    At the same time, somewhere else, the same team that Sera mentioned was making their way as well.


    "Those guys are heading in our direction," a man named Wace said, who was the leader of the group.


    One of hispanions nodded in response, replying, "That''s obvious. After what they did, it would be weird if they didn''t try to earn extra points. Fortunately, Mark noticed their strategy and guided us out of the carnage area."


    The guy called Mark smiled after hearing that, saying, "I wasn''t the only one, though. There are two other teams making their way to the same ce. Then again, I have to admit that that was some superb strategy they used. Of course, it was only possible because their Ster Energy Bubbles have been shared equally between them. Because of that, they weren''t like the others that had a member who was the fat sheep."


    Mark was right. Other than them and Aire''s group, two other teams were on their way to intercept all the running fat sheep of the teams who were trapped in the ring of fire.


    It didn''t take long for Aire''s group to arrive there. Not too far away from them, Wace''s group had appeared as well. However, Wace didn''t attack Aire''s group. That''s because they also had the same map as Sera, so they knew two more teams other than them wereing.


    Sure enough, no more than a few seconds had passed before the other two opportunists also arrived there. Of course, they all noticed Aire and Wace''s team. However, Aire''s team was the one that caught most of the attention. After all, it wasn''t as if Crazy Bitch Altina''s fame had gone away that easily.


    "Oh! It''s Altina," a girl called Juana couldn''t help but call out with a smile. However, anyone could notice the tinge of anger behind her expression. From the looks of it, Altina and Juana had some history between them.


    "Do you know her, Altina?" Aire asked with a low voice.


    However, Altina had a look of confusion on her face as she casually replied, "Never seen her before."


    Hearing that, Juana''s expression turned dark. Juana was one of the students with a strong background that Altina trashed the previous year. Naturally, Juana lost quite the sum of resources because of that previous year. She was also one of the few people who proliferated the Crazy Bitch Altina thing because of it. To hear that Altina couldn''t even remember her obviously angered the girl.


    "Hmph! Everyone, it''s obvious that this bitchy Altina''s team was the one who created this situation. They wanted all the fat sheep for themselves. If we hadn''t noticed their n, we would be one of those guys running away from the mob. Do you really want to let them stay here?"


    Aire''s group narrowed their eyes after hearing that. Sera wasn''t an idiot. She stationed their team at a point where they could flee if necessary, and they were ready to do so. After all, even if they lost the extra Ster Energy, they still obtained a lot from thest three days.


    However, Wace couldn''t help butugh out loud with his team as he responded to her words, saying, "Hahaha! So what? Those who fell for it can only me themselves for not having good tacticians. Juana, I think I know you. You''re the daughter of the Carzan Group, right?"


    "That''s me," Juana didn''t mind answering straight away.


    Wace shook his head in response after hearing her confirm his doubts. "Your family is known for being good at manipting information, so I guess that exins why your group avoided being caught up in that chaos. However, don''t think everyone will simply believe what the non-official media in the school is putting up."


    Wace then looked at Aire''s team with a smile, saying, "As for you, I can only say thank you for the meal. We''ll make use of this chance to obtain some extra points."


    Sera looked around and knew that there was no way to force those teams away. In the end, she also smiled back as she replied, "Well, it''s not like I didn''t expect this to happen. It will be up to the best groups to see who''ll obtain more bubbles."


    Thest group in that impasse was lead by a man called Zhang Sai. Soon, he said, "I don''t care about any of you or what kind of problems you have with each other. However, if you try to get in our way, don''t think we''ll hold back and let you have your way."


    In the end, Juana''s n to force Altina''s group out of this ce didn''t bear fruit. However, she was confident in herself and her team, so she decided to ignore it. With that, she told her team, "Pay attention. The mob and the running rabbits are here."


    Indeed, it didn''t take long for Aire and everyone else to hear the sound of footstepsing from the ring of fire. Soon, the sound of footsteps intensified several times, making it known that many people were heading their way.


    Sera gave onest nce at the other three teams before saying, "Let''s hold our ground. Ignore those who run in the other teams'' direction."


    Kymei couldn''t help but ask, "Is it really okay to leave it like that? What if not manye our way?"


    Sera shook her head in response, replying, "We already did a lot to make this opportunity possible. Anything extra now is more than enough. After all, we were in a position where extra Ster Bubble Energy wouldn''te anymore, remember?"


    Altina was the type who would prefer to fight for it. However, she knew that Sera''s decision was based on their own safety. The situation was too dangerous with three other top-ranked teams with all their four members intact.


    Soon, the running teams with Ster Bubbles appeared from behind the swamp trees. Sure enough, they were the strongest members of their own groups. They had most of the Ster Energy Bubbles on them. The good thing for them was that they were mostly at the Ster Maniption Level, so the others pursuing them weren''t as fast.


    Suddenly, Altina heard a sounding from the side. That was weird since the map showed no one there. However, she immediately understood what it was as she shouted, "Careful!"


    Not long after, a shadow pounced from the top of one of the trees, aiming at Kymei''s back. It was a Ster Beast! However, Aire''s team wasn''t the only one being attacked by those beasts. Everywhere around the waiting teams, four-legged Ster Beasts appeared and attacked the Risers. What was first a banquet for Aire, Wace, Juana, and Zhang''s groups turned into a chaotic ce as well.


    Far in the skies, inside the monitoring airship, Vaxo and Oivyughed out loud as Vaxo said, "Hahaha! Thest obstacle of this mission, the Ster Beast Wave, is finally out!"

 Chapter 59: Chances

    Chapter 59: Chances


    Surprisingly, what appeared behind Kymei was a ck panther. Of course,pared to before the Ascension Age and the appearance of Ster Energy, this panther was much faster and bigger. Obviously, it was also more powerful.


    Kymei quickly turned around and aimed at the panther, trying to shoot it. Unfortunately, the panther''s appearance was too sudden, so the Ster Riffle could only hit the side of the beast, making it impossible to aim at it. At the same time his rifle hit the panther, the animal''s jaw was already closing onto his throat.


    Obviously, his bracelet also began to activate, ready to save Kymei''s life, when suddenly...


    *Bang!*


    A foot appeared by the side of the panther''s mouth before kicking it into the swamp. Kymei couldn''t help but let out cold sweat as he looked at the one who saved him. "A-Aire...since when were you this reliable?"


    Aire''s mouth twitched in response after hearing that. "Fuck you! I just saved your ass, idiot. Do you really think I''ll continue to be surprised by these sudden events? By the fucking way, how can you fall for an ambush two times in the same mission? You''re useless."


    Kymei didn''t mind Aire''s words at all,ughing as he responded, "Hahaha! It''s fine. I have you here to save me, don''t I?"


    As those two pulled each other''s leg, Altina couldn''t help but think about how fast Aire reacted. It was even faster than her this time. ''How can he improve so much within just three days? If he continues to improve like this, would I even be his match by the end of the year? This guy couldn''t even move in front of danger at the beginning of the mission.''


    On the other hand, Sera sighed in relief before shouting, "It''s not over yet, idiots. Look, there are more Ster Beastsing." Soon after, she darted in the direction of the crowd as shemanded her team, "Follow me."


    Aire, Kymei, and Altina immediately understood what she was trying to do. For Sera to react like that, it was obvious that the Ster Beasts were much more of a threat than the other Risers.


    "How the hell did a Ster ck Panther appear in Samuria Swamp? This shouldn''t be their territory," Kymei could not help but ask as he followed the others.


    Sera immediately answered, "Isn''t that obvious? It was the teachers who released these Ster Beasts."


    Out of nowhere, Altina grabbed Sera and jumped to the side.


    *Shua!*


    Another Ster Beast jumped out of the swamp this time, just like the alligator who attacked Aire. It''s just that this one wasn''t an alligator but some kind of gigantic crawfish. Its size was at least twice Sera''s.


    It saw how it missed the target and tried to go after them. Unfortunately for this Ster Beast, it wasn''t nearly as fast enough to catch them now that it missed its ambush.


    *Arrrgh!*


    It didn''t take more than a few seconds before the first Riser was caught by a Ster Beast. His defensive bracelet activated, covering him in gel just before the jaws of what seemed to be a hyena could mp down. Once again, it was another Ster Beast that one wouldn''t find in this area.


    That Riser signaled the beginning of a chain reaction. One after another, the Riser students were being caught by Ster Beasts, only to be saved by their bracelets. Of course, those weren''t the only enemies. All the Risers in the area who didn''t have Ster Energy Bubbles simply ignored the beasts and attacked those who did. They understood that this was their only chance, even if it meant risking their lives from being caught by the beasts.


    Juana, Wace, and Zhang''s groups had good tacticians like Aire''s. With that said, they did the same thing as Sera and ordered their teams to mix in with the crowd. Of course, it didn''t take long before they became targets of other Risers.


    Just like that, chaos reigned once more. Little by little, the Ster Beasts began to obtain the advantage as more and more of them kept appearing from everywhere. It wasn''t only the people in this ce that were suffering. Ster Beasts had appeared in the entire area of the mission. Even those trying to hide were having a hard time.


    Aire''s group dodged the Ster Beasts and Risers the best they could. Fortunately, the same thing happened again. Because their Ster Energy Bubbles were shared equally between their group, they weren''t so tasty as a targetpared to the other groups. After all, the others focused their Ster Energy Bubbles on a single member.


    Surprisingly, Aire saw that one of the fat sheep ran to his side while running from a Ster Beast and an opportunistic Riser. With that, he thought, ''Well, since you appeared...''


    Altina only heard how Aire''s footsteps became lighter before he suddenly shot in another direction. Only then did she notice the event that was about to happen. That made her angry for a moment. After all, they were having a hard time defending themselves. Why would he decide to attack without saying anything?


    However, Sera touched her shoulders as she shook her head. From the looks of it, Sera approved Aire''s move.


    Only then did Altina notice that Aire didn''t move on impulse. The moment he stepped out was also a moment where a short time for respite appeared for their team. Sera then followed Aire, bringing Kymei and Altina with her.


    The Riser heading their way used his higher level to fend off against both the beast and the other Riser. However, it was at this moment that Aire pounced behind his back. Aire''s arm shone with silver light as the Ster Suit piece appeared on it.


    *Bang!*


    It was perfect. The time spent between the moment Aire left his team to the moment he attacked didn''t take any more than three seconds. The Riser simply didn''t have time to look at the map to see if someone else wasing. He might be at a higher level than Aire, but a point-nk attack like that would have dispatched even a Ster Maniption Level Riser like him.


    Of course, it wasn''t over. It was one thing to force the enemy''s bracelet to activate. It was another to take the Ster Bubble Energy from him while the beasts and other Risers were around. Especially the two who were there already.


    Fortunately for Aire, he knew that Sera would understand what he tried to do. Sure enough, Altina began to fight the other Riser just as Aire concluded his ambush while Kymei and Sera attacked the Ster Beast. For a few seconds, Aire, Altina, Kymei, and Sera alternated between defending and absorbing the fat sheep''s Ster Energy. Of course, they did that so that they could keep their Ster Energy evenly shared between all members.

 Chapter 60: All Out

    Chapter 60: All Out


    "We''re done. Let''s move out! Now!" Sera yelled as she immediately began to run away. Aire, Altina, and Kymei didn''t waste time and followed her. Just as they were running away, Kymei fired behind him, dying the other Riser following them. Not long after that, the Ster Beast noticed that the Riser on its side was closer than Aire''s group, which ran away, and changed its target.


    "Fuck!" the guy cursed out loud before he defended against the Ster Beast. In the end, Aire and the others made sure to keep the Ster Beast at bay but didn''t defeat it. With it, this strategy showed its effect.


    *Roar!*


    Not even three seconds went by before more Ster Beasts began to appear in the area. Nevertheless, Sera found time to check the map and everyone''s position. Sure enough, her team wasn''t the only one taking advantage of the chaos. Juana and Wace''s groups now had more Ster Bubble Energy, thanks to it. ''Well, the more they have, the less of a target we be,'' Sera thought for a moment.


    However, she soon noticed other Risers heading in their direction. "Altina, Aire, Kymei, we''re charging back into the Ster Beast horde again."


    Altina and the others didn''t understand why she wanted to do that, but they knew that Sera wouldn''t ask for it if it wasn''t necessary. In the end, there were quite a few Risers in front of them and some Ster Beasts at the back. That being said, it was easier to deal with mindless animals as long as they weren''t ambushed.


    And just like that, the time passed. Less than 30 minutes were left when the Ster Beasts appeared. Besides, the fact that they defeated another Riser meant that their timer was reset once again. One must not forget that every thirty minutes without defeating an enemy meant losing 50% of the team''s whole Ster Energy reserves.


    Eventually, thest five minutes arrived, and things got really heated and crowded. The Ster Beasts didn''t stop appearing. At this point, tactics didn''t matter anymore since anywhere one went, one would find Ster Beasts or perhaps a struggling Riser.


    With that said, Aire''s group was nowpletely focused on defense.


    *Bang, bang, bang!*


    "Aire, protect Kymei," Altina said as her arm shone with silver light before punching a Ster Beast. The Ster Best fell into the swamp and began to struggle toe back. However, Altina''s expression didn''t improve as she thought to herself, ''I''m running out of Ster Energy.'' Before, she was able to dispatch a Ster Beast with a single attack while using the Ster Suit Arm, but now she couldn''t even knock them out cold.


    Without any other choice, she touched her defensive bracelet and began to extract Ster Energy from it to replenish herself. Of course, that bothered her since it was quite a wastepared to using that Ster Energy for training.


    Aire, who had received the order, immediately moved to where Kymei was, who was just about to be surrounded. He didn''t hold back and activated his Ster Suit Arm as well, sending one of the beasts flying. Simultaneously, Aire grabbed Kymei by the arm and used the gap left by that same Ster Beast to flee from the encirclement. Of course, he didn''t forget to turn off his Ster Suit Arm as soon as he pulled him away.


    "Hey, dead weight, fire back," Aire said while carrying Kymei.


    "What the hell do you think I''m doing?" Kymei was indeed shooting. It''s just that Aire was annoying him.


    "Hahaha! When we started this mission, it was you bothering me that I couldn''t do anything. How about now?" Of course, Aire wasn''t stopping any time soon.


    "Hmph! All you know is thanks to your grandfather right here. I, your benevolent grandfather, was there to protect your back with my Ster Rifle." Kymei didn''t back down either.


    Sera and Altina didn''t know whether tough or cry while listening to the two. Their situation was as bad as it could be, so how the hell do these two find time to annoy one another? "Just ignore those idiots. At least they''re faring well."


    Both women nodded in agreement to those words and focused on their own job.


    Little by little, one Riser after another was saved by the protective gel. However, it was quite useless now since no one had the time to obtain their Ster Bubble Energy... or so they thought. The smart ones simply grabbed those Riser''s bodies and ran with them while trying to move away from thepetitors and the Ster Beasts. While doing so, they also absorbed the Ster Bubble Energy from those defenselesspetitors.


    "Here''s another sheep!" Wace shouted as he headed back to his team encirclement with another gel-covered body. Sure enough, there was an advantage in having one member with most of the Ster Suit parts. They could risk more.


    Altina didn''t consider doing the same thing, though. By now, she wasn''t crazy enough to risk all their Ster Energy.


    Only one minute was left when out of nowhere, Sera was attacked from three different positions. Aire was protecting Kymei, while Altina was a little too far from her, fighting a stronger Ster Beast.


    "Fuck!" Sera cursed as her bracelet shone, ready to activate. However, Sera wasn''t going down so easily. At the veryst moment, she jumped towards one of the Ster Beasts charging at her. With that, her bracelet activated, covering her body in a protective gel before it hardened.


    *Bang!*


    The Ster Beast then mmed into Sera, making her body fly in Altina''s direction. That was her final effort. Since she couldn''t escape, she might as well make it easier for her group to catch her body and absorb the Ster Energy in her bracelet. One must remember that the total Ster Bubble Energy for the team will be shared equally at the end of the mission. As long as they absorbed it before time was up, there wouldn''t be any losses.


    Altina''s eyes lit up as she kicked the Ster Beast in front of her and jumped back, catching Sera''s body. At the same time, Aire and Kymei arrived. Aire then put Kymei down before saying, "Absorb everything. Altina and I will keep the beasts as busy as we can."


    "Alright!" Kymei immediately nodded in response as he touched his bracelet on Sera''s.


    Aire and Altina looked at each other before nodded. After that, their Ster Suit Arms appeared as they began to fight back. This time, it was all or nothing. Even if they passed out, they wouldn''t take the Ster Suit Arm off.

 Chapter 61: Esper

    Chapter 61: Esper


    Twenty seconds remain...


    Aire and Altina used their Ster Suit Arm as well as they could. Of course, just one arm wasn''t enough to defend themselves, so they made sure to move about, only using the arm tond certain blows.


    Fifteen seconds remain...


    A Ster Beast passed by Altina and Aire''s defense. However, Kymei didn''t simply absorb Sera''s energy. He kept looking around, ready to react. Besides, with Aire and Sera''s help, the points at which he could be attacked decreased, making it easier to shoot back.


    *Bang, bang, bang!*


    The Ster Beast jumped right in front of Kymei''s rifle, who didn''t even need to target anymore. Unsurprisingly, it was soon devoid of life in front of Kymei before he continued to absorb Sera''s Ster Bubble Energy.


    Ten seconds remain...


    Aire finally began to run out of Ster Energy. However, he touched his bracelet and started to absorb the energy from it. Normally, the suit would spend energy much faster than Aire could replenish it. Though, it was at moments like these that his Energy Blood Flow Assistance helped out. It wasn''t enough to make up for the Arm''s consumption speed, but it could at least reduce the burden.


    Five seconds remain...


    Riser after Riser fell at even greater speeds. No team was unscathed anymore at this point. Some of the lucky few who had four members till the very end were even wiped out. In a certain way, luck yed a very big part here since the Ster Beasts didn''t have the intelligence to select targets. They just moved by instinct.


    Out of nowhere, Aire and Altina were surrounded and attacked from all sides. They kicked and punched out, trying to get off of the enemy''s jaws. However, they only had so many arms and legs. Unfortunately for them, it was toote as well. For those two, who were already at their limit, those attacks were fatal.


    Their protective bracelets then shone with silver light before their bodies were covered in the same protective gel as the others who lost. The Ster Beasts'' attacksnded on them, throwing their gel-covered bodies everywhere. It''s just that they couldn''t cause any damage anymore. Aire and Altina couldn''t help but feel despair at this moment. They were so close!


    Yet, it was at this moment that they noticed something odd. They weren''t the only ones who were enveloped by the protective gel. Kymei, who was being attacked but wasn''t in a desperate situation, was also enveloped by the gel. Aire and Altina''s eyes were still working. After all, the gel only protected the Riser. It didn''t kill them. It''s just that they weren''t able to interact with the outside world anymore. They could even blink.


    As their bodies flew for a moment, they were able to get a panoramic view of the surroundings. Everywhere, all the Riser students were enveloped by the gel as well. It wasn''t only them. It didn''t matter whether the Risers were going to be killed or not.


    Eventually, Aire understood what happened as he thought, ''That''s right! How will the teachers rescue us after the mission''s over? There are too many Ster Beasts. Until they manage to subdue them, many Riser students would just end up being protected by the bracelet. That being said, the best option is to simply activate all the bracelets and take their time dealing with the beasts.''


    Altina and Kymei also noticed this point and couldn''t help but feel excited. The mission was over before they could be taken down by the beasts! Like other teams, they also lost at least one member. In any case, Kymei had recovered all of Sera''s Ster Energy, so that didn''t matter anymore.


    Sure enough, the airships hovering in the air began to descend as several people came out from them. They were all Risers at the Ster Foundation Level at the very least. Although their numbers were smaller than the Ster Beasts, the difference in strength was just too big for the beasts to do anything.


    Well, even if the beasts seeded innding an attack that could kill them, those Risers were also using the same protective bracelet. In the end, they would be protected by it.


    The Risers were obviously used to it as the Ster Beasts were captured one after another. They didn''t kill them since they needed to use those beasts in other tests. Eventually, the beasts were taken away before the bodies of Riser students were collected.


    Unfortunately, the gel seemed to have some sort of sleeping drug in it. With that said, Aire''s group only stayed awake for a few seconds after the mission was over, so they didn''t see anything that happened after.


    Around a dayter, Aire woke up in the infirmary. He looked around, feeling a bit of a headache...only for it to get worse.


    ''Aire! You finally woke up!'' Ste''s voice echoed louder than normal in his mind.


    ''Ste, can''t stop shouting? You know I can hear you even if you speak normally,'' Aire said as he put a hand on his head.


    Ste immediately apologized in response. ''Oh! Sorry, sorry. It''s just that you slept for so long that I got bored.''


    Aire''s mouth twitched after hearing that. ''Shouldn''t you have said you were worried?''


    Unfortunately for him, Ste only looked at Aire as if he was an idiot. ''Are you dumb? I have a full understanding of your body, you know? I knew very well what your condition was, so why should I be worried?''


    Aire could only sigh in the end as he told her, ''Whatever, just stay quiet while I check out what happened.''


    With that, Aire got up and opened the curtain that was isting his bed. In an instant, he noticed the numerous amount of beds in the surroundings, and it was only one room. ''So, I came back here once again, huh? Well, Altina isn''t on top of me this time.'' He then remembered how good it was as a smile appeared on his face,pletely ignoring the pain and the problems he got that day. ''Such a pity...''


    Just as he reminiscing the past, someone whispered in his ears, "What? Sad that Altina wasn''t there with you today?"


    Aire felt his body go cold as he jumped away as fast as he could. Only then did he see who said those words. "Teacher Zule..."


    At the same time, he couldn''t help but wonder, ''Are you a fucking esper?''

 Chapter 62: So Be It

    Chapter 62: So Be It


    Of course, Aire would never admit it. "Ahem...I don''t know what you are talking about," Aire said as he nced at afar.


    Zuleughed out loud in response, saying, "Hahaha! Sure, you don''t."


    Aire then quickly changed the topic into a more pressing matter as he asked, "So, what happened after the mission? Is everyone here? Where are the bracelets with the Ster Energy? What position did we end up with after this?"


    Zule then headed to the other beds by the side and opened their curtains soon after. Sure enough, Altina and the others were there, sleeping. "I have to say, you''ve left me impressed. You woke up way faster than anyone else. We were expecting the first ones to only regain consciousness on the second day."


    Aire immediately understood why that happened. Obviously, it was because of the transformation his body had received when Ste entered his body. It wasn''t a surprise that his body could process and eliminate the toxins that kept him asleep faster than the rest.


    Once again, Aire wouldn''t say that. Nevertheless, he still had to reply. "Is that so? It seems like I have some resistance against the drug used in the bracelets, I guess."


    "If you say so," Zule showed a faint slime as he replied, making it hard to know what he was thinking. "Anyways, they''re fine and will wake up eventually." Zule closed the curtains after that before continuing, "Your bracelets have been retrieved, and the number of Ster Bubble Energy has already been calcted. Later, you can ess the mainframe of the school and use your Student ID to take the same amount of Ster Energy from it."


    "And the positions?" Aire was still curious about that. After all, after the situation went out of control, he didn''t stop to look at everyone''s numbers anymore.


    "Oh, that!" Zule smiled once again before giving Aire a thumbs up. "You did amazingly well, finishing your mission in the 33rd position."


    He then continued to exin, "I was watching it through the monitoring airship''s broadcast from here. In the end, a few of those leaders you tried to ambush were able to escape. Not to mention that there were many other teams in the main area that weren''t caught by that trap of yours."


    Aire couldn''t help but feel excited. There were over ten thousand Risers participating, each team with four members. On top of that, Aire''s initial standing point was much farther away than the best-ranked teams in this mission. Last but not least, Aire knew that he held the team back during the first part, so it was way better than he had expected. With that, he could not help but say, "Great! Are all the other missions finished already?"


    The reason Aire asked was because not everyone took the same mission as Aire''s team. There were many other missions happening for Risers of the same age as his team. One must remember that sses in the Ascension Age School were separated by age as well.


    Back then, when Aire''s team went through the initial tests, they got a total of 6074 points, which put them in the 4759th position. Each team mission gave a total of 1000 points for first ce. From there, one would get 999 points for the second, 998 for the third, 997 for the fourth, and so on.


    That''s why Aire felt so excited. Being in the 33rd position meant that they received 967 points, which would be added to their ranking. Let''s not forget the fact that Aire''s mission definitely had more than 2000 teams. After all, there were more than 1000 participants, which meant that more than half of them wouldn''t even get a single point in the end.


    Zule then nodded in response to Aire''s question, saying, "Of course, all missions can''t take more than three days. Otherwise, they would be too expensive." Zule then connected hismunicator to the disy in the room and showed the general ssification, telling Aire, "Take a look at where you''re ced right now."


    -Dormitory 174, Room 863: 7037 Points.-


    -Position: 2411th-


    Aire couldn''t help butugh out loud as he said with glee, "Hahaha! Now, that''s what I''m talking about!" In the very first mission, they went up 2348 positions. How could Aire not feel happy? "Next time, our starting point will be much better."


    Zule nodded, saying in response, "That''s not all. You finally got the chance to gain some experience. You won''t freeze like a statue or pass out like an idiot next time."


    Aire''s mouth twitched a little as he responded with a light snort, "Hmph! I don''t need you to tell me that. I know more than anyone else how bad I did."


    With that said, Aire went back to his bed and found his clothes there. He quickly changed before asking Zule something else, "By the way, where is the kitchen? I''m dying here!"


    Zule smiled in response and decided to go eat with Aire after that.


    Time passed, and the second day after the missions arrived. One by one, the Riser students woke up and were finally able to see how well they did. Of course, there were those who knew that they didn''t get anything, so they instead took a look if they lost a lot of positions.


    Unsurprisingly, Altina was the second one to wake up in Aire''s team. Her physical health and strength were better than Sera and Kymei. Well, it was better than Aire''s old body as well. One could only wonder if Aire would even wake up on the second day if Ste didn''t appear, let alone in the first.


    "What?! 33rd position? Hahaha! That''s great!" Altina, obviously, was delighted with the result as well. "From the looks of it, the other groups'' rankings on the other missions didn''t go very well. Well, that''s good for us as well."


    In any case, Altina was more interested in another thing as she decided to ask Aire, "By the way, other than the Ster Energy from the Ster Bubbles, what did we get from our mission rank as a reward?"


    Aire shook his head as he replied, "I don''t know. It''ll be announced once everyone recovers. Well, it shouldn''t take too long now."


    Altina nodded after hearing that. It wasn''t like it hadn''t happened before. With that, she said, "So be it."

 Chapter 63: Refraction Room

    Chapter 63: Refraction Room


    Sure enough, the rewards were presented once all the Risers had recovered. In the end, their position of 33rd in the mission awarded them 8 pieces of low-grade Ster Crystals. Of course, it was 2 for each one of them. Compared to the other missions from other Risers though, their reward was quite small. However, the amount of Ster Energy they acquired from the Ster Bubbles more than made up for it.


    When Aire''s group tried to calcte the amount they got, including the energy from the Ster Bubbles, it was equivalent to 13 pieces! One must understand that the first 10 ces got 10 Low-Grade Ster Crystals. from 11th to 30th, the reward was 9 pieces. 31st to 100th got 8 pieces. From then on, the rewards decreased by one crystal every 100 positions until nothing was awarded. In the end, Aire''s group had obtained a total of 21 Ster Crystals in a single mission!


    "This is more than what one could get from first ce on other missions!" Altina could not help but say with a smile on her face. She was right. The first ten ces in other missions rewarded 15 Low-Grade Ster Crystals. While them, in the 33rd position, got six more than that!


    Aire also nodded in satisfaction as he replied, "No wonder everyone wants to take part in the Ster Bubble gathering mission. The risks aren''t any lower than any other mission, but the rewards are definitely higher as long as you get enough Ster Bubbles."


    Kymei also added, "The good thing is that 13 of these Ster Crystals are present in the school''s mainframe in the form of energy. That being said, we can share that odd number between the four of us."


    Ste then talked with Aire in his Mind World, telling him, ''Aire, let''s get all of it straight away. With the Energy Blood Flow Assistance, you don''t need to be afraid of wasting energy. Also, your body allows you to not worry about hastened progress. Whatever you take, it''ll be added without any side effects.''


    For Aire, that was obviously very good news. ''Really? Then how much do you think I can progress with these rewards?'' Naturally, although it was great, Aire was more concerned about reaching the Ster Maniption Level as soon as possible.


    Ste pondered over the question for a bit after remembering the Ster Crystals Altina used back then. Those ones were also low-grade Crystals, after all. ''These Ster Crystals are pieces of shitpared to the ones we have outside the universe. There''s a lot of impurities, and it takes time to eliminate. Well, not that your body would have issues with it. Anyway, I believe it should be about enough for you to reach the Ster Organs Stage of the Ster Body Level.''


    ''That much?!'' Aire was truly surprised that 5.25 crystals were enough to do that much.


    Ste nodded in response, saying, ''Did you forget? You entered the Ster Bones Stage in the first few days of school! How long of a time has already passed by then? You have Energy Blood Flow Assistance, and an amazing body. Obviously, your training speed is much faster than others. These crystals will help cover thest amount of Ster Energy necessary for that.''


    Altina noticed that Aire went silent for a moment and decided to ask, "Is everything okay?"


    Aire quickly recovered and nodded, saying, "Yes. I was just thinking about the best way to use the crystals. Anyways, I have an idea. There''s no need to worry."


    Altina and the others nodded when, out of nowhere, Kymei remembered something else, telling Aire, "Oh, right. Aire, you don''t need to use your Ster Crystals on training alone. It''s also possible to trade them for other things."


    Aire became puzzled as he asked, "Isn''t themercialization of Ster Crystals prohibited?"


    Sera shook her head as she answered that question before Kymei could, saying, "Themercialization for money is indeed prohibited. That''s to stop any rich family from forcefully increasing their descendants level. However, there are official channels where you can trade these crystals for things you need in school."


    Aire nodded before asking, "So, what can I get in these trades?"


    Sera then used hermunicator to send a link to Aire. Naturally, Aire opened that link straight away and was able to see what they were talking about. Immediately, he noticed the offers for Ster Smiths.


    -Looking for Refined Cologal Mountain Iron with an SMA of 50% to 60%. 20 kilograms for one low-grade Ster Crystal.-


    "20 kilograms! Do they know how long it would take to refine so much Cologal Mountain Iron?" Aire then took a look at other trade offers and saw that all of them were more or less the same w. The only ones that didn''t go like that were the very hard and difficult ones to make. Types of alloys, powder, and other things that even Aire couldn''t make at his level.


    However, Altina pointed something out, saying, "There''s nothing wrong with these prices. Don''t forget that after this long mission, we only got a little more than 5 low-grade Ster Crystals per person. Each mission takes time, so that means Ster Crystals are hard toe by."


    Aire sighed and then looked at the same requests but with higher SMA. After all, he could make items at 70%+ SMA without much problem. Of course, as long as he learned how to produce them first. Sure enough, things became easier.


    -Looking for six kilograms of Puril Alloy Power with an SMA of 70% or higher. One Low-Grade Ster Crystal.-


    "Oh, this one seems doable," Aire could not help but say. Of course, that was only for him and his cheat ability that allowed that to happen. For others, it would look quite cheap and not worth it.


    However, Aire remembered that he still had to check the offers given by the other teams. Because of how close the mission was, he couldn''t take a look at it, so he left it for Due Xomeu, the 17th Branch''s supervisor, to organize them for him.


    After that, Aire ignored the ones buying things and looked at what he could buy for himself. "Hmm...?"


    -Ster Energy Refraction Room, one hour: One Low-Grade Ster Crystal.-


    Aire had no idea what the offer was talking about. With that, he muttered with curiosity, "What is this Refraction Room?"

 Chapter 64: Lets Take a Look

    Chapter 64: Let''s Take a Look


    Kymei heard Aire''s question and decided to answer it. "Oh, that! It''s not that bad, although most think it isn''t worth the price of one low-grade Ster Crystal."


    He then continued, "If you head there, you''ll see some giant domes above the buildings where the refraction room is located. They channel the Ster Energying from the center of the universe and concentrate it into the room."


    Altina nodded in agreement with Kymei''s words as she continued where he left off, "Kymei''s right. However, the equipment to create that refraction is extremely expensive. That being said, there''s simply not enough for everyone. That''s why they sell their time inside. Of course, as Kymei mentioned, most don''t think it to be worth the price."


    Aire had to admit the Altina was right. "I can see why most think it isn''t worth buying this time. However, if it''s there for sale, it means there''s a reason to buy it, right?"


    Sera was the one to answer this question. "Yes. Simply put, it gives you more Ster Energy in one hour than you would get with a low-grade Ster Crystal. However, the material used for the refraction domes makes the Ster Energy impure. There you have it. More quantity but less quality that might affect your training if you don''t deal with it quickly. Or less quantity but more quality from the low-grade Ster Crystals that won''t give you any issues."


    Sera just finished talking when Ste''s voice echoed in Aire''s mind, telling him, ''Aire! Immediately contact this guy! Buy as many hours from him as you can!''


    Aire also had the same idea, asking, ''As I thought. This improved body of mine doesn''t have issues processing impure Ster Energy, right?''


    ''Yes!'' Ste replied with a smile. ''But even if it did, you can''t forget your special skill. It always makes everything ''right,'' remember? That being said, I believe your skill would also be able to fix the energy. It''s just that you need Ster Energy to use it, so it wouldn''t be very useful. In any case, don''t let this chance slip. From now on, use all your Ster Crystals to buy those hours in the Ster Energy Refraction Rooms.''


    Aire agreed, responding, ''Alright. Well, I''ll have to test it first to make sure it''s really as good as they say.''


    After that, their group used the day tomemorate their results before they went to sleep.


    With that, the next morning, Aire headed back to the Ster Smith 17th Branch to talk with Due about those jobs that could give him Ster Crystals.


    "Oh, so you want them. Don''t worry, I had C organize them ording to your skills. The only problem is that you''re still in the Ster Bones Stage, so the metals you can work on are limited," Due could not help but say. "However, you should be able to make up for it with amount alone, so take a look at it."


    "Thank you, supervisor Due." Aire was grateful for Due''s help. After that, he went to C, who was working on some equipment. He wasn''t in a hurry anymore, so he waited for her to finish.


    C noticed that Aire was there as she took out some molten metal from the Pinpoint Furnace. "Aire, you''re finally back. Just give me one second." She then put that metal into a mold before working on it for a while, nodding in satisfaction sometimeter. "That''s about it."


    With that, she turned her attention to Aire as she told him, "Congrattions on getting 33rd. The ranks already showed how your team has improved."


    Aire nodded before asking, "Thanks. Anyway, senior Due told me that you separated the list of jobs offered to me, is that right?"


    "Yes." C already expected Aire to ask that, so she had it ready in hermunicator. She quickly opened it and sent the list to Aire. "Because of your very high SMA, I put the jobs where you would require the least amount of materials to make. Of course, this is only a good deal for you. For others, it would definitely be better to go for quantity."


    Aire didn''t mind as he looked at the list. He already saw an alloy usually made by Ster Organs Stage Risers or above at the very top, which was Gimil Alloy. "Oh, just three kilograms? Isn''t that too easy?"


    C shook her head as she responded, "Say that after you learn how to make it, this alloy uses five types of ores, two powders, and a specific refinement method. If anything, I think a single low-grade Ster Crystal is too little. But, if it''s you, then it should be around the mark for a quick gain."


    Aire couldn''t help but ask, "Why do I feel like that all offers aren''t worth the effort in normal circumstances?" Sure enough, he had been hearing the phrase ''not worth'' a lot recently.


    C then exined with a smile, "Isn''t that obvious? Ster Crystals are just too hard to obtain. No one wants to give more than necessary. If they don''t get something extra from these trades, they might as well not trade at all. This is business, and business doesn''t mean it is fair."


    Aire had to admit that she was right. He probably would have done the same thing. "Alright, I just came here to take a look at the jobs. I won''t start working straight away since I have other things to do." Naturally, Aire wanted to enter the Ster Organs Stage, as Ste mentioned.


    "No problem,e by some other day, and I''ll teach you how to make Gimil Alloy." C then went back to her job after saying that.


    Aire didn''t waste time and took the transportation apparatus to head to the school''s Ster Energy Refraction Room. There, he met with the guy who had that one hour avable in the room to sell. It was quite a quick trade. Aire and the seller essed the mainframe of the school and used their IDs to transfer the energy. Just like that, Aire got one hour to use the Refraction Room. "Well, let''s take a look at this Refraction Room."

 Chapter 65: Need to Explain

    Chapter 65: Need to Exin


    Aire hastily used his ID to enter the Refraction Room to check it. In the end, it was as one would imagine when they heard the word refraction. Aire could see himself being reflected everywhere. At the top of the room, there was a small opening from where he could see the sky. The part he couldn''t see was the enormous dome that redirected the energy into the room outside.


    The room was round inside, including the door that closed behind him. By the door''s side, there was a small disy from which Aire could initiate the umtion of Ster Energy. Sure enough, Aire checked it and pressed start before sitting at the center of the room.


    ''Hmm...? Is it broken?'' Aire was puzzled since he couldn''t see any difference in the Ster Energy in his surroundings. However, that situation onlysted a few seconds when suddenly, the mirrors around him turned somewhat gray. After some time, Aire felt the enormous burst of Ster Energy charging into his body from all sides!


    ''Great! Now that''s what I''m talking about,'' Ste said from the Mind World. ''Aire, quickly! Start absorbing it! The Energy Blood Flow Assistance is always active, so don''t hesitate and go all out!''


    Aire nodded and immediately started to absorb the Ster Energy. However, as soon as he took a little into his body, he understood why Sera said it was impure. The energy itself was making his body hurt as if it was trying to destroy his cells. ''No wonder Sera said that it could bring problems to one''s body if not treated correctly.''


    However, Aire wasn''t worried. That''s because his body processed that impure energy into somethingpletely clean. With Energy Blood Flow Assistance, the process was even faster! By the time the energy reached the necessary areas of his body, it couldn''t cause any harm anymore. ''Now that I think about it, do I really need to endure this pain all the time? I don''t wanna!''


    Ste tried to cheer him up from the Mind World, telling him, ''What''s a little bit of painpared to our deaths? Go, go, Aire! You can do it! For the sake of your seed spreading!''


    ''To hell with your seed spreading! Can''t you just forget that?'' Aire, obviously, couldn''t think of something worse at the moment.


    However, Ste only smiled in the Mind World, saying, ''See? You already forgot the pain. I told you you can do it, didn''t I?''


    Aire''s mouth twitched in response. However, he had to admit that Ste''s drivel made him forget his difort a little. ''Fine, I''ll bear with it, okay?''


    Although each second felt like an eternity, time passed nevertheless. Thirty minutes into the program, Aire finally saw the opportunity he was waiting for before he tried the breakthrough. His Ster Bones Stage finally finished reinforcing his bones, which made the Ster Energy rush into his organs.


    Seeing that, Ste smiled, telling him, ''Good! Don''t worry. You have absolutely no issues with the breakthrough. As long as your body umtes enough energy, it will reach the next stage naturally. Go for it, Aire!''


    As if hearing Ste''s words, Aire''s organ cells began to change at fast speeds. Although the appearance didn''t change whenpared to normal organs, it waspletely different whenpared to his organs a minute ago. From now on, they would start to evolve like his bones and blood. After some time, a burst of Ster Energy came out of Aire''s body,pleting the breakthrough.


    "Holy shit, it hurt even more during the breakthrough!" Aire couldn''t help butin. Well, that couldn''t be helped. After all, there''s indeed a lot more Ster Energy rushing into one''s body during that moment. Naturally, the more impure Ster Energy, the more pain.


    ''Hahaha! This room is great, Aire!'' Ste, on the other hand, was jubnt. ''From my calctions, one low-grade Ster Crystal would only be enough for you to enter the Ster Organs Stage. However, you only used half of your time in the Refraction Room, and you already obtained the same amount. It''s decided! We''re going to buy all the time possible for the Refraction Room from now on.''


    "What?! Do we really need to?" Aire didn''t like the sound of that, though.


    ''Stopining. It''s not like you''ll stay here every hour of the day. It''s only an hour for each low-grade Ster Crystal, remember?'' Ste tried to look on the positive side as always.


    Well, Aire knew that it was a good thing. He justined to vent some of his frustration about the pain he would feel in the future. "Whatever, let''s continue."


    Aire then spent the rest of his time begrudgingly absorbing as much Ster Energy as he could. When he finally left the room, his body felt sore all over. "I need a shower and some sleep. I don''t wanna hear about any more tasks for today."


    Ste nodded, responding, ''No problem. Although your body can purify the energy, it still takes a toll. Come back tomorrow after you do your things in the Ster Smith Faction. Of course, you still have your sses to take before you do that.'' One must remember that Aire also took normal sses in the Ascension Age School because...it is a school, obviously.


    Aire couldn''t help but feel even worse, muttering, "I wish you haven''t reminded me that." In any case, if he didn''t go, things would be worse, so he did take the sses that afternoon.


    Later at dusk, Aire returned to his room first. Altina and the others would usually stay longer out and pass by their own factions to work. Aire then took his shower and fell on his bed. Sure enough, that Refraction Room took a toll on his body, so much so that he fell asleep in less than a minute.


    At night, Altina was the first one toe back and notice the surprise. At the Ster Maniption Level, she now could spread her own Ster Energy to a certain distance. Seeing how Aire was already sleeping so early, she used it to check his condition. After all, Aire didn''t usually sleep at that time. "Holy shit! He''s already in the Ster Organs Stage!"


    From the looks of it, Aire had a lot to exin the next morning.

 Chapter 66: Aversion

    Chapter 66: Aversion


    The next morning, when Aire opened his eyes, he noticed that Kymei, Altina, and Sera were all looking at him as if they were there all this time. With that, he could not help but ask while scratching his cheek, "Errr...is there anything on my face?"


    "Who cares about your face?" Kymei rebuked. "Spit it out. How did you enter the Ster Organs Stage in just two months? Anyone who tried doing something like that would have definitely suffered some damage in the process. It''s just too fast!"


    "Oh, that!" Aire smiled in response as he answered, "I traded a low-grade Ster Crystal for one hour in the Refraction Room. It turns out that the room was suitable for me, so I took the chance to make a breakthrough."


    Altina''s group was taken aback after that. Following that, Sera immediately asked, "But the Ster Energy of the Refraction Room is impure, right? It shouldn''t have been this easy for you to breakthrough. Besides, how can one hour give you enough energy for that?"


    "Answering your first question, it is indeed impure. However, as long as you''re careful, you can deal with it. At the very least, it wasn''t that hard for me." Of course, he wouldn''t talk about how it actually went. "As for the second question, you should know that my Ster Energy Absorption Aptitude is much higher than others would think. I have gathered energy ever since the test day, so I don''t see any reason to be this shocked."


    Altina shook her head as she could not help but say, "Even if your aptitude is amazing, that''s still too fast. Aire, it''s good that you seeded in your breakthrough. However, it''s too risky to use the impure energy of the Refraction Room for that. If it was just to train for one hour, that would be fine. But breakthroughs are too dangerous. If you fail, you might receive a bacsh much worse than the one I had."


    Sera and Kymei nodded in agreement as they looked seriously at Aire.


    Aire couldn''t help but scratch the back of his head, though. ''If only you three knew that such a risk doesn''t exist in my case, what would you say? Sigh...well, let''s just agree with their words and keep using the Refraction Room. Trying to insist on it would just be a waste of time since they worry too much.''


    "Alright then. I''ll be careful," Aire responded with a smile.


    Sera and the others smiled back as one of them said in response, "Great! In any case, the fact still stands that you entered the Ster Organs Stage of the Ster Body Transformation Level. Congrattions!"


    "Errr...thanks." Aire felt a little out of ce after receiving thosepliments. "Anyways, I have to go to the Ster Smith Faction since there''s a lot of work for me. Besides, you guys need to leave as well, right?"


    Altina was the first one to agree with Aire''s words, saying, "Yes. I have to heads to the warriors'' faction to attend the post-mission ss. See you guyster tonight."


    Sera and Kymei, on the other hand, sent a list of materials for Aire to work on as one of them told him, "These are the metals, powders, and alloys we need you to make for us. If everything goes well, we should be able to use a few Ster Suit pieces in our next mission."


    Aire looked at the list and couldn''t help but let out cold sweat.


    -Carmiwa Enhanced Alloy, 30kg. Strusen Powder, 12.3kg. Naril Rings, 235 units. Ster Rubidium, 5kg.-


    "This...isn''t this a bit too much? Also...do you need all of them with an SMA of 70% or more?" Aire asked, his face the epitome of gloom.


    Sera and Kymei pretended to not notice this as Sera replied, "Of course! Otherwise, we''ll need a lot more than that since there would be a lot of waste. Not to mention that the quality would be a lot worse. In any case, we''re counting on you."


    Aire was just about toin when suddenly, Kymei looked at hismunicator, telling her, "Oh no! Sera, look at the time! We''rete! Let''s go!"


    Aire''s mouth twitched after hearing that. All he could do was watch as those two disappeared from the room in a sh. "Aren''t you even faster than you were back in the mission?" Of course, Sera and Kymei weren''t there to answer that question anymore.


    ''Aire, it''s fine. The more you work, the better for your training. It''s a good thing!'' Ste tried tofort Aire in the mind world.


    "Sigh...since when is work a good thing?" Nevertheless, Aire could only swallow his frustration and go to the Ster Smith Faction.


    There, he took the list of materials and showed it to C, telling her, "I need to learn how to work on these things."


    C was quite surprised by that as she could not help but say out of concern, "They''re all materials only producible at the Ster Organs Stage if you want to have a good chance of sess. Aren''t you getting a bit too ahead of yourself?"


    Aire''s frustration increased even more as he inwardly cursed, ''Those fuckers! They acted all worried about my breakthrough. But before I even woke up, they''ve already taken into consideration my new level to ask for the metals. Do they really care at all?!'' Of course, he only said that in his mind. Telling C that wouldn''t be of any use since she didn''t even know Kymei and Sera.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll learn it slowly. I''ll also work on the jobs you offered me. Here, this is the first one." Aire then showed C which job he wanted.


    -Ster Miridium, 12kg. SMA, 70% or higher.-


    "This..." C was taken aback after seeing what Aire gave her. With that, she could not help but ask in rification, "Are you sure about that?"


    Aire nodded in response as he replied, "Of course! Look at the payment! Three low-grade Ster Crystals! How can I let something like that pass?"


    "Idiot! That''s because producing it is super hard that they''re paying this much. Trust me, you wouldn''t want to select this one. At the very least, wait until you reach the Ster Paths Stage," C advised, trying to stop Aire.


    "Alright!" And...Aire agreed.


    "Wait, really?" C didn''t understand how Aire could give up so easily.


    Well, the reason was simple. ''Super hard? Well, fuck it! Let''s wait for the Ster Paths Stage as she suggests me to do.''


    Such were the thoughts of Aire, the embodiment of avoiding hard work.


    ---


    Author''s note: Book paused due to time issues.


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