Elias found himself enveloped in darkness. The pain that had gripped him was gone, replaced by a peculiar feeling, almost like he was weightless. All he could see were stars—endless, shimmering stars scattered across a vast nothingness. He glided through them, zipping by as if he were a comet racing through the cosmos. It was a thrilling experience, but also... a bit odd.
'At last, I'm really seeing stars!'
He imagined a cartoon version of himself lying on the ground, a swirl of stars dancing around his head.
Just as he was about to get lost in that thought, a sudden force pulled him back to reality. His eyes flew open.
---
Elias found himself staring up at a familiar ceiling. Groaning, he tried to sit up, but his body felt heavy. A worried face appeared above him—Celestia, her eyes filled with concern.
"Finally awake?" she asked, her voice softer than he'd ever heard it before. For a moment, he was taken aback by how vulnerable she looked.
"Yeah... I think so," he mumbled, blinking as his vision adjusted. He was confused. Last thing he remembered, Celestia had blasted him into oblivion. Yet here he was, completely fine. "Wait... what happened? I thought I was... done for."
Celestia let out a relieved sigh. "You were. Almost. But something... strange happened while you were out."
"Well, I noticed something… Your wounds… they healed on their own."
Elias raised an eyebrow, blinking in disbelief. "Wait, did you say my wounds healed by themselves?"
Celestia fixed her gaze on him, as if searching for a secret she was desperate to uncover.
"Hey, why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
She continued to scrutinize him for a good five seconds before gesturing toward his hand.
"Elias, do you recall how badly your hand was hurt the last time we met?" she asked, her tone cautious as if she were trying to get him to open up.
Elias glanced at his arm, a flash of memory striking him. He remembered how one of Celestia's 'small' cannon beams had grazed past his arm, leaving a significant mark.
But now? There wasn't a scratch in sight. His arm looked perfectly fine, like it had been entirely replaced.
"How the heck did this happen?"
He shot Celestia a look that demanded answers.
But once again, he found her staring at him with that peculiar intensity, her eyes drilling into him. "What is it this time? Did my face suddenly change or something?"
"It's your eyes," Celestia said, frowning. "For a moment, they flickered... silver."
"Silver?" Elias echoed. But before he could question further, something even stranger happened. A holographic screen blinked to life right in front of his eyes.
[System Alert: Empyreal Convergence System detected.
Immediate activation required.]
"What the fuck is this?" Elias muttered. He rubbed his eyes, but the screen was still there. It floated in front of him, glowing softly in blue. "Uh, Celestia? Can you see this?"
"See what?" She looked genuinely confused.
"This... holographic thing in front of me," Elias said, pointing at the air. Celestia shook her head, crossing her arms.
"There's nothing there, Elias. Maybe I hit your head harder than I wanted to."
Elias blinked. 'What is going on?'
[System Alert: Activation requires immediate physical contact.
Suggested action: Kiss Celestia.]
"What the fucking hell?" Elias blurted out, nearly choking. The notification was clear, but it made no sense. He read it twice, thrice. "No, no, this should be a joke, right? How can I just kiss her?"
"Kiss who?" Celestia asked, her brows furrowing. "What are you talking about?"
Elias mumbled, "Hey, there's something right in front of me, like a notification! Can't you see it?" He kept trying to tap the screen, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't make contact.
Celestia stared at him for a bit, her expression shifting to one of increasing curiosity. The way she looked at him only added to his confusion, and he felt a wave of unease wash over him.
" And what does it say?" Celestia asked.
Elias hesitated, his face turning red. "Uh... it says I need to kiss you."
Celestia's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" Her voice was dangerously low. "Is this some sort of twisted joke to you, Elias?"
"No! I swear, I'm not messing with you," Elias said quickly, holding up his hands. "It's this... system thing. It's telling me to do it. Says it'll... activate something."
Celestia studied him, as if she was trying to measure if he was lying or not. After, a few seconds of uneasy silence, her gaze softened and earlier rage subsided as if there was nothing.
"Well... it's not like I have any other leads here," Elias admitted, scratching his head. "I mean, even I don't know what the fuck is this!"
Celestia exhaled sharply. "I didn't expect it to be... this." She looked away, her cheeks tinged pink. "Fine. But make it quick."
Elias blinked rapidly, trying to wrap his head around what he just heard. "Wait, what?"
Celestia spoke softly, "I didn't mention it before, but you really need to stick to what the system says."
"Why's that? What even is this system?" Elias asked, confusion clear on his face.
Celestia replied, "This system… It's what I was talking about before. The awakening… It's all tied to that!"
—
Elias swallowed hard. This was far from the day he had pictured. After listening to his 'professor' Celestia explain the system, he realised he couldn't afford to ignore the quests it offered. He figured that if he wanted to make it on this journey, he had to play along. No other options were left for him.
But deep down, he knew he was just rationalising! 'What kind of guy wouldn't want to kiss such a gorgeous woman?' That was what he really thought.
His heart began to race as he leaned slowly. Celestia paused for a moment before closing her eyes, almost like she was nervous too. The moment their lips touched, there was a surge of energy, which made him feel like he was becoming powerful
Celestia gasped softly, her fingers tightening against his arm. Elias couldn't help but notice how soft her lips were, but before he could process the thought, the holographic screen appeared in front of him again, closing his view on her beautiful face.
' Shit! Can't you just wait a bit?'
[Activation complete.
Quest completed.
Empyreal Convergence System successfully bound to the host, Elias Stroud.]
Elias pulled back, his face painted in red. Celestia immediately turned away, as an alien feeling which she had never felt in her whole life. Once again she paused, this time it was not shyness, pure curiosity.
Elias chuckled nervously, wondering why he felt embarrassed. After all, he was never a virgin. "Yeah, uh, thanks for...your help?"
"You're welcome," Celestia replied, absentmindedly, lost in a whirlwind of feelings she couldn't get a hold of.
Yes, she had kissed him before, but she was a pure virgin!
[Congratulations! You have unlocked your first unique ability: Starlight Convergence.]
Another notification appeared, catching Elias' attention. He squinted at it.
[Abilities Unlocked: Photon Manipulation, Starpower Infusion, Celestial Teleportation, Astral Communication.]
"Holy crap," Elias whispered, reading the list. "I actually... did it." But as he scanned further, his excitement waned.
[Current level: 1. Only 'Photon Manipulation' is available. Other skills are locked until further quests are completed.]
Elias groaned. "Fuck!"
"What now?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The system gave me some powers, but... most of them are locked. I can only use one right now," Elias explained.
Celestia inclined her head. "What's the one you can use?"
"Uh... something called 'Photon Manipulation'." Elias tried to focus on the words, and instantly, he felt a strange energy flow through him. His hand started to glow faintly, a small orb of light forming in his palm. "Whoa, that's new."
Celestia's eyes widened. "Hmm. But what can you actually do with it?"
"Not much," Elias admitted, watching as the light flickered and dimmed. "It's at the novice level. I can barely make a light orb... or maybe a tiny shield."
Celestia sighed, crossing her arms. "Well, it's a start. At least you have something to work with now."
Elias couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, finally. No more just shooting random beams of light."
"Focus on mastering what you have before you get too excited," Celestia cautioned. "You have a long way to go"
—
Elias looked at the system panel which was glowering in front of his eyes.
[Empyreal Convergence System
Name: Elias Stroud
Age: 32
Level: 3
Current unique ability:
Starlight Convergence (Level 1)
Current skills: Photon Manipulation (Apprentice level) ]
Elias let out a deep sigh, clearly annoyed. "Man, leveling up in this system is such a pain!"
Celestia who was by his side, "Hey, don't rush it! Just chill out. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, right?"
"Yeah, I guess it's time to take it easy."
As they prepared to leave the training grounds, Elias continued to experiment with his new power. He summoned a small shield of light, watching it flicker and stabilize.
Celestia watched him, her eyes filled with a mixture of pride and amusement. "You've come a long way, Elias. But don't get cocky. There's still so much you don't understand."
Elias nodded. "I know. But... I'm ready for whatever comes next."
Celestia smiled faintly. "Good. Because the real challenges are only beginning."
With that both of them disappeared in a blinding bright light, which seemingly illuminated the entire Astral planes.