With this thought in mind, Velen attempted to transform his attribute-less mana into earth-elemental mana, followed by converting it into light-elemental mana.
Each transformation was effortless, and his smile grew brighter with every success.
It worked!
His attribute-less mana could transform at will, entirely under his control!
After several more attempts, Velen decided to try using Meteor Fist.
But before he could, Duke Michelstein's voice called out from outside the cabin.
"Get over here and eat! Don't be late!"
Velen hurried to the dining area of the spaceship.
The ship's dining area boasted impressive views, with large windows and glass walls providing a panoramic view of the surroundings.
After a simple breakfast, Anthony noticed something unusual about Velen.
Instead of leaving, Velen opened one of the spaceship's windows and began throwing mana stones down onto the planet below.
Anthony was utterly dumbfounded.
Mana stones were extremely valuable to awakeners, both as a source of energy and a form of currency. Yet, Velen was tossing them away as if handing out freebies on the relay star below!
Meanwhile, the factions on the relay star looked up at the glowing lights falling from the sky, their faces filled with disbelief.
"Are those… mana stones?"
"Why are mana stones falling from the sky? And so many of them?!"
As the glowing objects drew closer, their suspicions were confirmed—it was raining mana stones!
"Holy crap! It must be from that spaceship!"
"Who cares who it's from? They're ours now!"
"Hey, slow down! I haven't grabbed any yet!"
Back on the spaceship, Anthony watched the chaos below and was utterly speechless.
Sure, he knew Velen was wealthy, but this was beyond comprehension. How much money must one have to literally throw it away like this?
"Velen, I know you have plenty of mana stones and gold coins, but if you keep squandering them like this, you'll run out someday! And when you do, you'll regret it!"
Anthony tried to reason with him.
Velen glanced at Anthony and sighed.
"Do you know what the greatest pain in life is for me, Duke?"
Anthony studied Velen and hesitantly guessed, "Not having a mana core?"
Velen shook his head.
"Not being famous across the universe?"
Velen shook his head again.
"Not being with the one you love?"
Still, Velen shook his head.
"Then what is it?" Anthony asked, genuinely curious.
Velen looked at Anthony seriously and said,
"My greatest pain is… being alive while my money remains unspent!"
Anthony: "…"
By dusk, the spaceship had arrived at a vast blue planet stretching as far as the eye could see.
"This is the home planet of the House of von Michelstein?"
Velen curiously observed the view as the spaceship doors opened.
Before them lay an ancient white estate surrounded by towering trees, its luxurious pavilions and terraces faintly visible through the greenery.
What stood out most to Velen was the ambient mana, which was several times denser than that of Uranus Star.
Shortly after the spaceship docked, a bespectacled middle-aged man with a scholarly demeanor approached respectfully.
"Second Steward, this is Velen, a friend of Anastasia's. He'll be joining Ducal Manor's other prodigies to enter the Singularity Battlefield. Take care of him for the next couple of days," Anthony instructed.
He then glanced at Velen and added,
"Don't draw too much attention to yourself. You'll leave for the Singularity Battlefield in two days."
With that, Anthony departed, leaving to attend to other matters.
"Second Steward! Pleased to meet you. Sorry to trouble you over the next few days," Velen greeted proactively, knowing the stewards of ancient noble families were never simple characters.
The assistant steward, wearing white gloves, bowed respectfully and extended his hand.
"Lord Velen, you're too kind. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything."
Regardless of Velen's mysterious origins, being both a guest brought personally by Duke Michelstein and a friend of Anastasia meant the assistant steward had to treat him with utmost respect.
Suddenly, Velen noticed a commotion in the distance and asked curiously,
"Second Steward, is something happening over there? It sounds quite lively."
The assistant steward smiled.
"Oh, that's the Duke's monthly challenge tournament. Outer family members can challenge core members. If you're interested, Lord Velen, feel free to take a look."
Before Velen could respond, the system's notification rang in his mind:
"Random mission triggered: Challenge 100 members of the Duke's family and emerge victorious. Success will earn 600 luxury points."
Hearing this, Velen glanced at his system interface.
Current luxury points: 4,310.
"Not bad. Completing this will bring me close to 5,000. Once I reach 9,000, I can go for another major upgrade!"
With a determined smile, Velen headed toward the arena.
When Velen arrived at the arena, the tournament hadn't officially begun.
Some of the stages were still empty.
As Velen stepped onto one of the platforms, many people turned their attention to him.
"Who is this guy? He doesn't look familiar."
"Judging by his clothes, he's not from Ducal Manor."
Amid the whispers, Velen scanned the crowd below and announced,
"Everyone, my name is Velen, vice-captain of Anastasia's Watchers' Legion. I'd like to spar with you all!"
His declaration left the men and women in the crowd stunned.
"Isn't the lady currently training on some remote star? With her pride, this Velen must be someone extraordinary!"
"I don't know why she chose him, but being her second-in-command is enviable!"
The crowd's expressions revealed their admiration.
Anastasia was a legend within the House of von Michelstein, both an idol and a goddess to many. Her brilliance shone in every field.
"Velen, is it? Let me test your strength!"
Soon, a young man with bronze skin and a physique resembling a humanoid tyrannosaurus stepped onto the stage.
Gasps spread through the audience.
"It's George! He's a prodigy who practices a relentless style. He's already reached Apprentice Rank Level 9!"
"Not only is his body incredibly strong, but his offensive skills are also formidable, reaching D-rank intermediate. That's a skill level reserved for seasoned awakeners!"
"George has a well-known crush on Lady Anastasia. He's always acted like her guardian. Velen's in trouble now!"
As the atmosphere grew more heated, Velen turned to George with a hint of surprise.
"So, George, you seem to be one of the Manor's prodigies with both talent and strength."
George, as stoic as a towering bear, replied arrogantly,
"Nothing compared to the lady, but I did break through to Novice Rank Level 7 when I awakened my mana core. What about you, Velen? What level did you reach during your awakening?"
Clearly intending to dominate Velen in every way, George wasn't in a hurry to attack.
Velen scratched his head and replied,
"I don't have a mana core, but I broke through to Novice Rank Level 9 upon awakening."
Hearing that Velen lacked a mana core, the crowd was momentarily stunned, ready to ridicule him—until they processed the second part of his statement.
The arena fell into dead silence.
No mana core, yet he broke through to Novice Rank Level 9?
That couldn't be true. It had to be nonsense!
"Velen's got to be joking. Does he take us for fools?"
"Exactly! Without a mana core, you're just a nobody. Breaking through to Level 9? Who does he think he is, Lady Anastasia?"
"If what he said is true, I'll do a handstand and… yeah, right!"
The shock quickly gave way to a wave of mocking laughter, as no one believed Velen's claims.