[7 Hours Later]
Nyris was still in a meditation position.
From the outside, it looked terrifying as the space around him was distorted, and some areas had even collapsed.
Slowly but surely, all the mana in the surroundings began to gather toward Nyris.
The space around him was gradually breaking apart.
Fifteen minutes later, a loud boom echoed from the basement.
Inside, all the light around Nyris disappeared, and his body floated in midair.
The entire surrounding space shattered rapidly and merged with his body.
Suddenly, a surge of immense energy filled the area.
All of space seemed to freeze, as if it had solidified.
Nyris slowly opened his eyes.
His body had returned to the ground, adjusting to the changes.
After a few minutes, he took a deep breath and felt the transformations in his body.
Previously, he was 6 feet tall, but now he stood at 6'3".
His hair had become an even darker shade of black, as if it absorbed all light.
His eyes resembled a vast galaxy, a void filled with shining stars.
The most intriguing part was the tattoo that had formed on the back of his hand—a swirling mixture of black, navy blue, and white, resembling a fractured cosmos with a single star shining at its center.
After fully embracing the changes, Nyris spoke. "System."
[System]
Name: Nyris Lorien
Level: Dust Stage - Mid-Level
Physique: Void Body (1 Star)
Divinity: Space Dao (Level 1)
Bloodline: None
Strength: 15
Agility: 17
Endurance: 15
Intelligence: 25
Perception: 30
Mana: 27
Spirit: Dust Stage
Luck: 20
Aura: None
[Abilities]
Innate Ability: Astral Rift (Willpower - Unique)
Opens an astral rift in space. The rift can be placed anywhere, and its nature and formation depend on the user's will. (High Potential Detected – The system will cover the energy cost for the first astral rift.)
The opening time varies depending on the scale of the rift. Low-level dimensions require 10 mana per second to open.
Astral Void: Creates a sub-dimension connected to an astral rift. This dimension can store both living and non-living entities and can serve as a hiding place. (The detectability of the dimension depends on the user's understanding of space.)
LOCKED
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(Passive Skill): Exponentially increases spatial sensitivity. The user's ability to sense and comprehend space is thousands of times greater than that of ordinary beings.
Acquired Abilities:
Rabbit Speed:
Increases agility by 5 for 10 minutes.
Spatial Step:
Allows instant movement within a 100-meter radius for 3 minutes.
His stats had improved significantly.
His mana and perception, in particular, had increased tremendously. Even though he hadn't unlocked a seal of his Astral Rift ability, this level of growth was already outstanding in terms of abilities. He had now reached the mid-stage of the Dust Realm.
Additionally, two new stats had appeared: Physique and Divinity.
He realized that Physique referred to special body constitutions. While rare, such unique physiques did exist. However, this was the first time he had heard of a cultivation manual actually creating a special physique.
What he didn't fully understand was Divinity. He assumed it was related to his ability to perceive space, but he had no clue what Dao was or how he was supposed to cultivate it.
Then there was his Spirit. His spirit had now reached the Dust Stage, and he could feel his perception of the world had improved.
Though, he wasn't sure if this was due to his Spirit or the increase in his Perception stat.
However, a spirit cultivation manual was recorded within the cosmic balance.
Finally, his Spatial Step ability had increased in both range and duration, making it more reliable in battle.
Despite all this, his Void Body was only at the 1-Star Level, meaning it still had plenty of room for growth. He also realized that the star-shaped mark on his hand represented his Void Body's level.
His legs felt numb, so he stood up and went to take a shower.
When his Void Body had undergone its transformation, all the impurities in his body had been expelled, leaving behind an unpleasant odor.
The sky had darkened it was time for dinner, so he decided to take a break from training.
He rushed to the shower, not wanting the others at home to see him in this state.
He wasn't in the mood to deal with unnecessary questions, knowing that tomorrow's academy entrance exam results would already be shocking enough.
After taking a hot shower, he headed to the kitchen and decided to help with dinner.
"Mom, do you need help?" he asked.
"Set the table and call your father and brother," she replied.
After arranging the food on the table, he called everyone to dinner.
They all sat down and began eating together.
"Nyris, don't worry too much about the academy entrance exam. There are other paths you can take," his father said in a concerned tone.
"Son, do whatever makes you happy. We believe in you," his mother reassured him.
"Big bro, you can do it!" his little brother cheered.
"Thanks," he said, before adding, "I'm full. Kyle and I are going out for a bit."
He quickly got dressed and stepped outside, calling Kyle.
As soon as he got within a short distance of Kyle, he decided to test his ability.
"Spatial Step."
Within a 100-meter radius, every location felt as if it were just a finger's reach away. He could instantly teleport to any spot.
And so, he teleported directly behind Kyle.
Kyle's ability was "Infinite Perception – Star Realm."
This granted him an exceptionally high perception stat and the ability to learn anything he sensed at a rapid pace.
Feeling a sudden presence behind him, Kyle instinctively reacted and launched an attack.
Nyris barely dodged it in time.
"Relax, big guy!" he said.
Kyle finally recognized Nyris and calmed down, though his face showed obvious shock.
He had known Nyris since childhood, so he was well aware of his limitations.
Hesitantly, he asked, "Did your restrictions get lifted?"
Nyris nodded.
Kyle suddenly jumped on him.
"I'm so happy for you!" he exclaimed.
"Come on, show me your ability! I'm really curious!"
"I want to, but not here. It would cause too much commotion. Follow me to the playground," Nyris said, walking ahead.
Ten minutes later, they arrived.
Kyle was practically bursting with excitement.
"Hurry up, show me already! I can't wait!" he urged.
Nyris chuckled at Kyle's reaction.
He focused on a high-mana dimension and waved his hand.
"Astral Rift."
As soon as the words left his mouth, space began tearing apart.
Kyle stood at the side, watching in stunned silence.
Once the rift was fully opened, a familiar lake appeared on the other side.
A powerful stream of mana immediately surged through the rift.
The moment Kyle felt the mana, his entire body tensed up.
A mixture of shock and slight fear filled his expression as he turned to Nyris.
"This ability is broken!" he shouted.
"How is this even fair?! My own ability feels so useless right now!"
"It's strong, but I can only keep the rift open for 27 seconds."
"Even if that's the case, in 27 seconds, the amount of mana flowing through is enough to fuel an entire day's meditation and at an insane speed!"
His eyes widened.
"Wait... what realm are you in right now?" he asked.
"Dust Stage – Mid-Level," Nyris replied.
Kyle let out a deep sigh.
"Man, I used to think I was a genius, but next to you, I feel like a worm. It took me two weeks just to advance a single minor stage."
Nyris smirked smugly.
"Don't worry. I'll improve so fast that you'll get used to feeling inferior!"
Kyle rolled his eyes.
"Anyway, are you ready for the academy entrance exam tomorrow?"
"I only came here to show you my ability. I'm heading back to meditate. I want to reach the Radiance Stage by tomorrow."
Kyle's jaw dropped.
"Are you insane?! Do you really think you can surpass two minor stages and one major stage in a single night?!"
Nyris didn't respond.
He had no intention of revealing his special physique.
Even though he trusted Kyle, this was an important secret that had to be handled carefully.
In fact, he had even worn gloves to hide the star mark on his hand.
Seeing Nyris' reaction, Kyle realized there was something he wasn't supposed to ask about.
Everyone had their own secrets, after all.
They soon parted ways and headed home.
[In the Basement]
Nyris sat in a meditation position once more, restoring his mana.
A short while later, he was fully replenished and opened the rift again.
But this time, he stepped through it.
He had 27 seconds to determine whether the area was safe or not.
If it was, he would stay there and train until morning.
If it was dangerous, he would immediately retreat—after all, he could manipulate his own rift however he wished.
This ensured he could escape at any moment.
After stepping through, he carefully scanned his surroundings.
He was ready to flee at the slightest sign of danger.
However, he quickly realized there was nothing threatening.
The lake was surrounded by a dense forest, and a mountain stood nearby.
After confirming that the area was safe, he closed the rift.
Then, he removed his clothes and walked into the center of the lake.
Under the moonlit night, his white jade-like skin glowed softly, while his black, midnight-like hair floated in the water.
In the stillness of the lake, he assumed a meditation position.