Stellar Echo: Heart of the Myst

[lordanl]

In the middle of the main hall of Sigrún's mansion, Erik was seated on a single sofa with a calm expression. His masters sat across from him with serious faces, looking directly into his eyes, almost as if they were about to conduct an exhaustive interrogation of a prisoner.

Sitting in his chair, Erik didn't quite understand why his masters looked so angry, but not wanting to make a rookie mistake as silly as speaking first. He quickly pulled his notebook from his storage ring and began jotting down various things as if nothing were happening.

"Erik." Eleonora commented in a serious and somewhat angry voice while watching her disciple write in his notebook without a care, as if he were innocent. This caused Erik to look up and ask with an innocent expression.

"Yes?"

"Why were you flirting with that woman?" With evident anger in her voice, Sigrún asked slowly, which for some reason sounded terrifying. Without changing his expression at any moment, Erik asked, confused.

"Flirting? Me? When? With whom?"

"Oh, so you don't know?" Eleonora asked, narrowing her eyes while watching her disciple's innocent expression. He quickly responded seriously.

"No, honestly, I don't recall ever flirting with anyone."

"Oh really? Then what were you doing with Thalia just moments ago?" Sigrún asked sarcastically, crossing her arms. Erik replied with a casual smile.

"Oh that, I was simply socializing as you've been asking me to do."

"Oh, so to you that's socializing?" Eleonora asked in an even angrier tone than before, something that didn't affect Erik in the slightest. He smiled calmly and responded cheerfully.

"What else could it be? Master Sunforge called me to meet me, and I was just having a cordial conversation with her." Erik turned to look at his reliable personal maid and asked with a smile.

"Isn't that right, Seraphina?"

"The young master is absolutely correct; he was just having a 'very friendly' conversation with Master Sunforge." Seraphina nodded and replied in a serious and professional tone, though she didn't forget to emphasize the 'very friendly' with an ambiguous tone.

Hearing her response, Erik looked at Seraphina with a betrayed expression, causing the beautiful maid to avert her gaze as guilt gnawed at her conscience. But because her anger was greater than her guilt, she remained firm and ready to see this through to the end.

Realizing he had a 'mole' who had passed information to his masters, Erik decided to change strategy and move to aggressive tactics to solve the problem. He quickly got up from his chair and went to sit between his masters, who crossed their arms and turned their backs to him in annoyance, although they didn't get up from the sofa. This made the star-haired boy smile amusedly. After sitting in the middle, he took them by the waist and pulled them close.

"Really, I wasn't flirting with anyone. It's just that since you always tell me to socialize, I read a couple of books on the subject and was putting them into practice, that's all."

As he tightened his embrace around Sigrún and Eleonora's defined waists, Erik spoke in a low, warm voice, trying to calm the pair of 'millennia-old babies' who were throwing a tantrum. They allowed themselves to be hugged and rested their heads on his shoulders, though they still avoided looking at his face.

"I don't believe you at all." From her position with her head down, Sigrún commented 'angrily', sporting an adorable pout on her face. This made Erik smile, and he quickly replied in a calm and affectionate tone.

"It's the truth. Why would I want to go flirt with someone I don't even know when I have my beloved masters and personal maid at home who take such good care of me? It's just that since I want to start my own business, socializing is important for that, so I was simply putting into practice what the book said. But if that bothers you, I'll look for another reference from now on for those situations."

"Hmph, I hope so. And give me that book so I can burn it." Eleonora retorted angrily while hugging Erik's arm that was around her waist. The star-haired boy responded warmly.

"Of course, of course, it's in my room. I'll look for it later."

"I hope so." Eleonora replied in a tone that tried to sound strict, at which point Sigrún commented in a slightly irritated tone.

"Besides, you don't need to 'socialize' with Thalia for your business."

"I didn't try to socialize with her because I needed her for my business. It's just that I don't know many people, and since she's also a Master-level, I thought it was a good opportunity to develop my communication skills. But I don't think I'll talk to her again." Erik responded in a calm and assertive tone, simultaneously taking Sigrún's hand intimately. She adjusted herself a bit, so her beloved disciple would be comfortable and commented.

"I understand, but make sure to practice with your classmates in the future."

"I will."

In a soft and somewhat tired tone, Erik commented while closing his eyes, something Eleonora and Sigrún quickly noticed. After exchanging a glance, they settled on the sofa to embrace their beloved disciple and rested their heads on the shoulders of the star-haired boy.

(Hehe, I win.)

Erik opened his eyes for a moment and looked at his masters, who now hugged him warmly with peaceful expressions and joyful smiles, and added to himself. Knowing he had won the first battle, he quickly turned to look at the last opponent he had to defeat to win the war.

Still standing near the sofa, Seraphina watched the situation with a serious expression, showing absolutely nothing on her face, leaving an impression full of professionalism and elegance. But suddenly, she was bombarded by an angry look from the visibly tired Erik, which made her tremble slightly.

Gripped by 'panic', Seraphina bowed deeply in apology, but suddenly felt an invisible hand slap her buttocks forcefully, though without making a single sound. This colored her cheeks a deep crimson, while her eyes filled with joy and excitement, which she hid by lowering her head.

After a while, Seraphina turned to look again at her young master, who was no longer looking at her and was embracing his masters while resting his head atop Sigrún's, eyes closed, creating a tranquil and peaceful scene.

Seeing this, Seraphina bit her lips hard, trying to suppress the incredible pleasure she was feeling, which increased her attractiveness to absurd levels, endowing her with a seductive and very sensual aura. She tried with all her might to hide it, to regain her elegant and professional demeanor.

Meanwhile, Erik was gauging Seraphina's expressions through Myst in the room. When he sensed her captivating expression filled with desire, he knew he had won, so he disconnected from the Myst, letting himself drift into the world of dreams. After all, he was really tired; it had been a very long day.

...

A couple of hours later, Erik heard someone calling him in the distance while feeling his body move slightly. This slowly began to bring his consciousness back to reality, allowing him to hear Sigrún's voice calling him warmly.

"Erik, wake up, Erik."

Opening his eyes, Erik found his masters looking at him with sweet and loving smiles, a far cry from the annoyed pouts they had earlier. A smile spread across his face, and he commented between yawns.

"Good morning, masters."

"Fufufufu, you've only slept about two hours, sleepyhead." Eleonora gently caressed Erik's left cheek and commented in a soft and melodious voice, to which Erik replied amid a lazy yawn.

"Really? I felt like I rested especially well."

"That's good, but first you have to eat before going back to sleep. Your body needs many nutrients to develop properly, so come on, to the dining room." Sigrún added sweetly while helping her dear disciple up from the sofa.

Rising from the sofa, Erik stretched lazily and then followed his masters to the dining room, where an incredible amount of all kinds of food awaited him. It emitted monstrous amounts of mana, to the point where the Myst in the room seemed to vibrate with excitement.

"This looks delicious." Seeing the food, Erik commented enthusiastically, which slightly widened Seraphina's smile. She stood beside the table with a professional expression and commented in a formal tone.

"It's just an energetic meal for the young master to recover the energy he spent today."

"Thank you, Seraphina." Erik thanked her with a smile as he sat at the table in the company of his masters. At that moment, Seraphina bowed respectfully and spoke professionally.

"It's my pleasure, young master."

Quickly, Erik picked up a fork and knife and began cutting into a juicy steak. But just as he was about to bring it to his mouth, he suddenly remembered something. He set the utensils aside and took his notebook out of his storage ring, starting to write at great speed, something that surprised the three women a bit, as it was very uncommon for Erik to postpone his meal.

"What are you writing so much, Erik?" Sigrún asked, a little curious about what her disciple was jotting down in his notebook, which, judging by its gray cover, was something relatively important.

Erik was a curious person, and one of his peculiarities was that he tended to take notes on everything. Interestingly, he used different notebooks to record information, which he seemed to recognize by the color of their covers.

"Today's research results." Erik replied without stopping his writing, which caused the curiosity of the three women to increase as they approached him.

"Research? What were you investigating today?" Eleonora asked as she leaned in a bit to see what her disciple was writing. He responded in a calm tone without ceasing his notes.

"Today, Seraphina and I were researching potential competitors for the tournament, so I'm writing down the results. Earlier, I left it halfway, and later I might forget important details."

"So that's what you were noting down before..." Sigrún commented as she peeked over Erik's shoulder to see what he was writing, to which Erik calmly nodded.

"Yes, it was this."

Wanting to know what information her young master had obtained while talking to the direct disciples, Seraphina approached from behind Erik and began reading what he was writing. She quickly discovered that it consisted of several lists separated by power levels and affinities, starting from the first rank of the Ascended level up to the second rank of the Revealed level.

Seeing the information, an expression of surprise and pride couldn't help but form on Seraphina's face. After all, her young master had stealthily researched his opponents while talking to the girls, avoiding raising any suspicion while managing to obtain very valuable and surprisingly detailed information.

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[lordanl]

In the lists that Erik was compiling, the initial Ascended-level ranks—from novice to expert—were written without much more information than a counter enumerating the number of people in that rank, divided by affinity. Except for one in the expert rank, which was written separately and enclosed in a box.

Although, for obvious reasons, the box didn't contain a name, it did have a unique identification number plus a brief description of the person's physical appearance. Additionally, something that surprised the women a bit was that Erik had marked him as someone with two affinities.

Starting from the expert rank, all the subsequent ranks more commonly included a unique identification number and a slight description of the person, as well as their respective affinities. This indicated that Erik had paid special attention to them as potential threats in the tournament.

After a while, Erik finished writing in his notebook and sighed with relief. He then handed the notebook to his masters with an amused smile; after all, they seemed incredibly interested in what he had written.

"So you can read it at your leisure." Erik commented playfully as he handed his notebook to Eleonora, who was beside him. She smiled somewhat embarrassedly and said.

"Fufu, thank you."

As Erik began to eat happily, Sigrún and Seraphina gathered around Eleonora to examine Erik's notes more carefully. After all, they were truly a surprise to them, since they contained different findings from the results of the investigation they had conducted on their disciple's—or young master's—potential competitors. In their research, they had only marked about 20 as possible threats, far from the more than 30 threats highlighted in the notes.

But what really surprised them was that there ended up being seven people with double affinities, even though in their investigation they had only found four. Of those four, two had hidden it quite well, requiring some effort to confirm the information. But now Erik, in just a couple of hours and in a completely stealthy manner without raising suspicions, had not only managed to detect those two who liked to hide. He had also seemingly discovered three more who had managed to evade their network.

"Erik, are you sure there are seven people who have double affinities?"

After reviewing the notes several times to make sure she wasn't misreading, Sigrún asked, a bit confused, while looking at the star-haired boy who was eating at high speed. He quickly took a sip from a glass of what seemed to be wine, then responded with a smile.

"Quite sure; I checked several times. Seven had double affinities, and there was even one with synergistic affinities."

That was what puzzled the beautiful women the most: one of the three people who had apparently managed to escape their research network not only had double affinities but also synergistic affinities—something very rare and valuable. To the point that, among the 800 most talented disciples under 300 years old in the Arcane Order—the paradise for talents—only one person had that characteristic, and honestly, that was about the same as winning the lottery.

Moreover, it was foolish to doubt Erik's judgment in determining others' affinities. After all, as a way to ascertain whether it was true that he possessed an affinity that allowed him to control the Myst, the boy had taken it upon himself to search for and try different and varied methods to detect his own affinity. But in the end, it led nowhere, as the results only told him that he had no affinity, although as a consolation prize, he could now determine anyone's affinity with astonishing precision.

The method Erik used to discover others' affinities was something that, in their family of four, only he could do—and perhaps Seraphina, who had the best connection with the Myst after Erik. But even for her, it would be an incredibly difficult task, and to this day, it was impossible for her to have as impressive precision as Erik's—to the point that it was more reliable to simply examine the mana of individuals, something that Sigrún and Eleonora could also do.

Although the method to detect affinities with such precision might seem very complex, in reality, it was quite simple. Over the years, Erik had discovered something interesting: the Myst reacted slightly differently when it came into contact with a person, depending on their affinity. Based on that slight difference—something almost imperceptible to others—Erik was able to detect anyone's affinity with absurd precision, to the point that, until now, he had never been wrong, and they had been testing it for several years.

On the other hand, magical affinities were divided into two major categories: the basic ones, which were six—Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light, and Darkness—and the composite ones, which were a mix of two or more affinities, giving rise to more specialized affinities. This was the case with Eleonora and Sigrún, who possessed the Lightning and Wood affinities, respectively—being a mix of Fire and Light for Lightning, and Water, Earth, and Light for the Wood affinity.

Being born with an affinity that turned out to be a mix of the basic affinities might make one think that the mana user could use the component affinities separately with ease, but the answer was no. Despite it being more than proven that they were indeed combinations of the basic affinities, they still had no capability with them. Apart from the mix they were born with, they would be as inefficient as others when using them.

For the same reason, a synergistic affinity was so valuable because not only did they have two affinities that they could use independently with high efficiency, but these even interacted naturally. Allowing a mana user to combine their affinities on a deeper level and achieve greater power and versatility than the simple basic combination.

But there was an aspect of synergistic affinities that made them infinitely more valuable than a normal double affinity: with synergistic affinities, there was the possibility of reaching the legendary state known as "perfect synergy", a combination so deep of the affinities that it gave birth to something new and extremely powerful.

"This is truly surprising—a double synergistic affinity..."

Seraphina commented with some surprise while memorizing the description of his appearance given by Erik, aiming to find out a bit more about that person. At that moment, the star-haired boy commented after eating a piece of meat.

"Yes, I was also a bit surprised when I noticed it, since, for some reason, his second affinity was a bit dim, almost hidden—I almost overlooked it."

"Are you sure his second affinity was fainter than the main one?"

Filled with interest, Eleonora asked with evident curiosity in her voice. After all, according to the description Erik wrote in his notebook about the person's clothing, he seemed to be just a regular university student without any faction behind him. And although neither Sigrún nor Eleonora really intended to accept more disciples, managing to incorporate someone with a double synergistic affinity into the Arcane Order would always be welcome; after all, it was quite a lucrative business.

"Yes, his main affinity was a mix of Earth and Air, very possibly Sand or something like that due to its proportions, while the second was undoubtedly Darkness, and they seemed to complement each other well, which is typical of synergistic affinities." Erik responded calmly while setting a plate aside and using his phantom hand to draw a new one toward him.

"Darkness...? If that's the case, he will be quite powerful if he applies the gravity properties of darkness to the sand." Sigrún commented with some interest. After that, she looked at Eleonora with a calculating expression on her face and asked.

"Are you thinking the same as I am, Eli?"

"Fufu, of course I am, Sig." Eleonora replied with a slightly wicked smile, which made Erik roll his eyes. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor fool who was going to suffer because of his beautiful masters.

"Erik, can I borrow your notebook for a moment?" Sigrún asked with an innocent smile on her face, to which Erik nodded and commented with a smile.

"Sure, I have more spares; just don't lose it—I have important things written in there."

"Hehehe, how could I possibly lose my love's precious notebook? Please, trust your master a bit more."

After speaking with a huge smile, Sigrún approached and tenderly kissed her beloved disciple on the cheek, then immediately ran out of the room excitedly. At that moment, Eleonora approached Erik and likewise kissed his other cheek before commenting.

"Eat well and rest; your masters have something to do, fufufu."

After saying that, Eleonora left the room following Sigrún, leaving Erik speechless. After a while, he could only shake his head and go back to eating calmly, while Seraphina stood behind him like the perfect maid she was. Eventually, Erik finished eating and began to stretch lazily.

While Seraphina was collecting the dishes from the table, using whips of darkness, Erik walked over to one of the sofas, where he settled comfortably. At that moment, Tiberius and Kaiser entered the main hall running in their puppy forms after having a sumptuous feast, then jumped onto the lap of the star-haired boy.

"You two are really a pair of spoiled brats." Erik commented amusedly while stroking the little heads of the wolves, who barked happily while wagging their tails energetically.

Not long after, Seraphina re-entered the room, carrying a tray with a teapot and a cup. She quickly poured the tea and handed the cup to Erik, who received it with a smile after settling the wolves at his sides. He thanked her in a calm tone.

"Thank you, Seraphina."

"It is a pleasure to serve you, young master." Seraphina bowed respectfully while speaking in a professional tone. But after straightening up, she added with a smile as a book appeared in her hand.

"Young master, since you've had trouble socializing, I took the liberty of preparing this book for you."

"Really? Let me see."

Erik commented curiously while extending his hand toward Seraphina, who handed him the book with a smile. She then walked to stand behind her young master with professionalism. At that moment, Erik began to peruse the book with interest, an expression that quickly turned into a forced smile, as the title of the book was [Young Master's Survival Manual] and it had an even worse subtitle: [Written by someone with more common sense than the young master].

Imagining what the book said, Erik opened it to find an index separated into chapters and subsections, each with a small explanatory description of their contents. Just by reading it, it was obvious who had written it.

+++

Chapter 1: Attitude and Behavior

1.1 The Young Master's Smile: Smile only when absolutely necessary, such as in meetings with important people. Smiling too much could be mistaken for neediness or, worse, accessibility.

1.2 The Calculated Disdain: Learn to look at the horizon as if you own everything you see, even if you have no idea what you're looking at. This creates an illusion of power.

1.3 The Ceremonial Speech: Speak as if you were narrating the epic of your own life. Example: "Today, I have defeated the most fearsome enemy: a fried egg that dared to challenge my frying pan."

+++

The more he read, the harder it became for Erik to contain his laughter, as each point was even sillier than the last. But he quickly came to a chapter that wiped the smile off his face, which seemed written with an intention, as it had the longest "summary" of all.

+++

Chapter 3: Social Interactions

3.1 Flirting: A Dangerous Art: Although flirting may seem like a useful tool to strengthen social bonds, it must be used with extreme caution. Some key reminders to avoid embarrassing or disastrous incidents.

*Avoid redheads, especially if you are prone to "forgetting" your limits.

*Never flirt with an auction house owner.

+++

"... At what point did you manage to write this, Seraphina?" Erik asked with a bitter smile while leaning his head back on the sofa to look at his personal maid's expression, who responded brightly.

"While you were sleeping, young master. It is the duty of your personal maid to share your burdens and help you correct your mistakes."

"... And I told you I wasn't flirting." After a sigh, Erik commented in a tired tone, to which Seraphina quickly responded with a professional smile.

"The book is merely a general knowledge guide for interpersonal relationships, young master. Any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental."

"Yeah, right. Better prepare me a bath; I'm tired." Erik commented sarcastically, which made Seraphina smile happily.

"Fufufu, it will be a pleasure, young master."

After bowing respectfully, Seraphina spoke in a cheerful tone, then proceeded to walk toward the second floor—making sure to sway her hips temptingly for her young master, who could only laugh amusedly while shaking his head.

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[lordanl]

A couple of weeks later, Sigrún entered the university's meeting room accompanied by Eleonora, where they found the director seated in the principal chair. He was a handsome man who appeared to be around 50 years old, with an elegant and firm demeanor, blue eyes, short black hair neatly combed but graying, and a perfectly trimmed beard shaped like a lock. He wore a more elegant version of the typical white robes embroidered in gold and silver of the university.

Seated to the director's right was Adrian, looking somewhat tired. He was a man who appeared to be around 30 years old, with olive skin, pronounced cheekbones, a well-defined chin, and a beard similar to the director's, though thinner. His slicked-back hair was black, as were his eyes, and he wore the university's white robe, although his seemed a bit more minimalist.

With great familiarity, Sigrún and Eleonora walked gracefully to the meeting table and sat together at the other end, facing the men who were waiting for them. They bore confident and cunning smiles on their faces, which seemed to enhance their already impressive beauty.

"Sigrún, I've already told you I won't tell you where Master Jessica is."

The moment the beautiful women sat at the table, Adrian commented with exhaustion in his voice while staring intently at the troublesome blonde in front of him. She responded with a playful smile as she looked at the director in the main chair.

"Hehehe, I didn't come for that; it's just that I received some information that might interest the old man."

"Oh ho, what's so interesting then?" Upon hearing Sigrún's words, the director, who was sitting relaxed in his chair, asked with some interest while looking directly into Sigrún's eyes.

"Hehehe, and you want it just like that, for free?" Sigrún commented with a bit of cheekiness and then added in an uninterested voice, as if she were talking about something unimportant.

"I heard that a couple of cosmic leviathans fell into the hands of the order; how about you give me one for the information."

"Don't exaggerate, Sigrún; you know that's out of the question."

Upon hearing the ridiculous demand, Adrian retorted with a bit of annoyance in his voice while massaging his temples, to which Sigrún smiled mysteriously while elegantly crossing her legs, then added in a slightly playful tone.

"Hehehe, don't be hasty in denying it. After all, what I have is information regarding a student with dual affinity in synergy and high possibilities of achieving perfect synergy."

"Are you serious?"

Upon hearing Sigrún, the director couldn't help but ask, a bit surprised. After all, those who achieved perfect synergy were very valuable, with Eleonora and Sigrún being the perfect examples. Despite being Masters who had ascended not long ago, they could already fight on equal terms with much higher-ranking Master-levels, relying solely on their affinities in perfect synergy.

"Fufufu, it's quite serious. Moreover, that student doesn't have a faction supporting him yet, so what we're offering you is the opportunity to invest at the best moment in a future major player." Eleonora added with a small, confident business smile, already planning what to give her beloved disciple for this lucrative commercial opportunity they had brought.

Upon hearing Eleonora and Sigrún's statement, the director and Adrian looked at each other and began to speak telepathically, trying to make a decision. Since that pair was saying it with such confidence, it must be true, and although a cosmic leviathan was too much, they could try to negotiate a bit. After a moment, Adrian commented in a serious tone.

"It's truly valuable information, but a cosmic leviathan is too much. How willing are you to negotiate?"

Upon hearing Adrian, Eleonora and Sigrún looked at each other with pleasant smiles on their faces, and then Sigrún turned to look again at the men in front of her, leaning back in her chair. She then commented almost disinterestedly, though somewhat reluctantly, as if assuming a significant loss.

"I'd be willing to settle for one of its leviathan hearts and about 200 liters of true blood, but that's the minimum. Anything below that would be too little for such an important investment opportunity we're offering you."

"As for me, I need about 300 tons of pure scales, one of its fangs, and a few tons of leather would be fine. Keep in mind we're talking about a young man with dual affinity in synergy." For her part, Eleonora commented in a more serious and formal tone, having a professional smile on her face, like a respectable businesswoman.

Upon hearing the demands of the most famous troublemaking duo of the Arcane Order, the director and Adrian could only look at each other with bitter expressions. After all, that pair was truly ruthless; basically, their request didn't change since they went for the most valuable parts of the leviathan without hesitation.

Despite a cosmic leviathan being a colossal beast the size of a planet, what was truly valuable were its true blood—which was the blood that accumulated in its main core and, at best, amounted to about 400 liters—and the pure scales, which were the oldest scales of a leviathan and were usually near its main heart. These scales received the most mana throughout the leviathan's life, which could span millions of years, and at best amounted to only about 500 tons.

The problem is that cosmic leviathans were terribly rare, and they weren't found in the galaxy. Usually, they could only be seen in very distant areas that were difficult to access, which made them extremely valuable and not something they could part with easily.

"Please, although that information is valuable, the price is too high. Also, keep in mind that now we know there's someone like that, so we could simply look for him." Adrian commented with a firm attitude, though open to negotiation. But Sigrún scoffed at his words and commented dismissively.

"And you could also alert the other factions in the process. Besides, why do you think no one has found him until now?"

"He hasn't awakened his second affinity?" the director asked in a more serious tone, to which Eleonora nodded and replied with a small smile on her face.

"Fufu, you're absolutely right, Director; he hasn't awakened it yet, but it shouldn't take more than about 20 years for him to do so naturally."

"Then how could you detect it?"

Adrian couldn't help but ask, a bit confused. After all, although Master-level individuals like them could determine a person's affinities from the residual mana unconsciously released by a mana user, that only worked for awakened affinities. To recognize unawakened affinities, a fairly expensive magical artifact was needed, and although Eleonora had one in her possession, it's not like that pair would have gone around testing random people to discover it.

Moreover, that artifact had a significant flaw: it was difficult to detect a second unawakened affinity through it since the awakened affinity would influence the reading, causing it to go unnoticed in the vast majority of cases. It would only start to become evident when the examined mana user was about to awaken it.

"That's a trade secret." Sigrún replied with a mysterious smile, but the director commented with a small grin.

"Little Erik is really surprising, isn't he? Hehehe."

"Was it that young Erik who discovered it, Director?" Adrian turned to look at the director and asked, a bit surprised, to which he nodded and replied with a small smile while looking at Sigrún and Eleonora.

"Yes, it must have been him; just look at their expressions."

Adrian turned to look at Eleonora and Sigrún, quickly noticing their bitter expressions, which greatly surprised him. After all, just that ability would make the boy with iconic starry hair immensely valuable to the Arcane Order, and that's without mentioning his terrifying talent or inventive capacity—which couldn't help but make the second-in-command of the Arcane Order a bit jealous of that troublesome blonde's incredible luck.

"And if Erik says so, it must be true, so..." The director commented thoughtfully, with a hand on his chin stroking his beard, then asked in a more serious tone while looking into the eyes of Eleonora and Sigrún.

"What do you say we offer you half of what you came to ask for?"

"No way! If you're going to negotiate like that, then we won't tell you anything." Upon hearing the proposal, Sigrún retorted angrily while crossing her arms and giving the director a piercing look.

"Don't you think we could then ask little Erik directly about it?" For his part, Adrian tried to join the conversation, commenting in a defiant tone, but to his surprise, what he received were mocking looks from Eleonora and Sigrún.

"Fufufu, I'd love to see you try that, just to see how you end up..." Eleonora commented with an elegant and malicious smile, which made Adrian's hair stand on end, since nothing good ever came when that woman said something like that.

"Hehehe, really, it would be entertaining to see you try, whether by fair means or foul; you'll have very interesting results." Sigrún added with disdain and an evil smile on her face while staring intently at Adrian, who began to break into a cold sweat. He quickly coughed a bit and commented seriously.

"I was only speaking of a possibility; of course, we would always negotiate with you, his Masters, first."

"Hahaha, Adrian, you really dodged a bullet there, hahaha."

The director laughed heartily, genuinely amused at Adrian, who had a bitter expression on his face, although at the same time he felt curious about what that starry-haired boy had. That even the director thought he had dodged a bullet by backing down.

After a while, the director calmed down and then added in a firm tone while looking at the pair of troublemakers in front of him.

"As for you two, I'm interested in the information, but the most I'm willing to pay is 65% of what you asked for—not a millimeter more. Take it or leave it."

"As always, it's a pleasure doing business with you, old man." Sigrún commented with a pleased smile on her face, to which the director commented sarcastically.

"You mean scamming me."

"That sounds very unpleasant, Director; it's simply a business where both parties benefit. That's the basis of the prosperity of our Arcane Order—the win-win." Eleonora commented elegantly while looking at the director, who couldn't help but roll his eyes, then commented in a sarcastic tone.

"Yes, whatever you say. Better leave the information before you go; I'll send you your share in a few days."

"Hehehe, thanks for the sponsorship, Director."

Sigrún commented with a mischievous smile and quickly took out from her storage ring a beautiful crystal tablet with intricate runes carved all over its surface with surgical precision and placed it on the table. She then added cheerfully.

"Here is all the relevant information we gathered—detailed observations, background, and several affinity tests that were done without alerting the target."

"We trust you'll find the information as valuable as we believe." Eleonora added in an elegant manner, at which point the director took the crystal tablet and activated a holographic screen, which he casually reviewed, then nodded.

"The information looks really interesting. You can go now; I'm not giving up anything else today."

"Hehehe/Fufufu"

Still with 'evil' smiles on their faces, Sigrn and Eleonora disappeared from the place surrounded by runes and a beautiful magic circle, looking quite satisfied with the lucrative gains they had achieved. Leaving the director and his right-hand man alone again in the conference room.

Spoiler: Patreon

If you like it, you can support me on https://www.patreon.com/lordanl and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

 

[crimson666devil]

Maybe you should put the titles and their subranks in the extra category. I always had trouble remembering which is basically cultivation levels

Titles

From lowest to highest, they are: Initiate, Apprentice, Ascended, Revealed, Illuminated, Sage, Arcane, Master, and Legendary."

Title ranks
Each title actually has nine ranks, from lowest to highest: Initiate, Novice, Practitioner, Skilled, Competent, Advanced, Expert, Virtuoso, and Peak."

Did this mainly for my self but thought I should post it anyways not really a detailed description of each title and rank since I just copied and pasted from the chapter the MC was told about them

 

[lordanl]

In the middle of Sigrún's mansion garden, Erik stood before Kaiser, Tiberius, and Ebonique, each about a meter tall, dressed in black athletic wear that didn't hinder their movements. Behind him was Seraphina, wearing a professional smile that tried to conceal her amusement.

With a firm step and his hands behind his back, Erik began pacing back and forth in front of the wolves and Ebonique. He spoke loudly in a tone laden with authority, somehow resembling a military commander instructing his troops.

"Well, team, we'll soon make our public debut. Therefore, it's necessary to prepare an entrance worthy of us."

"Sir, yes, sir!"

In response to Erik's announcement came Ebonique's serious voice, accompanied by three pairs of cheerful barks that sounded in unison with her. At that moment, the star-haired boy spoke with authority, keeping his hands behind his back.

"I can't hear you!"

"Sir, yes, sir!!"

Ebonique replied loudly and seriously, as if she were in the midst of something very important, once again accompanied by the wolves, who barked three times in unison. This made Erik nod in satisfaction, prompting him to ask while looking at the pair of wolves.

"Perfect. Kaiser, Tiberius, have you mastered the sky-walking spells?"

In response to Erik's question, Kaiser and Tiberius barked happily as they leapt into the air. They landed on a cloud-like formation that formed out of nowhere just beneath their paws, which they used as a base to jump again, repeating this a couple of times. This allowed them to run through the sky with grace and style.

"Very good."

Evidently pleased, Erik congratulated Kaiser and Tiberius, who quickly landed near him while furiously wagging their tails. This made the star-haired boy smile somewhat amused as he began to pet their heads and even gave them a few cookies as a reward.

"Ebonique, how's your full dragon form coming along?" While petting the pair of spoiled mystical wolf pups, Erik turned to look at his reliable contracted spirit and asked in a firm tone.

Without saying a word, Ebonique rose into the air while increasing in size, quickly reaching 30 meters in length. She transformed into an elegant and terrifying oriental dragon with black scales, possessing magnificent horns that resembled a crown on her head, five claws on each paw, and black electric rays covering her figure—giving off a mystical and majestic aura, like a queen of the sky.

"Hahaha, you look super cool! You're the best, Ebonique."

Seeing the impressive form of his reliable contracted spirit, Erik couldn't help but laugh with excitement as he praised her, his green eyes shining like lanterns. He looked like a small child who had just received the gift he'd been waiting for all year.

Quickly, Ebonique shrank back to her size of 30 centimeters and landed softly in Erik's hands. He began channeling large amounts of mana and Myst into her while gently stroking her, causing her to emit pleasant sounds, feeling completely satisfied with her excuse for the full dragon form.

Lately, Ebonique had been growing impatient and wanted Erik to praise her in her true form. So she came up with the excuse that she had learned an ability that allows her to take the form of a dragon for a limited time, just so she could present herself to Erik in her true form and receive his compliments.

"Do I look good in my dragon form?"

With a tone pleased by Erik's skillful hands, Ebonique asked while looking into her contractor's green eyes. He responded with a huge smile on his face, simultaneously intensifying his massages as a way to show how pleased he was.

"You look perfect—super cool and majestic. You'll steal the show at our debut."

"Hehehe, you dummy, don't praise me so much..."

Upon hearing the praise, Ebonique commented shyly while hiding her head in Erik's chest. He couldn't help but smile amusedly as he increased the amount of mana he channeled into his adorable spirit companion.

Not far from there, seated around a beautiful carved glass table, were Eleonora and Sigrún. They watched the entire 'training' of Erik for his perfect entrance with amusement—something that got into his head once the tournament date was confirmed, and now he did it twice a week, acting like a general while the wolves and Ebonique played along.

Beside the pair of beautiful Masters was Ignis, Sigrún's contracted phoenix spirit, who watched Ebonique filled with jealousy while trying her hardest to restrain her urge to run over there. Knowing this was Ebonique's moment, she could only endure in silence.

After finishing the day's training, Erik approached his Masters along with Seraphina, who quickly arranged the chair, so her young master could sit between Eleonora and Sigrún. He looked at the beautiful blue phoenix on the table and then commented with a slight smile on his face.

"Ignis, long time no see. Have you been well? If it weren't for my Master telling me you were busy in your world, I would've been worried—you haven't even come by for your daily mana ration."

"Yes, I had to sort out a couple of things on my side, but I'm finally done. Though I really missed you, for now, just give me all the mana I missed during this time." With agile and elegant movements, Ignis rose into the sky and landed on Erik's lap, then commented in a somewhat sad voice.

"Of course."

With a cheerful smile, Erik began to stroke Ignis's head and back. Despite appearing to be made of blue fire, she actually felt like a normal bird to the touch, while he gave her abundant amounts of his mana. At the same time, Ebonique settled on his head in her smallest size, and Seraphina served tea and cookies for him with a professional smile.

Using his phantom hands, Erik took a few cookies—one for himself and others for Kaiser and Tiberius, who were putting on a dramatic show, 'crying' and lamenting while looking at the cookies on the table. At that moment, he greeted his beautiful Masters with a smile.

"Hello, Masters. How did it go?"

"Fufufu, quite well. Although there were plenty of things to do regarding the planet's security for the event, so we worked non-stop to see you as soon as possible." Eleonora commented with a smile while kissing her beloved disciple's cheek—something Sigrún quickly did as well, kissing Erik's other cheek and commenting with a smile.

"Yes, it was really exhausting, but all for the place to be perfectly safe to hold the tournament."

"What did you have to do?" Erik asked, a bit confused, since for his Masters to consider something exhausting, it must have been a monumental task.

"Well, we actually had to secure five parsecs of space around the planet and set up all kinds of high-level protection, alert, defense, and counterattack formations in the place." Eleonora replied with a smile while tidying up some of Erik's starry hair. He commented in understanding.

"That sounds like something really exhausting."

"A bit, but what's truly tiring is the attention to detail that's required. There can't be a single point of failure, or it would be a possible attack window for the enemy, so you have to stay very focused the whole time. Normally, a job like that would take a couple of months, but who can endure so much time without their love? So we did it all in two weeks, hehe."

Sigrún commented with a tired smile while hugging Erik tightly—something that made her feel calm, safe, and finally at home, something that Eleonora quickly imitated with a beautiful smile on her face.

"You really worked hard."

After properly settling Ignis on his lap, Erik gently patted his Masters' heads and commented in a warm tone while they hugged him tightly at his sides. They all remained in a comforting silence, feeling each other's warmth, which ended when Seraphina commented in a professional voice.

"Young master, you'll be late for your meeting with the director."

"Oh, that's right. I'm sorry, Masters, but I have to go." Upon hearing the reminder from his reliable personal maid, Erik opened his eyes and commented in realization, simultaneously releasing his embrace from his beautiful Masters.

"Leave that old man's appointment for another day..."

While capturing Erik's arm between her ample bosom, Sigrún commented in a low voice with a reluctant tone. After all, she had been working non-stop for two whole weeks without being able to contact her beloved disciple, so she urgently needed a huge dose of Erikium, and nothing would stop her from getting it—much less that stinky old man who loved taking advantage of people.

"Yes, send him a message that your masters won't let you go out today, that it's better to wait for another day."

For her part, Eleonora commented in a honeyed tone while trapping Erik's hand between her luscious thighs and resting her head on his shoulder. Erik could only comment with a playful smile while gently squeezing his Masters' legs, indicating that they should let him go.

"Hehe, I can't do that. I have pending business with the director, and I need the money to finance my brand."

"And we've told you dozens of times that you don't have to work for that stinky old man. You have dozens of rings filled with maximum purity mana crystals. Use them and stop playing hard to get." Sigrún commented irritably with her eyes closed, simultaneously accommodating Erik's arm better between her breasts and squeezing her legs to immobilize his hand.

When Eleonora and Sigrún found out that stingy Erik had spent 500 million high-purity mana crystals, they got excited, thinking he was finally willing to spend money. So they loaded him up with dozens of storage rings filled with maximum purity mana crystals, intending to send him to various auctions for fun spending.

But to their complete disappointment, that stingy star-haired boy flatly refused to return to an auction, to the point where he started calling them devilish places full of temptations designed to take money from honest, hardworking people like him.

"Well, actually those rings are kept by Seraphina, and it's not a good idea to spoil me like that—it'll make me arrogant and unprincipled..." Erik commented in a defeated voice while moving his hands in an attempt to escape the clutches of his indulging Masters.

"That won't happen. If you could really end up like that, we wouldn't give them to you." Eleonora joined Sigrún in her protest and commented in a serious tone, still with her eyes closed, while immobilizing Erik's arm between her breasts. He could only comment in a conciliatory tone.

"But I really want to develop this prototype, and working there will give me opportunities to meet interesting talents for the future development of my brand..."

Spoiler: Patreon

If you like it, you can support me on https://www.patreon.com/lordanl and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

 

[lordanl]

Maybe you should put the titles and their subranks in the extra category. I always had trouble remembering which is basically cultivation levels

Titles

From lowest to highest, they are: Initiate, Apprentice, Ascended, Revealed, Illuminated, Sage, Arcane, Master, and Legendary."

Title ranks
Each title actually has nine ranks, from lowest to highest: Initiate, Novice, Practitioner, Skilled, Competent, Advanced, Expert, Virtuoso, and Peak."

Did this mainly for my self but thought I should post it anyways not really a detailed description of each title and rank since I just copied and pasted from the chapter the MC was told about them

Click to shrink...

Thank you.

 

[lordanl]

"But I really want to develop this prototype, and working there will give me opportunities to meet interesting talents for the future development of my brand..."

"Please, Erik, you have enough funds in those rings to finance the creation of that device several times over, so stop being stubborn and use them already. Besides, if you want talent, a single word from you is more than enough. The galaxy is crazy about you now that the latest edition of the university journal has been published; I even heard it has achieved a sales record not seen in two centuries."

Sigrún commented, annoyed by her beloved disciple's stubbornness about using the family's money. At that moment, Eleonora added, already feeling somewhat offended by his constant refusal.

"Yes, Erik, you're going to make us feel bad if you don't use the family's money and keep treating us like strangers."

"It's not that I treat you like strangers; it's just that I didn't earn that money myself, and I really want to see how normal researchers work..." Erik commented, somewhat uncomfortable as his body sank into the flexible and soft bodies of his masters, to which Sigrún replied angrily.

"Don't you have our assistants? Use them for your research."

"Damn!" Erik felt as if struck by lightning when the word "assistants" was mentioned, so he quickly turned to look at Seraphina and asked, almost panicking.

"Seraphina, how much time is left before my deadline for the assistants expires?"

"Young master, actually, due to your recent publications in the university journal, the council has decided to grant you an extension of five more years for your two licenses. In a few days, you will receive the official communication regarding this." Seraphina responded with a beautiful smile on her face, which allowed Erik to let out a loud sigh of relief, then commented in a thoughtful tone.

"...That's a relief, but I'm back where I started; I still don't even know where to find good assistants..."

"Fufufu, we already told you, just say the word, and they will flock to wherever you call them." Eleonora commented in an amused tone as she adjusted her head more comfortably on her beloved disciple's shoulder, who replied in a somewhat uncertain tone.

"But if I do that, all kinds of people will come, and it'll be a mess to know if they're trustworthy or not..."

"You're right about that, but it's a good way to gather people; afterward, you can test them out. That's how I discovered Valeria. Besides, with the blood contract, they can't do much to you." Sigrún commented in a soft and relaxed voice, a cheerful smile on her face as she slipped one of her cold hands under Erik's jacket to warm it.

"That's true; maybe I should try it..."

"Well then, Seraphina, inform the director that Erik is very busy today and won't be able to attend the meeting." Eleonora commented cheerfully as she imitated Sigrún and slipped her cold hands inside Erik's clothes, to which the perfect maid nodded professionally.

"What do you two think you're doing spoiling your disciple like that?"

Suddenly, a melodious voice was heard in the garden, although none of them turned to look at her. After all, they knew perfectly well who it was from the moment she arrived and simply continued with their activities, ignoring her.

"Mind your own business, Thalia; this is a family matter and doesn't concern you." Sigrún commented irritably, still with her eyes closed and without the slightest intention of moving from her comfortable spot, to which the beautiful redhead replied in a strict and accusatory tone.

"Hmph, what kind of masters are you if you're teaching your disciple to skip his appointments, especially with the director?"

"Erik is busy today, so go tell the director that the meeting can't happen today; it will have to be rescheduled for another day."

Equally annoyed, Eleonora commented from her spot, while she softly traced Erik's well-defined torso with her fingers, without the slightest intention of turning to look at Thalia. Thalia was floating in the air with her arms crossed, an exasperated expression on her face.

"Well, that's not going to be possible, because it turns out the meeting isn't just to talk about the work the director proposed to Erik; Master Jessica also wants to meet him." Thalia retorted angrily as she looked at the pair of troublemakers who seemed to lack even a shred of decency, which inevitably drew the attention of the pair of beautiful women.

"Jessica is here?" Sigrún turned to look at Thalia and asked, evidently surprised, to which the beautiful woman in the air nodded, then explained in a serious tone.

"Yes, for some time the director has been in talks with her to officially join the faction, and one of his objectives is for her to give advice and guide Erik a bit with the non-affinity fighting style. Apparently, they've already reached a preliminary agreement, but she wants to meet Erik first before deciding."

Upon hearing Thalia's explanation, Eleonora and Sigrún released their beloved disciple with some reluctance, then settled into their seats and adjusted their appearances, at which point Eleonora commented elegantly.

"Then I suppose there's no other choice; let's go to the meeting, Erik."

"Alright, then I'll go get ready; I won't be long."

Erik nodded in understanding, then quickly went to bathe and get dressed, feeling genuinely curious about whom this "Master Jessica" might be and what she could teach him about fighting without affinities.

After a while, Erik returned to the garden, now dressed in the elegant white university uniform, where he found his masters and his personal maid waiting for him, while the red-haired Master was nowhere to be seen.

"You look very handsome." Eleonora commented with a smile as she approached him upon noticing his arrival, at which point Sigrún added cheerfully.

"Yes, the uniform suits you a lot, hehe."

"You both look gorgeous as well." Erik commented with a smile, which made the pair of Masters smile cheerfully. They quickly came to his side, along with Seraphina, who stood professionally behind her young master.

At the same time, a beautiful and intricate magic circle formed beneath the group, which, after a few moments, teleported them in front of an impressive jet-black door with an astonishing amount of finely carved runes all over its surface. It stood at the end of a wide corridor with floors resembling black marble, its left side decorated with all kinds of artworks and sculptures. The right side was a panoramic glass, offering a bird's-eye view of the entire landscape of the main city of Planet University.

As Erik looked around with curiosity, the enormous doors before them opened by themselves, revealing on the other side an impressive meeting room, where the director was seated at the head of the table, accompanied by Adrian and Thalia, who were sitting to his right and left respectively. Meanwhile, on the left side of the table sat a beautiful woman who seemed to have an aura of innate power and dignity.

The woman had a serious and emotionless expression, which could not hide her extreme beauty and charm. Her perfectly styled ash-blonde hair was short, reaching near her shoulders, framing her delicate and fine features that seemed sculpted with millimetric symmetry and precision.

Her skin was a color similar to white roses, while her eyes, of a penetrating and captivating light gray, held an almost mesmerizing glow charged with power. This was accentuated by the elegant and intricate dark blue tunic she wore, featuring complex geometric embroideries in what seemed to be threads of gold and silver.

"It's a pleasure to see Master Jessica after such a long time." Eleonora commented with elegance and distinction upon entering the meeting room, as she took a seat at the table, sitting across from the beautiful woman, who responded with similar mannerisms.

"It is equally a pleasure to see the most famous Masters in the galaxy once again."

"Well, allow me to doubt that, since you seemed to be hiding from us, Jessica." Sigrún added with a slight challenging smile on her face as she sat at the table, also facing the woman and placing Erik in the middle between her and Eleonora.

"It seems Sigrún still has trouble respecting her elders." Jessica commented with a small smile on her face, at which point a beautiful blue flame began to flicker in Sigrún's hair, while a defiant smile appeared on her face as she commented.

"Hehe, why don't we test how useful your seniority is, old witch."

"It wouldn't be bad to check how good those perfect synergy affinities of yours are."

Upon hearing Sigrún's challenge, Jessica smiled elegantly and responded calmly, although a monstrous pressure began to emanate from her body, so powerful that it even caused slight discomfort in Erik—something that inevitably caused Seraphina to narrow her eyes and start looking at Jessica like prey, which magically caused the pressure on the star-haired boy to vanish as if by magic.

"'Having nothing only means I can have everything', right? Hehe, even my disciple can say that you just want to seem important by throwing out a cool phrase." For her part, Sigrún retorted with arrogance and amusement, which caused Erik to glance at her sideways, sighing somewhat defeated after being thrown into the fire like that.

Upon hearing Sigrún's taunt, Jessica's expression could not help but twist slightly, though almost imperceptibly. She looked at the handsome star-haired young man who, since he sat at the table, had been jotting things down in a notebook he pulled out of nowhere, ignoring almost everything happening around him.

Meanwhile, Seraphina, who was standing behind Erik with an elegant expression, offered a plate of cookies to her young master, who smiled at her and took one, then returned his gaze to his notebook to continue jotting down his ideas. But at that moment, Jessica commented in a neutral and hard-to-decipher tone.

"It seems your disciple has an interesting interpretation of my words."

Upon hearing her, Erik looked up, only to find an elegant smile on the beautiful woman's face, which exuded a feeling of restrained anger that made his hair stand on end. He could only smile elegantly, then nod slightly in greeting before returning to write in his notebook the flash of inspiration he had when he felt the Myst around Master Jessica.

Jessica's smile twisted slightly upon seeing the boy ignore her so completely, but at that moment, Eleonora's voice—laden with a hint of mockery and a touch of pride—resounded in the room, drawing her attention.

"You're wasting your time trying to intimidate our disciple like that, Jessica."

"I don't know what you mean; I just wanted to know where such an 'interesting' opinion comes from." Jessica responded in a firm tone that tried to feign innocence, to which Eleonora retorted mockingly.

"Fufufu, I can answer that for you."

"Oh, I'd love that then, please, Master Silverwood." Jessica replied in a serious and elegant tone, which hid her genuine curiosity. After all, he was right; at that moment, she felt desperate and only said that to give herself courage to move forward, never imagining that, over time, that little phrase of hers would become almost an anthem for the small minority of people without affinities.

"Well, actually, it's quite simple. When Erik found out he didn't have magical affinities, he casually mentioned a phrase similar to yours. When we asked him why he said it, he said he just wanted to seem cool by sounding important—fufufufu, it's really adorable." Eleonora smiled with joy and a hint of nostalgia in her tone, then tenderly stroked Erik's starry hair.

Meanwhile, Jessica's expression couldn't help but become a bit kinder as she looked at Erik. After all, she could imagine what had happened at that moment and how difficult it must have been for the boy. In a galaxy where miracles were a daily occurrence and almost everything could be fixed, being born with an incurable disability was very hard to accept.

"Well, actually, today I wanted to take a look at your disciple's abilities to make a decision." Jessica commented in a serious and elegant tone as she looked at Sigrún and Eleonora. Then she turned to the director at the head of the table and asked,

"What do you think if we go to a more suitable place, Director?"

"Of course; there's already a place prepared. Let's go."

Spoiler: Patreon

If you like it, you can support me on https://www.patreon.com/lordanl and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

 

[lordanl]

"Of course; there's already a place prepared. Let's go."

The director replied in a calm and serious tone. At that moment, a powerful flash filled the room, and with it, everyone vanished from the meeting room. Everyone reappeared in a beautiful valley surrounded by enormous mountains where nothing could be seen but a gorgeous green lawn stretching as far as the eye could see.

Due to the sudden teleportation, Erik was caught off guard and nearly fell, as he had been writing intently. When he steadied himself on the ground, he couldn't help but send a resentful glance at the director, while Seraphina handed him his notebook and pen that had fallen to the ground, which he stored in his storage ring.

The director smiled slightly as he looked at the annoyed Erik. He felt how the Myst of the place 'got angry' and refused to fall under his control, almost like a resentful mother throwing a tantrum for having bothered her little baby.

"Well, Erik, this place is all yours to show a couple of spells." Thalia, who was beside the director, commented with a slight smile on her face and a hint of anticipation in her expression as she looked at the star-haired boy.

Thalia genuinely felt some anticipation about what Erik was going to show today. After all, he had already displayed impressive feats in the duel that had taken place not long ago. Something she now knew was that Erik had not given it his all, since he had not shown that exquisite connection with the Myst that she had witnessed in her private room, a spectacle she would love to see again.

"A spell?" Upon hearing the redhead's words, Erik couldn't help but ask in a low voice as he turned to look at his masters, a bit confused.

"Just show them a bit of your 'WarSigil' project." Sigrún commented cheerfully, with a slightly playful smile on her face that couldn't hide her pride and her evident desire to show off.

"WarSigil? Not MystFrame?"

Upon hearing Sigrún, Erik couldn't help but ask, somewhat confused. After all, when it came to showing off, as his master evidently wanted, there was something much more 'impressive.' But Sigrún shook her head and commented with a mysterious smile.

"No, WarSigil is more than enough."

"Okay."

Erik nodded while everyone except Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina wondered what those strange names referred to. The truth was that, being a good engineer, Erik liked to give cool names to his projects, to the point where he spent more time than he was willing to admit choosing them.

As for the MystFrame project, it referred to his endeavor to develop rune circles, which his masters had joined some time ago, though without much progress to date. Despite Erik having developed several more rune circles and his masters trying countless ways to reverse-engineer them, there had been no luck; each rune circle seemed an impossible puzzle that only Erik could solve with the help of his absurd intuition.

Because of that, the MystFrame project was almost at a standstill, advancing at such a slow pace that it was demoralizing for Erik. Therefore, Erik was forced to look for other options to solve his problem of lack of affinities. He then thought of resuming one of his projects that was based on something with a solid theoretical foundation and ample development and testing time.

The first project Erik undertook to increase his efficiency with elemental spells was his [WarSigil] project, which was about developing combat applications of the runic-geometric refinement developed by his master Eleonora—a project he set aside when he started MystFrame.

Erik's idea with WarSigil was to take advantage of the great efficiency that geometric-runic refining achieved and apply it to combat, with the goal of reducing the cost of his elemental spells. Although he made good progress and really achieved several interesting applications. Not long after, he realized that as soon as his combat applications became popular, he would return to the starting point and once again spend more mana than mana users with the respective affinity to an elemental spell.

Because of this, Erik began studying ways to utilize his greatest advantage—his connection with the Myst—to nullify his disadvantages. He sought to create something that used the Myst as a central part of its structure rather than externally, like current magical systems, which ultimately led to the rune circles, or, in other words, the MystFrame project.

Thanks to his return to his WarSigil project, his masters were now able to help him more actively, where he developed different combinations of combat-oriented magic circles and runes. They helped him discover weak points and develop the theory behind them, and had even already started writing the academic papers about it.

…

Upon hearing Erik's response, everyone present turned to look at him with a bit of anticipation, waiting for what he was going to do, while he casually extended his hand. This small action seemed to trigger a massive reaction in the Myst, which gathered in large quantities around him, greatly surprising Jessica, who was seeing for the first time someone so young with such a deep connection to the Myst.

Not long after Erik extended his hand, an exquisite magic circle typical of sacred geometry formed in front of him, which was instantly surrounded by different runes functioning as microcontrollers. They recycled part of the mana that was usually lost, greatly reducing the mana expenditure needed to create the spell, and provided more precise control over it—an extra benefit that the group of masters and disciple had discovered along the way.

Once the runic-geometric circle was fully formed, which took only fractions of a second, a deep red fireball the size of a basketball materialized at its center. It shot out at blinding speed moments later, traversing several kilometers in an instant, ultimately crashing into the ground.

The moment the fireball struck the ground, it emitted a powerful flash of light, followed by a massive ball of fire and gases that expanded in all directions. Simultaneously, the ground shook violently, and a brutal shockwave burst forth, compressing the air around it and generating a white mist that shrouded the explosion for a few moments.

A few seconds later, the group heard the deafening sound of the explosion, which resembled a prolonged thunderclap, as they were hit by the shockwave. At the site of the explosion, a huge column of smoke rose into the sky.

Seeing the brutal destruction caused by a 'simple fireball', Erik couldn't help but marvel once more at how impressive magic was, even though it was a scene he had witnessed thousands of times. After all, that power was comparable to an explosive warhead in his past life, and he could release dozens of those fireballs without much difficulty, which basically turned him into a strategic bomber on legs.

For her part, Jessica couldn't help but look at Erik with surprise written all over her face. Although the power of Erik's spell was nothing extraordinary, his mana expenditure was. After all, it hardly differed from that of someone with a fire affinity—practically the same, perhaps even a bit less—which was undoubtedly insane in terms of efficiency. Normally, a person without the corresponding affinity would spend twice the mana of someone with it.

Similarly, Adrian and Thalia stared absolutely stunned at the magic circle surrounded by runes fading in the air. Great geniuses and talented researchers from all over the galaxy had spent millennia searching for ways to apply runic-geometric refinement to combat spells, but until now, they hadn't achieved anything. Yet, as if mocking all the work of those geniuses, they were now witnessing a perfectly functional application being carried out by a young Ascended-level disciple of only 30 years.

"Master Eleonora has truly taken another great step; the galaxy will be turned upside down when this great advancement becomes known."

After recovering from the surprise, Jessica turned to Eleonora and genuinely congratulated her with an elegant smile. To her surprise, the mother of runic-geometric refinement gently shook her head, then commented in a serious tone, while a proud smile settled on her face.

"I wouldn't dare take my disciple's credit for myself."

Upon hearing the shocking statement, Jessica's eyes widened in surprise. She turned to look at Erik, who seemed to be deep in thought with a hand on his chin, then looked back at Eleonora and asked, full of incredulity.

"Your disciple managed to develop that on his own?"

"Of course. Erik is my first disciple, after all; something like this is the least to expect."

Sigrún responded with elegance as she stepped forward, placing a hand on her beloved disciple's shoulder. A proud, arrogant smile graced her face, drawing a collective roll of eyes from everyone present. Inwardly, however, they couldn't help but feel envious of the blonde troublemaker. After all, having such a disciple was every mana user's dream. Just then, Eleonora stepped forward, resting her hand on Erik's other shoulder and adding her own 'graceful' comment.

"That's certainly the case. Our Erik has long been seeking ways to overcome his disadvantage when using elemental spells. Although his communion with the Myst prevents him from running out of mana, the more powerful spells are beyond his reach because they require more mana than he can produce at his level. And this is just one of his first achievements."

"Communion with the Myst...?"

Though it was obvious that Eleonora was 'humbly bragging', Jessica couldn't help but exclaim softly, absolutely stunned, as she closely studied the pensive, star-haired boy. After all, she had just heard that a 30-year-old youngster had managed to master a Master-level technique that many at that level couldn't grasp.

(What kind of monster are these two troublemakers raising...?)

"It's truly amazing, though even more astounding is where he finds the time. Right now, his inventions are spreading across the galaxy, and now he's going to turn it upside down with this..."

While Jessica was lost in her thoughts, Adrian commented softly, and Thalia nodded in total agreement. Without a doubt, that boy was more monstrous than his monstrous masters combined.

"Well, Master Jessica, what do you think of our Erik?" the director asked with a small, inscrutable smile, pulling Jessica out of her reverie. But just as she was about to respond, an angry female voice interjected.

"'Our'?" Sigrún looked incredibly angry at the director, standing protectively in front of Erik as she added, full of vigilance.

"That sounds like too many people; he's mine and Eleonora's, and no one else's."

"Hehehe, don't be like that; Erik is part of our Arcane Order, so he's one of us." Thalia commented with a mocking smile, watching Sigrún act like a mama cat protecting her kitten.

"Stay out of it, Thalia; it's none of your business." Sigrún retorted irritably, shooting Thalia a blank stare. Thalia couldn't help but laugh genuinely, thoroughly amused.

"Hahahahaha"

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Discreetly, Eleonora stepped away from the argument that was about to erupt between those two fiery women and approached Erik, who, ever since meeting Jessica, seemed to be constantly lost in thought. She then asked in a calm tone.

"What's the matter, Erik? What are you thinking about so much?"

"Oh, it's just that I found it curious how the Myst behaves around that woman, which gave me ideas to finally achieve elemental synchronization." Called by his master, Erik turned to look at her and replied, still somewhat lost in his thoughts.

The elemental Synchronization was one of the advanced techniques of mana control and harmony with the Myst. It allows the user to synchronize their affinities with the natural elements through the Myst, enhancing not only the power of a spell but also its control.

The problem was that Erik had no affinities. Until now, it was the only advanced-level technique he hadn't mastered, and although he had tried various methods over the years, nothing had worked. Even though his connection with the Myst was even deeper than what a Master-level could achieve, it was impossible for him to use the Myst to connect with natural elements, so he had put it on hold.

But the moment Erik sensed the Myst around Jessica, he noticed something curious. Despite the Myst showing some strange fluctuations unlike anything he had felt before, there were also fluctuations suggesting the existence of magical affinities in her, although they were slightly different.

The point is that, according to those fluctuations, she had all six basic affinities separately and simultaneously, which didn't make sense. So Erik began thinking about how that could be possible, which brought him endless ideas to try, aiming to achieve something similar to the 'pseudo-affinities' that Jessica had.

"Are you serious, Erik?"

Upon hearing Erik's words, Eleonora asked, a bit surprised. After all, she and Sigrún had been searching everywhere, using the full extent of their power and influence across the galaxy to find a solution, but so far, they hadn't had any luck.

In the end, they had even started looking for Jessica everywhere, but in such a vast galaxy, coupled with such an elusive woman, locating her was quite a complicated task. Moreover, whenever they found her, she would 'coincidentally' disappear again. So now that Erik, after seeing her just once, already had ideas to fix one of the major problems they faced, it was a delightful surprise.

"Yes, although for now, they're just ideas; I don't have anything concrete yet." Erik replied thoughtfully, which made Eleonora smile cheerfully as she commented in a sing-song voice.

"Fufu, it's still excellent news; we must celebrate."

"It's still too soon; I don't even have anything clear yet." Erik responded with a small smile as he looked at Eleonora, who replied happily. "It doesn't matter; today we're going to celebrate, fufufu."

"Then I'll prepare a special dinner and a full batch of cookies."

Always standing behind her young master like his faithful shadow, Seraphina commented in a low and professional tone, which caused Erik's eyes to light up like lanterns. This made the two women chuckle softly, who had to restrain themselves from hugging their little walking bundle of adorableness called Erik.

"Then I'll prepare a good amount of delicious desserts for us to enjoy without reservation."

Suppressing the urge that arose within her to smother her beloved disciple with kisses, Eleonora added with a small, cheerful smile on her face. At that moment, Erik commented in a calm tone, trying to hide his enthusiasm, which caused a small giggle from the personal maid and the master.

"Today will be a great day then..."

"Then I'd like to join that celebration."

Suddenly, Thalia's voice sounded behind the small group of three who were planning their 'celebration,' which caused everyone to turn to look at her with different expressions.

"And why should we invite you to a family celebration?" Eleonora asked with elegance and class, although a trace of annoyance was evident in her eyes, to which Thalia responded with a playful smile.

"Hehehe, because we've been good friends for millennia."

"That doesn't get you an invite to our family celebrations." Sigrún also approached and stood beside Erik while commenting with irritation, which widened Thalia's smile. But at that moment, Jessica's voice was heard, interrupting the small quarrel.

"You can resolve your issues later."

Curious, Erik turned to look at the enigmatic Master-level, which allowed him to see how she approached gracefully with her gaze fixed on him. She then added in a calm and elegant tone.

"Better yet, tell us about the ideas you have; they sound interesting."

"I'm sorry, Master Jessica; it's my personal project, so it's something I only share with my family. I hope you can understand." With a small, neutral smile on his face, Erik replied with a very polite and diplomatic tone while making a slight bow in front of Jessica.

Upon hearing Erik, Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina discreetly puffed out their chests and smiled with joy and a bit of arrogance while looking at Thalia and Jessica, who had slightly crooked smiles on their beautiful faces.

"Well, this is a topic we can leave for later. For now, let's continue doing what we came here to do and let Erik continue showing us his abilities." In an attempt to calm the situation so it wouldn't escalate further, Adrian spoke politely and calmly, to which Erik joined in, trying to quickly end the situation.

"Of course, let's continue." Quickly, Erik moved a bit away from the group, attracting everyone's attention. He then called out in a calm tone.

"Ebonique."

At Erik's call, powerful dark lightning bolts materialized behind him, from which a colossal and imposing black-scaled dragon formed. It roared powerfully the moment it appeared, making the air vibrate and causing the skin of the spectators—who were among the most powerful in the galaxy—to tingle. Erik then added with a cheerful smile.

"Well, let's continue."

...

...

...

The galaxy was experiencing a stir not seen in centuries, and as could be expected, this was reflected in the number of ships surrounding the university planet waiting to enter. Thousands of starships of all styles, shapes, and sizes could now be seen. All hoped to enter one of the most important centers of commerce and education in the entire galaxy, which happened to be the main venue of the event.

Although for many it was still hard to believe, all of this was due to a young man of just thirty years. Who had published revolutionary production methods and devices that would not only greatly reduce production costs in countless industries but also allow for more stable production with higher quality. This was essentially every businessperson's dream: reducing costs and increasing quality.

But as if that weren't enough, the young man had also published documents about two inventions that would completely change the industry's landscape across the galaxy. On one hand, there were those who wanted to obtain licenses for the patents on the revolutionary material Manalite, while others wanted to be part of the revolution that the new potions—also known as healing pills—that would forever change the market would bring.

...

In the distinguished auction house Aetherion's Hall, seated in the midst of a private room that boasted luxury and elegance as few could afford, was a lady of stellar beauty. With olive skin, chestnut hair, and dark eyes that seemed to contain infinite wisdom, she was dressed in an elegant yet simple fitted black dress that enhanced her beauty and elegance.

As the woman read with interest, a beautiful journal that seemed to emit a slight magical light, having an incredibly attractive design that appeared to be the source of infinite knowledge. A man of about forty with dark purple hair and turquoise eyes, wearing an elegant butler's suit and embodying pure elegance and distinction, placed a steaming cup on the table with practiced movement.

"Fufufu, little Erik truly is a man full of surprises. Although I knew his academic papers would be published in the university's journal, I didn't imagine they would be so impressive..."

Upon seeing her coffee, Laura set her magazine aside and commented with a smile that seemed both excited and surprised, which couldn't help but slightly astonish the elegant butler. He quickly composed himself and stood behind his young lady as she took a good sip of coffee, who then added to herself in whispers.

"Maybe I should try giving him a call..."

Not quite sure what to do, Laura lost herself in thought, analyzing every possible outcome of each potential course of action. After a while, her musings were interrupted when her butler professionally commented.

"Young lady, Arcane Sardas has just arrived requesting an appointment. How should the situation be handled?"

"Sardas is here?" Laura couldn't help but ask, a bit confused by the unexpected visit. But seeing the journal on the table in front of her, a smile formed on her face as she added with a mysterious tone.

"How interesting, let him in."

"At your service."

The butler responded promptly and respectfully, then manipulated a dark blue card that appeared in his hands. Shortly after, he walked to the door of the room. Upon opening it, a dignified-looking man of pale complexion appeared on the other side, with long pale green hair tied in a ponytail and dark brown eyes. He was dressed in an elegant black business suit with a dark blue tie and a white shirt.

"A pleasure to see you again, Sage Sánchez."

Entering the room guided by the butler, the man greeted her elegantly, then sat on the sofa across from Laura, who responded with an elegant and professional demeanor without rising from her seat. This didn't seem to bother the man in the least, despite the significant difference in power level between them.

"It is equally a pleasure to see you in my humble abode, Arcane Sardas."

"As humble as ever, Sage Sánchez." The Arcane Sardas replied gracefully while taking the cup of tea served by the butler. At that moment, Laura asked calmly.

"Fufu, you flatter me, Arcane Sardas, but to what do I owe such an unexpected visit?"

"Actually, I wanted to stop by to say hello, and incidentally, I wanted to ask how much truth there is in a little rumor I heard." After taking a sip of the exclusive tea, the Arcane Sardas commented with a smile while looking into Laura's dark and captivating eyes. She asked with interest.

"Oh, what rumor are you referring to, Arcane Sardas?"

"I heard that Sage Sánchez has an excellent relationship with Direct Disciple Erik." The Arcane Sardas replied in a casual tone, wearing a calm smile. This led Laura to ask, after elegantly sipping her coffee and feeling truly amused inside.

"Where did you hear that, Arcane Sardas?"

"A friend of mine mentioned it randomly at a business dinner." The Arcane Sardas commented with a slight smile, not giving it much importance. Laura nodded, then explained in a more serious tone.

"Is that so? Well, honestly, I don't know where that comment came from. I've only spoken with Direct Disciple Erik once, so I wouldn't dare say I have a good relationship with him."

Upon hearing Laura's words, a hint of disappointment crossed the Arcane Sardas's face, but he quickly hid it and took a sip of his tea. He then elegantly crossed his legs and commented in a calm tone.

"I see, so it was nothing more than a rumor."

"Yes, you could say so. But why the question? Is there something you need from Direct Disciple Erik, Arcane Sardas?" Laura asked with a calm business smile while carefully studying the elusive businessman before her.

On the Arcane Sardas's face, a slight trace of doubt could be seen, which Laura noticed immediately. Instead of saying anything, she simply waited in silence while sipping some coffee that her butler had refilled. After a while, the Arcane Sardas seemed to make a decision and spoke with a smile.

"Actually, there is something I need, and I would appreciate it if Sage Sánchez knows any way to resolve it."

"If it's within my capabilities, rest assured that it will be so, Arcane Sardas." Laura commented with a calm smile while looking into the man's eyes.

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Upon hearing Laura's words, Arcane Sardas did not speak immediately. Instead, he sipped his tea in silence, discreetly studying the woman in front of him. After a few seconds, he set his cup on the table and began to explain in a serious tone.

"As Sage Sánchez well knows, my family has been part of the health and potion industry for a long time. Seeing the great innovation of Direct Disciple Erik—the healing pills, which can help countless people across the galaxy—we couldn't stay idle. Therefore, we want to contact him and offer all our help and support."

An unperturbed smile could be seen on Laura's face as she listened attentively to Arcane Sardas's speech, even nodding a couple of times—not only as if she understood him but even supported him. But inside, she was maliciously laughing at the man.

(Hehehehe, so you're afraid of losing your market share, and since Erik has two immovable titans behind him in the form of Master Silverwood and Master Eldurdóttir, you can't play your usual dirty tricks and want to try appealing to Erik's naivety due to his youth by bringing a cheap speech about helping the people of the galaxy. Hahaha, you're really funny, Sardas, and too naive...)

"I understand—a noble cause your family wants to undertake, Arcane Sardas. But I really have no idea how to help you. My contact with Direct Disciple Erik was just a brief conversation before the auction, and nothing more." Laura commented with a calm smile as she looked into the eyes of the man in front of her, who responded with a similar smile.

"I see, that's a shame. But perhaps you could help me by giving some advice to avoid making mistakes when I manage to contact Direct Disciple Erik. Although it was a one-time conversation, I heard that the disciple had a very good impression of Sage Sánchez."

(Hehehe, you want to know weaknesses to exploit—naive, very naive, Sardas.) Laura couldn't help but laugh mockingly at the man, but her expression remained as calm and elegant as ever, not changing for a single second. She replied in an almost contemplative tone.

"The truth is, it's hard to think of something like that. I can only tell you that he is a serious person and that it's best to treat him with due respect."

Arcane Sardas's smile couldn't help but turn into an ironic grimace upon hearing Laura's generic words, as she was basically telling him nothing. Who would dare treat a direct disciple without due respect? Which direct disciple wasn't 'serious' or rather liked to put on airs? But as an experienced man, he quickly hid it and commented with a dignified smile.

"Your information has been very useful, and it's truly a pleasure to converse with such a charming lady as Sage Sánchez. But I have an appointment later, and I must go."

"Of course, Arcane Sardas. It was a pleasure talking to you, and I won't take up more of your time."

As Arcane Sardas rose from his seat, Laura commented with a smile as she also stood up, which led to a brief, more formal farewell. After that, Arcane Sardas left the room guided by the butler. At that moment, Laura returned to her seat and took a good sip of coffee while watching the door close, at which point she couldn't help but whisper to herself, looking truly amused.

"Hehehe, Erik really hit these old bastards where it hurts. They're desperate to contact him. I suppose today will be a long day..."

Just as Laura expected, she spent the rest of the day receiving 'unexpected visits' from a bunch of old men who sought to establish a connection with Erik through her, using all kinds of excuses. Apparently, contacting him was not easy, and any other route besides the diplomatic one was absolutely sealed. After all, he was a direct disciple, which in itself was quite problematic. But with the two youngest Masters of the galaxy behind him, it was better not even to consider doing anything other than negotiating, or losing money would be the least of their worries.

"Fufufufu, I just came up with a good business idea."

After the hectic day full of incessant visits, an excited Laura commented to herself while her butler served her more coffee. After a couple of sips from her cup, a beautiful golden card appeared in Laura's right hand, from which a hologram was emitted. After manipulating it a bit, it changed to become a call icon, with the name Erik at the top.

[Hello, Laura. To what do I owe the call?] Erik's voice was heard from the golden card, sounding a bit tired, which led Laura to ask in a serious and somewhat worried tone.

"Hello, Erik. I was calling to greet you and also to discuss with you a small idea I have. But is it not a good time?"

[No, I'm just testing a couple of things, so I'm a bit tired. But tell me, what is the idea about?] Erik spoke after a small sigh, with a somewhat strange tone of voice, as if he were stretching, to which Laura commented seriously.

"Well then, I'll try not to take too much of your time."

[Don't worry. Tell me, it's rare for you to call me, so I'm curious.] With a much more comfortable and calm voice, Erik responded, to which Laura replied in a friendly tone.

"Well, I would like us to meet so we can talk more calmly."

[Fine by me, as long as the place isn't your auction house.]

Erik responded calmly, although his tone couldn't help but show some wariness when he mentioned the auction house, which worried Laura, as she feared that the star-haired boy had gotten a bad impression or that something had bothered him. So she quickly asked.

"Did something bother you? If so, tell me, and I'll do my best to improve it."

[Not at all; it was great, and that's precisely the problem. That is a devilish place full of irresistible temptations for a good and hardworking man like me. Last time I spent a fortune, so I won't go back to your auction house even if I'm tied up.]

At the unexpected response, Laura couldn't help but blink, speechless. Even the expression of the professional butler couldn't help but tighten a bit. After all, although the young man spent quite a bit at the last auction, he only bought three items out of the ten high-value ones that were auctioned. They even were the least coveted of all, so his spending wasn't as exaggerated as he said.

Moreover, if one took into account the young man's identity—not only was he the disciple of two of the most important Masters in the galaxy, but now he himself was the sensation of the galaxy thanks to his recent publications—his response directly entered the realm of the ridiculous, which inevitably led Laura to ask with a hint of incredulity in her voice.

"Are you serious, Erik?"

[Very serious. I won't go back to that devilish place until I become a billionaire.]

Through the hologram, Erik responded in a serious and cautious tone, as if he were really talking about a terrifying place, which inevitably made Laura laugh out loud. It was really one of the best jokes she had heard in a long time—the disciple of some of the richest women in the galaxy talking about becoming a billionaire was too hilarious, so much so that even the butler had to discreetly pinch his hand to contain himself.

"Hahahahaha!"

[What are you laughing at?] Upon hearing Laura's melodious laughter, Erik couldn't help but ask, sounding genuinely confused, to which Laura replied cheerfully, still amidst laughter.

"Hahaha, it's just that it's funny to hear you talk about becoming a billionaire. You're quite the joker."

[Why? It's normal for people to want to become billionaires, and I'm just one more.] Erik asked, sounding even more confused than before, only making Laura's laughter worsen, to the point where she had to hold her stomach while responding between laughs.

"Hahaha, that's for those who aren't 'billionaires', Erik."

[Exactly like me—a poor man seeking wealth.]

Erik replied, half serious and confused, as if he were stating an irrefutable fact, which caused Laura to laugh like a little girl, to the point where she let herself fall onto the couch while holding herself and spinning. This inevitably disheveled her beautiful black dress, revealing one of her incredibly attractive legs, although curiously, the professional butler didn't even give a glance at such an incredible spectacle.

After a moment, Laura was finally able to calm down enough and lay face up on her couch, looking disheveled and happy, as if she had just come out of a wild romp. She then commented in a pained tone between sporadic laughs, a cheerful smile occupying her face.

"Hahaha, no more, Erik. Don't make me laugh anymore."

[What are you laughing at? I really am a poor man.] Erik asked in an already helpless tone, to which Laura replied between sporadic laughs while she sat back on her couch.

"Hehehe, sure you are. If the disciple of two of the most important Masters in the galaxy is poor, what remains for the rest of us mortals?"

[What does it have to do with my Masters having money and me having it? I don't know what you think of me, Laura, but my personal creed is that only money earned with honest work is good money; everything else only brings problems. So I'm just another poor man seeking wealth.] Erik responded in a more serious tone, which finally managed to control Laura's laughter, although a different kind of smile could be seen on her face as she responded and adjusted her dress.

"That's a very interesting mindset you have there, Erik."

[Hehe, what can I say? I was raised well.] Erik responded in a more cheerful tone, which for some reason widened Laura's smile. She received a mirror from her butler and began to fix her hair while commenting.

"I can see that, but if you're a poor man seeking wealth, then you'll really be interested in the proposal I have for you."

[You've managed to pique my interest, but I don't know if you know, but soon there will be a tournament at the university, so I'll be busy.] Erik commented, evidently interested, which pleased Laura, who asked in a calm tone while returning the mirror to her butler, now looking perfectly neat and elegant again.

"Yes, I heard something about that. Does it sound good to you if we meet after the tournament ends?"

[Fine by me. I should be back on the planet by then...]

Quickly, Laura and Erik agreed on a meeting at a luxurious restaurant, to which Erik agreed because, although he wasn't rich yet, he had his own income sufficient to afford a meal. So after warmly saying goodbye to Laura, he hung up the call to continue with his experiments.

"Hehehe, Erik is really an interesting person..."

While drinking one last cup of coffee, Laura commented to herself, having a curious sparkle in her eyes. After that, she got up from her chair and left the lounge with the intention of making the necessary inquiries to organize and plan her new business proposal for Erik. She already knew this would not only be incredibly profitable but would also be an important opportunity for the recently stagnated growth of her beloved auction house. Something that would undoubtedly lead to the name Aetherion's Hall resonating powerfully throughout the galaxy.

"Fufufufu, I have a lot of work to do, but... how long has it been since I felt so excited...?"

While walking down the corridor that led to her personal study, Laura couldn't help but comment with a beautiful smile on her face—a genuine smile that hadn't graced her hectic life in quite some time.

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One day like any other, Erik woke up surrounded as always by his wolves and Ebonique. Recently, Ignis had also joined the "party" of sleeping in his bed. Fortunately, she knew how to make herself smaller; otherwise, he would have had to get a bigger bed.

As with every day, Erik woke up before dawn and followed his daily routine of practicing his ever-changing bio-mystic technique in the garden, feeding Ebonique, Ignis, and the wolves with his mana. Then he went to get his own breakfast in the main dining room. But today, something was different.

Around the dining table, already filled with food, sat Eleonora, Sigrún, and Liliana, calmly drinking tea, while Seraphina stood to the side with a professional expression. She quickly bowed respectfully before Erik and greeted him politely.

"Good morning, young master."

""Good morning.""

Eleonora and Sigrún also greeted Erik with warm smiles on their faces, pointing to the main chair at the table, which was empty—showing that this was the place reserved for Erik. The star-haired boy could swear that in all his years at the mansion, he had never seen anyone else sit there besides him.

Meanwhile, a slight expression of annoyance formed on Liliana's face. After all, it was very irritating for her to see the exaggerated condescension that not only Master Eldurdóttir had for that guy, but worse still, her own master treated him as she had never before treated her or Desmond. But with effort, she managed to hide her discomfort and quickly greeted Erik with a small smile.

"Good morning, Erik"

"Good morning, everyone. What's the occasion for this gathering?"

As he sat in his place, Erik returned the greeting and asked a bit confused, which made all the women blink in slight surprise. Sigrún then asked in a tone that was both amused and incredulous.

"Erik, what day is it today?"

"Monday?" Erik looked at Sigrún and replied a bit puzzled, though it sounded more like a question than anything else.

"Erik... we're supposed to leave today to arrive on time at the planet where the tournament will be held." Eleonora commented with a sigh upon seeing Erik's expressions shift from surprise to realization. He then nodded and commented a bit embarrassed.

"That's right, it was today..."

"You'd better eat quickly and go get ready; we're leaving." Sigrún said with an amused smile on her face while looking at her adorable disciple, who quickly nodded with a grin.

"Understood."

Erik began to eat rapidly, and after sending a couple of flying kisses to Seraphina for the delicious food. He then ran off to his room with the intention of getting ready and storing several things he needed in his storage rings, which had somehow increased in number over the years.

A couple of hours later, Erik was standing in front of the boarding station accompanied by his Masters, Seraphina, and Liliana. For Erik, this place was quite nostalgic; after all, he had only been here twice in his life: the first time he arrived on the planet and the day he saw his masters off when they went to the Zephyria border.

It was so rare for Erik to come to this place that sometimes he even found it hard to believe that it was really possible to travel to other planets and star systems with relative ease. But today, finally, after more than a decade, he would once again experience something as surreal as interstellar travel.

Meanwhile, Eleonora and Sigrún looked tenderly at their beloved disciple, who gazed around with a bit of nostalgia and curiosity—a strange mix that only made him look more adorable in their eyes and inevitably awakened in them the urge to smother him with kisses, an urge they had to struggle to keep under control.

"How do you feel about your second space trip?" Sigrún asked with a cheerful smile on her face as she looked lovingly at Erik, who replied a bit excited.

"Excited! It's been more than a decade, so I don't even remember what it was like to travel through space, hahaha."

"Fufufu, if you like it so much, from now on, we can make trips more often. Besides, now that I think about it, you don't know anything about the galaxy, so we could travel a bit so you can get to know it better." Eleonora joined the conversation with a small, beautiful smile on her face, which immediately filled Erik with great expectations for the future, leading him to comment with a smile.

"That sounds like a great idea."

Soon, the group of five—composed of four cheerful and excited people and a young woman with chocolate-colored hair containing her annoyance—passed through the VIP zone. This allowed Erik to see again, after almost 20 years, the hallway full of thick metal doors, guards, and those invisible membranes, making him feel incredibly nostalgic.

Upon reaching the end of the hallway, the group entered the elevator, where they were greeted by a spacious, well-lit, and luxurious space, very similar to the first-class ambiance of an airplane that Erik remembered. The floor was covered with a carpet that felt soft to the touch, while the seats were made of high-quality leather and automatically adjusted to fit the body's contour.

Now much calmer than the first time he rode it, Erik looked again at the elevator, noticing things he hadn't seen the first time he entered. For example, the seats could emit a holographic screen with various functionalities like playing music, reclining the chair, or changing the inclination—features Erik didn't think were used much since, if he remembered correctly, the trip only lasted about 30 minutes.

After everyone took their seats, an emotionless voice announced the start of the 'ride', and just as Erik expected, there was no other indication that they were ascending—no g-forces, inertia, or anything like that. Then, less than 30 minutes later, the same voice announced that there were 5 minutes left until their destination. Everyone stood up from their seats, and shortly after, the elevator doors opened automatically.

Upon exiting the elevator, Erik once again strolled through the city in the orbital station, looking everywhere like a country bumpkin. This couldn't help but put a charming smile full of happiness and nostalgia on Sigrún's face, who began to remember the day she met Erik and the first time he arrived on the planet.

Soon, the group reached the boarding area, which was behind a huge black metal door guarded by two guards in futuristic black armor with different runes engraved on its surface. They bowed respectfully and opened the way for them while greeting loudly, as the enormous doors opened automatically.

For his part, Erik looked around with curiosity, now realizing that this 'port' was very similar to the one they had arrived at the first time he came to the university planet. It was also quite exclusive, as in the distance he could see something resembling a massive launch platform, somewhat reminiscent of an airport, where a large number of ships landed and took off nonstop.

As they reached the edge of the boarding platform, a small, incredibly beautiful and detailed white cruiser appeared in Sigrún's hand. It rose into the air and grew in size until it became an enormous ship, seemingly built to traverse the vast cosmos as if it were an endless sea.

The group of five boarded the ship, after which it left the port slowly, leaving behind a beautiful trail of colors that seemed like waves made of stars over which the impressive cruiser sailed.

"Master, I feel a bit tired. Is it possible for me to sleep a little?"

While Sigrún, Eleonora, and Seraphina happily accompanied Erik on the deck—who looked fascinated at space—Liliana approached and asked in a polite and respectful manner. This caused Eleonora to turn to look at her and nod her head, then comment with a smile.

"Of course, go inside and choose any room you like."

"Thank you very much, Master." Liliana bowed respectfully to Eleonora and then to Sigrún, who smiled softly in response.

After Liliana left, Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina moved even closer to Erik, who was looking almost hypnotized at the vibrant planet surrounded by a barrier formed by hexagons that was slowly moving away. They rested their bodies on him—Eleonora and Sigrún at his sides and Seraphina behind him—all with warm and loving smiles on their faces.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Sigrún commented softly while hugging one of Erik's arms and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yes, the first time I saw it, I was so overwhelmed with all the new and shocking information that I couldn't enjoy the beautiful view..." Erik said in a soft and relaxed voice. At that moment, Eleonora hugged his left arm, and imitating Sigrún, also rested her head on his shoulder, then commented with a soft and melodious voice.

"After the tournament, we'll visit several beautiful places."

"Really?" Erik turned to look at Eleonora with a cheerful smile on his face, to which she responded with a gentle smile full of happiness.

"Of course, it will be a wonderful trip. In the galaxy, there are all kinds of beautiful places we have to see."

"Yes, I have to introduce you to my base planet; it's spectacular." Sigrún commented with emotion while squeezing her beloved disciple's arm between her ample bust, which led Erik to ask somewhat curiously.

"Your base planet, Master?"

"Hehehe, yes. Many mana users from the Arcane level onward have base planets; it's almost like a ritual of initiation when leaving behind the 'mortal realm'." Sigrún replied with a cheerful smile, which made Erik ask with curiosity while looking into his master's beautiful blue eyes.

"'Mortal realm'?"

"It's what the levels before the Sage-level are known as, since from that level on, you no longer have most of the basic human needs like sleeping or eating, and life expectancy starts to be counted in tens of thousands of years. Although since the creation of the Sage advancement potion, many already consider the Sage-level as 'mortal'."

Instead of Sigrún, Eleonora was the one who answered. She spoke with a cheerful and clear tone while squeezing her big breasts around Erik's arm. He turned to look into her beautiful golden eyes, then commented a bit thoughtfully.

"I see... I didn't know any of that."

"Well, that's something that isn't written in books, and since you never go out to talk to anyone, you didn't know, hahaha." Sigrún commented in a teasing tone while moving her head on Erik's shoulder like a cat, which led the star-haired boy to comment amusedly.

"That sounded mean."

"Fufufufu, then socialize more." Eleonora added with a smile while closing her eyes to enjoy the warm moment.

Meanwhile, Seraphina, being the perfect maid that she was, chose to remain silent to let her young master enjoy his moment with his masters. Instead, she began to gently massage the back of her beloved young master's neck, which inevitably—and definitely not because she wanted to—caused her to have to press her body against his, allowing her to feel the relaxing warmth of his body.

Shortly after, the ship entered hyperspace travel, so there was nothing left to see. They all went to sit around a beautiful table that formed from the wood of the upper deck, at which point Seraphina served a relaxing and warm-smelling tea, which they drank while talking about random things amidst laughter.

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[lordanl]

A couple of weeks later, Sigrún's beautiful ship emerged from warp travel, appearing not far from a magnificent planet surrounded by an energy shield made of hexagons similar to the one around the university planet. It glowed in blue and golden hues, with enormous rivers and mountains visible from space.

Orbiting the planet was a gigantic space station that looked like a floating palace, with towers, domes, and bulwarks extending into outer space. Its entire surface was covered with beautifully carved runes emitting a soft light, making it seem like a jewelry box beautifully decorated with stars.

Soon, Sigrún's cruiser docked at the space station, and shortly after, Erik disembarked, closely accompanied by Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina. A little behind them followed Liliana, who was the last to leave the ship, wearing a complicated expression on her face as she watched the group of masters, disciple, and maid ahead of her.

The reason behind Liliana's expression was very simple: these days on the ship had been too revealing for her, to the point where they had her doubting reality itself. Not only was Erik different from how she had imagined him, but it also became obvious to her that the relationship between her master and the star-haired boy was very different from what she thought.

Since Erik had intruded into her life-almost twenty years ago now-Liliana could easily count the times she had interacted with him. The longest of those interactions did not exceed a couple of hours, something that had never bothered her and even pleased her. After all, the mere presence of the star-haired boy irritated her; besides, she believed she knew who he was and what he thought of her and Desmond, so she never showed any further interest. He was just an arrogant thief who had come to steal her master's attention.

But during the journey, that perception was forcibly changed. It all started with how evident it became to her that her master, the great Empress of Lightning, Eleonora Silverwood, always dignified and elegant, seemed like a different person when she was with Erik—always smiling, talkative, and even playful—something inconceivable. After all, the entire galaxy knew that Master Silverwood was practically synonymous with elegance and poise.

Furthermore, there was the way she treated the annoying Erik; she treated him with too much care, paid him too much attention, and it almost seemed like she wanted to be by his side all day, which at first greatly angered her. But she only needed to pay a little more attention to realize that the way her respected master looked at the star-haired boy was not the gaze of a master to her disciple.

That gaze went beyond; in it, there was love, attraction, and devotion—basically the way her mother looked at her father, a realization that almost blew her mind. After all, it was too irrational, too absurd; no one could even begin to imagine that one of the most powerful and prestigious Master-level individuals in the entire galaxy would take notice of a mere Ascended-level. No matter how handsome or talented he was, since they were almost like two different species.

Although that realization was extremely shocking, at the same time it was incredibly liberating; she was not fighting with the monstrous and unattainable star-haired boy for her master's love and attention. He was something different, on a different track in her master's heart, which meant she didn't have to keep killing herself day and night looking for ways to improve just to at least match someone so monstrous.

That feeling of liberation allowed her, for the first time in who knows how long, to sleep peacefully, without waking up in the middle of the night covered in sweat from a nightmare where her master abandoned her.

Without staying up late into the night training her spells over and over, terrified that that star-haired idiot would master a new spell with the irritating ease with which he always did, and that her master would be disappointed in her.

Finally, a peaceful night's sleep without the constant anxiety of losing her place, the woman who was like her second mother and everything she had worked so hard to gain.

That simple night's sleep was incredibly restorative, and the change was evident to Liliana from the moment she woke up; after all, she no longer had dark circles or puffiness under her eyes—they were clear and bright. So for the first time in almost twenty years, she didn't have to apply the creams and potions she had to use every day to hide the traces of her tears, which had become her nightly companion.

The world also seemed brighter, more colorful, and much more peaceful, which allowed her to see much more clearly the dynamics between the reason for her suffering and mental torture and her beloved and respected master. This could not help but make her smile with bitterness and some regret, since if she had paid a little more attention before, she would not have had to suffer so much.

Her master treated him practically like her husband and behaved like a lovestruck teenager around him; she cared for him, pampered him, and respected him perhaps even more than her own mother did with her father. This allowed her to realize that her master was happier than ever and that perhaps the talkative and playful Eleonora was the real Eleonora Silverwood, while her typical elegance and poise were just a facade.

Similarly, she also noticed the strangeness of Erik; he was strange, somehow he seemed to have a unique charm that made not only her master but also Master Eldurdóttir, the terrifying maid, the wolves, and even everyone's contracted spirits orbit around him—all cheerful, all calm, and without a doubt, all happy.

That strangeness inevitably intrigued Liliana, who, curious, began to interact a bit more with Erik—not too much, just casual and sporadic—but those small interactions made her realize that he was a bit different from what she imagined. Rather than arrogant and disdainful, he was quiet and calm, focused on his own things, and for some reason, obsessed with cookies. To the point where she could swear the boy could eat cookies as his only food for the rest of his life and never tire of them.

Moreover, somehow, that tranquility and calm of Erik seemed to infect others; maybe it was his way of speaking or his way of doing things, but being around him caused a certain feeling of quite pleasant peace and tranquility. This seemed to greatly please her master and Master Eldurdóttir, although that tranquility wasn't really her thing; she preferred excitement and adrenaline.

But besides that calm, there was one more thing about Erik that was very intriguing: everything he said and did, for some reason, felt "real", as if there was no falseness in him, and he was incapable of lying—something very pleasant, since being in a position like hers, being a disciple of one of the most prestigious Masters in the galaxy, sincere conversations without ulterior motives were very rare; whenever she met or talked to someone, she had to be on guard and totally focused to detect any trap or slip-up she might commit.

For the same reason, direct disciples like her only interacted with other masters' disciples. Since being in a similar situation, they could understand each other and not be so cautious with one another, but even so, caution could never be lost; after all, there are always conflicting interests, and they would always be competitors for opportunities, so there was always a certain wariness.

That's why it was so relaxing to talk to Erik; the guy never beat around the bush, he never asked for anything and much less expected anything, he didn't desperately try to get her attention like others or look at her with lust or desire; moreover, she hadn't seen him in a bad mood even once. In the time they were on the ship, the darkest feeling she saw from him was a tired sigh or the constant back-and-forth with his masters because he didn't want money or something like that.

But if she had to point out what impacted her most from her few interactions with Erik, it's that she realized he was very aware that she disliked him and even intuited the image she had of him, but he didn't even hold a grudge for it. In his own words, wanting everyone to like you is foolishness—Not even money pleases everyone, much less a person—something he told her with a smile while handing her a cookie, an image that inevitably remained etched in her memory.

...

With Liliana lost in her thoughts, the group walked through the port of the space station until they reached a large lobby with high ceilings supported by columns carved with all kinds of runes. The floor, made of what seemed to be marble, reflected the constellations, creating the illusion of walking among stars and highlighting a large floating crystal obelisk in the center, which emitted a soft light, serving as a guide to newcomers.

"They really never skimp on decoration..." Looking at the impressive place, Erik whispered to himself, which caused small smiles on the faces of Sigrún and Eleonora.

"Hehehe, yes, in the Arcane Order we are known for our aesthetics." Sigrún commented softly as they all walked through the station, which was designed in concentric levels, ascending in a spiral.

The lower levels housed common areas like training rooms or libraries, and as they ascended, the areas became more exclusive with more spacious suites on the middle levels, which had balconies offering panoramic views of the cosmos.

They all continued walking calmly through the beautifully decorated corridors, while talking about random things among themselves. Although, in reality, only Erik, Sigrún, and Eleonora were talking among themselves; Liliana just kept walking silently in an almost robotic manner with a thoughtful expression on her face, and Seraphina followed behind Erik with a professional smile.

Not long after, the group of five arrived at a beautiful common room that looked like a fantasy park, filled with lush grass and trees of all kinds, with beautifully sculpted fountains bubbling with liquids of different colors. At that moment, Eleonora turned to look at Liliana and commented with a smile.

"Liliana, from here we're going to a meeting with the other Master-levels; if you want, you can go rest or maybe take a walk. Thalia's and Ryoma's disciples are already around here."

"Of course, thank you very much, Master." Her master's voice pulled Liliana out of her thoughts, and she quickly responded elegantly, then bowed respectfully and took her leave.

"Then I'll be going."

"Have fun."

Eleonora commented with a smile, to which Liliana responded with a similar smile, then separated from the group, going in another direction while a beautiful crystal card appeared over her hand. She quickly manipulated it to make a call and put it near her ear, avoiding the hologram from appearing.

"Well, then I'll go look around this place; it looks interesting."

Seeing Liliana leave, Erik commented softly, trying to hide the excitement he felt about discovering how this place worked. It not only had gravity identical to that of the university planet but also had tons of interesting things everywhere, but his eyes that shone like flashlights due to his enthusiasm didn't help him at all.

Without waiting for a response, Erik took Seraphina's hand and ran out of the place, hoping to find someone to bother to tell him where to find the information he wanted about the space station. This couldn't help but put a cheerful smile on the perfect maid's face.

Meanwhile, Sigrún and Eleonora watched Erik, who was running, with small happy smiles on their faces, then turned and continued walking until they reached a beautiful and imposing dark wooden door full of intricate runes carved all over its surface.

Upon entering the meeting room, several people who were gathered and exuded an unfathomable pressure, like massive stars full of colossal power, turned their heads to look at the pair of women who had arrived.

"Well, now we can start this meeting; remember that only topics regarding the imminent tournament will be addressed. Anything else, unless it's of vital importance, should be set aside."

As Eleonora and Sigrún took their seats, Adrian spoke with a powerful voice to all the Master-level individuals present, who nodded their heads, initiating the meeting. In which the rules and challenges that the tournament participants will have to overcome were reported if they want to secure a spot in the exploration of the ruin.

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