Stellar Echo: Heart of the Myst

[Pef]

Hey author.

I have a few things with your story.
While I get this is a 'slice of life' thing, the pace is far too slow, especially for such someone at low levels as Erik.

If he is cultivating so slow at a low level, how could he possibly get to Sage or Arcane, not to mention Master level ?
The incongruence is jarring, for someone described as best genius of the ages.

Also, if you post this on QQ, you can also give your readers something saucy to read, not just vivid descriptions of virgin goddesses.

 

[lordanl]

"That sounds interesting, but I didn't know you were in the public relations business." Upon hearing Laura's proposal, Erik commented with an intrigued smile on his face, to which she responded seriously.

"I'm actually not, but I think this is a great opportunity to boost my auction house's reputation and possibly expand into new markets—which is what I'm really aiming for."

"Really? But I thought your auction house was one of the most important ones." Erik asked with mild curiosity, prompting Laura's smile to widen slightly as she replied.

"Thank you for the compliment. You could say we have a certain level of recognition at the university, but we still lack a vital element to take the next step forward."

"Oh? A sponsor, perhaps?" Erik asked with a subtle businesslike smile, to which Laura nodded and replied delightedly.

"Fufu, it's truly a pleasure to talk with someone so sharp."

"So basically, you're looking for the support of my masters."Erik said in a calm tone as he set the cookie he'd been eating back on the plate—an action that caught Sofía's attention as she turned to look at him, slightly confused, while Seraphina's smile began to widen discreetly. That alone set off every alarm in Laura's mind, prompting her to quickly speak in a slightly rushed tone.

"No, no, Erik, you're mistaken. What I'm looking for is your support in particular."

"I see."

Erik nodded and responded casually, as if it didn't really matter. But somehow, Laura could feel that something was off—something hadn't sat well with the young man in front of her. And the faint smirk of the maid standing behind him, which seemed to scream disdain and satisfaction, only confirmed it. For some reason, that realization made Laura panic—but being an experienced woman, she quickly began to speak again, this time with composure.

"What I need most right now is the support of a young academic genius who managed to register patents that spread across the galaxy before turning thirty, and who is publicly recognized as the best of the current young generation. That would allow my auction house to open up an entirely new market segment that has so far remained unexplored."

After finishing her explanation, Laura looked calmly at Erik. Although he simply took a sip of his tea, the experienced Laura could feel that he was studying her intently, so she too picked up her teacup with steady movements, determined not to reveal how fast her heart was racing.

"I wonder what you would need such a specific profile for."

Erik commented in a calm tone after setting his cup down on the table. At that moment, Laura quickly extended her hand, and from a beautiful wooden cabinet behind her, several folders floated toward the table, landing neatly in front of Erik—a moment in which Laura allowed herself a discreet sigh of relief.

"Here's a brief summary of the project I want to present to you."

Laura said in a composed and even tone as she managed to calm herself down. At the same time, she found herself wondering why she had panicked so suddenly. After all, while Erik's help would make the project she had in mind significantly easier, it wasn't like she couldn't do it without him. In the end, it would just require more capital, more time, and calling in a few favors—she was perfectly capable of pushing through on her own.

(Maybe it's because my business instincts warned me not to let this opportunity slip by and are pushing me to invest in Erik. After all, Erik will undoubtedly become a powerhouse within the Order, and having his favor would be an incredible asset...

(Yes… that must be it. I only panicked because I realized I was about to leave Erik with a bad impression of me and possibly ruin any chance of building a connection with him—because my subconscious mind warned me of the future consequences that could have on my career… yes, that's why.)

As Erik opened the folders, Laura—having reached a consensus in her heart—began to present her project with a professional and confident tone.

"Well, Erik, as you know, although the auction house I run has earned a solid reputation within the Arcane Order—especially at the university—primarily thanks to the good fortune of being able to auction off Master-level items, the truth is that we've hit a ceiling, which leaves us with very little room to grow within the auction market.

"The only path forward would be to secure the support of a recognized Master within the Order, but that's not a viable option. Even though I have some connection with Master Jessica, Master-level individuals don't lack resources. And if they wanted to get involved in the market, they could simply open their own auction houses and achieve great results on their own."

Laura watched Erik carefully as he began reading through the documents while listening to her. Seeing the young man nod in agreement, she continued, now a bit more at ease.

"Faced with this kind of stagnation, I decided to start thinking outside the box, and I couldn't help but notice a significant challenge: young talents often struggle to secure investment, while investors, in turn, have difficulty identifying real talent and promising business opportunities in early-stage projects. I firmly believe there's a major business opportunity there—one that could catapult the reputation of Aetherion's Hall to a whole new level."

Laura took a sip of tea, which helped clear her thoughts, while she observed Erik—who now looked much more relaxed and was smiling calmly as he showed some of the documents to Sofía. That encouraged her to keep going.

"That's why I decided to organize a series of auctions focused on young talent—primarily in innovation projects, startups, art, and educational experiences, as well as products and services from young individuals still striving to make a name for themselves in the market.

"Not only would this boost the reputation of the Aetherion's Hall brand by associating it with entrepreneurship and technological development, but it would also allow us to diversify our auction portfolio, giving us protection against market fluctuations."

Erik looked at Laura in a new light, letting go of the annoyance he had felt when he thought she just wanted to use him to hang onto the coattails of his masters. After all, the business proposal Laura had laid out sounded solid. And if the market analysis and financial projections she presented were accurate, it would be extremely profitable. While he still needed to conduct his own research to verify everything, Erik could already sense that it was a genuinely viable project.

But what truly drew Erik to the proposal was something more forward-looking: the opportunity to gain access to ambitious and talented young individuals. Not only could they potentially be employed under his brand, but even those who didn't want to work for him would still be useful. After all, the nature of youth is to embrace change—something that older generations, weighed down by prejudice, often struggle with.

If they saw profit, those ambitious youths would no doubt help popularize his current inventions, like Manalite, and more importantly, the ones that were still to come—some of which, if successful, would certainly make a massive impact on the galaxy. But to achieve that, he'd need the energy and adaptability of the younger generation.

"This is truly a fascinating project, Laura. I still need to do my own research, but I have to say I'm looking at it very favorably—and it could potentially be a great help to me."

After a few moments, Erik commented with a calm smile as he looked at Laura, who couldn't help but return a beautiful smile of her own and replied in a cheerful tone.

"It makes me truly happy to hear that, Erik. I really want the business my grandparents sacrificed so much for to be recognized throughout the galaxy, and I know that with your help, I'll be one step closer to making that dream a reality."

Upon hearing Laura, Erik's desire to work with the woman in front of him skyrocketed by 200%. With a warm smile on his face, he responded in a more formal, business-appropriate tone—while laughing inwardly, wondering if the woman before him had already figured out how to push his buttons.

"And according to the documents you gave me, what you expect from me is to help leverage the current hype surrounding my patents to attract interest in the event—both from investors and young talent—and also provide a headline for the press."

"I actually expect much more than that, Erik, because I'm certain these patents are just the beginning, and in the future, you'll continue to leave your mark on the galaxy with your talents. That's why I'm proposing that we become equal partners—I'll handle all the logistics, contacts, and so on, while you'll be responsible for giving the project credibility and appeal, acting as both an ambassador and a mentor."

Laura replied with a beautiful smile, to which Erik responded in noticeably good spirits.

"I really like your project, so I'd love to go over it in more detail and maybe contribute a few of my own ideas. So… how about we order something to eat?"

"Of course! It would be a pleasure to work with and share a meal with the great genius of the young generation." Laura said playfully, matching Erik's cheerful tone with a teasing smile.

"Then I hope you appreciate the time of this young genius, hehe." Erik replied jokingly as he took a bite of a cookie and added.

"Although, if this goes well, you won't have time to design the offices for my company."

"Oh? You're already starting work on your brand?" Laura asked with interest, making a great effort to ignore the looks being thrown her way by a certain maid. The star-haired boy replied in a calm tone.

"Yes, I recently received a decent amount of capital, so I want to start working on it. For now, I'll just be renting a floor in an office building here at the university, but I'd like it to have an attractive design since I think that's important for a productive work environment. Also, I want to have everything ready before I leave for the ruin exploration…"

Erik and Laura continued discussing the brand Erik intended to develop, while Sofía reviewed the project documents and took notes in a small notebook. Meanwhile, Seraphina let out a quiet, slightly resigned sigh that masked a bit of inner irritation—but she quickly hid it, not wanting her young master to see the ugly jealousy threatening to consume her.

But no matter how hard she tried, Seraphina couldn't help it. Her instincts screamed that this woman was having thoughts about her young master, and the worst part was… he seemed to like her. That alone made the situation feel both dangerous and infuriating.

All of it made Seraphina regret, just a little, having brought her young master to that auction in the first place. Even with all the "fun" she'd had from the images in her secret stash of her handsome young master acting all high and mighty… maybe, just maybe, the price she paid for it had been a little too steep.

For her part, Sofía couldn't help but be amazed by her boss's influence and the absurd profits this venture could bring. The documents spoke in terms of billions, and although she wasn't yet an expert, she had worked hard to master mathematics and the fundamentals of economics. And since she had a natural talent for it, she could easily see that if even half of what was written in those documents became reality, her boss would be swimming in money within a couple of decades.

That was precisely why it was her duty to verify the validity of those claims. She was taking notes on what she considered most important—not only to study it on her own later, but also to prepare a summary for Lady Seraphina and her boss so they could review it in more detail afterward.

This was how she wanted to be useful to her boss: beyond just keeping track of his schedule and handling minor affairs, she wanted to go a step further, to stand out, to make full use of her talents, and to become a key piece in his commercial development. All so that he would feel proud of her—and more importantly, so he would feel truly satisfied with his decision to help her that night.

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

A couple of weeks after the meeting with Laura, early in the morning, Sofía stood at the entrance of the mansion alongside Clara and Martín, where they waited for a few minutes. Soon, they saw their boss emerge, dressed in the elegant uniform of the university, accompanied by his personal maid, who followed him like a loyal shadow.

"Good morning." Erik greeted with a smile as he approached, prompting the siblings to respond in unison, full of enthusiasm.

"""Good morning, boss."""

"Heh, glad to see you're energetic. We're going to meet your new tutors, who will be educating you until I return from the expedition to the ruin, so let's not keep them waiting."

"""Understood."""

After the siblings replied energetically, Erik smiled, somewhat amused, and turned to look at Seraphina, who immediately wrapped the group in a cocoon of darkness extending from her shadow, teleporting them to their first destination. The shadow cocoon faded into nothingness, revealing the siblings looking slightly dizzy.

"Alright, the first one we're going to meet is Clara's tutor—none other than the chief alchemy assistant of my master, Valeria Fenixara. She's an Arcane-level and a highly respected alchemist at the university, so treat her with the proper respect."

Upon arrival, Erik spoke in a calm yet firm tone while the siblings looked around, realizing they were in a forested area full of natural beauty. What stood out most was an incredible structure, seemingly fused seamlessly with the surrounding nature.

The building had a curved, almost organic design composed of several smooth, bluish metal domes intertwined harmoniously. These featured massive glass windows and runes carved all across their surfaces, giving the siblings the impression that they were gazing at something that could only exist in a civilization millions of years more advanced than their home planet, Aranta.

That structure fit much more closely with the mental image the siblings had of the Arcane Order—the most advanced place in the galaxy. It was worlds apart from their boss's mansion which, although incredibly luxurious and, above all, absurdly large—with several secondary buildings in addition to the main estate, gardens that practically looked like entire forests filled with exotic plants, and more—its design was something they could easily imagine seeing on their own planet.

While their boss's mansion was truly impressive, the young siblings couldn't help but feel a slight sense of disappointment when they first saw it. After all, its design was too "normal"—nothing like what they had imagined from the Arcane Order, that dreamlike place where they thought people could communicate instantly with anyone in the galaxy, where high-speed flying cars were the norm, and more. But the building before them truly told them they had arrived at the place they once dreamed about.

As for Erik, when he noticed the siblings' strange expressions—completely enthralled by the mansion, to the point they hadn't even bothered to respond—he couldn't help but chuckle in amusement. Then, with a cheerful and relaxed tone, as he understood them well, having been the same way years ago, he asked.

"What's the matter? You liked the house that much?"

"Sorry, boss, we got carried away." Sofía quickly replied, visibly embarrassed as she bowed slightly. At the same time, Clara also bowed and added in an equally embarrassed tone.

"I promise it won't happen again, boss."

"Don't take it so seriously. I get why it caught your eye—it definitely has an interesting design." Erik said in a calm and cheerful voice, which gave Sofía just enough courage to ask quietly.

"Boss, are all the houses here at the university like this?"

"I imagine you're wondering why my master's mansion is so 'simple', right?"

Erik said with a small smile as he looked at Sofía, who couldn't help but blush—along with Clara. Since they'd been caught, both nodded with curiosity, prompting the star-haired young man to explain in a clear and measured tone.

"Well, the answer is actually pretty simple: it comes down to personal taste and resources. Even if it doesn't look like it, building a mansion like my master's is actually several times more expensive than this one. That's because this place is primarily built from Velirium, the same material used in spacecraft. It's abundant, easy to work with, and has top-tier properties.

"Meanwhile, my master's mansion is made of super exotic and hard-to-obtain materials—like Eldora wood, which is everywhere in the mansion and is said to easily cost around 15,000 mana crystals per cubic meter. That's because only the Stellar Empire is capable of producing it, and even then, in very limited quantities. So only someone as 'generous' as my master would use something like that to build a house."

"… The world of the elites is something else…" Sofía muttered in complete awe after hearing the explanation—just as a playful, melodic female voice sounded from behind them.

"I heard you, Erik. I'm going to tell Sigrún you've been calling her a reckless, tasteless nouveau riche behind her back, fufu."

Upon hearing the melodious voice, the siblings quickly turned around, startled—only to find a beautiful woman with delicate features, reddish hair, fair skin, and lively blue eyes who looked to be around nineteen years old. She was wearing a black dress somewhat similar to the ones the siblings wore and smiled playfully while elegantly covering her mouth.

"As if she'd believe you. Your real thoughts are so obvious, you'd end up with third-degree burns first."

Erik replied as he turned to look at the woman, rolling his eyes in the process, which made the stunning woman laugh in amusement. She then quickly turned to look at the siblings, focusing especially on Clara, before asking cheerfully.

"So I suppose you're leaving this lovely young lady with me?"

"Yes. Her name is Clara, and as you can see, she has a wood affinity. I hope she'll eventually become my alchemy assistant." Erik replied in a calm tone as he gestured for Clara to step forward, which she did with slight nervousness. At that moment, Erik continued.

"Clara, this woman is Valeria Fenixara. She'll be your tutor from now on."

"N-nice to meet you."

Clara spoke quickly in a slightly nervous voice, partly because Valeria was observing her closely, looking her up and down with one hand on her chin. Then, the red-haired beauty commented with a wide grin.

"She's quite promising! I'll make sure to train her to become the perfect head assistant—and secret lover! Fufu."

"Just getting her to pass the 1-star alchemist assistant exam is enough. Don't overdo it—or I might start introducing lovers to your husband too."

Erik quickly replied in a tone that was half-joking, half-serious. After all, he was talking to Valeria—who, despite being talented, loyal, and highly efficient, had one fatal flaw: once she got comfortable with someone, she became what people call a "loudmouth". She loved saying random things and joking around, and while she rarely followed through with her outrageous remarks, the problem lay in that "rarely." Occasionally, she did—and it was genuinely problematic.

"Hey! Leave my hubby alone! He's being very well-behaved at the base and doesn't need anyone leading him astray." Valeria quickly shot back, also half-joking, half-serious, which brought a meaningful smile to Erik's face. A moment later, he turned to Clara and spoke with a smile.

"Well, Clara, I'll leave you in her care. And even if it might not seem like it, she's very good at what she does, so she'll be a big help to you."

"What do you mean, 'even if it might not seem like it'?!" Valeria snapped back with mock indignation, then turned to the siblings and asked in a playful tone.

"Don't I look like one of the top alchemists in the university?"

"""Yes…"""

Sofía, Clara, and Martín could only respond in unison, visibly uncomfortable, which made Valeria laugh before instantly shifting into a serious, professional demeanor as she looked directly at Clara.

"Jokes aside, you can count on me for your training, Clara. But I'm going to be strict, and I want everything you've got—because if Erik brought you to me, it means he has high hopes for you. And I would never allow the head assistant of the first disciple of Master Eldurdóttir to be some random, mediocre girl. So—are you ready to give it your all, Clara?"

"Yes! I'll work day and night without rest, so don't go easy on me. I want to be useful to the boss as soon as possible." Clara replied quickly, her voice full of determination, leaving all her nervousness behind. This made Valeria's smile visibly widen. She nodded and spoke in a satisfied tone.

"Perfect. Then get ready—it's going to be tough."

"Yes, ma'am!" Clara responded firmly, at which point Valeria turned to Erik and added with a cheerful smile.

"Well, Erik, you can leave her to me. I'll make sure to train her down to the finest detail."

"She's in your hands—especially when it comes to her mana control. There's quite a bit to refine there." Erik replied with a smile, to which Valeria nodded and said.

"I figured as much. But don't worry—leave it to me. Though, I must say, talking out here doesn't feel quite right. Want to come in for a drink?"

"Maybe another time. I still need to take the others to meet their tutors, and I have a lot to organize before departing for the ruin expedition." Erik shook his head and responded calmly, prompting Valeria to smile and reply.

"Well then, I wish you good luck."

After saying their goodbyes to Valeria and Clara, Seraphina transported the group to a new location—though not before casting a warning glance at Valeria to make sure she didn't do anything unnecessary. In response, Valeria gave a small, nervous smile and waved her right hand in farewell.

Soon after, the darkness that surrounded them faded once more, prompting Sofía and Martín to look around. They realized they were now standing on what appeared to be a large farm, where all sorts of fruits and vegetables were being cultivated. But what stood out the most was a beautiful, elegant, and minimalist-looking mansion. Nearby, they could see a tall and well-built man with light green hair and tanned skin greeting several young people arriving in all kinds of vehicles and flying magical artifacts.

Just as Erik was about to take a step forward, a sleek black flying car with a refined design and numerous runes engraved across its surface landed a few meters away. From it emerged a beautiful woman who appeared to be in her thirties, with silver hair and violet eyes, accompanied by a boy who looked to be around twelve.

"Professor Sunflare, it's been a while since I last saw you." Upon spotting the woman, Erik quickly approached and greeted her with a slightly nostalgic smile, to which the woman responded with a joyful smile of her own.

"It certainly has been a while, Erik. You've grown a lot—you're a full Ascended-Expert now."

"I also heard you ascended to the Arcane level, Professor Sunflare. Congratulations." Erik said sincerely, causing the woman to smile softly before responding in a calm voice.

"I just had a bit of luck. But tell me, what brings you here?" Professor Sunflare asked casually, prompting Erik to gesture toward Martín and explain.

"I'm here to enroll one of my trainee assistants into the camp. His name is Martín. He has a great talent for runes and top-tier body control, so I'm sure he'll perform exceptionally well."

Upon hearing his name, Martín quickly turned to look at his boss, then lowered his head, slightly embarrassed by his words. At that moment, Professor Sunflare looked him up and down and commented in a calm tone.

"How interesting. I didn't think you were one of those who raise their assistants from scratch, Erik. You were always the one advocating that the easiest path is the right one."

"And I still believe that—the easiest path is always the most efficient, productive, and also the least risky. And it's no different in this situation. Given the position I'm in, the 'easiest' option for me is to raise someone from scratch." Erik replied confidently, which made the silver-haired woman smile as she nodded and said.

"An interesting perspective, as always."

"And are you dropping off your boy too, Professor Sunflare?" Erik asked as he looked at the young man standing behind her, who bore a striking resemblance to her—though his hair was a dark gray and his eyes a deep red.

"Yes, it's about time my grandson started working those muscles." Professor Sunflare replied with a cheerful smile, which surprised Sofía and Martín, who had both assumed the boy was her son. At that moment, Erik commented with a smile.

"Well then, I hope the boys get along."

"You still have that habit of talking like an old man, Erik. You're barely two decades older than my grandson—you're just a baby." Professor Sunflare said with some amusement, to which Erik simply smiled without saying a word, prompting the beautiful woman to add cheerfully.

"But I have to get going now—I've got a class to teach later. I wish you the best of luck on the ruin expedition."

"Thank you, Professor Sunflare."

After Professor Sunflare departed, Erik turned to Martín and began explaining in a calm tone.

"Well, Martín, you'll be entering a training camp run by Arcane Merrikson—a well-known knight who retired from the front lines a couple of centuries ago and now focuses on training the new generation in his unique unarmed combat tactics. He employs the Aegis system in a very interesting way—without using the typical tattoos.

"But the truly important things you should focus on in this place are twofold. First, mana control—he's renowned for greatly refining the mana control of his students. And second, his use of runes. While he won't teach you everything, he'll provide you with the foundational knowledge. Based on what you learn from him, we'll analyze which paths are best suited for you once I return."

"I understand, boss. I'll do my best to learn everything I can." Martín replied firmly, which made Erik smile. He nodded and spoke in a calm tone as he turned to face forward.

"I trust you. 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.

Spoiler: Images

Valeria Fenixara:

Valeria's house: