Caelum Nihil's voice deepened, the faint swirl of silver starlight tightening in the Starveil.
"…But hear me well, Blank," he murmured, his tone shifting into firmer and colder. "Astral Overdrive is no ordinary power. It is not a toy. It is not a shortcut."
The air around me thickened, the invisible strands humming with tension.
"It is a blade that cuts both ways."
I swallowed hard, my hands curling slightly at my sides.
"I offer it to you because the path you walk demands it," Caelum continued, voice sharp as a blade's edge. "But you are not to treat it like some new skill you can flash in every fight, every challenge, every brush with death."
The Starveil pulsed once, dim and heavy.
"Use it only when necessary."
His voice dropped lower, a whisper that slid into my bones.
"Because every time you invoke Astral Overdrive, you invite me deeper into you."
I tightened my grip on the cup, the faint ripple of steam rising to my face.
'How could I forget… when one of my friends died because of it.'
I still remembered the moment — burned into the back of my mind.
Astral Overdrive isn't some convenient "power-up." It's a contract you sign with your body and soul as the payment.
When you activate it, you don't just burn mana. You invite something far bigger into yourself — the essence of a Patron, a force your body was never designed to hold. The flesh strains. The nerves fray. Every heartbeat under Overdrive is like standing one inch from a collapsing star.
My friend thought they could handle it. Thought they could push just a little longer, win just one more fight. But their body… couldn't keep up. I watched the moment the power surged too far — when the blood vessels ruptured, when the heart gave out, when the soul started tearing under the weight of the Patron's merge.
I clenched my jaw slightly.
'Tsk. That's why I can't just throw this around.'
"This is not a buff," Caelum said softly. "It is a fusion. A true merge between Patron and Vassal. And the more we merge, the thinner the veil between us grows."
He let that linger, like a warning coiling in the dark.
"Too many uses… too soon… and you may find that the part of you which is mortal," Caelum murmured, "starts to fade."
I let out a slow breath, steadying myself.
"…Understood."
The silver strands around me dimmed slightly, as if my answer satisfied him.
"Good."
The Patron's presence pulled back slightly, the weight lifting just a little from my chest.
"We play a long game, Blank. Do not burn yourself out in the opening moves."
The Starveil pulsed one last time, softly, like the gentle closing of cosmic curtains.
"For now, focus on what's ahead. Survive, adapt, and climb higher my Vassal."
And then, like the hiss of a candle being snuffed, the Starveil vanished, and its silver threads fading back into the ordinary air of my apartment.
The kettle's hum returned. The faint noise of cars outside drifted in again.
I stood in the kitchen, fists slowly unclenching, breath steadying.
Astral Overdrive.
A power few mortals would ever touch.A weapon I could only draw when the edge of death closed in.
I exhaled quietly and reached for my tea again.
'Got it, Caelum.'
As I lifted the tea to my lips, a soft chime echoed through the air.
A pale system window flickered into view right in front of me, its golden borders pulsing faintly.
-
[Notification] — Ultimate Skill Received
You have acquired the ultimate Astral Skill:
『Astral Overdrive』
— A limited-time fusion between Astral Patron and Vassal.
— Temporarily draws upon the Patron's cosmic essence, amplifying all physical, mental, and magical attributes beyond mortal limits.
— Duration and amplification increase with Vassal's strength.
⚠ WARNING: This skill places extreme stress on the user's body and soul. Excessive or reckless use may result in permanent damage or erosion of the mortal vessel.
-
I stared at the window for a long moment, the words pulsing faintly, almost like they were alive.
'So it was official now.'
Not just a whispered promise or a future possibility, the system itself had acknowledged it.
I set the cup down quietly, fingers tightening just slightly.
'Astral Overdrive…'
Another window slid open.
-
[Skill Details Unlocked]
『Astral Overdrive』 (Lv. 1)
Activation Cost: 80% total mana pool
Duration: 3 minutes
Amplification: x5 all base stats
Cooldown: 72 hours
Note: Duration and amplification increase as Vassal's connection with Patron strengthens.
Special Effect: When active, the user's body emits a veil of silver light, marking the merge between mortal and cosmic essence.
-
A slow grin crept across my face.
'Ha…'
I leaned back in the chair, still staring at the glowing system window.
'This really is the most broken skill there is.'
My fingers tapped lightly on the table.
'Astral Overdrive wasn't something just anyone could get. In fact, in this timeline, I was sure—absolutely sure—that I was the only one holding it right now. Which meant, I was already ahead. Way ahead.'
Everyone else was still fumbling through early labyrinth, scrambling to form raid groups, trying to figure out which Patron to align with. Meanwhile, I was sitting here with a cheat code no one even knew existed yet.
A quiet laugh slipped from my mouth.
'This time… I won't be the one chasing. I'll be the one pulling ahead.'
I downed the rest of my tea in a single smooth gulp, set the cup aside, and stretched.
'Time to move.'
After a quick shower, I threw on a black hoodie, jeans, and boots. The mask, of course, hung comfortably in my pocket—just in case I needed it.
I stepped out into the city.
Davao was alive, bustling with the usual chaos—street vendors calling out, students rushing by with backpacks, office workers glued to their phones, taxis honking as they weaved through narrow streets.
I took a deep breath. The real world was still here, still noisy, still grounding.
But I didn't have time to stand still.
Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through my contacts.
[Noel Bora] — my friend, my old ally, one of the few I trusted before everything went wrong.
I typed out a short, sharp message.
"Yo. We need to meet. Today."
The reply came back almost instantly.
"Sure, man! City of Davao, right? Let's meet at the plaza."
I smirked.
'Good. Just like old times.'
I slipped the phone back into my pocket and stepped into the streets, weaving through the crowd.
If I was going to build my next move, I needed allies, and the first piece on the board was already waiting.
'Let's go.'