Chapter Three: Anticipated Gains
1490 Words
The two of them dined in silence, the awkward atmosphere finally shattered by Elena.
As she absentmindedly picked at her food, she inquired, "Does it still hurt?"
"Uh..." Ethan, blissfully savoring the braised pork, was momentarily distracted from complimenting Elena's culinary skills by her question. After a brief hesitation, he replied, "A little."
A subtle shift appeared on Elena's otherwise impassive face—perhaps a trace of concern flickered across her features, only to be quickly concealed. She parted her lips and, after a moment, returned to her nonchalant demeanor, instructing, "Don't record videos like that again."
"Understood." Ethan took another piece of braised pork, followed by a generous mouthful of rice, overwhelmed with gratitude.
Who would have thought such a young girl could possess such extraordinary culinary talents? Was this her star skill?
The braised pork was decadently rich yet surprisingly light, an exquisite delight.
As Ethan focused on his meal, he caught the hint of concern in Elena's eyes. Perhaps his sister had grown worried that he was afraid of her after that slap; indeed, she had struck rather firmly in her anger.
With that thought, Elena put down her utensils and stepped out of the kitchen.
Ethan paused for a moment, watching her flowing white dress as she departed. Had she finished eating so soon?
Was she really going to leave so little behind?
What a waste!
If she's not considering herself, at least she should think about those "aerodynamic" aspects...
Having polished off a bowl of rice, Ethan noticed the small amount of rice left on Elena's plate across the table. After a moment's hesitation, he pulled it closer and continued to feast.
As time passed, the memories in his mind gradually melded, allowing him to adapt more comfortably to his surroundings.
Logically, he understood he had no real connection to this family.
Yet emotionally, Ethan was beginning to embody his role.
The consequence of immersing himself in this role was... finishing his meal and leaving behind his dishes.
As for washing them?
Ha! That was out of the question.
Ethan quelled the impulsive thought of abandoning his plate; after all, he was not Ethan Bell, and any discrepancies in personality and behavior would eventually surface.
In that case, why not initiate change through the little things? It might ease Elena's acceptance of him.
Why not begin with the dishes, then?
"What about my food?" a brisk voice inquired from behind him.
Such a voice always struck Ethan as discordant; it carried an ethereal quality while simultaneously discussing mundane matters like daily sustenance.
"I thought you weren't eating," Ethan replied, halting his dishwashing.
"Mm." Elena seemed to possess an inherent aloofness, avoiding any further clarification. She simply gestured for Ethan to take a seat.
"Oh." Ethan complied, wondering if this was to be a formal discussion.
With a mindset of making himself comfortable, Ethan settled down, ready to play his part obediently.
"Here." Elena opened her pale hand, revealing a glistening brass-colored orb before Ethan.
"This is... a star orb?" Ethan's eyes lit up; he was no stranger to such objects. In Ethan Bell's memories, Elena had once given him three star orbs, a crucial factor in elevating Ethan Bell’s star power to Stardust Period Lv.2.
Sadly, Ethan Bell's lackluster aptitude meant that most of the energies contained within those three brass-quality star orbs had been squandered.
Of course, Elena's intention in providing Ethan Bell with star orbs was not solely to enhance his star power, but also to enable him to acquire star skills.
Star orbs are produced by dimensional creatures, but not every one of these beings will yield a star orb.
The only method to gain star skills is by absorbing the orbs, harnessing the abilities within them.
Regrettably, even if one manages to obtain a star orb, the likelihood of successfully extracting a star skill from it is dishearteningly low.
Thus, acquiring star skills is fraught with difficulty.
Moreover, it’s essential to recognize that only as one's star power increases can awakeners absorb star skills.
The classification of star power includes: Stardust Period, Nebula Period, Galaxy Period, Star Sea Period, Starry Sky Period, and possibly even higher levels.
Regardless of how many star slots an individual has or how formidable their aptitude might be, if their star power is at the Stardust Period, they can only embed a maximum of four star orbs within their star map, thus possessing only four star skills.
Once their overall star power rises to the Nebula Period, they may absorb an additional four star skills.
Upon reaching the Galaxy Period, a qualitative transformation occurs, enabling the inclusion of eight more star skills, and so on.
These concepts felt exceedingly distant to Ethan.
Having already absorbed three star orbs, Ethan Bell naturally became one among the masses; with those three star orbs, he had not acquired any star skills.
"I encountered a group of White Spirits in the snowy plains yesterday. This star orb is from a White Spirit Sorcerer," Elena said, rarely articulating an entire sentence.
After this brief explanation, she fell silent, placing the tiny star orb, about the size of a fingernail, on Ethan’s table.
White Spirit species?
And this star orb wasn’t just from a White Spirit, but from the rarer type—the White Spirit Sorcerer?
"Absorb it. After all, every person's physique differs. Some may open their star maps yet never acquire star skills in their lifetime." Elena resumed speaking at length.
Was this meant to be a consolation?
Ethan wore a perplexed expression. Following the remnants of his memories, he gradually grasped the preciousness of the star orb before him and sighed inwardly.
Sensing Ethan's hesitation, Elena continued to reassure him: "Your aptitude isn't exceptional; with only nine stars in your star map, you've reached your limit. Even if you fail to absorb a star skill, you needn't be overly upset; it's alright."
Ethan: ???
Finally lifting his gaze, Ethan regarded Elena with a look of resignation. He understood her intentions were kind-hearted, but how could her words be so exasperating?
Indeed, Ethan's star map, branding the "Big Dipper Nine Stars," represented nine dim stars, signifying nine potential star skills; it meant his growth was inherently limited.
In other words, the nine stars merely symbolized nine skill slots—Ethan could never master more than nine star skills, no matter how inventive he became.
Typically, the quantity of star slots reflects an individual’s innate quality; it not only determines how many star skills an awakener can attain but also viscerally showcases their potential for growth.
This standard emerged from countless experiments conducted by human society over time.
An awakener with twenty star slots would have a significantly easier time acquiring star skills than one with just one slot while facing equally skilled star orbs.
Ethan possessed the "Big Dipper Nine Stars," while Elena's star map blazed with fierce white flames.
By connecting the star slots and depicting the distribution of star power, Elena revealed a star map in combat that was downright terrifying.
Thirty star slots in total!
This indicated both the number of skills she could acquire and her innate potential for growth!
Ethan grasped the star orb on the table, but before he could absorb it, an image flashed in his mind.
"White Spirit Sorcerer Star Orb {Bronze Quality}
Star Skills:
1. Blessing: Gradually restores the target's vitality. {Bronze Quality, Upgradable}
2. Decoy: Creates an illusion to confuse enemies. {Bronze Quality, Upgradable}
Would you like to merge and absorb?"
What does this mean? To absorb? And "merge" it?
What does it imply? Could a single slot hold two skills?
Others may possess star orbs yet never absorb a single star skill in their lives, while he could absorb directly?
Including that "upgradable" label; normally, once someone absorbs a star skill, they remain fixed at the quality absorbed at that moment—unable to improve further.
Yet, Ethan could elevate the quality of a skill?
What astounding fortune this is!?
Was it because of the system’s introduction to Ethan Bell three days prior that his mentality had utterly shifted? Indeed, he was truly the Chosen One!
"Don't feel regret; absorb it. I can always defeat more," Elena said somewhat impatiently, waving her hand dismissively. She too understood Ethan's aptitude and recognized her younger brother as a bit of a liability.
Elena continued, "The White Spirit Sorcerer possesses two star skills, one to heal allies and another to create illusions—both are quite good..."
As she spoke, Elena noticed Ethan's hesitance dissipating, his eyes brightening as the star orb transformed into sparkling points of light, burrowing into his chest.
Even with Elena's typically indifferent demeanor, a glimmer of anticipation appeared in her gaze as she tilted her head and asked, "Did you gain any star skills?"
What star skills would he have?
Once, Ethan Bell had no choices to make,
But I, Ethan, desire them all!
End of Chapter
- Writer
