The Ascension Age

Zule then barged inside with a happy expression, saying, "Hello, everyone! It is I, your beloved teacher Zule. I came today to help my dear Altina with her breakthrough. Does anyone want to watch?"

Altina sighed in response, muttering, "Sometimes, I wonder how we've gotten acquainted with each other...perhaps it was some kind of curse."

Zule nodded, hastily responding, "Yes, the curse's name is love! There's no stronger curse in this Universe!"

Everyone bitterly smiled after hearing that, already expecting this kind of situation. Following that, Zule took out a box from inside his clothes before passing it to Altina. "Alright, let's start the process. Altina, here's the Stellar Crystal."

"Thank you," Altina said as she took the box. "I just need to follow the same steps as before, right?"

Zule nodded in agreement, going through the steps as he said, "Yes. Focus all the energy into a single point, and you'll be able to condense a Stellar Nucleus. The more energy you take, the faster it will be. However, speed isn't the key. The important part is how you feel about its existence. Take your time and condense it as you see fit. Remember, everyone is different, so you can only rely on yourself on that part."

Altina then took a deep breath and opened the box. Soon, Aire could see a light-green crystal brimming with energy, prompting him to ask Stella, 'Stella, do you know what that is?'

'Yes. That's a Stellar Crystal, though it's quite low-level. Nevertheless, that should be enough for someone trying to enter the Stellar Manipulation Level,' Stella replied.

Soon after, Aire noticed the energy of the crystal flowing like streams before circling Altina. Little by little, that energy entered her body from several sides as more energy came out of that crystal to fill the gaps left behind.

Aire then got close to Sera before asking, "What is she doing now?"

"Exactly what Zule said. Everyone has their own design. Of course, it doesn't mean that you can create some kind of weird shape like a tree or anything like that. All nuclei are mostly round, with a few deformations on them. Those deformations are what can be considered the fingerprints of the nucleus."

Sera continued, "The differences aren't only there, but in the internal structure as well. Some nuclei are more compact, while others prefer to keep it with an empty space. Others simply let it form in whatever shape it comes. In the end, it's very personal. It's a task that no one can help you with."

Aire nodded even though he didn't understand very well. He couldn't be blamed, though. After all, anyone would only truly understand the concept when the time comes for them to form their own Stellar Nucleus.

As Altina continued her breakthrough, Aire took the chance to ask Zule something else. "By the way, how hard is it to get those Stellar Crystals?"

"Those are rewards from several of the tasks promoted by the school during the year," Zule responded as he paid attention to Altina. "You better not have wrong ideas, though. Even I can't get these things if Altina didn't have the right to use them. She obtained quite a few last year and kept them for this breakthrough. I doubt someone would succeed. Then again, if anyone is found in possession of a Stellar Crystal without registration, the banishment of the school will be the least of their problems," he soon warned as if he had seen it happen before.

Time passed as everyone cheered for Altina in silence. Every now and then, the Stellar Crystal in Altina's hands would shatter after losing all its energy. Around an hour and four Stellar Crystals later, a burst of Stellar Energy soon came out of Altina's body.

Aire had to hold himself in the chair to not fall on his back. The same thing could be said for Kymei and Sera. The only one who didn't move a single inch was Zule. Let alone move, Zule didn't even blink as he smiled at the sight.

"As expected of my Altina! You didn't let your beloved teacher down." Zule couldn't help but laugh as he said that.

"Who the hell is your Altina?" However, Altina was truly happy that everything went okay. "Oh well, I'll let it pass this time. Say, how many crystals do I have left?" She asked right after.

"Only three. However, you better keep them for the next time you try a breakthrough," Zule answered straight away.

Sera immediately hugged Altina, ignoring their conversation. "You did it! I was afraid you had some lingering injuries in your Stellar Paths because of the last failure. Fortunately, it seems like you're fine."

Altina nodded with a smile, responding, "I'm quite surprised as well. It's normal for injuries to be left behind after such a strong backlash, but I was totally fine after I woke up again."

Kymei immediately glanced at Aire, who turned his head away, thinking, 'Don't look at me. I'm sure I didn't do anything...or at least I don't remember doing it.'

Zule then patted Altina's shoulder before saying, "Alright, I want my dinner now. You better keep your part of the deal."

Altina didn't mind this time. "Well, it's a deal, after all." Soon after, she looked at everyone else and said, "Just wait in the living room. I'll prepare our meal tonight."

Surprisingly, neither Kymei nor Sera had ever eaten Altina's food, so they didn't know why Zule put so much importance on it. "Errr...sure...we'll wait."

"Do you need help?" Aire felt that he should at least help since she agreed to cook so that Zule would keep his secret. "I'm free at the moment anyway."

"No. I'll do it myself." Altina then extended her hand to Zule, who passed another box with a Stellar Crystal in it. "Alright, I believe none of you have ever tried Energy Food before, right? Truth be told, it's quite a waste of Stellar Crystals, but taste-wise, nothing can compare to it."

Zule couldn't care less about it. "So what? This is my Stellar Crystal, so I use it as I see fit. With your talent for cooking, this is the best use for it."

After that, Altina went to the kitchen and began to prepare their food. That night, everyone had an amazing time together.