OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Later that night...

[Ly, show me my status.]

Emir ordered while driving his Z5 back home.

It was one of the newest models from Apex Dynamics, a recent 'gift' from Amon, and the same motorbike he had used during his first mission.

Behind him was Ragnar, who was lent a Z5, as Amon gave Emir two motorbikes, not one, acting as if he was magnanimous.

But in truth, he simply wanted to show the others in the group that Emir had gotten a reward since it would be suspicious if he received 'nothing.'

[Done, sending it now.]

The status materialized as a hologram directly in front of his eyes, as always, displaying a long wall of text, this time only longer.

{Name: Emir Oliver}

{Body Age: 15}

{Profession: Professor}

{Celestial Rank: Seraphim Champion/Class-Four-Three}

{Celestial Class: Ethereal Threader}

{Celestial Essence: Weaver's Grasp}

{Path: Puppeteer.}

{Credit Balance: 450 Valora}

(Stats)

{Strength: 11,320 -> 14,510} (Avg B+)

{Agility: SS+-> 12,860} (Avg B)

{Endurance: 12,900 -> 17,230} (Avg B+)

{Mind: S+-> SS} (Avg C+)

{Charm: A+ -> A} (Avg C+)

{Overall Augmented Strength Level: E10}

(Aspects)

{Weaver's Veil: The Weaver's Veil Aspect grants the user the ability to manipulate and infuse Aether with finesse, weaving patterns to create powerful effects.}

{Aerialis: Aerialis is an Aspect that focuses on harnessing Aether to elevate the user's physical abilities to extraordinary levels, granting them immense strength, agility, and aerial dominance.}

{Celestia's Hand: Celestia's Hand is an Aspect that enables the user to create Aether constructs.}

(Embodiment Method)

{Puppeteer: Someone who tries to be in control. Someone who weaves people and events into place with their threads. Someone with a Flaw. If one of their strings gets cut loose or if their puppets are positioned incorrectly, they experience backlash, depending on the severity of the mistake.}

(Skills)

{Close Quarter Combat: Advanced, 99% Proficiency.}

{Marksmanship: Advanced, 99% Proficiency.}

(Abilities)

{Temporal Perception}

Slows down the user's perception of time, every second is slowed down to 0.1 seconds.

In absolute focus, the user could slow down time to a millisecond.

Current Total Use Limit: 19 Minutes 50 seconds.

Mental Energy Recharge Time: 4 Minutes 30 seconds.

Energy recharge rate: 4.40 seconds per minute of use.

{Sensory Enhancement}

The user's neural network was upgraded.

Allows the user to enhance their five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell) beyond human limitations.

{Aetheric Blades: The ability to channel Aether into blades, creating blades coated with pure energy that can slice through nearly any material.}

{Aether Blast: The ability to channel Aether into a single, devastating shot that deals massive damage to a single target.}]

{Aetheric Shield: The ability to channel Aether to create a shield that protects the user from incoming attacks.} [

{Gates of Eternity: The ability to use Celestia's Hand Aspect to sculpt and shape Aether. The user can mold the raw essence of Aether into complex and detailed constructs, imbuing them with power.}

{Flash Step: The ability to leap incredible distances in a single step.}

{Aether Overdrive: This ability temporarily pushes the user's Aether reserves beyond their limits, significantly increasing the user's power and speed for a short period of time.} [ {Death's Shadow: This ability causes the user's eyes to darken like an abyss, projecting a potent illusion of the opponent's unending demise. This chilling vision can paralyze the target in fear, rendering them vulnerable in combat, regardless of their willpower. Only truly effective against Celestials lower than the user's rank by two sub-ranks.}

(Art)

(Passive Abilities)

{Eyes Of The Author: It enables the user to glimpse at the Scripts.}

The ability is tethered to the user through the soul in the form of a Soul Glyph.

(Art)

{Strength Cultivation}

The user cultivates strength by slowly reconstructing and compressing their body, allowing further absorption and possession of Aether without harming the user's body, while also

increasing their strength.

Current Cultivation Rank: Copper

{Blade Of The Drowned}

While in a critical state in the heat of battle, the user will be able to comprehend their enemies' Abilities, slowly absorbing them into their arsenal. The resulting skills will differ from the original, matching the fluidity of forgotten seas and the lows of the deep.

(Equipment)

{Aetherstorm Launcher: Peak Maintenance}

{Maelstrom Minigun: Peak Maintenance}

{Vindicator Assault Rifle: Peak Maintenance}

{SS-Ranked Twin Swords: Peak Maintenance}

{Terminal: Standard Issue}

{Information Gathering Device: SS-Rank Item}

(Vehicles)

{Bike, Blaze Runner: Functional}

{Bike, Blaze Runner Z5: Functional} X2

{Cruiser, Blade Runner: Functional} X8

{LAV, Cougar-AP: Functional} X3

{APC, TurtleL3: Functional}

{Mech, Royal Panzer-D: Functional} X6

(Inventory)

{One Aether Core From Six/Seven Core Tyrant: Pure}

{100 Million UC Old-world Medicine: Max capacity]

{Stim Energy Packs (Max Capacity): Functional.}

Emir wasn't impressed.

The increase in his stats was good, great even, but that wasn't his focus.

His attention wasn't on the decreased charm either-though he had become more handsome, his intimidating presence far outweighed that.

It diminished the change and even lowered his charm stat by one sub-grade.

Neither was it on the substantial Temporal Perception use time increase, a natural result of

his mental fortitude being tested so thoroughly.

So no, what truly mattered to him was that two of his skills had remained stuck at ninety-nine percent since the last time he checked his so-called system.

He thought that the boost in strength he just gained would push him past the barrier of 'Advanced' and into 'Expert' tier, but it seemed it wasn't enough.

There had to be some criterion he needed to meet first-a threshold for both skills to move

one step closer to perfection.

Lyra wasn't any help in this regard, as she didn't know herself.

Their recent training sessions always ended in a draw, or at least, there was no clear winner.

She was also stuck in the 'Advanced' tier, the skills ingrained in her since birth no longer

proving a surmountable challenge but a manageable one.

This was one of the main reasons why they had stopped dueling.

They had officially reached ten thousand duels, and if anyone wondered whether that number

was exactly accurate-yes, it was.

Unconsciously, due to his OCD, he instructed her to switch up the training program, stopping the duels right after reaching that complete number.

Lyra was fine with that, as she knew there wasn't anything she could teach him anymore. Emir

had come a long way since their first duel, where he slipped on his sweat and died from a kick

that splattered his brain into mush.

'What a time~...'

He reminisced for a moment, imagining holographic copies of his body lying dead

throughout their backyard.

'It feels like it's been a thousand years.'

With a sigh, he scanned the system once more, ending his 'checkup' on a positive note.

Eyes Of The Author, a Soul Glyph, was finally confirmed.

Lyra had created a new section for passive abilities like it.

This update, he believed, marked the completion of the world's 'magic system.' While there was definitely more to it-like Godhood, the unknown Spark, the Scripts and Laws he knew that it all related to the soul, or as he once called it, the spirit.

And since the soul was discussed at the Archon level, it was only natural that Brain had prohibited him from accessing that information back at the Archive In Between.

He knew this now better than ever... If he even took a glimpse at the ability, death would

arrive and claim him.

'Guess I gotta thank that little slime.'

...

...

Hours went by, and they reached the Academy.

There, they went their separate ways-Ragnar heading back home to his fiancée, and Emir to

his, more or less.

She was waiting in his office, cultivating as she always did, desperate to catch up.

But Emir was interrupted before he could meet her.

When he parked his bike and reached the tenth floor, he saw someone he never expected to

see:

Evelyn.

She was walking alongside Morgiana as they headed to her office.

Emir, a short distance behind them, couldn't hide; there was no time.

His presence, never subtle, announced his arrival, and once he reached the floor, they turned

to see him.

When their eyes met, they froze, staring at each other.

Awkwardness filled the hall, prompting Morgiana to attempt to defuse the tension.

"Haha~ is she your ex or something?"