A/N: New chapter will be available when I have written ch 8. It is for preparing my Patreon page.
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After some time, Nexus calmed his racing heart. The rush of excitement faded, leaving only exhaustion behind. He sank to the ground, breathing slowly. His body felt heavy, weak—not from battle, but from something deeper.
He knew the reason instinctively. The Wayward Compass was no longer the same. It had completed itself, and now it was evolving to the next stage. The artifact in his hand burned like a miniature sun, alive and radiant, yet strangely harmless. Instead of heat, it poured comfort into his bones, as if wrapping him in a warm embrace.
When the light finally dimmed, Nexus lifted the compass for a closer look.
Compass Description
It no longer bore the simple form of before. Now it was a short, seamless cylinder. On one surface, the eight-pointed star remained etched like a seal, faintly pulsing with light, while the rest of its body was traced with intricate designs, lines like constellations frozen in silver.
For a long moment, Nexus simply stared, mesmerized. Then confusion crept in."Cool," he muttered. "But… how do I actually use it?"
As if it had been waiting for the question, the compass stirred to life. The star blazed, spreading lines outward until the constellations glowed across its surface. The star itself broke apart into motes of light, swirling upward. Above the compass, those motes connected into a radiant needle.
The needle spun once… twice… thrice… and kept spinning.
Nexus blinked. "... So, there is nothing that my heart desires now? And, from the looks of it, it seems that it can now pinpoint the exact position in all 3 axes instead of 2 like before."
Still, he couldn't help but grin. Because of the adventures it promised to bring him. And for the first time since his father's death two years ago, he felt something stir within him—it was excitement.
That was when the sky opened. Rain poured down in sheets, cool and heavy.
High above, a young man streaked past on a hovering board, weaving between droplets like a dart of light. He was moving at high speed when, with a careless tilt, several books slipped free and spiraled downward.
Nexus glanced up, then jogged toward where they landed. "Books, huh? Maybe I'll get lucky."
He didn't even notice the rain soaking his clothes—his focus was on the leather-bound volumes sprawled across the mud. Picking one up, he flipped through it, only to frown. The text was completely foreign.
Before he could give up, the compass pulsed once more. Its glow spilled across him, and suddenly, he could understand the letters
Nexus froze. "Don't tell me… You can help me learn a new language even if I don't know anything about it? This… this is a must-have artifact for any explorer!"
Grinning, he flipped eagerly through the books. One book was about minerals and another about fruits. But they were not normal, as they had special properties.
Then one book stopped him. It was the one he needed the most. It was about the history of this world
The planet was called Nova.
Once, it had been ordinary. Multiple species lived here, but they were little different from humans of his world—no magic, no powers. Then came an extraordinary event from the depths of space, one that altered not just Nova but the entire solar system. Planets swelled to massive sizes, drifting apart into strange new orbits. Even the sun expanded, burning brighter and hotter.
Plants and trees began to release a new kind of energy, invisible yet potent. People absorbed it instinctively, and some awakened strange powers. It was the dawn of an age of heroes and villains.
Two centuries later, techniques were invented to refine this energy. But each method produced different results. Some became mages, others martial artists, others cultivators, alchemists, or even stranger paths.
Nexus shut the book slowly, his pulse quickening again. His eyes shone with awe. "A world full of wonders… and I get to explore it all."
Just then, the sound of footsteps squelching through wet grass caught his ear. The young man from the hoverboard had landed and was gathering his scattered books, grumbling under his breath.
"Hey!" Nexus called out, lifting one of the volumes. "This yours?"
After a short exchange, the boy gathered his books and hurried off, rain dripping from his clothes. Nexus watched him vanish into the distance, then turned back toward the city walls.
He took a few steps before halting mid-stride. A wry smile tugged at his lips."What's the point of entering a city if I don't even have a single coin? Without money, I'd just be wasting my time there."
The compass pulsed faintly in his palm. Its glow shifted, the constellations realigning until it pointed steadily into the wilderness.
Nexus's grip tightened, excitement sparking in his chest. "Alright then… show me the way to make money."
Because deep down, he knew what his heart desired most right now—to enjoy the city and all its marvels. But for that, wealth was the key. And if he was wrong? Well, the journey itself would be worth it.
With that thought, he stepped into the wilds, guided by starlight.