Weeks passed in silence, broken only by the hum of the ship and distant cosmic storms. Kaleo navigated toward the Starway—a dense corridor of gravitational anomalies and drifting debris.
A shadow moved—a void leviathan, its body semi-transparent, composed of energy and shattered metal. It lunged without warning.
[Command: Enhance Reflexes — Activated. Duration: 12 hours.]
He danced between tendrils of energy, slicing with precision, every strike amplified by his Core's partial awakening. His High Human physiology let him endure what would kill others, but the wounds accumulated, gnawing at his resolve.
[Core Update: Edict of Ascendance — Minor Trial Passed. Spirit Force +2%, Resonance +3%.]
Kaleo paused mid-breath, leaning on the remains of his ship. "Essence unused is wasted. I will not waste mine."
Even in isolation, the Halburn cultivation method guided him: Earth stage completed, Heaven stage underway. Every strike, every breath, every pulse of Core energy was training, discipline, and meditation in motion.