⌈The Cosmic Sword is divided into two parts: the Stellar Techniques, which fall under my constellation, Lupus, which means wolf in Latin.⌋ Virgil said.
"Huh, Latin? You know Latin?" I asked, surprised.
I knew that the people in this world spoke English, but I didn't expect other languages to exist here as well.
It was shocking to find languages from my previous world in another world.
Virgil gave me a puzzled look, as if the answer were obvious. ⌈Yes, I know Latin. If you didn't know, it is one of the most widely used languages in the universe. It exists in almost every world since the earliest civilizations used it.⌋
"Ah, I see." I nodded.
Well that was new.
⌈Back to what I was saying. The first part of the Cosmic Sword is the Stellar Techniques, and the second part… you will learn after you have mastered the first part.⌋
"Cool, but what exactly are Stellar Techniques? From what I know, it has something to do with stars."
Virgil nodded. ⌈Yes. These techniques use the energy of stars, such as the light and heat produced by nuclear fusion in their cores. If you know physics, you understand what I'm talking about.⌋
I didn't know much about physics in my previous life, especially topics like nuclear fusion. I wasn't exactly the smartest student.
"So that means I'll be learning light affinity, since stars produce light?"
⌈Correct. But for that, you must first learn Stellar Manipulation so that you can use light alongside other stellar energies simultaneously. Stars produce what is called stellar energy. From now on, stellar energy is what you will use to execute these techniques.⌋
That sounded incredibly powerful…
Techniques fueled by the energy of stars, celestial bodies capable of releasing unimaginable power, even at the level of supernovas… it felt unreal that I would wield such strength.
⌈Now, Stellar Manipulation involves controlling stellar energy. Absorbing it, storing it, and releasing it. And here is an important fact: stellar energy does not require mana.⌋
"Huh? What?"
You don't need mana?
⌈This is one of its greatest advantages. Stellar Techniques do not require mana. They rely solely on stellar energy.⌋ Virgil smiled at my stunned expression. ⌈Stellar energy is its own form of power, just like mana. You must absorb it and store it within your cores.⌋
"How is that possible? Aren't all abilities dependent on mana?" I asked, my eyes widening.
What he just said went against the established rules of magic. For a mage or a warrior, they all depended on mana to cast their spells and techniques, but with stellar manipulation, you didn't need it all.
⌈Not when it comes to the cosmos, kid.⌋ Virgil smiled proudly. ⌈Any techniques involving Stellar Manipulation do not require mana. That means you possess an additional energy reserve separate from mana, giving you a massive advantage over other mana users.⌋
"Cowabunga!"
⌈What nonsense are you spouting, kid?⌋
Ignoring him, I sank into thought.
This was insane. Having another independent energy source, even if limited to Stellar Techniques, was completely unfair. If the people of the empire knew about this, those old geezers would probably collapse on the spot.
⌈Before you get too excited…⌋ Virgil interrupted. ⌈You can only absorb stellar energy at night.⌋
Of course there was a catch. I smiled bitterly. It would have been too perfect otherwise.
"So I can't absorb stellar energy during the day?"
⌈Correct.⌋ Virgil nodded. ⌈Only at night, when stars are present. The more stars visible, the greater the stellar energy and the faster your absorption rate. Additionally, your absorption speed increases as your rank increases, just like mana.⌋
"So the downside is that I can only absorb it at night. If I run out during the day, I can't replenish it until nightfall," I said. "If my mana is depleted and I rely on stellar energy during the day… I'm screwed, aren't I?"
⌈If you defeat your opponent before your stellar energy runs out, you'll be fine. And I doubt you'll put yourself in such a situation unless you're an idiot. But if you do… then yes, you're fucked.⌋
"Are gods allowed to curse?" I teased.
⌈Don't push your luck, kid.⌋
I raised my hands in surrender. "I won't be stupid enough to waste all my energy."
⌈Sure, kid.⌋ He shrugged. ⌈We'll see.⌋
"I have a question." I raised my hand. "Since I can absorb energy from stars, and the sun is also a star, doesn't that mean I should be able to absorb stellar energy during the day?"
⌈Good question. And no, you cannot. The sun is the only star whose energy neither you nor I can absorb. I haven't… fully conquered the cosmos. Only the Sun God can use its power.⌋
"The Sun God…"
That was the god who blessed every emperor of the Zalanta Empire, including the current empress.
"Didn't you say you conquered the cosmos?"
⌈Ahem. I did say that…⌋ Virgil coughed.
"So you lied?" I smiled.
⌈I never lie, kid!⌋ he shouted defensively. ⌈I have essentially conquered the cosmos. The only thing left is killing that Centaurus bastard.⌋
"Centaurus? Who is that? The constellation next to yours?"
Virgil ignored me completely and changed the subject. I clicked my tongue in annoyance.
⌈Since you can now command the cosmos, you should feel the pull of the stars above you.⌋ He pointed upward.
I nodded.
"The moment I gave the command, the connection intensified. And being here makes me feel… at home." I said, activating the cosmos in my hand.
⌈That is because you are now fully connected to the stars. And this place exists extremely close to them. The stellar energy here is vastly greater than in your world.⌋ Virgil closed his eyes. ⌈This makes it the perfect place to cultivate your strength. In this universe, certain environments amplify affinities. Such places are rare. If discovered, they must be used to their fullest potential.⌋
⌈As I said before, being surrounded by countless stars provides limitless stellar energy. Here, you will never run out.⌋
I listened carefully. Such environments reminded me of cultivation novels, where special locations accelerated growth exponentially. Cultivators would kill each other just to claim them. Mana geysers in this world functioned similarly.
Still, I couldn't neglect my other core. Balance was necessary.
⌈Unfortunately for you…⌋ Virgil crossed his arms, his sword embedded in the ground. ⌈You will only experience this one more time soon. After that, not again for a while.⌋
"What do you mean? I thought you'd bring me here every night."
Virgil snorted. ⌈No. That would be annoying. More importantly, my constellation does not appear every night. It appears every six months at your current location. Unless you can travel across the planet to follow it, this is impossible.⌋
That was definitely impossible. I couldn't teleport.
"So I'll have to train myself?" I frowned.
⌈Yes. I'll instruct you now. After that, you'll train alone until we meet again. Don't disappoint me.⌋
"But can I really progress without your guidance?"
⌈Of course not.⌋ Virgil smiled cheekily.
My eye twitched.
⌈This is your responsibility as the successor of this deity. I will not always be here to spoon-feed you; you must walk your path on your own. My role is simply to make sure you're on the right path.⌋
"You sound like an old man."
⌈Shut up.⌋ Virgil coughed.
I sighed. Nothing worth having ever came easily.
⌈Enough talk.⌋ Virgil pulled the sword from the ground. ⌈Under the Lupus constellation, there are nine basic techniques and two ultimate techniques.⌋
⌈The nine basic techniques correspond to the nine main stars forming Lupus.⌋
"Ah." I raised an eyebrow. "Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and so on?"
Those were the same stars I traced earlier.
Virgil nodded. ⌈Correct.⌋
⌈These are the techniques, ranked from lowest to highest:
First Technique: Phi Lupi
Second Technique: Iota Lupi
Third Technique: Eta Lupi
Fourth Technique: Zeta Lupi
Fifth Technique: Epsilon Lupi
Sixth Technique: Delta Lupi
Seventh Technique: Gamma Lupi
Eighth Technique: Beta Lupi
Ninth Technique: Alpha Lupi⌋
⌈At your current rank, I can only teach you the first two. When you reach the fourth rank, I will teach you the third and fourth. Their complexity and energy requirements increase significantly.⌋
"I understand."
⌈Now sit in a lotus position and close your eyes. I will teach you how to absorb stellar energy.⌋
I obeyed, crossing my legs and closing my eyes.
⌈Focus on your connection with the stars. Absorb their energy the same way you absorb mana.⌋ Virgil placed his palm on my shoulder. ⌈Stellar energy can enhance your body as well. It allows you to fight without using the full cosmos, conserving power. I will show you how it feels so you can distinguish it from other energies.⌋