The morning sun crept through the curtains, and I stretched under the blanket, feeling the stiffness in my arms and shoulders from yesterday's fight. My body still carried a faint, residual ache—the kind only mana recovery could really handle—but at least I wasn't dead.
Sliding out of bed, I shuffled to the tiny kitchen corner, filled the kettle, and set it to boil.
Tea first. Then I'd figure out the next move.
While the water heated, I pulled out my phone again. Astral Community was still a storm.
[TOP POST] — Blank: Hero or Monster? Breaking Down His Impossible Solo Clear
[LEAKED] — Floor 5 Raid Data: Was Blank Even Supposed to Be Able to Survive This?
[POLL] — Should the Guild Alliance Offer Blank a National Contract?
I scrolled lazily, sipping at the first cup of tea as the feed filled with more theories, more invites, more desperate speculations.
Then—
[Incoming Starveil Request] — Astral Patron requests a secure channel.
[ Y / N ]
My hand froze, tea halfway to my mouth. My eyes widened.
'I did not think he will request a Starveil so soon. This might be something else.'
The Starveil was a private link—a direct connection drawn from the Astral Realms themselves, veiling the conversation from any prying eyes. It wasn't something Patrons used lightly.
I placed the cup down carefully and tapped the system window floating before me.
[ Yes. Accept Starveil Request]
The world shimmered, and the sounds of the apartment, the quiet hum of the kettle, the faint traffic outside had faded into a hush. The air grew heavy, like a curtain of stars had been draped over the room, isolating it from the rest of reality.
A voice slid through the silence, smooth as silk, deep as an ancient sky.
"By Starveil, I summon privacy between us."
-
The shimmering darkness of the Starveil deepened, threads of silver light dancing through the air like drifting constellations.
And then, his voice that is low, commanding, smooth as cold steel spoke.
"Vassal."
It echoed in the space around me, though no sound passed through the air. Only through the system. Only through the tether between us.
"Blank. You've moved far faster than expected."
I exhaled slowly, steadying my breath. "Caelum Nihil," I murmured under my breath—the name of my Astral Patron, the Unseen Sovereign, master of veils and unseen forces.
"I am watching," Caelum continued. "The world is watching. But tell me, directly, Vassal—what is your next move? What future do you chase so hungrily?"
I clenched my fist slightly. I didn't hesitate. "I need to reach the last floor. As fast as possible. I have to."
There was a pause. The faint ripple of the Starveil pulsed, almost like surprise.
"…Interesting," Caelum murmured. "That is not the answer I anticipated."
I felt his presence, like a shifting shadow of starlight, wrap tighter around me. "But perhaps you already sense why I called."
I swallowed. My chest tightened. I had a hunch.
"…Astral Overdrive?" I whispered.
The Starveil pulsed sharply, like a flare across black space.
"Ah," Caelum said softly. "You have heard of it."
My heart pounded harder.
Astral Overdrive is the ultimate link. A dangerous, high-intensity merge between Astral Patron and Vassal. It wasn't just a boost. It was unlocking the full cosmic might of the Patron, pouring it into the fragile shell of the Vassal's body, mind, and soul in a short period of time.
No mortal could handle it for long. But in that window, they became something beyond mortal.
"You have moved too quickly, Blank," Caelum said quietly. "Which means the other Patrons are no longer ignoring you."
I clenched my teeth.
'Tsk. Those damned bastards!'
Of course. The faster I rose, the more dangerous the stage became. Other Patrons. Other Vassals. Other watchers behind the curtains.
Caelum Nihil was offering me the best skill an Astral Patron could give. A weapon few dared touch.
"Astral Overdrive," Caelum said, voice like a knife slipping through the dark. "Shall we prepare you… for the true game?"
The silver light of the Starveil rippled softly, pulsing between us.
I forced myself to steady my breath, heart still pounding from his words.
"Why…" I began slowly, eyes narrowing. "Why are you offering me Astral Overdrive now? What's the reason?"
But Caelum Nihil, the Unseen Sovereign, let out a faint sound. A dry, thoughtful hum.
"Ah… before I answer you," his voice murmured, curling like smoke through the tether, "let me ask you something, Blank."
I stiffened slightly.
"How do you know of Astral Overdrive?"
His voice sharpened slightly, not harsh, but cutting. "Why would you know the name of a technique I have not offered, nor revealed, nor whispered of? Why would you, a mere Vassal, know a power I believed myself the first among the Patrons to even… entertain opening up to a mortal?"
'Oh, right. I believe no one knows about it yet.'
I lowered my head slightly, careful with my words.
"I didn't know, my Patron. I only guessed."
I raised my eyes, steady but cautious.
"I see. Just a guess, huh?" Caelum's voice softened, like a cold smile in the dark. "How curious, Blank."
The silver threads of the Starveil pulsed faintly. "Perhaps… you are far more interesting than I assumed."
The tension in the Starveil hung heavy, but then, like the faint ripple of a curtain being drawn back, the weight in Caelum Nihil's voice shifted.
"No matter," he murmured softly, as though dismissing the entire thread with a flick of cosmic fingers. "For now, I will set that aside."
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. My fists, which had subtly clenched at my sides, relaxed just a little.
"You asked why I offer you Astral Overdrive." His voice turned smoother, almost amused, like a patron explaining to an eager, promising subject. "The answer is simple: you are rising far, far faster than I anticipated."
The Starveil shimmered between us, his presence like a dim star looming over my mind.
"You cleared the Fifth Floor faster than any prediction. You wield a combination of raw combat sense, ruthless adaptability, and… something else I cannot yet name."
He paused, as if tasting the thought. "Your flame and your hunger burns hotter than the other Vassals I oversee."
I could almost feel his invisible gaze narrow. "You're a mortal moving at inhuman speed. And that means…"
A faint pulse echoed in the Starveil channel.
"If you continue at this pace, you will face threats far beyond your body's current limits. The later floors will not break you with puzzles or monsters, they will break you because you will hit the edge of what mortal flesh can endure."
His voice dipped lower, thoughtful. "Astral Overdrive is not a reward, Blank. It's a necessity."
I inhaled sharply.
"Without it, you won't survive what's coming."
'He's right. To clear that floor, I'd need this power. Grabbing it early? That's just me setting the board for my plan. So I will gladly take this opportunity.'