Three years.
Looking indistinguishable from any human, Muria sat in his study, holding his terminal device, browsing the virtual network for any information he needed.
In worlds without virtual technology, learning about a world would naturally require reading books. But now, with just a portable data terminal, he had all he needed.
"This world runs deep…"
Muria stared at the screen. A years-old news report was open before him, recounting a major accident. The report described a certain skyscraper that had exploded, with the blast causing the entire building to collapse.
"Can an explosion create a gap like this?"
Muria studied the accompanying image of the building just before its collapse. A massive skyscraper towering into the clouds, yet there was a large gap right in the middle.
"No matter how you look at it, that doesn't seem like damage from an explosion. It's more like…" Muria held up his hand, gesturing in the air, "like some enormous creature clawed it open!"
"Could it have been caused by a Star Armor Knight?" Muria furrowed his brow, deep in thought. "But could they really do something like this?"
Star Armor Knight was a special profession in this world he'd arrived in, one that depended heavily on a trait called Star Control. Only those with a high enough aptitude for Star Control could become a Star Armor Knight.
Each year, countless commoners had their lives transformed after being found highly compatible with Star Control, advancing to the upper echelons of society. Conversely, some who were originally of high status found themselves cast into the lower class due to lacking this talent, falling into obscurity.
"Star Control…" Muria extended his hand, and with a simple gesture, seventy-two hexagonal metal pieces, each the size of a palm, floated over from the corner of his room, forming a larger shield suspended over his palm.
With a twist of his hand, the shield rearranged itself into various shapes, creating a multitude of strange forms.
The ability to manipulate a specific type of metal—that was how Muria interpreted this Star Control talent.
Muria's current body had a Star Control compatibility rating of 64.68%. For an ordinary citizen, this would be considered gifted. But for someone of his current identity, it was fairly average.
Compatibility was crucial for a Star Armor Knight, as it determined how many weapons they could control and whether they could grow stronger. This compatibility was essentially a potential value: the higher the compatibility, the greater the potential.
In the grand scheme of humanity, his Star Control talent was above average. But in the upper echelons, it was only mediocre.
"Figures. My luck's about average—not too good, but not terrible." Muria sighed, resigning himself to his current position.
His name here was Jeros Douglas, a member of the well-known Douglas family in the White Thorn Federation, the dominant nation of this world.
He was a fairly ordinary member of a prominent family branch, not highly valued but not looked down upon, either. He had access to the expected resources, which was his starting point.
"What level of Star Armor Knight could destroy a building? How strong is the most powerful Star Armor Knight? If this gap wasn't caused by one, then what sort of creature did it?"
Muria pulled himself back from his musings, setting aside the metal he used for practice. He was convinced the gap that had caused the skyscraper's collapse was no accident, but rather an attack from some sort of entity.
"So much information is being kept from the public!" Muria scrolled through news articles one after another, reaching a conclusion.
"This world definitely has other extraordinary creatures besides Star Armor Knights."
The reasoning behind this was simple: the first Star Armor Knight had appeared only three centuries ago. For a mortal, that was a long time, but for a system of extraordinary abilities, it was exceptionally short.
The Star Armor Knights owed their existence to an unprecedented meteor shower over three hundred years ago. The meteor shower had enveloped much of the world, nearly collapsing global order and destroying countless nations.
However, that same meteor shower also brought new life. It introduced a new metal—Star Metal—to this world. This unique metal could be controlled only by individuals with the specific Star Control trait, and it carried a unique energy that strengthened the user's body.
This energy could only be drawn out and used by people with the talent, which is why the talent was named Star Control, inspired by the meteor's arrival.
"This world should still have extraordinary beings capable of breaking apart meteors," Muria thought quietly.
As he read the recorded history available online, he found that the meteor shower three hundred years ago had indeed destroyed many small countries. However, over twenty nations, including his own White Thorn Federation, had miraculously survived.
The damage they sustained was surprisingly minimal. Some of these countries had merely been outside the shower's range, but most had been directly in its path.
Muria suspected that these countries had strong individuals capable of defending against the meteors. He couldn't find any concrete evidence to support this, as the internet was filled exclusively with news about Star Armor Knights and nothing else about these powerful figures.
"My strength is still too weak. If I want to know more, I need the strength to back it up."
Sighing, Muria stopped his speculations and picked up the hexagonal metal pieces nearby. These were a birthday gift from his father, specially designed for him to practice his Star Control talent.
"Young Master, it's time for dinner!" Before Muria could toy with these "gifts" for long, a young, beautiful maid entered the room.
"I can walk on my own!" Seeing the maid approach, Muria frowned, looking reluctant.
"But, Young Master, if I don't carry you downstairs, Madam will scold me!" The maid pleaded when she saw his resistance.
"Fine…" Muria reluctantly opened his arms, allowing the girl to pick him up.
This maid wasn't a servant in the traditional sense of being owned by a family. In a world that had advanced to this point, maids were merely individuals working to support themselves, not subordinates who could be arbitrarily ordered or harmed.
Soon, Muria was carried downstairs and placed beside a table already laden with a feast.
"How many toys could you control today, Jeros?" A woman, around thirty years old, asked as she smiled at Muria.
"All of them." Muria answered without lifting his head, focusing on the food in front of him.
"Good progress. You're working hard," the woman praised him.
Just then, a rapid beeping sounded from the woman's device. His mother frowned, glanced at the message, and her expression darkened immediately.
"Aux, how dare you do this to me!"
Calling her husband by name, the woman slammed her hand on the table. From the point of impact, cracks spread rapidly across the solid wood.
Boom!
The table shattered, sending plates and dishes flying in every direction.
All Muria could do was curl up to shield himself as best he could, minimizing the damage to his small frame.
"Jeros!" The woman, suddenly remembering her son, looked down in alarm, only to see Muria sitting on the chair, his clothes torn and his skin covered in cuts.
"Are you alright?" She hurried over, worry written on her face.
"It didn't hit anything vital. I'll live." Muria replied expressionlessly, enduring the burning pain from his wounds.
"Oh! Thank goodness, Jeros, thank goodness you're okay. I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have lost my temper just now!" Without a care for his cuts, she pulled him into a tight hug, tears spilling down her face.
Pouring her grievances onto her son, Muria gradually understood what had happened: she had been divorced by his father, Aux Douglas. The reason for his father's merciless decision? Muria now had a half-sister—one with an astounding Star Control aptitude of 86.75%.
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