Chapter 16: a new friendship blossoms

After the shower, Aster put on some clothes and got out of his house, taking his backpack with some spare clothes.

'I should level up the Tier 1 skills and evolve them, because I can't level up my computer skills by being outside I'll train my sneak and theft, better be careful to not get noticed...' he got an idea ' of course! I'll use the skill disguise and also level it up and if someone notices me, they will not know it was me!' Aster walked faster to the exit of the rift.

After passing it, he went to an empty alleyway, chenged with his other clothes, changed his face and body and got outside of the alley, trying to sneak by the sides of the streets without being noticed. And if he could, he would steal simple things from people and stores, like some tissues, cloths, coins, etc.

It was very easy thanks to his other skills, thanks to his calmness his precision would increase and with his skill body control it would let him make his hands smaller, making him unnoticeable.

After walking and taking the long way, 45 minutes passed by.

/sneak has evolved into stealth/

/theft has evolved into steal/

/it will now give +0.5% more/

/stealth Lv1: reduction of detection +25%/

/steal Lv1: spatial distorsion +25%/

"uh?" 'spatial distortion? What does that have to do with stealing?' Aster was confused, so he tried out the skill to see what it does.

'.... I don't feel anything...wait, my hand feels a bit... tingly?' he looked at his hand, trying to observe why it was like that, after observing and anylizing it for a bit, he saw a difference 'it looks a bit blurred... what if...' he grabbed a cloth and touched, and by his surprise, his hand went through!

"!!!" 'man, this is incredible! But it seems like it's limit is only my hand, once I try to push more than my hand, my arm bumps into the cloth, but how am I suppose to steal if it passes through objects? Let's test it some more'

After some minutes of testing, he reached a conclusion with his two new evolved skills:

1) his hand could pass only through thin objects, and he could decide what it could pass or not.

2) after grabbing the object he wants, that object would also be able to pass through things, making him capable of stealing it.

3) his stealth skill would limit his presence into a small area, making it so people would not notice him unless they are close enough or have high senses.

"Ok, that's enough, now I need to go train" he moved to another alleyway, changed himself, and finally went to the training place.

While going on the elevator he started thinking of other skills 'maybe I should get a throwing skill or other -manships like daggermanship or craftsmanship, I should also learn other weapons like bows and maces.... maybe even also a will who can wield every weapon, yes, that sounds useful, oh! I should also learn traps and poisons, that would be great!' he was thinking what to do untill reaching his floor, once the doors opened, he went to the room for sword training and looked around.

'Sophie...Sophie... I don't see her, but I feel that I should wait until she appears, maybe I should ask the trainers about other things' Aster went towards the trainers who were sitting at the front of everything, and saw a familiar face, it was the man who trained him the first day.

'I'll talk with him, maybe he can teach me how to use other kind of swords, like one handed swords or large swords, I should also learn how to use shields. And also, also, also, every time is always an also.... That's it, I'll learn everything I can! I'll stop with those also's, so mind, make an archive for all the things I should learn and think of more to add!' after giving his mind a mission, he walked faster to the trainer to ask some questions.

-12:10, Sophie's house-

Sophie was preparing herself after taking care of some ``peepers´´ who wouldn't let her in peace, she planned to go see if Aster was training his swordsmanship today.

'he has not been there for a few days, maybe he will finally be here today' she was preoccupied, the sorceres school will open soon again and she will not be able to train her swordsmanship for some time, until she is free of work again, making her not being able to see Aster for some time.

'I have to become friends with him, that way we could help eachother in the future.... I need strength, any kind of strength...' she started walking faster, wanting to reach her destination earlier.

After some running, she reached the training center, going up with the elevator she finally entered the swordsmanship training room.

"....." she started looking around, not finding Aster *sigh* 'I'll ask the trainers if at least they saw him' she got closer to the trainers "hey, do you know if someone called Aster came around here?"

"oh, Aster? He talked with another trainer and went to a private training room, after a while, only the trainer got out, Aster must still be training in that room"

"oh! Then, could I also enter that room?"

"well, you can ask that person if you can pass, so go ask him, but it's outside of here on the private areas, his room is number 17"

"...wait, there is private area? How did he get there?"

"when he brought his admission card, he brought a VIP one. I'm sure he didn't notice because he never used his private room, but he learned about it now and is using it"

"...oh, ok, but where is it?"

"go to the elevator, at floor 10, there will be numbered rooms, he is on door 17"

"ok, thanks" she turned around and went to the elevator '...didn't even know there was a VIP card, what will the VIP room have inside?'

She waited for the elevator to reach floor 10 and after the doors opened, she saw a white hall with golden lines "....flashy" she looked around a found a poster saying the benefits of the VIP "rooms modified with spatial distorsion?! holy, that's not something anyone can get, how did he obtain a VIP card? He doesn't look that rich" she walked in a straight line, reaching door 17.

*knock knock*

She knocked on the door, waiting if Aster was still inside.

*click* the door's lock was opened and she entered inside "...wow, this place truly is big" she looked around the room, it was the size of a soccer stadium, it had different areas with different training spots for a variety of weapons 'large swords, short swords, whips, maces, bows and even guns, there are a lot of weapons here.... maybe I should have investigated more on this VIP thing...' while walking closer, he saw Aster training with a bow, he seemed to be getting closer to the center with some arrows stuck in the big mark.

"hi Aster, long time no see"

"oh, hi Sophie, I was occupied with some things so I couldn't go train with my sword and now I found out that I was gifted the VIP card, so at least I'm using it as much as I can now" Aster said, smilling a bit while putting his bow down "so, why did you look for me?"

"...." Sophie was silent for a while, thinking how to respond "... I want to find out, what are you? How are you so strong?"

".... Well, some time ago I found out I'm actually a genius, I was told that by someone from the sorcerers school.... but why do you want to know?"

"I need help, I need people to help me in the future and you picked my interest, that's why I came looking for you. I was always holding back all those other times training with you, but now....I won't hold back" Sophie had a serious face while talking "so, do you want to fight me at my fullest? even if you still haven't awakened.... or at least thats what I believe so, but I will not pry onto your secrets"

"..." Aster was quiet, thinking about something, crossing his arms ".... let's do it this way, I'll accept it, but you will have to tell me everything of why you need so much strength, if you do, I will tell you my secret, but you won't tell anyone else about it"

Sophie was a bit surprised, she didn't expect he would tell him his secret.

Aster kept talking "of course, I have my ways to know if I can trust you, but I want you to tell me, can I truly trust you?"

Sophie speaked looking directly at his eyes "as long as you keep the promise to help me, I will keep that secret to my death"

"ok, ok, no need to take it so far, geez, just don't tell anyone about it. Now, do we fight with all we have? There is a special place here that can simulate different training spaces"

Sophie nodded "let's fight in a normal field then"

"ok follow me, also, on the fight don't hold back, use mana and all the techniques you have, I will also use everything I have"

Sophie nodded, following him depper in the room. After walking for a bit, they reached a plataform that looked like a small stadium with transparent walls "I'm going to put it in a grassy field, just a normal plain, ok?"

"ok, I don't mind, but can I cast some enchantments before fighting? You can also prepare before the battle"

"sure, but I'm already prepared, so let's start when you are ready"

"hehe, a bit arrogant there, but okay" she strated chanting key words to activating some spells "agility, senses enhancement, phisical enhancement, mental enhancement, strengthening, mana acuteness, mana amplification"

"....man, you truly aren't holding back now, fine, put brazalet on, if something truly dangerous happens, the field will stop both of us" he said throwing one brazalet to Sophie, who was already putting it on.

"let's put the timer, once it reaches zero we will start" he got closer to the wall, put the timer to ten and went back to his place, taking him 5 seconds.

5...4...3...2...1...0!

After the countdown reached zero, Sophie moved so fast that in a second she reached Aster's position and slashed at his neck.

But before her slash reached him, his neck and shoulders turned backwards in an impossible way that only a contortionist could do, surprising Sophie, Aster used that small moment of surprise to give her a kick at her torso, pushing her away a few meters apart.

"ugh, didn't expect, but I still have more strength to use" she stabilized her body, healed herself with a spell and launched herself again at him, but this time she didn't slash "fire storm"

After she said that, the simulated sky got filled with balls of fire, falling to the ground in which Aster was standing on "ice shield" Sophie casted a spell that covered herself with an ice layer, protecting her from the fiery storm.

Aster started dodging the fire balls that were coming down while also keeping an eye on the incoming Sophie, after she got close enough, Aster crouched and touched the ground, making large dirt pillars around him making them take out some of the incoming fireballs and cutting the way of Sophie.

Sophie started to keep herself calm against the tricks Aster was using and tried to find a way to get to him, she moved to the side of the pillars only to find suddenly various trees growing from a wooden sword stuck on the ground 'he threw away his weapon?' while thinking of what was happening, the roots of the trees started moving from the ground and moved towards Shopie, growing fastly to reach her.

"sharpen" she enchanted her sword and slashed at the incoming roots, stoping their movement, she was still searching for Aster who seemed to have disappeared, but after using her enhanced senses, she found out where he was, he was exactly behind her!

Before Aster was cappable of punching her at the back, she ducked and chanted another spell "freeze" the floor in which Aster was standing was frozen, making his shoes stuck to the ground.

Sophie fastly turned around and slashed at his torso, only to find nothing there, only Aster's shoes stuck to the ice.

Before she could do anything she recieved a punch at her side on the ribs behind her, sending her away to the left "ugh! Regeneration" she chanted a spell to heal herself from her fractured ribs, but more trees were appearing from the roots that were broken down, but she found why they were growing so fast, they had arrows red as blood pierced in them, giving them huge amounts of vitality.

While defending herself from those trees, aster came closer to her, making a large hammer made of blood and some bones and smashed at the ground, making a small earthquake, destabilizing her and making her fall, she instantly got back at her feet but that was enough time for Aster to get closer while changing his weapon to a sword and slash multiple times at her body, making cuts at her arms, legs and torso.

"blink!" she dissapeared from her position and appeared some meters away, she knew that Aster could also do that and she prepared some spells to counter that, but she saw him do something different, he was making his sword into a bow while getting further away and started shooting at her with blood arrows, the trees were also starting to get out of the ground and moved with their roots closer to her.

'ugh!' "tornado! Fire storm!" she chanted a wind spell tornado and also the fire storm again, combining the fireballs with the tornado into a huge fiery tornado, burning down the trees while making the arrows change directions.

While thinking what more spells she could chant, she noticed that Aster was not there anymore and she started to maximize her senses to find where he was, but before she could do anything, she felt a dagger at her throat.

"I won"

And he cut it.

...

The simulation ended, and she still had her throat fine.

*phew* "that truly was tiring, it's been some time since I fought with everything I got" he fell down to the ground, laying there without moving "so, wanna relax on the ground too? It's pretty comfy"

"..." she looked down at him "....okay" and also laid down, both tips of their heads touching each other "...what was all that? I know you had at least some secret, but I didn't expect...that"

"I...don't know, I told you I would tell you my secret, but I don't truly know. I can tell you what I know, but first tell me, why do you need my strength?"

"..... to take the position of my father" she was silent for some seconds, thinking what else to say and how to say it "It's a bit complicated, basically, my father is a complete asshole, a man who shouldn't even deserve to live, but he is still alive because of his stength, be it physically, economically, socially, etc"

"He is very good at multiple things, making him one strong fucking bastard, and now he wants a perfect child, he grabs talented or strong women and pays them to be their wife and have his children, while he at least pays the ``defective´´ children for a good life, he treats like slaves the ones who got talent, making them train to their limits even if they get hurt and people can't know about it because they get completely healed or because he shuts the peoples mouth with money or threats"

She finally told it all, after talking about it she felt more relieved.

"...damn, so you were treated like that?"

"...no, not me, but it will happen to my little brother if I don't do anything..."

"oh? What do you mean by ``will happen´´?"

"the law is extremely strict with teaching children to use anything with powers and all that, he is still 15 years old, so unless he becomes at least 17, he can't train him with anything that has to do with it, even the three kings will not tolerate that and less him because of his public figure, but he will still be put under extreme stress with the studies children have to take"

"but after everything he is done, why don't the three kings do anything"

"...because he didn't breake any major law, and even if he did, he can pay it up or threaten the people. And the three kings will not do anything because of the benefits he brings, he has a company that it's advancing the society we live on to even greater limits, he is investigating on automated robots, the fusion between technology and magic, deeper arcanic magic theory, investigation of the evolution of special abilitys, the investigation of the system itself and even ways of using those rifts to explore other worlds... the worst of all is that he is being succesfull at everything he is doing..."

"man, what an asshole... wait, did you say he is investigating other worlds?"

"uh? Yeah, I said that, he is investigating ways to reach other worlds for resources"

"..... then he doesn't have to worry about that...."

"what do you mean?"

"in less than a year, earth will be invaded by another world through a rift"

"....uh?....uh!?" Sophie was shaken by what he said "what are you saying!?" she got sat down and looked at him.

"I should talk about my part now, I got this weird power that is completely different from the three that humanity is always using, it let's me ``copy the essence´´ of everything, make it mine and make me capable of evolving it by breaking it's limits, transforming it into a more powerful version. For example, I had a skill that was the flow of my blood, after evolving it now I can contol it as a weapon"

"wh-what!? that-how-uh!?" Sophie didn't even know how to respond "first of all, what the fuck is that power? Since how long did you have it?"

"mmmh, for one and a half months"

"..." she didn't know what to say, she didn't even understand what he said.

She started rubbing her temples "so, in just one month and a half, you already became this powerful?"

"yes, but I believe I still haven't unleased its full potential, I found out when we were fighting, I need to get more abilities and become a jack of all trades, but each ability being stronger than the person who has mastered it"

"....you are crazy, but what can I say, as long as you help me I will also help you, if you need me to buy anything I'll buy it. But be carefull, I'll be watched so I can't buy things too eye catching"

"good, just today I recieved a skill to make AI's, so I'll need some metal to make it"

"okay, also, what did you mean by earth being invaded?"

"oh, I evolved a skill that let's me see the future and I saw it happen, that's why I also want to get stronger"

"...great, now I have to also not die in the future..."

Aster started to get up from the ground "so, wanna be friends?"

"..." Sophie was expresionless "are you really asking me that after everything we did just now?"

"yep" Aster didn't care about anything that happened, the both of them will now help each other for their future, so they could be considered as some kind of friends.

"..... heh....heheheh.... hahaHAHAHAHAHAH!!! of course of course, I'll be your friend" she said that with a smile, giving him her hand to shake it.

"heheheheh, now we are friends" he shook her hand with also a smile.

"but, now what? I don't have anything to do right now" said Sophie, who's only mission today was to look if Aster was here today.

"well, we could keep training if you want to, what do you say?"

"mmmh, well okay, that way I can learn your way of fighting and also get stronger myself"

"okay! Then let's set the field up again"

And they trained until it started getting dark, forming a strange friendship.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

/skills Lv-/

/obtainment/skill silencing/skill library/skill sealing/

/passive skills/

/T3 pore breathing Lv2/T3 unique blood Lv2/T3 knowledge keeper Lv2/T3 absolute senses Lv2/T3 multi-will Lv3/T3 mind archival Lv3/T3 blood swordsmanship Lv2/T3 blood footwork Lv2/T3 calmness Lv2/T3 lucid dream Lv2/T1 mana storage (sealed) Lv1/

/active skills/

/T3 scripture making Lv1/T3 energy rush Lv2/T3 hyper thinking Lv2/T3 examination Lv2/T3 super jump Lv2/T3 hyper speed Lv2/T3 blood control Lv2/T3 body control Lv2/T3 monster roar Lv2/T3 energy punch Lv2/T3 energy kick Lv2/T3 energy slash Lv2/T3 blink Lv2/T3 future sight Lv2/T3 ground control Lv2/T3 earth destroyer Lv2/T3 wood changer Lv2/T2 cultivation Lv1/T2 disguise Lv15/T2 soul manipulation Lv23/T2 evolving bowmanship Lv7/T2 evolving hammermanship Lv7/T2 evolving daggermanship Lv7/T2 stealth Lv5/T2 steal Lv1/T1 simple programming Lv14/T1 simple AI production Lv1/