Mara sat paralyzed, the color drained from her face as if Elian's words had physically struck her. For a long minute, the only sound was the low, electric hum vibrating from Elian's silver-sleeved arm. She looked at his arm—not a small mark, but a full limb of starlight—and finally, she blinked, her instincts as a seasoned Traveler kicking in.
"Thirteen," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Elian, if anyone hears that number... the government wouldn't just recruit you. They'd dissect the logic of your soul."
She stood up abruptly, pacing the small kitchen while rubbing her temples. "Okay. Okay. We can fix this. We can hide this." She stopped and looked at him with fierce intensity. "Listen to me. The World Registry is ancient, but it's a system. Systems can be fooled. You said you have Extraction, Manipulation, and Genesis. From now on, you do not have three traits. You have one."
She held up a finger. "You tell the Academy you have a 'Transmutation' trait. If you extract something, say you 'altered' it. If you create an element, say you 'converted' it. If you manipulate a law, say you 'bent' it. If you are discreet, people will just think you are a very versatile 5-Star. Do not ever show the full scale of your Genesis."
She reached into her vest and pulled out a heavy leather pouch, dumping its contents onto the table. Ten rolled pieces of yellowed parchment and a shimmering, translucent blueprint appeared.
"I was saving these for my next expansion, but you need them more," she said. "These are ten Common Summoning Scrolls. And this..." she pointed to the glowing paper, "is a Grade-C Medical Facility Blueprint."
Elian looked at them, confused. "What do I do with these?"
"Focus on the space behind your ribs," Mara instructed, her voice regaining its commander-like edge. "Every Awakened has a Void Storage—a pocket dimension tied to their Sigil. Imagine pulling these items into that darkness."
Elian concentrated. He felt a literal 'tug' in his chest, and as he reached out, the scrolls and the blueprint dissolved into silver mist, vanishing into his soul.
"Good," Mara nodded. "Now, remember: your followers are your foundation. The more summoned creatures or soldiers you bind to your territory in the Realm, the more 'Etheric Feedback' they provide. Their strength will flow back into you, fueling your traits. With thirteen stars, your capacity is infinite, but you need a base to start from."
She walked over and placed her hands on his shoulders, her expression soft but weary. "After the exam tomorrow, you'll have your first ten days in the Realm. Those ten days are the most crucial of your life. It's when your 'Tireless' status is active—you won't need to sleep or eat while inside the Realm for that first week. You'll be a tireless engine of growth."
She managed a small, hopeful smile, though her eyes remained guarded. "By the time you come out of those ten days, your outward 'Star Level'—the one people can sense—will have stabilized. If we're lucky, you'll pass for a 4 or 5-Star talent. High enough to be respected, low enough to stay off the high-level hit lists."
Elian looked down at his glowing arm, the silver light slowly dimming as he learned to suppress the output. "I understand, Mara. Hide the stars. Blend the traits."
"And get some rest," she added, kissing his forehead. "Tomorrow, you walk into that Academy a student. You'll walk out a Lord."
Elian climbed the stairs to his room, his mind a whirlwind of extraction laws and elemental blueprints. As he lay in bed, the Phase-Shard blade leaning against his nightstand, he stared at the ceiling. The heavy, pulsing heat in his arm had settled into a comfortable warmth. For the first time in his life, the world felt small, and his future felt like an endless, unmapped horizon.
He closed his eyes, the image of the number '13' burned into his retina, and drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep on the eve of his new life.