The Star Pool Arena remained shrouded in silence.
Silver ripples of astral energy flowed across the polished marble floor like liquid starlight, carrying the lingering resonance of the Star Pool Awakening. Every spectator remained frozen, unable to tear their eyes away from the young man standing at the center of the arena.
Staryo.
His breathing was steady, yet the faint blue glow within his eyes had not faded. Tiny strands of cosmic light revolved around his pupils before disappearing into the depths of his gaze.
No one spoke.
Not the instructors.
Not the elders.
Not even the royal delegates.
For the first time in the history of the Celestial Advanced Academy, someone had survived the complete resonance of the Star Pool.
Then—
Twelve figures stepped forward.
Their robes bore different royal emblems, each representing one of the Twelve Celestial Kingdoms. Every prince carried an ancient relic passed down through generations, and every step they took radiated overwhelming confidence.
They stopped together, surrounding Staryo in a perfect circle.
The silence became suffocating.
A young man with golden hair stepped forward first. Flames shimmered around his shoulders like a miniature sun.
"I am Helion, First Prince of the Solar Kingdom."
His voice echoed across the arena.
"Staryo of Astral Dawn Academy, your awakening has disturbed the balance among the Twelve Kingdoms. We have come to determine whether your so-called cosmic potential is worthy of the legends surrounding it."
The other princes released their auras simultaneously.
Fire.
Ice.
Lightning.
Stone.
Wind.
Ocean.
Moonlight.
Starlight.
Twelve different forces intertwined until the sky above the arena twisted into a massive vortex.
Many younger students instinctively stepped backward.
Even several instructors exchanged uneasy glances.
Aru tightened her grip on the edge of the platform.
"Staryo..."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Please... don't push yourself."
Staryo slowly looked toward her.
For a brief moment, the tension disappeared from his face, replaced by a familiar smile.
"I'll be careful."
Then he turned back toward the princes.
"...As careful as the situation allows."
A faint breeze passed through the arena.
"I accept your challenge."
The declaration echoed through the academy.
No arrogance.
No hesitation.
Only certainty.
The Twelve-Star Formation
The princes moved together.
Their relics ignited one after another, releasing pillars of celestial light into the sky.
The Twelve-Star Formation.
One of the strongest royal battle formations ever created.
The arena trembled beneath its pressure.
Helion raised his blazing sword.
"Solar Dominion!"
A second prince followed.
"Frozen Heaven!"
Another.
"Thunder King's Judgment!"
One after another, twelve techniques merged into a single catastrophic assault.
The sky itself disappeared beneath overwhelming light.
The audience could no longer see Staryo.
Only endless brilliance remained.
A deafening explosion shook the academy.
Smoke filled the battlefield.
Then—
A calm voice emerged from within the darkness.
"So..."
"...this is the strength of the Twelve Kingdoms."
The smoke slowly parted.
Staryo still stood exactly where he had been.
His uniform showed signs of damage.
Small cuts marked his arms.
Blood slowly dripped onto the marble floor.
But he had not taken a single step backward.
Every prince stared in disbelief.
"He blocked everything..."
"Impossible..."
"How?"
Staryo slowly raised his head.
His eyes had changed.
Cosmic Eye Codex
A familiar voice echoed deep within his consciousness.
〈Cosmic Eye Codex Synchronization...〉
〈Synchronization Complete.〉
〈Eye Level Rising...〉
45...
46...
47...
48...
49...
50...
The world became strangely quiet.
Far above the academy, the clouds split apart.
A deep celestial bell echoed across the heavens.
DOOOOM...
Every person instinctively looked upward.
Stars appeared in the daylight.
Within Staryo's pupils, entire galaxies rotated in silent harmony.
Creation.
Destruction.
Beginning.
End.
Everything seemed to exist within a single gaze.
One elder unconsciously took a step backward.
"That..."
"...is no ordinary Eye."
Fifth Awakening
Dark indigo light erupted around Staryo.
His black hair gradually shifted into deep midnight blue, with faint violet light flowing through the tips.
Countless tiny star fragments circled his body.
Space itself rippled gently around him.
Aru's breathing stopped.
"His aura..."
"It evolved."
Five Seconds
Prince Helion roared.
"Attack together!"
The Twelve Princes charged.
Their combined power distorted the battlefield.
Staryo slowly extended one hand.
His voice remained calm.
"Temporal Rupture Field."
The world stopped.
Everything became silent.
Frozen flames.
Frozen lightning.
Frozen wind.
Frozen expressions.
Only Staryo continued moving.
Five seconds.
That was all the Fifth Awakening granted him.
Five seconds purchased by burning two percent of his own life force.
He walked calmly through the frozen battlefield.
Every movement consumed his vitality.
Every heartbeat shortened his lifespan.
Yet his expression never changed.
He stopped before Helion.
"...Thank you."
Helion could not hear him.
Time had not yet resumed.
Staryo gently touched the prince's chest with two fingers.
Then he continued walking.
One...
Two...
Three...
Four...
Five...
The world moved again.
BOOM!
Twelve explosions erupted simultaneously.
Every prince was thrown across the arena.
Their relics cracked.
Their formations collapsed.
The Twelve-Star Formation shattered.
The Price
The battlefield became silent.
Staryo remained standing.
For only a few seconds.
Blood suddenly flowed from the corner of his mouth.
His vision blurred.
His heartbeat became painfully slow.
"So..."
"...that's the cost."
His knees weakened.
Before he could fall, someone caught him.
Aru.
She held him tightly, tears shining in her eyes.
"You promised to be careful."
He gave a tired smile.
"I was."
"You call this careful?"
"I survived."
She laughed despite herself before her expression became serious again.
"You can't keep burning your own life."
Staryo looked toward the sky, where countless stars continued to shine even in daylight.
"If I stop risking everything..."
"...I'll never reach the place I'm meant to stand."
At that exact moment—
The heavens trembled.
An ancient voice echoed beyond the clouds.
A voice that seemed older than time itself.
"The Abyssal Crown Eye has completed its Fifth Awakening."
"The one who sees through the Void now walks the path beyond destiny."
Every person in the academy fell silent.
No one dared to speak.
No one dared to breathe.
Far above the world, countless stars pulsed once—as if acknowledging the birth of a new legend.
Staryo slowly closed his eyes.
The battle had ended.
But deep within the Cosmic Eye Codex, a new page quietly revealed itself.
〈Hidden Evolution Requirement Detected〉
〈The Sixth Awakening cannot be obtained through power alone.〉
〈Seek the truth hidden beyond the Origin...〉
To be continued...