Chapter 143: Two-Star Awakener

The afternoon was drawing to a close when Jet finally felt the resistance within his body begin to weaken.

He had spent several hours absorbing Mana Crystals and circulating the accumulated energy, gradually pushing his Star Saturation toward the threshold required for advancement.

The process had been more troublesome than expected, particularly after reaching maximum saturation, but the effort was finally producing results.

The familiar pressure that had prevented his Mana from progressing any further was beginning to loosen, and Jet recognized the sensation immediately.

He remained seated inside the abandoned storage building, his eyes closed as Mana circulated steadily through his body.

Several depleted crystals lay scattered beside him, their pale surfaces having lost their glow after surrendering the energy contained within them.

His breathing remained controlled, and although sweat had gathered across his forehead, he felt considerably more comfortable than he had during his previous attempts.

The bottleneck was weakening.

Jet concentrated on maintaining the circulation, allowing the accumulated Mana to press against the remaining resistance.

He had experienced breakthroughs during his previous life, but the amount of energy gathered within his body this time was considerably greater.

The Eight-Armed Asura had already strengthened his physique beyond what most 1-Star Awakeners could achieve, and the Mana he had accumulated seemed eager to push beyond its existing limits.

Another few minutes passed. Then something changed. The resistance that had been obstructing his advancement suddenly gave way.

A powerful surge of Mana swept through Jet’s body, spreading from his chest into his arms, legs, and every other part of his physique.

His muscles tightened involuntarily, and the energy circulating within him expanded rapidly, filling him with a sensation of strength that was entirely different from the temporary reinforcement he experienced when activating his Divine Rune.

Jet opened his eyes.

A notification appeared before him.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations!]

[You have successfully advanced to 2-Star!]

[Your Star Rank has increased.]

[1-Star → 2-Star]

[Your Mana capacity has increased significantly.]

[Your physical attributes have undergone enhancement.]

Jet stared at the notification before slowly exhaling.

He had done it.

After spending so much time struggling at 1-Star during his previous life, the breakthrough felt almost surprisingly straightforward. The bottleneck had delayed him, but once the resistance disappeared, the advancement proceeded naturally.

He raised his right hand and clenched his fist.

The difference was immediately noticeable.

His muscles felt stronger, his movements lighter, and the Mana circulating through his body had become considerably denser. Even without activating the Asura Physique, he could sense the improvements throughout his body.

"Finally," Jet remarked with a satisfied smile. "Two-Star."

He stood and stretched his arms, testing his balance before taking several steps across the storage building. His body responded smoothly, and the increase in his physical capabilities was obvious even through such simple movements.

Then an unexpected burning sensation spread across the back of his left hand.

Jet stopped. "What the hell?"

He raised his hand and examined it.

Two small star-shaped markings were gradually appearing beneath his skin, positioned close together on the back of his hand. They glowed faintly as the burning sensation intensified, and for several seconds, Jet could feel Mana gathering around the markings.

The sensation wasn’t particularly painful, but it was impossible to ignore.

After a short while, the glow faded and the two distinct stars remained.

Jet examined them with interest. He recognized the markings immediately.

Star Marks.

Every Awakener possessed a visible indication of their advancement, although the markings only appeared after reaching 2-Star. A 1-Star Awakener had no such symbol, but upon successfully advancing, two stars would manifest on the back of the hand.

Additional stars appeared as the Awakener continued progressing through the Star Ranks.

The marks weren’t merely decorative. They were a natural manifestation of an Awakener’s advancement, allowing others to recognize their Star Rank without requiring access to their status window.

Jet turned his hand slightly, examining the two symbols.

Jet smiled before opening his status window.

---

[ STATUS ]

Name: Jethro ["Jet" Saint-Clair]

Age: [18]

Race: [Human]

Star Rank: [2-Star]

Star Saturation: [0.00%]

---

[ ATTRIBUTES ]

Strength: 55

Agility: 42

Stamina: 48

Vitality: 65

Perception: 30

Intelligence: 45

---

Jet examined the updated information carefully.

His Strength had increased from 25 to 55, while his Agility had risen from 18 to 42. Stamina had climbed from 21 to 48, and Vitality had undergone an especially impressive improvement, increasing from 30 to 65.

His Perception had more than doubled, reaching 30, while Intelligence had increased from 25 to 45.

Every attribute had improved significantly.

Jet couldn’t help smiling as he compared the figures with his previous status.

"That’s quite an increase."

The improvements were greater than those he remembered receiving during his first advancement in the previous timeline.

Back then, his attributes had been considerably lower, and his physique hadn’t possessed anything resembling the foundation provided by the Eight-Armed Asura.

Now, his physical capabilities were already exceptional for someone who had only just reached 2-Star.

However, Jet understood that attributes alone didn’t determine the outcome of a battle.

His recent training with Alessandro had reinforced that lesson repeatedly. Strength, speed, and Mana capacity were important, but combat experience, judgment, and the effective use of Divine Rune abilities could create enormous differences between Awakeners possessing similar Star Ranks.

Still, the improvement was impossible to dismiss.

Jet closed his status window and walked toward the center of the building.

He wanted to test his new strength.

---

He began with several simple movements, accelerating across the concrete floor before stopping near the opposite wall.

The difference was immediate. His body responded much faster than before, and the increased strength in his legs allowed him to cover the distance with considerably less effort.

Jet repeated the movement several times, gradually increasing his speed while maintaining control over his Mana circulation.

His recent lessons proved useful. Rather than releasing unnecessary bursts of energy, he maintained a steady flow through his limbs, allowing his improved attributes to handle most of the work.

After several minutes, he retrieved his practice axe.

He swung the weapon horizontally. The wooden blade cut through the air with a sharp whistle.

Jet adjusted his grip and repeated the movement, this time combining it with a forward step.

The force behind the strike was noticeably greater. He stopped before the weapon could collide with a nearby pillar.

"Alessandro would probably complain if I started destroying everything," Jet muttered with a chuckle.

He returned the axe to his side and examined his surroundings. The abandoned building wasn’t particularly valuable, but there was no reason to demolish it simply because he’d advanced.

Besides, he had no intention of exhausting himself immediately after reaching 2-Star.

He still needed time to become accustomed to his improved physique.

Jet returned the practice weapon to his bag and sat down again. His Mana reserves had expanded considerably, and he could feel the difference whenever he circulated energy through his body.

For the first time since awakening the Eight-Armed Asura, he had enough additional capacity to begin experimenting with greater control over his abilities.

That prospect alone made the breakthrough worthwhile.

---

As Jet continued examining his improved Mana circulation, his communication device vibrated.

A message from Frey appeared.

"Any progress yet?"

Jet laughed before replying that he’d successfully advanced.

The response arrived almost immediately.

"What? You actually did it?"

A second message followed.

"You’d better not start acting arrogant just because you’re 2-Star now."

Jet shook his head, amused.

He sent a short reply promising that he would remain appropriately humble until Frey recovered enough for another sparring match.

Frey responded with several complaints about Jet taking advantage of his injuries. Their exchange continued for a few minutes before Jet put the device away.

He intended to inform Adesewa and the others after returning to the base. For now, he wanted to spend a little more time becoming familiar with his new strength.

Jet closed his eyes and resumed circulating Mana. The energy flowed smoothly through his body, moving with considerably less resistance than before.

He concentrated on the sensation, gradually increasing the circulation without activating any of his Divine Rune abilities.

Everything proceeded normally. Then he noticed something unusual. Deep within his body, beyond the familiar circulation of Mana, another sensation appeared.

It was faint.

Almost imperceptible.

Jet frowned and concentrated.

The sensation didn’t resemble the power of the Eight-Armed Asura. That Divine Rune had always possessed an unmistakable presence, particularly whenever he activated the Asura Physique.

This was different.

It felt as though something that had remained completely dormant was beginning to respond to his advancement.

Jet opened his eyes. "What was that?"

He immediately examined his Divine Rune information.

The Eight-Armed Asura remained active, and the other nine Divine Runes were still sealed.

Nothing appeared to have changed.

Yet the sensation persisted. Jet closed the panel and concentrated again. For several seconds, he felt nothing unusual, then a faint warmth spread through his chest.

It lasted only an instant before disappearing.

Jet remained motionless. He had experienced many unusual phenomena since his regression, particularly during the awakening of his ten Divine Runes. However, this sensation was unfamiliar.

It didn’t appear to be connected to his newly acquired Star Marks, and his status window displayed no additional notifications.

He considered attempting to investigate further, but eventually decided against it. Whatever had happened, his advancement itself was complete.

He had successfully reached 2-Star, and there was no reason to exhaust himself chasing a sensation he couldn’t yet understand.

Jet gathered his belongings and prepared to return to the concealed base. However, as he approached the entrance, the warmth appeared again.

This time, it was accompanied by something else. For a fraction of a second, Jet thought he saw a faint golden light flicker beneath his skin.

He stopped and looked down. The light had already vanished.

Jet frowned.

His second Star had awakened something.

And whatever it was, it didn’t seem to be connected to an ordinary advancement.