Beyond the Threshold

Azul stood in the dim light of her room, her heart pounding like a war drum echoing through an empty battlefield. The system screen hovered before her, its ethereal glow casting eerie shadows on the walls, illuminating the sharp contours of her face. Her deep violet eyes flickered with a mixture of confusion and awe as she reread the numbers, her breath hitching in disbelief.

750,000 points.

Just hours ago, she had barely a fraction of that. The absurd increase gnawed at her, an unsettling mystery demanding an answer, as if reality itself had shifted in a way she could not yet comprehend.

"System, explain the sudden point increase," she demanded, her voice a whisper but laced with an urgency that betrayed her calm exterior.

[Ding! Analyzing...]

[Calculation Complete!]

[Source of Point Gain:]

Initial Awakening Bonus → 500,000 points. Skill Unlocks and Upgrades → 200,000 points. Void Synchronization Detected → 50,000 points.

Azul inhaled sharply. Void Synchronization? That wasn't something she had seen before. Her fingers trembled slightly as she clenched them into a fist.

"System, elaborate on Void Synchronization."

[Void Synchronization: The moment a host establishes a connection with the deeper layers of spatial energy, their body and soul harmonize with the Void. This increases efficiency, reduces energy waste, and strengthens all spatial abilities.]

Her fingers twitched. So, my power is becoming more efficient? More natural? More... intrinsic?

It wasn't just a simple numerical boost. This was transformation at the fundamental level. She wasn't merely growing stronger—she was evolving. A shiver ran down her spine, half from anticipation, half from the unknown. What will I become?

But theory meant nothing without proof. She needed to test it. She needed to see the limits of her newfound abilities.

The First Step Beyond

Her fingers stretched outward, trembling with a mix of excitement and apprehension, as she focused on the space before her. This time, she didn't force the portal to open—she let it exist within the framework of reality itself.

The air shimmered, bending like rippling water disturbed by an unseen force. A rift formed, dark and swirling, larger and more stable than before. She wasn't just tearing open space anymore—she was molding it, shaping it, commanding it with a will that felt far beyond her own.

Her gaze darted to a book on her desk, the same one she had tossed aside in frustration days ago. Without hesitation, she threw it into the rift.

It vanished.

A fraction of a second later, the book landed neatly on her pillow with a soft thump.

Azul's lips parted slightly. Near-instantaneous travel.

"Perfect," she whispered, but satisfaction was fleeting. This was just the beginning. If she could control small rifts, how far could she push them? What were the true limits of her ability?

Her violet gaze shifted toward the window. The city stretched out before her, a sea of flickering lights beneath the ink-black sky, each one a beacon of possibility. That's my next target.

Azul focused. She imagined the space beyond, the street below, the very fabric of reality bending to her will, obeying her command.

A pulse surged through her body, sending shivers through her bones.

A dark oval crackled into existence outside, far larger than before.

Her heart pounded. She grabbed another book and tossed it—

Whoosh.

The book appeared on the street below, landing without a sound.

[Ding! Long-Distance Spatial Manipulation Achieved. Skill Upgraded: "Void Transfer (Level 3)"]

She exhaled slowly. This power is limitless.

The Void Beckons

Her entire body buzzed with energy, the very air around her charged with an invisible force. She had bent space, but could she now move through it herself?

A wild thought took root in her mind. Teleportation.

She had unlocked "Void Step" earlier, but she had yet to test it. Azul pushed her awareness outward, reaching beyond her immediate space. If she could synchronize with the Void, could she become part of it?

She took a step forward—

And the world blurred.

For a split second, everything stretched and distorted. Then—

She was at the window.

Her breath hitched. She turned back to where she had just been, then looked down at her own hands. I moved.

Another system notification popped up.

[Ding! First Use of "Void Step" Registered. Skill Experience Increased!]

Her pulse thundered in her ears. This wasn't just teleportation—it was absolute mobility.

For years, she had fought to survive, bound by walls, by chains, by circumstances. But now? Now, she could step through barriers as if they never existed at all.

Azul turned toward the horizon, her gaze sharpening. She had only scratched the surface of her abilities. The real journey was just beginning.

With one last breath, she whispered, "Let's see how far this power can take me."

Then, she vanished.

Beyond the Threshold

When she reappeared, she was no longer in her room. The air around her was colder, thinner. She glanced down—

A rooftop.

She had teleported to the top of a building without even consciously aiming for it.

Azul's breath came fast, excitement coiling within her. So this is my range.

She closed her eyes, sensing the space around her. The city pulsed beneath her, a living, breathing entity interwoven with endless possibilities. Every street, every building, every shadow—I can touch them all.

A sudden thought struck her. If I can move myself... can I move others?

A thrill shot through her veins. She needed a test subject.

She focused on the book still lying on the street below. This time, she didn't just open a rift beneath it—she willed it to appear beside her.

A moment later, the book materialized at her feet.

Azul grinned. It worked.

[Ding! New Skill Unlocked: "Void Displacement"]

The implications sent her heart racing. This was more than just movement—this was control. Not just over herself, but over everything around her.

Her gaze lifted toward the sky. The stars shimmered far beyond reach.

For now.

With power like this, even the heavens wouldn't be out of her grasp.

And she was only getting started.

[System Panel]

[Host: Azul]

Points: 750,000

Skills: Void Step (Lv 1), Void Transfer (Lv 3), Void Displacement (Lv 1)

Status: Synchronizing with the Void...