Chapter 3: Star Pulse Generation

The sweet bells echoed in the modern-style open high-rise buildings, filling the school with a bustling atmosphere and noisy sounds.

Students in uniforms walked out of the school building one by one. Some laughed and chatted with each other, while others ran past in a hurry, showing their youthful energy.

Erend blended in among the students after class without standing out.

That was because he, too, was wearing the student uniform of this academy, and his appearance had become noticeably younger.

Now, Erend looked like a high school student of seventeen or eighteen years old. His young figure walked along the tree-lined path, brimming with vitality.

"I didn't expect that entering a fantasy world would have such benefits."

Erend found the situation rather strange. As he touched his face, he could feel the youthful smoothness of his skin.

While secretly amazed, Erend began to sort out his current situation.

"Without a doubt, I'm in Asterisk now."

Asterisk, commonly known as the hexagram.

This was an artificial city floating on a massive impact crater lake, shaped like a perfect hexagon, as its name suggested.

The official name of the city was Rikka, built by the Consolidated Enterprise Foundation—an emerging economic powerhouse—for the sole purpose of dueling.

Of course, the duel here was not a card game like in Game King but an intense battle where people wielded weapons and fought with real swords and firearms.

In this world, a competitive tournament captivated audiences worldwide—known as the Star Warrior Festival.

The Star Warrior Festival was the most popular combat spectacle in the world, driving economic growth with its electrifying performances.

Asterisk was the grand stage for the Star Warrior Festival and served as the primary training ground for its participants.

According to the tournament rules, only the Baby Boomer generation between the ages of 13 and 22 could participate.

Since this generation mainly consisted of students, six academies were established in Asterisk to train them. Each academy had secondary, advanced, and university-level departments, covering all Baby Boomers eligible for participation.

"And the academy I'm in now is Livermorny Academy."

Livermorny Academy was one of the six institutions and the stage where the protagonists of the original story thrived.

According to the chosen life experience, Erend was now a first-year student in the Advanced Department of Livermorny Academy. His goal in coming to Asterisk was to compete in the Star Warrior Festival.

But that wasn't particularly special.

After all, seven or eight out of ten students who came here harbored aspirations of competing in the festival, while the remaining few had other personal motivations.

Now, Erend was one of the many—unremarkable and blending into the crowd.

"It seems I didn't draw the life of a protagonist with a grand destiny."

Erend thought indifferently.

According to his life experience settings, his ability ranked around the academy's average—not weak but certainly not an elite contender who could shine in the Star Warrior Festival.

A mediocre start.

However, Erend was already satisfied.

"Achieving greatness instantly would be nice, but that's not realistic."

As he walked, Erend arrived at a secluded corner of the atrium.

There were only a few people around, and the area contained a single pavilion, surrounded by lawns and flower beds. Other than a few distant figures moving in the background, there was no real activity.

Here, Erend stretched his body a little.

"Hmm... my physical fitness is definitely much stronger than before."

Erend could clearly feel it. Not only had his body become younger and more energetic, but his overall physical capabilities had also improved significantly.

"With this kind of body, I could easily win world championships in multiple sports, yet in this academy, I'm just average..."

Erend felt a strange sense of awe.

"Is this what it means to be part of the Baby Boomer generation?"

As the lecturer had explained in class, after the catastrophic event known as the Falling Star Rain in the 20th century, humanity discovered an unknown element called Wanyingsu from meteorites. This discovery revolutionized science and technology, and, in turn, led to the birth of a new kind of human—the Baby Boomers.

Affected by this universal element, not only did Baby Boomers possess physical abilities far surpassing ordinary humans, but they also wielded a special spiritual energy known as Star Power.

This mysterious force amplified both offense and defense, with a particularly overwhelming effect on durability.

Since arriving in this world, Erend could feel a special energy flowing through his body at all times.

Then, just like he had done in the classroom earlier, he attempted to channel this power.

"Emima..."

As shimmering stardust swirled around him, the Star Power within Erend surged, enveloping his entire body in dazzling luminescence.

Watching the scene unfold and feeling the changes within himself, Erend's eyes flickered with thought.

"If I were to get shot now, I'd probably only feel the impact, but the bullet wouldn't harm me at all."

And yet, he was still considered just an average student at Livermorny Academy?

This realization made him understand just how terrifyingly strong the top-tier Baby Boomers truly were.

Erend couldn't help but feel satisfied.

"Unfortunately, this is a one-time opportunity."

This was a benefit granted only when a life experience first unfolded—a silent gift that aligned his abilities with the background of the world he had entered.

But it was a one-time privilege.

Such opportunities wouldn't be available in future experiences.

"If I had chosen the background of an invincible character from the start, would I have been unstoppable now?"

Upon reflection, Erend felt that wasn't realistic.

Since the Fantasy Library ultimately aimed to maintain balance in its worlds, it wouldn't allow settings that completely broke that equilibrium.

Most likely, when selecting life experiences, the probability of drawing a particular background was influenced by the administrator's own strength.

If the administrator was powerful, they might have a higher chance of drawing an overpowered life experience.

Conversely, if their ability was weak, they'd likely start with a mediocre or even tragic beginning.

"With my current ability, it'll be difficult to make this life experience exciting enough."

The Fantasy Library clearly stated that at the end of a life experience, administrators would be rewarded based on how thrilling their journey had been.

That meant Erend needed to live as actively and dramatically as possible.

And what better way to achieve that than by participating in the Star Warrior Festival and dueling against renowned fighters?

However, with his current mid-tier ranking in Livermorny Academy, Erend knew he wouldn't last long in the competition.

"I need to find a way to get stronger."

How?

Without hesitation, Erend pinpointed his next objective.

"I need a weapon."

"A weapon that is powerful enough to elevate me."

Everything about him was ordinary, yet within him lay a force beyond divine power—an authority hailed as the ultimate supremacy.

An authority that only applied to weapons.

If he wanted to grow stronger as quickly as possible, the fastest way was to obtain a powerful weapon.

"It seems I can only start there."

Erend already had a preliminary plan.

But before he could proceed, he needed to confirm the extent of his newly acquired authority.

At that moment, he turned his gaze toward his waist.

There, attached to his uniform belt, was a cloth cover.

Erend reached in and retrieved something.

It was a device embedded with green ore—shaped like a hilt.

"Is this the engine?"

Curiously, he examined the object. Then, his heart stirred slightly.

"Emima!"

Suddenly, from the front of the hilt-like device, a long, gleaming blade extended outward.

A new adventure had begun.