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{3rd Pov}
The System's Dimensional Space had been divided into two distinct sections: one designated as the Meditation Area, and the other as the Virtual Training Area.
The Meditation Area was a real, tangible dimensional space, requiring Astreo to be physically present in order to interact with it.
Every action taken here, every movement, and every concentration of mana could only be performed through his actual body.
On the other hand, the Virtual Training Area, as its name suggested, was a space purely for virtual training. In this area, only his spirit would be present.
Any progress made within this virtual domain would be reflected back to his physical body, but only certain aspects would transfer: the development of physical strength, the improvement of reflexes, and the enhancement of nerve reactions.
However, any increase in mana could not be achieved there and would have to be cultivated separately in the Meditation Area, where his physical presence and focus could nurture it directly.
Astreo stepped into the Meditation Area, fully prepared to begin the awakening of his magic. He surveyed his surroundings and found himself in an immense room, stretching far in every direction.
The entire space was bathed in a calming blue hue, intersected by crisp, precise white grids that created a sense of order and structure.
The room was equipped with numerous functions and features designed to assist him in training, but for now, Astreo's focus was entirely on his awakening process.
He issued a command to the system to bring forth the Awakening Orb.
In response, the system manifested it immediately: a pedestal emerged from the floor, solid and luminous, and on top of it floated the orb, radiating a subtle but undeniable presence.
At first glance, the orb appeared no different from ordinary awakening stones other than farming aura by floating mid-air. However, Astreo knew better.
This was no ordinary artifact—it was a Divine-Grade Awakening Stone, specifically attuned to the powers of Space and Mind.
Its presence alone conveyed immense potential, and the weight of what it represented pressed silently upon him as he prepared to begin.
With a mix of anticipation and nervousness, Astreo placed his hand on the orb and began to clear his mind completely, focusing inward.
Gradually, he felt himself being drawn away from the physical realm, until he found himself in the Void—or rather, what could best be described as his own Spiritual Sea.
The Awakening Stone seemed to pulse with energy, guiding his Spiritual Force and teaching it how to connect with the elemental energies that existed in the world.
Then, without any warning, stars ignited in the endless expanse of his Spiritual Sea, appearing out of nowhere as if the universe itself had responded to his presence.
Two distinct starry particles—stardusts—formed before him.
One glowed a vibrant pink, clearly representing the Psychic Element, while the other shimmered with a silvery light, unmistakably representing the Space Element.
Astreo opened his eyes and looked at the orb.
It shone brightly at first with a deep pink light before quickly shifting to a radiant silver glow, then gradually dimming until it went completely dark.
The process was complete—its single use had now been exhausted.
Astreo felt an overwhelming surge of excitement.
He had successfully awakened two Advanced Elements while still at the Novice tier, a feat that filled him with pride and exhilaration.
There was, of course, a slight pang of disappointment at not having awakened a third element.
At the Novice tier, awakening three elements without an Innate talent was theoretically possible, but it carried a significant risk: the potential for severe damage to one's soul nucleus.
Considering the danger, he had wisely chosen to awaken only two elements, prioritizing safety over ambition.
Even so, the benefits were extraordinary.
Thanks to the Divine-Grade Awakening Stone, he had gained several innate talents that set him far above typical practitioners.
Notably, the Space Element was widely regarded as the strongest among the standard eighteen elements.
Awakening that element at the Novice tier was already considered a demonstration of innate talent.
Successfully awakening two elements at any tier was recognized as another, even greater innate talent, likely one of the strongest talents a cultivator could possess.
Furthermore, having a 1.5 times stronger element that could be effectively stacked with Spirit, Soul, or Heaven Grade Spirits was considered a combination of two separate talents, amplifying the advantages even further.
These abilities were classified as Natural Bless talents and could also be regarded as a form of pseudo Natural-born base spell power, granting him inherent advantages that ordinary cultivators could only dream of.
Filled with excitement at the possibilities before him, Astreo quickly issued his next command: "System, give me the best Sacred-Grade Stardust tool you have, along with the best Magic Accelerator Ring. Additionally, increase the magical density here to match that of the Holy Spring of Bo City at its prime."
Almost immediately, the system complied.
In his hands appeared two powerful tools: a ring and a pendant.
The Sacred-Grade Stardust Tool had the ability to boost cultivation speed by up to 250%.
When combined with the increased magical density of his environment, his overall cultivation speed surged dramatically, now reaching a level twenty-five times faster than normal conditions.
The Magic Accelerator Ring would assist him in aligning the stars faster during cultivation, a process that required precise timing and a steady hand.
Since Astreo had awakened both Psychic and Space elements, his cultivation time would naturally take longer than average, given the complexity and dual nature of his elemental alignment.
Under normal circumstances, an ordinary cultivator could train their magic for about four to six hours before their spiritual energy became completely drained.
However, as a Psychic mage, Astreo possessed an innate advantage in this regard.
With more mental energy due to the courtesy of Psychic element he could extend his cultivation sessions to an impressive seven to nine hours at a stretch.
Although this was notable, when compared to someone like Mo Fan, who had a Little Loach and could cultivate for seventeen to twenty hours, it might not seem particularly extraordinary at first glance.
However, there was a key difference.
Unlike Mo Fan, Astreo had his own personal Holy Spring available twenty-four hours a day. Moreover, the tenfold boost to his cultivation speed provided by the holy spring was not the absolute maximum.
The limitation existed only because his Psychic strength was still relatively weak; with further enhancement, he could potentially achieve even greater speeds without encountering detrimental effects.
He could potentially achieve a boost of up to one hundred times or even more when cultivating within a fully-fledged Holy Spring.
When this was stacked together with his Sacred-Grade Stardust Magic Tool, the cultivation speed would surge to an astonishing two hundred and fifty times the normal rate.
Considering the extended hours he could dedicate to cultivation, a single day of training for
Astreo would effectively be equivalent to more than three hundred days of effort for an ordinary person.
Even with such an extraordinary level of power and acceleration, this was far from the limit of what he could achieve.
Determined to maximize his potential, Astreo quickly instructed the system to create the most powerful Stardust Tool that his body could safely handle.
At the same time, he requested the very best Magic Ring Accelerator to accompany it, ensuring that all aspects of his cultivation would be optimized to their fullest extent.
Once the tools were prepared, he settled into a deep, focused meditation, fully equipped with the most advanced magical instruments in the world.
Following meticulously every step stored in his memory, he began the cultivation process, carefully channeling his Spiritual Force and synchronizing it with the powers of his awakened elements.
Astreo concentrated primarily on Psychic cultivation, as it was the element he wanted to fully maximize at the Novice tier before he even considered working on his Space Element.
This strategy was deliberate: by mastering Psychic first, he would gain a significant advantage in overall cultivation efficiency.
Since Spiritual Attainment was a critical factor in the successful cultivation of the Space Element, achieving mastery of his Psychic element at the Novice level would naturally enhance his overall abilities.
Once he had fully developed his Psychic powers, his inherent cultivation speed for Space Element would increase by at least two times, providing him with a considerable head start in mastering his second element.
Astreo was deep in cultivation, fully immersed in channeling his Spiritual Force and synchronizing his awakened elements.
Hours passed swiftly in the quiet of his meditation, time seeming almost irrelevant as he focused entirely on refining his abilities.
Eventually, the System issued a gentle reminder, alerting him that the people in the orphanage had just realized he was missing and were beginning to organize a search party.
With a calm yet deliberate breath, Astreo opened his eyes, bringing himself back to the physical world.
Before stepping out, he teleported to the toilet, quietly locking the door behind him. He took care of his business swiftly and efficiently, ensuring he wouldn't draw any unnecessary attention.
Once finished, he stepped out as if nothing had happened, maintaining his composed demeanor.
Grandma Yu was walking along in a slightly hurried pace when she stopped abruptly upon noticing him emerging from the toilet.
Her brows were knitted, and her expression carried a mix of confusion and mild suspicion.
"Aster, where were you?" she asked, her voice laced with both concern and doubt.
"I was reading in the library… then I went to poop!" Astreo replied earnestly, without hesitation or embarrassment.
Embarrassment?
He couldn't afford such trivial concerns.
If he allowed himself to feel embarrassed over something so mundane, how could he hope to become a great mage in the future?
He had bigger priorities—power, knowledge, and cultivation—matters far more important than fleeting social awkwardness.
Grandma Yu's expression softened, and she nodded with a small smile.
"I see… You were studying, huh? Little brat, I suppose you did take my advice to heart," she said gently, letting go of the tension that had been lingering on her face.
With that small exchange, Astreo spent the rest of his day normally, going about his usual activities without incident.
After finishing dinner, he went to sleep from 8 PM to 12 PM, a total of four hours of rest.
He woke in the middle of the night, feeling alert and ready, and immediately headed to the System's Dimensional Space for further training.
For Astreo, sacrificing a portion of his sleep in order to cultivate was not a problem at all; in fact, he considered it a small and worthwhile trade-off in his pursuit of power and mastery over his elements.
In the world of Versatile Mage, cultivation could not normally replace the need for sleep.
However, with the aid of advanced magic tools, the process of magic cultivation could effectively substitute for nearly all of the body's requirement for rest.
Astreo, being only five years old, still required a basic amount of sleep to maintain his health and mental acuity.
Even so, he considered four hours of sleep to be sufficient when combined with the restorative effects of Magic Cultivation.
The remainder of his body's need for rest would be replenished through his magic cultivation.
He believed this method should not have any adverse effects on his health, though he planned to monitor his condition carefully over the next few days.
If he found that his vitality or energy levels dropped, he would consider adding extra magic tools to compensate.
Satisfied with his plan, Astreo resumed his intense magic cultivation.
He focused all of his attention on controlling and refining his Spiritual Force, channeling it precisely through his newly awakened Psychic and Space elements.
Five hours later, he opened his eyes, feeling completely refreshed, and teleported from the System's Dimensional Space directly back to his bed.
Not even the slightest hint of fatigue lingered in his body, and a wide smile spread across his face as he reflected on the results of just a single day of cultivation.
He had successfully managed to control two stars within a single period of cultivation—a feat that would normally take an average practitioner at least two to three months of consistent, disciplined magic training to achieve.
The speed and efficiency of his progress clearly demonstrated the immense advantage provided by his Divine-Grade Awakening Stone and top-tier magic tools.
'I'm not even feeling sleepy or tired,' he thought, his excitement growing.
'This means that four hours of sleep, combined with Magic Cultivation using these tools, can effectively replace the need for full rest!' The realization made him giddy, knowing that the more time he could dedicate to cultivation, the faster he would progress and the closer he would get to mastering his elements.
Still, he decided to rest for a short period—just an hour.
After all, in the orphanage, one was expected to wake up at six o'clock in the morning, and he had already completed a full day's worth of high-intensity magic cultivation.
A brief rest would allow him to regain focus and energy for whatever challenges lay ahead while keeping his cultivation schedule on track.
After that, Astreo began cultivating magic on a strict daily schedule.
Every afternoon, without fail, he would dedicate three to four hours to intense magic training. Over time, Grandma Yu stopped worrying about him.
She had come to assume that he was simply studying diligently, and she trusted that he was safe and focused.
Additionally, the System had a built-in alert mechanism: if it ever detected that someone was going to check on him, it would immediately notify Astreo.
In such cases, he could simply teleport to the library and pretend to be absorbed in his studies, blending perfectly with normal activities.
Grandma Yu would often ask him about the books he "read" during his study sessions and then quiz him with various questions.
Since the System had already provided him with extensive magical knowledge directly implanted in his mind, Astreo was always able to answer her questions with ease, never once faltering.
This gave her full confidence in his ability to study independently.
Seeing that Astreo required no assistance with his studies, Grandma Yu allowed him to remain entirely on his own.
This effectively meant that even if he was absent for hours at a time, no one would worry about him, assuming that he was engrossed in studying.
Meanwhile, Grandma Yu and the other volunteers could focus their attention on helping the other children who struggled to understand lessons on their own.
She also issued a clear rule forbidding the other children from disturbing Astreo while he was in the library.
Instead, she personally taught the other children in the classroom, ensuring that their learning continued uninterrupted.
During the first few days, the older orphans would occasionally check on Astreo out of curiosity.
This required him to teleport in and out of the System's Dimensional Space repeatedly, maintaining the illusion that he was simply studying while continuing his cultivation.
However, after a few days, the frequency of their checks gradually decreased.
Eventually, they stopped monitoring him altogether and focused on their own studies in the library.
With this newfound freedom, Astreo now had more uninterrupted time for cultivation, coupled with his already impressive cultivation speed.
Thanks to the combination of extended hours, the advanced magic tools, and his innate talent, Astreo was able to achieve control over all seven of his stars within just one week—a feat that would have been considered nearly impossible for an ordinary practitioner in such a short period of time.
His progress demonstrated not only the extraordinary efficiency of his training methods but also the immense potential he possessed as a young mage.
(A/N: A person after cheating ten times as an normal cheater: My talent is beyond your comprehension)
This was an unprecedented achievement.
The process that normally took an average cultivator an entire year to complete, Astreo had accomplished in just a single week.
Such rapid progress meant that he was now ready to begin using spells.
Since he had already secured sufficient resources for continued cultivation, he no longer needed to focus exclusively on raising his magical power for the moment.
Instead, he decided to temporarily set aside his magic cultivation and shift his attention toward learning how to properly cast spells.
After all, what was the purpose of cultivating magic if one could not effectively use spells?
Astreo understood that true mastery required not only raw magical power but also the ability to wield it efficiently and accurately.
With this in mind, he planned to train diligently until his spellcasting reached a consistently acceptable level of proficiency.
Astreo also made a deliberate choice regarding his tools.
He decided not to use the Magic Accelerator Ring during this phase of training.
While the ring could temporarily speed up the casting process, it only provided a short-term decrease in casting time and did not contribute to developing his own skill or understanding.
To truly become proficient, he needed to rely on his own comprehension, practice, and innate talent.
Spellcasting required more than just power; it demanded an individual's personal understanding and repeated training to consistently release spells efficiently and effectively.
Innate talents certainly played a role in how quickly one could adapt, but they were not a substitute for experience and mastery.
Astreo planned to instruct the system to improve the spell models of Novice-level Psychic Spells first, ensuring that he had the most accurate and optimized guidance possible.
Once the system had adjusted the models, he would begin learning directly from it, integrating the enhanced templates into his practice.
This methodical approach would allow him to develop not only speed but also precision and control in his spellcasting, ensuring that his power could be used effectively in real situations.
To be continued...