A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the Constellation Oath Ceremony arrived.

My heart had been pounding since dawn.

“Alright.”

Back then, because of Andromeda’s strange provocation, I could only pretend the upcoming ceremony felt burdensome.

But in truth, every boy and girl of the Astrios family had been waiting for this day.

So it finally comes.

The Constellation Oath Ceremony doubled as our coming-of-age ritual.

Once it was complete, we would gain the rights of adulthood—inheritance, appointment, marriage, contracts, and more.

I, too, was scheduled for an official appointment right after the ceremony.

The Blue Knight.

A transcendent knight of the Astrios family.

It was an honorable title granted only to those proficient in both swordsmanship and Electro Arts.

They were powerful enough to toy with half a dozen ordinary knights at once, and direct-line Blue Knights were said to hold off entire armies singlehandedly.

All six of the Empire’s Great Houses had knightly orders that wielded unique psychic powers, but the Blue Knights of Astrios were always ranked among the very best.

And not just in skill—also in treatment.

The Royal Guard or the Capital Defense Corps. It has to be one of those two. The Royal Guard gets to stand around looking grand while escorting the elders, and the Capital Corps gets to stroll around the red-light district or alleyways pretending to be on patrol.

My life goal was simple: receive the Blue Knight’s title, find an easy post, and coast through life.

With my skill and Andromeda’s favor combined, it was perfectly achievable.

The only places I must never end up in are the Beast Purification Corps and the Border Patrol.

Those units spent their days wallowing in mud to hunt monsters or butting heads with knights from rival houses.

Why risk several times the mortality rate just to earn a few more coins and a couple of commendations?

I straightened my clothes in front of the mirror.

My short navy hair was slicked back neatly with oil, and I wiped my face with a cold towel so that my sharp features stood out.

In the reflection, my eyes—one blue, the signature of our family, and the other a pale gray, likely inherited from an unknown mother—stared back at me.

Heterochromia.

A gold-silver demon’s eyes, some called it.

Not exactly a welcomed trait.

I looked at that gray iris for a moment, then shook my head.

A memory from the orphanage flashed back—being called “that freak with mismatched eyes.”

That same “freak” had befriended the family’s heir and was now about to be appointed a Blue Knight.

I buttoned up my crisply ironed shirt and adjusted the black uniform with silver buttons.

“Phew.”

Preparation complete.

“…For the infinite glory of the Astrios family…”

The early morning sun had yet to rise.

Eighteen-year-old boys and girls of the family stood in formation before the grand dome.

The closer to the front, the purer the bloodline—direct descendants and the closest branches.

The further back, the thinner the blood.

At the very front stood the heir apparent, Andromeda.

My position was about a third of the way from the front.

Behind the noble branches but still fairly high up—exactly where I wanted to be.

“The ceremony will begin.”

The Family Head spoke from the podium.

His voice carried such authority that even the most distracted nerves snapped into focus.

He wore a platinum mask, so his face was hidden.

But even without seeing it, everyone knew who he was.

Buzz!

On the back of his raised hand glowed a complex sigil—

a sacred mark that shimmered, burning faintly against his skin.

It was the stigmata, left by our Guardian Star, the Raemyeongseong, the Star of Thunder.

The guardian stars left such marks only on those they favored most.

It amplified one’s mana, and on rare occasions, the star itself would even speak through it.

Receiving one was an honor beyond measure, and the more visible the mark, the greater the favor.

A Family Head marked on the back of his hand would be counted among the greatest of all Astrios heads.

“…To you, who are the protagonists of today, I have four things to remind you.”

Under a master of overwhelming power, the Astrios family thrived without the slightest trace of internal strife.

“One. Do not make a vow you cannot keep.”

His voice echoed across the dim courtyard.

“Two. Do not make a vow that will harm the family.”

It was a caution we had heard countless times from instructors since childhood.

“Three. Do not make a vow that will harm yourself.”

In other words, rather than swearing not to do something, it was wiser to vow to do something—

to leave the interpretation broad enough not to suffer from your own words.

“Four. Do not make a vow that tests the star.”

Yet even a familiar warning took on a different weight depending on who said it.

“Yes, My Lord!”

Our response was fiery—everyone roaring with enthusiasm at the thought that the Family Head himself was concerned for us.

I too cheered louder than anyone, clapping forcefully.

Flattery was a serious matter.

“Andromeda, step forward first.”

The ceremony began.

“Phew!”

One by one, starting with Andromeda, each entered the dome and emerged after completing their vow.

It took quite some time—some took several dozen minutes each.

High-ranking staff left after witnessing the direct heirs, including Andromeda.

Before long, the sun had risen.

“Number thirty-six! Kyrie of Astrios!”

“Yes!”

My turn came.

I walked along the stone-paved road toward the dome.

There was movement on the podium.

When I turned my head, Andromeda mouthed something from a distance.

Do well.

Yes, sister.

We were the same age, but since she liked being called that, I humored her.

Creeeak—

I pushed open the towering double doors.

Inside, the dome resembled the night sky.

There was no lighting, and the air was dim.

Yet countless blue crystals embedded in the ceiling and walls kept the space visible enough.

Along the edges stood full-length mirrors, glass pillars, and statues large and small.

At the center was a broad platform, and at its heart—it stood.

A shard of the star.

A crystal pillar taller than myself.

A mythical relic said to have been gifted directly by the constellation to the first Head of Astrios.

A luminous artifact radiating blue and gold, as if it contained the Milky Way itself.

A fragment of the Star of Thunder.

Thinking of the millennia of history sealed within it made my heart race uncontrollably.

It was proof that the star protecting our family for thousands of years truly existed somewhere in the universe.

Now I understood why some made reckless vows—to never lie for life, or to slay a dragon as an offering.

That swelling emotion must have been impossible to contain.

Of course, I wasn’t one of them.

I stepped onto the platform and cautiously placed my palm upon the pillar.

“Kyrie of Astrios offers his oath to the Star of Thunder.”

I chose the most realistic vow.

“According to the current standard, as per the official Imperial calendar, each year I shall offer a tribute worth three gold coins of the Empire of Stars.”

I clearly defined both “each year” and “three gold coins.”

A careless slip could have the calendar interpreted strangely, turning every thirty days into a “year” and forcing me to pay tribute monthly.

The amount was appropriate.

Three gold coins equaled about a skilled worker’s monthly wage.

Not lavish, not stingy—just right.

If I ever couldn’t afford even that in a year,

then my life would already be ruined enough to deserve having my soul burned.

“Please, accept my vow.”

Now, for the first and last time, I would hear the voice of the star.

Many Blue Knights said they could never forget that voice—

it was what drove them to train their Electro Arts endlessly, seeking transcendence.

What kind of voice could it be?

That question was soon answered.

【“I shall not accept that vow.”】

A crisp yet distant voice.

It carried the tone of a proud noblewoman from the academy days—

but with an overwhelming sense of power and majesty.

Even facing a dragon wouldn’t feel this awe-inspiring.

I froze in place, palm still against the crystal pillar.

【“Make the vow that I desire.”】

The constellation had rejected my vow.

The constellation was giving me one instead.

【“Kyrie of Astrios.”】

A situation that only appeared in legends.

【“Swear loyalty from all six Great Houses of the Empire—and become Emperor.”】

In those same legends, direct heirs and heroes received divine orders to hunt grand beasts and raise their families to greatness.

【“Self-proclamation will not be accepted. Abdication or succession are fine—even if you are not Emperor at death. But posthumous titles will not count.”】

But I was neither a direct heir nor a hero.

【“Of course, I know it will not be easy.”】

I couldn’t move my lips, yet I felt the voice resonating directly in my mind.

【“So I shall help you.”】

The layered voices—triple, quadruple, quintuple—gradually stabilized into something almost human.

Sparks danced along the crystal pillar.

The star’s fragment, radiant as if it held the Milky Way, flared brilliantly.

Buzz!

Light burst from the pillar, reflected by every mirror, crystal, and glass column, illuminating the dome in a blinding glow.

Then—

from inside the glass pillars came laughter.

Cold, seductive, spine-chilling laughter—

prim, cruel, and vast enough to shatter one’s sanity.

Blue light that could flood the universe and gold light blazing like fire erupted together.

Crackkkle!

In the next instant, blue and gold currents spiraled out of the crystal pillar.

They lunged toward my right eye.

Not the blue eye that proved my Astrios blood,

but the gray iris inherited from someone unknown.

“-----!”

The pain was so immense I couldn’t even scream.

I reached out to block the current, but it was hopeless.

Like a small boat before a tidal wave, I was hurled backward.

I crashed from the platform to the dome’s wall.

Only then did the cruel baptism end.

“Star of Thunder…”

The name escaped my lips unconsciously.

In the mirror’s reflection—within my right gray eye—

rings, symbols, and lines burned white-hot.

I knew what this pattern was called.

The Stigmata.

The same mark borne on the Family Head’s hand.

The more visible the stigmata, the greater the star’s favor.

That thought flashed through my mind.

The Family Head bore it on his hand.

I bore it in my eye.

My mind went blank.

【“Good.”】

The next response came not through my ears—but directly in my head.

【Base Privileges】

【1. Heavenly Thunder Body】

【Electro Arts training efficiency +150%】

【Further enhancement possible through cultivation】

Strings of text appeared before my eyes.

【Base Privileges】

【2. Voice of Transmission】

【Able to converse with the constellation through the stigmata】

【Additional functions unlockable through training】

Then I realized—the stigmata itself was emitting the text.

【“I dream.”】

A chill of dread rose in me.

【“And so shall it be.”】

【The Constellation of Infinite Intellect, the Dreaming Star of Thunder, declares:】

Things beyond my comprehension or control were unfolding.

【The Hero’s Journey: Twelve Stages】

【Stage 1: Adoption】

【Enter the Astrios Main House.】

【Failure penalty: Death】

【Success reward: Thunderstrike】

【Stage 2: (Locked)】

.

.

.

I struggled to breathe.

My vision flickered between darkness and clarity, over and over.

Nerve overload.

Stay calm.

Sweat poured down my body like rain.

I forced my attention elsewhere.

Anything…

There was something to focus on—the word Thunderstrike among the floating text.

Thunderstrike.

Literally, “lightning striking the ground.”

But within the Astrios family, it wasn’t just a natural phenomenon—

it was the name of one of the highest-level Electro Arts techniques.

A master of Electro Arts could channel the world’s lightning through their own mana.

That was Thunderstrike.

A force that divided heaven and earth—

and the direct line from the branch families.

A realm I could never reach on my own.

Is that what it’s giving me?

That thought came—and then—

Damn it.

My vision went dark.

Chapter 2

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