Kirish's focus shifted to Miss Anjali. In the fragments of his borrowed memories, she was the embodiment of a saint.
As the landlady of this modest residential block, she had not only rented him this room at a price far below market value, but she also frequently checked on him, often bringing food and supplies.
"Here you go, beta," Miss Anjali said, extending a heavy paper bag toward him.
"I picked up some extra groceries today and thought of you.
A growing boy needs his strength, especially one as hardworking as you."
"Oh, thank you, Miss Anjali! But honestly, you've done so much already, I don't want to be a burden," Kirish replied, a genuine smile breaking across his new, handsome face.
In his mind, Gani realized that while he was a strategist, this woman's kindness was a rare currency in a world as brutal as Blue Orbit.
Miss Anjali patted his arm affectionately. "Nonsense. So, tell me, have you reached a decision? Which college are you joining?"
Kirish took a steady breath.
"I've chosen White Feather College. I've sent my application; now I'm just waiting for the confirmation mail."
"A fine choice," she beamed.
"You have a bright future, Kirish. Don't let anything dim that spark."
After a bit more small talk, Kirish retreated to his room to drop off the groceries.
His mind was already racing. He couldn't afford to waste a single second.
Grabbing his essentials, he set off for the 'Martial Hall.'
The world outside was a far cry from Gani's previous life. The technology here felt thousands of years ahead of Earth, yet it lacked the cold, industrial rot of his old world. Skyscrapers reached for the turquoise sky like jagged crystals, but they were woven with greenery and hanging gardens.
Everything was designed with 'Nature Integration.' As he watched silent, levitating vehicles glide past ancient, towering trees, Kirish couldn't help but sigh.
'If only the people back home understood that progress doesn't have to mean destruction.'
Soon, he stood before a massive, sleek building shaped like a stylized 'M.' This was the Martial Hall.
The interior was buzzing with activity—warriors in light armor, scholars in flowing robes, and students with anxious eyes. Kirish approached the reception and booked a Private Cultivation Room.
The original Kirish had never dared to enter this place; he simply didn't have the means to afford even the cheapest room.
In Blue Orbit, there were three known ways to forge a Qi Orbit:
Natural Attrition: Absorbing ambient energy through sheer willpower and physical suffering. It was slow and often left the cultivator with permanent scars.
Star Crystals: The refined method. These crystals provided pure, filtered energy that was safe for most physiques.
Innate Birthright: The lucky few born with an active Orbit. They were the 'Royalty' of the cultivation world.
Kirish entered Room 402. The door sealed with a pressurized hiss, cutting off the noise of the lobby. The air inside was thick, tingling with a faint electrical charge—raw Qi energy.
"Alright, System. Let's see if you're worth the money," Kirish whispered.
He summoned the Best-Grade White Star Crystals. As he placed them into the induction machine at the center of the room, the device's interface—usually a calm blue—instantly flared into a violent, warning Crimson.
[WARNING: High-Density Energy Detected. Risk of Physical Collapse: 74%]
Kirish ignored the flashing red text. He sat cross-legged on the central mat, closing his eyes. Despite this being his first time, the muscle memory of the original Kirish, combined with Gani's gaming instincts, made the process feel second nature.
A pearly, thick mist began to swirl out of the machine, filling the room until he couldn't see his own knees.
He felt it immediately—droplets of energy landing on his skin like liquid fire. His body acted like a vacuum, pulling that energy toward his solar plexus, a void he called the 'Inner Cloud.'
Thirty minutes in, the first crystal shattered.
The pressure was immense. It felt as if an invisible giant was standing on his chest.
Gani's forehead was drenched in sweat, his teeth grinding together so hard they threatened to crack.
'Damn it... the System wasn't lying. Four times the pressure is no joke!'
He fumbled for the System's Reinforcing Serum and smashed the vial against his arm. As the liquid absorbed into his skin, a cooling sensation flooded his veins, dampening the fire just enough for him to continue.
He pushed into the second crystal.
The "cloud" inside him began to rotate violently. At its center, a tiny spark ignited. But as the energy peaked, his pulse skyrocketed.
His blood felt like molten lead moving through his veins. Gani had never known pain like this—not in his twenty-five years on Earth.
But one thing kept him anchored: Greed.
The greed to never be "average" again. The greed to stand at the peak of this magnificent, terrifying world.
He applied the last of the salve and forced his consciousness to devour the third and final Best-Grade crystal.
The spark inside him expanded into a sun. The rotating clouds were sucked into the center with a terrifying gravitational pull. For a heartbeat, there was absolute, terrifying silence in the room.
And then—K-BOOM!
A silent shockwave of pure gravity erupted. Kirish was thrown backward, his body slamming into the reinforced wall with a sickening thud. The air was punched out of his lungs.
He slumped to the floor, unconscious.
But deep within him, the 'Inner Cloud' was gone. In its place was a Vast, Glowing Blue Star. It wasn't just an Orbit; it was a cosmic anomaly.
The Blue Star began to spin, greedily devouring every scrap of leftover Qi in the room, glowing brighter and more dangerous with every passing second.
[To Be Continued...]