NOVEL NEXT Astro
“...Hey, System, why can’t I still move?” Carter could only drift aimlessly through space, unable to control his direction.
[SYSTEM]
The host does not have access to any movement abilities. Would the host like to purchase Astro Movement for 500 celestial energy?
Carter sighed. “How much more would I shrink?”
[SYSTEM]
...The host would shrink down by 90 feet.
“90 feet, huh?” He let out a long, exaggerated groan. “I swear, by the end of this, I’ll be the size of a golf ball. Fine, let’s do it. It’s not like I can get around any other way.”
As soon as the words left his nonexistent lips, that odd shrinking sensation came back. Carter watched as his size shrunk down to 170 feet. It wasn’t exactly painful, but it wasn’t comfortable either. It was like someone had zoomed out on his entire existence.
[SYSTEM]
500 celestial energy acquired. Astro Movement activated.
Suddenly, Carter felt... something. Not like walking or flying, but an awareness of direction. He couldn’t feel limbs or wings, but he could somehow will himself forward, and sure enough, he started to glide through space.
“Whoa... I can actually move now!” Carter shouted, laughing as he spun in random directions. He propelled himself forward, then stopped, then veered left. “This is awesome! I’m like a space ninja!”
As he sped through the cosmos, a realization hit him. “Hold up. If I can move, does that mean I can also control where I go next? System, is there a way to find more of that celestial energy stuff?”
[SYSTEM]
The host may now enable Auto-Detection of celestial energy sources. Would the host like to activate this function?
Carter zipped around again, enjoying his newfound freedom. “Oh, yeah! If celestial energy can help me do this, sign me up.”
[NOTICE]
Auto-Detection of celestial energy sources activated.
As soon as the function kicked in, Carter felt a slight buzz in the back of his mind. It wasn’t overpowering, but it was noticeable. Like a sixth sense.
“That’s new,” he muttered. Focusing on the strange feeling, he quickly noticed several weak pulses spread throughout his Zone Vision, each one giving off a faint glow in his awareness. “It’s like I’ve got a radar for space energy. Sweet!”
Carter drifted toward the nearest pulse. It was faint but persistent, about 9 miles out from where he floated. When he reached the source, he found another meteor, about 200 feet in size, lazily drifting through the void.
“Hey, System, what do I do with this?” Carter asked, eying the meteor.
[SYSTEM]
Meteors provide both mass and celestial energy. The host must fuse with it to obtain half its mass and celestial energy.
Carter blinked. “And how exactly would I go about that?”
[SYSTEM]
...Collide into it.
Carter stared at the meteor for a moment, unsure how to feel about the answer. “You want me to... crash into it? Seriously?”
[SYSTEM]
Correct.
Carter sighed. “Great. First I’m shrinking, and now I’m playing cosmic bumper cars. Fine, let’s do this.”
He willed himself forward, picking up speed as he aimed directly at the floating meteor. It wasn’t moving fast, but Carter could feel the tension building as he closed the gap.
“I swear, if this hurts...”
The impact wasn’t as jarring as he expected. Instead of a violent collision, it felt like the two objects merged smoothly, as if the meteor was made of soft clay rather than solid rock. As they fused, Carter felt a surge of energy, like a jolt of electricity coursing through his core.
[NOTICE]
Meteor absorbed 100 mass gained and 1000 celestial energy.