Kael walked ahead without looking back at the mountains he had just passed. He kept walking straight, letting his luck decide where he would end up.
While trekking through this freezing season, he realized he had forgotten about the item he had summoned when he first escaped the Craters.
"Oh, right. I forgot I had a lantern to help me with this," Kael muttered.
He focused on his internal energy—his stellar core. He visualized the object in his heart, thinking hard for it to manifest. A moment later, it appeared: a heavy lantern with a long iron rod sticking out from the back.
It is always beautiful seeing it up close, Kael thought.
Since there is no sun in this world, people rely on Lumen Shells. It is a special dust harvested from the stars that provides the people of this world with heat and light. But this lantern was different.
As he held it, Kael felt a sudden surge of power.
"Wait, why am I getting a weird feeling from it?"
It felt exactly like the rush he experienced when the star first granted him power.
"Does this thing also provide me with energy?" Kael wondered.
He decided to test it. He looked at a heavy stone frozen to the ground by the cold. He focused his will. The lantern's power felt even more responsive than the power he got from the distant star.
The stone lifted into the sky effortlessly and fell back to the ground the moment he released his will.
"So this lantern also provides power to us Stargazers," Kael concluded. "I suppose it acts as a substitute for the stars. If I have this, I can use magic even without looking at the sky."
He paused, a question forming in his mind. "But why do I have a stellar core if I haven't come into contact with a star before today? That... I need to find out."
After walking for over twenty minutes, the endless white landscape finally changed. He found signs of life.
Ahead, he saw a massive dome covered with snow, shrouded by the mist. Below it was a huge city, appearing as if it had been dug out of the earth by giants.
Kael moved toward the city, lantern in hand, hoping to find help and information on how to return to the Craters.
He moved closer.
Up close, the sight was surreal. The border of the city wasn't just ground. He saw a massive trench bordering the city walls filled with hot magma, as if someone had dug from top to bottom to reach the Earth's mantle.
There was only one bridge to enter the city. Kael stepped onto it.
He slowly moved toward the gates.
Before entering, he saw two guards standing watch. In this weather, which could freeze a man instantly, they were not shivering.
Up close, they were wearing bulky, mechanical armor with a yellow glow coming from their chest plates.
"Name," one of the guards barked, looking down at Kael. "What is your affiliation?"
Kael was so focused on the mechanical armor that he forgot to reply, staring at the steam rising from their suits.
"What are you looking at, boy?" the other guard asked roughly. "Never seen a Rig before?"
Kael shook his head, snapping out of it. "I... Kael. You can call me Kael. I was lost out here before I found this place. I am here to get some food and help to return to the Craters."
"The Craters?" the first guard scoffed. "The Rig is armor designed to help us sustain heat. We use it to survive the cold and fight monsters. You clearly aren't from around here."
"So you come from the Craters below the ground?" the guard asked.
Kael nodded. "Yes, I am. Does that matter?"
"No, it doesn't, Kael," the other guard interrupted. "But we don't accept Craters people here."
"Why?" Kael asked, shocked. He couldn't understand why they would refuse to help someone in need.
"Are you a Stargazer?" the first guard asked sharply. "If yes, then you can enter. If not, go back where you came from."
"Yes, I am," Kael said quickly. "And I am lost, so please help me."
The guards exchanged a look.
"That, you don't have to worry about. If you really are a Stargazer, then we need to run a test. If you pass, we will inform the Mayor," the other guard said. "Follow me."
He led the way toward a small reinforced room beside the gate, and Kael followed.
It was a cramped room with a metal table and a yellow light glowing from the side wall.
"Sit down," the guard commanded.
Kael sat.
The first guard stood by the door, watching Kael closely to ensure he didn't try anything. The other guard opened a chest on the side of the room and took out a glowing yellow glass vial. It looked like a test tube.
It gives off the same vibe as my lantern and the stars, Kael thought.
The guard placed it on the table. "Drink it, Kael. Then we will know if you are lying or not. If you are lying, you will die. A normal human body can't handle raw Stardust. But if you are a Stargazer, you will be fine. If not... rest in peace."
Kael gulped. He opened the lid of the vial, and without letting himself hesitate, he drank it in one go.
At first, it tasted normal. But a second later, he felt extreme heat and cold battling from the inside out, as if a fever was consuming him.
Then, his whole body began to glow. Bright yellow veins appeared all over his hands and neck.
For a moment, the whole room was illuminated by the heat radiating from him. Then, just as quickly, everything went back to normal. Kael felt his core fill up; the energy settled inside him, replenishing his reserves.
It was the same sensation as when he consumed the mist from the monster earlier.
Both guards looked surprised. They clearly hadn't expected him to survive.
"Well, well," the guard said, his tone changing to one of respect. "Welcome to Thermal-9, Kael."
"Thermal-9?" Kael questioned.
"Yes. This is Thermal-9. There are other cities like this, but this is the last one in the sector." The guard paused. "Also, Kael, you are too far from the Craters underground. It will take a long time to reach your home."
He turned to his partner. "Tell the Mayor that we have one more Stargazer."
The first guard looked back at Kael. "You are free to roam the city. Go get some food." He eyed Kael's tattered clothes. "Do you have Lumen Coins? Otherwise, you will have a hard time getting anything to eat here."
"No," Kael said. "But I do have this."
He took out the blue glowing crystal and placed it on the table.
"This is the Cryo-Heart of a monster I killed," he added.
The guard picked it up, surprised again. "Okay, Kael... that's an expensive item. I can give you 50 Lumen Coins for this. You can use them to buy food and supplies, or you can consume the coins to refill your core."
The guard opened a safe and took out the coins. They looked almost like Lumen Cells but were smaller—small glass tubes filled with glowing yellow gas.
Kael took them and put them in the pouch the guard provided.
The guard stepped aside, opening the door to the city.
"Welcome to our city, Stargazer."