INTERSTELLAR ERA: MY MIND IS A LIBRARY

The tube opened.

Silas still sat there, looking around for a while before he stood up.

"So the ship has left the atmosphere already?" He asked Asher.

"Yes, Master Silas," Asher answered, bowing slightly.

Silas nodded, walking toward the bed.

He sat on its edge calmly, then looked up at Asher.

"Tell me about yourself," Silas said.

Asher looked at Silas with furrowed brows.

The question was too sudden, something he had not expected Silas to ask.

"I am at the Paragon rank," he said, waiting a moment to catch Silas's reaction.

"Which elemental cores have you formed?" Silas asked.

"Time, flame, wind, blood, and plasma. I am currently forming a lightning core."

Silas's eyes widened slightly.

The person before him had formed a time core. In the universe, time was one of the hardest cores to form, and those who truly managed it were beings far above others at the same rank.

"You have a really impressive lineup," Silas could not help but say as he recalled the other cores Asher had listed.

"Thank you," Asher said, bowing with a smile.

"You don't have to keep doing that. Just call me Silas."

Asher smiled for a moment before he nodded.

"Which weapon do you use?"

"Primarily, I use a sword. But I can switch to a spear, dagger, war axe, or fists when needed."

Silas smiled. "That's a lot," Silas said with a smile.

He was about to continue when a knock came from the door.

"Who is there?" Silas asked, his head turning toward the door.

"Come out of your room so you don't miss this sight."

Billie's cold and aloof voice came from behind the door.

"Which sight?" He wondered, standing up from the bed.

"I think she wants you to see the void of space," Asher replied, following behind Silas.

"Is it beautiful?" He asked, his brows knitting together.

"It is, depending on where you are."

"How does location affect the void?" Silas asked.

He had reached the front of the door. fгeewebnovёl.com

It slid open on its own, parting for Silas and Asher to walk through.

"There are places scarred by battles of those at the Resonance Realm and above. These spaces are usually chaotic and eerie," Asher explained. "But this is a residential area so the chance of such sights is very low."

Silas nodded in understanding.

He raised his head.

His breath almost stopped.

His heartbeat halted for a fraction of a second.

He blinked repeatedly, to the point where it felt like his eyes were about to fall from their sockets.

It was different from the darkness they had been told about.

It was purple. Not a dark one. This was fairly bright.

Several stars twinkled, some close, some far.

They came in different colors, ranging from red to blue to white.

The color of the space blended with the color of the nearest star, creating a striking hue that spread across everything.

It all blended beautifully.

"Wow."

Those were the only words Silas could form.

"We will be reaching the Orion Sector capital planet in five hundred hours," the cold mechanical voice of the ship's AI echoed through the vessel.

"If you walk further down to the left, you will find the kitchen. On the right of it, you will find the bar."

There was a brief pause before it continued.

"There is a training ground on the right wing of the ship, and a recreational centre right beside it."

The AI pulsed slightly, a whirring sound reverberating through the entire ship for a moment.

"In the spaceship, you are not allowed to enter the Nexus Dimension. You should not enter restricted spaces, and refrain from touching things you know nothing about."

With those words, it concluded.

Silas looked around for a while before turning toward the kitchen area.

Asher followed behind him, steps matching his.

Billie turned toward the training ground.

Amelia followed Silas, walking by his side.

Both of them said nothing.

Silas entered the kitchen. Amelia passed his side as she walked deeper into the place.

Silas watched her for a moment before focusing on what lay before him.

The kitchen was more like a store.

Everything was placed neatly on shelves, with labels identifying each item.

Silas's fingers ran across the shelves as he looked for something to eat.

Everything there was foreign to him. He had never encountered any of it, at least not on his planet.

"Won't they spoil if they are kept here like this?" Silas asked Asher.

Asher shook his head. "No. This was created with runic technology. Virtually all spaceships have one."

"Ohh," Silas nodded, remembering the runic models he had collected at the Solarion Spire days before.

'I should check that later,' he thought.

"Do you recommend anything?" Silas asked, turning back to look at Asher.

Asher smiled lightly as he stepped forward.

"Most things here are good. They are all luxury dishes rarely served even in high-end restaurants."

Asher's fingers moved with practiced ease across the shelf, picking a small sleek container that looked as though it was made from frosted glass.

Inside, something shimmered faintly, shifting between liquid and solid.

"This is the Celestial Broth," Asher said, holding the container toward Silas. "It is made from the marrow of star beasts that live in the corona of suns."

Silas collected the container with his left hand.

Even without opening it, heat was already radiating outward, warming him from his palm all the way to his shoulder.

He turned and walked toward the exit.

Within a few minutes, he reached the bar.

The bar, unlike the kitchen, seemed to have some life in it.

It looked like a typical restaurant. Five tables spread across the room, each with three chairs.

At the far end was a counter.

Drinks of various types were placed on the shelf behind it.

Silas sat in one of the chairs and took a spoon from the tray on the table.

Asher stood behind him, hands clasped at his back.

Silas looked at Asher for a while, then let out a quiet sigh.

"If we are alone, you can just be yourself with me," he said.

Silas was not used to such formality, and he was definitely not getting used to it anytime soon.

Asher opened his mouth, but swallowed his words immediately after.

"Okay."

"Why aren't you eating?" Silas asked as he gestured for Asher to sit.

Asher bowed lightly in appreciation, then pulled a chair out and sat.

"At my stage there is no need to eat since I have transcended my mortal limits. It is the same for everyone at the Ascendant Realm."

"Okay."

Silas did not waste time.

He was already salivating as he looked at the Celestial Broth before him. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

He opened it, the aroma drifting out and filling the entire place with a sweet scent.

"This smells incredible," Silas remarked.

"Wait till you taste it," Asher said calmly.

Silas did not hesitate. He dug into the broth, taking a small amount with his spoon.

He brought it to his mouth.

He swallowed, then drew the spoon in.

The spoon rested in his mouth for what felt like an eternity.

Silas closed his eyes, savouring the taste.

"This is something else," he said, pulling the spoon out.

He took another, filling the spoon this time.

Like someone starved for days, he rushed through the broth, taking spoon after spoon until it was finished.

Silas rubbed his stomach with his palm.

"Nice."

As if waiting for him to finish, Amelia walked in at that exact moment.

Whether coincidental or intentional, she was holding a container of Celestial Broth.

Silas noticed but looked away.

"Here, have some more. Consider it a peace offering," Amelia said as she walked toward him.

Silas looked at her, then at the food.

He collected it. "How is it a peace offering when you got it for free?" He asked, opening the lid.

"Oh, I will do better next time then," Amelia said.

Asher looked at both of them.

Without needing anyone to tell him, he stood up and moved to another table.

Silas looked at him and shook his head. 'What the hell is he thinking?' He wondered.

"So, may I join you?" Amelia asked.

"If I said no, would you leave?" Silas replied.

Amelia smiled slightly before sitting down.

"So, how are you doing?" She asked, placing another Celestial Broth container on the table.

"Good," Silas replied, looking away from the broth. "What about you?"

Amelia nodded.

Neither of them spoke again.

The tension between them rose as the silence stretched further.

"What do you feel about leaving Veritas?" Silas asked, breaking the silence.

Amelia looked at him for a moment before gazing through the transparent wall of the spaceship.

"What can I say? If I ever wanted to grow, I had to leave that place one day."

Silas smiled.

"Friends?" He said, extending his palm toward her.

Amelia looked at the hand.

She sighed.

Then she took it.

"Friends."