I stood next to a wall made of metal and thick stone that Adam called Moon mana concrete. It was as porcelain white and gray as the metal was black. But it wasn't what had my current attention. Adam fortunately could construct a simple mirror with already available materials.

Propping the mirror to the far east of the base against a wall I stood in front of it taking myself in. I know had worked to make myself good-looking and also increase my survivor ratings. But this was off the charts.

"God I could get obsessed with me". I shivered at the thought. "Lord's grace I'm straight. I would be in a conundrum of immense heights".

I stood at my system's approved height of 5ft 8 inches. My stature was that of a lean muscular dude. I was trapped in only a set of baggy pants leaving my upper body exposed to one heck of a view and I wasn't taking from pride. Just cold facts.

"The system even gives eight packs."I felt miffed that all my sit-ups had failed and in one sitting the system had succeeded. I was ripped and it was just so hot it was sickening. The thought of myself as hot, and yummy made me cringe and once more thinking my cringe was hot and awesome had me almost baffling.

The system was bad news when it came to looks.

My hair was the buzz cut I had set and my eyes were a dark and yet glinting purple. A straight jaw and pearly teeth completed the look. I still resembled a human.

"Yet I am not human". My skin tone, an almost ebony tinge with light almost wanting to reflect off me showed that. It didn't matter anyone who saw me would think it was a system thing.

I looked at my status and almost sighed.

"Adam. One of our top priorities, is obfuscation items".

[Roger]

¶¶¶¶¶¶

[Status].

[HP - 150/150]

[Source - 300/300]

[State - Healthy]

[Sun Heart - 0/100]

[Name - Medes Luminare]

[Race - Erizian]

[Age - Body - 0, Soul - 21]

[Level - 0] - [Exp - 10/1000]

[Affinities - Haendro, Aestro, Sol, Psychae]

[Class - Unlock Level 10]

[Vitality - 15] - Health, Skin Durability, Regeneration and Healing rate. Strength against poisons and status effects.

[Might - 15] - Bone strength, Muscle mass, force exertion, and velocity application.

[Agility - 15] - Speed, Dexterity, Flexibility and Acceleration. Strength against Status Effects.

[Mind - 15] - Mental acuity, concentration, speed of thought, will, and imagination]

[Source Energy - 30

[Passives - Levitation, Mind Veil, That Which kills you makes you stronger, Sol's Grace, Sun Heart, Calm as the Breeze Rough as the Storm]

[Skills

- Aestro - Null

- Haendro - Null.

- Sol - Energinesis.

- Psychae - Mental Touch]

"Funny how the costlier one is the one gifting the first skill." Unbothered I focused on learning more about my passives.

[Levitation - Energy flows through you like lifeblood. Expell it in a controlled tight radius around you to produce a slight off-lift from the ground. Cost - 10Source per minute. (Can be deactivated thy halting Energy expulsion or destabilizing radius control)

[Mind Veil - Cast a thin veil around the minds of targets within sight keeping them unable to think and reason. Causes disarray and confusion. Madness and dissociation. Cost - 6 source. Cooldown - 5 minutes.

[That Which kills you makes you stronger - Thanks to Sol's Grace you are unstoppable. Injuries deemed fatal are nothing but inconveniences. Illnesses, infections, diseases, and bacteria do you no harm. And when harm does indeed come it had better kill you or your enemy will learn the hard way that Sol despises those who challenge the power of its grace. Cost - 5 Solar Rads per minute]

[Sol's Grace - You carved a form that exalts the Sol and it in turn exalts you. Each second you absorb a unit of Solar Radiation energizing, healing, and improving your bodily capabilities. (You gain 0.006 solar rads per minute)

[Sun Heart - You carved yourself an ace to stay ahead. Unlike the humans you once were who possessed a single heart. You possess three. Yet only one matters. The Sun heart. Your personal energy storage for precious times. 30% of the absorbed solar rads in an hour goes to the Sun Heart]

[Calm as the Breeze Rough as the Storm - Your mind is a temple, harness it. Many shall be enemies who lose a fight against your physical prowess. Those of the mental sort shall seek to break your mind. Calm your thoughts and Shroud your mental faculties with the will you have shown in dealing with an Administrator. Cost - 9 Source per minute]

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

I rubbed my jawline in thought.

"It seems my plans worked out well in gaining these passives for my body. Seems the heart I put wasn't a waste".

Still, I was a bit disappointed that my other heart had not been mentioned. Still, though I figured it didn't matter as it was also a way to keep my enemies from finding out about it. Knowing I had a sun heart would lead to it getting targeted of course. But not realizing that it was simply the lesser of the two was better. After all even Erizians could not stand the full power of Sol flowing through their veins. When I made the extra organ I had defined it as something to refine the dangerous energy I would absorb into my body. Who knew it would be the Sun's solar radiation I would be absorbing?

"Just glad it worked out and I'm not blowing up or melting down like some reactor. That must be why the system was so happy to pay me off in silver. Thinking of it shouldn't a body able to harness the power of the sun receive more rewards like payment in gold". I frowned.

"Hey, System was I tricked? Did you pay me less?" there was no answer making me growl a bit.

"Fine, it doesn't matter I got what I needed in the end with your aid so no hard feelings".

[+1 to Mind]

I blinked. 'Did the system just reward me for letting bygones be bygones?' I chuckled at the thought before ignoring it and focusing on the few skills I had.

[Energinesis - The Source Energy flows through your veins. Flows through the air and the atmosphere. Erupts from the very machinations of all that is life. Tap into it, control it. Wield it]

[Mental Touch - The first step of all psychaes. The mental grasp of objects. Cost - 15 source per minute]

'From everything my status tells me it's apparent that Source and Sol are quite different' It made sense considering the options to buy affinities had listed Sol as an affinity and not a source. Which was funny considering well Sol was a source of energy itself. Solar radiation could be converted to different forms of energy like electricity and...

"Do I sense a synergy here? If I could get my heart to convert Sol Rads to energy I could be limitless. Like a mana mage with innumerable mana. I could spam my skills indefinitely.'

Still, the thought begged a question of what sources were and why they were different from affinities. Luckily I had someone with enough knowledge to help me.

"Adam".

[Yes Medes]

"If you may, please I have a series of questions. What is a source? How does one attain and regenerate a source once used up and how is it different from affinities? If you are able of course."

[This Unit is clear to answer questions about sources].

Mentally I sighed in relief that it could answer. But considering the system quest made it clear I should ask Adam then it made sense it could answer. Unless it hadn't been meant to be about Sources.

[Sources are wells of power abundant in every angle of the universe. No matter their source or mode of creation they exist. The universe functions on them and erasing or removing them creates dire times or events. Earth as an example is weakened, dying, and stagnant unable to push past a mediocre starter world]

"Starter world?!"

[Yes. Starter worlds are worlds without mana. Mana takes time to be released but it only comes from being and not within. The seal from the Unknown halted this process stagnating Earth for billions of years. Astral is received from the Astral plane, what your kind calls spirits. For Astral to permeate a world it must have unlocked Mana. While mana strengthens the mind and body of an entity, Astral builds the spirit]

I could feel my heart beat fast as a thought crept into my head. 'I'm zero for Astral source. Because I'm zero for Mana too'.

[The sources are pulled from the atmosphere and air into the body or in some cases made in the body as well. Once mana touches something or someone. Mostly animated beings the mana refines itself continuously within them. The very reason you are mana-cursed. There is nothing for the mana to affect having been touched by the Sol. Energies like Astral and Mana, Cosmic, and Divinity need to be refueled to keep the refining process ongoing. This is where you have a problem]

"Problem?"

[As a Graced of Sol you lack spirit, since you lack this your soul is unprotected from the touch of mana. If Astral source were to touch you it would find nothing to refine, and refine your soul instead].

"What of those who dabble in mana? Shouldn't they be at risk too?" my fright leaked from me but I didn't care as I wanted an answer.

[Mana touched ones draw in Astral consciously or not. Dabblers are better and more learned in the ways of Astral but still, mana wielders are more secure than you]

The little question I had asked exposed a flaw in my meticulous build. My body was strong and my senses sharp, but it seemed a saying humans had was reversed for me. The body is eager but the spirit is weak.

"There is always a way to offset such weakness. What is it?".

[While Possible. This Unit finds the probability of combat with Astral users unavoidable until the needed power level is attained]

"Just tell me," I growled.

[Very well. This unit complies. The Psychae are powerful for their ability to touch and wield that which the hands are unable to. When powerful enough psychae are recorded to have capabilities leafing to soul and spirit touch or attack. In your case armor for your soul]

"I didn't account for this". I whispered.

[There are also alternative methods, faster to gain albeit weaker]

My head rose sharply almost flying my neck and Adam must have realized my question as he spoke on.

[Techmology is a wonderful thing Medes].

My eyes shone. Looking around d I realized something very drastic, something that swelled my heart with joy. I might not have accounted for attacks to my soul. But getting the moon base and Adam had been another boon I had to make sure to protect. After all, even if I had gotten something more powerful it would have taken an attack from Astral users to learn this knowledge.

"I did use my boons well". The flash of words in my vision made a smile chase off the danger I had felt to myself from Adam's information.

[Compulsory Quest]

[Learning] - [Completed]

[Get to know about all facets of your body, your limits, capabilities, and abilities.]

[Rewards - + 50 Exp] - [Gained]

There was no reason to fear. All had weaknesses. I was better in the sense that I knew mine now. And also had a solution. Both a temporary and a long-term one. My palms tightened into fists.

"Adam. Tell me everything I need to know about the base". It was time to learn about the one trump card card that wasn't an ability.