Chapter 120: Controlling Ren
"Just now—what happened? Did any of you feel like something pushed us?"
"Shouldn't we be more worried about something else right now? Why did Ren suddenly turn into a girl?"
"Wha—?!"
Amid startled cries and murmurs, Run slowly got up from the ground, gently patting the dust off her uniform.
"That guy Ren already ran away. Would you mind stepping aside?"
At her polite request, the girls in the class immediately cleared a path. Run walked straight toward Franklin's seat.
"Franklin, could you please do me a favor—"
Seeing that practiced professional smile, Franklin raised an eyebrow and cut her off mid-sentence.
"Don't tell me you want to duel me too? I don't have time to humor you people all day."
Run wasn't angered by the rejection. She faced Franklin and gave a deep ninety-degree bow—her generous cleavage perfectly visible before his eyes.
"Please, Franklin-kun. Just teach Ren a lesson. If you do, he'll give up and never show his face before you again. That's the promise I made with him."
Franklin was momentarily tempted. Her sincerity was obvious—but before he could look any longer, Yui Kotegawa appeared before his desk, her icy glare fixed firmly on him.
Feeling the tension, Franklin quickly changed the subject. "Lala, you're his childhood friend. You decide. He's your friend too, after all. You'll have to deal with him later—it'd be bad if things get too awkward."
"It's fine, Lin! Just beat him up! He totally deserves it for pushing Run out to take the hit for him. A little lesson will do him good."
Seeing Lala's mischievous grin, Franklin realized he really shouldn't have asked her.
"Fighting violates school rules," Kotegawa said coldly. "Franklin, don't forget—you're still wearing those boards. The punishment might only last a day now, but if you keep breaking rules, it'll keep getting extended."
Franklin waved dismissively. "The school rules only apply inside the school. We'll take this elsewhere."
Seeing that there was still time before the next period, Franklin, Lala, and Run headed to the rooftop. The curious students who tried to follow were all driven back to class by Kotegawa's scolding. Only she and class representative Haruna Sairenji were allowed to come along.
"You can bring Ren out now," Franklin said evenly. "I'd like to hear what kind of duel he has in mind."
Run nodded lightly, closing her eyes. A puff of white smoke appeared, and Ren once again stood before them.
"I've been waiting for this day, Franklin. I'll defeat you and make Lala fall in love with me!"
Franklin didn't bother to argue. Self-delusion like this wouldn't stop unless he shattered it completely.
"How do you want to duel? Can you fly? We could do this in the sky—or if you'd rather, have Zastin send us out to some deserted area."
Ren's eyes burned with determination. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small box. As he flipped it open, a pale-blue light illuminated the surroundings.
He grabbed the glowing energy source and pressed it to his forehead. Instantly, it vanished into his body.
"No need for special arrangements. We'll settle this in the sky, right here and now!"
The moment he spoke, he shot upward into the clouds.
Franklin channeled spiritual energy into his eyes—the Eye of True Sight activated.
[Eye of True Sight Level Up]
Eye of True Sight (Blue · Rare) (Growth-type)
Growth Progress: 10/?? (Can upgrade upon max growth)
Usage: Infuse spiritual energy into the eyes to analyze chosen lifeforms or objects.
Consumption: Minor spiritual energy
Drawback: Cannot analyze beings vastly above user's realm—risk of backlash.
Skills: [Insight into All Things], [Soul Peering](Beginner)
[Insight into All Things]: As long as spiritual energy is sufficient, all living things can be analyzed.
[Soul Peering](Beginner): Allows basic detection of soul strength.
Using both abilities at once, a full status panel appeared before his eyes:
——
Name: Ren Elsie Jewelria (Run Elsie Jewelria)
Age: 16 / 300
Race: Memorzorians
Bloodline: Memorzorians Lineage (Androgynous before adulthood; splits into male/female after maturity)
Body Cultivation: First Origin Realm Peak (Enhanced by potion)
Energy Cultivation: Blue Energy Core
Soul Level: Tier 3 - Initial Strength
(The soul is mysterious and difficult to wield; however, usage consumes it. Rest and enjoyable activities accelerate recovery.)
(Mortal souls are generally classified into nine tiers.)
Mind Cultivation: Mortal Heart Stage
Innate Talent: None
Combat Power: 3300
(Combat Power is an approximate numerical reference. Real combat effectiveness fluctuates depending on skill, talent, techniques, and abilities.)
——
Seeing the updated stats, Franklin sighed. "Looks like I'll have to play along for a bit." Without further delay, he soared upward to meet Ren.
Five kilometers above ground, Ren stopped. The two faced each other across the open sky.
Lala soon caught up, her demon wings fluttering gracefully. The instant she stopped, Ren's eyes widened—his body erupting in blue light.
In the next second, dozens of glowing orbs burst forth from his body, along with a shimmering blue sword. The light flickered, and the orbs fired rapidly toward Franklin.
Franklin casually crushed each orb midair—every explosion scattering waves of spiritual energy.
During that time, Ren closed the distance in a flash, slashing at Franklin's neck.
Franklin didn't even move to block. Spiritual energy condensed around him, forming a protective barrier.
The sword's edge tore through the outer layer of energy—but met only the unyielding defense of Franklin's own body. Every furious strike that followed was effortlessly neutralized.
When Ren tried to pierce through by focusing all his strength into one point, Franklin simply caught the glowing blade between two fingers.
Seeing Ren struggle desperately to pull the sword free, Franklin flicked his wrist.
The weapon flew from his hands, turning into a streak of blue light that vanished into the void of space.
Franklin let out a lazy yawn. "Got any other tricks? If not, I'll start now."
Ren's pupils contracted sharply.
"Impossible! There's no way you're this strong! Yesterday your power level was under a thousand!"
Frantically checking his pockets and realizing he'd forgotten his scouter, he stepped back, fury twisting his features. Pressing his hands together, he gathered energy between them until a brilliant blue sphere condensed.
"Die, Franklin!"
The moment he released it, the blast left his body drained. He fell helplessly toward the earth, laughing manically—convinced Franklin would be obliterated by the explosion.
Franklin had planned to simply kick the orb away—but to make a point, he instead manipulated the surrounding spiritual energy, encasing the dense blue sphere completely.
Compressing it rapidly, he destabilized its inner structure, then sealed it within a protective barrier. As the reaction intensified, faint blue-green light began to leak out.
Once he sensed the energy had stabilized, Franklin dissolved the barrier, releasing a gentle pulse of energy into the sky—leaving behind a faintly glowing green crystal, tinged with traces of blue.
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