Ren Isana strongly suspected this was exactly what Natsuki Minamiya had planned all along. However, since classes hadn't officially started yet, he couldn't be entirely sure what was going through her mind.
The two waited downstairs for a while until the rest of their classmates trickled down. They formed a group, headed to the cafeteria for dinner, and on the way back to the dorms, Ren suddenly remembered something.
He looked at Mahiru Shiina. "Shiina, take this. Go back and study it carefully. If there's anything you don't understand, come ask me anytime."
Ren pulled out Miach's notebook. Naturally, this was a translated copy. He wasn't about to hand over the original—not that they'd be able to read the divine script anyway.
Hearing Ren's words, Mahiru Shiina froze for a moment before hurriedly taking it. The others also looked over with curious eyes.
"This is a notebook from a deity—the God of Healing. Natsuki-sensei asked me to pass it on to you. It contains a few magic spells. See if you can learn them. If you can't, come find me," Ren explained.
Mahiru Shiina and the others widened their eyes in shock. A notebook from a god?! Mahiru, in particular, was startled. *Isn't this way too precious?*
"Class Rep... maybe I should give this back to you. It's too valuable." She didn't even open it, immediately offering it back. In her eyes, this was a priceless treasure.
"What are you thinking? It's just a copy. I still have the original. Besides, most of the class has already seen it, but none of them could understand it. You have a talent for healing, so you should be able to comprehend the contents." Ren looked at her, amused.
Precious? It wasn't precious at all. In fact, it probably wouldn't be long before they could find it in some library. Ren had already submitted the contents to the university, and it would likely be published soon.
Plus, Miach was in this world now too. He was probably eager for his notebook to be widely distributed so it could help more people.
Sora couldn't help but chime in. "That's right! We've all looked at it, so it's really not that big of a deal. Just take it. If you run into any problems, ask the Class Rep. And if even he doesn't know, I'll take you straight to Miach."
She knew very well that Miach was currently on Nexus Island. Finding him wouldn't be difficult. Moreover, if the god knew about Mahiru Shiina's talent, he'd probably be more than happy to teach her himself.
Seeing everyone's encouragement, Mahiru thought about it and finally accepted the notebook. At the same time, she felt a surge of awe. *To actually meet the God of Healing... that's something to look forward to.*
The group didn't rush back to their rooms. Instead, they gathered by the lake to chat and exchange tips on magic. The new students were still in the process of learning the spells shared in the group chat.
They had picked up the simple ones, but for things like [Piercing Magic Cannon], it was better to ask for guidance. After all, that spell was quite dangerous.
Some also asked Ren about [Flight Magic]. Sora could currently only fly a tiny distance before the magic failed her—a problem that had been bugging her for days.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, she asked Ren for help. For the rest of the afternoon, Ren essentially held an impromptu class, answering everyone's magic-related questions.
The new students finally understood why everyone respected Ren so much as the Class Rep. It was because he was genuinely willing to teach them everything he knew.
They also gradually realized what Ren's talent was: learning. No matter what it was, he could master it effortlessly. This kind of talent made the newcomers incredibly envious.
While they learned about his talent, Ren also learned about theirs—and naturally, he used [Jianjigu] to copy them all.
Mahiru Shiina's talent was [Healing Heart]. When learning [Healing Magic], its effects were doubled. Even the most basic healing spells could produce miraculous results in her hands.
Shikimori's talent was [Wild Beast], a controllable combat-oriented ability. It granted her terrifying combat intuition and an all-around physical enhancement.
Asagi Aiba's talent was [Electromagnetic Manipulation]. However, her skill tree was completely skewed. In her own words, while she could use lightning magic, she preferred applying it to technology.
This meant that, as long as she wanted to, she could use her smartphone to hack into any network anywhere, essentially acting like a human artificial intelligence.
She was probably the only one in the class with a talent so closely tied to modern technology. But it made perfect sense why she was in the Special Elite Class.
With Asagi Aiba, Ren's team essentially gained a super hacker—an invaluable asset for any sci-fi or modern world they might visit.
Sayaka Kirasaka's talent was straightforward: [Magic Break]. Both her True Qi and Magic Power possessed anti-magic properties. She couldn't learn many spells because her own Magic Power would interfere with them.
As a result, she could only use her Magic Power like arrows or coat her weapons with it for close combat. She was the absolute bane of mages.
Then there was Kojou Akatsuki. This guy's talent was [Berserk]. Once activated, his eyes turned crimson, and his strength multiplied by five or six times. The side effect was that he turned into a literal berserker.
Instead of being a True Ancestor, he had become a berserker. It was a bit ridiculous. Ren was even debating whether he should teach him [Mountain Shattering Strike].
His best friend, Motoki Yaze, had a surprisingly useful talent. It was perception-based, allowing him to sense everything within a several-kilometer radius, and he could also manipulate the wind.
As for the other students, their talents all had their own unique quirks, but overall, they were quite impressive.
As the students showed off their abilities, Ren reaped all the benefits. He copied every single one of them. Whether they were immediately useful or not, it was better to have them than not.
Everyone gained something that afternoon. By evening, the group had dinner together before returning to their dorm rooms to practice [Meditation] and rest.
The next day, classes officially began. Their first session was with Natsuki Minamiya, who started lecturing on the operational logic of [Intermediate Magic].
Natsuki didn't mention anything about going to another world. For the next few days, Ren and the others attended classes in their designated room. Aside from Natsuki's lectures, they also had classes with Yor Forger.
However, Yor had already taught Ren and the original group most of her material. Her classes were more for the benefit of the new students, while the veterans treated it as a review session.
Days passed, and soon it was their first weekend. After Friday's classes ended, everyone headed back to the dorms together.
Just as they arrived downstairs, Ren spotted Hestia waiting for them. Seeing Ren and the others, her eyes lit up, and she dashed over to his side.
"You're finally back!" Hestia greeted him excitedly.
Seeing her energetic state, Ren raised an eyebrow. "Looks like you've been having a good time?"
Honestly, Ren had been a bit annoyed. Hestia had vanished for days without a trace. Now that she suddenly reappeared without a hint of exhaustion in her eyes, Ren knew she had just been having the time of her life.
"Hehe... I really love it there!" Hestia happily babbled about the library. She didn't have to do any actual work; she just sat quietly and read. An endless supply of books was absolute paradise for her.
If she hadn't known they had the weekend off, she probably wouldn't have even come over. Hestia was completely addicted and had almost forgotten about Ren and the others.
Shikimori and the newcomers didn't recognize Hestia and were a bit surprised by her presence. But Ren's next words quickly clarified her identity.
"Perfect timing. Give everyone their Falna. The Hestia Familia has some new members." Ren didn't waste time and immediately asked Hestia to update their statuses. Even though they were just attending classes every day right now...
Heaven knew when they'd suddenly be ordered to deploy. It was better to get this sorted out early.
Hestia nodded and looked at Shikimori and the others. "That's exactly why I came today. Natsuki-chan told me to come."
A flash of surprise crossed Ren's eyes. Natsuki-sensei sent her? Did that mean they were heading to a new world soon? Otherwise, why would she specifically ask Hestia to come over and grant them Falna now?
"Let's head inside first, then you can handle everyone's Falna." Though Ren had his suspicions, he didn't dwell on them. He swiped his keycard, opened the dorm doors, and walked in.
The others followed closely behind. Once inside, Hestia didn't hesitate. She quickly applied the Falna to the new boys first, then ran upstairs to do the same for the girls.
After finishing her work, Hestia ran over to hang out in Ren's room. Asuna, Yukino Yukinoshita, and a few other girls joined them, crowding into the room and chatting away.
Watching them, Ren felt a bit speechless. He couldn't help but ask, "Hestia, are you heading back tonight, or are you staying here? There are empty rooms upstairs. If you're staying, you should go tidy one up."
Hestia shook her head. "I'm not staying! I'll head back in a bit. I have my own apartment now, so I can't live here."
She was a salaried employee now! How could she live with the students? She had only come over today to grant them their Falna and would be leaving shortly.
"Did Natsuki-sensei specifically ask you to come because we're heading to another world soon?" Ren couldn't resist asking.
Unfortunately, Hestia was completely out of the loop and couldn't give him an answer, which left Ren feeling a bit disappointed.
"It probably won't be long before Natsuki-sensei tells us herself, right?" Asuna guessed.
Yukino and Megumi Kato nodded in agreement. That was definitely the case. Maybe she'd even notify them tonight.
Ren didn't press the issue. He chatted with Hestia for a while longer. She stayed for dinner, got to know the new students, and then said her goodbyes.
The Falna granted by Hestia left the new students buzzing with excitement. Their statuses actually displayed the magic and talents they had mastered—it was exactly like an MMORPG! Without a doubt, they'd be staying up late to study their new abilities.
After returning to the dorms, everyone went to their respective rooms. Ren headed straight for the bathroom to shower. When he stepped out, his phone was buzzing non-stop with notifications. Seeing this, he used his Magic Power to evaporate the moisture from his body and picked up the device.
As soon as he opened the group chat, he saw messages from Natsuki Minamiya. She had muted the entire chat and posted an announcement.
Natsuki Minamiya: [@Everyone, use this weekend to prepare. I've already told you about the background of this world. Stock up on food and water. Don't end up starving or dying of thirst over there.]
Natsuki Minamiya: [Departure is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Gather downstairs at the dorms. I'll come pick you up.]
Ren's eyes lit up. *So we really are heading out soon.* He immediately typed a reply.
Ren Isana: [Understood. Will you and the other teachers be coming with us this time, Natsuki-sensei?]
Even though the chat was muted, Ren, as the group owner, was immune. The same went for admins like Sora and Asuna, though they stayed quiet for now.
Natsuki Minamiya: [We won't be going this time. You're entirely on your own. You're in charge of the arrangements.]
Ren nodded thoughtfully. *So we're fully responsible for this expedition?*
Ren Isana: [Got it. We'll head out to buy supplies tomorrow!]
Natsuki Minamiya: [OK.]
After she sent an emoji, the chat was unmuted. Ren immediately tagged everyone. As previously established, he was the Class Rep and fully in charge, a point Natsuki had just reinforced.
Ren Isana: [@Everyone, here are the arrangements.]
Ren Isana: [Tomorrow morning, we'll head out together and shop in our squads. Each squad needs to prepare enough food and water to last every member for three months.]
Ren Isana: [@Sora, this applies to you especially. Do not stuff your Spatial Backpack with random junk. Leave space for essentials.]
Ren specifically called out Sora, terrified she'd fill her inventory with useless knickknacks again.
Although many in the class didn't have Spatial Backpacks, the ones Ren and his core group possessed had more than enough capacity to carry supplies for everyone.
Sora: [QAQ, I know, Class Rep. I'll shop properly tomorrow.]
Though a bit pouty, Sora understood the gravity of the situation. Natsuki-sensei had explicitly stated it was an apocalyptic setting. Food and water were the top priorities; she wouldn't bring useless junk.
At most, she'd pack some fresh fruit. They needed vitamins, after all! They couldn't just survive on energy bars—that would be miserable.
Ren Isana: [Good. As for medical supplies, everyone make sure to buy antivirals and similar medications.]
Ren laid out a series of instructions in the chat. Once he finished, everyone chimed in to confirm they understood. They could figure out the finer details among themselves later.
This was the first time Shikimori, Mahiru, and the other newcomers were participating in something like this, and they were quite nervous. Mahiru was currently hanging out with Shikimori and Sora.
Once Ren stopped messaging, Sora began explaining the perks of exploring other worlds to the newbies. Besides the monetary rewards, there were other incredible drops—like the chance to get a Spatial Ring!
Ren had already acquired one, though that was purely through his own skill. The girls hadn't done much, so they couldn't be too envious. Still, the bonus payout alone was enough to grant them instant financial freedom.
Despite the risks, exploring other worlds was incredibly thrilling. The first-clear rewards were simply too lucrative to pass up.
Hearing this, Shikimori and the others' eyes sparkled. *So that's how they got their Spatial Backpacks! Maybe we can get some this time too?*
Asagi Aiba, in particular, fell deep into thought. *It's a sci-fi setting, right? That means there's a network! And since it's another world, I can do whatever I want without consequences, right?*
It looked like she needed to buy a ton of high-capacity hard drives tomorrow. Otherwise, she might not have enough space to download an entire world's worth of technology.
Asagi was confident. As long as it was on a network, she could hack it effortlessly. Even if it wasn't connected to the internet, it didn't matter—as long as electromagnetic forces existed, she could infiltrate it!
The new students couldn't help but look forward to the upcoming expedition. Having finalized their shopping plans for the next day, everyone returned to their rooms to wash up.
They planned to sleep early so they could head out together in the morning. Originally, they had intended to spend their day off binge-watching shows, but it seemed those plans were canceled.
The next morning arrived in the blink of an eye. Ren was woken up by the others, and the large group left the campus, heading toward the city.
Although they could buy supplies on campus, Ren and the others felt it was better to shop outside. Plus, they hadn't really explored the area yet, so it was a good excuse to look around.
Since it was Saturday, many students were heading off-campus to relax. Ren's large group didn't attract too much attention, as the streets were already bustling with people.
They swiped their ID cards to exit the university gates and headed straight for the nearby markets to stock up. With a group this size buying in bulk, the local shop owners were definitely going to have a very profitable day!