Ren Isana pondered his situation and decided he would look for Natsuki once his progress hit 99%. It would likely only take a few more days, so he wasn't in any particular hurry.
Furthermore, Natsuki hadn't specified when exactly they would be leaving. The ones who should be anxious weren't Ren, but his classmates.
Thinking of his classmates who had been grinding fiercely lately, Ren's mouth curled up slightly. *Keep it up, everyone. I hope you can make it in time. It'll be a real pain if you can't.*
However, things always have a way of being unexpected. The next day, Natsuki directly announced the time everyone would be heading to the other world.
"I have something to announce. Your class monitor should have already told you that a new world is waiting for you to explore. Those whose strength hasn't reached Tier 5 before the summer break will stay behind. In other words, your time is running out." As Natsuki's voice fell, a wave of wailing erupted from the classroom.
Summer break was only one month away. That meant everyone only had a month to get stronger. Was that really enough time?
Some classmates wailed, while others' eyes lit up. Asuna and her friends breathed a sigh of relief because Asuna's progress was currently quite good.
A month was more than enough for her to break through to Tier 5, so she was no longer panicking. As for the others, *they would have to fend for themselves*.
"Natsuki-sensei, I apply for leave to go train outside!!" Sora stood up and raised her hand without hesitation. She wanted to go out and slay monsters; cultivating normally was simply too slow. She might as well go back to the Dungeon to resume her adventures.
One had to admit Sora was quite the clever one. Following her words, many eyes in the class lit up. Everyone still had their Falna, after all. If they wanted to level up quickly, wasn't going to the Dungeon the best way to do it?
"That's fine. Anyone who wants to go can apply to me directly. I'll grant your leave in advance." Sora's request wasn't rejected; instead, Natsuki agreed immediately.
Hearing this, everyone's eyes sparkled. They could actually apply for early leave? If that was the case, they weren't going to hold back!!
Ren glanced at his classmates. He knew that since the class was about to go on leave, these guys would rush the Dungeon. After all, only that would allow them to boost their strength rapidly.
"Yay!!" The crowd cheered instantly. As long as they were given the chance, they were confident they could push to Lv.5. They might hate normal cultivation, but since when did they hate slaying monsters?
"No yaying. Decide for yourselves. Those wanting to leave early should come to my office later." Natsuki interrupted them, her gaze then shifting toward Ren.
Ren happened to look up and meet her eyes. He then heard Natsuki say, "Ren Isana, come with me. I have something to tell you."
After saying that, Natsuki turned and walked out. Though Ren was a bit surprised, he hurriedly got up to follow, wondering what she wanted to discuss.
Once they were in the hallway, Natsuki looked at Ren and asked, "You're almost ready to break through, right?"
"How much Excelia are you still missing?"
She asked about his progress bar using the most easily understood terms. She could feel that Ren was only a tiny bit away now.
"5%. I was planning to find you once I hit 99%." Ren understood what she was getting at the moment she asked.
"That's completely unnecessary. This is already enough. I'll go prepare and notify you when it's time!" Natsuki rolled her eyes. In reality, there was no need to reach that much; 95% was already sufficient.
"So, is there anything you need me to do?" Ren was curious. What was she going to do with Apollo's body? Was she going to give him a blood transfusion? If so, Ren felt it would be a bit gross!!
"It'll only be beneficial for you, so just wait. Go and tally up how many people in class want to go training. You won't be going this time, so just give me the list when you're done." Natsuki said this and then simply vanished on the spot.
Seeing her mysterious act, Ren grew even more curious. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and decided to stop overthinking it. He turned back into the classroom and walked straight to the podium.
Seeing Ren's movements, everyone fell silent. Their big boss was about to speak; they had to listen closely!
"Natsuki said those who want to go training should come to me so I can tally the names. I assume none of you are planning to back out, right? If anyone wants to opt-out, raise your hand. If not, I'm putting down the whole class!" Ren asked directly.
It was hilarious. Tally a list? There was no need for that. He would just submit the entire class roster and be done with it. The whole class together!!
As Ren expected, not a single person wanted to take leave from the training. Everyone wanted to participate. Seeing that no one raised their hand, Ren nodded. Recalling what Natsuki said before she left, he spoke up: "Alright then. Aside from me, everyone is going. I've got it."
At those words, everyone was stunned. Ren wasn't going? How could this be? Everyone was shocked, and Asuna looked at her boyfriend with a suspicious gaze.
Yukino voiced the doubt in Asuna's heart: "You aren't going?"
"Yeah, Natsuki has other matters for me, so I won't be participating this time. You guys can go yourselves. Just stick to the previous teams." After saying that, Ren looked at his classmates.
He thought of Bell and Haruhime. If Haruhime followed them, it would undoubtedly be safer. Even if they pushed into the deeper floors, there shouldn't be a problem.
After all, Haruhime's support magic was too good. Especially now that Haruhime's level had risen, she could provide buffs to the whole party, which had a massive impact on the battlefield.
"Make sure to bring Haruhime and Bell with you. I'll go find Hestia later and have her prepare some divine blood to replenish everyone's supplies. Everyone, strive to break through to Tier 5. We should be able to get some decent benefits in the new world!" Ren began arranging things for them.
He didn't want anyone to be absent this time. Although the specific details of the situation over there weren't clear yet, ganging up on enemies with the whole class would be quite satisfying!
Moreover... that world contained the infinite Magic Power Kumo had been dreaming of. However, obtaining infinite Magic Power wouldn't be that easy; one mistake could lead to being assimilated.
Besides that... things like the [Mystic Eyes of Death Perception] were also excellent treasures. Ren remembered that some Mystic Eyes could be transferred—after all, they could even be put up for auction, so they must be transferable to others.
Hearing that Ren had other matters, everyone was curious, but no one pried. Although it was a shame he wasn't going, they really could run wild if they brought Haruhime and the others.
Not to mention Ais Wallenstein and her group were there as well. With the people in this class, it wouldn't be a problem for them to keep pushing further down. He just didn't know which floor the Dungeon had been cleared to by now.
The matter was settled. This group would spend a month in the Dungeon and then return. Whether they could pull their level up to Lv.5 in that month would depend on their own efforts.
With those matters arranged, everyone went back to their classes. During lunch, Asuna curiously asked Ren, "What are you going to be doing?"
Ren not participating in the training was something that deeply confused her. She didn't quite understand what he planned to do.
"I'm about to break through to Tier 6. Natsuki has something for me to do, and it's a good thing!" Ren didn't say much else; those who understood, understood.
Asuna was stunned for a moment. Breaking through so soon? She was even more puzzled, but seeing Ren like this, it seemed he didn't know exactly what was going to happen either, so she didn't ask further.
At noon, Ren sent the list directly to Natsuki. Everyone except him was going, and he even squeezed Bell and Haruhime onto the list as well.
Once that was done, Ren sent a message to Hestia, asking her to come over in the evening to help update everyone's status panels.
Speaking of Hestia, that girl was now completely immersed in the ocean of knowledge. She spent every day reading in the library and couldn't even be bothered to go out and play.
It was like throwing a mouse into a grain bin. By the time she finally came out to wander around, Hestia would probably be able to recite every book in the library from memory. Rather than calling Hestia the Goddess of the Hearth, she was more like a Goddess of Knowledge.
The message was sent, and a reply came almost instantly. She would definitely come in the evening. She hadn't seen everyone in a while, so this was a good chance to meet up. She had indeed been too obsessed with reading lately.
After handling all of that, Ren and the others returned to the dorms to rest and then continued classes in the afternoon. By dusk, Hestia arrived and began updating the students' Falna panels.
After finishing, Hestia stayed at the dorms for a while before leaving. The next day, classes were canceled. Everyone packed their things and left the school to head for the Dungeon, leaving Ren alone at the school.
Once the students had all left, Natsuki came knocking on his door. "Let's go. Follow me; I'm taking you somewhere."
With that, she used [Spatial Teleportation] to take Ren away from the dormitory. When they reappeared, they were inside a massive ritual altar.
Looking at the surroundings, Ren was a bit confused. Just the look of the Magic Circle below was incredibly complex—Ren hadn't even encountered many of its components before.
"See that coffin? Throw Apollo's body into it, then go sit in the center of the altar. From then on, whether you want to perform [Meditation] or do something else, just don't leave the altar." Natsuki quickly explained the precautions to Ren.
Hearing this, he asked in confusion, "What is this for? And why use Apollo's body?"
Ren still didn't quite understand what the altar was for, nor why it had to be done at this time.
"This is a ritual altar for you to seize Apollo's Authority—and the kind that comes without any side effects. It converts Apollo's power directly into your own." Natsuki didn't hide it and explained the altar's function.
"Seizing a god's power... a God Slayer?" Ren was a bit surprised. That was exactly it, wasn't it? This was a ritual altar used to transform someone into a God Slayer!
"Exactly, a God Slayer. I have to say, your luck is truly incredible. Not only did you kill Apollo without taking a scratch, but you even brought back the body." Natsuki couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
After others slay a god, they are usually cursed by the gods. But Ren wasn't. In that world, Apollo was killed without any defenses prepared, and even his body was brought back.
The target's entire power was sealed within the body and didn't have time to return to the heavens. One could only say that all of this was too coincidental—coincidental beyond belief.
In fact, it would likely be very difficult for anyone else to replicate this. A world can only go through one such cycle. After Apollo was killed by Ren, the gods in that world would definitely become vigilant.
If anyone wanted to kill a new god, it probably wouldn't be so easy. The moment they were attacked, they would likely unseal themselves and retaliate. No one wanted to become the second Apollo.
After Natsuki's explanation, Ren gained a general understanding of the Magic Circle before him. It was to let Ren transform into a God Slayer, and one without side effects at that.
Ren could obtain all of Apollo's Authorities and even his Divinity. Beyond that, he would gain an Anti-Divinity trait. Because of this specific Magic Circle, anyone with insufficient strength wouldn't be able to withstand the Authority, but the current Ren was just right.
When he obtained Apollo's Authority, Ren's strength would undergo a qualitative change. He might even leap directly past Tier 6 and break through to Tier 7. He could use the obtained Authorities however he wished, just like his own abilities.
"I understand. I just need to put the body in, right? How long will the total conversion take?" Ren was now quite interested.
No wonder Director Ken told him to keep the body; who knew there was such a good thing? Then he definitely had to do it. Becoming a God Slayer was a great deal, wasn't it?
"It will take some time. After all, our altar is a modified version, not the original. If it were the original, it would be completed instantly, especially since this divine body is still whole." Natsuki couldn't give a precise answer on the duration.
After all, she had never been a God Slayer herself. Most of the God Slayers she knew of didn't undergo their transformation here; they usually completed it on the spot after slaying a god in that world. This altar was a replica brought back from there.
Hearing Natsuki say this, Ren felt a bit helpless, but he didn't overthink it further. He walked over and stuffed Apollo's body into the coffin.
When Ren opened the coffin, he also took a look at the arrays inside. It was densely packed with formations for decomposition, absorption, and conversion. Muttering to himself, Ren stuffed Apollo's body inside like a piece of trash.
With that done, Ren walked to the center of the altar. Seeing this, Natsuki spoke up again: "From now on, stay here and don't leave. I'll bring your three meals to you. As for using the bathroom or whatever, handle it yourself with magic."
After finishing her instructions, Natsuki vanished on the spot. Ren was left there speechless. As she departed, the place became empty and so silent he could hear his own breathing.
Ren simply lay down. As long as he didn't leave this place, he could do whatever he wanted. He might as well close his eyes and perform [Meditation]. With that thought, Ren closed his eyes.
About half an hour later, the surrounding Magic Circle began to react. If Ren were to observe closely, he would find that the divine body of Apollo he had placed in the coffin was beginning to bleed.
Because it was no longer bound by the Spatial Ring, the wound Ren had pierced began to continuously leak golden blood. The appearance of this blood instantly activated the Magic Circle inside the coffin.
As the circle inside was activated, the other formations were also triggered. In an instant, the Magic Circles attached to this underground space were all lit up, and Divine Power began to spread.
Ren, who was in the middle of [Meditation], slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the fully activated Magic Circles, a flash of surprise in his eyes. It had already begun?
Just as he thought that, Ren felt a surge of pure power beginning to pour into his body. The energy within him began to boil, starting to transform into a brand-new type of power.
Discovering this, Ren's eyes instantly lit up. The fusion of Magic Power and True Qi had already saved him some work, and now this power was starting to be imbued with Divinity?
Feeling that power changing bit by bit, Ren confirmed this fact. His power was indeed transforming toward the direction of Divine Power, and his strength was starting to rise slowly. It was as if Ren was performing automatic AFK cultivation!
Ren stopped thinking about anything else. He closed his eyes and entered a state of [Meditation], completely casting aside all distractions to begin his own cultivation. He was now increasingly looking forward to what he would obtain next.
Natsuki was currently standing in a room, watching Ren's situation. Besides her, Director Ken, Yor Forger, and several other powerhouses were also present.
"I am now increasingly looking forward to seeing how far he can go. A flawless God Slayer... how truly enviable!" One stunningly beautiful woman wearing a qipao spoke with anticipation as she watched Ren below.
Ren didn't have any divine curses on him, and the Authority within the divine body he obtained was complete. When Ren obtained everything from Apollo, he could be considered another Apollo.
"He will only go further than us. All we need to do next is protect him. We should negotiate well with the next world; when the time comes, let those children go there to complete their Ascension." Director Ken withdrew his gaze and began making arrangements for everyone.
The transformation ritual had officially begun. Now they just had to wait quietly for the result. They had other matters to attend to on their end, so they didn't plan to stay long.
Hearing Director Ken's words, everyone nodded. They didn't linger and left one after another. Finally, only Natsuki and Director Ken remained on the spot!
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