After Ren Isana led these classmates out of the Dungeon, he didn't hesitate to teleport them directly back to their dorms at the Dimensional Nexus University. A journey that would have normally taken everyone nearly a day was bypassed in an instant by Ren.
Looking at the familiar surroundings, everyone was stunned. Ren spoke up then, saying, "Alright, those who need rest should go ahead and get some. We'll go find Natsuki tomorrow."
After saying his piece upon returning to the dorms, Ren went back to his own room. Seeing this, the others also returned to their rooms to wash up and settle in.
Ren took a shower as well. Just as he finished, he received a message from Asuna. It was just one sentence: "Are you coming up?" That went without saying. Of course Ren was going up.
Ren had no intention of staying in his own room after that.
He let everyone rest in the dormitory for an entire day. On the second day, Ren and the others finally went to find Natsuki. After sending her a message, Ren led his classmates to their designated classroom.
The school was currently on holiday. Aside from a few seniors who stayed on campus, many had already gone home for the break or headed to the Dimensional Rift for training.
After all, several new Dimensional Rifts had appeared on Nexus Island one after another, which was highly attractive. Naturally, those seniors were eager to test their mettle.
Ren and the others arrived at the classroom, and Natsuki arrived shortly after. Once she appeared, she scanned the students below. After a night's rest, many of them had recovered their spirits.
Seeing this, Natsuki spoke slowly, "Regarding the matters of the new world, we'll talk about those later. For now, let's discuss something else."
Hearing Natsuki's words, everyone sat up straight, falling silent and pricking up their ears to hear what she had to say.
"I'll consider you to have passed this time since you've all reached Tier 5, but you won't be as lucky next time. Your current progress can no longer keep up with Ren Isana's speed. If we encounter a more powerful world, you will definitely be unable to participate," Natsuki said, immediately plunging everyone into silence.
The new students might not have felt it as much, but the students who had been in the same class as Ren from the beginning were deeply affected. They had all awakened and been assigned to the same class together.
But what about Ren? His leveling speed was like he was using cheats, constantly skyrocketing. In the early stages, they could barely keep up because the gap wasn't large, but after this time, Ren's strength had completely left them in the dust.
Moreover, it was likely this speed would continue. Although everyone had broken through to Tier 5 and could participate in this world mission, what about the next one?
Next time, they might not be able to keep up. They didn't know how long they would be in the other world this time, but it was impossible for everyone to break through to Tier 6 in such a short period.
In other words, after this mission, it might be the last time everyone could explore a new world together with Ren. From the next time onward, they likely wouldn't have that chance.
"I hope you can all increase your strength as quickly as possible. After all, that guy Ren won't just wait around for you. If you want to continue exploring more worlds, you can only work harder," Natsuki said, looking meaningfully at the many students below.
Ren's strength would only grow more powerful. This class had changed from the moment they entered this university. With Ren as the absolute core, they were building a team around him.
If they viewed this class as a Familia, then Ren was the Captain, and everyone else was his subordinate or assistant—the help Ren needed when pioneering other worlds.
But now that Ren's leveling speed was accelerating, the rest of them naturally had to keep up quickly. Otherwise, if they were left behind, their usefulness would no longer be significant.
Though it sounded cruel, it was the reality. Natsuki didn't state this explicitly; it was better if they realized it themselves. If they couldn't, then there was nothing more to be done.
The classmates were all incredibly solemn, the pressure suddenly mounting. Did anyone want to give up on pioneering new worlds? The answer was no!
It went without saying how much the first group to follow Ren to the other world had benefited—they had become rich overnight and obtained things they could never have imagined. The new students who joined after entering the university were the same.
Pioneering new worlds brought countless benefits because the higher-ups were never stingy with rewards. Under such circumstances, how could they accept being unable to continue?
So, for the next phase, they only had one option: to grind, to grind like crazy. Only by matching that guy Ren's speed could they continue to follow him into the unknown.
Get stronger, get stronger, get stronger! This was the only objective for everyone in the class. Aside from becoming stronger, nothing else mattered.
"Alright, I've said what needed to be said. The rest is for you to figure out. Now, let me tell you about the world you'll be heading to next," Natsuki said, beginning to detail the various conditions of the other world.
That world only allowed those below Tier 8 to enter, and travel required permission from both sides, essentially adding an entry application process. By the same logic, people coming from there would also need to apply.
Going there also meant potentially being monitored, as this oversight came from the World Will. You couldn't just do whatever you wanted. If you committed atrocities in that world, they had the right to deport you immediately.
If someone were to sneak in illegally, they had the right to just end you right there. Therefore, they needed to be law-abiding and avoid causing trouble in that world.
Of course, while there were many conditions, those who went would be treated as locals. You could even learn various things there if you met certain criteria.
"I hope that when you go there, you can find a place to properly learn the knowledge of that world. That is your primary objective for this trip," Natsuki concluded, stating their main quest.
Hearing this, Ren couldn't help but ask, "What if we get caught up in some war? How does that work?"
Natsuki only gave him a faint glance before explaining, "Then fight. There's nothing to hesitate about. As long as you don't cause destruction to the world itself, they generally won't bother you."
The baseline had been drawn. As for whether they would be caught in a war, who knew? They didn't know the specific situation of that world yet, only some basic information.
The specifics required Ren and the others to explore. Since anyone above Tier 8 was forbidden from entering, they could only send Ren and his group to investigate.
"I see. I understand now." Having cleared this up, Ren felt relieved. As long as they didn't destroy the world, it was fine!
They were good people, after all. How could they possibly do something so terrible? There was no need to worry about that; they just wanted to go there and learn a few things.
First, they would go there to figure out the exact timeline and which world line of the Type-Moon universe it was, then they would finalize their plans.
Spending the summer break having these guys learn there was actually a good idea. Then Ren could go participate in the Holy Grail War himself? Hmm... that was the plan.
"When do we set out!" Ren asked, eager to know. He still didn't know where the newly opened passage was located.
"I'll give you one day to prepare. We set out tomorrow," Natsuki said before leaving. She had said everything she needed to say. As for how to prepare, these people already had experience.
Once Natsuki was gone, everyone's eyes turned to Ren. Sora couldn't help but ask, "Class leader, is there anything we should prepare?"
"Prepare gold. What else is there? That world isn't some post-apocalyptic wasteland, so we just need to have gold ready," Ren shook his head, sharing his thoughts.
Going to the Type-Moon world, which was set in the nineties, it wasn't a ruin. They wouldn't be thrown into a Lostbelt, so preparing gold was enough.
After all, no matter which world it was, it was hard to move a single step without money. With money, anything could be handled easily. If you had enough money to join the Holy Grail War, you could even find an arms dealer to order a shipment of munitions and bomb those mages.
Mages couldn't withstand the damage of modern firearms. After all, a certain Magus Killer was quite fond of greeting people with an RPG!
Thinking of this, Ren added another suggestion, "Maybe... we should prepare some modern weapons? It could be useful to carry some along."
At these words, everyone was momentarily stunned. Modern weapons? Those things held no advantage in the face of magic. For that reason, many conventional weapons had begun to be phased out. After all, a single missile wasn't as cost-effective as a single spell.
"Buying those things might be a bit difficult, right?" Asuna looked at Ren with some doubt. Although those things were being phased out, they were still incredibly lethal to ordinary people.
Asagi Aiba, however, informed everyone of some news, "No, the school sells them. There are even some made by juniors and seniors in the third and fourth years. If you want them, you can still buy them."
Everyone was filled with question marks upon hearing this. What kind of absurd news was this? There were seniors selling these things? Sora couldn't help but complain, "What the hell? Are there really seniors working part-time as arms dealers? Is that allowed?"
"It's not that strange. After all, Dimensional Nexus University has many geniuses, and the higher-ups haven't given up on researching modern weapons. It's not surprising that some seniors produce these things to earn research funds," Ren thought for a moment and roughly understood the reason.
"Exactly. Those weapons are being phased out, but not completely. Research is still ongoing. If you want to buy them, just go directly to those seniors," Asagi Aiba explained.
She spent every day scouring the network, so she was very clear on the goings-on within the school. With a direction set, everyone decisively moved out, heading to find those seniors based on the info Asagi Aiba provided.
At the Dimensional Nexus University's Weapons Department, when the group arrived, there were still many seniors around. Some were tinkering with newly developed weapons, while others were test-detonating bombs they had just created.
From time to time, Ren could even sense fluctuations of Magic Power. Weapons combining Magic Power and technology were also being developed here?
Arriving here, a flash of surprise crossed Ren's eyes. Techno-magic? These people were truly something else.
Their arrival was quickly met with a warm welcome. Ren didn't waste words and directly stated what they needed. Hearing that they were there to buy weapons, the seniors became incredibly enthusiastic, frantically pitching various armaments to Ren's group.
"Are there no purchase restrictions?" Ren looked at a missile one senior had rolled out and fell into deep thought. What in the world was this? According to the introduction, this was a supersonic missile? And a portable launch version at that.
With the strength provided by the current universal awakening, any Tier 2 person could carry it and run as if on wings. A single shot could even unleash the power of a Tier 4 mage's spell.
"What restrictions? As long as you don't go blowing things up randomly here, there are no restrictions. Use them as much as you want in other worlds, just don't use them on our side," the senior said with a grin.
Hearing this, Ren understood. He immediately spoke up, "Give me ten single-man rocket launchers, then some that can provide fire coverage, and some anti-materiel snipers and the like..."
Ren wasn't short on money. Since they were available for purchase, he naturally wanted to buy some for fun. When the time came, he'd use these to have a sniping duel with Kiritsugu Emiya!
The others were speechless hearing what Ren wanted to buy. The list Ren was rattling off was enough to fight a small-scale war in the old days.
Although the prices for these items had dropped significantly, when calculated, it was still quite expensive. It was nowhere near as convenient as magic. After all, magic only cost the price of one 300-Valis bottle... actually, the price of a Blue Potion had dropped to just over 200 now.
Then you could produce the effect of ten missiles. But Ren buying ten missiles? The price was already in the millions. The cost-effectiveness simply didn't compare!
Since they finally had a customer at the door, the seniors were thrilled. In the end, the firearms Ren and the others needed were given away for free. Everyone bought a few more just to treat them as toys.
Anyway, they had their Spatial Backpacks, so everyone could carry them easily. Maybe they'd find a use for them one day? Regardless, they wouldn't expire just sitting there.
After procuring these items, everyone left the school to exchange for some gold. This gold was for use in the other world. Ren didn't lack money now, so he simply exchanged 300 million Valis for gold bars to avoid having to run around later.
After dealing with those matters, as Ren and the others passed a collector's shop, he suddenly walked in and bought several antiques with significant historical value.
Looking at the things Ren bought, Asuna asked curiously, "You've started playing with antiques? Those things are a huge money sink!"
She didn't understand how Ren had picked up such a hobby. Furthermore, the antiques he bought weren't things like vases or calligraphy, but rather weapons used by certain figures that she didn't recognize.
"They might be useful. That world has things called Heroic Spirits, who are the protectors of the world. According to the data Natsuki gave us, Heroic Spirits can be summoned, and it requires some sort of medium," Ren said, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly as he looked at his purchases.
He wasn't afraid of buying fakes; the mysterious aura lingering on them couldn't lie. As a God Slayer, Ren was extremely sensitive to such things.
That was why he had specifically picked these out. Although the worlds were different, he should still be able to summon them, right? After all, if you used these items to summon them, wouldn't they have to come down and see what was going on?
Asuna was stunned to hear Ren's explanation. So that was it? Then they really might be useful. she didn't say anything more.
Once the shopping was finished, everyone returned to the dorms to wait for tomorrow. The girls in the class, however, pulled Ren aside to start asking him various questions.
For instance, Kumo was currently desperate to complete her second Magic Power source. She had been studying the materials Ren uploaded for several months and had already started making attempts.
By now, she had already constructed the [Magic Mark] at her heart, but the task of opening the space had stumped her. Since she wasn't skilled in [Spatial Magic], she didn't dare to act recklessly in that regard.
Because of this, she could only come to ask Ren how to proceed. Kumo explained the situation she was facing to Ren.
Listening to Kumo, Ren said with some surprise, "You've already made it this far? Then I'll give you a hand. Come, sit in front of me and watch me."
Since she had reached this stage, Ren didn't mind helping. She only needed to open the space and stabilize it before she could begin storing Magic Power, but this step required extreme caution.
Hearing this, Kumo hurried to sit in front of Ren. In the next moment, Ren reached out and tapped her forehead with his finger, saying, "Follow the flow of my Magic Power."
As Ren's voice fell, Kumo quickly felt his Magic Power enter her body, flowing from her forehead toward her heart. Seeing this, Kumo followed suit immediately.
She began to direct her own Magic Power according to the path Ren was leading. With Ren's help, a [Spatial Mark] quickly appeared at her heart. Everyone present held their breath, fearing they might disturb the two.
The mark was generated, and then Ren helped her carve out a space. At this point, Ren pulled his hand back directly. "Handle the rest yourself!"
As Ren's voice faded, he waited quietly. Kumo, meanwhile, looked completely serious as she began to stabilize the space in her heart according to the materials Ren had provided previously.
After about half an hour, Kumo finally stopped. Sensing the Magic Power source formed in her heart, she was overjoyed. Kumo tried to pour her own Magic Power into it, and as expected, she succeeded. Her second Magic Power source was complete!