Chapter 102: Breaking Through to 2-Star
Ren and the others were eating in a wooden gazebo built above a fish pond. Happy laughter filled the air as they joked and teased each other.
There were no signs of tension or fear on their faces, as if they had not been in a life-and-death situation a few minutes ago.
"Teacher Veronica, you didn’t see it. Ren was as cool as me earlier. He used his own skill and boom! That bodyguard collapsed on the ground." David explained the fight between Ren and Julian.
"What do you mean he was as cool as you?" Lily scoffed. "You are never as cool as him and will never be."
"It’s okay," David shrugged. "Not everyone knows what cool actually looks like."
Lily was not happy with his words. "So, you are saying I have bad taste?"
"You said it yourself," David smirked lightly.
"I will beat you!" Lily began hitting David.
"Ouch! Ouch!" David cried out. "Someone, call the police! Lily is bullying me!"
"Take back your words and apologize to me!" Lily grabbed him and locked her arm around his neck.
"Everyone, she is trying to kill me. Call the police immediately!" David asked for help.
"Hehe." Ren and the others giggled softly.
"So you defeated him alone without any external help, like an artifact?" Veronica had thought they fought Julian together, so David’s explanation surprised her.
"Yes. The Lightning Claws skill is indeed deadly. It can help me defeat someone above my rank." Even though his skill didn’t kill Julian immediately, he was still satisfied.
"You are really amazing, Ren." Her lips curled up into a smile as she praised him.
"It’s all thanks to you, teacher." He would not be able to create his skill quickly without her help.
"No." She shook her head slightly. "That’s your own hard work."
His idea of combining innate ability and magic was brilliant, and the concept itself was just as astonishing.
Even among the awakeners who had awakened both paths in the previous generations, only a few would dare to do something as crazy as him.
And even if they ever tried, they would only do so after they were strong enough.
Ren, on the other hand, tried to combine magic and innate ability not long after he became an awakener.
He was crazy, but that craziness was exactly what made his achievements surpass those of all previous generations.
"Do you think you can defeat a 3-star awakener with that skill?" Veronica asked curiously.
"I don’t know." Ren had failed to hit Maxwell and Zion, so he could not tell if his skill was still deadly against a 3-star awakener.
"Do you want to try facing a 3-star magical beast tomorrow?" Veronica had many monsters in her organization’s prison. "I will ensure your safety if you want to."
"I think I will pass." He refused. "I want to improve my strength first."
Lily turned to Ren. "How about we take a quest tomorrow?"
"I agree!" David broke free from her. "Let’s take a monster subjugation mission. This way, we will get money and beast cores."
Lily and Virelia nodded in agreement.
"Let’s do that the day after tomorrow." Ren replied. "I want to master the Lightning Clock spell book first."
"Sure!" they agreed right away.
Shortly after that, Ravenna and Alice arrived.
"Leader, we’ve returned." They sat on the mat in front of Veronica.
"I’ve delivered your message and took their space rings as their lesson." Ravenna handed them to Veronica.
"Ten space rings?" Veronica was a little surprised. "Who do they belong to?"
"Six of them are from their leader and elders," Ravenna explained. "The remaining four came from that kid and his bodyguards."
David suddenly recalled something. "Teacher Veronica, that annoying young master got the Titan Ring artifact from the auction."
"That’s right!" Lily added. "It’s a good artifact that enhances the wearer’s strength and physical durability."
"Oh?" Veronica quickly took it out. "This one?"
"Yes!" Lily replied. "That is the Titan Ring."
Veronica inspected the artifact before placing it in Ren’s hand. "Here, take it."
"Hmm?" Ren widened his eyes in surprise. "Teacher, you are giving it to me?"
"I don’t need it." It was an artifact for shifters, so Veronica didn’t want it.
"Thank you, teacher." The moment he wore it, Ren felt a surge of power flood through his body.
’Amazing!’
The smile on his face grew bigger.
"How is it, Ren?" Lily asked with a curious look.
"I can feel it." Ren slowly clenched his fist. "My strength has increased."
"Haha!" David laughed. "Isn’t it ironic? He did everything he could to get that ring, but it ended up in your hands."
"It’s called fate!" Lily stated. "What is meant for him will always find its way to him."
"You are right!" David agreed.
Ravenna then took out all the beast cores from the space rings and divided them among the group.
Lily and the others smiled happily.
After expressing their gratitude, they stored the beast cores in their space rings.
"Ravenna, Alice, go order some food and drinks for yourselves." Veronica said.
"Alright." They nodded before heading to the cashier.
A moment later, they returned.
Then, they began eating together again.
After spending time together for more than an hour, they decided to go home. But before leaving, they took several pictures together.
Unlike during the party a few days ago, Ravenna smiled softly this time.
Even though Ren’s group was from the Aether Organization, they were not Aria and Cassandra, so she could accept them.
Once they arrived home, Ren and Elara absorbed the beast cores.
At 07:30 pm, they went out to enjoy the evening together.
They ate roasted corn and savored the warm, lively atmosphere of the night. Once they were done enjoying the night, they returned home.
----
The following morning, Ren and Elara went straight to the Aether Organization. After they arrived, they saw David and Lily quarreling about something.
At 07:15 am, Virelia showed up.
Unlike usual, they didn’t train or spar together.
Instead, they absorbed their beast cores.
They wanted to break through to the next rank quickly, so they chose to skip training.
Ren, who was sitting in a lotus position next to Elara, felt his power surge within him. He knew what it meant, so he maintained his focus.
Several minutes later, he felt his beast core thump. His core expanded slightly in size, and a crack appeared on the surface.
Not only that, but spiritual energy began to swirl around his body as well.
After his beast core cracked completely, his energy exploded, sending a shockwave across the training ground and making the surrounding plants sway violently.
’I did it!’
His new beast core was only slightly bigger, but it could store much more spiritual energy than before.
’So, this is what it feels like to be a 2-star shifter, huh?’
The world felt much clearer.
’Now, I will focus on my Elemental class.’
He could tell his Elemental class was also close to advancing to the next rank.
One by one, Lily and the others turned to him.
"Congratulations, Ren." Elara was happy for him.
"Thanks." Ren replied as he smiled.
"So, you are a 2-star awakener now?" David spoke abruptly.
"My Elemental class is still at 1-star." Ren explained.
David was shocked. "Wait! Does that mean you have to advance your Elemental and Beast Transformation classes separately?"
"Of course!" Ren answered. "Did you think if I advanced one, the other would follow?"
David nodded his head quickly.
"That is not how it works." Ren shook his head.
"Then, doesn’t that mean you have to work twice as hard as us ordinary awakeners?" Lily also had the same thoughts as David before.
"Yes," Ren said. "But in return, I can use both magic and innate abilities."
Lily touched her chin. "So being special doesn’t mean we will get everything easily. In the end, we still have to work hard too, huh?"
"I’m suddenly glad I only awakened the Beast Transformation path." Advancing one class was already difficult for David.
If he had two like Ren, he would be overwhelmed.
"That’s why the heavens didn’t choose you. You don’t meet the criteria." Lily remarked.
"Shut up!" David snapped.
"Hehe." Ren, Virelia, and Elara giggled softly.
When Virelia was about to say something, Aria and Cassandra stepped into the private training ground.
"Where did you guys get so many beast cores?" Cassandra believed they hadn’t taken any quests lately.
"It’s like this, instructor Cassandra." David began explaining everything in detail.
"What?!" Cassandra widened her eyes in shock.
"Not only that, but Ren also defeated someone above his rank yesterday." David explained proudly as if he were the one who defeated Julian.
"Does that mean you can face a 2-star awakener now?" Cassandra asked.
"My Beast Transformation class just broke through to the next rank, so I can take on a 3-star awakener." With the help of the Titan Ring, Ren believed he would not lose.
"So fast!" Cassandra felt both happy and jealous.
She suddenly wished she could advance to the next rank as fast as him.
"I was just lucky." Ren said as he smiled.
"What about your Elemental class?" Aria asked curiously.
"I think it will advance to the next rank in a few weeks. At most next month." Ren gave an honest answer.
Aria nodded in satisfaction.
"Here, take them," Aria retrieved a few potions from her space ring and gave them to him.
Ren’s eyes widened for a moment.
’She is giving me potions?’
He hadn’t expected it at all.
"Thank you, leader." He accepted it happily.
’As I thought, joining this organization is the right decision!’
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