Disappointed at being rejected by Divine Bumblefuck, Lone sighed. He did, however, understand.

Not everyone was willing to teach him practically for free like Headmaster Erion with his clouded motivations and Archon Milos with his obvious want to learn more of Lone and Soph's unique skills.

Lone tightly gripped Saturn and tried to clear his mind - still something he wasn't very skilled at. Nonetheless, he was focused now.

With a powerful leap, he soared across the arena and tried to use Spear Mastery's Pierce on Divine Bumblefuck's abdomen.

Lone no longer owned the Pierce ability as he had absorbed it along with its father skill - Spear Mastery - when he had created Lone's Fledgling Battle Technique.

Regardless, he had used the ability hundreds, if not thousands of times before. His body still remembered the increase in strength it gave to his arms, the sharpness it applied to his weapon's tip. He recalled it all.

Something strange happened at that moment. The smallest atom at the very peak of Saturn's incoming blade... sparkled.

Lone didn't even notice. Only the Divines were capable of even sensing that something was off, let alone see the peculiar occurrence themselves.

Divine Bumblefuck wore a confused frown as he brought his fingers up and flicked the incoming piercing attack.

Again, like a comical ragdoll, Lone flew off and smashed into the protective enchantments. What was odd, however, was that a single drop of blood fell from the top of Divine Bumblefuck's finger.

"Huh. He cut me. That's a surprise," he said as he glanced at Lone who was easily 500-meters away and slowly standing back up.

'Hey, look at that. I think it took, what, a fraction of a second longer for his armour to shatter this time? Guess it gets stronger every time its damaged. Scary,' the amused Divine thought before a massive bolt of pain shot through his mind.

Divine Bumblefuck ran his fingers through his hair roughly as he scraped his scalp, pulling out a few of his silky and messy hair strands.

"Fuck. This is interestin' and all, but it's comin' on stronger than usual. I need to stop thinking and maybe end this fuckin' circus show early," the man said to himself.

He then slapped himself over the head with so much force that it created a sonic boom and sent vibrations all across the arena with each vibration having its own sonic boom.

Lone covered his ears as he frowned. He glanced over to his friends who weren't in the safety of the grandstands' enchantments.

Thankfully, Archon Milos had reacted appropriately and shielded his own and The Wanderers' ears via space magic, preventing any harm or distress.

Lone's main concern was Rachel, but since she was fine along with the rest of his friends, Lone turned his attention back to Divine Bumblefuck.

He snapped his arm back into place, allowing the Bone Armour to repair itself.

Congratulations! the host's unique subskill [Bone Armour] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 8.

Congratulations! the host's unique skill [Regeneration] has levelled up! It is now Beginner Level 7.

Congratulations! the host's passive skill [Physical Pain Resistance] has levelled up! It is now Master Level 5.

"Was that necessary?" Lone asked as he came within 15-meters of Divine Bumblefuck.

The man shrugged as he scowled. "Yeah. If I get too angsty I destroy stuff. Let's leave it at that, bud."

He was no longer supporting himself with his halberd and was instead standing on his own two feet. His demeanour seemed far nobler and more dignified than before, but he still looked fairly intoxicated.

Muradon was going wild with his commentary after what he had described as 'a subtle attack on one's senses - perception in particular, and on one's constitution which Lone had valiantly fought off'.

"I'm gonna hit you with 20% of my power then I'm done. If I get any more sober then we're all fucked. I'm a horrendous sober," Divine Bumblefuck said before sighed deeply and cracking his neck.

'A horrendous sober? I never heard that saying before. Usually, it's a bad drunk, not the other way around,' Lone thought as he nodded.

He then put some MP into reinforcing his Bone Armour. He made it twice as durable as normal then he created a massive bulwark shield out of his bones and held it in front of himself. "I'm ready."

"No, you ain't. Don't matter, though. I've heard you're a fuckin' cockroach, so let's see if that's true," Divine Bumblefuck said before he casually swung his halberd.

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The next thing that happened was the top half of Lone's body separated from the bottom half and then slid onto the floor. He had been cut clean in two.

"Attagirl, Taint Shredder," Divine Bumblefuck muttered as he yawned. "Right, well, catch ya later. Or maybe never. Erion, I've repaid my debt to you."

"Wait for a moment, would you, old friend?" Erion asked. "I believe my disciple has something to say to you."

"Doubtful. I cut his body, his energy, his lifeforce, his mana, his stats, and even his soul in half just like you asked me to. He ain't getting up for a while if at all," Divine Bumblefuck said with a shrug before he creased his brow and winced in pain.

"W-Wait..." the wet voice of Lone said as he coughed up mouthfuls of blood.

Divine Bumblefuck gave him a glance and was shocked beyond belief. "Holy fuck that ain't natural."

What had caused such a reaction were the tendrils of muscle and flesh pouring out of Lone's severed waist.

These tendrils quickly reconnected themselves to the lifeless lower half of Lone's body. 10-seconds slowly passed as Lone's two halves were dragged towards each other and then they were reconnected.

Not even a scar was left, only the very thin line in his Bone Armour where he'd been cut remained of the attack. Even that faded after another second.

"Umbral Essence," Lone said. "I can get you as much as you want of it. In exchange, teach me."

"You havin' a laugh, bud?" Divine Bumblefuck said as he stared intently at Lone's serious eyes behind his helmet. "... You're serious? Whatever. I'll be in Felron for a bit. If you ain't blowin' smoke up my ass, then I'll come see you soon."

He sighed then said, "You shouldn't really give hope to a Divine though if you won't deliver. You may be hard to kill, but you sure as hell ain't immortal. If you're lying I'll kill you and you'll fuckin' stay dead, believe me."

With a final look of pain flashing across his face, he vanished, though there were no magical fluctuations whatsoever.

Perhaps he had run out of The Academy at full speed or used some sort of unbelievably powerful skill, regardless, the strange Divine was gone.

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"How intriguing, Eldest Brother," Divine Spirit said. "With that ruptured man present and with his clear interest in the mortal boy's offer, it may be a bit more difficult to gain him should he protest your acquisition of the girl with the splitting soul."

Divine Rend nodded. "I wonder how he may complicate things... As much as I wish for my research to thrive, I do not wish to die."

The youngest brother, Divine Weeping, stroked his jawline thoughtfully. "That foxkin... To have survived a full fifth of Divine Bumble's true might without having any lasting injury, that is truly incredible."

"Indeed," Divine Rend commented. "His soul was cut clean in two, but it simply reattached itself like his cut torso and energies did. Even his stats did not decline as they should have. Unique skills are incredibly fascinating. I theorise that whatever healed him is a unique skill that has evolved."

"Unique skills capable of evolving are one-in-a-billion... The odds are so slim, and even then, the sheer level of insight and usage required to do so... What an unfathomable level of talent," Divine Spirit added.

The three tall Divine soul oracles continued discussing the matter for quite some time before they eventually left the arena with plans to act upon Soph and Lone in the most beneficial manner possible.

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"..." Silence filled Divine Oracle's suite as she dug her fingers into her holy throne.

Intense feelings of anger, surprise, hopelessness, despair, and agony were infusing into her Divine aura.

Were it not for Archon Milos' simply masterful space mage, Divine Oracle's Divine aura would have already crushed tens of thousands of people to death.

"That holy artefact... 'Saturn', he calls it?" Blood dripped down the sublime face of the church's Divine Oracle as she bit her lip.

"Why... Why did that... that monster have to take an interest in him?" she muttered as she cried. "Umbral Essence does not grow on trees! There is a finite supply! How will I ever acquire that foolish sinner's stolen holy artefacts if he has the interest of two of the most powerful Divines in existence?!"

All hope left the woman's body. "Divine Time was possible with enough planning, but both him and Divine Bumble?... Only her holiness the Archpope herself can handle this... I must find that fool, Sigmund, as soon as possible..."

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"Wow!" Ash'freeda - Divine Eruption's youngest daughter who had been suppressed by Lone during Infa and Garadia's match - gaped in awe.

"He actually survived! Dad, think you can kill him?" she asked as her massive red slitted eyes stared at her father in anticipation.

The far larger Fire Dragon snorted. "We knowest not of our ability to vanquish him frometh our plane of existence, mine daughter. I can confirm, however, that were I to be the one receiving such a deadly attack from Divine Bumble, then I would noteth hath survived."

"Wow," his other daughter said lazily. "I wonder if he'll be called Divine Cockroach if he ever reaches that realm."

"He will becometh a Divine, precious Geruphanda. Thou ist of the Ascending. None can stopeth his rise to the realm of the Divine. Beyond, I cannot speaketh for," the old and wisened Divine claimed.

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"Haha, how fun," Divine Thread said happily.

"It certainly wasn't a mistake to come with you, Lipsilk. Every time I venture out into the world something interesting happens. What a wonderful twist in fate," the Timbus hummed to itself as it drifted out of its private suite.

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The Divine who had been watching the match from start to finish from the grandstands chuckled. "I bet Gramps'll go nuts when I tell him about Bumble being involved with the boy. I'm looking forward to the face he'll make."

After muttering that, he finished his final kebab and then licked his lips. "Well, now that the show's over, I should really hand out the Foundation's next invitation. It's insane he's getting a second one, but I ain't the one in charge..."

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"I was unaware that you maintained a positive relationship with the strongest Divine, Erion," Vice-headmaster Merkel said with an inquisitive tone.

Erion smiled. "And I was unaware that you were unaware that I maintained a positive relationship with Divine Bumblefuck. It seems we were equal in our lacking knowledge."

Annoyance surfaced of the old woman's face. "Must you call him by that foolish title of his? I know just as well as anyone else that Divine Bumble is what the Divine Council named him."

Erion shook his head lightly. "I see no reason to respect the council's decision. He alone could defeat the entire council should he wish to. His choice is more meaningful than theirs. Should he wish to disrespect their tradition then so too, shall I."

"... You become more and more incomprehensible as the days pass, Erion," Merkel said. "What price did you have to pay to get him to slap your precious disciple around, I wonder?"

"A fair and honest price. Nothing more, nothing less. I was merely helping him clear a debt. Merkel, I suggest you stop trying to pry answers from me and instead focus on helping the injured and exhausted students capitalise on their fights with Lone. Meditating on what they could have done better will help them greatly," Erion said as he slowly stood up and made for the door.

Merkel stayed seated in the booth for some time as she watched the training-room-turned-arena slowly empty.

"Erion... Sarah... What are your connections to that boy? Why is he so special to so many important people? Can he really supply Divine Bumble with Umbral Essense? Was he really instrumental in Ancient Ythmagobla's defeat?" she closed her eyes and massaged her brow.

"I need answers. I need The Academy's safety to be ensured. Erion... Why are you making more enemies and revealing more and more of your hand? Is it truly just for the sake of one disciple? As special as he may be, I can't bring myself to believe that..." Merkel sighed before she got up and left the booth.