Dante raised his head to look at Fig. He was curious about what the change in the professor's aura would be this time. He would have to take advantage of it, after all, he doubted he would come out of there conscious if the power level increased even more.
He only had time to see that Fig had removed the seal from his eye. In place of what should have been an eye, there was a ball of Qi, extremely concentrated. In the middle of it was a mysterious object that appeared to have an object in the middle.
It was the last thing Dante managed to see.
In just a second, his body went to the ground, cratering it. It was as if someone had thrown him out of a catapult. Every cell in him was being crushed. Grunts of pain came and quickly faded away.
Dante's Qi boiled, circulating in his channels at a frightening speed. At that moment, he understood even more clearly the potential that his new physique provided him. Bones and flesh fought against the ambient Qi, trying to resist the pressure.
This time, despite the considerable increase in pressure, his body had suffered less. The power of adaptation of his new body was indeed formidable. Before he could celebrate, however, a single sentence could be heard.
"Amelia, if you would do the honors," Fig said, his voice calm this time. It didn't take long before Dante could understand.
A single word was enough.
"Oversoul."
Dante quickly felt the veins in his nose popping. It didn't take long for him to feel a metallic taste of blood, as well as to feel that his organs were about to explode.
It was not possible that they were doing this just to demonstrate the strength of the new accessible monsters to the students. Surely someone of Dante's level and without his physique would be at serious risk.
After a few minutes, Dante's body got a little resistant to the pressure of the Qi. He was able to get out of the crater crawling and move his head.
The white snakes, which had previously enveloped only half of the students, now formed a connection in almost all of them.
Dante didn't know which was scarier - the pressure of Fig's Qi or the control needed to make sure no one was hurt. Not hurt, dead. It seemed that Amelia was not just a mere nurse, after all. A slayer was always a slayer.
It wasn't long before the effects of the pressure began to win the battle against Dante's body. The absence of a solar Qi source meant that he could not maintain regeneration endlessly.
In a brief moment of enlightenment, he decided to muster all his strength to look at Fig. After all, this would be his chance to see an aura whose mere pressure was enough to knock out the consciousness of the disciples present. He couldn't miss an opportunity like this.
To direct his eyes to the heavens, where Fig was, seemed an impossible task. Circulating his Qi mainly to the area of his torso, he felt his legs collapse under the pressure. As he began to hear the noises of his bones breaking, he finally managed to look up at his teacher's position.
In the teacher's place, however, was something else. For a brief moment, Dante wondered if monsters had invaded the school, because what was in front of his eyes was nothing less than the biggest monster Dante had ever seen.
Only after looking at it for a few seconds could he see the similarities with Fig. The creature was humanoid in shape, with gray skin and veins protruding from its muscles.
What was most striking, however, was the monster's face. In the place where a human nose would be was an eye, glowing with the same Qi that Brody had when he removed the bandage. That, surprisingly, was his teacher.
Understanding that he had fulfilled his last wish, the young cultivator body succumbed to the pressure of the teacher Qi, unable to continue the regeneration process.
In his last spark of consciousness, he could identify a snake of white Qi coming towards him.
--
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Of all the disagreements he had with Fig, the need to demonstrate the abysm that existed between Class B and the others was not one of them. When the pressure caused by the Cyclops' soul reached its peak, not a single student was still standing.
Looking at his shoulder, Isaac tapped the light layer of dust that had accumulated there. It seemed that next time he would have to block physical particles as well, not just Qi.
It didn't take long for the pressure to decrease. After all, there wasn't even one student left standing.
Observing the sea of disciples, it was not difficult to identify that the closest to gold lasted the longest. Among them, it was clear the difference between those who possessed Oversoul or not.
Taking his eyes to meet that stubborn boy, he could not help but let a small smile escape. Small, so that no one would see. Day after day, this stubborn boy, and also his disciple, surprised him.
To think how strong he would become after a period of regeneration every day... Isaac's heart was racing. Only slightly, so, again, no one would notice. Not even him. Isaac knew the dragon watched him from time to time. Some things were better kept hidden.
As he walked to where the teachers were, he couldn't help but look at all those disciples and wonder if he was being too strict with Dante. He knew that the chances of him not passing the test, even if he continued the way he was, were practically non-existent.
However, Dante wanted something more. His eyes were not on gold, or even the heavens, but on the heavens behind the heavens.
What else could an old man disillusioned with life do, if not everything to concur the wish of the boy who would have given him a thrill, after so many years?
"That boy is something," said one of the few voices that doesn't give Isaac the urge to use his fists. Amelia was always gentle, understanding much more than the obvious.
"You don't have people to heal, huh?"
"No use changing the subject, my dear friend. I confess I am glad to see you like this. When you first came here... I could hardly recognize you after what happened with Emily. I'm happy for you, Isaac, really. One step at a time in front of you is better than going around in circles for eternity," she replied, controlling the white snakes as if it were something trivial. "Don't worry, I don't think anyone noticed. I only ask that you be careful. The boy is strong, but not invincible."
Who knew. A mere exchange of words was already enough for Isaac to remember how peculiar that brown-haired girl was. Amelia... not since Emily had he lived with such frankness. It was as if his heart was exposed, and not in the way Slayers were used to.
Some time ago, talking about Emily would have been enough to make him so sad that he would go to the crystal world and vent his anger on the stars. No... sad was not the word. Sadness does not require an action. And Isaac had tried everything between heaven and earth. It turned out to be insufficient.
Taking a deep breath, he easily noticed the disapproving glances as he looked at the Slayers there. Everyone there could easily live in the world above... but for some reason they claimed to enjoy teaching kittens to slay.
"Emissary, it's time for the first report, right?" said Zuberi, glaring at Isaac.
Agreeing with his head, he began to concentrate. Reporting the events to Zay was his main mission there. Apart from Dante, of course. Even though he wished he wasn't there, since he was, the least he could do was do a good job.
Everyone from there went to the Sect leader's office. Entering the room, Isaac poured himself a drink that promised to make what was to come less boring, and sat down in an armchair. In the middle of the room, a huge table served the purpose of separating those present at a safe distance.
"Everything has been going on normally in here. Just as we predicted, the Draco clan is leading the rankings, and we imagine the situation will last until the third phase begins in a few months. Now that we will be opening the new caves, I suggest that one of us always be on the lookout for any emergencies. Would you all agree?"
Almost instantly, the heads present nodded in harmony. Elder Marco was the very embodiment of the word old. With a belly built with care over the years and long wrinkles, his visage did not hide the weariness of age.
"Very well. As for the surroundings, I should mention that several Class B monsters are being reported. Those are atypical for the region. As a Qi-rich region, it is natural for such spikes to occur, but their frequency is what worries me. I urge you, whenever possible, to keep an eye out. The chance of an attack on a school is usually remote, but it shouldn't be difficult for our enemies to ascertain that Aquamarine School generates prodigies at a frightening rate. We can't be too careful if we want to continue with our garden, cultivating the new generation."
Though not consciously, Isaac raised his back in his chair, posturing himself straight. Had they found out about Dante, or any of the other three? The mere chance of it was frightening.
Isaac wondered if there was anyone in the lower realm who truly understood the potential of one of those holy monsters with a cultivator with will. Class B, Class A, Class S... he really doubted that anyone there, outside of perhaps Amelia, understood the true abyss that existed between the Classes.
If someone found out that the boy was not only with an S-Class monster, but an Ancestral one whose power made the greatest have nightmares, there was not one place in the universe he would be totally safe with.
Well, at least there probably wasn't any other sect capable of rivaling the aquamarine. At least in this sub-par world. Everyone present was extremely competent. The biggest danger would be Amelia, who couldn't really fight without endangering perhaps all the inhabitants of the place.
Luckily for everyone, Isaac was there. Momentarily putting aside his idea of leaving this world for good, he knew what he had to do. He had never failed in a mission after that tragedy. And this would not be the first time.
It was time for those filthy rats to remember the power of an erupting volcano.