Chapter 222
After confirming the basic enhancement effect, the boy channeled some of his Star Power into his right index finger.
Pale golden lines, resembling miniature circuits, immediately appeared beneath the skin.
He pointed his index finger at a piece of discarded steel bar on the ground, and a beam of energy radiating high concentrations of light and heat shot out, causing the surrounding temperature to rise sharply.
"Laugh--"
One end of the steel bar vaporized directly, the fracture surface appearing as smooth, molten glass, and a strange, unpleasant odor lingered in the air.
Aragaki Shun gently blew a breath, and the scorching heat quickly subsided, as the Star Power that had been dissipating gradually returned to his chest with each breath.
It can only be said that his current situation is quite troublesome. As the first Transcendentalist in this world, he has to figure everything out on his own, without any ready-made secret manuals or techniques to guide him.
However, according to the settings of countless fantasy novels, extraordinary powers such as magic power, true essence, and magic power should have the two basic functions of strengthening oneself and releasing energy. Therefore, Star Power should naturally be the same.
Then, experiments showed that his conjecture was indeed correct.
The fundamental characteristics of Star Power are life and light and heat. When it circulates within the body, it can strengthen various basic attributes. When it is condensed into a pure beam of energy and released outward, it is extremely destructive, just as the sun is both the origin of all creation and possesses the most violent destructive power.
It's hard to say whether these traits are strong or not, or how high the potential of his Star Power is, but as the starting point of his extraordinary path, Aragaki Shun is still very satisfied with them.
Turning to the edge of the rooftop, the boy subconsciously touched the iron railing blocking his way, feeling an urge to tear it all down with his bare hands.
There's no other reason, simply because he can actually do it, and it seems very simple.
But thinking about it, I decided against it. There's no need to deliberately cause such damage; it wouldn't be fun if someone fell down because of it later.
With his eyes closed, and aided by the Star Power, the already surging spiritual energy in the boy's mind expanded outward like an invisible net of light.
The maximum range of this perception is about one kilometer.
Under the watchful eye of the spirit, all living beings—from the tree-lined paths of the campus, the Gymnasium, the corridors of the teaching buildings, to the shopping center—transform into points of light of varying sizes.
In the extraordinary vision, the aura of these lives varied in strength, like sparks of fire of different degrees, with the brightest one feeling somewhat familiar.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, the Masterpiece of the White Room. The intensity of the aura emanating from this guy even surpassed that of all the adults in the school.
An unpleasant bird cry came from the northern sky. Aragaki Shun's mind stirred slightly, and he directly locked onto the unknown bird with his mind. Then, a wisp of Star Power transformed into a golden ray of light and flowed out in reverse.
The next moment, the birdsong disappeared, replaced by the sound of something falling to the ground, and a strange smell of something burning wafted in the wind.
Well, this time he tried to control the output power when releasing energy, so only a relatively thin beam of light was emitted, which was enough to leave the bird's corpse behind.
After observing the world for a long time in this form of spiritual perception, the boy, satisfied with the novelty, opened his eyes; tiny starlight swirled deep within his pupils—
Excitement, shock, and an almost uncontrollable arrogance surged within him, all emotions finally settling into a cathartic outburst of madness:
"I am the king of the world!"
Aragaki Shun raised his hand and spread his five fingers towards the western sun.
A gust of wind swept across the rooftop, lifting the hem of the boy's jacket.
Golden-white dust overflowed from her fingertips, like a reverse-flowing Milky Way, slowly rising into the sky.
Hahaha--!!!
When you're overly excited, it might be nice to occasionally do something a bit silly or childish.
Moreover, being unable to extricate oneself from a fantasy is what's considered chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur), while Aragaki Shun's actions are truly extraordinary. Anyone who dares to call him chuunibyou should try to catch one of his Star Power Beams.
Whistling happily, the boy once again turned his gaze to his Personal Panel, which only he could view.
He still had a considerable amount of Source Power left, so of course he wanted to continue using it.
The mere advancement of [Sun Kin] to level 6 brought about such a dramatic change for him, so Aragaki Shun naturally looked forward to the effects that his other skills and talents would achieve after their transformation.
Of course, strengthening the four basic attributes is also important before that.
However, just like between levels 11 and 20, where each point of basic attribute enhancement requires two streams of Source Power, to break through the limits of mortal attributes and reach level 21, the Source Power required for each point of enhancement thereafter increases to three streams.
Although the increasing energy consumption of later enhancements was a bit of a headache, the thought of the transformative effect of breaking through to the transcendent level made Aragaki Shun naturally not stingy in this regard.
[Strength: 20→21]
[Constitution: 20→21]
[Agility: 20 → 21]
[Spirit: 20→21]
[Source Power: 32 → 20 (Current efficiency: 6 items per month)]
Holding his breath, Aragaki Shun stared intently at every change on the invisible panel, his expression tense.
According to the initial settings when creating the Personal Panel, as long as the basic attributes reach 21, extraordinary traits will naturally emerge, which may be skills or talents, but will definitely be completely different from the ordinary state.
Therefore, he was very much looking forward to seeing what kind of gains this situation would bring him when all four basic attributes simultaneously broke through biological limits.
However, this expectation didn't last long, as a startling change suddenly appeared in Aragaki Shun's sight—
On the Personal Panel, the three talents in the skill bar—[Erudition], [Danger Sense], [Immunity to Poison], and [Immunity to Disease]—all began to flash at the same moment.
They flickered and flickered, and then finally disappeared completely.
That's right, it completely disappeared, leaving not a trace.
If Aragaki Shun hadn't discovered that his intuition still worked, he might have even doubted whether there was something wrong with his Golden Finger.
Meanwhile, in the talent bar, a brand new entry gradually appeared from nothing: [???? lv.6(0/20)]
The next moment, a massive flow of information surged from his Personal Panel, and the young man immediately understood what was happening.
It turns out that his four basic attributes simultaneously broke through biological limits, causing the four extraordinary traits that should have been born to naturally merge into one. In the process, he also absorbed the skill [Erudition] and three other talents that had reached biological limits.
Some skills with diverse development possibilities and enormous potential can, after evolving into extraordinary qualities, merge and integrate with similar skills to further enhance their foundation... This was the first time Aragaki Shun had ever heard of such a thing.
However, it makes sense when you think about it. The ultimate goal of the path to transcendence is simply to possess everything and become omnipotent. Therefore, it's only natural that advanced skills would cover similar skills from top to bottom.
As for the current unnamed talent that evolved from the fusion of four extraordinary traits and the incorporation of four level 5 abilities, what exactly is its effect...? Aragaki Shun activated it easily by instinctively circulating his Star Power.
The next moment, a dazzling golden light emanated from the boy's body, rendering the surrounding environment sacred and solemn, as if the ground beneath his feet was no longer an ordinary high-rise building, but a temple of gods and Buddhas from mythology.
In this atmosphere where even the air seemed to freeze, Aragaki Shun's body began to grow larger with the golden light, and along the way, he naturally developed some non-human characteristics that only wild beasts possessed.
Antlers, scales, fangs, claws, bat wings... Why does it feel like if I keep going like this, I'll turn into one of those indescribable creatures from the Cthulhu mythos?
With this doubt rising in his mind, Aragaki Shun quickly calmed himself down and actively suppressed the appearance of these non-human characteristics. In the end, what appeared on the rooftop was a small giant, ten feet tall, surrounded by golden light.
The giant's proportions are near perfect, and it exudes a sense of harmony and majesty in every aspect. It doesn't seem like a creature that evolved from humankind, but rather like an existence that descended from fantasy.
After experiencing the power of this form, the boy tried to return to his original form, then shrunk back to a miniature figure about half a meter tall. He repeated this several times to satisfy his curiosity before finally releasing his talent and restoring everything to normal.
After the experiment ended, Aragaki Shun stood there for a moment, pondering. With a thought, the question marks on his Personal Panel disappeared, replaced by the name given to this new talent: [Vajra Glaze lv.6 (0/20)]
The term "Vajra" refers to a powerful attendant of the Buddha, named for the vajra (thunderbolt) he wields. In Buddhist terminology, the vajra symbolizes invincible wisdom and true Buddha-nature; therefore, "Vajra" can also refer to diamonds or be used metaphorically to describe someone with a strong physique.
Crystal is one of the seven treasures of Buddhism and is considered an incarnation of the Medicine Buddha. It is believed to dispel illness and evil spirits, bringing health and good fortune.
The Sutra of the Fundamental Vows and Merits of the Medicine Buddha states. "When I attain Bodhi in my next life, may my body be like lapis lazuli, clear and bright inside and out, pure and without blemish, with vast light and imposing merit."
Buddhism believes that lapis lazuli can help people feel the difficulty of refining truth and gain the strength of perseverance; moreover, its gorgeous and ever-changing colors give people an artistic sense of beauty and room for imagination, and can provide inspiration and wisdom.
The reason this ability is named [Vajra Glaze] is because this talent, after being combined with other abilities, possesses various characteristics such as disease resistance, poison resistance, intuition, and wisdom.
His passively emitted bio-field can influence the surrounding environment, allowing Aragaki Shun to use his power at will without worrying that his excessive power will cause damage he doesn't like.
Finally, there's the ability to grow large or small, unleashing ancient genes to reveal animal characteristics, and changing into a form more suited to the present moment according to one's will... In this form, one can unleash combat potential, enhancing strength, physique, speed, and spirit as needed, easily gaining two, three, or even five times the combat power in a short period of time.
Wow, my strength has suddenly increased to such an extent. I suddenly have the illusion that I am invincible.
Looks like he needs to hurry up and search online for videos of nuclear weapons explosions, otherwise he's afraid he'll get so arrogant that he'll try to defeat the whole world single-handedly.
300. Neither visible nor audible; End of the second semester.
The day after the Student Council's handover ceremony, Advanced Nurturing will hold its semester's closing ceremony.
According to the arrangements notified by Chie Hoshinomiya, all activities would end that morning, and school would begin.
Then came the short winter break, which lasted from December 23rd to January 3rd, less than two weeks long.
But at least they can get some rest, which is something to look forward to for high school students who have just finished a tough semester.
Not to mention, the winter break also includes Christmas Eve on December 24th, Christmas Day on December 25th, and New Year's Day on January 1st.
With these three festivals coming one after another, many men and women who are in love, or teachers and students who simply want to have fun and relax, have been eagerly anticipating them.
Of course, Aragaki Shun doesn't fall into either of these categories, since whether it's dating or resting, it's not much different from his daily life.
Waking up in his rented apartment, the room was still dimly lit because the curtains and blinds were not yet open, but this certainly did not hinder the boy's vision as Transcendentalist.
Gently releasing Wang Meiyu Shiina Hiyori, who had been occupying his left and right sides, Aragaki Shun snapped back to his senses and saw the beautiful girls lying haphazardly on the tatami and sofa, creating a rather spectacular scene.
Shiina Hiyori, Shiranami Chihiro, Wang Meiyu, Yamamura Miki, Mio Ibuki, and Tachibana Akane Ibuki Mio, a senior student.
This was the first time he had gathered all his lovers together to play around, and the whole space felt much smaller as a result.
However, I did feel refreshed and energetic, without any signs of fatigue.
"Ugh~ You beast, I must have been blinded by greed yesterday to agree to such an absurd thing."
A voice filled with resentment and discontent suddenly rang out. In Aragaki Shun's harem, only Ibuki Mio would speak such arrogant words in such an energetic tone.
But then the sporty girl with short blue hair sat up, looked around sleepily, her pretty face flushed red, and instinctively glared fiercely at Aragaki Shun, a single ahoge sticking up on her head, making her look very cute.
"Hey you, are you in heat? It's just officially taking over as Student Council President, it shouldn't be a big deal for you, why were you so excited last night?"
Hearing Ibuki's somewhat gritted-teeth question, Aragaki Shun smiled and reached out to pull the seemingly energetic girl into his arms.
"Hey~ What are you trying to do, Aragaki pervert? It's already morning! We have to go to class today to hear our homeroom teacher talk about things to be aware of during winter break, and then there's the graduation ceremony!"
Sensing the blue-haired girl struggling in fear, Aragaki Shun simply hugged Ibuki tightly, forehead to forehead.
"Don't move, I'm just checking."
He gently silenced the girl's mouth with a kiss, their breaths mingling as they breathed in each other's mouths. Only after she had completely softened did he slowly release her, allowing Ibuki to breathe fresh air normally.
Her watery eyes swept over the bastard in front of her, and the girl felt her body suddenly become unusually hot again.
Ugh-whatever, the worst that can happen is I'll just be late!
"You're too arrogant, you need to be taught a lesson!"
He then pinned Aragaki Shun down in the center of the tatami mat, the blue-haired girl sitting on the man's lap, her eyes seemingly burning with fire.
I don't know why, even though I indulged in this perverted idea all night, I didn't feel exhausted when I woke up this morning. Instead, I felt a particularly relaxed and comfortable feeling.
Ibuki felt that he was full of energy, and his condition was at its peak, which he had never been in over a decade. He had a real chance to cut down the enemy beneath him.
The thought of this possibility made her hum softly...
Unfortunately, in the end, Ibuki Mio was unable to turn the tide and wash away the shame of her zero-win rate.
Even though the commotion caused by the two later woke up Shiina Hiyori and Shiranami Chihiro, the group of six against one still couldn't change their inevitable defeat.
However, Aragaki Shun did confirm his conjecture during this process --
That is, gently injecting Star Power into her body to cleanse her, which can indeed have a strengthening effect.
This was an expected result, since the fundamental characteristics of Star Power are life and light and heat.
Yesterday afternoon, he also caught a sparrow and tried to transfer Star Power to it through his palm.
However, once this extraordinary energy leaves his body and comes into contact with the outside world, it will exhibit its most violent destructive power. Therefore, apart from improving his grilling skills, Aragaki Shun did not achieve the desired results.
It wasn't until last night, in a moment of excitement, that he pulled all his lovers into a party, and discovered a gentler way to baptize himself.
Ahem~ Anyway, this is pretty good news, meaning that he can now help his lover improve her physical fitness through dual cultivation... The effects are great in every way, both for his lover and for Aragaki Shun himself.
He even received a brand new world quest on his Personal Panel because of this.
[Optional Quest: Immortal's Blessing - Ushering in a Great Era of Extraordinary Talents. For each Transcendentalist nurtured in this era, you will receive corresponding rewards.]
Hmm, the previous optional mission was to leave behind bloodlines and offspring in this world, and now it's to cultivate Transcendentalist in this way. That formless and intangible world origin is quite interesting.
With a slight shrug, Aragaki Shun dismissed the idea without much thought.
Although he can now transfer life energy to his lover through intimate contact to enhance her physical fitness, it is not impossible that in the long run, he could directly strengthen them to the human limit of 11 in all attributes.
But let alone the limits of humanity, even the limits of mortals are worlds apart from true transcendence.
Like conceiving offspring, this is a task that is impossible to complete in a short period of time, so let's just leave it as it is and let nature take its course.
Thinking of this, Aragaki Shun looked once again at his now completely revamped Personal Panel—
[Name: Aragaki Shun