ShareThe light was still dim, with only pieces of clean ore emitting a faint green glow, slightly illuminating the space.
"With a crash!"
The sound of breaking echoed through the underground chamber as pieces of clean ore crumbled into powder. The essence contained within them transformed into streams of green light, which, drawn by the bright red glow, slowly flowed in one direction—gathering on Erend's body.
Erend stood with his eyes closed, holding the launcher of the Black Furnace Magic Sword. The red crystal embedded in the launcher shone brightly, pulling in vast amounts of clean ore energy.
Under the influence of these elements, Erend's strength as a member of the Baby Boomers Generation steadily increased, and his momentum grew stronger.
After a while, Erend exhaled and opened his eyes.
"Let's stop here, Black Furnace."
At his command, the Black Furnace Magic Sword instantly retracted its bright red glow. The surrounding clean ore elements ceased their flow, merging into the air and dissipating.
Erend stretched out his empty hand, clenched it twice, and then smiled.
"Yes, another perfect improvement."
This was the third time Erend had absorbed power from the Ten Thousand Responding Mine with the help of the Black Furnace Magic Sword.
Although it was only the third attempt, Erend could already feel an undeniable improvement.
Whether in physical endurance or star power, each absorption significantly boosted his abilities.
The Erend of today was much stronger than when he first arrived in this world.
"Now, even if I don't use the Black Furnace, I can easily defeat David, right?"
Erend held this belief firmly.
When he had first challenged David, Erend had only absorbed the ore's energy once. At that time, his physical prowess and star power were both inferior to David, who was once one of the twelve on the first page.
If the Black Furnace Magic Sword was not factored in, Erend had relied purely on his battle instincts and authority to fight on equal terms.
But now, with two additional absorptions, his physical abilities and star power had increased tremendously. Not only was he no longer inferior to David, but he had even surpassed him.
With this, Erend's combat power—his physical ability, star power, and battle awareness—was now on par with or beyond David's. There was no longer any reason for him to be weaker.
Even without using the Black Furnace Magic Sword, if Erend fought David again, he could claim victory within ten rounds!
The significance of this was clear.
"Now I have the strength to stand among the top twelve. I truly hold the power of the highest ranks!"
A confident smile spread across Erend's face.
"Even without the Black Furnace, I can stand in the top ten with my own strength. The top five might even be within reach!"
In Erend's estimation, if he had to fight Jenni Ortega, who had gone berserk in front of the girls' dormitory recently, he would not lose—even without using the Black Furnace Magic Sword.
Unless Jenni had hidden some secret strength at that time, she, ranked fifth, would most likely be defeated if she faced Erend now.
And if the Black Furnace Magic Sword was included…
"I don't have to wait for the next official ranking match. I can challenge that little girl now, can't I?"
As he thought of the shy girl, Erend couldn't help but mutter,
"I wonder how she's doing now..."
News of Natasha rescuing Jenni Ortega from an attack in front of the dormitory had spread widely across the internet.
Naturally, Erend's involvement was also mentioned.
Reports detailed how Natasha had saved Jenni, but it was Erend who had stepped in to prevent her from being further ambushed.
Because of this, Natasha had not appeared in public recently. Some claimed she only attended her first-year middle school classes and looked visibly distressed whenever she was spotted.
"Was she scolded by her uncle?"
For the past few days, Erend had found himself thinking about Natasha from time to time.
Unfortunately, he hadn't encountered her outside lately and had no idea how she was doing.
"Ding!"
As Erend was lost in thought, a space window suddenly opened in front of him.
Someone had sent him a message.
"Huh?"
Looking at the message on the space window, Erend was momentarily stunned.
"Jenni Ortega?"
That's right. The sender's name was none other than Jenni Ortega.
The message itself was straightforward.
She expressed her gratitude for his help during the previous attack and invited him and Natasha to dinner outside the academy on the weekend.
"I didn't expect this princess to invite people to dinner."
To be honest, Erend was quite surprised.
From what he remembered, despite Jenni's beauty, talent, and noble background, her upright personality made her seem distant and hard to approach. Many found her difficult to get along with.
She had been in Livermorny Academy for about a year now, yet, except for Tomas—who occasionally appeared by her side—she hadn't formed many friendships.
For someone like her to extend an invitation…
"Is it just a coincidence?"
Erend chuckled, sensing something more.
"Outside, huh?"
He was genuinely tempted.
Now that he thought about it, since arriving in this world, he had never stepped outside Durmstrang to explore.
Though Asterisk was a city known for duels, it had more to offer than just the six academies and the Star Martial Festivals. It also had residential areas, commercial districts, and various recreational spots.
"This is a rare opportunity. I should take a look around."
This outing would also allow him to check on Natasha.
However, given that she was closely monitored by her uncle, would she even accept the invitation?
Thinking this, Erend swiftly typed his response to Jenni.
"I'll be there on time."
Outside the Gates of Durmstrang on the Weekend
That morning, Erend, having adjusted to his newfound strength, woke up early—not to train, but to dress in casual clothes and head to the meeting place.
"Erend! Over here!"
A voice called out the moment he stepped outside the academy gates.
The speaker, however, was not Jenni, but someone whose presence was not mentioned in the initial invitation.
With messy black hair and a relaxed demeanor, he wore a simple shirt, a thin jacket, and a pair of jeans. His appearance was completely ordinary.
Upon seeing him, Erend smirked knowingly.
"It's you, Butler."
The person standing there was Butler.
Beside Butler stood Jenni Ortega.
Unlike her usual stern demeanor, Jenni had dressed in a black and pink one-piece dress with a slightly short skirt. Her long, slender legs were covered with frilly knee-high socks, and she held a small umbrella. Her outfit was far more feminine than what people were used to seeing her in.
Had anyone accustomed to her usual strict appearance seen her now, they would surely be shocked.
Even Butler appeared slightly overwhelmed, his posture stiff as though he felt out of place beside her.
"You're here," Jenni noted, scanning Erend from head to toe before nodding approvingly. "Good. This is much more appropriate—unlike someone who is far too casual and an eyesore."
Though Erend hadn't dressed up, he was still much better than Butler, who looked like he had just thrown on whatever was closest. Erend wore a simple white top with a black jacket, black pants, and sneakers—giving him a sleek yet effortless look.
"This is just something I pulled out of my closet," Erend replied honestly.
Before Jenni could respond, he smirked at the two of them.
"Honestly, you didn't need to invite us. You two could've gone on a date alone."
With a single sentence, Erend effortlessly flustered both of them.
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