SCIAW: Chapter 182/183

Chapter 182: Training Begins

After finishing their morning exercises, all members of the Occult Research Club disembarked from the boat and stepped onto the island.

Walking along the 1,500-meter-long ice path, they made their way inland.

"Hmm~ I can smell sulfur."

As they approached, the distinct scent of sulfur from volcanic activity hit them.

However, due to the time elapsed since the last eruption, the smell was actually quite faint.

Following the ice path, they officially set foot on the beach, and the island's interior came into view.

It was far quieter than expected—there wasn't even the sound of birds or insects.

"This island is really quiet."

Sakuya perked up her ears, but she could barely pick up any sounds.

"Ms. Aizawa, you don't need to strain yourself. This island really is silent."

Seeing her reaction, Ran explained,

"The sounds on this island are… unusual."

"It feels like there are bubbling noises coming from all around."

With her enhanced senses, Ran couldn't hear much else, but the strange, sticky bubbling sounds were incredibly distinct.

"Bubbling sounds… could it be hot springs?"

Sonoko was momentarily taken aback and tried to picture the scene Ran had described.

She herself couldn't hear the bubbling, but she had noticed something strange—after stepping onto the island, even the sound of waves had become faint.

"It's not coming from hot springs."

Ren shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the ground.

"This island sits on top of a large volcano. That kind of bubbling sound is actually pretty normal."

Everyone suddenly paused and looked down at the ground at the same time.

The deep trench surrounding the island flashed through their minds.

Now that they thought about it, the island really did resemble a volcano emerging from the sea.

"Shinomiya, you really have a knack for shopping. You bought a volcano when you bought an island."

Sonoko nudged Kaguya playfully, teasing her.

Kaguya glanced at Ren, who was standing in front of her, and hesitantly asked,

"Amamiya, will this volcano interfere with our training?"

"No."

Ren shook his head slightly.

He had already observed the volcano in detail. The island was indeed formed on top of it, but the volcanic pressure was minimal.

"Although this island is situated on a volcano, the pressure within the volcano itself is not very high. It's located within a tectonic plate zone, and at most, it experiences two minor eruptions per year."

"The eruptions are relatively small in scale. The magma release never extends beyond the island itself, it physically can't. That's its limit."

"For this volcano to erupt more violently, someone would have to inject explosive energy directly into the magma chamber."

"Otherwise, it won't pose any real threat."

This volcano was extremely stable.

The eruptions, occurring twice a year, were small-scale. Based on its current state, the next eruption was still months away.

Clearly, this training session wouldn't be affected.

"The reason this island is so quiet is because the local wildlife understands its dangers instinctively."

"Animals are often the first to react before a disaster."

"The insects on this island have already hidden deep underground, where it's safe. They won't re-emerge until the volcanic cycle is over."

"And because the insects disappeared, the birds left as well—they lost their primary food source."

"So, all that remains is the bubbling of magma beneath us."

The others nodded subconsciously.

"But normal human senses wouldn't be able to pick up the sound of magma bubbling beneath a volcano."

"Yeah, I can't hear it at all."

Ren pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Ran, your physical abilities and senses have almost reached their limits, haven't they?"

"Yes."

Ran nodded slightly, a troubled look appearing on her face.

"Sometimes I hear things too clearly, which makes daily life a little inconvenient."

"This is likely due to your lack of control over your own strength and focus."

"Right now, your body is radiating energy outward. While it's technically a form of physical enhancement, at this level, it's essentially a supernatural ability."

Physical strengthening naturally leads to heightened sensory perception. If one can't control it, it becomes more of a burden than a benefit.

But this time, things were different.

The River of Eternal Darkness, which Ren obtained from the incident on Tsukikage Island, could grant power along the Warrior Path.

This was the key to helping Ran gain full mastery over her abilities.

Amamiya Ren waved her over.

"The goal of this training is mainly for Shinomiya and Ran to master the upper limits of their power."

"Meanwhile, Sanzenin and Miss Maria need to learn how to control their elemental abilities."

"So, we'll split into two groups."

"Hayasaka, open the door and take Fujiwara and Shinomiya to the other world."

"Let Shinomiya vent inside your spatial realm and release as much of her cold energy as possible. We need to see if her Ice-Ice Fruit abilities put a strain on your dimensional space."

"As for the outside, Ran, Sanzenin, and Miss Maria will take charge here."

"Next, Ran."

Upon hearing her name, Ran stepped forward.

"This time, I have a way to help you control your strength."

"But it'll take time to test and I'll need to regulate how the power is given to you. Otherwise, it could cause unforeseen complications."

"Do you want to give it a try?"

Ran nodded without hesitation.

"Of course I do."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 183: Are You Jealous Again?

In the dense jungle, a girl moved swiftly through the terrain.

Darting across the forest floor, she leaped onto a tree branch with a light, effortless step.

With barely a pause, she pushed off, her body soaring upward.

In just three seconds, she had reached the treetop, allowing her to survey the area ahead at a glance.

"It's amazing… It feels like this has been ingrained in my body for ages."

"This is a boon."

A small flame ignited on a nearby branch, and as the fire flickered, another figure appeared.

"It's fine if the boon I grant others is of a low sequence, but once the sequence becomes too high, your growth trajectory will inevitably start leaning toward me."

"Leaning…? What do you mean?"

"To put it simply, the more powerful the boon, the more you will become like me. Eventually, you'll turn into something akin to my dependent—a puppet, to be blunt."

"Oh."

Ran was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected such a heavy price for obtaining Ren's power.

But then, with a troubled expression, she asked,

"If you take the power back, will all of this training still count?"

Ren smiled slightly. He had considered this issue beforehand.

"Don't worry. Right now, you're using the knowledge gained from the boon to familiarize yourself with your body. Once you've fully adapted, I'll retrieve the gifted power."

"But I'll leave behind your physical memory of it."

"For now, your main focus should be on mastering the overwhelming strength, essentially, learning the technique."

"Although you won't maintain your current level exactly, after proper training, you'll be able to regain this level of strength on your own."

This was the best method Ren could think of to help Ran master her abilities.

The process was tedious and complex, but it avoided any dangerous side effects.

Compared to the Potion Pathway, the Boon Pathway was far more stable—especially when dealing with low-sequence boons.

"Ran, test your power."

"Understood."

Ran leaped down from the treetop. Her movements were fluid, and she descended from a height of dozens of meters almost instantly.

Not a single sound accompanied her landing.

She had reached a level where she could ascend and descend extreme heights with ease, utilizing her body weight and technique perfectly.

As soon as she landed, Ran turned around and struck a massive tree behind her, a tree so large it would take seven or eight people to encircle it.

"!"

A sharp tearing sound echoed through the jungle.

Ran's seemingly delicate hand effortlessly pierced through the tree's tough outer bark and even penetrated its dense core.

"Haa…"

Exhaling softly, Ran swiftly pulled her hand out, clenched her fist, and struck again, this time with a full-force punch.

BOOM!

The massive tree exploded as if someone had stuffed it with TNT.

With a loud rumble, the splintered trunk collapsed to the side.

"Not bad. Your strength and technique are both solid."

As flames flickered, Ren descended, placing a hand on the fractured remains of the tree trunk.

Just from examining the damage, he could tell how terrifying Ran's strength had become.

"That was about 70% of your power, right?"

"Only 40%."

Ran corrected him, her cheeks tinged with pink.

Even though Ren had overestimated her power, the reality was even more astonishing.

If just 40% of her strength was enough to cause this level of destruction…

By his calculations, that strike could easily pierce through a human body.

The phrase "kill with a single punch" was not an exaggeration.

Even with the Warrior Pathway enhancing her, low-sequence augmentations had limits.

But considering Ran's base physical strength, even without the Warrior Pathway's enhancements, she could likely still kill with a single punch.

In terms of sheer brute force, normal humans were simply no match for her.

However, there was one important thing to celebrate.

"You can control your power, you know your limits now, right?"

"Yeah."

Ran nodded enthusiastically.

"Although my grasp of it is still a little vague, after receiving Ren's power, I now have a clearer understanding of my upper limit."

"This is probably my biggest achievement so far."

Ren let out a relieved breath.

He was never worried about Ran growing too strong.

Rather, he was worried that she'd become too strong before she was mentally ready for it.

After all, the world was full of terrible people.

If Ran ever encountered someone insulting her in a fight, she might instinctively lash out and accidentally obliterate them.

"Now then… Shinomiya and Hayasaka—"

CRACK!!

Suddenly, the sound of shattering rang out from the distance.

Ren's senses screamed in alarm.

"!?"

Reacting instantly, he grabbed Ran, who hadn't even processed what was happening yet, and teleported several times using Flame Jumps.

BOOM!!!

A massive explosion erupted behind them, sending a thunderous shockwave through the air.

BZZZZZZZ!!

A powerful buzzing noise filled the surroundings, causing Ren's ears to ring violently.

For a brief moment, his hearing was completely wiped out.

And if he was struggling—then Ran, with her far more sensitive senses, must be suffering twice as much.

It took a few moments for the ringing in their ears to subside.

Only then could Ren finally take in the sight before him.

A massive iceberg had suddenly materialized in the middle of the island.

As if… an entire glacier had been dropped from the sky.

"Looks like the Door-Door Fruit's alternate dimension has its limits, after all."

Ren swiftly used his ability to help Ran recover from the sensory overload.

Ran, now regaining her senses, also took in the jaw-dropping scene.

"Did… something happen to Shinomiya?"

Ren put her down and shook his head.

"It's not Shinomiya—it's Hayasaka."

"The Door-Door Fruit still has restrictions."

"Judging by this, they're running into serious trouble in that other dimension."

"Hmm?"

Ran, now steady on her feet, lightly nudged Ren.

"Don't tell me… Shinomiya got jealous again?"

"…"

Ren turned to look at her.

Even though Shinomiya's abilities were mainly ice-based, Ran's body had been enhanced to its absolute peak, resulting in a figure even more stunning than Fujiwara Chika's.

If Shinomiya saw this and got jealous, it wouldn't exactly be surprising.

"…Not impossible."

Ran smirked playfully.

"After all, Shinomiya loves getting jealous. It's totally possible."

This time, even Ren wasn't entirely sure.

"Ran, I'm heading over to check on them. Can you handle things here?"

"I'll be fine. But wait—are we still continuing?"

"I'll check on the situation first."

(To be continued.)