The Revival of Spiritual Energy
"Then how did you cultivate to this level?" Arifureta asked with great curiosity. To this day, she still didn't know how Eriri had become so powerful, especially in a world without any mystical energy.
"I absorb cosmic energy, which is the fundamental energy of the universe and exists in every corner of it. However, ordinary people can't absorb this energy. I'm able to do so because of my unique physique, but it took me over ten years to reach my current strength."
Eriri gave a simple explanation. This was also the reason why, even after transforming Megumi Kato into a transcendent being, Megumi still needed to come to Eriri for mana replenishment.
If Megumi had originally been a transcendent being, Eriri could have directly enhanced her body and the energy within her, similar to what the chat group could do. This would have been much easier than the direct transformation.
One advantage of the chat group was that it could turn ordinary people into transcendent beings who could absorb ordinary mystical energy, unlike Eriri's method, which only allowed people to use cosmic energy.
Of course, this also had its benefits. Among beings of the same level, those who used cosmic energy were much stronger than those who used ordinary mystical energy.
"Why don't you turn this world into one with mystical energy? That way, the overall strength of the world would increase significantly, and it could help fend off external threats," Arifureta asked with a hint of curiosity.
"Hmm… there's no need for that. As long as I'm here, this world won't face any danger. Besides, if the world were filled with mystical energy, social order might become chaotic."
This had always been Eriri's thought. In a world where everyone was ordinary, governments could manage their countries in an orderly fashion. However, if mystical energy were introduced, social order might quickly collapse. Those who gained power would likely be unwilling to remain ordinary citizens, leading to various uprisings and problems.
The world would become one where strength was paramount, and ordinary people who couldn't obtain mystical energy might find their lives becoming extremely difficult.
"That's no big deal. Isn't this something every world must go through in its evolution? Different worlds have different ways of governing," Arifureta replied nonchalantly.
"And besides, if there's any danger in the future, you can't be the one solving everything, right? Wouldn't it be better for the people of this world to handle their own problems? We could just relax and enjoy ourselves. Plus, no matter how chaotic the future gets, it won't go beyond your control, will it?"
Arifureta's reasoning made Eriri pause and think. Perhaps allowing the world to evolve wouldn't be as bad as she had imagined. After all, as long as her family was more powerful than everyone else, there wouldn't be a problem.
"Yue-chan, I admit you've convinced me. Alright, let's see what the future holds for this world of Saekano," Eriri said.
With that, Eriri did something similar to what she had done in Tortus the day before—she uttered a single phrase, "Aura Revival."
In an instant, it was as if the entire universe responded to Eriri's words. The world of Saekano, which had previously been devoid of mystical energy, suddenly became filled with it. In just a few seconds, the amount of energy in the atmosphere far surpassed that of Tortus.
This mystical energy could be called mana, or spiritual energy, or anything else—it was all fundamentally the same, just under different names.
Feeling the abundant mana surrounding her once again, Arifureta realized that this world's future would be entirely different. It wouldn't be long before the first group of people awakened extraordinary powers, and the world's structure would undergo a massive transformation.
Although Eriri had never involved herself in the development of the Sawamura conglomerate and didn't plan to in the future, now that she had initiated this aura revival, she wouldn't let the Sawamura family fall behind. She decided to talk to Mrs. Sayuri tomorrow, so she could start preparing early.
Moreover, after years of Eriri nurturing them, Mr. and Mrs. Sayuri's bodies had become incredibly powerful. Even if the world were to develop for hundreds of years, it was unlikely that anyone stronger than them would emerge.
"An eighth-level powerhouse, truly terrifying," Arifureta remarked.
When Eriri had used her words to suppress the mana in Tortus, she had first isolated Arifureta, Shea, and Reina, so they hadn't directly experienced the disappearance and return of mana. Now, having personally experienced it, Arifureta could fully appreciate the power behind it.
"Honestly, even I'm not entirely sure how powerful I am right now," Eriri said, somewhat helplessly. Her strength had grown so immense that, according to the chat group's rankings, if she were to unleash her full power, this universe wouldn't be able to withstand the consequences.
At that moment, Eriri's phone suddenly chimed with a new message notification, making her eyes light up.
At this hour, the only person who could be messaging her was Utaha Kasumigaoka. It had been almost half an hour since Eriri had sent her message, so she wondered what Utaha had been doing.
Picking up her phone, Eriri saw that, sure enough, the unread message was from Utaha Kasumigaoka.
"Sawamura-san, sorry, I was in the bath and couldn't reply to your message right away."
Before Eriri could respond, another message from Utaha Kasumigaoka arrived.
"Sawamura-san, I heard from Kato-san that you've been busy with some important things these past few days. Are you done now?"
Reading Utaha's message, Eriri smiled knowingly, thinking, "Looks like when Utaha-senpai couldn't reach me, she went to ask Megumi about it."
Seeing the smile on Eriri's face, Arifureta couldn't help but ask, "Who is it this time?"
"Take a look for yourself," Eriri said, holding her phone up to Arifureta, showing her the message from Utaha Kasumigaoka.
As soon as she saw the name on the screen, Arifureta immediately recognized it. It wasn't that she had a deep impression of this person, but when she remembered Megumi Kato earlier, she had also recalled the third main heroine from Saekano—Utaha Kasumigaoka.
"Is this one too?" Arifureta asked, uncertain, noting the somewhat formal tone in the message.
"Not yet, but soon enough. I've only met Senpai once so far," Eriri replied with a smile, though her tone hinted at her intentions.