Chapter 53: The Ritual

Dune sat quietly in the classroom, his mind still reeling from the incident that had transpired four days ago.

The room, once filled with the lively chatter of 120 students, now held only 96. The weight of those missing presences hung heavily in the air, a constant reminder of the lives lost.

His gaze swept the room, noticing the empty seat where Alice once sat. A pang of guilt stabbed at his heart; he had been the one who killed her.

He sighed deeply and looked ahead, where Beth, their teacher, stood at the front of the class. She was a striking figure, with long black hair that framed her face and eyes that held both sadness and resolve.

Despite the grim circumstances, she exuded a quiet strength. Her tall, graceful body was clad in the standard academy professor's attire, but there was nothing standard about her presence.

Beth's voice, usually so composed, carried a note of sorrow as she addressed the class. "We have had a hard time and lost many classmates. I know it's hard for you all, too," she began, her eyes scanning the room, lingering briefly on each student. "But we must continue to get stronger.

Use this as motivation to avenge your family members, friends, and those you care about. We have to fight the Zetens with everything we have."

Her words hung in the air, a call to arms for the grieving students. "Sadly, the Beast Tournament will be postponed. It will now take place 52 days from now. This means you all have more time to prepare.

In four days, the King will come to the academy to give a speech and offer support to those who lost people in this attack. And on the fifth day, we will have practice. You will engage in 1v1 battles to determine the official rankings of the students, from 1 to 96. I wish you all luck."

Beth paused, letting her words sink in. The room was silent, the students processing the weight of her message. She then straightened, a determined look crossing her face. "Now, let's start the lesson."

The classroom, with its high ceilings and large windows, was bathed in the soft morning light. Desks were arranged in neat rows, the space now feeling emptier than ever. Beth moved gracefully between the desks, her black hair catching the light, as she began the day's lesson on controlling Neba, the mystical energy they were all striving to master.

After Beth's class ended, the atmosphere remained heavy with the weight of her words. The students sat quietly as she left, their minds still processing the loss and the challenges ahead.

Moments later, the door swung open and Damion Murderthrone entered, his presence commanding immediate attention.

Unlike Beth, he didn't acknowledge the recent tragedy or the absent classmates. Instead, he launched directly into his lecture.

"What do you guys know about Neba?" he asked, his voice sharp and to the point.

The room fell silent, students hesitant to speak. Finally, Hazel, a girl known for her keen insights, raised her hand and spoke up.

"Neba is energy that strengthens us. You already mentioned colors and their rankings, but what I can add is that... Neba is alive."

The class reacted with a mix of surprise and contemplation. Dune had suspected this; if Zeten was alive, why shouldn't Neba be? They were two sides of the same coin.

"Yes, Neba is alive," Damion confirmed. "Just like Zeten. Do you know that you can strengthen and upgrade your Neba? Probably not, but let me tell you, you can actually change your Neba color through rituals."

The class erupted in shock. Even Dune found himself taken aback. Change Neba color? How was that possible?

Damion chuckled at their reactions, clearly enjoying the moment. He raised his hand, and a stack of papers appeared in front of the students, seemingly out of thin air.

Each paper contained detailed instructions and information about the rituals needed to change Neba color. The students stared at the papers, their minds racing with the possibilities this new knowledge presented.

Neba Advancement Guide

1. Upgrading Green Neba to Yellow

To advance from Green Neba to Yellow, a Neba user must undertake the following steps:

Collect and Absorb 1,000 Different Green Nebas:

The Neba user must collect or absorb the essence of 1,000 different Green Nebas. These essences can be gathered from various sources such as defeated opponents, natural phenomena, or gifted by other Neba users.

Store in Neba Core:

Once collected, these Green Nebas must be carefully stored in the user's Neba core. This requires meticulous control and balance to prevent the energies from overwhelming the core.

Combine the Green Nebas:

After successfully storing the 1,000 Green Nebas, the user must combine them within their core. This process is intense and requires deep meditation and focus. Upon successful combination, the core will transform, upgrading the user's Neba from Green to Yellow.

2. Advancing from Yellow Neba to Orange

The transition from Yellow to Orange Neba involves a perilous ritual:

Absorb the Core of the Phoenix:

To advance to Orange Neba, the user must absorb the core of a Phoenix, a creature known for its powerful Orange Neba. This task is extremely dangerous and often fatal.

Phoenix Stomach Ritual:

To mitigate the high risk, it is advised to perform the absorption within the stomach of a dead Phoenix. This environment provides a more controlled setting to absorb the Phoenix's core essence.

Success and Transformation:

If the absorption is successful, the user's core will transform, upgrading their Neba from Yellow to Orange. This process is perilous and requires both skill and luck.

3. Advancing from Orange Neba to Red

Advancing from Orange to Red Neba involves harnessing the essence of blood:

Blood of Alive Creatures:

To upgrade to Red Neba, the user must absorb the blood of live creatures. This blood, rich with life force, needs to be absorbed directly into the user's Neba core.

Continuous Absorption:

This process must be repeated continuously, gradually infusing the core with the necessary life force. The user must balance and manage the absorbed blood to prevent any negative effects on their core.

Transformation to Red Neba:

Once sufficient blood has been absorbed and the core is saturated with life force, the core will transform, advancing the user's Neba from Orange to Red.

4. Advancing from Red Neba to Blue

Information on advancing from Red Neba to Blue is currently unavailable.

Dune read through the entire document, absorbing the details on how to advance from green Neba to yellow, from yellow to orange, and from orange to red.

But there was a conspicuous absence of information on advancing from red to blue. Why? He wondered.

Hazel was the first to voice what many were thinking. "Why is there no information about blue or purple Nebas?"

Damion chuckled. "Can't you guys tell me why? Think about it." His smile was almost taunting as he looked around the class.

Hazel hesitated.

"There isn't enough information because blue and purple Neba are rare?"

Atlas jumped in. "I don't think so. I think it's because the rituals for these advancements are illegal. If you need to consume blood to advance to a red Neba core, imagine what you'd need to change from red to blue. Nothing good. That's why they won't share this information with anyone."

Dune finally spoke, his voice measured but carrying an edge of defiance. "That might be right, but there's one more thing. Why would they share this with students like us? Imagine someone actually manages to advance to purple Neba, they'd be a threat not just to this city, but the whole continent.

Why would they create a weapon strong enough to destroy themselves? They don't care about the safety of people.

All they care about is sitting safe on their thrones and eating good food while others are starving outside of Rendely. I'm sure the higher-ups are trying to perform these rituals secretly."

The classroom fell silent, every eye fixed on Dune. He felt a rush of adrenaline mixed with a cold dread. Damn it, what happened to me? Why did I say that?

Then he heard Atlas's voice through the mindlink artifact. "Are you stupid? You want us both to die? Why would you say that?"

"I'm sorry, I just... damn it, it's my fault," Dune replied through the mindlink, feeling the weight of his words sink in.

A slow clapping broke the silence. "That's right, Dune. That's right," Damion said, his voice dripping with a mix of amusement and approval as he laughed heartily.

The classmates looked on, shocked and confused.

"This whole city is full of shit. But i promise I will change that," Damion continued, his tone darkening. "But you know, sometimes you've got to do bad things to achieve good. That's how it works. You should know this best, Dune."

Dune's heart pounded as he realized what Damion was alluding to. He was referring to the time Dune had killed Alice to protect himself and Atlas. He knows, Dune thought, a chill running down his spine.

The intensity of the moment hung in the air, each student processing the dangerous implications of Dune's and Damion's words.

Dune's classmates exchanged nervous glances, some nodding in agreement, others looking fearful.

Hazel's eyes were wide with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. "Is it true?" she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible.

Dune met Damion's gaze, feeling a complex mix of anger, fear, and a strange sense of solidarity.

The class sat in stunned silence, the weight of their new reality pressing down on them. The path ahead was perilous, and each student felt the stakes rising, their destinies intertwined in ways they were only beginning to understand.