As for the immortality of Level 9, they had some understanding, even if it was vastly different from what they imagined.
As for concepts like "destroying countless universes with a single thought" or "creating countless universes with a single thought," they seemed to understand the words, but they couldn't truly grasp their meaning.
At this moment, Yuria asked the question she was most curious about after learning about the level system.
"Master, what level is your strength at?" Yuria looked at Eriri with a face full of curiosity.
Beside her, Hana Yurikawa quickly nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes! I'm really curious about that too!"
"My strength is decent, about Level 8, Stage 9."
"What? Level 8, Stage 9?!"
Three incredulous exclamations rang out in the room simultaneously, even Miko Yotsuya temporarily forgot her sadness.
"M-Master, are you really not joking?" Yuria stuttered as she asked.
It wasn't that she didn't believe Eriri; it was just that what she said was too shocking to be true.
"Of course not. Do you want me to demonstrate by destroying a universe? Don't worry, I'll ensure your safety," Eriri said playfully, as if she would really do it if Yuria and the others agreed.
"No, no, no! We believe you!"
The moment Eriri finished speaking, Yuria and Hana Yurikawa immediately backed down.
Better safe than sorry. If Eriri really was at Level 8, Stage 9, and wasn't joking, then their universe was in serious danger.
They didn't want to become homeless wanderers of space just because their universe got wiped out, not to mention that their families all lived here.
"Alright, let's end the idle chatter here. Yuria, Hana, I'm going to plant the energy seeds in you two now."
Upon hearing this, Yuria and Hana's eyes lit up, and they looked at Eriri with excitement.
Eriri didn't waste time. She extended both hands, pressing the index fingers of each hand against their foreheads. Using her cosmic energy, she swiftly created two energy seeds and sent them into Yuria and Hana's bodies through her fingertips.
"Alright, the energy seeds have been planted. You should feel a warm sensation inside you. That's the energy seed that will help you grow stronger," Eriri said casually as she withdrew her fingers.
"That's it?" Yuria asked dumbfoundedly.
She had imagined the process of planting an energy seed to be complicated and difficult, but it had taken less than two seconds. She had no sense of reality about it.
However, the warmth inside her body reminded her that this was indeed real.
"Of course. Did you think it would be difficult?" Eriri lightly knocked on Yuria's forehead.
"Oh, by the way, I've temporarily closed your Yin-Yang Eyes. When you reach Level 2, Stage 1, they'll automatically reopen. This way, you won't get eaten by evil spirits before you even have the chance to grow stronger."
Yuria had no objections to Eriri's arrangement.
She wasn't an idiot—she knew that things had changed. Before, she could only see harmless spirits, so it didn't matter whether she could see them or not.
But now that she could see powerful evil spirits, without sufficient strength, she wouldn't stand a chance against them.
She had no confidence in being able to stay calm in front of such terrifying creatures.
It wasn't like her Yin-Yang Eyes would be closed forever, so it didn't affect her dream of becoming a great spirit master.
Hana Yurikawa, however, had a completely different thought process from Yuria. She raised her hand and looked at Eriri pitifully.
"Um... Master Eriri, can you permanently close my Yin-Yang Eye? To be honest, I really don't want to see those evil spirits anymore; they're just too terrifying."
As for Yotsuya Miko beside her, her reaction was even more intense. The ability to close the Yin-Yang Eye was the best news for her. Her desire to shut it off was no less than Hana's.
So before Eriri could respond to Hana's request, she immediately hugged Eriri's arm and looked up at her with expectant eyes. "Eriri, can you close my Yin-Yang Eye too?"
"I can," Eriri nodded and replied.
But before Yotsuya Miko and Hana could show their excitement, Eriri continued, "But are you sure you want to close it forever? If you shut it down, aren't you afraid that evil spirits will be able to do whatever they want to you? If you can see them, as long as you have the strength, you can deal with any evil spirit that dares to approach you. Isn't that better?"
Hearing Eriri's words, Hana froze for a moment because she suddenly realized Eriri made a lot of sense.
For example, her room had been filled with evil spirits. Even though Eriri had wiped them out, more would definitely gather there in the future. If she couldn't see them, those new evil spirits would always be around her, and that was definitely not an outcome she wanted.
Yotsuya Miko had similar concerns, but in her mind, she didn't have much of a choice. Unlike Yurilia and Hana, she hadn't received an energy seed from Eriri.
Thinking about how she was the only ordinary person in the room, Yotsuya Miko felt even more dejected.
So she looked straight at Eriri and said, "Eriri, I still choose to close my Yin-Yang Eye. After all, I don't have the strength to deal with those evil spirits."
After speaking, she forced a smile, and her grip on Eriri's left arm instinctively tightened.
Seeing Miko like this, Eriri immediately understood that her misunderstanding had deepened even further.
"Yare yare."
Eriri sighed in amusement, then reached out her right hand to grasp Yotsuya Miko's right hand tightly.
"Miko-chan, you don't have to overthink this. The reason I didn't give you an energy seed is that you don't need one to grow stronger. You are a special existence."
Eriri looked at Yotsuya Miko seriously. Anyone who saw her expression would know she wasn't lying, and Yotsuya Miko was no exception.
Although she didn't know what Eriri meant by "special," it was enough to reassure her that she wasn't unimportant to Eriri.
With that realization, her mood brightened instantly, and all the previous feelings of loss and despair vanished in an instant.
"Mm-hmm, in that case, I won't need to close it, right?" Yotsuya Miko said happily.
Hana quickly followed up, "I'll also choose to keep my Yin-Yang Eye open for now. Even though seeing evil spirits is terrifying, it's still better than not knowing they are around me."
After they made their choices, Eriri didn't hesitate. She waved her hand at Yurilia and Hana, instantly closing their Yin-Yang Eyes.
Now, Yurilia couldn't see evil spirits at all—not even the harmless ones she had been able to see since she was a child.
Perhaps, for the days leading up to her becoming an extraordinary being, this would be an entirely new and novel experience for her.
"Alright, that settles it. How much you grow in the future will depend on your own efforts. Miko-chan and I will be leaving now."
"Eh? It's still early. Why not stay and play for a while longer?" Hana asked reluctantly.
"Not today. There will be plenty of time in the future. I still have something to discuss with Miko-chan."
"Alright then." Hana nodded regretfully but did not insist further.
At this moment, Yuria suddenly bowed deeply to Eriri, then straightened up and sincerely expressed her gratitude: "Master, thank you."
Following suit, Hana also thanked Eriri.
...
In Miko Yotsuya's bedroom, Eriri sat cross-legged on the bed, facing a slightly nervous Miko.
It was now a little past 4 PM, just a few minutes after they had used teleportation to return from Hana's house to Miko's bedroom.
As usual, besides Miko's ghostly father, there was no one else at home. Mrs. Yotsuya had not yet returned from work, and her younger brother, Kyousuke Yotsuya, was still at a friend's house.
"Miko, do you still remember the thing that appeared in your mind last Friday?" Eriri asked, getting straight to the point without any hesitation.
"Of course, I remember. It seemed like something caused by an evil spirit, but then it disappeared," Miko nodded and replied. Then, a curious expression crossed her face. "But how do you know about that?"
Hearing this, Eriri shook her head. "You're mistaken. That wasn't caused by an evil spirit. It was actually a chat group that connects countless worlds, and you have been chosen as a member of it."
"A chat group, I understand, but a chat group that connects countless worlds... Does such an incredible thing really exist in this world?" Miko said in astonishment, not doubting Eriri's words.
"If it connects multiple worlds, does that mean the members of this chat group all come from different worlds?"
"That's correct. You got it exactly right."
"I see… so that means, Eriri, you're actually from another world?!" Miko looked at Eriri with a complicated expression. She finally understood why such a powerful and unbelievably beautiful person like Eriri had no reputation in this world.
Eriri did not respond verbally; she simply smiled at Miko, acknowledging her speculation.
Miko, however, did not dwell too much on this revelation. Regardless of which world Eriri came from, it made no difference to her—Eriri was still the most special person in her life.
But there was still one thing that puzzled her greatly, something she couldn't wrap her head around.
With a confused expression, Miko asked, "But the chat group disappeared from my mind, didn't it? Can I still be considered a member?"
"Actually, it hasn't disappeared. Try focusing again and see if you can sense the chat group's presence."
As Eriri spoke, she simultaneously signaled to Little Skirt within her mind, instructing it to restore the hidden chat group interface in Miko's consciousness.
Following Eriri's suggestion, Miko concentrated her awareness within her mind. This time, she instantly sensed the presence of something both unfamiliar and familiar deep in her consciousness.
The reappearance of the chat group filled Miko with excitement.
"It's back! So it really didn't disappear! Could it have been hidden because I didn't interact with it in time?" Miko murmured in excitement.
"As for the specifics of the chat group, I won't go into too much detail. Just check the group's introduction and announcements once you enter. Everything will be explained clearly."
"Mm-hmm!" Miko nodded enthusiastically before eagerly entering the chat group interface.
She first entered the main chat module, watching the messages scroll rapidly one after another. Miko was utterly shocked.
The chat format was almost identical to the way she usually conversed on LINE, making it feel eerily familiar.
Next, she checked the list of group members, and upon seeing that every single member was at Level 7, Stage 1, she was completely stunned.
From the previous explanations given by Eriri, Miko was well aware of just how terrifyingly powerful a Level 7 entity was. At that level, a planet was nothing more than a mere plaything to be casually manipulated.
She had initially thought that such powerful beings were rare, yet to her disbelief, this chat group was filled with them.
However, even among this sea of Level 7 members, the most eye-catching was still Eriri, positioned at the very top of the member list.
Instead of immediately jumping into a conversation within the chat group, Miko decided to follow Eriri's advice and take her time to thoroughly explore and understand the functionalities of the chat group.
...
Since Miko had closed her eyes and was fully immersed in the chat group, the room suddenly became eerily quiet.
With nothing else to do, Eriri idly chatted with other group members but soon found herself growing bored.
Gazing at Miko's delicate and cute face—adorable yet still lacking the refined beauty of figures like Arifureta—Eriri suddenly felt an impulse to optimize and enhance her body.
After contemplating for a few seconds, she decided to take action.
After all, no one would refuse to have fairer and more radiant skin. No one would reject the idea of possessing a more perfect physique. No one would decline an upgrade in their facial beauty by several levels. And certainly, no one would say no to gaining immense power.
Eriri's modifications were not merely superficial improvements; they were a fundamental evolution at the cellular level.
Thus, she immediately moved to stand in front of Miko and, with a simple wave of her hand, stripped her of all her clothing.
Don't ask why undressing was necessary for the transformation. The answer was simple: Eriri wanted to do it this way.
She then extended her right hand, pressing it gently against the center of Miko's bare chest.
As waves of cosmic energy flowed through Eriri's palm into Miko's body, a grand and transformative evolution had officially begun.
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