Caelan pushed Nami, who was showing resistance, to the center of the temple, onto a huge, smooth altar.
Several pillars surrounded the altar, engraved with mysterious symbols and patterns. No one could understand their meaning, but just by looking, one could tell they were extremely precise and beautiful.
The scene resembled some kind of sorcerer's ritual.
"It's really not necessary, Caelan!"
Nami struggled on the altar, still resisting.
She didn't want him to pay any terrible price just to make her immortal.
And now, faced with this strange altar, her resistance grew even stronger. Instinct screamed at her to avoid the unknown.
Her timid side surfaced again.
"Hey, hey, this is a serious and good thing. Why are you making it sound like some shady cult?"
Caelan held down the struggling Nami, speechless.
These elegant characters and patterns were the result of the Third Magic as interpreted through Einzbern family magecraft.
If he had to compare it, it was closer to a tsar's ascension disc, something meant to elevate and refine, not harm.
"Stop being difficult. If you keep this up, I won't mind having a 'love battle' with you first, then holding your evolution ceremony after." Caelan patted Nami's chest mischievously. "We're all family here. It's the perfect time for you to learn some new positions."
"No, no, I'll listen to you!"
Nami instantly became obedient, hugging her chest as she trembled on the altar.
Even though everyone present were close sisters who had already shared the same bed at times, the idea of performing alone with Caelan in front of them was mortifying.
Just imagining her best friends critiquing her posture made her want to scream, "No way!"
Seeing Nami finally quiet down, Caelan nodded in satisfaction, then spoke seriously.
"I'm going to start."
The moment he finished, an immense surge of magic erupted from his body.
The wind howled, clouds churned, and the very heavens and earth shifted in color.
Though magic was usually invisible, at this moment it felt tangible.
A crushing pressure radiated outward, pressing down on all the women.
It was the same suffocating force Caelan had experienced when constructing his Reality Marble, only stronger.
Fortunately, now that the Reality Marble was complete, this pressure remained contained within it and would not spill into the outside world.
"The consumption really is a bit excessive," Caelan muttered, calculating the flow of power.
Judging by the current expenditure, the magic required to complete Nami's transformation was nearly equal to what he had used to construct the Reality Marble itself.
According to the magical knowledge in his mind, this was equivalent to thirty years' worth of power accumulated by a major leyline.
Yes, comparable to the one beneath Ryuudou Temple during the Holy Grail War.
The magic he was spending just to transform one Heroic Spirit could have fueled half of a Holy Grail War.
The cost was absurdly high.
Thankfully, his supply of magic was infinite, so it meant little to him.
As he poured vast amounts of power into the altar, astonishing changes took place.
An intricate magic circle unfolded across the stone, streams of power coursing along its lines like liquid silver, glowing with a brilliant, mysterious light.
Faint silver radiance flowed into Nami's body, reshaping her slowly from human into another form of life.
Her graceful figure grew more ethereal before solidifying again, refined and even more beautiful than before.
"It's incredible… like watching a caterpillar become a butterfly," Robin whispered in awe.
"I thought the process of becoming a Heroic Spirit would be cruel, but this is so beautiful."
Gion nodded, though her expression was conflicted.
Could eternal life really be obtained this easily?
According to the World Government's records, even artificially extending one's lifespan was filled with terrible risks and agonizing pain.
But seeing the massive energy Caelan continued to pour into the altar, Gion began to understand.
The sheer scale of the power he unleashed felt boundless, as vast as the ocean. Even draining the life force of ten admirals would not generate this much power in a single minute.
So eternal life did have a price.
A terrifyingly high price.
But he bore it all alone.
Watching, she no longer doubted the truth of Caelan's promise.
If this couldn't grant immortality, nothing could.
The only concern left was…
"Can his body really handle this kind of energy output?"
The women exchanged worried glances.
The scale of the release was enough to cripple any ordinary man, as if forced to pay public grain a thousand times in a single day.
But when they saw Caelan standing strong, showing no weakness, their hearts eased slightly.
He had always been reliable. Surely, he would be fine this time as well.
Meanwhile, inside the circle, Nami was overwhelmed.
"It feels… so strange. Why does becoming a Heroic Spirit feel like this?"
Her face flushed as she bit her lips, trying not to let out shameful sounds.
It felt like Caelan was stripping her bare and massaging every inch of her body.
The tingling sensation grew unbearable, and she could no longer contain it.
She shot Caelan a reproachful, embarrassed glance.
With Robin, Vivi, and the others watching intently, she wished she could vanish.
Was this Heroic Spirit ritual really legitimate?
Fortunately, the sensation didn't last long.
After only a few minutes, the blissful current faded, leaving Nami both relieved and strangely regretful.
"Is it… over already?"
She stood dazed on the altar, caught in the afterglow.
This ritual felt far too indecent.
"It's done, Nami."
Caelan finally spoke, seeing her stand motionless.
If he hadn't sensed that she was perfectly fine, he might have thought something had gone wrong.
"O-oh!"
Nami quickly snapped out of it, nodding.
Her body felt light, overflowing with energy, every fiber of her refreshed.
Looking down, she saw herself unchanged. Her toes were still hidden by her chest, and everything else looked the same.
Except for one thing.
The faint tattoo on her left arm, the old mark of the Arlong Pirates, was gone.
Even though she had tried many times before to erase it, a trace had always remained.
Now, it had vanished completely, leaving behind only flawless, milk-white skin.
"Wonderful!"
Admiring her perfect body, Nami let out a satisfied cry.
"Come down, there are others waiting."
Caelan beckoned her from the altar, then pulled Robin up.
Both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh. He couldn't favor one over the other.
"Don't you need to rest?" Robin asked, concern in her eyes.
The others wore the same worried expression. They were afraid he might collapse after expending so much energy.
"Who are you looking down on? You should know I'm very durable."
Caelan curled his lips, looking perfectly calm.
He had already said his energy was infinite. For him, this level of consumption was nothing.
At once, magic surged through him again, and the altar's circle blazed to life.
"Oh well."
Seeing his confidence, the women no longer tried to dissuade him.
Instead, their eyes turned eagerly to Nami, waiting to see the changes in her.
(To be continued.)
***
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