After her initial excitement, Pandora suddenly asked with curiosity, "By the way, how do you plan to study divinity? I know you're very powerful, Little Su Mo, but you still have to be careful!"
Compared to a Heretic God, who would cease to exist if their divinity dissipated, a God-Slayer interfering with their own divinity was obviously much less dangerous. Divinity was not a necessity for them. Therefore, Pandora wasn't particularly worried.
But this time, she had clearly relaxed too soon.
"Of course, with these instruments."
Su Mo immediately brandished his two experimental tools. One was the Golden Sword, capable of sealing and severing divinity, and the other was Expeller, capable of shattering divinity.
"?"
A question mark instantly appeared above Pandora's head.
"Although I heard you say that before, you're not actually thinking of directly interfering with divinity using these weapons, are you?"
"Why not?" Su Mo asked casually. "The Golden Sword can separate and seal divinity, while also providing protection. Expeller can break the connections between divinity. By coordinating the two, any divinity can be dismantled and reassembled."
"Huh?"
Pandora was completely dumbfounded. Even if it was theoretically feasible, how was this any different from taking a knife directly to one's divinity? Was this child's method of studying divinity so radical?
"What, do you have a better idea?"
Seeing Pandora's question, Su Mo asked, casually raising the god-slaying Golden Sword.
He had only asked casually, but he had no idea how easily his current action could be misunderstood.
Seeing the gleaming Golden Sword in Su Mo's hand, a flash of insight struck Pandora, and she suddenly realized something.
In this small, confined space where the two of them were alone, if Su Mo was the researcher... then who was the research material?
Miss Pandora immediately began to tremble.
Seeing Su Mo raise the Golden Sword high, looking as if he were about to strike, she dropped to her knees with a thud and hugged Su Mo's leg.
"Waaaaaah! You can't do it to your mommy! Mommy will do anything! Please, just give me a chance!"
Even in that instant of mortal danger, she had no intention of fighting back, only making the most humble of pleas.
Unfortunately...
Shlick!
That was the sound of the Golden Sword's blade piercing a chest.
"What nonsense are you thinking?" Su Mo's voice followed.
"Eh?"
Discovering that she was completely unharmed, Pandora looked up in confusion. Then, she saw the Golden Sword stuck straight into Su Mo's chest, and his own hand gripping the hilt.
Only then did Pandora realize that she had been overthinking things. Su Mo's test subject was not someone else, but himself.
What a madlad. He was like a surgeon performing open-heart surgery on himself.
"Don't worry. Analyzing divinity requires firsthand information, so the practitioner themself is the best test subject. It won't be your turn."
After a simple explanation, Su Mo pulled out another Golden Sword and stabbed it into his own abdomen. The two divinities representing the Legion of the Underworld and the Cycle of Life and Death were instantly sealed and locked.
Through this method, he could accurately select the divinity he wanted to operate on, and then use Expeller to disintegrate it, allowing him to observe the internal structure of the divinity in detail.
"..."
Pandora was dumbfounded. After coming back to her senses, she immediately scrambled up from the ground and looked at the wounds on Su Mo's body with a pained expression.
"Even for research, you don't have to go this far, do you? Doesn't it hurt?"
Compared to the research, she was more concerned about Su Mo's feelings. Seeing Su Mo about to stab a third sword into himself, she stomped her foot and said through gritted teeth, "Why don't you just use Mommy as a test subject? As long as you're gentle, I can bear it!"
Although her form was still that of a young girl, as she said this, her expression truly held a hint of maternal radiance.
"There's no need. This level of pain is within my estimated range. The Golden Sword primarily targets divinity and won't cause irreversible damage," Su Mo naturally refused with a shake of his head. "Besides, as I said before, your qualifications as a test subject are not up to par."
"Of course, if you really want to help, you can help me record the information I dictate later."
"Mhm! No problem!"
Pandora had wanted to insist, but hearing Su Mo say this, she hastily conjured a pen and paper and knelt obediently before him. "Go ahead!"
"The fundamental divine unit with the attribute of indivisibility must have a single core... The disintegrated divinity still retains a latent connection, preliminary speculation suggests its induction speed is the speed of light..."
With one adjustment and attempt after another, Su Mo's understanding of divinity deepened step by step.
The basis for insight to take effect was the accumulation of knowledge. Only with sufficient knowledge could he gain more skills to master and control the power of divinity, and create more powerful abilities.
---||---
While Su Mo was engrossed in his research in the Netherworld, the members of the chat group were still engaging in their daily idle chatter.
Rin Tohsaka: "A week has passed on my end. Hasn't Lord Su Mo returned yet?"
Just as time in the Netherworld was not synchronized with the present world, time in the various worlds within the chat group was also not synchronized.
Erica: "No, but it's only been the second day here!"
Erica: "Day two without Lord Su Mo. I miss him."
Rin Tohsaka: "Eek! So sappy."
Rin Tohsaka: "Erica, is this how you managed to latch onto a powerhouse?"
Erica: "Hmph~ Are you jealous?"
Rin Tohsaka: "I'm not jealous—damn it, I can't say it! When will I be as thick-skinned as you?"
Madoka: "..."
Kanae: "There's still hope for Little Rin on that front."
Erica: "?"
Rin Tohsaka: "?"
Erica: "Alright, no more jokes! I really do miss Lord Su Mo."
Erica: "If my liege doesn't come out soon, I'm going to be mistaken for the God-Slayer who succeeded in killing a god!"
In Italy, Rome, at the headquarters of the Copper Black Cross magic association, Erica began to vent her grievances.
Since Su Mo hadn't said anything, she naturally wouldn't reveal the information that he was the God-Slayer to the outside world.
But by being so secretive, she had made others suspicious of her.
After all, when the two Heretic Gods were subjugated, she was the only one present the entire time. There was no way she could disentangle herself from it.
Despite Erica's best efforts to explain, no one believed her. Who could blame them? After receiving Su Mo's blessing, her strength had indeed increased by a large margin. In the eyes of an ordinary magus, her current strength wasn't much different from a God-Slayer's.
Hearing Erica's complaints, the others finally understood her situation and began to comfort her or offer advice.
A few minutes later.
Rin Tohsaka: "Erica, you don't seem to have to worry anymore. Lord Su Mo should be out soon."
Madoka: "?"
Kanae: "?"
Erica: "?"
Erica: "How do you know?"
Even she didn't know when Su Mo would return to the present world. How could Rin, in another world, know?
Rin Tohsaka: "It's simple. Just look at the Group Store."
At these words, everyone clicked on the Group Store. Soon, they discovered the basis for Rin's judgment.
Kanae: "Divinity Fusion Technique, Basics of Mythological Technique Construction, Authority Deconstruction Guide..."
Kanae: "None of them are priced below one hundred thousand points."
Madoka: "The big brother suddenly released so many items at once!"
Madoka: "Does Rin-oneechan mean that the big brother has finished his research and is now organizing his results?"
Rin Tohsaka: "That should be it, but with Lord Su Mo, you can never be 100% sure."
Madoka: "Rin-oneechan is so smart!"
Erica: "I have to admit, Little Rin's speculation makes sense."
Rin Tohsaka: "Of course! Who do you think I am?"
Rin Tohsaka: "By the way, Erica, don't forget what I told you before!"
Erica: "What did you just call me?"
Rin Tohsaka: "B-Big Sister Erica!"
Erica: "Don't worry, Little Sister Rin. Your big sister won't forget!"
Erica: "Ah, Lord Su Mo is back. Talk to you later!"
Just as she was about to tease the rarely submissive Rin Tohsaka, Erica suddenly sensed an unusual spatial fluctuation and a very familiar aura approaching.
She immediately leaped up from the sofa and, under the shocked gazes of her fellow association members, knelt on one knee in a respectful posture to welcome the finally returned man.
"My liege, you have returned!"