Fortunately, this world was governed by the rule of law.
Otherwise, Maizer probably would have been killed.
Rei still decided to meet up with Maizer. In Rhein Town, he only had a handful of friends to begin with.
As for Maizer's questionable morals in relationships… Rei chose to pretend he hadn't noticed.
After finishing the necessary visits and formalities, Rei headed toward the commercial street of Rhein Town.
Truthfully, Rhein Town didn't have much to sell. In the end, it was just a small town. People had gathered here because of the monster tide, and travelers like Iz and the others were merely passing through.
Once the bustle faded away, Rhein Town would return to being the same quiet, ordinary little town it had always been.
Though perhaps… it would gain a legend or two, passed down in the songs of wandering bards.
"Oh, this one."
"Please give me two bags."
Rei bought two bags of pomegranates for Iz, and two bags of dates for Kumironi. As for Obades—he'd heard that guy ate rocks, so… forget it.
Akasei… he would probably just eat meat at the hotel anyway.
Rei wandered into a staff shop for a look, but none of the staffs were interesting enough to buy.
After that, he visited an alchemy shop.
He commissioned the alchemist to turn the Pure Essence Blood dropped by the Bloodsource Monarch into a potion.
[Sanguine Restoration Elixir (Tier 3) (Common)]Effect: Rapidly heals extremely severe injuries, suitable for Level 3 class holders, removes blood-type curses, and temporarily grants strength equivalent to a Level 2 Warrior.
It should be quite a powerful healing potion.
Rei never complained about having too many things that could save his life.
Even with [Death Substitute], that was still true.
After all, Death Substitute required a corpse as the activation condition. It wasn't exactly convenient to carry corpses around everywhere.
Next stop: the scroll shop.
This time, Rei decisively purchased five [Random Teleportation Scrolls].
These things were expensive—200 gold coins per scroll.
Back then, he had thought one scroll would be enough. After all, teleportation couldn't be used repeatedly within a short time anyway.
But now it seemed… it was better to keep several on hand.
Who could possibly have predicted that a monster would tear up the scroll itself?
Rei browsed through the magic shop, but there still weren't any spells available that he could learn.
He also wanted to see if there was anything suitable for the Death Priest class.
After walking through the entire commercial street…
There was nothing.
Which made sense, considering the class was legally banned.
On the way back, he stopped by the library and went up to the top floor again.
The door to the top floor was open.
But the room was completely empty.
Pally had indeed already left.
…
[Rhein Town – West Gate]
"Iz."
The West Gate had already been repaired and looked as good as new. Even the massive crater outside the walls had been filled in.
The post-battle reconstruction had been surprisingly fast.
[Stone Creation][Soil Filling]
These were two small Tier 1 spells capable of generating small amounts of stone or soil on surfaces.
They were basically useless in combat.
Spells like Earth Spike or Stone Wall had originally been developed from improved versions of these two simple spells.
Rei handed Iz a pomegranate.
"Can I advance to a Level 3 Mage now?"
Iz looked at Rei for a moment before answering.
"Still a little short."
Rei paused briefly before continuing.
"Iz… I think I might have talent in other classes too."
"Could I take on another class as a secondary profession?"
At last, Rei voiced the question.
Developing multiple classes simultaneously was truly the path he desired most.
Iz nodded slightly.
"Hmm… actually, I had already considered that your situation would be somewhat special."
"After all, under normal circumstances, even a Level 1 Death Priest wouldn't be capable of severely injuring the Insect King."
"I've thought about it—your talent might not be limited to magic alone."
"But between depth and breadth, have you considered how you will choose?"
"The more classes you take on, the slimmer your chances become of reaching a high position in any single class."
"Some classes also follow principles that conflict with one another."
"For example, your current Death Priest class conflicts directly with the principles of a Healing Cleric."
"The principle of a Death Priest is death. The principle of a Healing Cleric is life."
"It is extremely difficult for a single person to simultaneously uphold both the principles of life and death."
"The more classes you take, the more principles you will need to follow."
"And the harder it becomes to advance to higher ranks."
"You should understand this as well: a Level 6 Mage is far stronger than a class holder who simultaneously holds six Level 1 combat classes."
Rei looked up at Iz and spoke seriously.
"Yes, I understand."
"That's why… Iz, I'm actually quite conflicted about this."
"So I hoped to hear your opinion."
Iz smiled.
"Good. Knowing to consult others when facing an important decision is a valuable quality."
"Refusing to stubbornly insist on your own way is admirable."
"Actually, the White Tower has recently made some new progress regarding class exploration."
"If you truly want to take on a secondary class… there is indeed a very good choice."
Rei asked,
"What choice?"
"Cipher Scholar."
Rei froze on the spot when he heard that answer.
That was the exact class written in the secret scroll that Mese had given him.
"That's the class Mese gave me."
Iz nodded.
"Yes. In fact, it's also the class most compatible with the principles of a Mage."
"The principle of a Cipher Scholar is to unravel complex mysteries and enigmas."
"The principle of a Mage is to explore the origin of all things."
"Their principles complement one another."
"In terms of function, the Cipher Scholar is practically a profession tailored specifically for Mages."
"If you take Cipher Scholar as a secondary class, it may even gain recognition from the Origin itself."
"What Mese prepared for you… feels like he was paving the road ahead for you."
"He hopes you will become a high-ranking Mage."
The more Iz spoke, the worse Rei felt about it.
One of the most terrifying criminals of the century…
paving the road for his future.
"However, before that, you should first advance to Level 3 Mage, and only then take the secondary class."
"Having an additional class will inevitably affect your advancement speed."
Rei nodded.
"That makes sense."
…
While chatting with Iz as they walked, the two soon arrived once again at the training grounds.
This time, Iz rented an enormous training field.
It was the largest venue in Rhein Town, its internal space expanded using Expansion Stones.
The rent was 2 gold per hour.
If you were willing to pay extra, you could even hire cheerleaders to cheer you on during training, and relaxing body recovery services were available once you were exhausted.
Considering Rei was still a child, Iz didn't order any of those services.
No… this would really be a good time to stop treating me like a kid.
With a bit of guidance from Iz, Rei successfully created two new spells.
[Flame Barrier] and [Shadow Bind].
Flame Barrier surrounded the caster with a blazing shield of fire. It could defend against attacks and even deal damage to enemies who came too close.
Shadow Bind was a classic dark-element control spell.
Dark magic was generally focused on control, curses, and debuffs. In terms of raw destructive power, it was relatively weak.
After that, Iz taught Rei eight new spells.
[Rainfall][Magic Missile][Flame Stream Bullet][Whirlwind Piercing Spear][Sweeping Stone Fist][Thornwood Grove][Thunder Orb][Blazing Ray]
Among them, Magic Missile, Thornwood Grove, and Sweeping Stone Fist had S-rank learning difficulty.
Aside from Rainfall, the rest were A-rank difficulty.
Only Rainfall had a C-rank learning difficulty.
That was according to Iz Palut.
So spells of the same tier could still have different learning difficulties. Rei had originally assumed that all Tier 2 spells were basically the same—at least for him, they were just a matter of chanting the incantation once to master them.
Now that he had learned many more Tier 2 spells, Rei was beginning to understand their role.
Their utility was limited, and their destructive power was relatively basic.
Even AOE spells generally covered a radius of no more than five meters. Beyond that distance, they barely caused any meaningful damage.
Without raising the skill level, they could usually instantly kill weaker Tier 1 monsters, deal effective damage to Tier 2 monsters, but shouldn't be expected to produce any particularly spectacular performance.
After finishing the lessons and answering Rei's questions about magic theory, Iz stretched his arms and walked one hundred meters away.
Rei casually summoned his staff.
Iz spoke.
"Alright, let's see how much you've improved lately."
"I'll still only use Tier 1 and Tier 2 spells."
Right at that moment, the door suddenly opened.
Kumironi entered at the perfect timing.
"Oh my~ has it already started?"
"Well then, little Rei… go fight with the mindset that it's perfectly fine if you kill Iz."
Kumironi smiled warmly.
Iz laughed casually in response.
"Haha, Kumironi, the one you should be worried about is Rei."
[Sacrifice — 1 Soul][Increase — Flame Barrier Proficiency]
[Sacrifice — 1 Soul][Increase — Shadow Bind Proficiency]
[Sacrifice — 1 Soul][Increase — Magic Missile Proficiency]
…
"Miss Kumironi, please make sure to protect Master Iz."
Iz's lips curled upward slightly as his tone grew more amused.
"Rei… you really do talk big."
"It seems that as your mentor, I truly need to teach you what it means that there's always someone stronger out there."
Kumironi continued smiling.
Rei couldn't tell what she was thinking.
If she saw him sacrificing souls in front of her…
Would she hate him for it?
After all, the principles of a Death Priest and a Healing Cleric were in conflict.
But the souls he sacrificed were all monster souls.
That should be fine… right?
"Iz, are you ready—"
Rei didn't even finish the sentence.
Lightning Burst was already flashing around Iz!
The fastest possible opening move!
At the same time—
Twelve layers of [Mountain Heavy Walls] rose instantly, stacked both inside and outside.
An Everfrost Ice Lake formed beneath Iz's feet.
Poisonous vines ripped themselves free from the walls and lashed out in all directions.
Above the sky—
Fifteen [Luminous Piercing Spears] of light descended alongside a [Heavenfall Meteor]!
The eight spells he had just learned, along with the two spells he created himself, all instantly reached LV: 201 through soul sacrifice.
They evolved.
[Continuous Multi-Missile][Scattered Flame Barrage][Gale Piercing Stream][Grand Stone Arms][Wild Thorn Barrage][Resonant Shock Orb][Blazing Eruption][Grasping Wraith Shadows]
…
A storm of dazzling spells erupted in an instant!
[God-Tier · Multi-Casting]
The more spells Rei knew—
the more spells he could cast simultaneously.
Other mages, even if they learned hundreds of spells, still had to chant them one by one in combat, selecting only a few of the most useful.
How could they possibly fight like Rei—
bombarding the battlefield with magic?!
"Excellent!"
"Rei, you surprise me every time!"
Iz's voice echoed directly inside Rei's mind.
Rei's Transcendent Magic had evolved again!
And Rei's casting speed had improved far beyond before.
Three layers of barriers appeared in front of Rei.
At the same time, [Thick Molten Lava Shield] covered his body.
But suddenly—
BOOM!
A hurricane-like wind pierced through!
Five layers of heavy walls were shattered almost instantly by a single beam of wind!
[Focused Killing Wind Beam (Tier 2)]
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After penetrating two layers of barriers, the wind beam finally stopped.
Rei let out a breath of relief.
Finally… it didn't completely break through this time.
Wait.
Is that really something to feel relieved about?
Why was he worrying that his defenses might be pierced by a single Tier 2 spell?
BOOM!
There was no time to think.
In the distance, elemental explosions erupted.
The heavy walls were being crushed and pushed aside.
His entire offensive formation—
was being blown to pieces.
Iz stood amid swirling colors of elemental magic, having already annihilated all of Rei's spells.
Iz… you're still as ridiculously overpowered as ever.
But I'm not weak either!
BANG!
Just before Rei's Ice Lance was about to collide with Iz's Fireball, it suddenly split apart, dodging the fireball.
Immediately afterward—
Rei's Great Wave surged forward, extinguishing Iz's Torrential Flame Surge.
Water and fire collided!
BOOM!
A massive cloud of white steam exploded in the center of the arena.
Iz had copied Rei's self-created spell!
The Flame Surge spell Rei invented had somehow been learned by Iz.
And Iz hadn't even been seen using it before—yet he had already transcended it.
You damn Iz…
You said you'd only use Tier 1 and Tier 2 magic.
Did you mean Transcendent Magic too?
Could you even use transcendent spells when you were a Level 2 Mage?!
Their spells collided violently in the center of the battlefield.
Ice and fire exploded everywhere.
Other spells from Iz also appeared instantly around Rei.
Rei swung his arm!
[Grand Stone Arms]
BOOM—
Three enormous stone arms materialized midair, sweeping across with unstoppable force!
But brilliant flashes of light erupted—
Buzz—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The stone arms were pierced through and shattered.
Immediately afterward, countless flame bullets, stone bullets, water projectiles, and wooden spikes flew toward Rei.
The heavy walls rose again!
Rei erected them to block the barrage—
but they were instantly pierced again by Iz's wind stream!
WHOOSH!
A massive hole tore open.
Most of the incoming projectiles smashed against Rei's three layers of Thick Molten Lava Shield, instantly turning to ash.
A small portion passed through the lava shields—
but were stopped by the inner barriers.
"Nice reaction."
"Your response speed is much faster than before."
Iz's voice once again echoed inside Rei's mind.
"Tch."
Annoying.
Iz's magic had already reached close range.
Even in this constant magical exchange, Rei was still being suppressed.
Rei suddenly felt the earth element beneath the ground trembling violently.
Underground…
[Repulsion Wind Blast]
A violent gust blasted Rei away!
At the same time, he stepped onto an Ice Spear, launching himself backward instantly!
The moment he escaped—
the ground exploded open!
But—
Pillars burst upward one after another like a rapidly extending serpent of rock, chasing him relentlessly.
Rei had no choice but to summon Earthfire Cataclysm.
BOOM!
Flames erupted from the ground, destroying the pursuing stone pillars.
"Unfortunately… your imagination is still lacking."
"And your application of spells is far from sufficient!"
Rei looked toward Iz—
but all he could see was dense fog.
The chaotic elemental turbulence inside the mist made it impossible to detect Iz's position.
"Have you lost sight of me… so you won't attack?"
Rei continued drifting backward while lightly flicking his finger.
[Wind Blast]
BOOM!
The wind instantly blew away the fog.
But Iz was nowhere to be seen.
The moment Rei realized this—
he looked upward.
Iz was directly above him.
The instant Rei spotted him—
Lightning Burst surged again!
At the same time, Life-Breath Wind Swarm surrounded Iz, attempting to shred him apart.
"Very perceptive."
"But in a magic battle…"
"Is the only thing you should pay attention to the enemy mage's body?"
"What about his magic?"
Rei suddenly realized that the elemental turbulence behind and below him was unusually intense.
Normally, such fluctuations would be extremely obvious.
But during a battle with Iz—
spells were flying everywhere.
Magic and magic were constantly canceling each other out.
The battlefield was a storm of chaotic elements.
Detecting anomalies in such chaos was incredibly difficult.
The ground ignited!
Behind him—
Earthfire was about to erupt!
[Steel Impact Pillar][Razor Ice Spire][Explosive Wood Spike]
Iz's evolutionary path was not exactly the same as Rei's.
His Earth Spike had evolved toward extreme hardness.
Three massive spikes burst from the ground below, rushing toward Rei!
Whoosh—
[Sacrifice Soul — 1000 Souls]
[Enhance — Rising Impact Pillar Power]
SWISH!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
Rei instantly counter-cast!
Dozens of pitch-black hardened pillars erupted from the earth—
forming a steel forest in an instant!
They completely crushed and shredded the triple elemental pillars Iz had summoned.
Iz's pillars were extremely high quality.
In that brief moment, Iz had sealed off every escape route.
Any other spell Rei could use would always be one moment too late.
Weaker spells couldn't break Iz's pillars.
Stronger spells required more time to cast.
Iz…
Originally, I didn't want to use my Death Priest class against you.
If sacrificing souls merely to increase proficiency was one thing—after all, he could eventually max those spells through training anyway.
But using soul sacrifice directly in combat was an entirely different matter.
Colorful magic roared across the battlefield.
Rei's magic was visibly starting to lose ground.
Iz's spells gradually formed an encirclement, preparing to surround and eliminate him.
It seemed…
In terms of pure mage ability, Rei truly couldn't defeat Iz.
He had to admit it.
Iz was an extremely powerful mage.
But since he had already started…
Rei pointed his staff at Iz.
[Soul Burst]
Buzz—
A faint ripple of soul light instantly formed across Iz's face.
[Sacrifice Soul — 5000 Souls]