When it came to imperial power struggles and political maneuvering…
Kanzaki Rei didn't consider himself particularly skilled.
Even with his high Spirituality, which allowed him to learn things extremely quickly—
He still disliked dealing with such matters.
Still…
One must always guard against others.
Perhaps he should at least learn some knowledge related to politics and intrigue.
As for everything else—
Improving his strength would suffice.
Strength could solve 99% of problems.
But even so, some knowledge was still necessary to deal with trivial complications.
After all—
While overwhelming force could crush ten techniques…
If you ended up failing because of a weak point, that would feel incredibly frustrating.
To Rei, this banquet was nothing more than social obligations.
After this single round of diplomacy…
There would likely be nothing else he needed to do.
"Kumironi, I'd like to advance to Level 2 Death Priest."
Rei spoke calmly.
Now that the paperwork had been finalized, he was officially recognized as a legal resident possessing the Death Priest profession.
Which meant it was time to advance.
Many of the Death Priest's abilities were extremely useful.
Keeping it stuck at Level 1 was honestly a waste.
"Sigh—"
Kumironi let out a soft sigh.
For the High Priestess of the Church of Life to personally conduct the advancement ritual of a Death Priest…
"Little Rei, that's quite a difficult request you've made."
Rei scratched his cheek.
"If it's not possible… I won't force it."
Kumironi raised an eyebrow.
"If you don't insist… what were you planning to do?"
"Advance on your own using Messer's Origin Magic?"
"I absolutely won't allow that."
"It's far too dangerous."
"You do not follow the creed of harming life. On the contrary, you've used the abilities of a Death Priest to accomplish many meaningful things."
"So in my view, you're practicing the Principle of Life through the profession of Death Priest."
"If you are someone who upholds the Life Principle…"
"Then I can assist in your advancement."
"Besides, the Church of Life already owes you a favor. As its High Priestess, I cannot refuse."
That's wonderful.
Kumironi… saying it like that actually makes me feel a little guilty.
After all—
Rei had technically violated the Life Principle before.
For example, using that Death Cultist to create a Life Storage Vessel.
But that was because he didn't truly need to follow the Life Principle strictly.
"However, doing this inside the city would have a bad influence."
"Tomorrow, let Iz set up the advancement ritual formation outside the city. We'll conduct the ritual in the wilderness."
The next day.
Rei arrived early at the agreed location.
Standing in the heavy snowfall somehow helped keep his mind clear.
"How's your progress on your Second Origin?"
Iz was the first to arrive.
The others hadn't come yet.
Rei gave a small bitter smile.
"Honestly… progress is slow."
"Having already grasped my first Origin Magic makes it difficult to shift my thinking toward a completely opposite theory…"
Eternal.
Absolute.
Unchanging.
"Iz, what about you?"
Iz Parut had mentioned before that he also needed to comprehend an opposite Origin Magic.
"I've already understood it."
"My opposite Origin Magic."
…
For a moment, Rei didn't feel like talking to him anymore.
The Second Origin Magic became harder to grasp the higher a mage's level rose.
The deeper one's understanding of the original concept became—
The harder it was to step outside it.
So why had this Level 6 mage comprehended his second Origin Magic before him?
"You lost the bet," Iz said casually.
"Iz, you're really annoying. Arguing with a kid like this."
"Haha. But you're not an ordinary child."
Rei sighed in resignation.
"Fine, fine. I'll go teach at the Magic Academy."
Rei and Iz had made a bet.
If Rei comprehended his Second Origin Magic first, Iz would fight him again at the same level, using his full strength.
Ever since Iz returned from the City Within the Circle, he had stopped sparring with Rei.
Which annoyed Rei greatly.
What?
Just because I farmed over a hundred billion souls you won't fight me anymore?
But Iz's response had been simple.
"Victory or defeat at the same level is meaningless now."
"The times are always changing."
"Old magic becomes obsolete. New magic emerges."
"Comparing the magic of my era with the magic of your era is pointless."
"When you reach the same height as me, we'll fight on equal footing."
Rei had been speechless.
Wait…
Iz, when you were Level 3, that was only three years ago.
Why was he speaking like he had lived through an entire century of magical revolution, as if everything had already become outdated?
But if Iz didn't want to fight, Rei couldn't force him.
Iz could always suppress him with higher-level power.
So forcing a battle was impossible.
The only option had been to gamble.
Iz's stake was simple.
If he comprehended the Second Origin Magic first—
Rei would have to teach at Loinz Magic Academy for a period of time.
Yes.
Teach.
Not attend as a student.
But instruct others.
Truthfully, Rei didn't really want to teach.
He still felt like he hadn't learned enough himself.
Yet he had lost the bet.
So he had no choice but to accept it.
"Iz, can I see your Second Origin?"
Iz looked up toward the sky.
"If I use it here…"
"That won't work."
"In the Cave of Despairing Wails then?"
Iz thought for a moment.
"Probably not there either."
"After all, if I use that move…"
"The entire continent of Ruilen, along with the nearby continents, would be destroyed."
Rei fell silent.
He genuinely couldn't tell whether Iz was bragging or telling the truth.
Was it really that powerful?
Iz…
You didn't actually comprehend the Second Origin Magic and are just lying to trick me, right?
It suddenly felt unfair.
If Rei comprehended the Second Origin Magic, he had to demonstrate it.
But if Iz comprehended it, he didn't have to show anything.
"Not even a tiny bit?"
"Nope. Not even a tiny bit."
Tch.
Completely airtight.
Rei gave up on the topic.
Iz probably wouldn't lie to him.
But knowing Iz had reached the Second Origin faster still annoyed him.
So he changed the subject.
"What did you talk about with An Zheng yesterday?"
"Some matters related to Origin."
"And those missing records you mentioned earlier."
"I helped him recall a few things."
"Oh…"
"How is he now?"
"Not good."
"He's already reached the end of his lifespan."
"He's used quite a few life-extending potions."
"But the backlash from pursuing Origin is severe."
"After offsetting the two effects… he'll probably only live out a normal lifespan."
"Even Kumironi can't extend it further."
"Actually, he asked her for help last year."
"She managed to extend his life slightly."
"But the Origin backlash caused his body and mind to collapse again."
"Now he's just barely hanging on."
Rei couldn't help thinking—
It was rather tragic.
An Level 8 mage capable of commanding storms…
Reduced to this state.
Was this the fate awaiting all mages when they grew old at the peak of power?
"If he maintains the current condition, he may live two or three more years."
"But if he insists on pursuing Origin further and fails to comprehend it…"
"That might be the end."
Rei asked quietly.
"Iz… what do you think he'll do?"
Iz answered immediately.
"He'll keep trying to break through."
"Witnessing the ultimate Origin is every mage's obsession."
"He's already reached the final step."
"Of course he'll want to see the scenery beyond."
"Whether he lives a few years longer or shorter doesn't matter."
While they were talking—
Akase arrived, chewing on a steamed bun.
Very down-to-earth.
Soon after, Luluvi appeared.
She descended like the wind, landing lightly atop the edge of a nearby fountain.
She sat there casually, her legs swinging in the air.
"I vaguely remember someone saying they'd go house-hunting with me yesterday."
Rei laughed awkwardly.
"Big Sister Luluvi… I already found a place."
Luluvi snorted.
"I bought a residence outside the palace."
"There's only one wall between us."
Rei suddenly felt a chill.
That's terrifying.
Am I being watched?
It felt like an arrow might suddenly shoot over the wall at any moment.
Wait—
Did that mean when he was bathing yesterday…
When he was ordering the maids around…
She had been watching?
No.
First thing I need to do is install anti-surveillance wards.
Originally, Rei had planned to wait a few days before setting up full defensive enchantments around the house.
After all, it was his first day there.
He hadn't done anything private yet.
Who would have thought—
Someone had been spying on him on day one.
Seeing Rei instinctively cover his body slightly—
A faint blush appeared on Luluvi's face.
"Who was watching you?!"
"I didn't say anything, Big Sister Luluvi."
"You—! Hmph."
She turned away with a huff.
Soon after, Kumironi arrived.
"Phew… I finally finished dealing with the Church of Life's matters."
"I really want to resign as High Priestess. There are too many things to handle."
If the Death Cult hadn't caused trouble, things would have been relatively relaxed.
But their recent activity forced Kumironi to step in personally.
"At least it's resolved now, right?" Iz said.
She had rushed back to the church early that morning to finish the final handover.
From now on, others would take full responsibility.
Unless something major happened—
They probably wouldn't need to bother her again.
"Yes."
"It's finally settled."
Last to arrive was Obadis.
He appeared slowly—
Exactly 8:00 AM, the agreed time.
Perfect punctuality.
With everyone assembled—
They set off.
This was actually Rei's first time officially conquering a dungeon together with Iz's group.
After staying with the legendary adventuring team for so long—
It was the first time all members had gone on an adventure together.
The Dragon-Rhino carriage charged forward through the heavy snow.
The creature's greatest advantage was its ability to adapt to almost any terrain or harsh environment.
No matter where they traveled—
It always provided a stable place to rest.
Everyone sat in a circle.
Kumironi began the briefing.
"The information about the Cave of Despairing Wails is currently unknown."
"Luluvi, we'll rely mainly on you for reconnaissance."
"Understood."
She was now a Level 5 Archer and Level 5 Observer.
Her two professions had advanced almost simultaneously.
Unlike Iz and the others, who either didn't dual-class or only took something simple like a Level 3 Gatherer.
Luluvi's path was true dual-class progression.
And Observer was perfectly suited for an Archer.
Just like how Cryptic Scholar complemented a Mage.
"The Cave of Despairing Wails likely contains mostly evil-aligned creatures, spirits, and undead."
"Light and Holy attacks will be the most effective counters."
"Additionally, Death Priest spells that directly target souls should also work extremely well."
"Rei, Iz—so the main magical damage will rely on you two."
Rei nodded and glanced toward Iz.
Even now, the gap between their strengths probably remained huge.
"A Tier 6 dungeon usually has an extremely complex structure."
"There will likely be many restrictions and puzzles."
"Rei's deciphering abilities will be extremely important."
Rei listened carefully.
There wasn't much tactical discussion needed.
Kumironi was simply reminding everyone.
Next came equipment checks and item preparation.
Rei also exchanged ideas with Iz about anti-undead magic.
Around noon—
They arrived at a cave deep within an endless forest.
A massive dark teleportation entrance loomed ahead.
Clearly marking this dungeon as something extraordinary.
Iz raised one hand.
Whoosh!
The surrounding snow instantly melted, revealing fresh green grass.
It was the Month of Preservation.
During this time, things naturally remained closer to their original state.
Objects lasted longer.
Seals became stronger.
It was said that during the months of Preservation and Cold, time itself barely counted toward aging.
Slash!
Slash slash slash slash slash!
Several beams of light shot across the ground.
Within moments—
A massive and intricate magic formation was carved into the earth.
Iz's knowledge of ritual magic was said to be extremely high.
He was also skilled at constructing all kinds of magical arrays.
Rei actually wanted to learn ritual formations too.
Unfortunately, that was a skill only Level 4 mages and above could master.
Level 3 mages simply couldn't learn it.
"It's ready."
The carved grooves on the ground quickly filled with various materials.
Rei recognized them.
They were incredibly expensive.
At least 20,000 gold coins worth.
And yet—
They were being used for a single-use advancement ritual.
Kumironi stood some distance away from the formation, frowning slightly.
"I've never personally presided over a Death Priest advancement ritual."
"Rei, you must follow your inner guidance and demonstrate your understanding of the Principle of Death."
The magic circle ignited with light.
A terrifyingly dense aura of death descended from the sky.
Rei felt it clearly.
An emotion.
Pleasure.
It was a very simple emotion.
Rei didn't need to perform any special act.
He only needed to show—
How many souls he could offer.
How many valuable souls he could provide.
That was the principle of a priest.
Death…
Priest.
Perhaps the more important word was Priest.
Rei raised his hand toward the sky.
Countless soul-lights erupted upward.
Whoosh!
Everyone could only watch as an endless sea of souls ascended into the sky.
Akase's mouth fell open.
He already knew Rei had farmed many souls.
And that their quality was extremely high.
But seeing them directly like this—
Was a completely different experience.
One million.
Ten million.
One hundred million.
One billion.
Ten billion.
Twenty billion.
Thirty billion.
The number continued climbing.
Tens of billions of souls floated toward the heavens.
Their voices merged into something almost tangible.
They were praising their master.
They were praising Kanzaki Rei.
Even Kumironi stood frozen in shock.
Of course she had seen Death Priests before.
She had seen them use vengeful spirits.
Those souls were always miserable.
Painful.
Heartbreaking to witness.
Never once had she felt something like this.
These souls were pure.
The sensation they brought felt like salvation, not slaughter.
Just by seeing them—
One could already tell.
Rei, as a Death Priest, could never commit evil.
There was no way such a number of souls came from murdering babies or innocent civilians.
There simply weren't that many people for him to kill.
And if he had done so—
It would have caused worldwide headlines.
If a Death Priest could obtain such pure souls just by killing ants—
Why would he ever need to harm humans?
The final stone in Kumironi's heart finally fell.
Her last lingering worry about Rei advancing as a Death Priest disappeared completely.
After sacrificing a total of five billion souls—
Rei finally stopped.
That… should be enough, right?
The moment the sacrifice ceased—
The world fell completely silent.
Then—
An overwhelming feedback suddenly exploded from Rei's body.
His Spirituality surged wildly.
Death Priest Level 2 — Achieved.