November 12
Once life settled into a stable rhythm, time itself seemed to stretch.
In the past, even a single day or two could bring about noticeable leaps in strength.
Now several days passed, and Rei only felt like a sponge that could never quite absorb enough—learning enormous amounts of knowledge, yet the improvements they brought weren't especially obvious.
"So this is what they call the accumulation phase."
"Store deeply… then release in one burst."
As for his personal combat technique style, the First Form had already been created.
Across the world, the first form of nearly every combat technique lineage focused on tempering the body. Rei was no exception—because it was the foundation.
Rei's First Form was called:
Origin Tempering of the Arcane Body.
While transforming his body into a magical structure, it simultaneously reinforced his physical framework and deepened his compatibility with magic.
Without mastering Root Magic the way Rei had, no one else could learn this technique.
Moreover, it required the battle intent of "Ten Thousand Transformations of War Magic."
Of course, with modifications, it could be simplified.
But the effect would be greatly diminished.
This was a combat technique perfectly tailored only for himself.
No wonder…
Even if others learned a combat technique, they could never truly surpass its creator.
When a combat technique was first created, it was inevitably custom-designed for the creator's own body and abilities.
And the degree of compatibility was even more absurd than with self-created spells.
As for the Second Form…
Rei was still thinking about it.
One advantage of creating his own combat style was flexibility.
If the second form turned out poorly, he could later evolve it into something completely different while still following the original conceptual framework.
But if someone else learned it?
They wouldn't be able to modify it easily.
Change one thread, and the entire structure would move.
Yet they wouldn't understand the founder's original thought process.
Loynes Magic Academy
Today there were no classes.
Instead, there was a small gathering.
Only five people were present.
Izpalut
Morne
Jack Pillar
Kanzaki Rei
Fischer
"We're all here," Izpalut said with a smile.
Cups of coffee floated smoothly through the air and settled before each person.
"Mhm."
When Jack Pillar saw Rei again, his feelings were extremely complicated.
His status had now changed.
He had become a Royal Grand Mage.
Although that was still an exalted position, there remained an insurmountable gap between it and the Chief Mage.
Out of the corner of his eye, Rei glanced toward Jack Pillar.
Enemies really do meet on narrow roads.
But since you've comprehended the Root, you're not a fool.
You should understand the cause and consequences involved.
"Everyone already knows the purpose of today's gathering," Izpalut began.
Jack Pillar nodded.
"It's rare for Root Mages to gather and exchange insights about the Root."
Previously, aside from Izpalut, the capital had only one Root Mage—Morne.
"Only five of us?" Rei asked Izpalut.
"Mm."
All familiar faces.
Along the way, Rei had occasionally felt like Root Mages were everywhere—running into one here and there.
He hadn't expected this group to actually represent the entire number present.
Then again, that explained why Jack Pillar had been able to serve as Loren's Chief Mage.
Oh, right.
There was technically one more person.
An Zheng.
But given his physical condition…
Rei didn't understand it and didn't intend to think too deeply about it.
Besides, sitting next to an unfamiliar Eighth-Tier Mage would probably feel rather oppressive.
Izpalut said,
"Today's exchange will begin with the youngest mage."
Rei brushed a hand over the table.
Several colored pages appeared.
These were Root notes borrowed from the Mage Association and Loynes Academy.
"I've studied some manuscripts left by previous masters recently," Rei began. "And I've gained a few insights from these sections…"
At first, the exchange meeting was calm and harmonious.
But whenever someone's thinking aligned—or clashed—with another's viewpoint, passionate questioning inevitably followed.
Sometimes even arguments.
Before long, even Izpalut had joined the quarrel.
Izpalut snapped:
"Jack Pillar, what do you mean by the Origin Matter Theory? Are you saying my Root Magic is wrong?"
Jack Pillar sneered.
"The origin matter you derived isn't true origin matter. Real origin matter cannot be decomposed."
"Then your Common Origin Hypothesis is full of flaws as well! What if the magic I construct carries my own unique signature—like Root Magic? How do you prove my spells share the same origin as yours?"
The exchange gradually turned into a full argument.
After arguing, they suppressed their irritation and moved on to discussing the next Root theory.
Once Root Mages began exchanging ideas…
They easily forgot everything else.
Only when their thoughts were completely exhausted and inspiration ran dry—
Did they realize that four days had already passed.
Thinking about it carefully…
In those four days, aside from that cup of coffee, they had eaten nothing.
Nor had they slept even once.
When Rei finally broke free from that state, his body felt completely drained.
His mind was exhausted.
Only the knowledge remained vivid, every detail of the meeting still fresh in his memory.
Swish—
Rei waved a hand.
Meat and water appeared on the table.
"Anyway… everyone should eat something first."
The exchange meeting finally ended.
It was now November 16.
Rei returned home.
He skipped bathing.
Skipped massage.
He simply collapsed onto the bed and slept wildly.
Morning.
Rei sat up in bed.
"No wonder… they told me to request leave afterward."
Still, the exchange had brought him many new ideas.
Rei felt that he had finally pried open a small crack in the gate of his Second Root Magic.
"Then…"
"On the 20th, I have to go to the White Tower for the assessment."
"And on the 25th, Iz and the others will depart for the Abyssal Descent Valley."
The Church of Death planned a ritual on December 1st.
He still intended to monitor it personally.
Although their forces had been heavily struck, numerous bases destroyed, and many "sacrifices" rescued—
Their plan should already be ruined.
But even so, vigilance was necessary.
The final sacrifice—Bai Jiang—was involved.
No matter how careful he was, it wouldn't be excessive.
Still…
That matter wasn't really his responsibility.
Azure Palace – Basement
Rei had remodeled the basement.
It was covered with perception-blocking wards.
No one except him could probe inside.
The basement was filled with ritual arrays, alongside piles of different corpses.
Normally, Rei killed ants here to harvest souls.
He also experimented with various forbidden rituals learned from forbidden books.
Of course, he avoided drawing rituals that could summon catastrophic disasters.
"Graaah—!"
Several humanoid corpses suddenly lunged at Rei.
Rei casually tossed a few fireballs, blasting them away.
"Sigh… who even came up with methods like this?"
After advancing as a Death Priest, Rei had gained a ritual called Corpse-Soul Resurrection.
By injecting a soul into a corpse, it could be revived and regain part of its former combat power.
However…
The ritual never said the revived corpse would be controllable.
After testing it, Rei confirmed the truth.
They were completely uncontrollable.
The revived corpses attacked friend and foe alike.
Fortunately, he hadn't revived a continent-sinking monster corpse inside Knoroya.
Otherwise, he'd become a historical criminal.
Death Priest rituals were truly bizarre.
If there was any practical use…
Rei could imagine reviving a continent-sinking monster and immediately fleeing.
The scene in his mind resembled a villain activating a Demon King, laughing maniacally before disappearing.
Leaving the unfortunate heroes behind to fight the boss.
Rei sat beside the worktable.
Scrolls.
Potions.
Hidden weapons.
Portable ritual arrays.
As for potions, Rei hadn't commissioned the royal Fifth-Tier Alchemist.
Instead, he hired another Fifth-Tier alchemist in Knoroya to create poison using sixth-tier continent-sinking monster venom sacs and cursed eyes.
The resulting poison could severely affect Sixth-Tier monsters and Level 6 profession users.
[Aberrant Curse Poison]
A faint barrier appeared around Rei's body as energy flowed across his skin.
He opened the bottle.
"Mist Release (Tier 2)."
The potion instantly dispersed into countless purple mist particles filling the entire room.
With a wave of his hand, the mist gathered again, condensing into liquid.
"Transparency Spell (Tier 2)."
The dark purple liquid turned colorless.
"Hmm… not sure if I'll actually need this."
Rei glanced at the weapons laid beside the table.
Armor-Breaking Mace
Mana-Severing Dagger
Poisoned Throwing Knife
He picked one up casually and practiced several combat techniques, familiarizing himself with each weapon's feel.
Reading forbidden books.
Experimenting with forbidden knowledge.
Before long—
November 20 arrived.
The month had passed quietly.
Today, Rei finally entered the White Tower.
Without permission, entry into the White Tower was completely forbidden.
Only scholars recognized by the Tower could enter.
And that recognition came from the semiannual knowledge examination.
The test covered an enormous range of subjects:
Monsters
Geography
Magic
Mathematics
Life
Death
Combat Techniques
Biology
Puzzles
Plants
Oceans
Rituals
Souls
Stars
Lunar Phases
Examinees could choose whichever field they believed themselves most proficient in.
The White Tower had no backdoor access.
Everyone had to pass the exam.
The Tower would not open its doors for the ignorant.
But if someone's scholarship truly ran deep, they wouldn't fail the exam either.
The White Tower treated everyone equally.
Thus, on November 20, Rei stood among countless scholars taking the exam.
The towering white spire rose magnificently.
Without a single blemish.
A symbol of pure, unsullied knowledge.
Originally, the White Tower had been called the Tower of Erudite Scholars.
It accepted only the Erudite profession.
Later, however, a council meeting concluded that individuals of other professions could also possess profound knowledge—sometimes exceeding that of ordinary Erudites.
They deserved entry as well.
Thus the tower opened its doors to scholars of all professions.
And the Tower of Erudite Scholars was renamed:
The White Tower.
Its existence had contributed enormously to the theoretical progress of the world.
Rei entered using his true appearance.
There was little point hiding here.
Eventually he would have to reveal his identity anyway.
Otherwise the examinee and the person receiving the qualification wouldn't match.
That would only cause trouble.
Meanwhile, his Flesh Magic for changing appearance was better kept secret.
Inside the first floor of the White Tower.
Many doors surrounded the hall.
Each door corresponded to a different subject examination.
Rei swept the area with his perception.
He planned to take the Magic exam.
But suddenly, his perception detected something strange.
A child?
Among the scholars stood a girl about Rei's age—perhaps half a head shorter than him.
At this age…
Could she already be a profession holder?
But Rei hadn't heard Kumironi mention performing another awakening recently.
The only person he remembered hearing about was an assassin.
Was she that assassin?
No.
She didn't carry any assassin's aura.
And the door she entered wasn't related to assassination.
It was:
Oceanography.
Buzz—
As she stepped through the doorway, her figure disappeared.
Rei knew nothing about oceanography.
Naturally, he didn't follow her.
Instead, he entered the Magic door.
Inside the door.
It felt like passing through a ripple of water.
Beyond it lay a strange space filled with shifting colors.
"So this is how it works."
Rei had heard the White Tower was constructed by a Seventh-Tier Architect who once passed through Knoroya.
Seeing it now, it was truly extraordinary.
Though not officially a Wonder, it possessed a similar grandeur.
[Please provide a detailed analysis of the following spells based on your understanding.]
[Ice Spike, Fireball, Wind Blade]
All basic spells.
So the test measured fundamental understanding.
Rei began answering.
[Explain the fundamental principles behind spell construction.]
The question had become abstract.
The first question tested practical understanding.
The second had risen to theoretical levels.
Fortunately, Rei had deep insight here.
He continued writing.
[Based on the characteristics of Fire magic, conceive a method to create Water magic and construct at least a prototype spell.]
[Time Limit: 60 minutes]
So strict.
Creating Water magic wasn't difficult.
But doing so based on Fire magic characteristics limited the design.
And a prototype spell within 60 minutes?
Was this really a test for scholars?
Even a Tier 3 Mage advancing to Tier 4 only needed to create a new spell.
If someone could already construct a prototype spell, they were practically at that stage.
No wonder the White Tower's pass rate was so low—even Erudites struggled.
Rei sighed inwardly.
Then began constructing the spell.
Thanks to the Root discussions a few days ago, he had gained fresh insight.
Compared to Root Magic, creating spells using opposing elements was trivial.
After about one minute, the spell was complete.
Heatwave Surge (Tier 3) was born in Rei's hand.
He then upgraded and transcended it.
Finally submitting:
Scorching Crimson Heat (Tier 4) (LV:301)
[Explain the essence of the Root.]
Oh.
So we're not pretending anymore?
Rei suddenly felt like someone taking a college entrance exam—
Only to be asked to explain how to build controlled nuclear fusion.
If he could explain the essence of the Root, why would he even be taking this exam?
Still…
Rei wrote down his own thoughts.
There was no harm in sharing Root insights.
No one could steal them anyway.
Even if they heard the theory, it couldn't simply be learned.
Especially Root Magic, which was inherently unlearnable by others.
Otherwise, why would the Root Mages spend days debating?
Rei didn't know the true essence of the Root.
He could only describe his own understanding.
After answering, he submitted the paper.
The exam ended.
The colors faded.
Rei saw a crowd of people nearby with painful, anxious expressions.
At first glance it looked like they were suffering mental torture.
At second glance—
They were just struggling to think of answers, scratching their heads desperately.
Heh.
Good luck.
If everyone had the same questions, most mages would already be impressive just answering the second question.
Leaving the exam hall.
Rei saw his name appear on the central pillar.
[White Tower Examination Current Rankings]
Kanzaki Rei – 100 Points (Magic)
Yuna – 100 Points (Ocean)
Abel – 32 Points (Monsters)
Yuna?
Rei looked toward the small girl who had exited the Ocean door.
She too glanced at the rankings—
Then immediately toward the Magic door.
Their eyes met.
In that instant, they both understood.
There's someone who can rival me?
Yet after one glance, the girl immediately walked toward another door.
Stars.
Rei instantly scanned the surroundings.
He entered the Puzzle door.
As a Cryptic Scholar, this should be his specialty.
[Solve the following puzzle.]
[Time Limit: 30 minutes]
The space transformed into a chaotic maze of rotating cubes.
By thought alone, the cubes could be rotated and shifted.
There were no instructions on the victory condition.
But with Rei's high Spiritual Perception, the answer was obvious.
He rotated the cubes rapidly.
In less than two minutes, the puzzle was solved.
The next question appeared.
[Solve the puzzle within.]
A book appeared.
Hidden Text: "Book of Moonstar"Hidden Content: Detailed records of MoonstarDecryption Method: Mastery of Kyno Language, Advanced Cryptography, Stellar-Lunar Interpretation
Stellar-Lunar Interpretation required reading the text according to star and moon phases.
Rei looked upward.
The sky had turned into night, stars and moon overhead.
He began decoding.
He skimmed the content quickly, extracting key parts.
Once decrypted, he memorized the information and submitted the answer.
Bzzzz—
A stone stele appeared.
[Please decipher the content that once appeared on this stele.]
Marks remained.
Chisel impressions.
Damage patterns.
Partial letters.
A normal Cryptic Scholar might reconstruct the text through years of erosion patterns and carving force analysis.
But that was too troublesome.
Rei placed his hand on the stone.
God-Tier Talent — Information Traceback
Whoosh.
Every word once carved onto the stone appeared in his mind.
[Ritual: Pure White Descent]
[A ritual invoking the White of Death and Destruction.]
Damn…
Stop filling my head with bizarre rituals.
He already knew multiple soul sacrifice rituals, Nest summoning rituals, and now Pure White Descent.
Who exactly is the cult leader here?
Rei seriously wondered if he might accidentally become the ultimate cult boss if he kept learning like this.
Still…
He submitted the ritual.
The White Tower must already know the answer.
Otherwise, how could it grade the puzzle?
Besides—
The ritual required sacrificing one hundred billion theoretically pure and supreme souls.
Rei felt a faint chill.
He currently possessed…
Over 80 billion souls.
Most were gathered on the road to Knoroya.
Monster tides were common in remote areas.
The Ten-Thousand Ant Mountain had devoured them endlessly.
Izpalut had even experimented with gathering monster tides repeatedly.
Eventually the Ant Mountain nearly overloaded.
It had to rest an entire day before recovering.
A nation-destroying monster… nearly worked to death.
But thanks to that, Rei had accumulated a vast number of souls.
Meaning—
If he gathered 20 billion more, he could perform Pure White Descent.
Heh.
Maybe he should just become the leader of the Death Church instead.
The fourth puzzle appeared.
[Select any secret of the world's origin and solve it.]
[Time Limit: 60 minutes]
"Yeah, screw that."
Rei turned and walked out.
Clearly the fourth puzzle wasn't meant to be solved.
It probably didn't count toward the score anyway.
Outside.
[White Tower Examination Current Rankings]
Kanzaki Rei – 200 Points (Magic, Puzzle)
Yuna – 200 Points (Ocean, Stars)
Abel – 32 Points (Monsters)
"…What?"
She had 200 points too?
The small girl looked at Rei with equal shock.
How did he also have 200?
They stared at each other briefly.
Then both scanned the remaining doors.
Rei rushed into the Combat Techniques door.
The girl dove into Monster Studies.
About twenty minutes later…
They exited again.
The ranking now read:
Kanzaki Rei – 300 Points (Magic, Puzzle, Combat Techniques)Yuna – 300 Points (Ocean, Stars, Monsters)
Who exactly is this girl?
I'm not even first place?
Rei noticed something.
The time used also affected ranking.
Since he solved puzzles slightly faster, he still ranked first.
But now…
Which door next?
Given his knowledge, the remaining fields were less certain.
If he had to choose…
Probably Souls.
Although he was a Death Priest, he specialized more in souls than pure death.
Death Priests had two branches:
Corpse School
Soul School
Just like mages had fire or ice specializations.
Rei clenched his teeth.
Soul it is.
It was the best option available.
And judging by her expression—
The girl also seemed less confident now.
Rei stepped into the Soul door.