Kumironi stood frozen in place, her thoughts spinning wildly.
Her eyes were hollow. She stared forward, yet it was as though she were gazing into an endless void.
No matter how she tried, she simply couldn't connect the name Kanzaki Rei with the title Archbishop of the Church of Death.
But very quickly—
All sorts of speculation began flooding her mind.
By the end of it, her brain practically felt like it was overheating.
Finally, after a full two minutes of intense contemplation, Kumironi snapped back to reality.
She looked at Kanzaki Rei with empty, unfocused eyes.
"Little Rei… this Life Purification Spell will grant you a painless release from this world…"
Hey!
That's wrong, isn't it?!
Don't suddenly say something so terrifying!
"Cough…"
Iz cleared his throat.
"It's not that serious."
Kumironi's gaze gradually regained its clarity as she turned toward Izparut.
"Iz, explain the situation to me properly."
"I already postponed all the work I had at the Church of Life."
If it had really been important work, there would've been no need to rush like this.
Iz replied dryly, "You didn't want to work anyway."
Kumironi waved her hand lazily.
"No, no, it was very important work. But if something even more important appears, there's nothing I can do about it."
She casually sat down.
Rei couldn't see what part of that "work" was important at all.
It clearly sounded like she'd just found an excuse to slack off.
"Go on then. After all, you were the one who said it was urgent and made me skip work." Kumironi emphasized.
Iz nodded.
"Alright. Here's what happened…"
He repeated everything Rei had previously explained. Kumironi asked him to slow down and explain the details carefully.
Iz had no choice but to narrate at a slower pace.
"So in other words…"
"Little Rei was mistaken for the Incarnation of White?"
"Well… that's not surprising."
The Death believer named Mu might not understand.
But Iz and Kumironi knew Rei extremely well.
They knew that the things Rei had been killing… were ants.
Rei had been almost constantly with them, meaning he had absolutely no time to go around committing mass slaughter.
As for the matter of souls—
During their journey to Kronoa, they themselves had played through the Thousand-Army Ant Mountain countless times.
Everyone was fully aware that the souls Rei obtained were extremely unusual.
And Rei's advancement to Level 2 Death Priest had happened right in front of them.
In their eyes, Rei was someone open and straightforward.
Sure, he had secrets.
But there was no way he was some villain steeped in heinous sins.
Besides—
When it came to secrets…
Iz, Kumironi, Akasei, and Obadis—
Every one of them had secrets of their own.
For example:
Why Kumironi could cleanse spiritual corruption.
Iz's extraordinary magical talent.
Why Akasei possessed such absurd physical strength.
And why Obadis… was somehow a chef.
"If Rei is willing to tell us about this—especially wanting to tell you, Kumironi—it means he definitely isn't planning anything bad."
"Kumironi, what do you think?"
Kumironi pressed her fingers against her temple.
"This could be an opportunity to plant an insider within the Church of Death…"
"And not just any insider—one at the level of a bishop. That's not an opportunity you get often."
Then she frowned slightly.
"But Little Rei is still just a child."
Iz replied calmly,
"He's already a renowned powerhouse across this continent."
"And besides… this might also be an opportunity Rei himself can exploit."
Kumironi turned to Rei.
"Rei, what do you think?"
Rei answered calmly.
"The crimes committed by the Church of Death are far too severe. If we can grasp their movements from within… or even control their actions, that would be a good thing."
"I'm also willing to cooperate with Sister Kumironi's plans."
He continued,
"If everything goes smoothly, the Church of Death's operations will no longer be secret. Every move they make will be under our surveillance."
Kumironi nodded.
"Alright. We'll proceed with this plan for now."
"Tomorrow, I'll arrange a meeting with Mu and discuss the matter of joining the church."
Kumironi looked at him seriously.
"You must prioritize your safety."
Iz nodded as well.
"I'll protect Rei from the shadows."
Once the decision was made, Rei didn't wait until the next day.
He went straight to the White Tower.
Mu had been staying on the third floor recently.
However, he had never once approached Rei inside the tower.
Rei picked up a book related to Death Studies and walked calmly to Mu's side.
"Senior Mu, I heard you're a master of Death Studies… I'd like to ask you some questions about the subject."
Late that night—
Rei and Mu met in a private room inside the Grand Library of Kronoa.
"Lord Rei."
"You summoned me… is it to respond to the proposal I made last time?"
Rei gave a slight nod.
He raised a single finger.
Ten thousand Supreme Pure Souls emerged from his fingertip and began circling around him.
Rei crossed his legs and leaned lazily back in his chair.
Looking down at Mu—who knelt on one knee without daring to raise his head.
"What you said… sounded rather interesting."
"Trying out that position for a while doesn't seem too bad."
Rei casually gathered the souls back into his small hand and spoke in a playful tone with his childish voice.
"I agree."
He asked lazily,
"But this bishop position you mentioned… is it really decided just by your word?"
"No, my lord," Mu replied immediately.
"The church naturally does not operate solely under my authority."
"But once the other elders witness your divine power… they will certainly revere you as their master."
Rei narrowed his eyes slightly.
"So… I still need to prove myself?"
"I would never dare!"
"But if my lord wishes to sit upon the Holy Church's supreme seat… you will inevitably have to meet with the other elders."
Rei observed the fluctuations of the man's mental energy.
It didn't seem like he was lying.
Fine.
There was no harm in going along with it.
After all, Iz was protecting him from the shadows.
"Meeting them is fine. When do they plan to come?"
"I have already communicated privately with the other elders. As long as you are willing… they can come at any time."
"In that case, let's do it now."
"I'll wait here for them."
Rei's tone was calm and indifferent.
"Understood."
Mu did not hesitate or offer excuses.
He accepted Rei's order and stepped back.
Before long—
Figures quietly appeared within the library.
One man without a face.
One man with only a single arm.
A woman whose face was located on her chest.
And the old man from the White Tower—Mu.
"So these are the four elders you mentioned?"
Rei remained in the same relaxed posture, watching them with complete indifference.
"Mu."
"The person you spoke of… is him?"
"Isn't that Kanzaki Rei? The one everyone's been talking about lately?"
Heh.
What do you mean everyone's talking about? Am I some kind of gossip headline?
"Impudent!"
Mu shouted sharply.
"How dare you speak so arrogantly before the Incarnation of White!"
The one-armed man felt anger surge within him.
But when he looked into Rei's eyes—
A chilling sensation spread through his body.
Suppressing his temper, he turned toward Rei.
"Elder Mu said you are the incarnation of Pure White walking this world…"
Rei responded with a lofty, mocking sneer.
As though laughing at ignorant fools.
The one-armed man felt anger rise again—
But in the next moment, he saw Rei raise a finger toward him.
"You."
"You displeased me."
"Die."
Rei pointed forward.
In an instant—
Countless souls converged.
One million souls condensed instantly into a cage.
[Living Soul Binding Cage (Tier 4) (LV: 301)][Soul Sacrifice: 2,000,000]
Whoosh!
The souls condensed into near-physical form!
Each soul radiated supreme purity.
The cage formed instantly—
Locking the one-armed man firmly inside.
This was an ancient imprisonment spell Rei had secretly learned from forbidden texts.
It had no complicated effects.
The only rule was simple:
The more souls sacrificed, the harder the cage was to break.
Inside the cage, all transformation and spatial movement abilities were completely sealed.
And a cage created by sacrificing two million souls…
Was not something a Level 5 professional could break.
Rei casually waved his hand.
Several sound-blocking spells layered over the room.
"No!"
"Lord Rei! No—Great White!"
"I know I was wrong! I shouldn't have offended you!"
Feeling himself surrounded by an overwhelming sea of souls—
The one-armed man finally felt terror.
In the past, even a single soul was an incredibly rare treasure.
Yet the child before him controlled countless souls.
That alone was enough proof of his identity.
If he were merely an ordinary mage—
How could he possibly command so many pure souls?
"No! I was wrong!"
"Please spare my life! I can do many things for you!"
"I'm willing to devote my life and—"
Buzz—
Several faint lights formed from condensed souls.
[Soul Cluster Detonation]
Flash!
Rei restricted the explosion's range layer by layer with multiple containment spells.
A detonation fueled by 200,000 sacrificed souls—
Confined inside the small cage.
BOOM!
A dull, muted blast echoed within the cage.
Even the sound of the explosion failed to escape the room.
When the cage finally opened—
The one-armed man had completely vanished.
Only ashes remained.
Rei's gaze swept calmly over the remaining three.
"Any more questions?"
"No…"
"We have none."
Mu lowered his head.
The other two followed suit.
Disdain for life.
Indifference toward death.
And casually discarding two million souls like weeds on the roadside.
The being before them clearly didn't care about the Church of Death at all.
He was merely playing with it.
But a Church of Death personally ruled by the Incarnation of White—
That was the true Church of Death.
Whatever his intentions might be, they only needed to follow.
As for whether his identity was real…
Who else, other than the true White, could casually throw away such precious souls like roadside grass?
"Heh… it seems no one has any objections."
"Are there any other procedures?"
Rei's voice remained calm but dripping with contempt.
A trace of impatience slipped through.
The three felt their hearts tremble.
It was as if—
If there were any more tedious procedures…
He might simply kill them all.
"N-No… there are none."
"Good."
"And remember—do not reveal my identity to the outside world."
His tone was casual, yet carried an undeniable authority.
"Mu."
"Where is the church's base now? I'm curious."
Mu bowed deeply.
"I will guide you."
Rei followed Mu outside.
The moment they left the library, Rei's aura shifted again.
From an arrogant incarnation of White—
Back to a harmless little child.
Mu finally understood.
So the High Lord's disguise in the outside world was this harmless childlike appearance.
Truly brilliant.
Who would ever suspect that such an ordinary child was the incarnation of White?
Fortunately, Mu had refined his eyes in pursuit of the path of death, allowing him to perceive deeper truths.
Otherwise—
He might never have recognized the High Lord at all.
To stand before a god and fail to recognize them would be the ultimate blasphemy.
It was still deep night.
Most of the Church of Death's activities occurred at night anyway.
They were used to it.
Mu led Rei to the edge of the city wall—but not to the gate.
He simply walked straight into the wall.
And passed through it.
Rei scanned with his perception.
The wall had actually been hollowed out, hidden by illusion magic.
Rei followed him through the interior passage.
While moving through the thick wall, Rei casually scanned its structure.
Good.
Solid.
No monsters hiding inside.
After leaving Kronoa, they flew west.
Mu was stunned by Rei's speed.
Even as a Level 5 Trickster, he was slower than Level 3 Rei.
As expected of the Incarnation of White.
If he were not a divine incarnation, nothing else could explain such overwhelming power.
Thinking further was terrifying.
Mu had heard that Rei's class advancement had been performed by High Priestess Kumironi of the Temple of Life.
If that were true—
Did that mean even the Temple of Life was being manipulated by him?
And he also had close ties with Izparut and the others.
What an enormous chessboard.
Without anyone noticing—
He had already placed countless hidden pieces.
If one thought carefully…
It seemed he was already controlling Kronoa, perhaps even the entire Kingdom of Loren.
But then why had he allowed Iz and the others to kill the former High Priest?
Could it be that the old High Priest had betrayed the church?
No…
The old High Priest had been trying to create the Descent of White.
But this lord had already descended.
The ritual might have exposed his existence.
So he eliminated the High Priest to protect his plan?
It sounded absurd—
Yet considering his indifference toward life…
It somehow seemed plausible.
The actions of a god's incarnation were unpredictable.
If something displeased him, he simply killed.
Yet even within that whimsy, he still maintained control over the overall situation.
Truly… admirable.
To him, the previous High Priest had probably been nothing more than a disposable chess piece.
After all—
From the perspective of a god, what significance could a mere Level 6 regional bishop possibly have?
"We've arrived."
Mu descended onto a barren plain.
Rei landed as well, scanning the surroundings.
An underground passage hidden beneath the endless wasteland.
The concealment here used Warlock ritual magic.
Warlocks specialized in rituals, curses, pain, disease, and mental attacks.
They weren't particularly strong in direct combat.
Instead, they excelled at secretly planting curses.
They could also craft certain dark artifacts.
A profession with strong overall capability in the domain of evil attributes.
Most Secret-Scroll Classes were merely rare.
That didn't necessarily make them stronger than mainstream professions.
Even when stronger, the difference was minor.
Only the extremely difficult Unique Secret-Scroll Classes were universally acknowledged to be on a higher tier.
Rei hadn't expected a base here.
And judging by Mu bringing him here—
It was probably a headquarters-level base.
Truly a cunning rabbit with many burrows.
Rei casually tossed several monster corpses outside.
Materials for Death Exchange.
Mu had already noticed Rei's cautious habits.
They entered the hidden passage.
After walking through a deep, dark tunnel—
A massive underground palace appeared before Rei.
"High Lord… to be honest…"
"Most of the Holy Church's bases have already been destroyed. Our largest headquarters was also wiped out."
"And the ones responsible… were Izparut and the others."
Mu said this deliberately, hoping to probe Rei's thoughts.
Rei replied coldly,
"What, are you trying to guess my intentions?"
Tens of thousands of souls drifted around him.
Mu's body trembled violently.
He shook his head frantically.
"I would never dare!"
Rei walked forward slowly, surrounded by souls.
His perception had already scanned every corner of the palace.
"My actions have their purpose."
"You people acted too arrogantly and were already noticed by the Church of Life."
"You even left behind encoded letters for them to discover."
"They deciphered your secrets… and now you blame me?"
"Your recklessness created this disaster."
"Do you expect me to expose myself just to protect the mess you left behind? That insignificant bishop?"
Rei's voice carried natural authority.
Mu began sweating and dropped to his knees.
"N-No! I would never mean that!"
"Your plans are a hundred times more important than the former High Priest's life!"
Rei withdrew his faint anger and spoke calmly.
"Good that you understand."
"Now that I've taken control of this church, you can relax."
"I don't mind playing with them for a while."
Mu finally felt relieved.
So the High Lord did care about the church's survival after all.
He was getting serious.
"Where does the church store its treasures?"
"I'm curious to see what you've accumulated over the years."
Mu lowered his head and began guiding him.
"High Lord, please follow me."
"For the Holy Church, we have labored tirelessly for a thousand years. Though much was destroyed recently by those detestable enemies, our foundation still remains."
"Our most precious treasury…"
"Has been perfectly preserved here."