"Cryptology Scholar Mastery Acquired: Erudite Interpreter (Exclusive)"During any decryption process, your mastery over the knowledge required for the decryption will continuously improve.
"Cryptology Scholar Mastery Acquired: Burst of Inspiration (Exclusive)"During decryption, inspiration for the correct solution will arise more easily. This inspiration may also extend to problems in other domains.
One mastery focused on knowledge, the other on inspiration.
These two specializations fit perfectly with Rei's experiences over the past period of study.
Besides those, he also obtained two new class techniques.
Technique: Pre-Simulated ResolutionTechnique: Thought-Touch
Pre-Simulated Resolution allowed him to simulate, within his mind, the consequences of completing a decryption.
It wasn't limited to decoding information—it could also be applied to mechanisms and traps.
Essentially, it was a technique designed to prevent accidental activation of traps during the decryption process.
The second technique, Thought-Touch, was rarer.
Most Cryptology Scholars had little ability to interact with physical matter.
But Thought-Touch allowed his perception to pass through mechanisms and seals, enabling him to manipulate them remotely, breaking mechanisms and restrictions from the inside.
He would no longer need to physically touch them as before.
Once these techniques were trained beyond their current limits, they should become even more powerful.
Finally—
The talent.
"Restriction Breaker (Transcendent) → God-Tier: Absolute Restriction Dominion"
All restrictions, mechanisms, or seals that can be deciphered through decryption may be directly controlled, altered, or dismantled.You will also automatically comprehend the knowledge and construction methods behind such mechanisms and restrictions.
Rei remembered something.
Back when Akasei had sealed the Thousand-Army Ant Mountain with a magic scroll—
That seal could technically be broken through decryption as well.
But it required at least a Level 6 Cryptology Scholar.
Breaking restrictions didn't always require raw magical power.
Every seal obeyed the structural rules of the world.
And every structure was essentially a complex puzzle.
In theory, all restrictions functioned like a key and lock.
If the key was correct—you could pass.
If it wasn't—you couldn't.
Even as a Level 2 Cryptology Scholar, Rei's calculation ability had already been terrifying.
Basic arithmetic involving numbers within nine digits could be calculated instantly in his mind.
Even moderately complex mathematical functions were manageable through mental calculation.
As the class level increased, both his computational power and decryption logic improved dramatically.
However, cracking seals still required enormous processing capacity.
"Control all restrictions…"
When he thought about it, this world was practically covered in restrictions.
Many of the identities Rei possessed also granted him access rights to various restricted areas.
Without those identities, he wouldn't even have been able to enter the library of the Lorenz Academy.
Now that the Cryptology Scholar advancement was complete—
Everything had settled.
Rei focused on sensing the effects of his new talent.
Within the range of his perception, every restriction suddenly appeared extremely clear.
Even the door of the secret chamber he was currently in operated through a specialized restriction switch.
Rei could feel it clearly—
With a single thought, he could open or close it.
He could even alter its permissions.
For example—
Modify it so that only he could open or close it.
Of course, he had no intention of doing that here.
The fewer people who knew about this ability, the better.
It was only after looking carefully that Rei realized something surprising.
All across Kronloa City, restrictions existed everywhere.
The basements of weapon shops.
The storage rooms of merchant guilds.
The Church of Life, the Church of Light, and the Church of Darkness—all of them maintained their own restrictions.
And the White Tower…
Rei remembered that it also had its own system of restrictions.
Each floor could only be accessed by those with the proper permissions.
However—
If someone managed to break through the restriction using their own ability, the White Tower would permit them to move freely on that floor.
In the White Tower—
Knowledge itself was the key to authority.
"Next problem… the Death Priest advancement."
The reason Rei hadn't advanced Death Priest earlier was because of the Cryptology Scholar requirements.
If he had advanced Death Priest first, the Cryptology Scholar conditions would have increased significantly.
He would have been forced to solve puzzles for a long time just to meet the advancement threshold again.
"Kumironi."
Rei turned to her.
She had just finished intercepting a massive wave of contamination.
"For the Death Priest advancement… is there anything I should prepare?"
The Death Priest class was different from others.
If the ritual required sacrificing souls, the commotion would be enormous.
This was Kronloa City.
If hundreds of billions of souls suddenly ascended into the sky—
Anyone who saw it would be terrified to death.
If he had to advance, it would be better to do it somewhere remote where nobody would care.
Kumironi thought for a moment.
"Hm…"
"At the headquarters of the Death Church we previously captured, there's also a ritual hall used for advancing death-aligned classes."
"It's in a remote location. Completely uninhabited."
"That place should be perfect."
"We've kept everything there intact."
Rei blinked.
"That's really okay?"
"It should be fine to use the ritual hall there. With my authority, I can temporarily move away the guards stationed there…"
But as Kumironi spoke, she began losing confidence.
Sending away your own guards…
Sneaking into the place…
Just to help the Pontiff of the Death Church perform an advancement ritual?
If a diviner had predicted such a scenario to her six months ago—
Kumironi would have declared them insane.
"Little Rei, are you in a hurry?"
"The Death Church headquarters is quite far from Kronloa. If we travel by dragon-rhino carriage, it would take at least five days."
"If Iz takes you there, it would be much faster."
Rei shook his head.
It wasn't so urgent.
Originally, his plan had been to stay indoors the entire month without leaving the city.
But now, for advancement, he would have to make a trip.
"Kumironi… does this month affect you as well?"
"Yes… actually, quite a lot."
"Now I can only resurrect five people per day."
"Each person can only be resurrected once within that day."
"And the time limit for resurrection has shortened to within ten minutes of death."
"Other healing abilities have also been weakened."
That was a significant impact.
Should he advance now…
Or wait until the month ended and travel during a safer period?
Rei pondered for a moment.
"Kumironi… let's schedule it for a time convenient for both you and Iz."
Increasing strength was crucial for survival.
In the end, Rei chose to go out.
Even during the Month of Death and Destruction, it wasn't so dangerous that leaving the city once guaranteed death.
Besides, he wasn't going out to hunt monsters or explore dungeons.
He was only advancing a class.
And he would have Iz and Kumironi accompanying him.
There shouldn't be major issues.
If a crisis arose that even Iz couldn't solve—
Hiding anywhere wouldn't matter.
Kumironi thought for a moment.
"After the 10th should work."
"The expedition team should return by then. That area will likely be vacant."
"I also need some time to adjust personnel arrangements."
Why did this increasingly feel like they were planning a crime?
Rei calculated silently.
Aijin had been working on his staff for some time now.
It should be nearly finished.
And those Tier 6 Submerged-Continent monsters should have produced an excellent robe.
His equipment would be more complete by then.
"Then the 10th?" Rei confirmed.
Kumironi nodded.
"Yes. Ask Iz. If he has no objections, we'll go on the 10th."
"Oh, Kumironi—"
"Is there anything I can help with at the church?"
"I've reached Level 3 Cryptology Scholar now. I should be able to solve more puzzles."
Kumironi thought briefly.
"There actually are a few esoteric sect puzzles…"
Soon after, Rei returned from the Church of Life carrying several restricted manuscripts.
Even within the Church of Life, there were several forbidden zones protected by extremely powerful restrictions.
When Rei scanned them, he discovered that most of those restrictions required Level 6 Cryptology Scholar difficulty or higher.
Whoever set them was at least a Level 6 class holder.
Most likely Iz's handiwork.
But when Rei passed by the other churches…
He scanned them as well.
Inside the Church of Darkness, he discovered something shocking.
A restriction with Level 7+ decryption difficulty.
Who set that?
Rei felt the urge to investigate.
But it was the Church of Darkness's territory.
Better to plan carefully.
Just because he could break a restriction didn't mean nobody would notice.
Maybe he really did need a stealth-oriented class like Assassin to assist.
Two days later—
Aijin sent word.
Rei's staff had finally been reforged.
Even Aijin hadn't expected that in such a short time he would obtain so many rare and precious materials to practice the principles of an Enchanter.
When Rei received the Void-Spirit Ringstar Staff again, its core abilities hadn't changed much.
But its hardness and durability had increased tremendously.
Rather than a staff—
It now resembled a Void-Spirit Ringstar War Spear.
Rei spun it in his hand and swung.
A faint wave of mana slashed through the air.
The energy shifted instantly between frost and flame.
Now most spells could be directly attached to the spear itself.
Its strength was enough to withstand direct attacks from Tier 6 Submerged-Continent monsters without breaking.
"Don't forget this."
Aijin waved his hand.
A cloak appeared on the table.
Eyes rotated across its surface.
The material looked like the hide of some creature.
Though flat on the surface, the eyes seemed to exist within a deeper spatial layer.
"Robe of Malevolent Gaze."
"Anyone who merely looks at you while you wear this robe will be afflicted with a curse."
"And if someone scans you with perception, the curse will react to that contact, allowing you to detect them."
"Because of the curse, their perception cannot penetrate the cloak to examine your body."
"The curse can expose them, weaken them, and instill fear."
"And this hide is extremely durable—it can block most slashing and piercing attacks."
"But blunt weapons… hammers and the like… the force will still transfer through."
Rei nodded.
The cloak was crafted from the hide of the Ten-Thousand-Soul True-Spirit Monster.
"But the curse effect is powerful," Aijin warned.
"Be careful."
"I've also prepared some curse-removal potions. Removing this curse isn't easy."
Rei stored the equipment.
The Robe of Malevolent Gaze was worn beneath his other robes.
Since it cursed anyone who looked at it directly, it wasn't suitable for public display.
During combat, he could wear it as the outer layer.
"Thanks, Uncle Aijin."
"No problem. Honestly, the materials from those Submerged-Continent monsters helped a lot."
"There's just… too much."
"If I actually finish using all these materials…"
"I might reach Level 7 Enchanter."
Those monster corpses were enormous—often the size of entire mountain ranges or seas.
Even Aijin struggled to process them all alone.
"Haha. Then I'll congratulate you in advance for becoming a Level 7 Enchanter."
"I'll be counting on you for my equipment in the future."
White Tower
Rei tested his new talent.
The restrictions on the tower floors had already been broken.
He climbed straight to the fifth floor.
Then stopped.
Technically, he could go higher.
But that would attract too much attention.
The White Tower had nine floors, each corresponding roughly to the scholar levels.
By the fifth floor, the number of books had already become extremely limited.
Rei suspected there wouldn't necessarily be more material above.
Besides—
Even here, much of the content had become extremely difficult to understand.
Unknown languages.
Hyper-specialized academic knowledge.
One book caught his eye:
"On Magical Breakthrough and Reconstruction: Proofs and Hypotheses of Transcendent Magic" — by Iz Parul
Another:
"On the Realization of Multi-Casting: Methods for Training the Simultaneous Release of Multiple Spells."
Multi-casting was indeed possible through training.
If casting a single spell had difficulty 1—
Then casting two spells simultaneously had difficulty 10.
Casting three spells simultaneously had difficulty 100.
That was Iz's theory.
Each additional simultaneous spell increased the difficulty tenfold.
A normal mage might spend an entire lifetime learning only dual-casting.
Rei wondered how far Iz had reached.
As for himself—
He was unlimited.
All of these books were stored on the fifth floor.
This floor contained only extremely complex theoretical works.
Without foundational knowledge, they were incomprehensible.
Even the magic theory gave Rei headaches.
Iz's academic research was on an entirely different level compared to his usual casual teaching.
"Technique of the Fate-Mandate Theorem."
Rei finally found what he had been looking for.
"So it's on the fifth floor… no wonder I couldn't find it before."
Materials on this floor could not be removed without permission.
Rei could read them—but not take them away.
He unrolled the scroll.
It was written on monster hide, about five meters long and half a meter wide.
Lines.
Symbols.
Formulas.
Strange diagrams.
Rei could barely recognize some symbols from Fate Studies.
But what the scroll actually said—
He had no idea.
He only knew it contained a hidden secret.
The secret was called:
"Inner Technique of the Fate-Mandate Theorem."
So even after finding the Fate-Mandate Theorem—
He still needed to decipher its hidden layer?
Actually, maybe not.
Perhaps only the Inner Technique required decryption.
Understanding the surface text might already be enough.
"…Sigh."
This unique class advancement requirement was ridiculously troublesome.
He would have to ask Yuna to help him study this field.
Then he could absorb knowledge from her relentlessly.
She would probably find it fascinating anyway.
Afterward, Rei spent some time experimenting around Kronloa City with his restriction-breaking ability.
After testing it, he realized he didn't need to worry too much about being discovered.
Breaking restrictions could be done remotely.
Once the restriction was broken—
He could immediately dash inside using Flash of Instant Light.
Almost no one could react.
The entire Rylun Continent barely had any Level 5 powerhouses.
What were the chances one of them was standing guard at a random gate?
Could you imagine Luluvi standing like a lowly guard all day?
Important objects relied on restrictions for protection.
That was their purpose.
The guards themselves weren't expected to stop intruders.
Most of them were weak.
Their reaction speed could never match Rei's.
Temple of Light
Inside the Forbidden Hall.
An elderly man with a wrinkled face paced through a grand chamber filled with radiance.
At this moment—
Rei's stealth game was at its peak.
Using Flesh Reconstruction, he had transformed into the appearance of the old man.
On top of that, he wore multiple robes and magical tools designed to obscure perception and reduce presence.
He controlled the restrictions—
Making them open only for himself.
Then he seized the right moment.
In a single instant—
He slipped through.
Outside, two guards yawned sleepily.
A flash of light.
Rei even sacrificed a bit of energy to push his speed to the limit.
SWISH!
The guards never noticed.
Rei was already inside the restricted area.
Turning back, he looked at the two guards standing with their backs to him.
Serves you right for relying only on restrictions without a physical door.
If there had been an actual door to open, this wouldn't have been so easy.
Still—
The interior was magnificent.
A vast golden hall filled with radiant scrolls and sacred pages.
At the center—
A golden white sword, sealed under hundreds of restrictions, stood silently.
The defensive restrictions of the hall weren't limited to blocking entry.
There were also intruder detection restrictions.
And execution restrictions designed to kill invaders.
But now—
All of them were under Rei's control.
None had activated.
"…What a shame."
Rei looked at the golden sword.
That was definitely an incredible artifact.
But taking it?
That would mean making an eternal enemy of the Church of Light.
He refused to believe that such a massive organization lacked high-level Diviners or Observers.
Better to simply borrow some books.
Just reading them shouldn't hurt anyone.
"Oh?"
"What's this… Forbidden Light Technique: Heavenly Purification Judgment?"
Let's see.
Rei picked up a golden tome.
Before touching it, he quietly removed the ten restriction seals placed upon the book—without triggering any alarms.
If something was protected that carefully, it had to be valuable.
"…Wait."
"Better take precautions."
"What if it's forbidden knowledge that causes serious consequences upon contact?"
"Safer to copy it first and read it later."
He prepared to duplicate the contents before taking it away.
..
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