Kumironi could only ensure that the scriptures of his own church would not be stolen.
As for the other churches… they could only pray for their own luck.
He had no obligation to warn them.
In fact, the different churches were competitors by nature. From that perspective, Kumironi should actually be helping the thief instead.
But his sense of morality was fighting back.
After a fierce internal struggle, Kumironi ultimately chose to pretend he had seen nothing.
…
The three of them checked into a high-grade hotel.
Although Leapwind City was a prosperous metropolis, it was still not the capital of the Ruijia Kingdom. There simply weren't that many things worth coveting here.
As for the banquet, Iz Palut declined it.
The banquet would have been nothing more than polite chatter and ceremonial congratulations. Compared to real business, it was meaningless.
Iz departed overnight, returning to Knoloria to bring Rei Seiyin over.
Kumironi continued avoiding reality.
And so Kanzaki Rei wandered the city alone.
Eventually, he made his way to the great library of the region.
His goal: to search for books containing hidden knowledge.
Since he was already here, he might as well take his time. Every new place had something novel to offer.
At the very least, libraries in different regions almost always contained a few texts with concealed secrets.
No matter where he went, there would always be something new to discover.
After searching through the entire place, Kanzaki Rei borrowed every book containing hidden knowledge from the library.
He didn't even bother checking what the secrets were.
After all, he had no intention of returning them.
He simply treated it as if he had bought them.
Afterward, Rei began strolling across the entire city.
He searched for special hidden restrictions concealed throughout the city…
As for the restrictions on places like shops, weapon stores, general goods stores, and potion shops, he couldn't be bothered.
It was fine to exploit official institutions—but harassing ordinary civilians made him feel a little guilty.
Besides, common folk rarely possessed anything valuable.
Rei's perception swept through the interiors of their restrictions directly.
Not a single item caught his interest.
Still…
After breaking so many restrictions, Rei had simultaneously learned how they were constructed.
If he had sufficient materials, he could now deploy them himself.
In other words…
He had effectively become a master of restrictions.
The knowledge of every restriction he had broken was engraved clearly in his mind.
If he sold that knowledge, even just the methods for constructing Level 6 and Level 7 restrictions would be considered extremely valuable.
"I've heard Ruijia's magic is mediocre," Rei murmured quietly.
"But their combat techniques are unmatched."
He silently arrived beside the largest Battle Technique Academy in the city.
Beneath his outer clothing, he wore a robe that masked perception and reduced presence.
The entire academy was protected by identity-recognition restrictions.
Anyone entering without authorization would immediately be detected.
However, the restriction itself was rather crude.
Even without his talents, Rei could have deciphered a way to bypass the recognition system through the methods of a Deciphering Scholar.
But…
If you have a talent and refuse to use it—
Wouldn't that just make you an idiot?
So Rei walked straight in.
Using Flesh Reconstruction, he altered his appearance into that of a middle-aged man. On the outside he wore a simple warrior's outfit, while the magical robe remained hidden underneath.
The guards didn't even glance at him.
They allowed him to walk right in.
If there were a problem with a person, the restriction would detect it.
Since it didn't trigger, there was nothing to worry about.
Rei entered with ease.
He couldn't help but sigh at the lax security.
Though, to be fair, the gates of an academy couldn't realistically conduct strict inspections.
Inside the academy, Rei swept his perception across the area.
Then he walked toward a small building tucked away in a corner.
The building was tiny and inconspicuous.
But it was protected by extremely complex restrictions.
Despite the powerful barrier, no one guarded the door.
This time, the restriction actually had a gate.
Yet strangely—
There was still no guard.
Rei walked inside openly.
After all, this was Ruijia territory. If he were caught, he could simply escape.
He had no psychological burden whatsoever.
It wasn't like back in Lorren, where he actually worried about being caught doing something shady.
Now, he was no longer a weakling that anyone could stop.
If he truly intended to flee, anyone trying to stop him would have to think twice.
Rei pushed the door open.
Once inside, he immediately closed it behind him.
Inside the chamber there were no shelves filled with combat manuals.
Instead, the entire space contained only a single scroll made of tough monster hide.
"War God Secret Transmission — Secret of the Slash."
Rei thought for a moment.
Better to copy it first.
Although it belonged to the War God and likely contained no traps, it would be troublesome if some hidden taboo were triggered.
Besides, the scroll didn't seem to contain hidden layers.
It was probably just surface-level content.
Rei carefully copied every word and diagram from the scroll.
Then he strolled over to the academy's Battle Technique Hall.
Many students were practicing there.
The hall was crowded.
Yet no one paid Rei any attention.
They simply assumed he was another student.
Rei casually grabbed a few combat technique manuals that interested him.
He cracked the restrictions that prevented them from being stored in spatial storage—
And placed them into his own storage space.
Then he turned and walked out.
Hmph.
Ruijia.
These combat techniques—
Your Chief Mage of Lorren will kindly take them.
After wandering Leapwind City for an entire day, Rei returned to the hotel with his harvest overflowing.
The enemy's treasure vault truly was his personal treasury.
But was Ruijia really the only enemy Lorren had?
What about the others?
…Sigh.
Aside from Ruijia, the other surrounding nations were all small countries. None of them had anything particularly worth coveting.
I wonder what the other five continents across the outer seas are like.
I haven't even left the Ruilun Continent yet.
Who knows when I'll get the chance to see those other lands.
The food in his bowl wasn't even finished yet—
Yet he was already thinking about the pot on the stove.
Yuna's Scholar ability would probably last about seven days, gradually weakening during that time.
If he wanted to borrow the Scholar profession's abilities again afterward, he would need to re-establish a resonance link with Yuna.
Perhaps he should bring Yuna here as well?
But Yuna had no combat ability whatsoever.
Sending such a young girl deep into enemy territory would be far too dangerous.
In contrast, Rei Seiyin probably already possessed combat power exceeding that of ordinary Level-5 class-advancers.
There was little need to worry about her safety.
Rei lay on the bed and began studying the copied combat technique.
"Secret of the Slash."
"All slashing attacks may unite mind and spirit, forming momentum into form…"
The entire text revolved around the essence of the slash.
It didn't actually provide a specific combat technique.
Instead, it completely illuminated the concept of "Slash" itself.
After finishing it, Rei felt as if enlightenment had struck him like a bolt of clarity.
Every slash he had ever executed before suddenly felt wrong.
Not only the slashes from combat techniques—
Even magical attacks like Wind Blade, Light Blade, Whip Slash, Light Sweep…
All of them were wrong.
A true slash—
Rei brought two fingers together.
A strand of wind gathered between his fingertips.
He swept his hand sideways.
Slash!
A thin current of wind flashed through the air—
A hairline fracture suddenly appeared across the wall.
Then—
The cabinet, the bedside table, the lamp—
All slid diagonally apart at the same angle.
Yes.
This was the true slash.
When fast, the slash was like a line.
When heavy, its momentum was like a mountain.
"There are probably other secret transmissions besides the Secret of the Slash," Rei murmured.
"They're probably reserved for those who pass the inheritance trials."
Meaning this Secret of the Slash might normally only be granted to someone who passed a War God inheritance test.
But technically—
He had already inherited the War God's power.
So taking a look was only natural.
"This world's inheritance systems really are full of surprises."
Until now, Rei hadn't even known such things as War God secret transmissions existed.
Despite everything he had learned, he still felt like his understanding of the world was merely the tip of the iceberg.
Alright…
Time to go downstairs and pay for the damages.
And while I'm at it, change rooms and get some sleep.
…
Early the next morning—
Someone knocked on the door.
BANG BANG BANG BANG!
Rei extended his perception.
Outside stood Rei Seiyin.
BAM!
The door was kicked open.
"Rei!"
Kanzaki Rei sat upright on the bed, his expression calm and indifferent.
"M-Master…"
The aggressive little assassin suddenly shrank back when she saw him.
Memories of the days she had spent being brutally trained by Rei surfaced in her mind.
"Iz said you needed my help, so I came."
"Who do you want me to kill?"
"The King of Ruijia?"
Rei instantly swept his perception across the surroundings.
Then he grabbed her with Mage Hand, dragged her inside, and shut the door.
"Who said anything about killing?"
"If you're not killing someone, what do you need my help for? Killing people is the only thing I know how to do."
The little girl stood with her hands on her hips, speaking with perfect confidence.
After all, the only training she had ever received was assassination training.
Everything she practiced—from morning until night—was about killing.
"…Sigh."
"I just want you to help me take something."
"You want to steal a person?"
"…No."
"Steal items."
"Oh… that works too."
Just how exactly had her teacher trained her?
Maybe he should hire her a proper tutor.
He had plenty of spare money anyway.
But interfering with someone's life like that might not be appropriate either.
Perhaps it would be better for her to slowly experience normal life through a normal environment.
"So who are we stealing from?"
"…First, we're going to steal from the Forbidden Hall of the Church of Darkness."
…Actually, maybe nothing about this plan was normal.
…
Early that morning, the four of them regrouped.
After breakfast, they bid farewell to the Lord of Leapwind City, informing him they would soon return to Lorren.
Then they immediately set off toward Ruijia's capital.
The capital was called Serra City.
A massive metropolis built upon a mountain.
Rei's group arrived without much delay.
Once there, they checked into a small, ordinary inn—not luxurious, but not shabby either.
Their identities were completely fabricated.
Iz used Flesh Magic to disguise himself as a middle-aged man.
Rei maintained the appearance of a child, though his face had been entirely altered.
His disguise somewhat resembled Bo-chan from Crayon Shin-chan—a dull-looking, slightly foolish expression.
The registration described them as a family of four.
Two parents and two children.
One aged 11, the other 9.
After all, they were here to steal things.
They certainly couldn't register under the names of the famous Iz Palut and Lorren's Chief Mage Kanzaki Rei.
Inside the small room, the three of them gathered in a circle.
Iz spoke first.
"Alright. Tell us the plan. How do you need us to cooperate?"
"If things go smoothly," Rei said, "Master Iz won't even need to take action."
"Little Seiyin and I should be able to handle the entire operation."
"Oh?" Iz raised an eyebrow. "You sound confident."
"The hardest part is the restrictions. But breaking those isn't difficult for me."
"All you need to do is handle the aftermath."
"If we get discovered, please cover our retreat."
Iz nodded slightly.
"Mm. Avoiding conflict is best."
"I'd rather not rob them openly. That would damage my reputation."
…Not rather?
So he still wanted to, just a little?
But Rei knew Iz cared deeply about his reputation.
Anyone obsessed with being the strongest mage in the world would.
"What about the route?" Iz asked.
"How are we planning it?"
Rei glanced out the window.
"Let's observe the area first."
"We'll finalize the plan afterward."
Unlike Lorren's elegant Heaven-Link Bridges, Ruijia's transportation system was far more crude.
They used spring platforms.
Step on one, and it would launch you high and far through the air.
It was easy to fall and hurt yourself.
But most Ruijia citizens had extremely strong physiques, so the occasional fall wasn't a big problem.
…Sigh.
No wonder it's a warrior nation. Barbaric customs.
Lorren's Heaven-Link Bridges were far better.
Rei leapt across rooftops and walls, bouncing from platform to platform.
Each jump carried him hundreds of meters.
Rei Seiyin followed closely behind.
As Rei passed near various churches, his perception covered their territory.
And at the same time—
He had already broken their restrictions.
The Church of Darkness still used Level-7 restrictions.
Just like in Lorren.
Perhaps the churches had hired powerful experts to install these barriers when the temples were first built.
After all, the churches were global organizations.
Any one of them possessed influence far exceeding that of Lorren or Ruijia.
Even if those nations were destroyed—
The churches would still remain untouchable.
"The Church of Light… Level-6 restrictions."
"The Church of Frost, Church of Luck, Church of Peace, and Church of Life—also Level-6."
The Frost Church in Ruijia seemed to have one level higher security than the one in Lorren.
Ah.
Iz had stolen from Ruijia's Frost Church before.
Maybe they upgraded their defenses after that incident.
The Church of Life was temporarily excluded.
After all—
They had someone on the inside.
Light, Darkness, Frost, Luck, Peace, Life.
These were the mainstream churches of the Ruilun Continent.
Most of them corresponded to the Lunar Divinities.
Of course, they weren't the only ones.
Some churches were so unpopular that they never appeared publicly.
For example—
Death and War were both banned from worship.
The Fourth Month, representing chaos and madness, was also labeled a heretical cult.
Meanwhile, the White Tower, which revered knowledge, effectively functioned as the Church of Knowledge.
After finishing his reconnaissance, Rei returned to the inn.
"Alright… we'll start with the Church of Darkness."
"Then we'll visit the Church of Light, see what's worth taking."
"After that, the Church of Luck, then the Church of Frost, and finally the Church of Peace."
"Once we finish with the churches, we'll head to the royal palace's forbidden library."
The entire plan had already been mapped out in detail.
"Good," Iz said.
"We'll follow your lead."
…
That afternoon—
During the Month of Death and Destruction, the sun gave off little warmth.
It hung in the sky like a pale white disc, casting a miserable light across the world.
The sky was cloudless—
Yet riddled with strange void-like holes.
As if something had taken bites out of the heavens.
This apocalyptic sky was the natural phenomenon of this month.
Just looking upward made it feel as though the world itself was slowly collapsing.
Rei and Rei Seiyin sat across from each other in a restaurant outside the Church of Darkness.
Each ordered a bowl of noodles.
They were only 800 meters away from the Forbidden Hall.
Seiyin sat calmly in her chair.
Meanwhile—
Her phantom had already formed inside the Forbidden Hall.
Flash!
The moment Rei sensed the phantom's appearance inside the hall, a smile appeared on his lips.
Success.
As expected—
This was the safest method.
For sealed barriers like this, Rei couldn't easily break in physically.
He didn't know spatial magic, so phasing through walls was impossible.
The doors were completely sealed.
Although he controlled the restrictions, opening the door through them would cause too much disturbance.
He had considered letting "Origin" drift inside and then swapping places.
But the door was so airtight that not even the smallest gap existed.
After thinking through many possibilities, Rei realized something:
No matter what method he used personally, it always carried risk.
What if there were additional detection systems?
What if the Forbidden Hall contained hidden traps beyond the restrictions?
Letting Rei Seiyin's phantom perform the task was the safest option.
Inside the Forbidden Hall—
The doors remained tightly sealed.
The entire chamber was pitch black, without the slightest trace of light.
But as a Level-4 Assassin, Seiyin possessed Dark Vision.
She could see clearly.
She wore a mask and had altered her face.
If anything seemed wrong, she would immediately cancel the phantom.
"No abnormalities."
The phantom shared perception with her main body.
Although she sat in front of Rei, it felt as though she were physically present inside the hall.
"Good."
With a thought, Rei guided her gaze.
Her perception focused on a sealed dossier.
"Copy that one first."
It had the most restrictions.
Naturally, that meant it was the most valuable.
Under Rei's guidance, Seiyin began copying everything.
One by one—
She replicated every document, every diagram, every text in order of value.
All the copies were transferred into the storage space.
The greatest strength of Seiyin's phantom was that it replicated the effects of all equipment she carried.
However, activating special effects still relied on the main body.
For example—
The storage space didn't split into eight new spaces for each phantom.
Instead, everything stored by the phantom was sent directly into the main body's storage pouch.
After finishing the copies, Rei examined the hall once more.
At the very center floated a swirling sphere of murky darkness, sealed by hundreds of restrictions.
Most of those restrictions were effect seals, power seals, and usage prohibitions.
Rei had a feeling—
If that thing were released, the issue wouldn't be whether it was useful.
It would be whether it was dangerous.
It looked like something that might explode.
Not every sealed object could be safely controlled after removing restrictions.
Sometimes the seal itself was meant to contain something catastrophic.
Breaking it might only grant the object complete freedom.
Rei wasn't interested in doing something that risky.
Instead, Seiyin quietly pocketed:
Two pure black daggers
A bag of black crystals
A piece of ink-colored bone
A complete set of dark lightweight clothing
Then she left.
Every item had its own restrictions.
But to Rei—
Breaking them took only a single thought.
They paid for their noodles and returned to the inn, where Iz had already set up protective restrictions.
"Rei! Look at these daggers!"
Seiyin swung them.
Where the blades cut through the air—
A faint black fracture appeared in space.
The daggers were called:
Black Rift and Dark Erosion.
A matched pair.
As for the dark clothing—
The moment Seiyin put it on, she vanished from Rei's perception.
Moments later, she stepped out from a nearby shadow.
The transition was smooth and terrifying.
Even worse—
She did not appear in his perception at all.
It wasn't a perception block.
"This outfit lets me completely merge with darkness…"
Seiyin looked at the daggers and clothing with obvious affection.
But soon she looked up at Rei with pleading eyes.
"Rei…"
"…Sigh. I don't need them right now."
"You can use them for the time being."
"Consider it payment for risking your life with me."
After all, stealing from a church was dangerous.
And Seiyin had been the one entering the Forbidden Hall.
Rei wasn't about to make her do all the work without sharing the loot.
"This was just the first target."
"I don't know if they conduct regular inventory checks."
"We need to finish everything quickly."
"The longer we delay, the greater the risk."
"Oh, right…"
"When we go to the Church of Light, don't wear anything related to darkness."
…
Half an hour later—
Rei and Seiyin stood inside a shop, pretending to browse goods.
Meanwhile—
Her phantom had already infiltrated the Church of Light.
Back in Lorren, they hadn't dared take certain things.
But now—
Inside the Ruijia Kingdom, with two accomplices backing them up—
The situation was completely different.