"Haha! So you already went to the Land of Oblivion yesterday?"
Kanzaki Rei recounted his entire experience in the Land of Oblivion to Iz.
After the fact, he actually felt somewhat fortunate that Iz hadn't remembered to warn him.
If Iz had told him beforehand, he probably wouldn't have gone out at all.
After all, the Land of Oblivion was an unknown and dangerous environment. Given his personality, he would never have taken that kind of risk lightly.
Besides, that day he hadn't even planned to grind many dungeons—at most ten or so runs. Maybe as few as two or three before stopping.
If he hadn't happened to enter the Land of Oblivion during that time, he likely would've missed the opportunity entirely.
Thinking about it carefully, it really was a stroke of fate.
A chain of coincidences had led him to obtain the Reincarnation Mark.
He couldn't help but wonder—was it because of the accessory he got from the Temple of Luck? Or perhaps the ritual he set up before ascending the Thousand Ant Mountain that granted good fortune?
…Forget it.
Luck was far too abstract.
Rei believed in it—but never relied on it.
Good fortune was too intangible. No matter what, he would never gamble his life on something as uncertain as "as long as I'm lucky."
"Oh, right. I brought back quite a few things from the Land of Oblivion."
"That dream about the magic of all elements… it feels like it came from inspiration there, too."
Rei had already recorded the silver-haired twin-tailed mage on fire-writing paper.
But as for what exactly happened inside…
He had no memory of it whatsoever. He could only refer back to his own notes.
As expected of the Land of Oblivion—everything had been wiped clean.
"I think the key point is this—this idea of all elements being a projection. What do you think, Iz?"
The two continued discussing magic at length.
Rei recorded everything as they talked.
Soon, he noticed something strange—what he wrote today wasn't disappearing.
It remained clearly on the paper.
So the strongest effect of the Month of Oblivion was concentrated on the 1st.
After that, its influence weakened significantly.
However…
After about two hours of writing, some of the text began to fade.
So even if weakened, the effect still persisted.
Rei stared intently at the fading words—and they gradually became clear again.
…So it disappeared when attention shifted?
He resumed the conversation.
"In other words…"
"One hypothesis about the origin of the world suggests that all matter comes from a single primordial point—and that this point has never ceased to exist."
"It's like light from different angles casting projections of the same object."
"The world we live in… could also just be a projection of that original point?"
Iz responded calmly, "That's only one hypothesis."
"Another theory is the Primordial Chaos Doctrine—that when the world first formed, it split into light and darkness. These two are inseparable. Light illuminated the world, and only then did time begin to flow, giving rise to the concept of time."
"Of course, that theory mostly exists in the scriptures of the Church of Light and the Church of Darkness."
"There's also another theory—that the world evolved from Sophia of Life, who created all things. Naturally, that one comes from the Church of Life. I don't consider it very reliable."
Iz paused, then added:
"Don't repeat that to Kumironi."
Rei nodded. Of course he wouldn't.
"There's also the World Succession Theory—that our current world evolved from a previous one that had already reached complete extinction."
"In any case, I'm just telling you these possibilities. None of them are confirmed truths."
"But your dream… aligns closely with the projection theory. It also resonates with certain magical principles—especially those related to dark magic."
"I think this line of thought is very close to your Second Origin."
Rei nodded.
"Yeah."
That was exactly why he had rushed over to find Iz.
Now, with Iz's input, his ideas had become even clearer.
The method of verification had long been there.
He only lacked inspiration.
And now—even that gap was nearly filled.
He was close.
Very close.
They talked for half a day before the topic gradually shifted back to the Land of Oblivion.
Rei took out the items he had scavenged.
[Spatial Magic — Extraction Technique]
[High-Order Return (Tier 4) (LV: 301)]Establishes a connection with the nearest previously used nest exit. Allows remote activation of the pathway to exit the nest, leaving behind an additional entrance at the point of departure.
The Extraction Technique required a 30-second channel in place.
It linked to a dungeon exit within 500 kilometers, accelerating and pulling the user toward that exit.
It was specifically designed for escaping dungeons.
After transcending its limits, however…
The spell no longer required channeling.
It could be activated remotely, instantly.
There were also spells that conjured temporary swords, enhanced those swords, transferred mana to others, and even absorbed mana through contact.
As for ancient combat techniques—
There was a breathing method that instantly expelled qi to form a momentary defensive barrier.
…Wait.
Why did this technique feel so familiar?
As Rei sorted through the loot, he suddenly thought of the War God, Kaiga.
Wasn't this the same technique he used?
It expelled qi in an instant, forming a shield through controlled breathing.
The duration could vary—but the longer it lasted, the weaker its defense became exponentially.
If used only for a split-second block, however—
Its defensive power was terrifying.
"So that's where it came from…"
Most of the other equipment and weapons were unimpressive.
Only the Sword Saint's blade caught Rei's interest.
As for a gray seed he had picked up—
Even Iz didn't recognize it.
Rei decided to have Kumironi examine it.
Afterward, he visited Kumironi for identification.
The result:
Ashen Tree Seed.
It was said that wherever the Ashen Tree was planted would become a land of destruction.
Once an entire continent was destroyed, the tree would bear a piece of Ashen Destruction Wood.
Weapons forged from this material possessed immense destructive power—capable of annihilating anything they touched.
…
"Yeah… not exactly easy to plant."
Plant it in Rega?
No, no…
Rei shook his head.
Why was he already thinking about sabotaging Rega?
That thought reminded him of the monster invasion incident.
It had clearly been orchestrated.
After returning, he had hired Pali to track down the traitor who colluded with monsters.
Her price: 2 million gold.
Rei paid 4 million in total.
The information he received:
"The target is currently on Shell Island, Talabella Continent, in the Secret Sand Archipelago of the Secret Sea. Are you going to pursue?"
…
Rega was far to the southwest.
Talabella was in the northeast.
Between them lay two entire continents.
By the time he got there, the target would likely be long gone.
Rei had no intention of chasing someone across continents.
Rega's enemies weren't his enemies.
Still…
"That info was useless."
Two million gold for that?
At this point, being a diviner was more profitable than robbery.
Due to the effects of the Month of Oblivion, research became nearly impossible.
He tried studying for a day—
Only to forget what he was thinking midway.
Deep concentration made it impossible to constantly record.
And once he snapped out of it—
Everything was gone.
Frustrating.
So he gave up on research for the month.
Instead, he teamed up with Akagi and focused on clearing Corrupted Nests.
Now fully experienced—
He could sacrifice five million souls at once…
And jump straight to the core of a Level 6 Nest.
There, he would face the final boss—
Usually a Tier 6 Continental-Sinking entity.
Though occasionally, anomalies occurred.
Once, after sacrificing five million souls, the strongest enemy was only a Tier 6 Nation-Destroying monster.
Strange—but rare.
[Corrupted Nest — Level 6 Core]
Rei raised his hand and extracted the soul of a mountain-sized monster.
Landing lightly—
The "Mountain of Grievous Souls" now belonged to him.
Since Tier 6 Continental-Sinking monsters weren't recorded in the bestiary—
He named them himself.
As the first discoverer, he had the right.
Afterward, he would submit the data to the White Tower for official registration.
"Damn… you actually killed it?!"
"That thing's the size of a mountain!"
Akagi was still just as shocked as ever.
Even after witnessing it countless times.
Meanwhile, Luluvie was battling a Nation-Destroying monster alone—
A Soul Fungus King that had spread across an entire forest.
The entire forest was its body.
Their roles were simple:
If Rei could one-shot it—he did.
If not—Akagi stepped in.
After the run—
Luluvie returned, cheeks puffed.
Wasn't the plan to grow stronger together?
Then why—
Had Rei become someone who could solo Tier 6 Continental-Sinking monsters…
While she struggled against a single Nation-Destroying one?
Back then, they were evenly matched.
Now…
If she didn't ambush him from stealth—
She couldn't even fight him head-on.
His speed alone made escape impossible.
Seeing her return, Rei smiled.
"Luluvie, you're amazing. You can already solo a Tier 6 Nation-Destroying monster."
Her ears flushed red.
"…Not as amazing as you."
Rei scratched his head modestly.
"I just counter them well. Against other types, I might be helpless."
Luluvie glanced at the two towering undead guardians beside him.
…Liar.
"By the way… thanks for those archery manuals."
Rei had brought her several bow techniques—and even a method to craft Frost Soul Arrows.
Arrows that froze both body and soul.
Combined with the ice bow he gave her—
They were incredibly effective.
"Do you need my help with anything?" she asked, blushing slightly.
Rei smiled.
"Does your promise still stand?"
"If I beat you, you'd agree to any condition?"
Luluvie froze—then turned bright red.
"W-What are you saying?! You're still a kid! Absolutely not!"
Rei sighed.
"I just want you to help me monitor some people."
"…That's all?!"
"…What did you think I meant?"
She fell silent.
Rei handed her a list.
"Yesterday, I received a report. The former leader of the Death Church had ties with several hidden cults."
"Now that I've taken over, many have cut ties."
"But recently, they held a meeting—and didn't invite me."
"That tells me something's off."
"I want you to track them."
Luluvie smirked.
"You're surprisingly invested in this."
Rei smiled faintly.
"After all… I'm the Chief Mage of Loren."
Or rather—
Raiding evil cults was far more efficient than treasure hunting.
"Alright. I'll do it."
Afterward—
Rei cleared eight more Tier 6 dungeons.
Until even the Catastrophe Source could no longer gather monsters.
Level 7 dungeons remained out of reach.
Days passed.
Rei refined his combat techniques—reaching the Fourth Form of his style:
Skyfall Style.
His progression continued across all classes—
Warrior, Decoder, Death Priest, Mage, and Prophet.
Each nearing advancement.
..
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