They arrived in Ruijia at dawn the next day.
They had traveled without pause for an entire day and night.At their current levels—everyone at least Level 4—going without sleep for several days wasn't much of a problem.
During the journey, Kanzaki Rei had also taken the opportunity to hunt down a few monsters along the way, testing the applications of his talent.
This "God-Tier · Inevitable Death's End" was, so far, the most elusive and difficult-to-define ability he possessed.
After repeated trials, he had roughly deduced several patterns.
In theory, if a creature's destined time of death had not yet arrived, it would still die if Kanzaki Rei personally killed it.
Likewise, if he refrained from acting and had someone else do the killing instead, the creature would still die—even if its "death time" had not yet come.
So what exactly did this "death time" represent?
That question alone was worth deep investigation.
In order to obtain the Seer class, he had already become proficient in Fate Studies and Futurology. The twisted mechanics of this talent were deeply intertwined with the concept of destiny itself.
After numerous experiments—combined with the analytical capabilities of a Decipher Scholar—he finally arrived at a reasonably sound conclusion.
This talent essentially materialized the portion of a being's fate related to death.
Like a form of divination, it revealed a future in which they were destined to die.
However… that prophecy did not fully include Kanzaki Rei himself.
More precisely, the moment he first saw someone's death time was the moment he first became aware of their fate.
Before that point, their fate was fixed.
But once Kanzaki Rei became aware of their destined death, that fate could be influenced—altered—by him.
It was like this:
If no one in the world could foresee the future, then the future would remain fixed and inevitable.
But if even one person could perceive it…
Then that person could change it.
By seeing this fragment of fate, Kanzaki Rei gained the ability to interfere with and reshape another's destined death.
No wonder Seers were warned never to personally enter the game.
They could see the future—but the moment they became part of it, the future they saw would shift drastically, becoming uncertain and unstable.
With this talent, Kanzaki Rei's understanding of fate and the future deepened once again.
It wasn't just about accelerating death.
He could also save someone from it.
Of course, he didn't experiment on his companions.
He used monsters instead.
At one point, he advanced the death time of a deer—and watched as it suddenly fell gravely ill, on the verge of death.
Then, after asking Kumironi to heal it—
The deer survived.
Its death time reset… to three years later.
So it seemed that even upon reaching one's destined death, intervention could still prevent it.
As long as the right method was found, this talent could also be used to save lives.
…
They pressed forward at full speed.
This time, upon entering Ruijia's territory, the first city they encountered was no longer Yuefeng City.
It was Hanlin City.
Ruijia's territory was no smaller than Loren's, both occupying vast portions of the Ruilun Continent.
"Oh, right… what happened to those guys in the end?" Kanzaki Rei suddenly asked, as if recalling something.
"Who?" Akasei replied.
"The ones who tried to knock on our door last night."
"Oh." Akasei answered casually, "I packed them up and tossed them into a trash bin."
In other words—just a few insignificant thugs.
Kanzaki Rei hadn't paid them any mind either.
Even though he was usually cautious, it was hard to stay vigilant against a handful of street-level nobodies.
As for Hanlin City, they didn't stop.
Their plan was to push straight through—to strike directly at Sel City and destroy the enemy at its root.
Kanzaki Rei followed the directional threads in his vision.
Delau's parents—leaders of the Molting Rose—were conveniently the very targets he needed.
With Delau's corpse in hand, no matter where they ran, Kanzaki Rei could lock onto them with absolute precision.
What surprised him, however, was the sheer range of this tracking ability.
From the chaotic borderlands all the way to Ruijia's capital—it still worked flawlessly.
That likely meant…
As long as the target was somewhere on the Ruilun Continent, he could locate them.
As for the true limit?
He had a feeling it extended far beyond what he could currently imagine.
…
They soared through the sky—
Crossing mountain ranges,Passing over city after city.
From morning to afternoon, they finally caught sight of a familiar place.
Sel City.
A pity Izz wasn't here this time.One less accomp—No. One less companion.
Kanzaki Rei and Shimizu Kiyoin exchanged a glance.
"…Mm."
They nodded in perfect sync.
Kumironi: "..."
We are here to save Ruijia… right?
For some reason, he felt increasingly uneasy.
…
Sel City
This time, they didn't enter through the main gate.
The enemy likely already knew what had happened.
From a distance, Kanzaki Rei observed the city—
The defensive barrier was fully activated.
He sensed the positions of Delau's parents.
Still inside the city.
A God-Tier talent's tracking effect wasn't something they could detect or block.
From experience, Kanzaki Rei understood just how overwhelming such talents were.
They had no idea they were being precisely located.
"I'll go first."
He approached the barrier.
"Luluwei, can you see inside?"
She nodded. "Yes."
Her perception penetrated the barrier.
It had already been deciphered.
Kanzaki Rei guided her awareness—
First, the Dark Church.Then the Light Church.Then the Frost Church.
Finally, a quick glance at the Luck and Peace Churches.
As expected—
The Light, Dark, and Frost Churches had all replaced their barriers.
All three had been upgraded to Level 7 difficulty, reinforced multiple times.
Meanwhile, the Luck Church…
Had no barrier at all. Its gates stood wide open, as if saying: come if you want.
As for the Peace Church—
No changes whatsoever.
No defensive perception wards either. Luluwei could scan it effortlessly.
Inside… just those five books.
What a shame.
Kanzaki Rei turned back.
"I've already broken the city's barrier. Let's slip in from the side."
"…Huh?"
"Already?"
Akasei stared at the massive, radiant shield in disbelief.
Even for him, breaking Ruijia's national defense array would require a serious attack.
And yet—
Kanzaki Rei had dismantled it just like that?
So this is what they meant by "good at breaking barriers"…
Akasei finally understood.
…
They infiltrated the city.
Soldiers patrolled every street.
Sel City was under full lockdown—clearly, news from Aerotis had already reached them.
Kanzaki Rei and Shimizu Kiyoin both glanced toward the three major churches.
Kiyoin swallowed unconsciously.
Kanzaki Rei noticed.
Focus. We have bigger priorities.
They moved along the city's edges, avoiding patrols thanks to their heightened perception.
After dismantling the palace barrier, they slipped over the massive walls and into the royal grounds.
Sel City was built along a mountain, its palace layered across uneven terrain.
"Down there."
Kanzaki Rei extended his perception underground.
Beneath layers of rock—
A dim, hidden chamber.
"No wonder."
The Molting Rose really loved their underground lairs.
Just like the Death Church loved carving into mountains.
Inside the chamber—
A dungeon-like passage.
And the tracking threads pointed directly into it.
They hadn't fled.
They had gone deeper.
Into the underground.
But why was there a dungeon beneath Ruijia?
Interesting.
After careful searching, Kanzaki Rei finally located a hidden entry—
A narrow tunnel starting from an inconspicuous house.
So small only a cat could pass through.
Twisting deep through the mountain.
At first glance, it wouldn't even register as a path.
But considering Skin-Takers could alter their bodies—
Even wear animal skins—
It made sense.
"There's a hidden chamber below. Inside, there's what looks like a dungeon entrance."
"I think… they went inside."
Akasei blinked. "A dungeon? Inside a city?"
"Not certain yet."
"But we'll find out."
Kanzaki Rei pressed his hand to the ground.
That cramped tunnel?
Not worth using.
BOOM—
Earth shifted.
Rock parted.
The ground beneath them sank rapidly.
The group exchanged glances—and followed.
…
They descended into darkness.
The underground chamber was drenched in blood.
A grotesque feast had taken place here.
Flesh. Skin. Organs.
And—
Cats. Rabbits.
Their skins peeled clean.
"These Skin-Takers… utterly inhuman!" Luluwei snapped in anger.
Kanzaki Rei glanced sideways.
You weren't this angry about the human skins…
Interesting priorities.
Kumironi frowned deeply.
Even Chum manifested her great spear, teeth clenched in fury.
As a Judgment Priest, she despised evil by nature.
Kanzaki Rei mirrored their expressions—frowning in disgust.
"Entering blindly will trigger an ambush."
He placed a hand on the dungeon entrance.
[Creator: Desochu]
Delau's father.
A Molting Rose Archbishop.
This passage had been carved using the skin of an "Inter-Realm Worm."
A Level 6 Skin-Taker could even use monster bloodline abilities.
Terrifying.
As for the passage—
[Inner Layer · Corridor][Entrance to the Inner World][One of many such entrances][Deliberately constructed]
The Inner World?
So it really existed…
Kumironi stepped forward. "I'll go first."
Kanzaki Rei glanced at him.
He checked everyone's death timers.
No one would die today.
Still, he asked, "You'll be alright?"
Kumironi smiled. "I'll be fine."
And stepped inside.
…
Half a minute later, he returned.
"Well?"
Kumironi hesitated.
"…No visible danger. I scanned everything. No ambush."
"But… it's hard to explain."
"Come see for yourselves."
He went back in.
Akasei followed.
Then the others.
Finally—
Chum entered last.
…Wait. Am I the weakest?
She tilted her head in confusion.
…
Light warped—
And Kanzaki Rei found himself standing on barren stone.
A vast world stretched before him.
Monsters everywhere.
Like the Level 6 Nest he had once entered.
But—
Too weak.
Mostly Tier 1–3.
Everyone arrived.
The terrain—
Identical to Sel City.
Mountains. Layout. Everything.
A mirrored world.
Kanzaki Rei suddenly turned—
Toward Loren's direction.
That's where they are.
Akasei muttered, "This place… feels familiar."
Kanzaki Rei replied, "It mirrors the real world."
"…Damn. You're right!"
"So where to?"
Kanzaki Rei pointed ahead.
"I see traces of Skin-Takers there. Let's pursue."
"Got it."
The group moved out.
But Kanzaki Rei lingered—
Scanning.
Nothing unusual.
And yet—
Something felt wrong.
A faint, gnawing unease.
"Rei?" Luluwei's voice echoed in his mind.
"…Do you feel that? Something… off?"
"…No."
She couldn't sense it.
Neither could Kumironi or Akasei.
Still—
"We should withdraw. Reassess."
The moment he said it—
WARNING!
His instincts exploded.
"RETREAT!"
BOOM!
He shot backward—
Through the portal—
And slammed into the wall of the blood-soaked chamber.
The portal—
Gone.
Sealed.
Everyone else—
Kumironi. Akasei. Luluwei. Kiyoin. Chum.
All trapped inside.
An ambush.
No—
A trap.
They weren't hiding.
They had sealed the exit.
Trying to trap them inside the Inner World.
But—
Why?
How could they dare?
They were the hunted.
Unless—
They were prepared.
Kanzaki Rei's thoughts raced—
And suddenly—
His perception detected multiple powerful presences converging on Sel City from all directions.
Many of them—
Not human.