This was an achievement that had "saved the world."
For the vast majority of people on the Rylen Continent, Rylen itself was their entire world.
And so, Kanzaki Rei—was given a title:
Godslayer.
Whether that god had descended in its true form or merely as an avatar didn't matter. Any being that wielded divine authority was, by definition, a god.
The common people didn't care about such distinctions. To accomplish something like that at Level 4—whether against a true deity or not—was already an unparalleled feat.
And there was proof.
From the storage bags Kanzaki Rei had seized, countless records surfaced—secret histories of the Skin-Shedding Rose, hidden truths, forbidden accounts.
Among them were even records of divine miracles and blessings.
The scholars of the White Tower verified them.
Every single document was authentic.
Historians returned to the ruins to conduct archaeological investigations—piecing together the truth of what had happened.
Level 7 Skin-Shedders.Seventh-tier weapons.Even the corpses stored within Kanzaki Rei's inventory—
All of it stood as undeniable evidence.
Kanzaki Rei had saved the Rylen Continent from a divine descent.
The cost… was the destruction of Sel City.
But in truth, Sel City had already fallen long before that—it had been entirely occupied by Skin-Shedders. Its destruction merely erased what was already lost.
After handing over the full account to the Life Church, Kanzaki Rei spent two days recovering and reflecting on the battle with Aeltimi.
There was much to learn.
He sorted through the spoils of war, selecting what was useful, and—under Kumironi's supervision—spent another two days eliminating potential hidden dangers.
Only after all of that…
He finally turned his attention to advancement.
[Life Church]
Kanzaki Rei's status within the Life Church had risen to extraordinary heights.
He had been posthumously awarded the title of Honorary Grand Elder, placing him nearly on equal footing with Kumironi herself.
Despite not being a formal member of the clergy, he had been granted authority—real authority.
He could command personnel.He could access resources.He held influence.
Such privileges, granted outside the formal system, were exceedingly rare.
Even individuals of immense power didn't necessarily receive this level of recognition.
For example, Iz and Akagi—despite their strength—did not possess such authority.
Of course, they still received special treatment.
But Kanzaki Rei's case… was different.
He sought out Kumironi.
To discuss advancement.
His Mage class had been stalled for far too long.
Perhaps he didn't strictly need to comprehend a second Origin to advance.
Perhaps he wouldn't even walk the path of a Mage to godhood.
But still—
Mage was his first class.
And he wanted to push it to its absolute limit.
Moreover, it was currently the only class that could continue progressing without obstruction.
If his other classes became bottlenecked at higher tiers…
At least Mage would remain a reliable path forward.
"Hmm…"
Kumironi tilted her head slightly.
"Little Rei, are you in a hurry to advance your Mage level?"
Kanzaki Rei considered.
"Not urgently… but the faster I grow stronger, the better."
He didn't want to face another situation like Aeltimi.
If he had more God-tier talents, more options…
His survivability would increase significantly.
Kumironi nodded thoughtfully.
"Recently, the White Tower's research has made some progress."
"But in Knoloria, there aren't many early advancement cases to reference…"
She paused.
"Would you consider waiting a little longer?"
"The Lorren Empire has recently sent a number of Tengel engineers. They're working on creating a mobile Advancement Hall."
"It shouldn't take too long."
Kanzaki Rei fell into thought.
If successful…
He wouldn't need to rely on Kumironi every time in the future.
It was worth considering.
Meanwhile—
Not long after his battle with Aeltimi, Lorren began a massive invasion of Ruijia.
Crippled and leaderless, Ruijia had no means to resist.
Before the army even arrived, several cities had already surrendered.
The reputation of Lorren's Chief Mage had spread across the continent—
Even without entering the battlefield.
If not for Izpalut's existence…
Kanzaki Rei would already be recognized as the strongest Mage in Lorren.
The remainder of the Month of Forgetting passed quietly.
Kanzaki Rei rebuilt his lost undead forces.
He studied the forbidden texts recovered from the Skin-Shedding Rose with Yuna.
And occasionally…
He sparred.
Cold Qingying.Luluwei.
Now, even when the two of them teamed up—
They posed no pressure at all.
Luluwei, who once forced him into desperate battles…
Could now only chase his back.
Iz, meanwhile, frequently visited An Zheng's room.
No one knew what he was doing.
And he refused to let Kanzaki Rei enter.
That was fine.
An 8th-tier Mage was a real threat.
Avoiding unnecessary risk was always the smarter choice.
Eventually, Kanzaki Rei mastered a new technique:
Heaven's Mandate Principle Art — Prophecy
Predict a fate that is guaranteed to occur.This prophecy will come true and cannot be altered by any means.
To use it required the Level 1 Seer class.
An unchangeable fate…
It sounded unsettling.
Having already manipulated many death dates, Kanzaki Rei understood just how profound and terrifying fate truly was.
To oppose it—
One needed the power to do so.
Perhaps, by advancing the Seer class…
Or through future God-tier talents…
He might one day gain the ability to rewrite fate itself.
Meanwhile, the White Tower's engineers worked on their project.
A high-speed airship.
One fast enough to outrun the "pollution."
Advancement would take place on the ship itself.
As long as it kept moving…
The pursuing entities wouldn't be able to catch up.
The ritual array would remain fixed relative to the ship, ensuring stability.
It sounded absurd—
Yet strangely plausible.
The airship was scheduled for completion on February 4th.
Progress had been slow.
The Month of Forgetting made people… forget.
January 31st
Late at night.
The fog thickened.
Even Kanzaki Rei felt drowsy.
Yuna, who had been studying Time Theory with him, couldn't hold on any longer.
She climbed onto his bed—
And fell asleep within seconds.
Kanzaki Rei tried to stay awake.
He drank stimulants.Kept records on fire-writing paper.Forced himself to read.
To endure until the month passed—
…
Zzzz…
When he opened his eyes—
A pleasant warmth filled his body.
Soft lashes.
A faint, woody fragrance.
Yuna's hair.
"…What happened?"
He sat up slowly.
Looked outside.
Green.
Vibrant.
Alive.
He turned to the mechanical clock.
Year 5026.
February.
Day 1.
His body—
Level 4 Decryption Scholar.Level 4 Warrior.Level 4 Death Priest.
New abilities.New spells.
And—
A new Origin Magic.
"…'Core of the Unified Whole'?"
What is this?
But as he examined it—
Understanding surged back.
No.
This was his.
His own realization.
The Month of Forgetting.
Everything had happened.
And yet—
He remembered nothing.
If not for information tracing…
It would all be lost forever.
February — Month of Life
Moon Deity: SophiaCelestial Phenomenon: Life Rain
February 1 — Leap Year Blessing: Rebirth
On this day, one may revive once upon death.
Standing on the balcony—
Rain fell.
Not water.
Life.
Vegetation surged wildly.
Barren mountains turned green overnight.
Healing was amplified.
Death was suppressed.
Even grievous wounds could stabilize.
This was the month with the fewest deaths.
"…Feels good."
Kanzaki Rei exhaled.
This was one of his favorite months.
Second only to Harvest Month.
Though—
Death abilities were weakened.
Unfortunate for a Death Priest.
A colorful pigeon landed before him.
A Realm Dove.
He took the letter.
"Rei, how have you been? I should arrive in Knoloria in February. —Los"
"…She's coming."
Later—
He reviewed everything he had forgotten.
Tested dungeon generation.
Confirmed limits of soul sacrifice.
And spent the next few days reconstructing his lost knowledge.
February 4th
The airship was complete.
Capable of exceeding pollution speed limits.
Equipped with a full advancement ritual array—
Essentially, the rear hall of Knoloria's Advancement Temple, transplanted onto a flying vessel.
It hovered in the sky.
Kanzaki Rei boarded.
Alongside Kumironi.
Alongside the scholars of the White Tower.
At last—
The moment had come.
To advance to Level 4 Mage.