Chapter 229

Nothing happened that day.

Just as the simulations had predicted, everything would be ready by nightfall. There would be no unexpected battles, no unnecessary crises.

Kanzaki Rei had no intention of wandering around or stirring up trouble.

If anything disrupted the perfectly stable plan, it would only create variables he didn’t want.

Azure Hall — Rear Courtyard

Behind Kanzaki Rei’s residence lay an enormous open lawn.

It had originally been intended for flowers—but considering he frequently tested magic here, he had long since abandoned that idea.

He began emptying his storage.

At present, he carried over a thousand storage containers.

Of course, most of them were nested—bags within bags.

The ones actually on his person numbered only three:

[Bag of Ten Thousand Skins]

[Ring of Returning Void]

[Soul-Holding Pouch]

These were his three best storage artifacts.

The Ring of Returning Void could store massive quantities of ordinary spatial bags.

It was a holy relic he had obtained from the Church of Frost—also the finest storage item he’d acquired during his expedition to the Zhuyu Continent.

He hadn’t organized any of this in a long time.

Back then, as he roamed across continents, he had simply looted everything in sight—faster than he could ever sort it.

Entire royal vaults, swept clean in a single motion.

If he had organized after every raid?

He’d have died of exhaustion.

And after returning to Kronoloa, there had been no time either.

Compared to sorting piles of clutter—

There were far more meaningful things to do.

But today...

His only task was to do nothing.

Wait quietly.

Avoid complications.

So—

He decided to organize.

With a faint glow from his bracelet—

Storage bags, rings, anklets, pendants—countless items flew out in a torrent.

Books piled into mountains.

Potions flowed like streams.

Materials for crafting equipment stacked into vast heaps.

The spoils of countless plundered vaults.

At some point, he had stopped even examining what he took.

A passing minister in the distance froze mid-step.

Mountains... had appeared inside the palace grounds.

What were those?

Potion bottles? Books?

Before he could get a clearer look—

Everything vanished again.

Kanzaki Rei sorted by category.

Took items out.

Glanced over them.

Stored them again.

Only the rarest pieces were placed into a separate container.

There were simply too many categories.

If only there were a "one-click organize" function...

Seated on the ground, he continued sorting.

Then—

He paused.

Three slips of paper appeared in his hand.

"...These..."

He hadn’t looked at them in a long time.

He owned too many things.

Books he’d already read? Never revisited.

Minor components? Forgotten entirely.

These three slips...

Were from long ago.

From Messer.

One recorded [Origin Magic: Genesis]

One contained the incantation for [Mana Invocation]

One held the spell for [Recording Magic]

Back then, he had decided not to learn Messer’s magic.

And he hadn’t.

The papers had gathered dust ever since.

But now—

Looking again—

He noticed something different.

A hidden layer.

He overlapped the three slips.

Let light pass through them.

Decoded the text using the Primordial Moon Cipher—

Then decrypted it with Ancient Ansu Script.

Simple.

So simple it was almost laughable.

Basic decryption—entry-level for a Decipherer.

The hidden message revealed itself instantly:

"If doubt remains, come find me.""I have severed myself from corruption. My soul is at peace.""Between matter and death, there exists a gap where the soul may endure."

At the same moment—

Kanzaki Rei learned a new spell:

[Soul Tracing]

Marks a soul

Locates the corresponding target

And—

The moment he learned it—

A pre-existing mark activated automatically.

His brow furrowed slightly.

"...Messer."

So—

He hadn’t died completely.

Now it made sense.

Why Messer had given him those scrolls.

Why he had left no location behind.

Because the path itself was the clue.

"...But if you think I’d go looking for you—"

Kanzaki Rei shook his head.

"Then you’re gravely mistaken."

Messer was only a Level 6 Mage.

There was no way he could comprehend Kanzaki Rei’s talent.

Or foresee what he had become.

Now—

Even to gods—

Kanzaki Rei was an unsolvable mystery.

Let alone someone like Messer.

Still...

"Severed from corruption..."

That line lingered.

Had he truly escaped spiritual contamination?

If so—

Perhaps killing had never been his true intent.

Perhaps he had been forced.

But—

Dead was dead.

Everything had already settled.

Go reincarnate.

Kanzaki Rei looked at the slips again—

Then—

Flash.

He vanished from the courtyard.

In the next instant—

He appeared in Izparut’s residence.

"Iz, I just discovered something Messer left behind."

He handed over the overlapping slips, light passing through them—

Then the decoded message.

If Iz had interest, fine.

If not—

The matter ended here.

Izparut read the message, thinking.

"...Severed from corruption?"

"Interesting."

"If this method works... it might allow us to purge deep-rooted spiritual contamination."

Kanzaki Rei nodded.

"Yeah. But the cost is basically death."

Izparut replied calmly:

"Messer was a high-level soul mage."

"If he prepared properly... preserving his soul and returning to a body might not be impossible."

"...If there’s a chance, I’d like to take a look."

Of course.

Mages.

None of them were simple.

"Iz. Don’t be careless."

"Mm. I know my limits."

"The Secret Sea takes priority."

March 24 — Midnight

Lights blazed across the capital.

Crowds gathered in the streets.

Not just locals—

People from distant lands had rushed here.

To them—

The capital was the safest place.

Kanzaki Rei and Izparut floated high in the sky.

Iz looked down upon the land with absolute authority.

Kanzaki Rei used his final simulation.

From this moment forward—

He closed his eyes.

Opened them.

"...No problems."

An Zheng remained unaware.

To him—

This was just another ordinary day.

Izparut nodded.

Raised his staff.

Pointed it skyward.

BOOM—!

Across the entire continent—

Magic circles ignited.

Beams of light shot into the heavens from every corner.

Then—

SHRIIK—!

Hundreds of massive magic arrays appeared in the sky—

Layer upon layer—

Covering the entire firmament.

Kanzaki Rei looked up.

He had seen this before.

Many times.

Yet every time—

It was breathtaking.

This...

Was the power of a Level 6 Mage.

He couldn’t replicate this.

Not yet.

HUM—!

Hundreds of arrays overlapped.

Billions of smaller formations appeared across land and sea.

Each one—

A vital component.

Each one—

A Tier 6 Transcendent Spell on its own.

Billions.

Interlinked.

Rotating like gears.

The entire continent—

No—

Even the surrounding ocean—

Was encompassed.

Below—

Hunmu stared, eyes wide.

He couldn’t comprehend it.

Not even slightly.

Yet just witnessing it—

Solved countless questions in his mind.

Space itself unfolded before him.

Light threads connected array to array.

Like a cosmic machine in motion.

The continent was fully enveloped.

Izparut raised his staff.

Everything was ready.

He glanced back at Kanzaki Rei.

A faint smile on his face.

"I thought I’d teach you for two or three years."

"Didn’t expect we’d part so soon."

"But our destinations are the same."

"We’ll meet again."

"Next time—"

"I hope you’ll be a mage of my level."

"I know you’ve never been convinced."

"You think you can surpass me."

Izparut’s gaze sharpened.

"So when that day comes—"

"I’ll defeat you at the same level."

"Completely."

"To prove I am the strongest mage in this world."

Kanzaki Rei smiled back.

"Oh?"

"Iz."

"When that day comes—"

"I won’t use any other class."

"Just magic."

"And I’ll beat you flat."

Iz laughed.

"Then your chances just dropped to zero."

He patted Kanzaki Rei’s shoulder.

His tone turned serious.

"You carry many secrets."

"But I can see your principles. Your resolve."

"I don’t understand everything."

"But bringing you out of that dungeon..."

"Was the right choice."

"We won’t be there to protect you anymore."

"Stay alive."

"...Sigh."

BOOM—!!!

A terrifying fluctuation erupted from the royal palace.

Izparut glanced toward it.

"No more time."

"Let’s go."

"Save the rest for when we meet again."

He raised his hand—

FLASH!

Light consumed everything.

Kanzaki Rei’s vision shattered into fragments of space.

He felt himself passing through infinite layers—

For a single instant.

Then—

BOOM!!!

The continent crashed into the sea.

Above—

A brilliant moon hung in the sky.

Its reflection shimmered across the waters.

The Moon Sea.

They had arrived.