After Kanzaki Rei arrived directly at that locationâ
Other class-advancers had already surrounded the outside of the room from every direction.
The moment Kanzaki Rei made any suspicious move, they would immediately subdue him.
Beside the blindfolded man who had guided Kanzaki Rei here, the woman wearing the green flower crown asked in confusion,
"You mentioned Phase..."
"How is he able to use Phase on his own?"
The blindfolded man replied,
"How would I know?"
"And he seems to know everything about us. He even walked straight through our restrictions."
Off to the side, a female elf dressed in luxurious silk garments wore an unpleasant expression.
The blindfolded man turned toward her.
"Hikari, was it you who let him inside?"
The elf woman answered irritably,
"Why would I let in some suspicious person with an unknown background?"
"You mean he broke through the restrictions you set up?"
Her expression darkened even further.
"Thatâs right. As much as I hate admitting it, the instant we met, he alreadyç Žè§Łâno, he had already completely dismantled my restrictions."
Hearing that answer, the blindfolded man inhaled sharply.
"Youâre saying he broke through the restrictions of an Eighth-Tier Array Master in less than a second?"
The elf rolled her eyes at him.
"Wasnât I clear enough already? Do I need to repeat myself?"
"Where exactly did you find such a dangerous monster?"
"In the Moonsea. Remember the Land of Moonwatch?"
The moment she heard that name, the elfâs gaze faltered slightly, and a trace of sadness surfaced on her face.
"Of course I remember."
"We failed that place."
The blindfolded man scratched his nose awkwardly.
"The situation isnât as bad as you think, Hikari. The Land of Moonwatch is perfectly fine."
The elf stared at him in shock.
"Perfectly fine?"
"How is that possible? We all know how dangerous that place is! Forget the ordinary people of the Land of Moonwatchâeven you and I, even our entire squad, wouldnât have ended well if we stayed there."
The blindfolded man sighed helplessly.
"But thatâs the truth, Hikari."
"The guy I brought backâthat man killed every single monster around the Land of Moonwatch."
"All of them?"
"Mm. Every last one. You probably still havenât seen the aftermath there. Those were the remnants of Ninth-Tier magic."
"Not just extermination either. It was an extinction-level seal."
Hikari still could not believe it.
"There were hundreds of Eighth-Tier monsters there. He really killed all of them alone?"
"I canât believe it either. But the facts seem to point that way."
"Thatâs why I brought him back."
"He may very well be a one-of-a-kind existence. Like the heroes from certain legends."
"And besides, letting him enter wasnât solely my decision. The Great Sage instructed me to bring him in. Honestly, the moment I saw him walk into the restricted area, I already wanted to stop himâbut the Great Sage told me not to interfere."
Hikari lowered her voice.
"He understands Phase magic... can break through our restrictions... and despite the extreme secrecy surrounding us, he knows far too much about our organization."
"If he truly has ulterior motives, he could drag us into irreversible ruin."
The blindfolded man rested both hands behind his head.
"Who cares? Thatâs the kind of thing the smart people should worry about. People like us who fight and kill for a living donât think that deeply."
"Besides, could the situation really get any worse than it already is?"
"In any case, let the thinkers negotiate a conclusion. Weâll just listen."
Hikari pressed a hand to her forehead helplessly.
"Can you have even a little independent judgment..."
...
"I only have one question. Izparut is also part of this organization, isnât he?"
The fishman sage leaned on his cane.
"Starting with a question that confidential, hm? Heh."
"Yes. He is."
Kanzaki Rei spoke directly without bothering with pleasantries.
"Good. Then I wonât waste time going in circles either. Tell me exactly what youâre planning to do."
In truth, Kanzaki Rei already knew everything.
Still, these exchanges were necessary.
The fishman sage paused briefly before speaking.
"One of our teams ventured deep into the interior of the Fallen Abyss. We lost contact with them several days ago."
"You want me to bring them back."
"The Fallen Abyss... isnât it supposed to be a place where you can only descend, never return?"
"Youâve already seen the situation. A massive rupture appeared somewhere within the Fallen Abyss. That rupture directly connects to the surface of the Moonsea."
"Thatâs why countless monsters from the Fallen Abyss have been falling downward. After passing through the rupture, they escape the Abyss and enter the real world."
"And what we intend to do is enter through one of the normal entrances of the Fallen Abyss."
"Weâll explore the Abyss during the descent, then eventually return through the fissure connected to the real world."
"If we can discover a method to close that fissure, then the Abyssal invasion into the Moonsea can be sealed completely."
"But now, the team sent to investigate the Fallen Abyss has gone silent."
"Every Level 8 class-advancer is extremely valuable."
Kanzaki Rei nodded slightly.
"I understand. Then what can you offer me?"
"Youâre a mage, correct?"
"More or less."
"I wonder... would the Eighth Forbidden Magic, Fate, be enough to interest you?"
Kanzaki Rei shook his head.
"Honestly, not quite enough."
"But for the sake of world peace, Iâm willing to take the job."
"Still, what makes you think I can accomplish it?"
The fishman sageâs bulging eyes fixed themselves on Kanzaki Rei.
"Heh heh heh... young man, youâre wrapped in mysteries from head to toe."
"The truth is, I canât see through you at all."
"But there is one thing Iâm certain about."
"Youâre different from the others."
"This world operates under a form of balance. As long as that balance hasnât been completely shattered, then even in a desperate situation like this, there should still be hope somewhere."
The Theory of Equilibrium.
Kanzaki Rei had heard of it before.
According to the theory, everything in this world existed in balance.
When destruction flourished, vitality would inevitably surge forth as well.
When catastrophe descended, hope and miracles would also be born alongside it.
Of course, this balance existed only on a macro scale across the world itselfâand often with an enormous delay.
The destruction and disasters accumulated over centuries might require thousands of years afterward before balance was slowly restored.
Perhaps it was merely a grain of sand within the flow of history.
Yet when that grain landed upon an individualâ
It became a crushing mountain.
Perhaps only after complete annihilationâ
Would a new world finally be reborn.
Such balance held little meaning.
"You said the balance hasnât been completely broken yet. Does that mean the equilibrium itself is collapsing?"
The fishman sage nodded.
"Thatâs correct. It hasnât shattered entirely yet, but I can clearly feel it continuously unraveling."
"I suspect it wonât be long before the worldâs balance is completely destroyed."
"And when that happens... disasters will remain disasters. Hope may never appear again."
Kanzaki Rei asked,
"Why is the equilibrium breaking?"
The fishman sage slowly shook his head.
"That is the domain of gods. Wisdom like mine cannotçȘ„æąâcannot peer into such a realm."
Kanzaki Rei replied calmly,
"Understood. Iâll go into the Fallen Abyss and bring them back."
"In return, youâll give me the Eighth Forbidden Magic."
The fishman sage answered,
"The Eighth Forbidden Magic is not in my possession. Iâm not a mage, nor do I have the qualifications to safeguard something that precious."
"That Forbidden Magic lies within the Fallen Abyss itself. I can provide the route and the records."
"Youâll need to retrieve it personally."
As he spoke, the fishman sage pushed a map toward Kanzaki Rei.
The instant Kanzaki Reiâs gaze landed upon the mapâ
His pupils dilated slightly.
His consciousness had already traced forward into the future once again, projecting the very day he would obtain the Eighth Forbidden Magic.