Previously, he had hunted those monsters one by one only to seek inspiration for entering the Path.

To achieve transcendence through battle.

The true power of the talent Manifestation of Myriad Paths lay in its limitless potential for growth.

But when it came to slaughter—

When it came to sheer destructive power—

The ability he had comprehended at Level 6, the Absolute Sea of Mana, was the pinnacle of large-scale annihilation.

Obtaining the Absolute Sea of Mana also meant gaining the infinite mana required to cast Elemental Kaleidoscope without end.

From this point onward, casting Release-type spells was no longer constrained by mana depletion.

It also meant that Kanzaki Rei could bombard the world with Ninth Rank elemental magic forever.

This was one of the primary reasons Rei believed he now possessed the qualifications to stand against the gods.

Of course...

Simply being able to cast Ninth Rank magic might not be enough.

For a Level 9 class-advancer, using Ninth Rank skills was basic competency.

Whoosh!

At this moment, the entire Sea of Moon had been completely engulfed by every conceivable element.

In some regions, eternal flames burned without end.

Frigid frostfire.

Violent thunderfire crackling with savage energy.

Soulfire that scorched the spirit.

Life Fire that healed wounds.

In other places, biting cold spread in silence.

Though nothing appeared to change on the surface, everything had been frozen forever—

Life.

Seawater.

Air itself.

Two unlucky Eighth Rank monsters, sensing that they had lost contact with their kin outside, began crawling out of the Abyss.

The instant they emerged, they touched a faint strand of light.

That region shimmered with countless colors.

Dreamlike auroras spiraled through the sky.

But the two Eighth Rank monsters melted into part of the light the moment they were illuminated.

Ninth Rank Light Element Magic: Aurora Worship

Any being touched by this radiance would fall into an extreme state of worship toward the light. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Infinite faith would arise instantly, along with a fanatical desire to assimilate into the radiance itself.

Once that desire surpassed a critical threshold, the target would fuse directly with the light.

Together with that radiance, they would enter "Eternity."

Although Ninth Rank magic was classified as elemental magic, its effects were deeply uncanny.

It was not mere destruction.

Nearly every spell contained laws that amounted to instant death upon contact.

Even in fire magic, eternal burning and inextinguishable flames were merely the most basic effects.

Even if the victim did not die immediately—

They would burn forever until death claimed them.

Boom!

Stone pillars erupted chaotically from the sea!

Massive slabs of rock surged upward, gradually replacing the ocean itself.

Then countless multicolored crystals began growing across the newly formed land.

Ninth Rank Earth Element Magic: Land from the Void

Boom!

The Abyss was crushed beneath the earth and buried completely.

Only then—

At this stage—

Did Rei finally cease casting.

Snap—

Everything came to an abrupt halt.

But heaven and earth had already been transformed beyond recognition.

"It’s over."

Rei’s voice fell calmly.

As he spoke, everyone’s connection to his senses was severed.

Their vast perception collapsed.

From being able to sense 400 billion kilometers, they were thrust back into their own tiny ranges of mere kilometers or tens of kilometers.

The disparity was so overwhelming that it felt suffocating.

It was like being taken from an endless world where one’s body could stretch freely—

And suddenly locked back inside a tiny sealed iron box.

Fortunately...

They had not shared Rei’s perception for long.

The aftereffects would not last too long.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Class-advancers rose into the sky in unison.

Those capable of flight were almost all Level 4 or above.

Those below Level 4 climbed onto the towering city walls.

The monster threat was gone.

From the battlements, they gazed toward the distant horizon.

What they saw was heavy land stretching across and filling the sea.

Far away, flames still burned upon the earth.

From the heavens, rivers of rolling thunder poured down.

Everything they had seen through Rei’s perception was real.

It had not been an illusion.

"Lord Rei."

Lothar’s expression was extraordinarily complex.

"What level has your strength reached?"

"Have you already become a god? Or have you stepped into that realm?"

Rei answered honestly.

"No. I only reached Level 6 not long ago."

"But I believe that beneath the gods, there should be no one capable of defeating me."

Level 6...

And yet he dared to declare himself invincible below divinity.

But after witnessing the destruction that had swept across 400 billion kilometers, no one could doubt his words.

"In any case, thank you."

Rei lightly patted Lothar on the shoulder.

In the next instant, he vanished from before the emperor’s eyes.

Lothar stood there in a daze.

He felt profoundly fortunate that his actions in the past had been to befriend Rei rather than make him an enemy.

If he had offended Rei back then...

Would Loren still enjoy the destiny described in the Codex of Fate—that as long as he remained Emperor of Loren, the nation would endure forever?

Come to think of it, Rei’s habit of patting people on the shoulder...

He wondered if he had learned it from someone.

...

Rei returned to the manor.

The estate had already been arranged with numerous rituals.

It had become a forbidden zone.

Though it remained within the city of the Land of the Moon, it had effectively vanished from everyone’s sight.

"A grand death has now been witnessed by countless people. The Death Priest can advance."

"And then... the Prophet."

With his left and right hands, Rei traced symbols through the air.

Across the ground, materials the color of cinnabar formed intricate patterns.

The advancement rituals for Prophet and Death Priest were slightly more complex than those of ordinary classes.

But such complexity posed no challenge to Rei.

The two rituals intertwined.

Rei stood at their center.

In his eyes, the future unfolded.

"I should make a wish."

Previously, when advancing to obtain the corresponding talent, he had also made wishes.

But the last wish had sent him into the Time Ruins...

And he had gone through unimaginable hardship to fulfill it.

Whether that had been a blessing or a curse remained unclear.

The wish had indeed come true.

But the events he had been dragged into had been excessively troublesome.

It had left a lingering shadow in his mind.

The Source of Death began to manifest in the sky.

Around Rei, vast numbers of souls gradually appeared.

Trillions upon trillions of souls surged forth!

They poured into the heavens.

Ansu was still asleep.

If Ansu could not find a method similar to the Ring of Leaping Time to accelerate the reset process, Rei had no idea how many quadrillions upon quadrillions of years would pass before they met again.

Rei also recalled the regret that Iz from the future had once mentioned.

Would he kill Akira?

In truth, the corruption’s influence on him had already been suppressed.

With the Deepest Truth, Rei could distinguish clearly between his own thoughts and those born of evil.

It would no longer affect his decisions.

Moreover, after ten years, the corruption’s influence seemed much weaker than before.

Still, just to be safe—

"I wish for my Level 6 Death Priest talent to grant me the power to bring back those who have passed away."

It felt like the sort of wish a Healer would make...

But life and death originated from the same source.

Rei had a persistent feeling that, after so much time had passed, he might hear some very bad news.

It was best to obtain a talent that would leave him with no regrets.

...

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