When he saw that Root, his intuition hadn't issued even the slightest warning.
It was as if it didn't consider it dangerous at all.
Kanzaki Rei could feel it clearly—his spiritual perception had become more refined, more transparent. His understanding of magic had deepened yet again.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he grasped his own Fourth-Tier Root Magic.
That fact alone proved something.
Even with so many God-tier talents… you still couldn't recklessly court death.
A Level 4 class-holder should stay within the comfort zone of Level 4.
Wandering around blindly?
Who knew what incomprehensible thing you might stumble into.
Yes, within the same tier, he was invincible.
But when suppressed by higher-tier beings…
No matter how dominant you were within a small realm, it didn't make you truly invincible in the world.
Leveling up—that was the only real path.
Once things settled down, he would absolutely hole up somewhere in the shadows and quietly develop. No more wandering around, no more stirring trouble…
He'd stay hidden until he broke through to Level 9.
Then—and only then—he would step out and suppress all realms.
…If only trouble didn't keep finding him on its own.
Originally, he had already become unmatched within Ruilen. His life was stable. All that remained was to study Root, solve a few mysteries.
Even without any extraordinary encounters, even if leveling slowed down, he could probably reach Level 6 within a year or two at a relaxed pace.
Given his growth rate, once he reached Level 6, his overall strength would likely rival Izar.
If Izar could fight Level 8 mages, then he should be able to contend with some Level 8 class-holders as well.
That would essentially make him invincible below Level 9…
…Forget it.
He'd think about that later.
When the time came, he'd just live in seclusion. A long-life protagonist style—hide for a century if needed. If he still couldn't break through after that, then he'd consider taking risks.
That night, before dawn, he stood by the sea with Luluwy, quietly watching the final moments of the Secret Sea's tranquility.
She asked about what he'd been doing over the past few days.
Where he had gone. What he had done.
Even if she hadn't asked, Kanzaki Rei had already prepared a perfectly consistent explanation.
So he simply told her the version he had crafted.
As Luluwy listened to his "journey," there was a faint trace of envy in her expression…
"Next time you go out exploring… take me with you."
She said it just like that.
…Luluwy.
How am I supposed to take you?
You're too slow.
Kanzaki Rei could move extremely fast now—but only through techniques usable by himself. He couldn't carry someone else along at that speed.
If he brought her, his speed would drop drastically.
And that meant he wouldn't be able to complete trips as efficiently.
But he didn't say any of that.
He just smiled and replied, "Next time, definitely."
…If she found out he thought she was too slow, she'd probably shoot him the entire way back.
After returning home and getting some rest, Kanzaki Rei headed straight to the White Tower.
Yuna glanced sideways at the boy beside her.
"…Who are you?"
Kanzaki Rei sighed."Yuna, is there really a need to pretend you don't recognize me?"
He pulled out a chair and sat down beside her.
Yuna hugged her book and turned slightly away, her tone indifferent.
"You've already mastered time studies."
"There's no need to learn anything more, is there?"
…Still sulking, huh.
"Yuna," Kanzaki Rei began, "I actually went out recently to bring back some rare books."
With a wave of his hand—
Stacks upon stacks of books appeared on the table.
"These… are all collections you won't find in Ruilen or even the White Tower."
Yuna's gaze shifted to the pile.
Kanzaki Rei continued,
"It took a lot of effort to obtain them… and you know, something big is about to happen in the Secret Sea."
"I thought… if this knowledge disappeared without being passed on, that would be such a waste."
"So I went out to retrieve these books before they could be lost."
…
Yuna froze slightly.
Then she raised her book, covering half her face.
"…Is that really true?"
"Of course."
Kanzaki Rei continued naturally,
"Scholarship isn't just about reading, right? Practical experience matters too."
"For example, if you study monster biology, you need to hunt monsters yourself to understand their structure."
"So this trip… was also to verify certain knowledge."
…Like verifying what treasures were hidden in those church vaults.
That counted as knowledge too.
But as Yuna listened—
Her initially brightening mood began to dim again.
"…You really are different from me."
"After all, you're one of the strongest people on the continent… There must be so many things only you can do."
"I'm just… a child born in the White Tower."
"The only thing I like… is seeing the world through books."
She gently placed down the book in her hands—Oceanic Domains and Mysteries.
Her favorite subject.
Oceanography.
Kanzaki Rei remembered—during the White Tower assessment, the subject she had scored full marks in was oceanography. That level of mastery was equivalent to comprehending Root in the path of a mage.
And not just shallow comprehension—deep understanding.
Yuna gently stroked the book's cover.
Her calm gaze carried a trace of unwillingness.
That look—
It reminded Kanzaki Rei of the moment during the White Tower exam when he had taken first place from her.
Unwillingness. Despair. Confusion.
"I'm too weak," Yuna murmured.
"I can't fight."
"I can't fly through the skies or travel the earth like you… I don't even have the strength to fight monsters."
"I might not even be able to defeat a single slime."
"For me… knowledge is everything."
…Damn.
I said the wrong thing.
Kanzaki Rei realized it immediately.
He had only been trying to justify his trip, casually borrowing the idea of combining theory and practice from his past life.
But he hadn't considered how it would sound to her.
"Yuna…"
"…Kanzaki Rei," she said softly, "I've always envied you."
"That first time we discussed monster studies together… I was really happy."
"I thought I had finally found someone who shared my interests."
"Studying with you… everything felt new. Interesting."
"I've never been that happy before."
"I didn't know… that researching something together with another person could be so enjoyable."
"But then I realized…"
"Your world… is much bigger than mine."
"It feels like the whole world needs you. And you can go anywhere."
"You're a Root Mage, an Ultimate Warrior, a scholar who can unravel hidden mysteries… you even defeated a god."
"And you predicted the destruction of the Secret Sea."
"It feels like you can do anything."
"Compared to you… I've only ever studied in the White Tower. I've done nothing."
…
That feeling.
He had felt it before.
On Xu Zhou.
Before she could continue, Kanzaki Rei reached out—
—and took both her hands.
Yuna startled, her fading emotions suddenly stirred.
Kanzaki Rei met her gaze, his expression serious.
"No, Yuna. That's not true."
"I'm not that great. And the world doesn't need me."
"Everything I do… is just because I want to."
"Everyone has things they're good at, and things they're not. Things they like, and things they don't."
"I'm interested in this world, so I explore it in my own way. That's all."
"Yuna."
"There's no need to achieve your interests the same way others do."
"Farmers and gatherers don't need to hunt monsters to find joy. Their harvest is their exploration."
"The White Tower is full of people who love knowledge—even if they're not scholars."
He smiled.
"After all, I'm one of them."
"You don't need to care how others do things. Just do what you want."
"You don't need to fly across the world, or defeat anyone… You don't even need hands-on practice."
"You just need to follow your own path."
"And there's no need to force yourself to do things you're not good at."
"Even I rely on others for many things."
"For example… when it comes to understanding knowledge, I rely on you."
"On my own, I'd learn far too slowly."
"But when it comes to combat…"
He paused, then laughed lightly.
"There aren't many people left in this world who can help me with that."
…He'd been around Izar too long.
Even his tone was starting to resemble him.
"Kanzaki Rei…" Yuna murmured.
"Yuna," he continued, "do you actually want to switch to a combat class?"
"…No."
She shook her head.
"I don't like fighting."
Kanzaki Rei smiled.
"Then there's nothing to struggle over."
"And honestly, I really enjoy researching strange knowledge with you."
"I think you're already more impressive than most people."
Yuna's heart pounded.
Like a warrior's battle rhythm.
So fast it felt like it might leap out of her chest.
Kanzaki Rei glanced at the book on her desk.
"Oh! Oceanography today?"
"Actually, after exploring the Secret Sea recently, I've become really interested in the ocean."
"Yuna… I want to understand it better. And you're the most knowledgeable person I know on this subject."
"Will you teach me?"
Her previously dim eyes slowly regained their clarity.
A faint blush spread across her soft cheeks.
She didn't say much.
Just lowered her head and gave a small nod.
"…Okay."
Kanzaki Rei genuinely wanted to understand the ocean.
After dying twice in the Secret Sea, he had finally realized—
Blind exploration wasn't the answer.
He needed knowledge.
At the same time, he couldn't help but sigh.
Yuna might be incredibly knowledgeable…
But she was still just a child.
Sensitive.
Competitive.
Easily hurt.
Just like he had been in his past life—feeling annoyed when a close friend spent time with someone else.
They studied oceanography together from morning until afternoon.
But in the end, he had to leave—he had an appointment with Thorn to learn his Root Magic.
During this time, reconnecting with Yuna also restored some of his Scholar abilities.
[Scholar Proficiency: Broad Knowledge Stream]—When near any form of written knowledge, fragments of that knowledge will continuously flow into the user.
This was Yuna's Level 3 Scholar specialization.
Simply sitting among bookshelves allowed for passive absorption of fragmented knowledge.
Reading speed and comprehension were also enhanced.
However…
Even with this, understanding high-level magic remained impossible.
For example—
Izar's Continental Teleportation Magic.
The problem wasn't just knowledge.
It was perception.
At Level 3, one perceives spirit.
At Level 4, space.
You cannot imagine a color you've never seen.
Just as someone born blind cannot comprehend sight.
Before reaching Level 4, Kanzaki Rei could never truly grasp what it meant to "see spatial elements."
Only after reaching it did he understand.
Ah… so that's what it is.
That's why mages cannot learn higher-tier magic prematurely.
The laws embedded within them are fundamentally different.
In the afternoon, he discussed Root Magic with Thorn.
Before he knew it, night had fallen again.
There was nothing urgent requiring Future Simulation today.
So, as always, he saved the final simulation for the last five minutes before midnight.
Sitting on his bed—
He slowly closed his eyes.
[God-Tier · Future Simulation]
—Shua!
A brief moment of darkness.
Then his eyes opened.
But this time—
Cold sweat ran down his face.
Shua!
In the next instant—
Countless sheets of draft paper appeared around him.
Rustle—rustle—rustle—
Page after page was rapidly filled.
[Loines Magic Academy — Research Laboratory]
—Shua!
2:00 AM.
Kanzaki Rei appeared inside the lab.
"Oh~ Kanzaki Rei," Izar greeted casually, "brought another brilliant idea today?"
Kanzaki Rei looked behind him—
—and saw a mountain of design drafts.
At least thirty thousand sheets.
"…Yeah," Kanzaki Rei replied, "lately… inspiration has been overflowing."
"I wonder if I've made some kind of breakthrough."
—BOOM!
The entire lab trembled violently!
At a nearby table, Chaos Dusk and Calamity Pillar—who had been fast asleep—jerked awake.
"What happened?!"
"Is it war?!"
"Are we under attack?!"
They looked at each other—
Then turned toward Kanzaki Rei.
And froze.
A mountain of papers towered in the center of the lab.
Even Kanzaki Rei himself was drenched in cold sweat.
…Izar.
You're a monster.
How did this turn into one hundred thousand drafts?
What kind of magic are you even trying to create?
Is this still a teleportation array?
Or did you accidentally design something like a god-slaying annihilation formation?
Even a full 24-hour simulation wasn't enough to memorize everything.
So after midnight, Kanzaki Rei had run another simulation—
Only then did he fully memorize all the drafts.
And just redrawing them…
Had taken two full hours.
Compared to last time—
The number of drafts had tripled.
Just how much had he added to this spell?