Chapter 527: Chapter 527
Saint Rei had once been an 8th-Tier Mage himself, so he could more or less understand Hiroto Minase’s explanation.
"So what you mean is... once someone becomes the God of Magic, they’ll encounter the lifeform that represents the Original Forbidden Magic?"
Shumi and Elarosa, meanwhile, looked utterly confused.
One was a Hunter, the other a Warrior. Neither paid much attention to the world of magic... As for Original Forbidden Magic, they had only heard rumors about it. They merely knew it was an absurdly powerful form of magic—even stronger than so-called Origin Magic.
But there were very few mages in the world capable of wielding Original Forbidden Magic.
Basically, any mage above Tier 6 could comprehend a personal Origin Magic.
But among mages above Tier 6, only a tiny number ever mastered Original Forbidden Magic.
And among those who mastered it, even fewer could actually cast it.
A trace of sorrow surfaced in Hiroto Minase’s eyes.
Looking at the corpse beside him, he gave a faint nod.
"That’s right."
"The moment he ascended into a God of Magic... he was erased by the ’First Forbidden One.’"
Saint Rei sighed in disbelief.
"That ridiculous, huh? It could directly kill a God of Magic?"
"Hah... becoming a God of Magic sounds pretty dangerous, then. So what does this have to do with the answer to the Origin?"
The bird-headed figure stared at the corpse before him.
He did not answer immediately, instead falling silent for a moment.
No one urged him to continue. Amid the quiet wait, Saint Rei gradually sensed a massive magical presence approaching from the distance.
Turning his head toward Kanzaki Rei, he discovered that Kanzaki Rei had already been looking in that direction.
"Wait a bit."
"There’s someone else who wants to know the answer to the Origin."
Saint Rei rested one hand on the hilt of his sword.
Though it looked like nothing more than a casual stance, an invisible Sword Domain had already spread outward. The instant even the slightest hostility appeared, Saint Rei could retaliate immediately.
"There’s more people coming? Seriously, Asahi... just how many people are showing up here?"
Asahi Chen looked at Saint Rei and smiled gently.
"I don’t know either. Yog seems to have invited many different people."
"They all came seeking answers."
Saint Rei scratched his head.
"What if we run into an enemy by accident?"
"Mmm. Then I’ll help you fight them."
Saint Rei looked doubtful.
"You’re a Scholar, right? Do you even have combat ability?"
"A little, maybe. Enough to support you, at least."
Saint Rei recalled how Asahi Chen had stopped his sword earlier. She clearly wasn’t defenseless. She probably had some means of protecting herself.
So he nodded and said nothing further.
The figures in the distance had already drawn close.
Two "people."
One was an elderly man in mage robes with faintly graying hair. He looked like he had already entered his twilight years, reminding everyone instinctively of Akimasa... the mage who had been trapped at Tier 8 until death, unable to advance.
Beside him was a monster carrying a lantern.
Kanzaki Rei spoke flatly.
"Another bird-headed guy."
"Are these monsters Yog’s new favorite tour guides or something?"
The distant mage also noticed the group around Kanzaki Rei. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but it quickly disappeared again.
"Looks like everyone’s finally here. I’ll continue, then." Hiroto Minase floated slightly forward.
The group gave small nods.
The distant mage nodded as well.
Apparently, he had already learned the earlier context.
"All of you mages... have you ever considered whether what you pursue is truly the Origin... or Truth?"
Kanzaki Rei did not respond.
Instead, he silently considered the meaning behind those words.
But Saint Rei could not be bothered to think deeply about it.
"What kind of stupid question is that? If a mage wants to level up, obviously they pursue the Origin. The Origin is the root of all magic."
The distant mage answered steadily as well.
"The path of a mage is the path toward understanding the Origin."
"To witness the Origin and glimpse the answer of the Origin—that is the ultimate goal of all mages. As for the Truth you speak of, the Truth we seek is the Truth of the Origin. And the Truth of the Origin... is that not simply the answer to the Origin itself?"
The bird-headed creature opened its beak slightly, releasing a cold chuckle.
"Hehehe... exactly."
"The process of becoming a Tier 9 Mage is the process of witnessing the Origin you perceive and using your understanding of it to reflect the answer of the Origin."
"If your understanding aligns with the true answer of the Origin, then you will have proven the Origin itself... and become a true Tier 9 Mage."
Everyone nodded.
Aside from Kanzaki Rei, everyone present was a Tier 8 class-holder.
Though each of them had progressed toward Tier 9 differently, they all understood the trial they would eventually face upon ascension.
Especially the current Tier 8 Mage standing there... and Saint Rei, who in one of his previous lives had once been a Tier 8 Mage himself.
Neither of them was unfamiliar with Tier 9 advancement.
"That’s right. That’s why I came here seeking the answer to the Origin," the gray-haired mage said in a heavy voice.
Hiroto Minase tilted his beak skyward while spreading his arms.
"That brother over there asked me about the price just now."
"Have you prepared yourself to pay that price as well?"
The elderly mage frowned slightly, wrinkles bunching across his forehead.
"A price? Nobody mentioned that."
"Though I suppose that makes sense. It couldn’t possibly be that simple."
"Go ahead. What’s the price? If it means learning the answer to the Origin, I can pay something for it."
Hiroto Minase’s beak opened and closed exaggeratedly. Suddenly, he turned back toward Kanzaki Rei.
"Hahaha! Brother, you know what? I actually enjoy this job."
Then he snapped his head back toward the old mage.
"The price of learning the answer... is learning the answer itself."
It was the exact same response he had given earlier when Kanzaki Rei asked.
As though those words carried extraordinary importance.
Kanzaki Rei hesitated.
Should he really learn this answer?
But...
His thirst for knowledge surged violently within him.
Kanzaki Rei could not convince himself to give up the chance to know.
"Looks like nobody objects."
The bird-headed figure clapped happily.
"Then... I shall reveal the answer to the Origin."
"The answer of the Origin itself... is that there is no answer."
"The Origin itself is an error. A paradox. A fallacy that should never exist."
BOOM!
The instant those words entered their minds—
Kanzaki Rei and the distant mage both felt a belief... a law within their hearts... shatter violently apart.
And in that moment, both of them realized the exact same truth.
They...
Could never become Tier 9 Mages.
The Origin was wrong.
The Origin had no answer.
...
[World Center Tree — Sea of the Core]
The colossal tree that should have towered into the heavens now stood inverted within the deep sea.
At the bottom of the abyssal ocean rested five giant stones born from the Origin itself.
A mage stood there, eyes shining with dazzling colors.
"I’m so close... but this final step can never be completed."
"Was my deduction wrong?"
He turned to look at the arcane formation diagrams he had constructed.
"No... impossible."
"I can’t be wrong."
"I’ve already filled every flaw in the Origin... so why does a flaw still remain? And the thing that should complete this flaw..."
Experimentally, he condensed a polyhedron in his hand.
It possessed 3,366 different faces.
Every face had a unique shape.
One face remained empty.
"Mmm... this should be the ideal state."
"Only one gap left."
He rotated the polyhedron in his hand.
Countless arcane symbols were engraved across its many surfaces.
"Conjugation. Mutual generation. Connection. Repulsion. Cyclic linkage..."
"Space. Mind. Elements. Time. Fate. Soul. Wind. Light. Darkness. Structure..."
The major and minor categories of magic, endless theories interlocked layer after layer.
"There’s no problem."
"Then... let’s try it."
He raised one hand slightly.
An arcane symbol materialized at his fingertip—
Clink!
The symbol floated above the empty face, forming an independent surface as though trying to complete the flaw.
But—
As the arcane symbol pressed downward—
The entire polyhedron suddenly became unstable.
CRACK!
In an instant, dozens of surfaces exploded outward simultaneously!
"As expected... it doesn’t work."
He attempted to fabricate a spell to fill the defect.
Yet once one gap was filled, new gaps immediately appeared elsewhere.
There was no need to continue testing.
A single attempt had already proven it.
No matter what assumption he inserted, it would never complete the final corner of the Origin.
"So what does this mean?"
"Does it mean the Origin is fundamentally incomplete?"
"No... that’s not right either..."
"The fact that I can’t insert anything there doesn’t mean nothing exists there..."
He turned again toward the proof he had built over countless years.
Every arcane symbol clearly declared the answer before him.
"In the Origin’s final completed state... there must absolutely be something there."
"No... wait."
As though realizing something suddenly—
He flipped his hand sharply!
The symbols across the polyhedron transformed instantly!
"Mind..."
Swish!
An enormous number of mental symbols emerged across the Origin model, transforming it into a Mind-dominated Origin model.
"Elements."
Swish!
The Origin shifted again, instantly becoming an Element-dominated model.
"Time..."
Swish!
It transformed once more.
The model blurred indistinctly, as though spanning past, present, and future simultaneously.
"This answer... is truly unexpected."
The Origin was incomplete.
Originally, he had intended to complete the Origin itself... prove the perfected Origin... and step into the realm of a Tier 9 Mage.
But he never expected—
To arrive at such a "surprising" conclusion.
"I cannot be wrong."
"But the answer is emptiness."
"It’s an answer that can never be filled."
"The Origin has no shape."
"And no answer."
The polyhedron in the mage’s hand shifted endlessly alongside his imagination and understanding.
His heartbeat thundered violently.
"Its existence... was merely our delusion?"
"A fabricated Origin... a nonexistent Origin..."
"Was all magic merely a false paradox from the beginning?"
BOOM!
His mind shook violently.
He felt as though all his magic was collapsing apart.
Every established magical theory—
Every understanding he possessed about magic—
Seemed to crumble into an imaginary castle built upon nothingness.
Was everything I pursued... an illusion?
Izparut lifted his head toward the endless ocean abyss.
The very foundation of his identity as a mage was shattering.
But...
As long as he admitted he was wrong—
As long as he admitted his deductions were mistaken—
Everything could still be salvaged.
He could overturn the theory he had just reached.
He could admit he had misunderstood the true nature of the Origin.
From this day onward, he could stop pursuing the truth of the Origin.
Stop digging deeper into the completeness of the Origin.
Everything could still be restored.
Even with a broken Origin—
Even with his current understanding—
He could still reflect the "incorrect answer" of the Origin and ascend into a Tier 9 Mage all the same.
Izparut felt the seawater stripping away the air.
The abyssal ocean grew colder.
His understanding of the elements was collapsing.
His understanding of the world itself was overturning.
Despite being a Tier 8 Mage, everything around him suddenly felt terrifyingly unfamiliar.
The water elements of the sea.
The wood elements within the dead vines.
The earth elements in the ocean floor.
The stone elements within the reefs—
All of them became strangers to him.
Weightlessness overtook him.
He drifted helplessly in the seawater.
Iz lay within the deep ocean, unable to see through the dark water, unable to glimpse the sky.
This seemed to be magic’s punishment.
Or perhaps...
The curse of the Origin itself.
The moment a mage truly comprehended the completed form of the Origin—
Was the moment their magic would inevitably be stripped away.
"Wrong?"
"Heh... what’s correct is correct."
"I’m not wrong."
"And if I’m not wrong..."
"Then the one that’s wrong... is the Origin."
Izparut stretched his right hand toward the ocean surface.
The crushing pressure of the deep sea instantly pulverized his arm.
A cloud of blood exploded into the water.
He could no longer sense the elements.
Because all of them had been denied.
Apparently, having excessively high comprehension wasn’t necessarily a good thing...
The moment he understood the falseness of the Origin, all understanding of the elements vanished alongside it.
Magic itself had been overturned completely by the denial of the Origin.
The mighty strongest mage, Izparut—
Unable to cast even a single spell now?
How laughable.
If he could no longer control the elements, he would truly die here.
The strongest mage in the world drowning in the depths of the sea—
No matter how one thought about it, the idea was absurd.
Gurgle!
Seawater flooded into his body.
Pressure.
Cold.
Air.
All of them became urgent concerns now.
Yet beyond life and death, another question still lingered—
"If the Origin’s answer is emptiness..."
"Then what is magic?"
"Just because the Origin has no answer... does that mean magic itself ceases to exist?"
"What I denied was the Origin."
"I never denied magic itself..."
Even with his shattered body broken within the deep sea—
Even as death approached—
His soul continued thinking without pause.
Though Izparut could not see the sky, endless elements seemed reflected within his eyes.
WHOOSH!
Then suddenly—
A spark of flame flashed across Izparut’s pupils!
The next instant—
The entire Sea of the Core shook violently!
...
After revealing the answer to the Origin, the bird-headed figure quietly observed the two mages present.
But suddenly—
Its body trembled.
Immediately afterward, Kanzaki Rei and the other mage both snapped back to awareness at the same time!
At that instant, an immeasurably vast surge of magical power swept across heaven and earth alike.
The sheer magnitude of that magic—
Was so overwhelming that even Kanzaki Rei, who possessed the Sea of Mana, felt utterly insignificant before it!
The bird-headed figure opened its beak.
Its eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
It opened and closed its mouth twice, unable to speak.
In the end, the one who finally spoke was Asahi Chen beside Saint Rei.
Even her voice trembled slightly.
"Yog says..."
"A new god has been born."
"It’s... the God of Magic."
"Izparut."
