Lu Cang accepted the Ring, a bright smile on his face. "It’s alright, I’m not in a hurry."

The Divination Master’s words weren’t entirely unbelievable.

It really was a case of misfortune followed by supreme fortune.

’This reward certainly made the effort feel worthwhile. I should go shopping today.’

’After getting some money, revenge spending is definitely the way to go.’

’I’ll also see if there’s any equipment a Death Priest can use.’

’Oh, right...’

Lu Cang suddenly remembered the matter concerning Meiser.

’Never mind, I should talk to Iz about this first.’

’Something about it feels very strange.’

I was too exhausted the day before yesterday, so I rested. Then last night’s celebration went on all night. I’ve been putting this off, but it’s best to get to the bottom of this thing that’s been weighing on my mind.

...

Back at the hotel.

He went to Iz’s room.

Iz hadn’t been at the tavern this morning; instead, he had come straight back to the hotel.

"Come in."

It seemed Iz already knew Lu Cang would come looking for him.

He had already prepared tea for Lu Cang.

"Iz, about Meiser."

Iz nodded. "Actually, on the very day you told me about this, I searched all over Raine Town."

"He must have already left."

Lu Cang asked, "Who is he, exactly?"

Iz paused for a moment. "Kumironi told you about Spiritual Contamination. Do you remember the identity of the mad Mage from the world-shocking blood sacrifice thirty years ago, the one who sacrificed three billion people?"

Lu Cang searched his memory, and the words Kumironi had once spoken gradually became clear.

"This Mage was a genius who awakened the Mage Class at the age of nine. Before the blood sacrifice, he had always been the benevolent Lord of the Meise Territory."

The Lord of the Meise Territory.

Meiser!

"It’s him!"

Iz nodded slightly.

"Yes, it’s him."

"He’s not dead?"

"He’s the highest-level wanted criminal on our continent."

"I never expected him to seek you out."

Thinking about the man’s identity, Lu Cang felt a chill run down his spine.

’No wonder Pari was unwilling to tell me his identity.’

’If Pari had said it back then...’

’What would have happened?’

’Has he been watching me this whole time?’

A wave of fear washed over Lu Cang.

’To a guy who could sacrifice three billion people, what’s one more life?’

Iz said, "The Magic he taught you... is actually Root Magic."

"It is indeed quite profound."

"Or rather, I should say it’s ingeniously crafted."

Iz pointed a finger forward lightly, and a few strands of light trickled down from the sky.

Primordial Origin.

"A very Special Magic, it completely isolates the contamination that comes from being watched..."

"There’s no harm in it."

"Even I still have some things I don’t understand about it."

"For him to actually be able to teach you Root Magic..."

"He has indeed walked very, very far on the path of seeking the Root Source... Perhaps, for now, he is even ahead of me."

"But at the very least, I can confirm that using this Magic will not have any negative effects on you."

Hearing Iz’s confirmation, Lu Cang was finally able to relax. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"That Meiser, what exactly does he want?"

Lu Cang didn’t believe the man was acting out of mere kindness.

’A wicked Mage who killed three billion people sought me out for no reason, just to give me a free Magic spell?’

"I don’t know."

"But without a doubt, his actions are also a way for him to get closer to the Root Source."

The creed of a Mage is the exploration of the Root Source, the search for a path leading to it.

Regardless of the method.

Some people find themselves on the path of upholding this creed, while others lose themselves.

Meiser belongs to the latter group.

No matter what he does, his ultimate goal is certain—

to get closer to the Root Source.

"We can analyze this matter more slowly later."

"For now, let’s talk about your other Profession."

Lu Cang nodded.

He recounted the entire story of how he obtained the Death Priest Profession.

He had obtained the Secret Scroll in order to save someone.

Then, from Pari, he learned what kind of Profession the Secret Scroll contained.

The lifeline he grasped at in a moment of life and Death...

In Iz’s view, everything Lu Cang had done was commendable and beyond reproach.

It’s just...

"The Death Priest Profession is, after all, not legally permitted. However, your situation is Special. I can help you apply for special privileges from the Kingdom."

"But this is a matter of great importance, so we’ll have to go to the Kingdom’s Capital in person."

"As it happens, Kumironi also needs to make a trip to the Capital, and I have some business to attend to there as well, so it’s on the way."

"Considering the time, we really should be setting off."

They had stayed in Raine Town simply because it was more convenient for gathering to go to the Tier Seven Dungeon.

Of course, it was also for the sake of looking after the recently found Little Lu Cang.

Now that the Tier Seven Dungeon has been dealt with, it’s indeed time to prepare to leave.

"Iz, what do you think of the Death Priest Profession...?"

Iz thought for a moment before answering with a serious expression, "A very wicked Profession."

Hearing this answer, Lu Cang couldn’t help but look a little disappointed.

"But power itself isn’t frightening. What’s frightening is the master who wields it."

"Even though Meiser possessed the Mage Profession, which is considered a righteous path, he still committed the horrific crime of sacrificing three billion people."

"And even though Saint Zuo was afflicted by the Curse of the Seven Sins, he still used that power to Seal the Celestial Nest."

Iz placed his hand on Lu Cang’s head.

"Lu Cang, I believe you can use your power for the right reasons."

’Iz, you’re a really open-minded person. Knowing you’re so progressive is a relief.’

’But I think I just heard a major secret. Who sealed the Celestial Nest? Isn’t the Nest supposed to be a thing of legend that’s never been found?’

’It seems Iz knows far more than the average person.’

Now that his Spirit was restored, Lu Cang went over the situation from that day with Iz again.

In all his time in Raine Town, Iz had never met that librarian.

But he had now learned of the situation from Lu Cang.

"Iz, what Level do you think Pari is as a Divination Master?"

Iz shook his head. "It’s hard to guess based only on your description."

"She could be Level 1, or she could be Level 9."

"It depends on how far in advance she made her prediction, and on its accuracy."

’Heh...’

’The Divination Master Profession really is mysterious.’

"If she really did accurately predict the arrival of the Beast Tide in advance, her Divination Master Level should be no lower than Level 4."

Lu Cang recalled the performance of the Level 4 Adventurers he had seen.

’That’s not weak at all.’

"But what Divination Masters are best at is fear-mongering and spouting nonsense." As Iz spoke, his tone shifted, hinting at a bit of resentment.

’Oh?’

’Iz, have you been screwed over by a Divination Master before, too?’

’That Profession of theirs, where they never speak plainly, really is annoying.’

’You always feel like it’s wrong to listen to them, but also wrong not to. They just lead people into traps.’

"Iz, what do you think I should do if I encounter a Divination Master in the future?"

This recent Beast Tide had made Lu Cang feel the threat of Death.

Izparut answered seriously, "Follow your own heart’s choice."

"The events of the Future are bound to happen. A Divination Master merely gets an inaccurate glimpse of a corner of it ahead of time."

"If they could truly and accurately predict the Future, they wouldn’t be Divination Masters; they’d be Prophets."

"Besides, a Divination Master only predicts a hazy corner of the Future through some method. They cannot control or master Destiny."

"After all, their creed is to be an audience to Destiny."

"And an audience member, no matter what, is never the dancer on the stage."