Chapter 269

"Is comprehending a single Origin Magic really something worth making such a fuss over?"

Everyone present... should at least be at the level of an Origin Mage, shouldn’t they?

"Anyone else?"

Fighting these people really was... quite interesting.

Kanzaki Rei slowly withdrew from his state of insight.

He truly had to thank the spiritual feedback from the Level 5 Death Priest—his perception had risen to an entirely new level. If his spirituality increased just a bit more, he felt he might even be able to directly comprehend others’ abilities...

Just like Izparut, who could instantly grasp spells cast by others.

To learn another’s magic or combat techniques on the spot.

What he had just realized came precisely from the overlap between his own Origin Magic and the techniques his opponent had used.

Something he had pondered for a long time—

When demonstrated through another perspective—

Naturally sparked boundless inspiration.

"Let me try."

From the sky came a thick, almost seductive voice.

BOOM!

A figure descended lightly to the ground.

Right before everyone’s eyes, he peeled off his skin—revealing raw, blood-soaked flesh beneath—before calmly donning a brand-new layer of skin.

"I act under the will of Elthymis, Goddess of Flaying and Form-Shifting."

Oh?

No wonder nothing about this person could be discerned from appearances.

A Skin Stealer.

Even now, Kanzaki Rei found it difficult to identify such beings unless they revealed themselves.

Their concealment was simply too perfect.

"Lord Agmisa, I wish to challenge this child called Lu—Kanzaki Rei."

His true voice was male.

Yet the body he wore now was that of a well-proportioned woman, long black hair cascading to her waist.

"If I win... may I take his skin?"

A faint mist swirled around Agmisa as it replied lazily,

"Interesting. If you can win... I suppose I’ll allow it."

Agmisa seemed amused.

After all, as a being of chaos, what it loved most... was watching the spectacle unfold.

"The challenge is accepted."

So... conditions could be added?

Still, the less he interacted with that entity, the better. Agmisa was unstable—there was no telling what kind of negative consequences might arise from prolonged contact.

"She" stood before Kanzaki Rei.

Kanzaki Rei lifted his gaze—

And saw her death.

Fifty years?

This kind of cultist could live that long?

Generally, most cultists were short-lived—easily hunted down and eliminated.

Ever since gaining the ability to see others’ death timelines, Kanzaki Rei had noticed something peculiar.

Ordinary people—those who never pursued combat professions and lived mundane lives—

Actually lived the longest.

Most could reach the end of their natural lifespan, often surpassing a hundred years.

After all, the majority of people could at least reach Level 3.

While not everyone attained a lifespan of 150 years, it wasn’t far off.

If they died naturally, living past a century was no issue.

In contrast—

Powerful combat professionals tended to have much shorter lifespans.

Looking at them, most had only years or decades left.

Perhaps they would inevitably die in some battle... or unforeseen accident.

The path of leveling demanded action—

And action required risk.

One risk wasn’t fatal.

But repeated risks?

The odds of death rose dramatically.

So paradoxically—

The powerless often lived longer than the strong.

For this one to still have fifty years...

That was unusually long.

"Nice skin."

"But you’re a mage, right?"

"If that’s the case..."

Whoosh!

In an instant, he appeared right in front of Kanzaki Rei.

With a thought—

The air itself became heavy!

「Thick Rock Shear Execution (Fifth Tier) (Lv. 401)」

BOOM!

In a single moment, the atmosphere turned a deep ochre hue!

The air condensed into a massive, crushing current of stone-like wind—

Wind imbued with immense mass!

At the very moment of contact, the opponent’s body twisted violently, as if thrown into a cement mixer—spinning uncontrollably, shredded with countless wounds!

"You think that’ll work?!"

Yet as his body twisted—

Mana began flowing into him!

His injuries regenerated instantly!

He charged straight at Kanzaki Rei!

From above, Elyria cried out in alarm:

"A Devourer?!"

"What’s that?" Rhine asked.

"A relic class from ancient times. A twisted profession—obsessed with consuming magic."

"They can directly devour spells and convert them into their own power."

"But Devourers themselves can’t control mana, so they can’t cast spells."

"So they hunt mages—consume their magic, devour their mana."

"High-level Devourers are the natural enemies of mages."

"Though I heard their numbers dwindled after being hunted down by mage factions... I didn’t expect one to still exist."

"And it even has a Devourer’s skin..."

Rhine frowned. "Are they that strong?"

"...Against mages? Absolutely. Even a Level 4 Devourer can kill a Level 6 mage."

"Magic is their food. The stronger the spell, the more ’nutritious’ it is. And after consuming it, they can unleash even greater combat power."

Rhine glanced back at Kanzaki Rei.

"But... he’s not a pure mage, is he?"

"I saw him fight that Flame Charger—his combat techniques were strong too."

Unknowingly, Rhine and Elyria had grown quite close.

Neither liked unnecessary conflict.

Both valued integrity and justice.

Compared to a certain perpetually secretive individual...

They found each other far easier to get along with.

After launching his spell, Kanzaki Rei immediately retreated.

This was a newly created spell—

A form only possible after mastering Omni-Structured Transformation.

"...So he actually ate my magic."

Ansu’s voice echoed:

"That’s a Devourer. They grow stronger by consuming magic."

"But you’re not a pure mage. He can’t deal with you easily."

"...I see."

Kanzaki Rei stepped back again.

In an instant—

Wind and lightning surged!

Lightning liquefied into a rolling sea of thunder—

Then vanished entirely, dissolving into the atmosphere itself, permeating every corner of existence!

「Reverse Transcendence Wind-Thunder Domain (Fifth Tier) (Lv. 401)」

"Useless!"

"Useless useless useless!"

The Devourer’s body surged with mana, absorbing every spell into itself.

Its power skyrocketed!

Kanzaki Rei’s magic caused no damage—

Instead, it only made the enemy stronger.

Elyria’s pupils shrank.

"What... is he doing?"

"Doesn’t he know that’s a Devourer?"

Who fights a Devourer by spamming spells?!

Even if you were a pure mage, that would be suicidal—

But he wasn’t!

He clearly had powerful combat techniques!

So why wasn’t he engaging directly?

Whoosh—!

The winds howled violently!

Kanzaki Rei retreated at high speed, launching waves of ice pillars behind him!

The Devourer pursued relentlessly!

So it really can consume magic...

I wonder—can it consume Origin Magic too?

With a thought—

Five clusters of chaotic, formless energy gathered in his hand.

「Fifth-Tier Origin Magic: Void Collapse」

Thud—!

A sphere that warped space itself shot forward!

This was an Origin Magic inherited from Xu Zhou!

Space caved inward—

Everything was dragged toward the collapsing singularity!

Void Collapse—

A spell capable of tearing apart and devouring everything into fractured voidspace.

Its destructive power was immense.

Though, in truth—

Kanzaki Rei had no shortage of lethal techniques.

Which ironically made this terrifying spell feel... somewhat redundant.

At this moment—

The Devourer was completely engulfed.

"Do you think mastering Origin Magic makes you invincible?!"

"The creed of a Devourer is to devour even the origin itself!"

He spread his arms wide!

The Origin Magic began collapsing inward—

Flowing into his body as streams of energy!

"...Tch."

No wonder they were called a mage’s worst nightmare.

Any mage who faced one would die with their eyes wide open.

Still...

Interesting.

The moment Void Collapse was devoured—

Kanzaki Rei immediately conjured dozens more.

Layer upon layer, they surrounded the Devourer!

Whoosh—!

Both moved at extreme speed!

One chased—

One fled.

Yet even after absorbing so much power—

The Devourer still couldn’t match Kanzaki Rei’s speed.

He really can eat endlessly...

Kanzaki Rei flicked a Core toward him.

Seeing the incoming Core, the Devourer sneered.

Just as he thought—

Fire? He used fire.Wind and lightning? He used wind and lightning.

This man...

Loved fighting in his opponent’s domain.

Arrogant.

But unfortunately—

A Devourer’s dominance over magic wasn’t that simple.

With a sudden snap—

His mouth split open grotesquely—

And he bit down on the Core!

...He just ate it?

Kanzaki Rei had expected him to try absorbing it—

Not devouring it whole.

That Core contained his entire system of constructs.

Could he really digest that?

The Core was swallowed—

And in the next instant—

The Devourer’s face twisted in agony!

"No! What is this?!"

He couldn’t digest it!

What kind of magic was this?!

It wasn’t just magic—

There were combat techniques, layered constructs, countless overlapping systems embedded within!

Chaos erupted inside his body!

...Sigh.

Wasn’t this just suicide?

Kanzaki Rei had only intended to probe for information.

As for the battle itself—

He wanted to see how much magic the Devourer could consume... and where its limit lay.

Now, he had his answer.

Since this one served Elthymis—

Then let’s test its limit properly.

He canceled the undigested Core.

Then—

His mana erupted.

Like an ocean in upheaval—

It surged outward in a massive explosion!

Across heaven and earth—

Layer upon layer of magic circles formed—

In an instant, over one hundred thousand arrays materialized!

Come on...

Above and below—

There was nowhere without magic.

In a single moment—

Kanzaki Rei unleashed ten thousand different spells simultaneously!

The Devourer, barely recovering from agony, looked up—

Only to see an overwhelming tide of magic descending upon him.

"Come. Let me see..."

"...just how many spells a Devourer can consume before reaching its limit."

Whoosh—!

Magic engulfed him completely!

He began devouring frantically—

His body swelling, expanding uncontrollably!

At the same time—

He resisted. He struggled.

How could this man still be casting so much magic?!

After three consecutive battles—

Had his mana not been depleted at all?!