Monsters could become human.

Kanzaki Rei had naturally considered that possibility himself, but there was far too little research available...

"You—tell me in detail."

"Haha, I knew you’d be interested in this."

"If monsters could truly be transformed into humans, who knows how much slaughter this world could avoid..." he said with a booming laugh.

At that moment, Kanzaki Rei felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity from the man before him.

Back then, he had never looked deeply into this person.

Once he obtained the puzzle, he had focused entirely on solving it, too lazy even to simulate the process of publicly releasing the answer.

There were too many things worth simulating. Rather than replaying something so trivial, it was better to spend that time deducing battle techniques, researching magic, or contemplating origins...

"My name is Eugene."

"I’m a Level 6 Cryptology Scholar. I solved an SS-Rank World Riddle on my own."

"You could say I’m your senior."

"But how old are you, really? Let me guess... twelve already?"

"You’re the youngest person I’ve ever met who might have solved a World Riddle. Of course, that assumes you really did solve it."

"The field I’m currently focused on is the transformation between monsters and humans."

Eugene...

Kanzaki Rei immediately thought of the Level 7 Alchemist he had encountered during simulation—Eukine.

In established history, he should have died.

Killed by the Golden Dragon.

Because of that, his research results had never seen the light of day, and the world had forever lost the medicine capable of granting monsters sapience.

At least, to this day, Kanzaki Rei had never heard of a second alchemist capable of developing such a potion.

Unexpected.

To encounter someone so similar here.

Yet the person before him was not a vampire, but an ordinary human with plain, unremarkable features. Only upon close examination could one notice that he bore perhaps a sixty percent resemblance to Eukine.

That degree of similarity was impossible to notice unless one deliberately looked for it.

Researching the transformation of monsters into humans...

Reincarnation existed in this world.

Only, once reincarnated, one forgot everything. Completely erased all traces of the previous life.

At that point, reincarnation was no different from absolute rebirth.

This man before him...

Could he really be the reincarnation of Eukine from thousands of years ago?

Kanzaki Rei extended a hand, a faint smile appearing.

"So you are Senior Eugene. I’m very interested in this subject."

"If we could collaborate, that would be ideal."

Seeing Kanzaki Rei’s open and straightforward demeanor, Eugene also reached out and clasped his hand.

Ding—

Eugene’s information surfaced within Kanzaki Rei’s mind.

Level. Talent. Skills mastered. Riddles solved...

Even his parents, and where they lived, all appeared one by one in Kanzaki Rei’s consciousness.

But there was nothing about reincarnation.

Of course...

A person’s previous life was not within the detection scope of Hidden Origin.

Still, Kanzaki Rei found himself feeling considerable goodwill toward this familiar stranger.

Though his time with Eukine had been brief, he had effectively been half a mentor in alchemy. The secret potion formulas obtained from him had been profoundly inspiring.

Without Eukine, Kanzaki Rei’s Alchemist class would likely have taken a much longer detour.

"Though... compared to researching that right now, I’d rather raise my Cryptology Scholar level first."

"Haha, easy enough."

"I understand. The higher your level, the clearer your thinking becomes."

"Leave the proof process to me. I’ll help publicize it."

"Rest easy—with my connections and methods, in no more than three days, I’ll make you truly feel you’ve completed the Principle."

"Then I’ll leave it in your hands." Kanzaki Rei replied with humble courtesy.

Publishing it through the White Tower had limitations. Because of its strict knowledge restrictions, only scholars could learn the knowledge housed within.

It was difficult to achieve a truly public effect.

And shouting it out himself would be too slow...

Something specialized like this was better left to professionals.

Kanzaki Rei casually handed over a money pouch.

Paying people to get things done was basic common sense.

Eugene didn’t refuse. He weighed the pouch in his hand, then gave Kanzaki Rei a reassuring gesture.

"Brother, leave this to me."

"I’ve helped promote not three or four Cryptology Scholars, but at least... well, three or four of them."

"I’ll handle it perfectly."

You shouldn’t have said that.

The moment you did, it somehow felt deeply unreliable.

Three or four... was that even a large number?

Whatever.

Even if it goes badly, the loss won’t be that great.

"As for this hypothesis, let’s discuss it together after you truly become a Level 6 Cryptology Scholar."

"But if you’re genuinely interested, I suggest checking the sixth tier of the White Tower. Look for research on Monster Transformation Theory."

"It might help with our deductions later."

Kanzaki Rei nodded.

"Understood. Thanks for the reminder. I’ll look into it."

The two parted ways.

Kanzaki Rei let out a long breath.

At last...

The Cryptology Scholar class could move to the next stage.

It only required a few days now for his solution to ferment and spread.

During that time...

Kanzaki Rei looked into the distance.

Then his figure began to flicker.

Shua! Shua! Shua!

Across the Land of Hollow Valleys, his body flashed like teleportation, sweeping across city after city at astonishing speed as he moved toward the central region.

The closer he approached the center, the more he could feel a faint but undeniable force of attraction.

And that pull increased abruptly.

If one misjudged their strength and rushed too close to the center recklessly—

There was a real possibility of never escaping again.

Shua—

Another instant flash.

Kanzaki Rei appeared high in the sky, overlooking the abyssal rift below.

The gravitational pull here was already terrifyingly strong.

Even as a Level 5 Warrior, with a peerless body capable of confronting a Level 8 Warrior head-on and surviving without instant death, he could still feel the force that nearly prevented him from escaping.

This...

was the so-called entrance to the Falling Abyss.

Terrifying attraction.

And once entered—

There was no return.

Only endless descent inward forever.

Its properties resembled something he had learned on Earth to an uncanny degree—

A black hole.

In simulations of the future, Kanzaki Rei had attempted many times to enter the Falling Abyss and explore.

But the desperate answer had always been the same.

Once one fell into the Abyss—

There truly was no coming out.

The only way to leave was with the enchantment he had acquired:

[Enchantment: Abyss Walking]

The reason he had rushed to the White Tower for that enchantment in the first place was precisely to prevent accidentally falling into that irredeemable place.

Though—

His purpose was not to enter the Falling Abyss.

Near the entrance to the Abyss...

There existed ruins connected to the Primordial Forbidden Magic.