Am I a god-tier talent in all my professions?

Chapter 125 The Hidden Stronghold

hum-

From the sea to the clouds in the sky, even the streaks of fire flying across the heavens, and the stars in the night sky!
A flash of light appeared in the void!
This cylindrical space was instantly reduced to nothingness!

Only an empty, colorless zone remained.

This was magic that Messer had never heard of before and had no idea how it was achieved.

No, is this magic?
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this a miracle.

Izzy's gaze shifted to the side, where there was another Messer.

"The spell to store the soul in different bodies... is indeed very interesting. If you focus on studying soul magic, you should be able to become a good soul mage."

Messer looked at his body, which had been drained into nothingness and died.

I can no longer sense that body at all.

He yelled at Iz, "Iz!"

"Don't you want to know something!"

"What do you think you'll gain by killing me like this!"

"Yes, I do have something to ask you, which is why I kept 'you' here."

"Now……"

clatter--

And just as Izzy responded!
At Iz's feet, where the sea had not been drained, layers of magic circles lit up one after another!

Buzz buzz buzz buzz——

Thousands of magic circles lit up in a chain reaction; Messer had actually set up a massive magical array in this sea area! Hundreds of magic circles were interconnected and interacted with each other, meshing together like a precise instrument…

But that Messer was outside the area covered by the magic circle.

Iz glanced at the magic circle.

"The magic of transferring souls."

"It seems you've been preparing for this day for a long time."

Messer's face was grim as he placed his hand on his heart.

“My body has already endured too much… To prove the truth of the origin, my life is almost over.”

“Iz, you are the best choice I can think of after thinking it over.”

"Only the strongest magical genius can lead me to the very source."

"This is the only solution that leads me to the root of the problem."

Izparut: "It seems you made the wrong choice."

boom!
Countless colorful elemental lights rose into the sky!
The entire world was stirred up by a dense magical force!
Iz remained unmoved, while beneath her feet, the magical array that Messer had constructed was reversed and broken. In fact, each of these arrays, which Messer had been controlling, was gradually losing control and transforming into arrays controlled by Iz.

Superficial.

Powerless.

This is how Messer feels right now.

After years of meticulous preparation and planning, it all crumbled like a pile of sand that could be easily broken.

Just stand in front of him.

There's no way I could beat him in magic.

"Your magic is like a castle in the air... To trace its origins with such a flimsy foundation is to go astray."

"Messe, you've been on the wrong track from the very beginning."

Messer stared blankly at the reversed magic circle.

Completely ineffective?

Even though I've considered the possibility of failure, and the immense difficulties and near-death experiences my plans may face.

This result is still hard to accept.

"Why……"

Why is it ineffective?

"Perhaps it's because my skill in soul magic is slightly better than yours."

No, it's not just slightly better.

The magic array that was set up in advance was broken so easily; it's not something that can be solved simply by being one step ahead.

His magical skill in this area was far beyond what I could possibly achieve.

I'm a genius...

He was at least a genius.

hum-

Suddenly, I felt as if my soul had been struck a heavy blow.

Iz's voice echoed in my mind...

"Now, I'll ask, and you'll answer."

Messer felt dizzy and could only follow Izz's instructions involuntarily.

……

"Is Messer strong?"

Iz: "Not strong, his strength is only at the level of an average mage."

I wonder what standard Iz is referring to.

But it looks like he should win easily.

The opponent was clearly the number one criminal feared throughout the entire continent.

Izzy suddenly asked, "Lu Cang, if one day you find that in order to pursue the ultimate source, you must go against your original principles, what would you do?"

After thinking for a while, Lu Cang replied, "They'll probably take another path, like warriors or assassins."

"Oh, that's quite a decisive way to give up!"

Lu Cang said frankly, "After all, the purpose of pursuing the root cause is to better fulfill one's principles."

"If I have to do things against my conscience to gain power, then what's the point of having that power?"

“Izzy, I will never go astray like Messer.”

Iz: "As expected of my apprentice, a very good answer!"

“That’s right, the root is the root, and you are yourself… What we need to do is explore the root, but that doesn’t mean we should lose ourselves on this path.”

"Tell me, what new insights have you gained during this time?"

"I've heard you've already mastered Root Magic. Let me see your Root Magic."

……

The reunion left Lu Cang feeling like he had so much to say.

Moreover, Lu Cang could talk for a long time about the improvements he had made during this period, such as flesh and blood magic, void magic, self-created magic, and the rituals he had found...

It's great to have a mentor you can talk to with confidence.

Lu Cang doesn't need to worry about being killed and robbed by Iz, nor does he need to worry about being imprisoned and suppressed for possessing some evil magic.

He is such a trustworthy mentor.

To save his apprentice from danger, he would travel thousands of miles to hunt down Messer...

Its very existence is reassuring to an almost frightening degree.

He is truly a master who never disappoints.

I shared my insights from the past few days with Izzy, and the unique perspectives he shared quickly sparked new inspirations.

However, the two didn't talk for long.

A crimson figure descended beside the two.

"Iz, you're finally back."

Oh! Chi Cheng has been refreshed.

"Yes, I heard about it from Obades. You guys uncovered traces of the Church of Death, right..."

Chi Cheng: "It was dug out by Kumironi."

"To be precise, it was Lu Cang who noticed the signs."

Iz glanced at Lu Cang, her expression a mixture of surprise and approval.

Chi Cheng: "Let's go over there now. There are some rather sophisticated magical restrictions over there that are difficult to break."

The two paused for a moment, then looked at Lu Cang.

Chi Cheng: "Hehe, Lu Cang, do you want to come along?"

Lu Cang: "Me?"

"Yes, we cleared out a hidden stronghold of the Church of Death. It doesn't seem to be their core stronghold, and their core members have probably already evacuated."

“I plan to have Izzy check if there are any clues.”

Izparut: "If I can't find any clues, I'll go to Beatrice for another divination."

Don't you want to resort to divination unless you can't find any clues at all?
Lu Cang understood what Izparut meant.

Perhaps I should do the same.

"Okay."

Lu Cang thought for a moment and realized he didn't have anything else to do.

Following Iz and the others wouldn't be too dangerous.

If they can encounter danger, then the city within the circle is probably not safe either.

As the three spoke, they stepped onto the Heavenly Bridge. Flying was also prohibited within the city.

Not long after, they had already left the city.

Lu Cang hung on Chi Cheng's back; Chi Cheng didn't fly, he ran.

But with each step he took, he could shatter a patch of earth and leap dozens of kilometers.

The speed is ridiculously fast.

Now that his strength has increased again, Lu Cang is finally able to see clearly how Chi Cheng is traveling.

It's so far away.

Even at this pace, it still took nearly half an hour to arrive.

"This is no longer the territory of the Kingdom of Loren; it is an unclaimed wilderness."

"Use fire with caution."

Chi Cheng stopped in front of a cave, surrounded by a dense forest.

The cave before us looks like the stronghold of the Church of Death.

You can still see traces of the battle.

Following Chi Cheng into the cave, you can see that the cave walls on both sides are covered with bloodstains. Fortunately, we have experienced enough dungeons and have become resistant to this kind of scene.

The cave's structure is not complicated.

However, it can also be noted that the original entrance was restricted.

However, the restriction has now been broken.

Upon exploring further, I discovered that the interior was quite rich, with ritual altars for sacrifices, archives for storing documents, prison cells, and rooms filled with various books that were clearly used for missionary work.

And there were skeletons and internal organs everywhere.

It really is a cult stronghold.

However, this place has now been occupied by some clergymen in emerald robes.

"Kumironi".

“I brought Izzy with me, and also little Lu Cang.”

Chi Cheng greeted him from across the street.

"Finally home."

"And Little Lu Cang? Why did you bring Little Lu Cang to a place like this..."

“Lu Cang is no longer a child, and he also works as a codebreaker. Maybe he can help us discover something.”

No... I'm still a child at least physically.

Kumiloni sighed, "Alright."

Deciphering is a profession that involves studying secret documents, and it is not very common in the world.

Sometimes, things that other professions at level 5 or 6 can't do, a level 1 Secret Scroll profession can handle very well.

Just like a level 6 warrior, no matter how strong, is still not as good at farming as a level 1 grower.

Industry specializing in surgery.

In fact, Lu Cang's senses had already detected many secrets along the way.

This cave contains an extraordinary amount of things.

Especially those books that are considered cult classics...

Lu Cang walked to the statue in the very center.

The statue's face is blurred.

But you can barely make out that she is a young girl.

Although it was only in human form and had no other decorations, it exuded an aura of death and destruction.

Without needing to guess much, it was already clear that the statue pointed to the white of death and destruction.

Forbidden gods.

However, there is a secret hidden within this statue.

"Hidden: The Statue of Death"

"Hidden Object: A Hidden Space 20 Kilometers Away"

"Activation Method 1: Infuse 1 soul and offer it as a sacrifice."

"Method 2: Find the hidden spatial nodes and break them open."

"Kumironi".

“I’ve noticed that this statue seems to have a key feature that sets it apart from others…”

"The statue appears to be connected to a door that has not yet been opened."

Kumironi's senses immediately scanned the statue more carefully.

"Door?"

It is indeed a bit different.

Upon closer inspection, the sculptures seem to have created a spatial connection.

It's really quite secluded.

“Oh, I found it,” Iz suddenly said.

As she spoke, Izzy's figure flickered.

Then he disappeared from everyone's sight.

It seems they can solve it without much intervention from me.

Lu Cang then turned his attention to other objects. The secrets he found in this cave were more than he had seen since he became a decryption scholar.

"Hidden: Things Trapped in Death"

"Hidden knowledge: a method of extracting the soul from a living being and making it immortal."

"Hidden: A Prayer for the Dead"

"Hidden Knowledge: A secret method for praying to the white of death and destruction."

"Hidden Secrets: The Birth of a Saint"

"Hidden Use: Records a ritual that temporarily enhances spiritual strength by sacrificing souls."

……

Many secrets.

They are all about the secrets of death, various mystical methods, and rituals.

Most of the rituals are strongly associated with death and sacrifice. It's no wonder they're called the Church of Death.
"Little Lu Cang".

"We have found these letters."

Lu Cang took the letter, with its tattered paper and messy yet sharp handwriting, from Kumironi's slender, white hand.

"Secret: Letters to Millas"

"Hidden Item: A Conversation About the Final Sacrifice"

"Method 1: Master the ancient Ansu language and become proficient in the knowledge: Ono encoding"

The language used in the letter was not a common language.

Instead, they are some oddly shaped symbols.

It seems we need to crack this.

Even the knowledgeable Kumironi couldn't crack it, so it seems to be quite difficult.

"How's it going? Any leads?" Kumironi asked with a hint of anticipation.

"I have a slight clue."

"However, it may not be possible to fully decipher it in the short term..."

Lu Cang shifted his gaze to the bookshelf on one side.

On the bookshelf stood a copy of "On the Ancient Ansomi Language," while on the other side was a book titled "An Interpretation of Several Ancient Languages."

The knowledge hidden within this book is the "Ono coding".

It's true that there's always an antidote within seven steps of a venomous snake.

The knowledge to decipher the contents of this secret letter lies within this small room.

Lu Cang asked, "Kumironi, may I take a look at these books?"

"I think... the key to deciphering the contents of the secret letter might lie in these books."

Lu Cang asked Kumironi, who was standing to the side.

Kumiloni hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"The things recorded in these books may impact your worldview."

"But I think that as a mage who pursues the root of all things, Lu Cang, you should be able to distinguish between right and wrong in the book."

Fortunately.

In fact, Lu Cang was worried that Kumironi would think these were all children's horror books and wouldn't let him see them.

Seeing so many secrets... but not being able to crack them and obtain the hidden information makes one feel a bit cheated.

Many great things to this day are the result of cracking secrets.

It's impossible not to be tempted.

In particular, many of the hidden items look quite impressive.

Moreover, there is another important point: the strongest healing mage on the continent of Ruilen is right beside him. If he reads something he shouldn't see, glimpses some forbidden knowledge, or encounters some misfortune, Kumironi can also save him.

(End of this chapter)