"Look, I just reviewed the footage from the entire day. That Matthew Merlin only showed activity in the first few hours, but after that, he stayed in the same position, staring at that mysterious crystal without moving at all. Do you know what this means...?"
As soon as the words fell, one of the Creators snatched up the crystal ball and began rapidly reviewing the day's footage. Sure enough, it was exactly as described.
Suddenly, everyone fell silent. Zeiss stared at the crystal ball, his gaze growing increasingly grave.
"At first, he spent five hours to decipher the first Rune of Truth. His research methods weren't much different from other Creators. But after that, he started using other techniques.
Besides casting Sharp Mind and Mental Frenzy on himself, he also used another auxiliary spell I don't even recognize, which sped up his research several times over. That new spell probably negates most of the side effects of Mental Frenzy, keeping his mental strength in a state that's both excited and stable.
Still, that's not enough. He didn't record the key data, which means his research methods are already different from those of ordinary Creators. What is he using to record and calculate all that massive data?
The core secrets and data can't possibly be processed with magical instruments. Could he be using magus runes? But I don't recall any computational magus runes with such overwhelming power..."
Zeiss frowned in thought, and the other mages followed suit, but none could figure out what the real issue was...
The heated discussion lasted half an hour, but no one could understand why. Zeiss rubbed his forehead.
"There's no need for us to keep discussing. This is ultimately a good thing for us. After all, the more Runes of Truth Matthew Merlin deciphers, the more data he produces—and he'll have to hand over a copy to Astral Academy. That will be a huge help for our research on that mysterious crystal.
After so many years, our research into the Runes of Truth has hit a bottleneck. It's nearly impossible to continue. Damn it, can anyone figure out why the further we go with the Runes of Truth, the harder it gets and the longer it takes...?
Keep a close eye on Matthew Merlin. Set aside a crystal ball to record his entire research process here. Focus on him, but don't pry into anything outside of his work with the mysterious crystal. Whether we break through this bottleneck might depend on Matthew Merlin this time..."
Leon had no idea that the people at Astral Academy had already deduced from a single clue that his research into the Runes of Truth might have surpassed three. Right now, Leon was back in his room, sleeping soundly. It had been ages since he'd slept so well.
The stronger you become, the more your body and mind stay at their peak. Even when tired, you only need to close your eyes for a few minutes to recover completely. But this time, Leon slept for a full six hours...
For a Sky Rank powerhouse, that's utterly unbelievable. After transcending, they're practically a different species. As long as they're not seriously injured, they won't starve without food, won't tire without sleep, and always remain at their peak.
Not to mention, Leon had stepped out of the Gate of Rebirth, his body completely remade, achieving transcendence in the most perfect form...
Even so, he still slept for six hours. And while Leon slept, his soul was undergoing the fastest transformation and evolution since reaching Sky Rank. His mental strength was soaring, both in quality and quantity.
That's the benefit of achieving transcendence in the perfect form. No one knows how many advantages stepping through the Gate of Rebirth brings. All that's certain is the potential grows enormous, but beyond that, nobody knows—there's simply no record of it...
Now, one hidden benefit was already surfacing: extreme endurance, rapid recovery, and accelerated growth...
If an ordinary Sky Rank mage tried casting Mental Frenzy on themselves a dozen times, staying in that state for almost ten hours straight, they'd probably be suffering severe side effects by now—instead of just feeling tired and recovering after a nap...
The next morning, Leon woke feeling his soul had grown stronger. His mental strength was tougher, his magic and transcendent power had improved a bit, and his understanding of the laws had deepened. He could even faintly sense the wavelengths of spatial fluctuations around him...
Bear in mind, this was a completely sealed space. Sensing the spatial wavelengths here meant the secrets of this place might not be so safe anymore...
Leon was surprised by these changes.
Could there really be so many benefits to researching the Runes of Truth? Such a huge improvement in just one day? Or was it because of Mental Frenzy and Iron Heart? Or maybe it was the magitech array suit he used for researching the Runes of Truth?
A string of guesses flashed through Leon's mind, but he quickly set them aside. Time was extremely tight—he only had six months to study the Runes of Truth. After that, seeing the Whisper Crystal again might take another ten years...
After waking, Leon immediately resumed his research. On the second day, with the most refined method, his pace was even faster than the first—he deciphered five Runes of Truth.
On the third day... the fourth day... all the way to the tenth day, when Leon returned to his quarters, the Creators at Astral Academy gathered again. Watching the crystal ball's footage, each wore an expression as if they'd seen a ghost.
"It's already the tenth day. He's still the same as before, looking dazed at the mysterious crystal. But I counted—he only looked away from the crystal five times. Based on his research pattern, he deciphers a Rune of Truth in one go, then pauses briefly to mark something on his notes.
That means he probably cracked five Runes of Truth today—an absolutely terrifying speed..."
One of the Creators pointed at the crystal ball's footage, his eyelid twitching wildly as if witnessing something incomprehensible. His voice was bordering on frantic.
Zeiss pulled out several sheets of notes covered in key data.
"All this crucial data was recorded by Matthew Merlin over the past few days. When I analyzed it, each set pointed to the core data of a Rune of Truth. In total, it adds up to about fifty Runes of Truth!"
The Creators each examined some of the key data, their eyes filled with shock.
After all these years, their accumulated research data on the Runes of Truth could fill a library. The mysteries within each Rune of Truth are unique, and every researcher uncovers different aspects.
But one thing never changes—the core parameters of each Rune of Truth. No matter how it's developed, those core parameters remain a fixed value.
And this is the key: once you grasp it, unraveling the mysteries within each Rune of Truth becomes much easier. It also makes applying those alchemical secrets far simpler.
Without understanding those core parameters, even if you uncover some mysteries within a Rune of Truth, it won't be of much use.
And the Creators at Astral Academy had all hit a bottleneck. Their research had ground to a halt, or at best, slowed to a crawl—it might take years, even decades, to fully decipher a single Rune of Truth.
They began inviting outside Worldshapers to join the research, hoping to unlock new secrets within the Runes of Truth that they hadn't yet deciphered. It was a guaranteed win, and Astral Academy would benefit even more.
Ever since they acquired the Whisper Crystal, this was the first time in years that someone had managed to decipher fifty complete Runes of Truth in just ten days. It had scared Cyrus and the others out of their wits.
"Aside from Matthew Merlin, how are the other Worldshapers progressing? Maybe the runes appearing on the crystal this time are just the simpler ones..."
One Worldshaper asked calmly, but no one took it seriously. They just assumed the first batch of Runes of Truth that appeared contained mysteries they'd already partially researched, which explained the speed. If everyone was this fast, it would be considered normal...
Another Worldshaper nearby looked uneasy, pulling out a crystal tablet displaying a slew of data—all records about the Worldshapers currently researching...
"Redmosh: seven Runes of Truth in ten days. Katemosh: eight complete Runes of Truth.
Guregue: ten complete Runes of Truth. Albert: eleven complete Runes of Truth.
Alsar has researched...
In the end, aside from Matthew Merlin, Albert had the most complete Runes of Truth researched..."
Seeing these numbers, even Cyrus's expression turned grim. But as the highest-ranking figure here, he could only remain calm.
"Matthew Merlin is encountering the Runes of Truth for the first time, so it's understandable his early speed is faster. Albert isn't a first-timer—deciphering eleven in ten days is already impressive.
Keep a close watch on Matthew Merlin. Set aside three crystal balls to record all his research footage.
No, except when he's in his quarters. As soon as he enters, don't let the crystal balls record anything inside—best not to make him uncomfortable. He's a frightening guy.
By the way, according to intel, is Matthew Merlin really only thirty years old?"
After Cyrus spoke, the other Worldshapers were stunned. The youngest among them was already over five hundred years old. With a Sky Rank mage's long lifespan, five hundred years—even for a Rank One—was still considered peak.
Previously, everyone only paid attention to the alchemical side of things—who cared about mage ranks? After all, anyone who made it here was always Sky Rank. Cases like Grude were extremely rare.
"Lord Cyrus, are you joking? What kind of joke is this—Matthew Merlin is only thirty-something? I heard he was once the patriarch of a mage family, though he's stepped down now..."
One Worldshaper cried out in disbelief. Who would believe such a thing? Must be crazy...
Everyone's faces grew strange as another Worldshaper quickly checked the records.
"The records say Matthew Merlin is thirty-two this year, a peak Ninth-Rank Title Archmage, with explosive combat power rivaling a Sky Rank Tier Two powerhouse.
And he's not just any Worldshaper. Every staff and magical artifact he wields is self-made, proving his mastery over magical implements. He commands a legion of alchemical golems, and is often accompanied by a peak Level 39 alchemical golem—proof of his expertise in golemcraft...
Back in the Blazeforge Plane, he demonstrated formidable skill with alchemical arrays, and rumor has it his greatest strength is actually in alchemical potions...
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At this, the Worldshaper faltered, his hands shaking from fear. Previously, everyone focused solely on the Runes of Truth, ignoring everything else. Those tasked with guarding and researching here had their minds consumed by the Runes of Truth.
Worldshapers are a daily sight here—this time, there are a dozen or so, all Worldshapers. No one pays special attention to the title anymore...
But now, everyone was a bit stunned.
Cyrus's eyes suddenly flashed with surprise.
"What? The records say he's only at the peak of Ninth-Rank Title Archmage? Are you sure there’s no mistake?"
"No mistake. When he arrived at Neverwinter City, this was verified. Back then, Matthew Merlin fought Lefort of the Jackson Family. Though his combat power was impressive, he showed no sign of transcendent power—he was just one step away from transcendence..."
Cyrus’s expression shifted, his hand trembling as he drew a slow breath.
"Alright, I get it. When Matthew Merlin arrived in Neverwinter City, he left for a few days. It must have been during those days that he completed his transcendence. What a terrifying individual—to break through to Sky Rank in Odin Kingdom, and so close to Neverwinter City.
Yet our intelligence caught not a single hint—truly terrifying. When I saw him, he was just a few meters away. I could sense it clearly: a tremendous transcendent power lay dormant within him, far stronger than any ordinary Sky Rank mage.
But his control over that power is almost unbelievable. I even sensed spatial laws around him, masking all perception. Even I can’t gauge his true strength—only that he’s utterly fearsome.
The fools of the Jackson Family actually provoked such a figure. Even before Matthew Merlin reached Sky Rank, he could fight Lefort to a standstill. Now that he’s broken through, unless something unexpected happens, he’s very likely to kill Lefort.
Keep an eye on things. Don’t let those Jackson idiots go too far. I don’t want to see anyone die here, nor do I want to see Sky Rank mages fighting in this place."
Cyrus gave cautious orders, and immediately a crystal orb focused on Lefort.
Several Worldshapers wore strange expressions—even those who’d risked their lives for alchemy rarely cared about mage ranks, but now, even they were shaken...
A Sky Rank prodigy barely past thirty—who, according to records, wasted several years along the way. In other words, he broke through to Sky Rank in less than thirty years. And he’s a Worldshaper, an all-rounder in alchemy. This is simply beyond what a human should be capable of...
Cyrus gave the order with a stiff face, then turned and left the meeting room. Once outside, his expression twisted with shock—mouth agape, hands trembling. He was genuinely frightened.
Damn it—a Sky Rank Worldshaper in his thirties. Is this guy some kind of god or demon reincarnated?
Thirty years old—damn, when I was thirty, I was still celebrating my breakthrough to Title Archmage. The whole family threw a party, and even Sky Rank mages attended.
Damn it, this guy really is only thirty—and he’s already Sky Rank. How could the Kingdom of Andalusia produce such a monster? The record at Astral Academy is one hundred eighty-eight years for a normal Sky Rank breakthrough, specializing in a single field. The fastest ever was one hundred six years...
And yet, the youngest Worldshaper to reach Sky Rank was three hundred eighty years old...
Matthew Merlin accomplished all this in his thirties, and his research on the Runes of Truth progresses at a staggering pace.
A monster. Pure monster. If he survives, in a few hundred years, Astral Academy might be bowing to him.
Cyrus kept these thoughts buried, glancing back at the other Worldshapers and quietly instructing them: under no circumstances should this information leak. According to Astral Academy’s intelligence, Lin Yun is still listed as a peak Ninth-Rank Title Archmage...
Don’t be fooled by that last step—the gap is as vast as crossing the entire continent of Northend...
Cyrus considered reporting this, but thought better of it. This time, the focus was on Worldshapers and the Runes of Truth. Everything else could wait until after the gathering...