Chapter 85: Knowledge Is Power

Orochimaru slowly opened his eyes, and the familiar Main God Space came into view; by now, all the wounds on his body had completely healed.

"Fugaku should have returned by now, right?" This thought flashed through his mind.

Orochimaru took a deep breath and slowly exhaled: "Hah, although the World Level is high, the difficulty doesn't seem to be much greater than the tasks in the One Piece World." Orochimaru murmured softly, his voice carrying a hint of weariness.

He thought of the task in the One Piece World; back then, he had just entered the Main God Space, but the task's difficulty had been just right, forcing him to use all his methods.

But this time, even though his strength had greatly increased, the task's difficulty still pushed him to his limit.

"Is this a coincidence?" Orochimaru asked softly, his eyes turning sharp. "Or does the Main God have some way to accurately measure our abilities, thereby precisely setting the task difficulty?"

"Does the Main God seem to be deliberately forcing our potential?"

Orochimaru recalled the feeling of being on the brink of death in every task.

"Interesting, very interesting." Orochimaru said softly, his voice carrying a hint of excitement, "If that's the case, then what is the Main God's purpose? To cultivate stronger Reincarnators? Or..."

He suddenly paused, a flash of surprise in his eyes, "Is the Main God itself becoming stronger through our growth?"

Orochimaru began pacing back and forth, each step accompanied by his hurried thoughts. "If that's the case, then we Reincarnators are equivalent to the Main God's 'nourishment'?"

Orochimaru suddenly recalled his previous guess, his heart jolted, and he stopped in his tracks instantly.

"But, if the Main God can truly read our thoughts," Orochimaru's voice was almost inaudible, "then are these guesses of mine now completely clear to it?"

Orochimaru looked at the huge Light Sphere emitting a soft glow, but the Light Sphere still hovered there calmly, without any sign of abnormality.

"The Main God has no reaction at all..." He frowned, "Is it because my strength is too weak, not worth its attention at all?" Orochimaru pondered silently, "Or..."

"Has the Main God long anticipated that we would have such guesses, and all this is within its plan?"

Orochimaru took a deep breath and continued to deduce his thoughts: "Perhaps, the Main God doesn't care about our thoughts. It only cares about the results, only cares about what we can bring to it."

As long as it doesn't affect the completion of the task, as long as it can continue to provide "nourishment," the Main God won't interfere too much with their thoughts and actions.

Orochimaru's thoughts were like a winding river; suddenly, a new thought flashed through his mind like lightning. This thought made his heart suddenly race, and his breathing became rapid.

This thought was so bold that he didn't even dare to think deeply about it.

But it had already taken root and sprouted in his mind, constantly growing.

Perhaps, the Main God was not omnipotent. Furthermore, it was not as omniscient as they imagined.

"Regardless," Orochimaru silently made up his mind in his heart, "I must become stronger. Only with enough power can I continue to survive here, even..."

Orochimaru suppressed the thought in his heart and slowly walked toward the Light Sphere in front of him. As he approached, a Virtual Screen suddenly appeared before him, displaying the detailed information of this task: 【World: Fairy Tail】

【Type: Fantasy】

【Level: World Level Seven】

【Mission Evaluation A】

Main Mission Completed: 【Destroy R System】: 7000 Reward Points Side Mission Completed: 【The Fall of the Guild: Thoroughly Slay the Members of the Three Crows】: 10000 Reward Points 【The Fall of the Mastermind: Gerald's True Identity Discovered by the Magic Council】: 5000 Reward Points He scanned the content on the screen, his brows gradually furrowing; despite being directly hit by that attack, Gerald actually hadn't died.

"And, completing a Reincarnation Mission actually almost resulted in a loss?" Orochimaru muttered, his voice carrying a hint of dissatisfaction.

The Nuclear Bomb he had exchanged earlier cost 20,000 points; the rewards for this task seemed disproportionate.

The Main God seemed to be deliberately raising the price of one-time items, forcing Reincarnators to improve their own strength.

Immediately afterward, Orochimaru's gaze scanned back and forth over the rewards of the main and side missions, and he suddenly realized something.

"Compared to completing the main mission, the side missions seem to yield more Reward Points, and..."

Thinking of this, Orochimaru took out a Scroll from his bosom.

With a soft "Bang," a Great Sword appeared in his hand out of thin air.

"Main God, I want to sell this sword." Orochimaru said, his tone calm.

【Karasu-Bi, Appraised as a Three-Star Weapon, Recycle Success, Obtained Exchange Points: 2000 Points】

"As expected, items from other worlds can not only be brought back but also sold." "Does this mean the Main God encourages destroying and plundering other worlds?" Orochimaru muttered softly, his brows slightly furrowed.

"It seems the Main God is not a righteous and kind character,"

"Could there be Reincarnators from other worlds entering our world to plunder?" His voice became low, carrying a hint of solemnity.

This thought sent a chill through Orochimaru. He once thought he only needed to face the tasks arranged by the Main God, but now it seemed the situation might be far more complex than he imagined.

If there truly were Reincarnators from other worlds, then their world, everything they were familiar with, could all become prey in others' eyes. This possibility stirred a strong sense of Crisis in Orochimaru's heart.

Orochimaru took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew that what mattered most now was to accumulate more strength.

Orochimaru opened the Mall interface, his gaze falling on his remaining points. "Only 20,000 points left?"

A new product list appeared before him, his eyes quickly scanning each item: 【Flame of Rebuke: 10000 Points】

【Death Concerto: 20000 Points】

【Autonomous Collapse Magic Array: 5000 Points】

Orochimaru's gaze wandered over these options, but was soon drawn to the last one:

【Skill: Celestial Spirit Magic Collection】

【Origin: Fairy Tail】

【Grade: Four-Star】

【Introduction: Includes the Heavenly Body Magic known by Gerald of Fairy Tail, such as Meteor, Seven Star Sword, Orion, True Celestial Spirit Magic: Star Collapse, and other powerful magics. These magics can manipulate the power of the stars and release world-destroying might.】

【Prerequisite: Intermediate Magic Power】

【Exchange Points: 150000】

"Celestial Spirit Magic..." Orochimaru murmured, a hint of longing flashing in his eyes. He recalled the astonishing power Gerald displayed when using these magics, and couldn't help but feel tempted.

However, Orochimaru soon calmed down. His gaze moved away from the introduction of the Heavenly Body Magic, and he fell into deep thought.

Directly purchasing a skill could quickly grant power, but Orochimaru had already experienced once the abilities directly instilled by the Main God.

Those abilities seemed to appear out of thin air; although they could be controlled freely, they lacked deep understanding.

"Gaining a skill is not as good as learning Knowledge." Orochimaru murmured, a hint of Determination flashing in his eyes.

As a researcher who had always pursued Truth, he knew well that only by truly understanding the principles could one use them flexibly.

Orochimaru's gaze swept over the shop interface once more, quickly locking onto two options:

【Magic Meditation Technique: 5000 Points】

【Magic General Knowledge Encyclopedia: 10000 Points】

"This is it." A glint of satisfaction flashed through Orochimaru's eyes. He chose these two items without the slightest hesitation.

As the exchange finished, Orochimaru felt a stream of information surge into his mind.

Knowledge concerning magic power circulation, meditation techniques, various basic magic theories, and the like surged forth like a tide — all knowledge that a Mage must know before learning magic.

Also, the Magic Seed that came with the Magic Meditation Technique allows a Reincarnator to cultivate magic power.

Opening his eyes, Orochimaru took a deep breath, experiencing this strange sensation. "Interesting,"

he murmured to himself, "although the knowledge has been memorized, truly understanding and applying it will still take time to slowly digest."

The corner of his mouth curled into a meaningful smile. "Magic and Ninjutsu, two different power systems — I wonder if there might be some common ground between them..."

The next second, Orochimaru spoke with a hint of anticipation: "Main God, I want to return."

(Chapter End)