Chương 188

Mumud slowly recovered from shock to ecstasy as he saw hope of reaching his human race again and that too with a body that was incomparable to his previous body. He felt as much happiness as when he married his beloved in the Siren kingdom in his later years.

"We just need a divine catalyst now," Rudra grinned.

"So, you don't need to worry. I'll hunt down some materials with divine energy and make a catalyst that can balance this demonic core. Just make sure you are completely prepared for when I return." Mumud slowly recovered from absolute shock to pure ecstasy. He finally saw a real, tangible hope of reclaiming his humanity, and with a body that would far surpass his original one. He felt a rush of happiness he hadn't experienced since his peaceful days in the Siren Kingdom.

"Thank you, My Lord," Mumud said, immediately dropping to kneel. Rudra stepped forward and caught the Lich by the shoulder, stopping him before his knees hit the stone. He had completely anticipated the reaction. The witches watched the entire exchange in total silence. Elara stood near the front of the crowd, her eyes darting between Rudra and the undead Lich. They were watching a guy in a ripped trench coat casually chat with an undead Mage about rewriting the laws of reality to turn him back into a human.

It made zero sense to them. Mumud stood back up. He slowly closed his jaw, looking at Rudra's hand where the perfectly balanced divine and demonic aura had just faded.

"How... how are you doing that?" Mumud whispered.

"I slapped a Great Demon," Rudra shrugged.

"Long story. The point is, the third path is open." Standing a few feet away, Elara placed a hand over her cheek.

"So he slaps Great Demons as well, huh?" she muttered blankly to herself. Mumud slowly shook his head.

"Even so... the theory is completely unproven. It breaks every known law of magic. My teacher, Braham, reached the absolute peak of magical understanding. Even he never attempted something so reckless." Rudra crossed his arms.

"Let's talk about Braham for a second." Mumud stiffened slightly at the mention of his old teacher.

"Braham created Enhanced Magic, right?" Rudra asked.

"Yes," Mumud nodded, his hollow voice filled with complicated respect.

"It is a powered-up magical formula. It focuses on greater firepower and more efficient spell casting. It is considered to be the absolute best magic in the world. It outclasses the methods of every other Legendary Great Magician." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Mumud pointed a bony finger in the air, lecturing like a proud student.

"His method is capable of increasing a spell's power tenfold while maintaining an acceptable mana cost. It is incredibly complex. Even the most talented mages struggle to comprehend it. It more than triples the power of normal magic without any big downsides."

"Right," Rudra said.

"It's a masterpiece. It's the best magic formula in the world." Rudra paused. He looked right into Mumud's eyes.

"But Braham still only became a Legendary Great Magician," Rudra said.

"He didn't become a Magic Saint." Mumud frowned.

"There is no such thing as a Magic Saint."

"There weren't any Saints in the beginning until the Pioneers carved out the path," Rudra pointed out.

"So why can't you pioneer the Magic Saint class? Look at me. I'm pioneering the path of a Cooking Saint." Mumud didn't say anything. He just listened.

"I talked to an Elder about this a while back. He explained the difference to me," Rudra said.

"Do you want to know the difference?"

"Legends and Saints both reach the absolute peak," Rudra explained, waving his hand.

"But they walk completely different paths to get there. A Legend relies on powerful foundations. A Legendary Blacksmith tames legendary minerals to forge a legendary sword. A Legendary Swordsman relies on grand, legendary swordsmanship." Rudra thought back to his time cooking in the kitchen, forcing low-tier, basic ingredients to taste like high-tier meals using just his skills.

"They use overwhelming tools and skills to produce an even more overwhelming result," Rudra continued.

"Braham used an incredibly complex, overwhelmingly powerful formula to get his results. He still relied on magic formulas" Mumud slowly lowered his hand.

"But a Saint does the opposite," Rudra said softly. His voice carried across the quiet courtyard.

"A Saint takes the weak and pushes it beyond its natural limits. A Blacksmith Saint takes a chunk of normal, cheap iron and folds it until it can clash against a legendary sword. A Sword Saint takes a basic, clumsy downward swing and elevates it until it can split a mountain." Rudra tapped his chest, right over his heart, remembering what Althea had told him when he cooked unique-rated noodles using the cheapest ingredients possible.

"A Legend relies on rare things. A Saint takes the ordinary and pushes it to the legendary," Rudra said.

"I am following this path. I want you to progress on this path as well. It is the best way to reach the level of the gods. And the one major secret that I can give you... is to use your Will." Mumud stared at Rudra. The undead Lich was completely motionless. The magical theory he had strictly studied for hundreds of years was being completely ripped apart by his Lord.

"Because of potential," Rudra said, repeating the Elder's words perfectly.

"Braham will eventually hit the ceiling of his own formula. He will have to take a different, much more difficult path if he ever wants to progress. But a Saint's limit-breaking has no ceiling. It just gets harder the higher you go." Rudra stepped closer. He lowered his voice.

"But imagine what happens if a Blacksmith Saint takes a legendary mineral, and somehow breaks its limits? Or a Sword Saint takes a legendary swordsmanship, and pushes it even further?" Mumud's empty eyes flared with understanding.

"They would rival the gods."

"Exactly," Rudra whispered.

"If a Saint can exceed the limits of legendary materials or skills, they can become a God of their craft. A true God, who doesn't need anyone to worship them to hold their power."