I Ascend to the Divine Throne through Arcane Means

Lis did not respond aloud, but rather started to pursue the source of the voice.

However, the voice echoed in every corner of the temple, and Lis simply could not discern its origin.
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"What are you searching for, young man?"

The authoritative voice rose again, seemingly mocking Lis's ignorance.

Without paying heed, Lis hesitated a moment before taking action and began searching the temple.

"Hey, hey! Aren't you curious about who is speaking to you?"

The figure suddenly seemed somewhat anxious, no longer maintaining the previous sense of dignity and solemnity.

Finally, Lis spotted his target, pulling out a clump of black, furry creature from behind a humanoid statue.

"Let go of me, let go—watch out, I'll bite you!"

The furry ball struggled fiercely in Lis's hand, trying to escape his grasp, but despite Lis now having only the physical abilities of an ordinary person, restraining a small kitten was still quite easy.

Yes, what Lis was holding was indeed a black kitten, a small and adorable one with no other colors marring its pitch-black fur, and its eyes a peculiar amber color.

Lis picked up the little cat and shook it gently, curious.

This should not be happening. He had thought that the temple of the Wisdom God would have some special arrangements left behind, as the system task had hinted at a special trial, such as the memories left by that Legendary Arcanist.

As for why Lis was certain that the voice echoing through the temple was not that of the "Wisdom God"?

It was simple because the voice was just the most ordinary of human voices, with no extraordinary power present.

Lis was sure of this; although his body was now merely that of an ordinary person, his spiritual power remained, and he could clearly discern the difference.

The power of deities is beyond imagination, and so is that of a Legendary Arcanist. Lis didn't believe that the setup specifically left in the temple would be so simple; the voice just now must have been a mere mischievous act of the black cat.

After all, "Divine Word" is one of the representatives of Divine Power, holding an irresistible force over ordinary people and even Low-level Professionals; "Decree Technique" was created in imitation of that Divine Power.

Upon entering the temple, Lis had felt the hidden power within, but the voice that suddenly appeared had no special power, and Lis, with his many unique experiences, would not be fooled so easily.

"Who are you?"

Lis pinched the back of the black cat's neck tightly with his right thumb and index finger and pondered aloud.

He certainly did not believe that an ordinary black cat would appear in this temple without reason.

Or rather, in a temple filled with Extraordinary Magic, an ordinary black cat would itself be very special.

Moreover, this place was the Dream Space; there could be no ordinary cats that had accidentally wandered in.

"Huff!"

The black cat did not answer Lis's question but continued to struggle, flailing its pink-padded little paws in mid-air as if trying to escape Lis's clutches.

After thinking it through, Lis let go of his right hand, allowing the black cat to drop to the ground.

Once free, the black cat darted behind the statue of the old man, leaping onto its head to perch there.

Seemingly feeling safe in this spot, out of reach of Lis's threats, the black cat reverted to its prior state and said with its head held high,

"Young man, do you realize that you are offending the Wisdom God?"

"Are you the Wisdom God?"

Lis asked cooperatively; this black cat must be related to the Wisdom God.

"...I am the messenger of the Wisdom God, and to offend me is to offend the Wisdom God Sphinx."

"Please forgive my rudeness."

Lis nodded slightly, it seemed that this talking black cat was indeed a setup by that Legendary Arcanist.

When he had the black cat in his hands earlier, he had felt carefully, and its body was not made of flesh and blood but was like an elemental incarnation, akin to sprites.

The black cat itself must be an even more special existence.

However, this black cat didn't seem very smart, so Lis decided to go along with it to understand the situation first.

"Humph!"

The black kitty's head lifted even higher, as if it had finally regained its dignity.

This person is really strange, the previous people who came in seemed to be afraid of me, but he dared to catch me with his hands directly.

But it seems that he has finally succumbed to the majesty of the Wisdom God.

"Respected messenger of the Wisdom God, may I ask where this place is? Why have I come here?"

Lis bowed slightly, asking with a face full of respect.

"Oh, this is....."

"Cough cough… This is the Wisdom God Sphinx's temple, the legacy of the Wisdom God is here, waiting for every lucky person who comes here."

The black cat felt that it needed to maintain a certain image, so it jumped down from the top of the statue and landed on the outstretched right hand of the human figure, continuing in that solemn voice.

"How can I obtain the Wisdom God's legacy?"

Lis continued to ask, carefully observing the black cat and the statue before him.

The black cat felt something was amiss. The people who came before were excited and full of desire when they heard about the legacy of the Wisdom God, but this person in front of it was so calm.

With no experience, it had no choice but to say:

"By passing through the three trials of the Wisdom God, the ultimate legacy will be yours."

"Work hard, young man!"

The black cat said in an old-sounding voice, but the contrast with its current appearance was all too evident.

How could a divine being leave behind a legacy? Could it really be the Legendary Arcanist Sphinx?

Why must it go by the alias of the Wisdom God? Could it be relevant to his legacy?

A myriad of thoughts flitted through Lis's mind in an instant, and he continued to ask:

"Your Highness Wisdom God Sphinx, are you truly a divine being? Why do I not feel the presence of divine power within this temple, but instead, it is filled with a strong magic power?"

The black cat fell silent for a moment, then earnestly shook its head:

"No need to ask more, if you can obtain the legacy, you will naturally understand all of this."

"Then, may I ask, messenger, what is the legacy of the Wisdom God?"

Seeing that the black cat was unwilling to talk, Lis did not pursue the matter further.

"You will know when you take the trial, there's no use in talking more about it."

The black cat shook its head firmly, appearing to adhere to some sort of rule.

Lis thought for a moment and didn't seem to have anything else to ask; it looked like this black cat wouldn't say anything more, and the only thing left was to accept the trial?

Calming himself, Lis prepared to begin the Wisdom God's trial.

Just then, the voice of the black cat reached Lis's ears.

"What is your name?"

"Lis Kain."

Lis looked at the black cat with a bit of surprise, gaining a new understanding of the black cat's wisdom.

"Lis Kain…"

The black cat sitting on the right hand of the statue tilted its head, speaking in a somewhat ethereal voice:

"May the Wisdom God bless you, and I hope you can make it to the end."