“I have what you requested. It took quite an effort to complete this. Mother’s mind was a mess,” Clarissa said to Viers who appeared in front of her.

“I expect as much. The tearing between her and you was not gentle. I’ll take what I can.”

Kala’risyah -before Viers bestowed the name Clarissa upon her- was a unique existence. Viers found her already in soul form, her flesh long returned to the earth. The caveat was that she also had another soul latched onto hers. The Lamia Queen, Kala’risyah’s mother.

Because of a certain... disagreement, Viers robbed the Queen’s most prized treasure and kidnapped her daughter.

Viers never did know the full picture of what transpired between this mother and daughter pair. Clarissa wasn’t inclined to share either so what he knew was limited. She was a former Level 5 from 9000 years past, from the era called the Age of the Gods and she didn't have a good relationship with her mother. Clarissa even seemed glad to be separated from the Lamia Queen.

Unlike her mother, she was affable to Viers. Viers considered her his friend. That was why she was here with Farley, Paina, and the ever sleeping Gwen, people he attempted to return to the land of the living.

But because of so many unknowns Viers was still wary against her so unlike the girls, she was put in a golden cage.

“Alright, teach me.” Viers' eyes were glowing like a child receiving his Christmas present.

“Very well. This is the best investigative Arte of my people, even I wasn't qualified to learn it. Wisdom Snake’s Unveiling Gaze. Let falsehood and illusion cloud your eyes no more.” Clarissa said with pride.

***

Clarissa was a fountain of ancient and powerful Artes.

Before her death she was a Level 5, the peak of mortal existence could achieve. Naturally, Viers desired those powerful techniques. If a Level 1 like him could use the Artes of a Level 5, even if he couldn't truly replicate its power, he would have no enemies in the same Level that could rival him.

However, as Viers expected, it wasn't that easy.

Clarissa was a fire Pathseeker. Her Artes obviously were fire Artes. Something Viers with water and soul affinity couldn't use.

And yet there was another way.

According to her, the Lamia Queen knew almost all the Artes of the Lamia race. Clarissa told him she still had partial and fragmented memories of her mother’s. Using the remaining portion, Clarissa could try to compile Artes and then pass it on to Viers although it would take a long time to complete even one of them.

With the facts before him, Viers' first request was an investigative Arte.

“Lord Viers, why did you choose a supportive Arte? Why didn't you choose a highly destructive Arte for your water or soul affinity?” Farley asked when he told Clarissa his first request.

“So I won’t miss an opportunity,” Viers did not clarify further.

His reason of choice stemmed from xianxia stories he read in the past. The fact that he was a reincarnator was not something he would share with anyone.

In the stories, the MCs often could see what others could not, feel something others do not. It could be because of their ‘spirit sense’ which was more powerful than normal, or they got special eyes, or the ‘spirit mentor’ inside their head spoon-fed them directly.

Because of that sharp perception of theirs, the MCs could find a treasure other people think as trash. When they found a hidden tomb, they could discern the right way to the deepest area in the trial of fire and pick the most valuable treasure in the vault.

In another scenario, the MC could unveil some bad guy disguising themself as another or detect a hidden danger. Afterwards, the MC foiled the bad guy's plot, saved the kingdom, and scored the princess. The king was grateful then bestowed the MC a secret technique or a powerful treasure.

Anyway, each of those was a tremendous opportunity to raise one’s strength. Viers was still weak, he still had a long way to go before he could stand shoulder to shoulder with the foremost experts of the world. He refused to let any of those chances escape his grasp. The sooner he had paranormal radar the better.

For the next few hours, Clarissa taught Viers how to use the long-named Arte.

Viers found it ironic that how to cast an Arte had similarities to mathematical formulas. It went like this: number combined with number produced result, that result was the effect of an Arte.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Suppose number 5 was a fireball. The Arte formula to achieve that could be 2+3. Naturally, 1+4 or 10-5 or 1x5 gave the same results, the same fireball.

The more powerful the Arte usually meant a more complex formula. To get 21.0781 would need 7.9082+9.6812+3.4887… He needed to accomplish that on the fly. This was why Pathseekers had to practice invoking their Arte regularly, so they could use the Arte smoothly in the heat of battle. For if there was an error in the invocation, an imperfection in the formula, a backlash would occur.

To create a new Arte meant experimenting with numbers. Would the Z from X+Y=Z give the desired Arte result or not.

What Clarissa taught Viers was the result number, the Z.

Naturally, by simply knowing the Z didn't mean learning the Arte. There were more rules and complications involved but now Viers had a guiding light from a lighthouse in the pitch-black sea. He knew the direction he should go.

Who would have thought I'd have to polish my mathematics in a medieval-era fantasy world? My university calculus grade is just C minus damn it! Why can’t it be grandiose chanting or traditional spellcasting? Did I reincarnate in the wrong world?

Despite the grumble, Viers spared no effort to learn the Arte. He got a second chance in life, he doubted he would get a third. Farley and Paina watched from nearby but didn't disturb them. Over time, with Clarissa’s guidance, Viers managed to invoke it at last.

“Wisdom Snake’s Unveiling Gaze!!”

Viers opened his eyes in the real world and saw a whole other world. The feeling was exhilarating, like seeing the very fabric of creation.

“You did it!” Clarissa said from inside his mind.

“Congratulations Lord Viers. Your might grows further.” Farley followed.

“Wow, this is so spectacular.” Paina and the others saw what Viers saw using the V-streaming service and were impressed by the revelation.

...Awesome… but I have seen, experienced, something similar, Viers thought without letting them know.

He could see far like using a binocular, could see small like using a magnifying glass. He had a vision that pierced through walls. He saw mana in the air and the Victa inside a person. He saw traces of magic like spilled coffee on a white floor. He saw a colorful world yet black and white at the same time.

So this is how Ezio sees the world… now I have it too! ‘To see sounds and hear shapes’, is it? Truly extraordinary.

“Look at a mirror Viers,” Clarissa urged.

“Oh? Right,” Viers acquiesced. At a nearby table mirror, he saw his eyes when he was using the long-named Arte.

“...Dragon eyes? No, snake eyes… kinda pretty.”

The pupils of his eyes were no longer a circle but a vertical slit like a reptile. Formerly brown, the irises now glowed viridian green with shades of rainbow.

“That’s unexpected. Your eye color should turn watery blue because of the water affinity, perhaps the green represents your soul affinity?” Clarissa pondered.

No, it is some other thing, Viers corrected the lamia but kept the thought for his own. Viers wasn't keen on sharing all of his secrets.

“A bit showy. It's rad but will need extra precaution when using it in front of witnesses. Coolness has its price, but I’ll take the deal.” Viers showed his approval.

“Pheew…” Viers relaxed and cut off the Arte, the eyes returned to normal. He dived into his realm of consciousness again to talk with the girls face to face.

“Good job invoking the Arte but you have not fully mastered this Arte. You have only scratched the surface, keep practicing with it.” Clarissa warned.

“Got it, and I’ve got an announcement. Ever since you told me the Arte name is Wisdom Snake’s Unveiling Gaze, I’ve been thinking about an easier to say name. I hope you find no issue with this?” Viers asked Clarissa.

“It's yours now. Do as you will with it. It's not as if there are any other users of the Arte out there... Besides, you already did similar things before.”

“Glad to hear it. From now on I dub this Wisdom Snake’s Unveiling Gaze as Euryale Sight.”

“Question, who’s Euryale?” Paina asked.

“She is one of three snakes siblings. There’s a story about her. Euryale was the second daughter among three female siblings. She and the eldest were born immortal while the youngest was born mortal. People treated them as monsters and goddesses at the same time. Time passed and the sisters retreated to an island, living in each other's company.”

The three girls listened with attention.

“Although they lived secludedly, humans, especially males, kept coming to the island. To kill the monsters… or to wed the goddesses, there are many versions of the story. Anyway, they came and the sisters killed them.”

“Their reputation grew and they became a menace. Then the gods bestowed boons to a particular hero. The hero killed the youngest because she was mortal and cut off her head.”

Viers moved his hand across his neck as a gesture.

“The eldest and Euryale were furious and tried to kill the hero but one of the boons from the gods was a cap that granted invisibility. The two failed to find him, the hero carried the beheaded head off the island and returned triumphantly, showered by the praises of the masses. He became a king and had many descendants.”

From their faces, especially Clarissa's, Viers knew the hero didn't leave a good impression on the girls.

Oh Perseus, I don't know if I should hate you or not.

“Grieving, Euryale later developed a divine ability to see through smokes and mirrors, to pierce through the mists of falsehood… thus I shall call Wisdom Snake’s Unveiling Gaze as Euryale Sight henceforth.”

The last part of the story is just my interpretation but who can say it didn't happen?

“Snake goddesses… I wonder what they look like,” Clarissa the lamia’s mind going places.

“Euryale and the eldest sister have similar appearances as if they were twins. Petite girls, 134cm tall and 30kg weight. They wore snow-white goth loli dresses and had purple hair in twin tails. I gotta go, bye-bye.”

Viers skedaddled.

The confused girls looked at each other.

“That’s unnaturally specific. Did he meet them in the flesh before?” Paina guessed.

“What’s a goth loli?” Clarissa tilted her head. The other two had no answer.