Train after magic-guided train rolled into St. Romanvia.
This continued until dusk, with a steady stream of young boys and girls still pouring out of the train station. Some had eyes full of confidence, others panic, but they all shared one thing in common: a longing for the future, for an adventure straight out of a storybook.
Roland stood right at the exit of the station.
He was waiting for someone.
Someone crucial to the story's plot.
Suddenly, a young girl caught his eye. Her long black hair was tied behind her head with a red ribbon, giving her a sharp, neat appearance. She radiated a razor-sharp presence, like a blade personified. Crimson eyes surveyed her surroundings with a hint of bewilderment, mixed with a trace of vigilance.
Her attire wasn't extravagant; a set of tight-fitting outfit accentuated her sharp, distinct aura even further.
Messiah Tanner—the true protagonist of this world.
She was also the key figure who, in the future, would cause Roland to be sealed. She would collect the nine title pages of the 【Book of Truth】 to defeat him. Though that was obviously impossible now, Roland still wouldn't look down on this protagonist he had personally designated—even if she was currently just a pseudo-protagonist.
The girl's perception was sharp.
She seemed to feel something.
Her gaze shifted toward Roland's direction. Right at that moment, figures crisscrossed between them, preventing her from catching the exact source of that gaze. But in that vague instant, she seemed to see a pair of golden pupils overlapping with a set of eyes from her memory. Her heart skipped a beat, and she moved to search for them.
She rushed through the crowd and looked toward where he had been standing.
There was nothing there.
As if it had just been an illusion.
"No, I couldn't have misseen it," Messiah Tanner murmured with a frown, her voice firm. "Those eyes felt so familiar, just like back then..."
The girl's heart pounded.
In a pitch-black hall, countless cultists chanted.
Yet only a pair of golden eyes watched over everything indifferently.
Unlike the others, who were like puppets, those eyes held nothing but disdain.
In the next moment, those eyes turned to look at her, snapping her out of the memory.
"She really is sharp..."
In the outer reaches of Romanvia.
One trailed a step behind Roland. The foot traffic here was much sparser compared to the station, consisting mostly of ordinary commoners running no businesses. The architectural style leaned toward small residential lofts. Roland hadn't come here just for a stroll; he came to meet someone—a priest of the Church of the Fallen Mother Goddess.
A Seventh-Rank Priest of the Fallen Mother Goddess.
Right now, however, he was more interested in Messiah Tanner's data.
The Book of Truth had already fed the information back into Roland's mind.
【Individual: Messiah Tanner】
【Rank: Second-Rank Warrior (Level 2.9) / First-Rank Mage (Level 1.1)】
【Individual Trait: Undefeatable Heart of Justice (Rainbow): Possessing a "heart" filled with justice, your attacks gain a 333% boost against all entities determined to be "unjust." Gain one fatal damage immunity (up to Eighth-Rank). All attacks carry the "Flames of Justice" effect, continuously burning the target's soul. Your Body (Strength, Defense, Recovery Speed...), Mind (Soul Intensity, Mental Strength), and Agility (Reaction Speed, Static Vision, Dynamic Vision...) +500%】
【Heart Sword (Rainbow): Matchless talent for swordsmanship. Learning efficiency for all swordsmanship techniques +1000%, swordsmanship power +500%. This ability includes "Swordsmanship Genius (Purple)" and "Swordsmanship Prodigy (Purple)." Your attacks carry "Sharpness," "Bleeding," and "Severe Pain" effects, where "Sharpness" grants a fixed 10% armor penetration and a 5% chance of total armor penetration】
【Fallen Mother Goddess · Second Kin · Vessel (Gold): Houses the Fallen Mother Goddess's second demigod kin within her body. Requires a "key" to undo the seal. Furthermore, if the main consciousness falls completely dormant, there is an extremely high probability that the kin will awaken, causing the host individual to soar to Seventh-Rank within a short time】
【Indomitable Will (Gold): Completely immune to mind-boggling/beguiling abilities of the same rank; higher ranks are immune or weakened to varying degrees based on current status. Your focus is significantly increased, skill-learning efficiency +50%, and pain perception during battle -50% (does not affect normal sensations)】
【Mortal · Ultimate and Pure Sword (Gold): Your swordsmanship returns to its most fundamental essence—slashing, cleaving, lifting, chopping—stripping away all ornamentation. All swordsmanship power +999%】
【High Wind Affinity (Red): Current Wind Affinity is 8.5. Wind-element casting speed / casting efficiency / spell power +85%】
【......】
【Swordsmanship Mastery (Purple): Skill-type ability, representing the sum total of your swordsmanship capability】
【......】
What a stat monster.
An utterly exaggerated character sheet.
Not much in terms of complex mechanics, just raw, stacked numbers.
Especially when paired with so many swordsmanship talent traits.
One could only say that she truly lived up to being the protagonist—what absurd stats.
Roland could already imagine how painful a single slash from her would be.
Of course, that was only if they were at the same rank; it had nothing to do with him, a Fifth-Rank.
If Philip were to see this panel and ask Roland who was stronger, Roland's answer would still be that even a hundred Messiah Tanners wouldn't be enough to take him on. The gap between them was a chasm that couldn't be bridged by sheer talent, ability, effort, or sweat alone.
Besides, Messiah's traits were far less luxurious than Roland's.
Who the real protagonist was was truly hard to guess.
Suffice to say, there was still a difference between a six-star character and a noble seven-star character.
After committing the key information to memory, Roland paused in front of an ordinary wooden cabin.
He knocked on the door, and soon an aged voice drifted out from behind it.
"Come in."
With a creak, the wooden door swung open on its own.
Even in the dark of night, no lights were lit inside the house, creating an eerie atmosphere that sent a chill down one's spine. Roland walked in naturally. A kindly old woman looked at him with a chuckling smile, appearing completely like an ordinary elderly woman. Old-fashioned pastries were even laid out on a table, and the surrounding furniture was worn and battered.
It was as if she truly was just an ordinary old woman.
"My Lord, it has been a long time. You remain as magnificent as ever," the old woman's raspy voice came through as she chuckled sinisterly, as though harboring ill intent. Only now did she reveal her true colors. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the tall, husky man behind Roland. "May I ask who this is?"
Before Roland could speak, One answered of his own accord.
"My master's will is my everything."
Feeling the overwhelming pressure radiating from him,
the old woman gave a light chuckle, mentally making a note of him.
After a long silence, Roland looked down at the old hag in front of him, his expression completely blank. "If you have nothing important, do you know the price of summoning me here at your whim?"
"Of course, My Lord. Every follower of the Fallen Mother Goddess holds You in utmost reverence and awe."
"I give you three minutes."
The old woman looked at the arrogant Roland.
No dissatisfaction stirred in her heart.
Instead, there was only respect.
"As You command..."
Rate on N.U.
