Yet he could only...
Do nothing about it!
Fierce Battle Against a Seven-Star Fiend-Level Expert
Things only improved slightly after he broke through to become a Midgod.
But only slightly.
He did not know whether it was fortunate or unfortunate.
Roland had grown accustomed to life in the tribe, and to being exploited. Just as he dreamed of improving his strength a little more, saving enough Inkstone, taking the Fiend Examination, and living freely from then on, the tribe he belonged to was suddenly raided by bandits.
He became the bandits' prisoner.
Seeing that he was a Midgod, the bandits did not kill him outright.
Instead, they gave him a chance to join them.
If you couldn't beat them, join them.
That was common in Hell.
However, the condition for joining was handing over all the Inkstone he possessed.
Fate toyed with him once more.
And once again, he could do nothing about it.
Forced to drift along with the torrent known as fate.
Just like that, Roland, who had only just accumulated a little savings, became penniless again.
Aside from a War Blade that no one cared for, he had nothing valuable left on him.
Even that War Blade had only been spared because they needed to leave him something to fight with.
After robbing him of all his possessions, the bandits did not forget to paint him a rosy picture.
"Roland, right? Now that you've joined us, you'll get a share of the spoils from future raids too. Don't lose heart. Work hard, and your future will be bright!"
"Hahaha!"
Then came a burst of laughter from the bandits.
The young Roland clenched his fists. He secretly swore that he would cultivate diligently and rise above the rest!
His plan was to leave the bandits once he became strong enough and become a free, respected Fiend.
Ideals were full and beautiful.
Hell's reality was cruel and meager.
Fate continued to mock poor Roland.
As Roland mingled among the bandits, he gradually changed under the influence of his surroundings.
Especially after they successfully robbed a large merchant caravan.
He received a hundred thousand Inkstone in one go!
The instant he received the Inkstone.
The resolve in Roland's heart suddenly shattered.
Perhaps it had shattered long ago.
Roland had simply realized it only now.
Clutching the Inkstone tightly, Roland swore once more.
"Working for others is impossible. It'll be impossible for me in this lifetime!"
"So what if I become a Fiend? Wouldn't I still be working for some employer?"
"What future is there in working for others?"
Just like that, Roland, once innocent and ambitious, completely transformed into one of Hell's countless bandits.
Over the millions of years that followed, his hands had long been stained with the blood of countless innocent people.
As for the bandit group Roland had originally joined, it had long since been destroyed.
He escaped through his quick wits.
Then, relying on his exceptional strength, he successfully formed a bandit group of his own.
As time passed, the highly gifted Roland soon broke through to become a Highgod.
His Earth Bandit Group expanded along with him.
Then came the same old life of robbery, repeated again and again.
His talent truly was formidable.
In only a few million years, he successfully fused the Four Profundities of Earth and gained the strength of a Seven-Star Fiend!
Having not personally participated in a robbery for a long time.
With his strength having greatly advanced, he could not resist coming out to test his skills.
And in that test, he encountered Simon...
Originally, Roland had seen that Kenchi's merchant caravan was not large and had not been interested in attacking it.
But since it would be troublesome to look for another caravan to rob, he reluctantly made his move.
Then, with a casual attack, he blew apart the Metal Lifeform Simon and the others were in.
After that came the scene from earlier, where the Fiends pointed at him and even used him as a subject for bets.
Roland's messy yellow hair flew wildly in every direction from rage as he shouted furiously at Simon and the others.
"Remember this: the one killing you is Roland, leader of the Earth Bandit Group!"
The dozen or so Highgods and several thousand Midgods behind him also realized that their boss was utterly enraged.
They all knew that Roland's current strength was astonishing. Even the second-in-command, who possessed the strength of a Five-Star Fiend, could not withstand one of his casual strikes.
Thus, the bandits were happy to watch the spectacle. They all thought that once Roland acted, the few dozen insignificant nobodies on the other side would be dealt with in minutes.
But the development of events once again shattered their expectations.
At that moment, Simon stepped forward.
"So you're Roland? Move aside now and compensate us with ten million Inkstone, and I won't pursue the matter."
"Huh???"
"A Midgod???"
Roland and the bandits behind him were filled with question marks.
At first, he thought Simon was a Highgod concealing his strength.
But when his soul power swept over Simon.
And he discovered that Simon truly was a genuine Midgod, he became even angrier!
"You little braggart, I'll make you regret this."
As he spoke, Roland unleashed Gravity Space over Simon. At the same time, earth-yellow divine power circulated around him as he gripped his War Blade and viciously slashed toward Simon.
Instantly, an earth-yellow blade light tore through space and shot toward Simon at Extreme Speed.
"Oh? He seemed to have some skill."
Seeing the opponent's powerful material attack, Simon became serious.
The Fiends behind him also sensed that something was wrong and focused their attention in preparation.
Yet the opposing bandits seemed very calm.
They simply watched their boss fight.
This was something Roland had arranged beforehand. Whenever they encountered a fat target, he would act alone. It had been a long time since he had properly stretched his limbs.
The earth-yellow Gravity Space exerted a gravitational pull, but Simon's Fusion Divine Power trembled within his body, instantly freeing him from its influence.
Then he burst into motion and easily dodged the incoming blade light.
"Fanny, retreat with the others. This opponent is no ordinary one. I may have to use my full strength."
Simon solemnly sent a mental message to Fanny and the others behind him.
The Fiends were also shocked upon hearing this.
"He hadn't even used his full strength when killing a Six-Star Fiend-level expert?"
"Simon's strength was actually this terrifying..."
Then they saw Simon wave his right hand, and an Ice Wind Space formed from 365 strands of Cyan-Blue Divine Power appeared before everyone for the first time.
Then they saw Roland, who had been charging forward at Extreme Speed, abruptly slow down, his every movement becoming distorted as well.
Only then did they understand what Simon meant by using his full strength.
So he still had such a powerful Domain Ultimate Technique that he had not used before.
"What powerful compression and restraint. Could this kid really be a Highgod?"
Feeling his speed greatly affected, Roland could not help doubting whether Simon was truly a Highgod.
After all, his attainments in the soul were rather ordinary, and he could not be certain of Simon's identity.
"Whatever. It's not as though I've never encountered opponents with powerful domain restraints before. I just need to charge over and smash him apart."
Then divine power surged around Roland once more. Having fused the Profundity of Strength, he gave his body a shake and restored his speed to half its original level.
"Hiss..."
"This binding force is absurdly strong. And why is the divine power he's using so unusual? It seemed to be..."
"That's right, this kid is a Soul Mutator!"
Before you continue