The night was as cool as water, and moonlight poured like liquid silver, blanketing the silent back courtyard of the relay station.
Cui Ciyou stood quietly, shifting his gaze from the huge rock before him—which had been split in two with a mirror-smooth cut—to the broken piece of iron sword in his own hand.
A late-night breeze blew, lifting the black ends of his hair, and his eyes appeared deep and complex in the moonlight.
The power of that single strike exceeded his expectations, forcing him to conduct a thorough and deep sorting of his understanding of himself and this world.
In Cui Ciyou's mind, countless memory fragments regarding the "original work" began to surface and integrate.
Mutually corroborating with his personal experiences over the past few days, they gradually outlined a relatively complete power system.
This was a world of swords and magic.
The magical power system was strict, with a world of difference in power ranging from the beginner level to the god level.
Once someone mastered a certain level of magic, they could call themselves a magician of that rank.
For example, the protagonist Rudeus from the original work was directly identified by Roxy as a "Water Saint-level magician" at the age of five because he had mastered the Water Saint-level magic "Lightning Cumulonimbus".
Powerful magicians could alter local climates and terrain by their own single strength.
Swordsmen, on the other hand, represented another kind of power in this world.
They fought by training their bodies, honing their swordsmanship, and utilizing a life energy called "Battle Aura".
Battle Aura was the foundation of warriors; it could strengthen the body and, furthermore, attach itself to weapons, rendering them indestructible.
The swordsmanship of this world was mainly divided into three mainstream schools.
First, the Sword God Style.
A school that carried the two words "attack" to the absolute extreme.
Its core philosophy was simply that "attack is the best defense", pursuing the resolution of victory or defeat in a single clash.
Its sole ultimate technique, the "Sword of Light", was a supreme slash that abandoned all defense and retreat.
The strongest individual of this school was crowned with the name "Sword God", ranking as one of the Seven Great Powers and also recognized as the strongest swordsman of the human race.
Having established no dojo in any nation, he currently occupied the "Sword Sanctum".
Second, the Water Saint Style.
In stark contrast to the Sword God Style, this was a school that focused on defense and counterattacks.
The essence of its swordsmanship lay in "deflecting force" and "parrying and countering", pursuing the neutralization of enemy attacks at the minimal cost while finding openings therein to deliver a fatal blow.
Due to its steady style, the Water Saint Style was deeply sought after by the nobility and knights of various countries, and its general dojo was established in the royal capital of Ars.
Third, the North God Style.
A school that stopped at nothing and pursued "victory" to an extreme.
Rather than calling it swordsmanship, it was more like a comprehensive "combat art" that incorporated military tactics, underhanded schemes, and even psychological warfare.
For the sake of victory, they could use any weapon, resort to poison, launch sneak attacks, and utilize hostages.
Precisely because of its extremely high practicality and flexibility, the North God Style was wildly popular among ordinary adventurers and was the school with the highest number of learners.
The father and son Carl and Dak practiced this very North God Style, and their general dojo was established in the Dragon King Kingdom.
These three major schools jointly constituted the hierarchical pyramid of swordsmen.
From beginner, intermediate, and advanced, to saint-level, king-level, and emperor-level.
Ultimately, the strongest individual of each school would be crowned as the "Sword God", "Water Saint", and "North God" respectively.
Cui Ciyou substituted his own strength into this clear system for comparison.
A swordsman's rank does not have clear skill standards like a magician's; it relies more on an individual's swordsmanship level and actual combat performance. He analyzed silently in his heart.
For example, Paul Greyrat in the original work was proficient in all three schools of swordsmanship, reaching the advanced level in each, and was thus considered to possess actual combat capability comparable to the 'saint-level'. He could similarly cleave boulders apart...
Cui Ciyou's gaze once again fell upon the rock that had been smoothly sliced open.
Even without a single shred of Battle Aura enhancement, relying solely on the strength and speed of this physical body, I accomplished the exact same thing.
Does this mean my sheer strength has already reached the threshold of a 'saint-level' swordsman?
This conclusion made his heart grow warm. However, the cold, broken sword in his hand quickly calmed him down.
Yet, a massive flaw also exists.
The absence of Battle Aura enhancement meant that the ordinary weapon in his hand was nothing more than a fragile piece of mortal iron.
It could not withstand the terrifying power erupted by Cui Ciyou himself, nor could it engage in a direct, head-on confrontation with an enemy who also knew how to reinforce their weapon with Battle Aura.
The moment that sword cleaved the rock apart, it also shattered the iron blade. This was the best proof.
Therefore, my current strength positioning is quite peculiar...
He began to examine himself, and a clear status panel surfaced in his mind:
"Anti-Magic Field": An absolute domain with a radius of three meters centered on himself (expandable to five meters at full power). Within this range, any form of mana and Battle Aura will be forcibly nullified. This is his most powerful trump card, but it also consumes an unknown amount of "Mental Power" to an extreme degree, carrying time limits and the risk of overload. "Mental Power": A third type of power suspected to be independent of mana and Battle Aura. It is the energy source supporting the "Anti-Magic Field" and extraordinary perception. This perception ability can form a black-and-white, obstruction-ignoring 3D environmental image with a range of over a dozen meters inside his brain. Mental Power can achieve extremely slow growth through consumption and recovery. "Saint-Level" Physique: Strength, speed, reflexes, endurance, and recovery far exceeding human limits. Capable of slaughtering monsters barehanded and cleaving boulders with a single sword strike without needing Battle Aura reinforcement. However, this advantage conversely causes ordinary weapons to be unable to withstand his strength. Maximum Flaw: Incapable of generating and utilizing any mana or Battle Aura of this world.
Mana-and-Aura Insulator...
This term caused another figure who likewise came from "Earth" to involuntarily surface in Cui Ciyou's mind—that summoned black-haired girl, Nanahoshi Shizuka.
...Just like Nanahoshi Shizuka.
A thought flashed through Cui Ciyou's mind like lightning, causing his entire body to shudder.
Could it be that those of us who come from the 'outside world' are all repelled by the energy circulation inherent to this world?
He furrowed his brows, and a deeper-level question welled up in his mind.
But... why do I possess supernatural abilities like the "Anti-Magic Field" and "Mental Power"? While she seemingly does not?
Could it be because... I "transmigrated", while she was "summoned"? Does an essential difference exist within that?
Or perhaps... the essence of my "Anti-Magic" is not the "repulsion" of me by this world, but... some higher-level "devouring" or "control" over mana and Battle Aura?
Is it merely because I am still too weak right now, unable to truly comprehend and wield its true form?
These questions, like a deep vortex, hovered within his mind, profound and insoluble.
For a long time, Cui Ciyou slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, forcibly suppressing these chaotic thoughts.
He knew that now was not the time to dwell on these things.
Regardless of where the power came from, it was now firmly grasped in his own hands.
"Right now, I shouldn't dwell on the 'source' of power."
Cui Ciyou's eyes grew clear and firm once again, brimming with a yearning for the future.
"Instead, I should be thinking about how to utilize, master, and attain... even greater power!"
Before you continue