World Pillars
The World Pillars are the pinnacle of power across the entire world.They exist to maintain balance and to protect the world from destruction brought by the forces of the Evil Gods and the demon races.
There are only four of them.
The Grandmaster of the Empire.The Archmage of the Magic Tower.The Divine Archer of Niflheim.The Saint of the Holy Kingdom.
True to their titles as beings at the summit, their power is beyond doubt.In the distant past, one of them single-handedly stopped a demonic invasion that threatened the entire world.
Because of their overwhelming strength, people feel a mixture of safety, reverence, and fear toward them.
However, not long ago, a shocking rumor began spreading among adventurers.
A rumor claiming that there exists an adventurer whose power rivals that of the World Pillars.
...
Holy Kingdom
The Holy Kingdom is an enormous nation, capable of rivaling the Aurelion Empire both politically and militarily.
As its name suggests, the kingdom is deeply rooted in faith. The majority of its people follow the teachings of the temple and worship God the Creator, praying for divine blessings and power.
Inside a prayer chamber within the grand temple, a woman knelt in solemn devotion.
Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock.
"Th-this is…"
A voice echoed directly within her mind.
'Seek the human who will change fate…'
It was a revelation.
But where can I find such a human…?
As she pondered, the voice spoke once more.
'Fate Academy.'
The woman slowly smiled and rose to her feet. Leaving the prayer hall, she walked toward her destination, murmuring softly to herself.
"Then I know exactly who is best suited for this task."
...
Adventurers' Guild
The Adventurers' Guild was as lively as ever. Adventurers filled the hall, drinking after completing their quests, exchanging information, and laughing loudly together.
One adventurer spoke up.
"Hey, is that information about him really true?"
"Huh? Him? Who are you talking about?"
"The Masked One. They say he's become the fifth World Pillar."
"Hah! That's nonsense. There's no way an adventurer could match those monsters."
"I thought so too at first, but they say he even killed a Chaos Dragon—a monster even the World Pillars avoided."
"I told you, it's just a fake—"
At that moment, the guild doors swung open.
All eyes in the hall turned toward the entrance.
A man stood there.
He was around 185 centimeters tall, with black hair and blood-red eyes visible behind the mask covering his face. He walked toward the reception desk with firm, confident steps, completely ignoring the whispers around him.
"H-hey… is that him?"
"Yeah… that's him."
"SSS-Rank Adventurer—The Masked One."
"With that aura and pressure… are you still sure it's just a rumor?"
"…I don't know."
The adventurer swallowed hard. Even as an A-rank adventurer, the overwhelming pressure radiating from the man sent chills down his spine.
Reception Desk
"Ah, welcome, sir. How may I assist you?"
A red-haired receptionist with a ponytail—Iris—asked with a trembling smile.
"I'd like to confirm the completion of a quest."
"A-a quest… which one did you take?"
The adventurer handed her the quest document.
"Subjugation of a Red Dragon."
!!!
The entire guild froze in shock.
"As proof, I can show it now," he said calmly. "But this place might be too small."
"P-Please wait a moment!!"
Iris rushed to the back, likely to call someone.
...
A short while later, she returned with a middle-aged man, around forty-four years old. He approached and introduced himself.
"Nice to meet you. I am the Guild Master—Lucas."
"The Masked One."
They shook hands, but Lucas's true intention was to test him.
Lucas was a former SS-rank adventurer who had only recently retired.
Let's test him a little…
Lucas released his pressure toward the Masked One.
The man remained completely still.
"Hah…"
With a short exhale from the Masked One—
BOOM.
An overwhelming pressure engulfed the entire guild.
Even Lucas, a former SS-rank adventurer, was forced to his knees.
"Enough!!"
Lucas shouted.
The pressure vanished instantly, leaving behind absolute silence.
The Masked One spoke calmly.
"I hope such actions will not be repeated in the future."
"Y-Yes… I sincerely apologize, sir."
After that, they focused on business. Once everything was finished, the Masked One left the guild.
Only after his departure did the guild slowly return to normal.
...
Back Alleys – Capital City
Outside, the Masked One walked calmly.
When he reached an alley, he turned into it and continued until he was deep inside. After confirming that no one was around, a magic circle appeared beneath his feet.
Whoooosh!
In the next instant, his figure vanished.
...
Capital City – Luxury Inn
Inside one of the finest rooms of a high-class inn, a black-haired maid with lavender eyes sat reading a book.
From time to time, she glanced to the side, as if waiting for someone.
Then, a magic circle appeared.
A masked man emerged from it.
"Welcome back, Master."
The maid smiled gently and bowed.
The man removed his mask.
"I'm home, Elira."
Behind the mask was Shion.
...
Shion's POV
"Welcome back, Master."
As soon as I returned, Elira greeted me.
I removed my mask and replied.
"I'm home, Elira."
Seven years had passed since I was reborn into this world.
Many things had happened—good moments, and bad moments that nearly cost me my life.But I survived.
"Master, dinner is ready."
"Alright. I'll take a bath first."
"Understood."
I soaked myself in the hot bath prepared by the inn.
"Yeah… noble inns really are the best."
Those damn nobles live comfortably every single day. I'd escorted them on missions before, and every time I had to restrain myself from killing them.
Their attitude—acting as if they were special—was unbearable.
Oh right… I wonder how she's doing now.
She should be fully recovered by now—and much stronger.
When I said before that I would save someone, that person was also a noble. But unlike most of them, she treated everyone equally.
The moment I gathered all the materials, I went straight to see her.
At first, they were suspicious. It was only natural—a stranger claiming to have medicine that could cure an illness even high-ranking priests couldn't heal.
But after persistent persuasion, they finally accepted it.
And she was cured.
It wasn't a disease.
It was a curse.
She was targeted because of her terrifying talent.
I know who did it—but I never told them.
"She should be enrolling in the academy this year too."
I couldn't suppress my excitement.
"Status."
Status Screen
Name: ShionLevel: 190MP: UnknownStrength: 450Agility: 444Luck: Max
Skills:Mana Manifestation (A)Super Accuracy (S)Eclipse Dominion (Unknown)Blink Rush (A)Weapon Mastery (B)Combat Instinct (A)
Items:Crossveil (S) – PistolBlack Crescent (S) – Sword
The growth was absolutely absurd.
I had taken almost all the EXP and items I remembered from the game.
Of course, I didn't steal from the main characters' storyline. I only took what I needed and left the rest untouched.
I pulled Crossveil out from subspace.
[Crossveil (S)]Description: An artifact housing a high-tier wind spirit. A weapon born from the spirit's desire for revenge after being used as material.
Effects:Movement Speed +20%Firing Speed +35%
With this, Mana Manifestation finally became truly practical.
In the past, creating a sword consumed too much mana and made combat difficult.
That's when an idea crossed my mind.
What if I used a pistol instead… and created magic bullets?
It worked.
And it was terrifying.
Depending on how much mana I poured into each bullet, its power changed drastically.
Extremely useful.
...
I left the bathroom, dried myself, and got dressed. Elira was already waiting.
"Let's eat."
"Yes."
We ate quietly.
A peaceful atmosphere—so different from seven years ago.
After we finished eating, I spoke to Elira.
"Elira."
"Yes?"
"It's time to register at the academy."
At last, it was time to meet the main characters.