Chapter 1: The Arrogant Sun, Picked Up and Taken Home by Levy!
Fiore, Magnolia Town.
The gentle breeze of early spring, carrying the scent of damp earth after the rain, softly swept through the park. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the park bench.
"So I really did cross over..."
Roland sat on the bench, gazing at the sky that was as clear as if it had been washed, and let out a complicated sigh.
After all, just minutes ago he had been lying in his dorm scrolling through his phone, only to open his eyes and abruptly find himself in this unfamiliar park.
Not only that—
He also discovered that his height seemed... no, it would be more accurate to say his age had regressed, likely to around fourteen or fifteen years old.
But considering something as unbelievable as crossing worlds had already happened, the changes to his body weren't entirely unacceptable.
Looking on the bright side, at least he could live a few extra years.
"In any case, I should first figure out where I am."
Roland adjusted his mindset and began carefully observing his surroundings.
The afternoon park was already quite crowded—intimate couples, playful children, elderly people taking strolls—superficially no different from the parks he was familiar with.
However, the distinctive clothing worn by the people around him, along with their naturally vibrant and varied hair colors, all served as undeniable proof of his transmigration.
The faint chatter drifting from the distance reached his ears, but he couldn't understand a word, deepening Roland's melancholy.
Come to think of it, didn't protagonists in web novels and anime usually come with built-in language patches or some kind of system? Why didn't he get one?
What kind of nightmare start is this!?
[Daily Mission System Loaded!]
Just as Roland was staring blankly at the mixed wood-and-stone residential buildings across the river, reminiscent of medieval architecture, a sudden voice echoed in his mind.
Sys... system?
But before he could gather his thoughts, the voice spoke again.
[This system will refresh missions daily at 6 AM. Upon completion, you will receive unique rewards from various worlds along with character panel updates.]
[Today's missions have been refreshed:]
[Mission 1: New Arrival!]
[Mission Description: Welcome to this new world! To ensure the host's stable survival and ability to complete future missions, please claim your gift.]
[Mission Reward: Welcome Gift (randomly obtain three abilities/items)]
Is this... a starter pack?
Watching the semi-transparent interface materialize before his eyes, Roland's gaze gradually brightened.
"Claim mission reward."
He tried silently commanding in his mind.
The next moment, a crimson gift box tied with a pink ribbon materialized out of thin air in Roland's hands.
The box wasn't particularly large, and since he was situated in a secluded corner of the park, it didn't attract anyone's attention.
[Open the gift box?]
"Open."
A semi-transparent prompt appeared above the box. Without hesitation, Roland issued the command.
Instantly, the pink ribbon untied itself, and three beams of light in different colors flashed by. Simultaneously, the system's voice resounded once more.
[Ability Acquired: Love Spot (from the "Fate/Zero" world)]
[Ability Introduction: A tear-shaped mole bestowed upon Diarmuid Ua Duibhne by the goddess of love, capable of charming members of the opposite sex. Any woman facing its owner will develop intense feelings of affection.]
"If I remember correctly, this ability... seems to be the very thing that caused Diarmuid's tragedy, right?"
Looking at the first ability he obtained, Roland's expression turned somewhat subtle.
It wasn't that it was unusable, but rather it was excessively effective.
In a way, it wasn't much different from a succubus.
[Acquired Item: Translation Konjac (from the Doraemon world)]
[Item Description: Resembles a block of rice cake. After consumption, it allows the user to communicate seamlessly with speakers of other languages, and it also works on written text.]
[Acquired Character Template: Sin of Pride—Escanor (from the Seven Deadly Sins world)]
[Template Description: Possesses the Blessing of the Sun. Your strength and personality will grow more powerful and arrogant as the sun rises, reaching their peak at noon; simultaneously, your power will diminish as the sun sets.]
[Note: After fusion with the character template, adjustments will be made reasonably based on the host's physical condition!]
Roland, who had initially been delighted about the Translation Konjac, was completely stunned upon seeing this character template.
The lively sounds of the crowd in the park now faded into a buzzing white noise, his breath gradually halted, leaving only the sound of his accelerating heartbeat.
Roland took a deep breath and only managed to regain his composure after a long while, the light in his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
Wasn't this an invincible start from the very beginning?
Although this template had side effects—it could only be used during the day, and his personality would become arrogant, while at night he would become insecure—compared to the overwhelmingly powerful and nearly invincible strength, these side effects were utterly negligible.
[Claim rewards?]
"Claim all!"
As his voice fell, a black tear mole appeared at the corner of Roland's left eye, and the red gift box in his hand vanished into a shimmering light, replaced by a gray piece of konjac.
The most noticeable change was in his body—the sharply defined muscle lines beneath his black shirt, the surging, scorching magical energy within him, and the power strong enough to destroy everything.
"Is this... the power of the sun?" Roland murmured softly, feeling the rebellious magical energy coursing through him.
Even though it was almost evening, the power was still this immense.
He couldn't even imagine how much his power would swell by noon.
But—
"Why hasn't my physique changed?"
Feeling the transformations in his body, Roland frowned and muttered to himself in confusion.
He remembered that this ability affected physical stature, making one more robust from dawn onward, with height even reaching an exaggerated three meters at noon, only returning to normal at night.
Now, as the sun was setting, his personality and physique should have undergone significant changes, yet he felt nothing at all.
[This character template has been adapted. Physique will not change, and personality adjustments will vary from person to person.]
"So that's how it is. How considerate!"
Roland couldn't help but praise.
After briefly acclimating to this immense power, he remembered he still had the Translation Konjac to eat.
Just as he was about to put the jelly-like, bouncy konjac into his mouth, tiny raindrops fell onto it.
"Is it raining?"
Instinctively looking up at the sky, the once clear blue expanse had unknowingly become overcast with dark clouds, and fine rain like long needles poured down, splashing against the ground in puddles.
At first, it was just a light drizzle, but soon the rain intensified, blurring the scenery in the distance.
However, as the raindrops drifted near Roland, they were vaporized into mist by the surge of magical energy.
Though he remained dry, the miserable weather still made him frown involuntarily.
Since the sun hadn't completely set yet, he could rely on his magical energy to hold out for a while.
But what about after the sun goes down?
Could it be that he'd have to sleep under a bridge...?
Just when he'd finally resolved the issues of language and power, he found himself troubled by the problem of where to sleep.
Thinking this, Roland couldn't help but sigh.
"Um... are you okay? In this kind of weather, it's better to head home soon, don't you think?"
A girl's voice suddenly sounded from beside him.
Clear and pleasant, her tentative tone carried a note of concern.
"Hmm?"
Roland was slightly taken aback, then turned to see a blue-haired girl standing beside him, holding an umbrella in one hand and a book in the other.
The girl could be described as petite, with a very cute appearance. Her sky-blue short hair was tied with a dark green ribbon, and she wore a light yellow off-shoulder dress that gave her a lively and cheerful vibe.
"If only I could, I'd like to go home too."
Roland first complained helplessly, then smiled at the girl before him. "But still, thank you for your concern."
"Ah, no... it's, it's nothing."
The blue-haired girl's eyes unconsciously widened slightly, and her heartbeat quickened as she took in the boy's delicate features and the Love Spot at the corner of his eye.
What a strange... feeling?
"Excuse me, are you in some kind of trouble?"
The girl, who had originally planned to return to the guild dormitory, hesitated for a moment before she couldn't help but ask.
"Trouble?"
Seeing the girl's gradually flushing cheeks, Roland instantly understood.
The Love Spot is really something.
Though he felt a bit guilty about deceiving a kind-hearted girl trying to help, compared to sleeping under a bridge tonight—
————
"Eh! You were swindled out of all your money during your travels... How could someone be so awful!?"
After hearing Roland's tragic story, the blue-haired girl immediately puffed up her cheeks in anger and condemnation.
"Yeah, so I don't even know where I'll sleep tonight. In this weather, I'll probably have to find a bridge or something, right?"
"Um..." The blue-haired girl glanced at the distant rain curtain and instinctively said, "If there's really no other way, you could... stay at my place for the night?"
Wait—what am I saying!?
As soon as the words left her mouth, the blue-haired girl immediately realized how inappropriate they were. Embarrassment rushed over her, and she covered her face with the book in her hands, her cheeks burning red.
"Is that really okay? I'm a man..."
Roland feigned hesitation upon hearing this.
"It's fine, you don't look older than me..." The blue-haired girl stole a glance at him and murmured softly, "Besides, at your age, you're more of a boy than a man, right?"
"—In that case, I'll trouble you then!"
Roland ignored her muttering and smiled, extending his hand to her. "I'm Roland, a traveler from a very faraway place. It's nice to meet you."
"Y-yes, I'm Levy... Levy McGarden."