Lord: Sequence Master

Rosen moved swiftly through the shadows, combining his Void Flash with stealth, making his movements unpredictable. With each shot from Wrath of the Dragon King, powerful dragon magic was instantly unleashed, and transcendent creatures across the Dark Continent fell one after another.

The more creatures he killed, the more loot orbs he obtained.

He discovered that creatures whose bodies remained did not contain transcendent essence. However, those whose bodies disappeared and became loot orbs did drop transcendent essence, which was particularly unique, containing only a single type of nen ability. Refining these essences would allow someone to acquire that specific nen ability, but it would replace their original one.

After researching this through the Spirit Web, Rosen figured out what was going on.

Creatures that left behind corpses simply left behind whatever abilities or materials they had in life. Those that transformed into loot orbs were being converted by the Hunting God's authority, which condensed all their spiritual energy and transcendent materials into the orb. Thus, these beings were incomplete forms of transcendent life—transcendents not yet fully integrated into the Sequence system.

The Sequence didn't exist from the beginning; it only emerged in the last few millennia. It's similar to how laws didn't exist until nations and governments were formed, and then laws were created. Initially, there was no such thing as a Sequence—not even ranked skills were formally categorized.

However, after someone created the first Sequence potion and the World Government popularized the system, its influence grew. Over time, various alien races acknowledged the Sequence system, and it became a universal framework across all species.

From that point on, all transcendents were automatically categorized within the Sequence. Those outside the system would eventually be eliminated.

This transformation in the world's rules was either due to natural evolution or a form of global regulation. Some say it was the world's self-adjustment mechanism to prevent anyone transcendent system from overexploiting specific resources. Such overuse could deplete these resources to the point of ecological collapse. When that happened, either the system's users would dwindle in number, or the world itself would face destruction.

To avoid this, new transcendent systems were developed, utilizing previously untapped resources, allowing overused resources time to recover and thus maintaining balance in the world.

Every civilization inevitably faces such a crisis—a test imposed by the world itself.

The World Government has survived this long primarily because they achieved the artificial cultivation of resources required for all potions below Sequence 6. If they manage to mass-produce potions below Sequence 3, they could potentially become the next Nine Tribulation Civilization.

Thus, these creatures on the Dark Continent were in the transitional stage of developing their own transcendent sequences.

After understanding this, Rosen quickly considered how he might benefit.

He soon realized these transitional transcendent creatures were incredibly valuable.

The first of anything holds immense power, and any original sequence—the very first to be completed—inevitably possesses extraordinary strength. For instance, the first Farmer or Fisherman Sequence might have a relatively low ceiling, like a Fisherman sequence maxing out at Sequence 6. But the original Fisherman would be far stronger than those that came after, possessing unique innate abilities that successors wouldn't have.

These early complete sequences are often referred to as "First Sequences."

As the Dark Continent's transcendent sequences became more refined, the birth of at least one "First Sequence" was inevitable.

Rosen resolved to claim the First Sequence of the Dark Continent, no matter the cost.

Regardless of how high the sequence level could go, the First Sequence always came with powerful innate skills, the ability to suppress subsequent sequences, and a boost to one's fortune. Moreover, the First Sequence would always grant the wielder at least one God Authority.

Rosen had encountered many God Authorities, but they either belonged to artifacts or pets. While useful, they weren't truly his and had no potential for growth. His only true authorities were Creation and Seven Deadly Sins. Even his Hunter Sequence's Hunting Authority was something he had barely scratched the surface of; it would take a long time to fully master.

Thus, acquiring a new God Authority for free was something any demigod would envy.

To expedite the birth of the First Sequence on the Dark Continent, Rosen needed more alien spirit realms to light up the continent's map. Most such spirit realms were controlled by the nobility of various nations under the World Government, and finding unclaimed alien spirit realms would take centuries—time he didn't want to waste.

One major reason the Spirit Web wasn't popular, and Spirit Messengers were preferred, was due to the lack of privacy. However, with the Main God Computer, Rosen could browse the Spirit Web without leaving a trace, allowing him to freely search for all kinds of information.

After two months of hard work, Rosen finally found a fast way to acquire alien spirit realms.

Alien spirit realms are born from the remnants of extinct civilizations. For example, when the Gray Mousefolk civilization of the Blazing Shadow Duchy was destroyed, many alien spirit realms related to the Gray Mousefolk were created.

Thus, regions with more historical alien civilizations were more likely to generate alien spirit realms.

Rosen bought a Sequence 3 teleportation scroll to the Holy Continent from the Spirit Web.

The Spirit Messenger delivered it two hours later, showing just how far the Holy Continent was from the Dungeon Kingdom.

Geographically, the Blazing Shadow Duchy, the Dungeon Kingdom, and the Thunder Empire were on the outer edges of the human world, while the Holy Continent lay closer to the world's core, its landmass one hundred times the size of the Thunder Empire.

The Holy Continent was home to dozens of empires, hundreds of kingdoms, and over a thousand principalities.

With so many nations, the resources needed to sustain them were astronomical.

Despite the continent's abundance of resources, millennia of exploitation had left little behind.

Now, much of the Holy Continent's natural resources were protected by law and prohibited from exploitation.

It was clear that the continent's continued existence as a transcendent hub relied heavily on spirit realms.

Rosen tore the teleportation scroll, worth tens of millions of spiritual crystals, and a portal to the Holy Continent appeared before him.

Had he taken the Spirit Steam Train, it would have taken centuries. Even riding his Mechanical Mount would have been faster, but too many variables could interfere along the way.

Thankfully, with a long-distance teleportation scroll, everything became much simpler with money.

After stepping through the portal, Rosen found himself at the edge of the Holy Continent.

Ahead was land, and behind was the ocean. The coastline stretched for tens of thousands of miles, desolate and devoid of human civilization.

This was because the oceans surrounding the Holy Continent were too violent, with hurricanes and tsunamis that could reach heights of thousands of miles, destroying everything along the coast. The environment was simply uninhabitable for humans.

Rosen, now in his Feathered Serpent Chariot, set off aimlessly across the land.

Before long, vegetation appeared, and Rosen felt as if he had entered a land of giants.

The grass grew over ten meters tall, the trees were thousands of meters high—what would be considered small trees here. Even the hills were miles tall. Everything in this place had grown to colossal proportions, and it became clear why this continent was the sacred land of the giants.

Once, this continent was ruled by a brilliant and diverse giant civilization. Humans were merely food or servants for the giants until humanity rose up and overthrew them.

Most giant civilizations that consumed humans were wiped out, while a few that were friendly to humans became their allies. Some giants fled the human world and continued their legacy elsewhere.

At their peak, the giant race boasted over ten great true gods.

Now, it was hard to believe that only one and a half true gods of the giants were still known to exist.

How did humanity manage to defeat the giants three thousand years ago?

How did the World Government rise so quickly to become the sole dominant civilization?

Rosen had learned a great deal about the rise of the World Government through the Main God Network.

One theory was that the emergence of the Spirit Realm allowed powerful ancient humans to return from the depths of the Spirit Realm, reborn and ready to retake their place. This resurgence could explain the World Government's overwhelming power and how the humans on the Holy Continent managed to overthrow the giants.

Another theory suggested that the founders of the World Government weren't entirely human, but included true gods of other races. After all, true gods couldn't just appear out of thin air unless some ancient gods reinvented themselves.

Finally, there was the theory that humanity had inherited the legacy of a powerful ancient civilization.

Rosen felt that all these theories had some truth, and perhaps they were all part of the bigger picture.

He stopped his musings as the radar on his Feathered Serpent Chariot detected a massive beast ahead.

Rosen released his Hunting God's Eye into the air for a closer look and was shocked to see a giant shark with four legs prowling the forest.

Even more surprising, the shark was a herbivore, chomping on fallen leaves with its enormous jaws.

Rosen realized he needed to study more about the basics of the Holy Continent through the Spirit Web.

After a few days of research, Rosen gained a deeper understanding of the Holy Continent.

Aside from countless alien spirit realms related to the giants, the land was home to numerous giant beasts. Though their enormous size didn't always correlate with high levels of spiritual energy or power, they certainly contained vast amounts of spiritual energy, as such immense creatures required it to survive.

In short, these giant beasts were like walking spiritual crystals, constantly regenerating their energy.

Of course, while the Holy Continent had an abundance of giant beasts, the human population was even larger.

As a result, every nation on the Holy Continent strictly regulated who could become transcendent, limiting the number of applicants each year who could transfer into one of the five main Sequences to only those with the greatest potential. The rest had to opt for more auxiliary or productive roles like farmers.

Still, this wasn't forced. Those determined enough to change their Sequence could still try, though the difficulty would rise exponentially. Growing to Sequence 7 would reveal whether one had any potential beyond their initial aptitude, with slow starters occasionally showing great promise.

Apart from these transfer restrictions, the Holy Continent had a special rule: no bullying the weak.

A Sequence 6 transcendent could only hunt Sequence 6 beasts. And when a giant beast was killed, it left a special mark on the hunter.

If someone went on a killing spree, slaying giant beasts recklessly, it would attract a king beast's retaliation.

This system was set in place by the World Government's legal scholars. Without such rules, the giant beasts of the Holy Continent would have been hunted to extinction long ago. Unchecked human greed would only lead to endless destruction.

Rosen's Feathered Serpent Chariot transformed from riding mode to a mounted Feathered Serpent form.

Just as he prepared to exit the shadow realm, he suddenly remembered something and froze.

He recalled that sharks urinate through their skin. In the ocean, seawater would wash it away, but this land-dwelling, four-legged shark had no such luxury. Wasn't it practically marinating in its own brine?

Activating his Mechanical Mount's environmental detection feature, Rosen checked the readings and felt like he had just escaped death's door.

As he suspected, the air around him was saturated with extremely high concentrations of ammonia.

Rosen retreated a hundred miles through the shadows, only then cautiously deactivating his Void Sneak.

With the Wrath of the Dragon King enhanced by Fantasy Armament, he locked onto the giant beast and fired a Dragon Spell-infused bullet from a distance.

A black flame erupted across a radius of several miles, the Dragon Spell of Annihilating Flame Storm scorching everything in its path. Though the spell couldn't instantly kill a Sequence 6 beast, it reduced the creature to ashes within its area of effect.

The giant shark beast, its body ablaze, fled toward the sea in desperation.

However, its immense size turned it into an easy target.

When a transcendent creature's body becomes so large, it sacrifices agility for durability and strength.

Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a problem, as such creatures relied on their immense defenses and vitality to tank hits.

But Rosen's Ashen Armor-Piercing Strike, an evolution of Death Strike, bypassed defenses altogether, dealing irreparable real damage. With shot after shot, the giant shark beast collapsed in its tracks.

Watching the giant shark vanish completely, Rosen let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the creature had dropped a loot orb; had its body remained, Rosen would have avoided dissecting it for the sake of collecting its spoils.

Absorbing the contents of the loot orb through his Scavenger Space, Rosen earned hundreds of thousands of spiritual crystals.

For a typical Sequence 6 transcendent, this was an impressive haul, which explained why the Holy Continent had such strict hunting regulations.

Of course, those powerful enough to challenge a king beast could ignore such rules.

In the transcendent world, the law of the jungle prevailed—strength allowed you to do whatever you wanted.

Rosen glanced down at his left hand, where a faint white cross mark had appeared.

This was the mark of a beast hunt. As the white turned red, the hunter would eventually face the wrath of a king beast. Rosen was curious about how the king beasts of the Holy Continent would appear before him.

After all, for powerful transcendents, king beasts were rare, highly sought-after prey.

Rosen sent his Hunting God's Eye into the sky for scouting while his Ashen Veil projected storms of thunderbirds across the skies.

Soon, new targets were located, and Rosen swiftly teleported to engage in his next hunt.

Days passed, and Rosen had slain nearly a hundred giant beasts.

Most of the time was spent searching for prey, as the Holy Continent's laws restricted him to hunting only Sequence 6 beasts. He avoided attacking anything higher, unsure if it would interfere with the appearance of the king beast. Finding the right targets was a time-consuming process.

Standing over yet another downed giant beast, Rosen activated his Scavenger Space to collect its remains, sending them to his territory for dissection.

Most giant beasts, unlike the shark, had highly valuable bones and flesh.

With the scarlet cross on his hand glowing ominously, Rosen prepared for his king beast encounter.

Suddenly, the mark emitted a powerful spatial wave, pulling him away from the Holy Continent.

Rosen found himself in an arena-like space and immediately sensed that something was off.

He had been tricked. There was no real king beast here.

The arena appeared to be a manifestation of some mysterious space, conjured by illusion or trickery.

Rosen looked up at the stands, where an audience had begun to gather, one by one.

Judging by their attire, they were nobles, watching his upcoming battle for their own entertainment.

"Outsider, I bet on you to win. Don't you dare die under the king beast's feet..."

"Outsider, I bet on your loss. If you win, I'll make sure you wish you were dead..."

"Outsider, I live for the moment you show despair..."

As taunts and cheers echoed from the stands, Rosen could barely suppress his rising anger.

Sensing the spatial distortions, he quickly activated his Fairy Dragon Pearl's Void Phase and tore through space, returning to the Holy Continent.

However, just as he set foot back on solid ground, the mark on his hand reactivated, dragging him back toward the mysterious space.

Without hesitation, Rosen bit down hard, tearing the flesh from his hand to prevent the cross-shaped mark from relocating. He swallowed the mark into his Gluttonous Stomach, severing the connection to the mysterious space once and for all.

In the arena, the host—who had just appeared—began to sweat nervously as more and more spectators arrived.

The performer was gone, but the paying audience wouldn't tolerate that.

The Mor family's reputation was at stake, and if things went awry, he, as a minor member of the family, could end up as the scapegoat.

Cursing the troublesome outsider, the host realized that the outsider had now gained the powerful Mor family as an enemy.

Unbeknownst to Rosen, he had already made a potential enemy upon his arrival.

Back in his Book of the Divine Library, Rosen activated the Main God Computer's hacking mode to investigate what had happened.

It turned out that, in the Holy Continent, killing a hundred creatures of the same rank would indeed summon a king beast.

King beasts descended from spirit realms into reality, both as a warning and a reward.

However, over time, foreign transcendents began to target these king beasts, leading to tensions with local factions, who believed outsiders were stealing their resources.

As a result, some local powers had resorted to distorting the rules to prevent outsiders from claiming their king beasts. The arena where Rosen had been summoned was a creation of the Mor family's machinations.

The World Government's laws had been twisted and tampered with, and the information had been hidden from public access on the Spirit Web. Clearly, the World Government's control was slipping.

Rosen shook his head. Given the sheer size of the World Government, it was unlikely that the system was collapsing. More likely, internal power struggles had caused certain rules to be ignored or circumvented.

It didn't matter to him, though. Rosen was determined to hunt the king beast, and anyone who stood in his way would be dealt with.

Since the rules had been manipulated, foreign transcendents couldn't hunt real king beasts.

Rosen opened his Void Canvas and began to draw, sketching portraits one by one.

These portraits depicted the audience members who had taunted him from the arena's stands.

No one would insult him without facing the consequences. A free Death Judgment would be their punishment.

By doing this, Rosen knew he'd make a lot of enemies among the Holy Continent's nobles. But before the spatial distortions pulled him in earlier, he had already activated his Disguise skill through Acting, leaving no trace of his true identity. Let them try to find him if they could.

Two hours later, Rosen finished his last portrait.

Of the 37 people, Death Judge Doppelganger, cloaked in the garb of a reaper, reaped 35 souls. Two managed to escape—one, a Sequence 4, was too powerful, and the other had some kind of life-saving item.

Besides the successful Death Judgment, Rosen captured three living targets. They weren't alone when he took them, so he grabbed their companions as well to eliminate any witnesses.

After disposing of two, he kept the last one, drawing a portrait before sealing the individual inside the painting.

Since foreign transcendents were being framed, could he manipulate the system by using locals to hunt the beasts?

He tried allowing a local to land the final blow, but it didn't count toward his kill tally.

It made sense. If locals could steal the final strike, they could easily manipulate the system to summon king beasts.

It seemed he would have to find a way to become a local himself.

The Holy Continent was vast, and despite the Mor family's influence in the Sacred Wood Empire, it couldn't control everything.

Moreover, the Mor family was an old aristocratic family, holding the rank of hereditary duke. The sudden deaths of 35 nobles, including six hereditary aristocrats—all connected to the Mor family's beast-fighting arena—put enormous pressure on the Mor family's reputation.

While the Mor family frantically searched for Rosen, he had already arrived in the Wood Elf Principality, a vassal state of the Sacred Wood Empire.

The entire principality had only one city.

More than 60% of the inhabitants were wood elves—a branch of elves that had attached themselves to human civilization. The human nobility of the principality also exclusively possessed wood elf transcendent bloodlines.

Rosen had come to the Wood Elf Principality after discovering a bounty on the Spirit Web.

The Sky Garden was the capital of the Wood Elf Principality.

It was a city suspended thousands of meters in the air, built atop a Sequence 3 Tree of Life.

This city, entirely constructed from living plants, was closed to any outsiders without an invitation.

As Rosen approached the Tree of Life, a Sequence 4 wood elf ghosted through the forest toward him.

"You're not welcome here, human."

The wood elf said coldly, glaring at Rosen.

"I've taken on the task of healing the Tree of Life."

Rosen responded calmly.

"Welcome, friend of the wood elves."

In an instant, the wood elf's demeanor shifted completely, turning gracious as he personally escorted Rosen to the winding vine stairway spiraling up the Tree of Life. The vines moved like an elevator, carrying them effortlessly upward.

(End of Chapter)