Lord: Sequence Master

Rosen silently appeared in Hunting Canyon. He stayed hidden for a long time, observing the surroundings to ensure there were no watchers. As he had hoped, the worst-case scenario didn't occur. It makes sense, he thought. It's been twenty thousand years.

In the early years, every hunter who returned from the Twilight Battlefield was subjected to strict surveillance. But after twenty millennia without any significant findings, even the strictest monitoring would have loosened or been abandoned entirely.

Using data transmission, Rosen returned to Paradise Island and resumed his triple-pronged training routine. His main body focused on refining the essence oil from the Origin Oil Lamp, his self-portrait avatar was tasked with painting, and his divine avatar hunted spirit world entities. With the addition of the Hunting Authority and Fortune's Favor, the chances of harvesting soul gems had increased significantly.

Time flowed by year after year. Before he knew it, a century had passed since Rosen had begun living in seclusion on Paradise Island. Early on, he had considered whether Simplified Time Drawing and the Origin Oil Lamp could work together. Unfortunately, they couldn't. Painting required him to release his spiritual energy outward, while refining the essence oil demanded full concentration to absorb and process the essence without error. Any slip-up could damage his essence directly. The best he could do was rely on the Tower of Time to accelerate time by fivefold as a support for his training.

Over the equivalent of six hundred years, Rosen painstakingly raised his spiritual strength to the Sequence 4 cap of 78 points. However, he didn't immediately plan to ascend to Sequence 3. Many of his skills still hadn't reached their full potential at their current levels.

For Rosen, leveling skills from LV6 to LV7 was not particularly challenging. Just like progressing from LV3 to LV4, advancing to LV7 also allowed for the fusion of extraordinary materials. When a skill reached LV7, it would undergo a qualitative transformation.

Rosen had intentionally held back the advancement of several of his skills across two sequence levels, saving their potential for the LV7 breakthrough. His goal was to unlock the most powerful traits possible, or even upgrade them into special skills. Enhancing these skills required various extraordinary materials, most of which were easy to procure. However, fusing the materials was best done in specific environments.

Among his list of seven skills to upgrade were Glory Seal, Depiction Art, Human Figure Acting, Ashen Penetration, and Trap Crafting. With limited options, Rosen decided to tackle them one by one in order.

The enhancement material for Glory Seal was particularly unique. Rosen dismissed anything available in the Main God Hall or the spirit web, considering them too ordinary. His eyes were set on the Glory Badge, a rare Sequence 2 military medal issued by the World Government. It wasn't just a symbol of immense honor, but also carried the World Government's human civilization fate energy and an immense concentration of glory-related faith.

However, obtaining the badge meant heading to the frontlines, which wasn't easy for Rosen. The battlefield wasn't just dangerous because of the war itself; it was also fraught with other risks. Chiron was stationed there, and Rosen had to account for his other two Sequence 0 enemies: Sonia and Wendy.

Sonia was constrained by the Heartbound Oath and couldn't openly make a move against him, but Chiron and Wendy had no such restrictions. They had countless opportunities to interfere. If Rosen were to venture to the frontlines, he needed to pick a battlefield where Chiron and Wendy had little influence.

Moreover, the battlefield had to be of considerable scale. Smaller battles wouldn't provide enough opportunity to earn a Sequence 2 Glory Badge. Narrowing down the possibilities, Rosen eventually settled on the best option available.

The Abyss Battlefield could help him avoid his own Sequence 0 adversaries, but it came with its own set of problems. The Abyss was home to countless Abyssal Lords. If Rosen's performance stood out too much, he risked drawing the attention of a powerful Lord. Worse, several Lords could band together to eliminate him, which would be far more troublesome.

Weighing his options carefully, Rosen ruled out the Abyss Battlefield and landed on the most suitable choice. The decision brought him to a confrontation with a particular species—the Demi-humans.

In the main world, humans and most other races lacked reproductive barriers, resulting in countless mixed-blood groups. Within human territories, demihumans—such as catfolk—were often enslaved. However, outside human lands, the demihumans were a dominant and powerful race.

Demihumans retained many of humanity's advantages while inheriting the superior bloodlines of other races. At their peak, the demi-human civilization had produced three True Gods. Even in their current state, they still had two True Gods, one of whom was renowned for defeating other True Gods head-on. Over the years, the demi-humans had become one of humanity's fiercest adversaries.

It was worth noting that demi-humans were distinct from beastfolk. Beastfolk were essentially anthropomorphic animals with bestial heads and humanoid bodies. Demihumans, on the other hand, bore only minor non-human traits and otherwise looked almost indistinguishable from regular humans.

Two months later, Rosen boarded a spirit world train departing from the Sacred Wood Empire for the frontlines. While he could have used data transmission to get there, the intense warfare on the demi-human front meant that even the rear areas of the battlefield were often surrounded by barriers set up by True Gods. Carelessly bypassing such barriers via data transmission could bring him unnecessary trouble. Since he wasn't in a rush, he decided to take the military conscription train instead and enjoy the scenery along the way.

The conscription train, which traversed various continents and empires, wasn't recruiting ordinary soldiers. It sought out individuals with at least Sequence 4 capabilities and typically those who were Sequence 3 Domain Lords. After additional training and evaluations at the frontlines, these recruits were usually promoted to mid-level officers.

Technically, every empire had teleportation arrays that directly connected to the major frontlines. However, some battlefields were exceptions due to the ferocity of the enemy's assaults. Deploying teleportation arrays in such areas could result in those arrays being seized by the enemy, potentially giving them access to the human heartlands. For these specific frontlines, teleportation arrays were strictly prohibited.

Initially, teleportation arrays were set up further back behind the frontlines, but eventually, spirit world trains were adopted instead. Not everyone was suited to become an officer, and not everyone could thrive within the military hierarchy. Placing someone in an ill-suited role on the battlefield would only lead to disasters for themselves and others. The journey aboard the spirit world train served as a form of evaluation.

Those deemed fit to become officers would join the military command structure. Those deemed unfit would serve as independent combatants, operating in small teams at the periphery of the battlefield to conduct guerrilla warfare. The goal was to assign everyone to the position where they could be most effective.

The train consisted of nine carriages, excluding the locomotive. The first three carriages were reserved for Sequence 3 individuals and staff. The remaining six carriages were for Sequence 4 passengers. Although referred to as carriages, the interiors were as spacious as small towns. Each carriage came equipped with a variety of entertainment facilities, and even the demi-human slaves serving as attendants were of the highest quality. Any slave one fancied could be taken for free upon disembarking. Interestingly, these demi-human slaves held deep hatred for their own kind.

In any race, where there are classes, there is oppression. Stories of families being ruined by their own kin were countless. Coupled with the allure of wealth and power, it was easy for spies to emerge within a race. There were even double agents—demi-humans who seemed to harbor hatred for their kind after being persecuted but were secretly operating as deep-cover agents.

As Rosen strolled through the carriage, he used mind-reading to uncover several such double agents. The probability was suspiciously high, leading him to suspect that this was part of the hidden test. If someone can't even discern whether those around them are allies or enemies, how can they possibly hope to become an officer?

Rosen didn't hesitate. He summoned all the double agents—regardless of gender—to his private room in the carriage. The train staff, who were secretly observing everything, quietly recorded all of his actions.

By midday the next day, Rosen left his room alone. Without attracting the attention of other passengers, he slipped into the connection between two carriages. He wrote a few spiritual runes on a mirror, and the ordinary mirror immediately pulled him inside, making him disappear.

At the same time, over a thousand other passengers across the nine carriages vanished through various means after following clues they had discovered.

For those who had spent the entire day without finding any clues, their fate was already sealed. Such individuals were clearly unfit to become officers. Regardless of their extraordinary talents, they would only be fit to be commanded on the battlefield.

Of course, even among the thousand who passed this initial screening, only a handful would eventually earn military ranks.

Once Rosen entered the mirror, he found himself in the study of a mansion. On the desk lay a set of identification documents, but there was nothing else in the room.

"Is this a spirit realm, a virtual world, or an illusion?" Rosen muttered as he picked up the documents, unsure of the nature of his surroundings.

According to the documents, he was now the mayor of Greenwood City. For unknown reasons, the entire city had been transported to an uncharted location through warped space. As the mayor, he was tasked with protecting the city from unknown dangers.

The normal approach to this test would involve consolidating the city's resources and leading its inhabitants to fend off these dangers. Performance during this process would determine whether one was fit to become a commander.

However, Rosen wasn't one to follow conventional routes. I'm not good at command, and I don't need to learn how to be a commander, he thought to himself.

Black cat or white cat, the one that catches mice is the good cat. On the battlefield, no method is off-limits—so long as results are achieved, no one cares how it's done. Those left behind in the train carriages, eliminated from the selection, were not doomed to always remain subordinates on the frontlines. If they achieved Demigod-tier strength, mastered forbidden sequences, or developed unique support abilities, they too could earn ranks and become commanders.

Rosen unfolded a portion of his divine territory, releasing a fraction of the troops he had accumulated over the years. Ten thousand Shadow Demons—nine thousand at Sequence 5 and one thousand at Sequence 4. Alongside them, ten thousand Metal Slimes, all at Sequence 4. Then there were one thousand Wood Elves at Sequence 6, ten thousand War Treants at Sequence 5, and ten thousand Tree Spirit Priests at Sequence 5.

And this wasn't even the full extent of his forces. He had yet to deploy his Ashen Bees swarm, his one-million-strong Holy Protector Army, or the legion of Insane Believers forged through torturing prisoners in the Void Prison. Ever since he had obtained that vast amount of divine crystals a century ago, Rosen had lifted all restrictions on the development of his armies.

With such a massive collection of extraordinary troops, Rosen hardly needed any commanding abilities himself. Besides, even if he wasn't skilled in strategy, Alicia had been learning such things since childhood. Among ten thousand Shadow Demons, picking out competent commanders wasn't hard. As for the Holy Protector Army, their leader was a top talent selected from over thirty billion believers in the True Realm of the Ancient Gods. The only group without a designated commander was the Metal Slimes—but those adorable, brainless creatures didn't need strategy; they just charged forward recklessly.

Outside Greenwood City, a massive demi-human army hadn't even managed to approach before being decimated by Shadow Demon assassinations and the long-range warfare spells of Tree Spirit Priests. Even the few who managed to break through to the city were swallowed whole by the metal tide of the Slimes.

In the end, Greenwood City suffered no casualties, and Rosen hadn't even needed to mobilize the city's defensive forces. His overwhelming display of power was so excessive that the assessors conducting the evaluation behind the scenes could hardly bear to watch anymore.

While the demi-human forces hadn't been entirely wiped out yet, a Sequence 1 Thief from the demi-human side suddenly appeared to execute a decapitation strike against Rosen. Despite the protection of his troops, Rosen managed to hold out only briefly before the Sequence 1 Thief tore through the Metal Slimes' defensive wall and beheaded him.

At the moment of his "death," the scenes of Greenwood City and the demi-human army disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a vast white void. Rosen hadn't used his full power—what he had already displayed was terrifying enough. The Sequence 1 Thief at the end seemed to serve as a reminder that, once on the battlefield, he would need to take better measures to protect himself.

"Retrieve your extraordinary forces," an unfamiliar voice echoed from the void.

The moment Rosen retracted all his troops, he was transported to the conductor's office at the front of the train.

"You're the most terrifying Sequence 4 I've ever encountered," the conductor said, scrutinizing Rosen with awe.

"You flatter me," Rosen replied courteously.

"After deliberation by the Operations Command Office, we've decided to grant you the rank of Major General," the conductor said seriously. "Once you reach the frontlines, several advisors will be assigned to you. You'll also have the authority to requisition a 200,000-strong logistics division. Additionally, any casualties among your extraordinary troops on the main battlefield will be reimbursed by the World Government's Military Department after the war."

"No problem. I'm more than satisfied with these terms," Rosen said with a smile of contentment.

Securing a higher rank than he had anticipated, Rosen left the conductor's office in high spirits. The World Government's military ranking system was highly meritocratic—those with ability rose, while mediocrity fell behind, leaving no room for slackers. After all, the enemy wouldn't hold back, and a soldier's capability would become evident on the battlefield.

Though Rosen had easily obtained the rank of Major General, he technically had no official soldiers under his command—only logistics troops. In a sense, he was little different from a mercenary. But that suited him just fine; if he were formally inducted into the World Government's military, he'd have to come up with excuses to decline.

The spirit world train's journey to the frontlines would take a full three months.

Midway through the journey, the train passed through numerous void tunnels constructed within the spirit realm, each guarded by a war fortress. These fortresses served as critical strongholds, showcasing the vastness of the human world in ways that data transmission simply couldn't. Along the way, Rosen gained firsthand insight into things he had only read about in the Spirit Realm Net, and the difference between reading and experiencing was truly immense.

One day, the spirit train passed through the final void tunnel guarded by a war fortress. After exiting the tunnel, the train stopped at a platform within the spirit realm. As Rosen stepped onto the platform, he looked around at the massive metallic structures surrounding him. According to his knowledge, they were now inside a planetary fortress—a structure equivalent to Sequence 1, capable of withstanding even a sustained assault by a Sequence 1 entity for dozens of hours without collapsing. This masterpiece of the scientist system was a product of spiritual technology.

The scientist system was second only to the noble system, and this planetary fortress was proof of its prestige.

As Rosen disembarked, the military insignia on his shoulder began to emit a faint warmth. Like the Star Crest, it was a projection of a miracle artifact. In addition to its communication capabilities, the insignia recorded battle merits on the battlefield. Upon activating the communication function, Rosen received instructions from his assigned chief of staff, who was already waiting outside the station.

Exiting the station, Rosen approached a burly man who radiated an imposing aura.

"Hello, I'm Rosen Howard," Rosen introduced himself while carefully observing the man.

"Hannes Rodlin, Sequence 4 Strategist," the towering man replied, his deep voice calm as he looked down at Rosen.

Internally, Rosen sighed. It seemed that the regional military division handling the demi-human frontlines had intentionally paired him with a major headache. Strategist—an extraordinary sequence that had emerged less than ten thousand years ago—was not initially classified under the scientist system. However, it was later included because of its unique traits.

A qualified strategist wasn't merely adept at commanding troops; that was considered the most basic of their abilities. Strategists could amplify the combat effectiveness of soldiers, and more importantly, develop unique and personalized warfare skills. This emphasis on skill development ultimately aligned them with the scientist system.

In essence, the strategist sequence was an elevated form of the hero sequence. Strategists were exceedingly rare, often occupying high-ranking positions within the military and typically nurtured by the World Government's armed forces as direct loyalists. For a Sequence 4 strategist to be assigned as his chief of staff? It was highly unusual. Moreover, if this Hannes was competent yet relegated to a staff role, it likely meant he was also troublesome—a thorny character. Rosen realized his first task might be to assert dominance and fully subdue Hannes.

"Lead the way, Chief of Staff," Rosen said as he walked toward the nearby military vehicle.

The vehicle lacked wheels, utilizing flight and spatial traversal technology while also boasting robust firepower and defense. However, it still didn't compare to a void warship, the true heavyweights of the military capable of stealth travel through the void.

Hannes personally drove the military vehicle, taking Rosen to the shipyard, where a void warship awaited. As they approached, Rosen's expression turned serious. Void warships were classified as at least Sequence 3, but their actual combat capabilities rivaled Sequence 2. Being products of the spiritual technology system, only military elites could pilot them.

A void warship? Was the regional military division expecting him to throw his life on the line?

"This is the Abyss Shadow Void Destroyer," Hannes began, his tone carrying a hint of excitement as he introduced the warship.

As Rosen listened, he began piecing together the situation. The Abyss Shadow originally belonged to a Sequence 2 warship commander from a special advancement path in the knight sequence. However, that commander had perished in battle years ago, and the Abyss Shadow had suffered severe damage, requiring extensive repairs. Now fully restored, the warship awaited a new suitable commander.

Yet finding a match wasn't easy. Assigning it to just any commander would waste its potential, and most eligible candidates refused to pilot the ship, fearing it might limit their career prospects. But the Abyss Shadow couldn't simply gather dust in the shipyard. Coincidentally, Rosen had arrived on the scene.

While Rosen wasn't a warship commander, he did have ten thousand Abyss Shadow Demons—creatures integral to the warship's construction. With them, he could temporarily operate the Abyss Shadow. Should Rosen decide to join the military as a professional soldier, the division wouldn't mind letting him keep the ship indefinitely. If not, it wouldn't hinder the Abyss Shadow from awaiting its rightful owner.

Whether there were other motives behind this arrangement, Rosen wasn't certain for now. However, he realized he might have misjudged Hannes. The strategist wasn't necessarily a troublesome figurehead forced into his entourage; instead, his presence could simply reflect the Abyss Shadow's immense value. The regional military division needed someone trustworthy to supervise Rosen and the warship.

As for Hannes' intimidating demeanor? It was probably just a consequence of his towering 2.5-meter frame.

(End of chapter)