In summary, Roxy was an unlucky but kind-hearted person.
It was precisely because of this that Roah liked this somewhat clumsy girl (and not because he was infatuated with her looks—serious face, jpg).
A gentle breeze brushed against her azure hair, which cascaded down her back. Roxy walked along the narrow paths of the rice fields, surrounded by hardworking farmers. They toiled under the golden sunlight, and every time they saw Roxy, their faces lit up with warm smiles.
Roah simply observed in silence. The golden rays of the sun illuminated the girl's face, casting light deep into his heart.
Whatever others might think—call it infatuation or say he was captivated by her beauty—Roah was resolute. Roxy was his.
Quickening his steps, Roah reached out and held Roxy's hand. Startled, Roxy froze momentarily, her thoughts flashing back to the night before. Her cheeks turned slightly red as she recalled the memory.
Roah walked beside Roxy in silence, watching her use magic to summon rain for the farmers. Raindrops began to fall gently from the sky, nourishing the fields and the land. Both Roxy and the farmers smiled warmly.
When Roxy finished her work, this time, she didn't wait for Roah to take the initiative. Smiling, she clasped his hand herself.
"She seems to be in a pretty good mood today," Roah thought, noting Roxy's cheerful expression.
---
After dinner that evening, under Rudeus's envious gaze, Roah swaggered back to his room, lit the oil lamp, and reflected on the day.
"Summary: Roxy's hands are so soft."
After staring at the words for a while, Roah started to feel uneasy. Would writing this make him seem too frivolous? Too lazy?
He sighed and decided to check on his Sword Art Online self.
In that world, Kirigaya Naoki was still engrossed in gaming.
"Games are so much fun."
Roah couldn't help but grind his teeth. Both versions of himself—one in Sword Art Online and one here—seemed equally unmotivated.
---
Night came, and Roah eagerly awaited bedtime, looking forward to spending the night with Roxy again.
Roxy, however, seemed hesitant as she remembered the events of the previous evening.
The night passed uneventfully under the bright moon and scattered stars.
When Roah woke up the next morning, Roxy was clinging to him like an octopus. Her unique scent tickled his nose, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. If only he had the strength to become a master thief of hearts, he thought.
Roah sighed silently.
---
Time flew by.
Roah and Roxy's bond grew stronger over time, though their feelings diverged. Roah was drawn to Roxy's physical charm, while Roxy treated Roah like a younger sibling.
Meanwhile, Rudeus's "nurturing plan" for Sylphy was a resounding success. Sylphy was practically Rudeus's "shape" now.
Watching Roxy's occasional frustrations and Rudeus's smug expressions, Roah felt an ache in his heart.
---
Roah's Sword Art Online counterpart, however, was on autopilot. Letting him do whatever he wanted was easier. So long as the plot progressed smoothly, Roah wouldn't stress over it.
Back in the present, Roah spent his days practicing swordsmanship and magic, enjoying his relatively peaceful life.
Looking at his B-ranked magic level, Roah suddenly felt like a "Sword Saint of Ten-Mile Village" (a term used to describe someone who's a big deal in a small place). He was essentially invincible in this little corner of the world.
After some thought, Roah had a bold idea:
He wanted to become a shadow ruler.
First, he would train his foolish younger brother into his subordinate. Then, he'd defeat the Dragon God and make him his lackey. Finally, together they would overthrow the Human God, ensuring Rudeus wouldn't fall under his control. The Dragon God would get his revenge, Rudeus would gain his freedom, and Roah would amass a mountain of Chrono Energy.
It would be a perfect world for everyone—except the Human God.
"But to subdue the Dragon God, I must first defeat him."
With this in mind, Roah glanced at his stats:
---
[Character: Roah Greyrat]
Age: 6
Strength: G+
Agility: F
Stamina: G+
Intelligence: B
Talents:
[Immaculate Body (Tier 1)]
[Fool (Tier 1)]
[Greed]
Skills:
Advanced Magic Knowledge
Sword God Style (Intermediate)
Evaluation: You possess exceptional potential. Currently, you can barely hold your own in a fight.
---
Opening the World Capturing Interface, he noted:
[Chrono Energy: 0/100 (Unable to capture new worlds)] (T/N: Changing temporal to chrono)
---
Disheartened, Roah realized he was still far from defeating the Dragon God. He clenched his teeth, blaming his Sword Art Online self for slacking off.
Even so, Roah knew a more immediate concern: Roxy's imminent departure.
Although he wanted to ask her to stay, Roah couldn't find a valid reason. She had taught him everything she could, and beyond teaching him Water Saint-level magic, there was little left for her to offer.
When Roah tried to argue that Rudeus wasn't yet fully trained, Roxy simply smiled wryly.
"I'd love to stay longer, but I've taught you everything I know," she said.
Seeing her bittersweet expression, Roah couldn't argue further.
But before she left, Roah decided to prepare a parting gift.
He gathered his immense magical power, letting the elements of wind, fire, water, and earth converge around him. Darkness spread as his chaotic magic compressed into a dense black seed. His molten gold eyes glimmered as he examined his creation.
A Magic Seed.
Planting this seed in someone's body would exponentially boost their magical power. However, the power came at a cost: the recipient's life would be tied to the creator, who could cause their magic to spiral out of control at any time.
But Roah wouldn't give Roxy a flawed version. He refined the seed to remove its drawbacks, making it a much weaker but safer power-up.
For Roxy, even a modest increase in magic power would be significant, as her magic reserves, while decent, paled in comparison to prodigies like Roah.
"This is the least I can do," Roah thought.