Chapter 1

The Key of All Spirits.

That's what Roland called the ring on his hand.

It had appeared on his hand out of nowhere that morning, and it felt like an integral part of his skin, making its presence surprisingly subtle.

It wasn't until Roland took it off and found that the ring would reappear on his hand the moment he closed his room door after placing it on the table.

No matter if he locked it in a box or threw it out the window, the ring would reappear in his hand in the next moment, as if it had never left.

Roland was puzzled about how to deal with the Key of All Spirits and the seemingly powerful ability it possessed, which looked like a golden finger.

The clock on the wall had already struck noon while he was pondering.

Then, he suddenly found himself in a different world.

That's why Roland found himself sitting alone on a bench in front of the park, wearing only a thin shirt and a coat when everyone else was dressed warmly for winter.

"So, is this Japan? Or some kind of parallel world?" Roland calmly surveyed his surroundings.

Although he wasn't a foreign exchange student, the signs on the tall buildings and the Japanese on the street signs made it clear.

Surprisingly, Roland wasn't shocked by the fact that he had crossed over to another world.

When he arrived in this new world, he had a sudden revelation about the Key of All Spirits, its abilities, and its information.

The Key of All Spirits could not only travel between worlds but also grant Roland various supernatural abilities.

It had chosen Roland because he had a certain qualification, which wasn't related to his intelligence, talents, or personality but his aptitude for connecting with unknown entities in the void.

In simple terms, Roland had a highly developed intuition.

This seemingly unremarkable talent in real life, even somewhat dangerous, was the reason why the Key of All Spirits had chosen him.

Inside the Key of All Spirits, there were many spirit contracts with various entities, some ancient deities, and some powerful but exotic beings from different realms.

In most cases, these entities were in a half-dead, almost soulless state.

To harness their power and ultimately absorb it, the owner of the Key of All Spirits could form contracts with them, paying a certain price and completing specific conditions.

However, the Key of All Spirits was just an item without self-awareness.

Its power was incomplete without a user to drive it.

It would wander aimlessly through different worlds, seeking its owner and creating new spirit contracts while uncontrolled.

Lucky spirits might escape this fate and scatter across various worlds.

As the chosen one by the Key of All Spirits, Roland's task was to collect these scattered spirits, increase his authority, and eventually become the true master of the Key of All Spirits.

In many ways, the Key of All Spirits could be considered an excellent "golden finger."

It had a goal, but it wasn't mandatory.

Roland could choose to live a lifetime in this world without fulfilling its mission.

The Key of All Spirits didn't impose any compulsory tasks or punishments for non-completion.

Its messages only guided Roland on how to increase his authority.

Apart from the unexpected and unannounced crossover, Roland was quite satisfied with the fact that he had gained a "golden finger."

After all, he didn't have any strong ties to his original world.

"Is this really an alternate world?" Roland felt a bit embarrassed about the curious glances from people passing by.

Being at the park entrance, there was a constant flow of people, and Roland, wearing only a thin coat, stood out among those who had already bundled up in winter attire.

After observing for almost half an hour, Roland concluded that he was in a modern world.

The level of technology appeared to be slightly ahead of his original world.

People's clothing and the families playing in the park with their children didn't seem to possess any widely known supernatural abilities, at least not on the surface.

"Anyway, let's gather some information." Roland stood up and walked toward the park.

A salaryman in a suit had just finished his lunch and was leaving the bench near the flowerbed.

Strangely, he didn't seem interested in picking up the newspaper by the road.

Roland had some knowledge of newspapers, and despite being an outsider, he couldn't help but notice that no one in the past half hour had taken out their smartphones to check the time.

People either wore wristwatches or relied on the tall clock in the park's center.

This was a fascinating sight for Roland, who came from a highly digitalized society.

He couldn't help but think that the newspaper he had in his hand might provide valuable information.

However, he knew that it wouldn't answer all his questions about this world.

Roland opened the newspaper, sat down on the bench, and used it to hide his expression.

He scanned the headlines which had some Chinese characters, which he could understand.

The first thing that caught his attention was a headline: "Fuyuki City Records Lowest Temperature at 11.2 Degrees."

To the right of the headline, the newspaper's name was printed in bold letters: "Fuyuki News."

This was a term he was very familiar with, mainly because he had read quite a few works in this series.

However, if he really had crossed over to Fuyuki City, even though Roland considered himself calm, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.

He had heard about the daily life of Fuyuki City, especially the events of the Holy Grail Wars.

Although he didn't know the exact year, the current timeline was undoubtedly the fourth Holy Grail War.

Roland took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts.

He knew that in a conventional scenario, people should start in a different world rather than Fuyuki City.

Starting in the Type-Moon universe as an ordinary person seemed way beyond the norm.

In his mind, he rationalized, "Isn't it supposed to begin in the typical setting of a school-based series or something? Starting here seems out of place."

His heart was somewhat calmed as he couldn't find any major news, like gas explosions, which would indicate the Fourth Holy Grail War hadn't officially started yet.

However, this small comfort couldn't dispel his anxiety entirely. Roland's thoughts shifted to practical matters.

He needed to find a place to stay for the night and figure out what he would eat for his next meal.

He was now in a situation where he couldn't communicate with anyone, had no legal identity, was penniless, and was in an unfamiliar city.

After the initial excitement of his crossover had faded, fear and apprehension began to take hold.

It was only when facing adversity that people truly appreciated the overlooked beauty in their everyday lives.

Staring at the trembling newspaper in his hands, Roland's face darkened.

He couldn't help but wonder if this was some kind of hint from the heavens. Why did he end up here immediately after crossing over?

"And why would anyone start their quest as a wanderer in Fuyuki City? Isn't that supposed to happen in another world, not in Japan? High school students are a unique Japanese product, right?"

As he mumbled to himself, Roland slapped his own face to shake off the anxiety.

He knew he couldn't just sit idly by when facing challenges. Moreover, even if he were given a chance to abandon the Key of All Spirits, he would still choose to hold onto it.

No one would ignore a miracle within arm's reach.

Plus, he had a chance to turn his fate around.

Roland toyed with the ring on his hand, feeling the information it transmitted:

Key of All Spirits

- Held Spirits: None

- Spirit Extraction Attempts: One

This ring wasn't a wish-granting machine, and it couldn't provide abilities like a generous god.

However, it could create spirit contracts in various worlds. Roland believed that it must have some way to connect with the people it chose.

Roland didn't expect world-altering powers, but he desired a chance.

"Extract a spirit."

After some contemplation, Roland silently issued the command in his mind, closed his eyes, and waited for the result.

Chaotic silver-white light appeared in his closed eyes, twisting and distorting, delivering the outcome:

Spirit - Kira Yoshikage

***

Power stones = Extra Chapters