Chapter 3

What does it feel like to become a Stand user?

Roland didn't know how to describe it.

He was still a normal human, perhaps with a bit more vitality and spiritual energy than average, maybe due to an additional quality he now possessed.

However, something fundamental had changed, and it didn't need words to explain.

It felt like an arcane sensation, as natural as moving a finger or blinking an eye. He could summon Killer Queen before him at any time.

As a typical close-range Stand, Killer Queen's A-rank power and B-rank speed were more than enough to handle most everyday dangers within normal limits.

While its performance in hand-to-hand combat might not have been outstanding in the original work, Roland believed this was a misunderstanding.

Killer Queen had faced Echoes, a top-tier close-range Stand, in the third stage.

Considering both had B-rank power and speed, Killer Queen effortlessly parrying all of Echoes' attacks with one hand showcased its high level of strength.

It could easily cut through human flesh, and even something as extreme as a punch through the chest was well within its capabilities.

In the ordinary urban setting, even without using its Stand ability, Roland could treat humans like fragile puppets.

The most perfect aspect was Killer Queen's ability, simple yet pure.

Roland lightly flicked a coin onto Killer Queen's fingertip.

After a brief touch, he could, at his leisure, trigger an explosion that would engulf the entire room.

However, in the end, he chose to let the coin turn to dust and disperse from his fingertip, making it almost impossible to collect.

To turn everything touched into a bomb was the supreme expression of violent aesthetics.

And since Killer Queen, as a Stand, couldn't be captured by cameras, this ability was incredibly convenient!

Roland closed his eyes, feeling the Stand that had become inseparable from him, digging into its hidden potential.

Despite multiple developments and continuous progress in its abilities, Roland realized that Killer Queen's potential had not yet been fully tapped, including the first bomb and the second bomb that had been used multiple times.

Perhaps it was due to the vast difference in scale compared to the other antagonists, combined with its own character, that Yoshikage Kira was very passive in developing his Stand abilities.

But in a sense, it might be because of this character that Killer Queen became such a perfect Stand.

Yet, compared to these promising thoughts for the future, the current greatest advantage of obtaining Killer Queen was the sense of security brought by this supernatural power.

With Roland's original level, not to mention Servants, even the most rundown of serial killers among Masters could easily take him down.

Now, with the advantage of his Stand, Roland at least had the ability to negotiate with these Masters.

Furthermore, if used wisely and combined with his precognitive information advantage, he could become an even more dangerous person than a certain infamous assassin.

"I mustn't get overconfident. Those who are unsure of their limits often don't fare well."

For now, Roland's goal was simply to live a peaceful life in Fuyuki City. In a month, this power would permanently belong to him.

Although when he first arrived, he considered whether he should leave Fuyuki City, now, influenced either by his Contract Spirit or by the comfortable life of the past few days, he was starting to fall in love with this city.

It offered the perfect balance between the revitalization of the New Town and the quiet charm of the old mountain town.

There were fewer tourists, and it was a place that wouldn't surprise him with major changes even a decade from now.

It was truly, too wonderful.

The only thing worth worrying about was the rumored but yet-to-commence Fourth Holy Grail War, but as a resident who lived in Fuyuki City, Roland generally felt a gap between the rumors and reality.

It was well known that the Holy Grail War was conducted in secret.

Though, looking at the results, this statement might be debatable.

The only concern was the looming Fourth Holy Grail War, which had already begun but didn't seem to affect everyday life in the city.

The Holy Grail War was a secret battle, and aside from the catastrophic end when the Holy Grail was destroyed, as long as Roland didn't venture into dark alleys, abandoned buildings, or the outskirts of the city late at night, he would remain untouched as a regular resident.

Moreover, Roland was not a mage. Therefore, there was no compelling reason for him to participate in the Holy Grail War.

He mused on the fact that the Grail War was supposed to be a clandestine event, yet even a newcomer like him had become aware of its presence.

Still, he didn't see any reason to involve himself in it.

Suddenly, a realization struck Roland. What if there were escaped spirits within the participants of the current Holy Grail War?

The core ability of the Ring of Spirits was to help the user find, assimilate, and control spirits.

The recovery of escaped spirits was an additional task, but the primary function was to aid the user in refining their abilities.

It was not originally designed for hunting spirits.

Recovering the escaped Spirits was simply a way to provide better assistance, and the process was powerful in itself.

After all, transcending worlds was only a supplementary ability to assist the core ability.

As long as Roland visited a world once, he could return there at any time, as long as he raised his authority and unlocked the ability to traverse the new world.

And the method to unlock the traveling function wasn't complicated.

As long as he completed the task of reclaiming a Familiar once, he would have the authority to move to a new world.

By then, he could leave Fuyuki City and all its concerns behind.

Directly traveling to a new world was a much safer way to escape than leaving Fuyuki City, both rationally and emotionally.

Regardless of whether it was from a rational or emotional perspective, it was worth trying.

After all, escaped Familiars would only be detected within a certain range, and if they were far away, Roland could only know the quantity.

The closer they were, the more information Roland could obtain.

If he learned the whereabouts of an escaped Familiar and who it had attached itself to, it wouldn't be impossible to take action based on the situation.

"Sigh, even though I'm just reclaiming something that rightfully belongs to me, why does it have to be done so secretly..."

Roland sighed and glanced at the clock on the wall.

He stood up, and right on time, the voice of the store manager came from outside the break room.

"Roland-kun, it's time for your break. It's time for the shift change."

"I'm coming, Manager."

Before all that, he should enjoy the comfort of ending work on time and having an easy job every day.

Later, he could consider whether he should rent a house in the old city and find a new job.

That way, he could avoid a sudden explosion of the Great Holy Grail, turning the Neo City into an inferno.

However, that wouldn't be the case for the next couple of days, due to one important reason.

Payday was just around the corner!