what a amazing book got me hooked straight away definitely worth the read
I will try to describe my experience with reading this. I've been reading the raw version continuously for 2 years on Syosetu. So I might forget some parts.
First, the early part when the Main Character (MC) was still alone is just a typical power-up fantasy. However, the real story begins when he meets Fran.
The story follows the journey of Fran and the MC, also known as "Teacher," as they try to uncover the reason why the Black Cat Tribe cannot evolve and attempt to resolve this issue.
It turns out that the inability to evolve is linked to the ancient Black Cat Tribe's imperial family attempting to harness the power of a sealed evil god. As punishment, the gods cursed them, preventing evolution. To lift the curse for the entire tribe, they need to defeat an S-class monster. Alternatively, an individual can break the curse by destroying more than a thousand fiends, though I might be a bit fuzzy on the specifics.
Throughout their journey, they face numerous challenges, both psychological and physical. The journey is quite engaging, giving you a genuine sense of "adventure." Fran does not stay in one place or establish a base; it's a true adventure of discovery and exploration.
In terms of writing style, the story feels well-planned and organized. The early part is essentially an adventure focused on searching for clues about the curse and Fran’s attempts to evolve, while encountering various events that become significant in the distant future.
For instance, the chaos in Barbra, around chapter 100+, where the destruction could have been much worse if not for a certain someone advising his past self to limit the power given to Fran. This becomes relevant again in chapter 500+. Without spoiling too much, this involves time travel, and we even get to see an alternate version of Fran from a different timeline, who is extremely powerful but utterly ruthless.
The story is divided into many large arcs, often spanning over 100+ chapters, with some even extending to 300+ chapters. However, this doesn’t drag the story. Each large arc contains multiple smaller arcs that connect the story, providing clues and forming a larger narrative. This structured approach is impressive.
The characters feel alive. The author introduces characters purposefully, and they interact with Fran throughout her journey, forming meaningful relationships. Each character has a distinct personality.
One of the most significant aspects, at least for me, is witnessing Fran's growth as a person. Early in the story, Fran spoke little and often sought advice from the MC before conversing with others. Over time, she experiences friendship, separation, reunion, and loss. Her character development is subtle but profound. By the time you reach 900+ chapters, you realize she has become decisive, intelligent, and capable of making her own decisions. It feels like watching a child grow up.
Initially, Fran was ruthless, with no qualms about killing or torturing her enemies. She harbored a deep hatred for slave traders, particularly the Blue Cat Tribe, who enslaved the Black Cat Tribe and killed her parents. However, through her journey with the MC, she learns about mercy and compassion. She realizes not all Blue Cats are evil.
The MC plays a crucial role as Fran's teacher, scolding her when she makes mistakes and praising her when she does well. He acts like a parent and mentor, which is vital. Around chapters 500-600+, we encounter an alternate Fran.
In this timeline, the MC has lost all emotions and has become a divine sword, functioning like an AI, making decisions based on calculations. There was no one to guide Fran when she made mistakes or to praise her for good deeds. This Fran is extremely ruthless and powerful. She kills anyone who offends her, and due to her immense power, no one can stop her. By chapter 660, she has mastered the divine beast form and can control the evil god’s power sealed in the sword without negative consequences. She single-handedly defeats an S-rank monster, the Great Beast, which, in the main timeline, required the combined power of Weena Rhyn's current and future selves.
Why did the MC lose his emotions in this timeline? His power grew too quickly, overwhelming his mind and causing it to collapse. Future Zearis advising his past self to limit power to Fran actually saved the MC in the main timeline. Although the main timeline Fran is less powerful, she is in much better mental and emotional condition. She has friends, Urushi is alive, and her Teacher remains sane. , she is a better person.
Lastly, regarding the power scale, you might think Fran is overpowered with the MC’s "ability steal" and "ability sharing." However, the author does an excellent job balancing the world's power dynamics. Battle scenes are vividly portrayed, and over 1000+ chapters, you see Fran’s battles evolve from those of an inexperienced adventurer to those of a seasoned veteran.
Fran doesn’t always win. She loses many battles and faces close calls, learning and growing from each experience. Even after 1000+ chapters, Fran is still a B-rank adventurer, though her battle power is at an A-Class level. By chapter 900+, she takes the first step toward divine beast transformation, becoming very powerful but not overpowered.
An adventurer's rank is determined by their ability to defeat magic beasts of the same threat level in a party or one threat level below solo. For example:
- **S Rank:** Global Crisis (Mythical Beasts, Fenrir, Divine Dragon)
- **A Rank:** Continental Crisis (Demon Lord, Monarch Dragon)
- **B Rank:** National Crisis (Greater Demon, Arch Dragon, Giant King)
- **C Rank:** Citywide Crisis (Tyrant Saber Tiger, Lesser Demon)
- **D Rank:** Townside Crisis (Lesser Hydra, Dragon Blast Tortoise)
- **E Rank:** Village Crisis (Lesser Wyvern, Ogre)
- **F Rank:** Can Be Dealt with by a Mercenary Party (Pack of Wolves, Horde of Goblins)
- **G Rank:** Can Be Dealt with by Average Adults (Goblin, Fang Rat)
There is much more to discover by reading the story. The world-building is vast and detailed. I still enjoy this story immensely. Thank you, Tanaka Yuu-sensei!
I managed to read the entire book through machine translation. Honestly, it’s a really easy read for the most part. It’s an excellent novel, and I enjoyed it far more than I expected. While everyone has already shared their thoughts and I agree with them, I just wanted to add my own comments:
*Spoiler*
I plan to revisit this novel once it’s fully translated. I’m curious about the final part of the extra chapter and what the plot was trying to convey. Is the current human world millions of years after the Zerg world? From Salilanfa to Folang Village, I enjoyed all the arcs, but I especially loved how the author tied up all the loose ends in the best possible way. The only thing that saddens me is that Lin Kong was transported so early in the era and didn’t get to witness the civilization he helped build.
It was a magnificent ending, even though I didn’t fully understand the machine translation.
The writing and translation were exceptional! I couldn't resist reading the untranslated chapters straightaway. This isn't your average system story or a conventional revenge tale. Each encounter with the brothers was emotionally impactful, and the author's portrayal of characters' thoughts from their own perspectives felt incredibly genuine, evoking tears.
Yow i pretty much read all those novel except the hero if darkness
Congrats on level 50
Seriously women light novel writer are disappointing specifically this one the drama was good till there marriage announcement but then meaningless drama I mean like what the fuck in the original story there was no proof of the current female lead to harm the previous female lead but still chen guy destroyed everything but now he is just a pussy you know shi shi hurt your wife and her family but you will stay this is all so disappointing the author has nuts for brain
Reading the comments, no one really talk about he creating the world. Did he create one? I wanna read it myself at first but get annoyed that the first conflicts is literally about girl...
So far, my experience with the MTL version has been positive. The main character, Jo Euishin, is理智且深思熟虑, although he has some minor imperfections that actually make him quite intriguing. The characters are well-developed and diverse, which is a refreshing change from stories where authors struggle to create distinct personalities.
The narrative is comprehensive, with a clear background and setting that's easy to follow. There's also significant character growth throughout the story. The storytelling is seamless, and each arc provides ample space for the plot to unfold and deepen.
If you appreciate selfless protagonists like TCF Cale or Orv Dokja, enjoy lively comedic sidekicks with witty banter, and are looking for thrilling fight scenes and unexpected plot twists, I highly recommend giving this a read.
How come it says completed but looks like the chapters aren't done? Was this also affected by the hack?
This was a very entertaining novel. Near perfection, only complaint I would have is that the translation got very poor about halfway through but then it returned like nothing happened after like 100 something chapters. This novel has humor, great characters, and the plot was good. 9/10, you won't regret reading it.
1/2 I write this review to warn any future would be readers of what to expect so you don’t end up wasting time if you are not willing to dredge through all 1500+ chapters.
The good points of the novel are the systems and world building where the powers and abilities used are interesting.
The bad points, which unfortunately outweigh the positives, are every single possible interaction the main character has with any other human. This entire novel sustained the same one single interaction where after you have seen it once, you have basically experienced every single character introduction in the entire story. Character is introduced>they act hostile and have severe young master syndrome towards main character>main character doesn’t say a single word out loud to change their mind and instantly either kills them or proves them wrong>people who witness this are surprised>main character doesn’t gain any fame so the very next person he meets will still judge him…