"Freya, I need to head back to my room and get this part written down. Once I've finished recording everything, I'll come back."
With that, Bell turned and left the room without a hint of hesitation.
Freya remained standing, stunned in place. She didn't move for quite some time—not until the tickling in her ears faded and the warmth in them began to subside.
"Honestly... how could he pull that on me?"
She gently touched her cheeks, her delicate fingers still sensing a faint heat. She couldn't even begin to imagine just how red her face had gotten.
She had been the one taking the lead, yet somehow, she'd ended up being the one caught off guard.
And strangely enough, even though she usually hated being in that position, this time… she didn't mind it at all. In fact, that clumsy display of affection had left her heart fluttering.
Freya's body felt weak and a little limp as she sank back into the soft chair, her eyes drifting blankly toward the door.
"He said he'd be back soon… well, I guess I can wait a little."
...
After leaving Freya's room, Bell returned straight to his own.
From his four-dimensional space, he pulled out the notebook he used for daily logs and began writing.
[Breaking free from the constraints of the "Falna System."]
That was the very first line he wrote after opening the notebook.
[The Falna System allows adventurers to grow rapidly, but it lacks the capacity to lead one into truly higher realms. Based on current projections, its ceiling is only at the demigod level.]
[Although I'm not like ordinary adventurers—and I can ascend to godhood once I reach that level—that so-called godhood is false.]
Becoming a god had always been Bell's fallback plan, something he'd only pursue if there were no better options. But now, if a better path truly existed, then godhood was the last thing he should chase.
Freya's words today had broken the mental chains that bound him. He'd always assumed that since he'd benefited from the Falna System, he was meant to follow its path to the end. But maybe, just maybe, that belief had been a fundamental mistake.
The power granted by the Falna System was undoubtedly a vital part of his foundation. Even if a god forcibly revoked it, the strength he'd built through training would remain. The only thing that vanished was the boost granted by the system.
All the status, skills, and magic acquired through the Falna System were sealed—not erased—until the Falna was re-established.
From that, Bell was sure: the abilities granted by the Falna System didn't vanish upon a god's death. They were merely sealed away by the system itself.
It wasn't deletion—it was a seal.
The strength he had forged through his own efforts remained etched into his body. But unsealing that power and reclaiming it without the system's help was something ordinary adventurers couldn't even dream of doing.
[The power gained from the Falna System doesn't go to waste. Everything becomes fuel, stored deep within the body. The system may not be able to take you further—but that accumulated potential can.]
It was a bold, radical theory—one that broke through the very limits of what gods and adventurers believed possible.
But Bell had reason to think this way—just like Freya had said: the limitations that bound others didn't apply to him. He was meant to walk a completely different path—and he could do it.
Once this idea ignited in his heart, the path to surpass even the gods came into view.
It wasn't even an original idea—it came from an anime he'd seen in his previous life.
Problem Children Are Coming from Another World.
'Damn... does that make me a problem child too?'
Bell's mouth twitched slightly. Still, he probably didn't qualify. After all, the ones in that story had stirred up massive chaos. Compared to them, he was downright tame. And as for cheats? His was more of a "minor hack" than a full-blown one.
And as everyone knows, a minor hack doesn't really count.
So, compared to them, at best he was just a regular guy trying to survive in a complicated world.
In that anime's world, gaining a divine rank might've been the fastest shortcut from weakling to powerhouse.
Humanity had its own unique paths to power, too—but he'd only seen the anime, not read the original novel. So Bell only knew a little, and most of it came from the heavily altered adaptation. He'd heard the novel's worldbuilding was incredibly deep, which made him regret not reading it.
'Why didn't I just read the damn novel properly back then?'
But regret wouldn't change anything now. He didn't read it, so all he had were fuzzy memories—he'd have to figure things out from those and piece together a path forward.
And he already had an idea of where to start.
[First step: Gather the "Seven Deadly Sins."]
That path wouldn't be found inside the Falna System. In fact, it required him to move beyond everything the system had given him. So it was only natural that Bell's first thought turned to the "Seven Deadly Sins"—the power most uniquely attuned to him.
The "Seven Deadly Sins" was the only power Bell had ever stripped from another—his sole ability that existed outside both the "Type-Moon System" and the "Falna System." That made it the only strength he could truly rely on after discarding the "Falna System."
As for excluding the "Type-Moon System," that was because Bell had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Which meant, in the new power framework he planned to build, the "Seven Deadly Sins" would become the central pillar.
"Haa..."
With his thoughts finally sorted, Bell felt a noticeable sense of relief. He glanced at the notebook on his desk, sealed it with Runes, and stored it back into his four-dimensional space.
"Now it's time to gather strength and track down the rest of the 'Seven Deadly Sins.' No telling if anything will change once they're all together."
If something did happen, it would open new possibilities. But even if nothing changed, that was fine too—he wasn't placing his hopes on it.
With this critical step toward the future recorded, Bell felt a bit lighter.
"Next... I should go see Freya."
...
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