Melusine knew exactly which world she had found herself in.
After arriving in this new world, she had carefully observed its supernatural forces and easily located a magician.
After hypnotizing him, she obtained information about her current whereabouts.
First of all, this was Italy, home to two very well-known magical associations: the Bronze Black Cross and the Copper Black Cross.
If those names merely felt familiar, then the geniuses of these associations—Erica Blandelli and Liliana Kranjcar—were even more recognizable.
After inquiring whether Heretic Gods and Campiones existed and receiving a positive answer, Melusine had completely confirmed her guess.
Campione!—a bizarre world that mashed together nearly every mythology under the sun, yet instead of adopting the more widely accepted orthodox versions, it specifically went for obscure interpretations.
To give a laughable example, in this world, Sun Wukong had even become a totem for nomadic tribes.
For crying out loud, if you could find monkeys in nomadic regions (like the Eurasian steppes, the deserts of the Middle East, or the Tibetan Plateau), I'd treat you to KFC's Crazy Thursday every week.
Whether the nomads of old even knew monkeys existed is seriously questionable.
And here, Athena was simultaneously also the Gorgon.
The thought made Melusine's vision darken for a moment.
Yes, that Gorgon—the very monster whom Athena was supposed to have persecuted and corrupted into becoming.
So, she persecuted herself?
Such chaotic contradictions weren't rare in this world.
Melusine took several deep breaths to adjust before she could acclimate to the current situation.
Although there were countless absurdities she could nitpick, more pressing matters were at hand—specifically, ensuring her own safety in the days to come.
In truth, Melusine's power wasn't weak in this world; in fact, she could easily be considered strong.
The problem was that this world had one—or rather, two—utterly broken existences who stood head and shoulders above the rest, much like Esdeath in Akame ga Kill!.
To deal with these two, Melusine had thought of a suitable method.
The functionality of Identity Cards in this world far exceeded expectations.
Here, dragons were special beings, generally representing the concept of ley lines. Unless their souls were destroyed, they couldn't truly die.
But if a dragon was killed, the ley line corresponding to it would vanish along with it. The land would then cease producing magical energy, potentially even becoming a lifeless wasteland incapable of sustaining any nourishment.
Those capable of slaying dragons were beings who embodied the concept of [Steel].
Among Campiones, it was generally believed that gods with legends of slaying dragon-serpents were Steel Gods. But this wasn't entirely accurate.
The key to being a Steel God lay in metaphors related to the smelting process of steel or legends of being steel itself.
Sun Wukong wasn't a Steel Hero just because he wreaked havoc in the Dragon Palace; more importantly, he had endured the Eight Trigram Furnace and possessed the legend of being indestructible.
Lancelot was also a Steel Hero, though not as purely so as Sun Wukong.
His steel nature stemmed more from his weapon, Arondight—a holy sword he wielded, a counterpart to King Arthur's Excalibur.
Since Excalibur was also known as the Sword of Promised Victory that could cut steel, some of that glory rubbed off on Lancelot by association.
And if Lancelot basked in that glory, then Melusine, who possessed Lancelot's Saint Graph—or rather, his conceptual essence—naturally shared in it as well.
Thus, the current Melusine was not only a dragon symbolizing ley lines but also the steel that could sever dragon-serpents.
Yet, this wasn't the true purpose of the Identity Card.
Dragons were beings in harmony with ley lines. They were born from them, could wield their power, and bore the responsibility of protecting them.
Everything in the world depended on the ley lines for stability; even the Last King replenished his magical power through them.
So, within this world's framework, enhancing one's strength became simple.
Albion, a dragon born at the same time as the planet and sharing its lifespan, was equivalent to being connected to the entire planet's network of ley lines, almost an embodiment of the planet's life force.
Therefore, Melusine didn't hesitate to set the parameters of her Albion identity to match those from the Fate world.
The moment the world acknowledged it, an endless surge of magical power flooded into every fiber of her being.
This power was far from the shock she experienced when bestowed power by Kotori Itsuka, but aside from that instance, she had never felt this sensation of being "filled to bursting."
Even though she wasn't Albion itself, this amplification elevated her power level by two whole tiers.
Unlike Itsuka Shiori, who possessed vast quantities but struggled to raise her quality tier, Melusine's mastery of energy application—fully grasping the principles of Taixu Sword Qi—meant she wouldn't be trapped in her [Original Form] like the true Melusine might be.
A seemingly ordinary Identity Card, requiring only 100 Recognition Points, had triggered an utterly terrifying leap in her strength.
In an instant, Melusine made peace with this world's bizarre mythological settings.
With the issue of survival addressed, her attention turned to another matter.
As was well known, there were many ways to obtain Recognition Points, but according to tests conducted by various versions of herself, the best method was to increase her fame and let more people become aware of her existence.
And in the world of Campiones, there was no shortage of grand stages that captured everyone's attention.
That said, she currently lacked information and personnel.
Was she supposed to wander the world aimlessly like a fly bouncing off walls?
Just as she pondered this, she heard the sound of neat, synchronized footsteps rapidly approaching her location.
She was currently in a small alleyway that nobody would normally pay attention to.
Even if someone passed by, they would unconsciously avoid it due to a "disperse bystanders" spell.
Under these circumstances, the approach of synchronized footsteps from individuals carrying varying levels of magical energy made it hard for Melusine not to realize they were coming for her.
Thinking this, she simply turned her gaze toward the direction they would appear from, waiting for them to come into view.
As the footsteps drew closer, the rhythmic sound shifted from running to walking.
Accompanied by a steadying breath after an exhale, a young girl in a red dress, with stunning golden hair styled beautifully, appeared at one end of the alley.
She respectfully bowed toward Melusine, her gaze not even meeting Melusine's eyes, remaining in a half-kneeling, head-lowered posture that exuded complete submission.
"Please forgive our transgression, Your Excellency. We failed to ascertain your presence immediately."
That's... Erica, right?
Melusine realized belatedly that the massive influx of magical power had distracted her, preventing her from immediately concealing her presence.
They must have noticed her existence at that moment and located her through spiritual vision.
And it seems they've mistaken me for a Heretic God...?
Hmm... Considering the identity card I just configured, I could indeed be called a Heretic God.
Even disregarding the Albion aspect, I bear the name (Saint Graph) of Lancelot.
Speaking of which, this world already had its own Lancelot, although a false one.
However, the appearance of these people was rather timely. She could use them to quickly understand the current situation.
With that in mind, Melusine placed her hands on her hips.
Her tone wasn't particularly warm but remained polite as she responded, "There's no need for such formality. I have no intention of drawing attention. You may withdraw."
Withdraw? How could they possibly do that? Letting a Heretic God roam freely—what if something happened?
Though she thought as much, what Erica said was: "Your Excellency's status is venerable. I beg your permission to remain by your side temporarily, to share your burdens and concerns."
Excellent. Though her tone and actions were respectful, her attitude remained neither subservient nor arrogant. It seemed the pressure Melusine projected wasn't overwhelming.
But this was also intentional on Melusine's part. If the other party were truly frightened off and went to summon reinforcements, it would only complicate matters.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.