Chapter 256: SSS-level Miracle! The Holy Sword Returns! (Beginning of the Chaldea Chapter)
The dizzying sensation of crossing the dimensional gate lasted only a moment; the next second, scorching yellow sand had already swallowed Arthur's ankles.
A hot, fierce wind, laden with a sulfurous, burnt smell, assailed him, almost suffocating him.
In the clear, cloudless sky, an arc of light, spanning the horizon like a divine brand, hung above, a shocking sight.
It was the light of Human Order Incineration.
Arthur stood in this boundless, desolate yellow desert, his silver eyes reflecting the scarlet, apocalyptic planet of old.
Some knowledge he had deliberately sealed away now resurfaced in his mind like activated commands.
While all humanity remained unaware, Human Order Incineration descended, burning away the entirety of long human history.
To counter this despair, the Human Order Security Organization Chaldea launched its final struggle.
So, for what purpose was he born?
His thoughts drifted back to the white base, where snow fell year-round, and to the cold cultivation tank.
As an experimental subject of type K, his sole purpose was to become a final weapon, more powerful, stable, and controllable than a Servant, to deal with unknown threats that even Servants couldn't handle.
Did he resent it?
By now, that intense emotion had long since become blurred.
He was merely an inevitable outcome of a plan, an extra product that should have been marked 'withered' in the database.
Instead of resenting an unchangeable past, it was better to witness with his own eyes where the end of this path truly led.
Arthur cast aside his distracting thoughts, and the cursed energy coiled within him, like a galaxy reversing, ignited with a roar of azure divine radiance!
He didn't deliberately guide it, but rather allowed this mighty force to storm through every inch of his body.
This was the reward given by the world itself after he had stepped into multiple worlds and repeatedly defeated powerful enemies—
A long-overdue promotion ceremony!
…
Arthur pendragon
LV.7
Strength: I (0)
Endurance: I (0)
Dexterity: I (0)
Agility: I (0)
Magic: I (0)
Miracle: SS → SSS
Swordsman: A → S
Magic Conduction: A → S
Shatter: A → S
Authority: A → S
Self: I
[[—Magic—]]
[Authority of the Celestial God]
· Super-sublimation domain, specific effect.
· Divine radiance not belonging to humans, made possible by [Miracle].
[Star Light of Salvation]
· Super-sublimation domain, can be activated at any time.
· Fuses the Authority of Salvation, bearing the light of the stars, making it the ultimate armament.
[Ideal Home]
· Permanent magic, can be activated at any time.
· Super-domain enhances defense, recovery, and healing abilities.
· Simulates the immortal Apple Island, interference level fluctuates with magic.
[[—Skills—]]
[Symbol of the Red Dragon]
· Super-domain enhances magic resistance.
· Super-domain enhances consciousness perception.
· The conceptual manifestation of the strongest fantasy species.
[Eternal Blessing of the Star Spirit]
· Super-domain enhances adaptability to external environments.
· Super-domain enhances personal luck.
· A blessing from the Earth Mother and primates, praying for the holder to never fall into disaster.
[Brilliant Journey]
· Currently 6 gates opened.
· Invites you to cross dimensional gates, traversing the unknown in infinity.
[Transparent World]
· Perfect control, complete insight, merging with nature.
· When actively activated, super-domain enhances perception, gaining extremely high Dexterity and Agility corrections.
[Limit Overclock]
· Bursts divine radiance, specific effect, can autonomously update ability values.
· When actively activated, gains extremely high [Miracle] and [Authority] corrections.
…
The immense energy torrent completed its final qualitative change within him, and the holy sword rang in his heart, then completely merged into the depths of his soul.
That once untamed wild horse finally bowed its head, no longer an opposing tool to its holder, but a symbiotic bond of blood.
The promotion was complete.
Arthur raised his hand and clenched his fist, feeling an unprecedented power within him, and cast his gaze upon this vast, desolate desert.
Time to find someone.
He closed his eyes, and a spirit word flowed from his lips.
"Thousands of winds under the dome, heed the divine command, shatter the cloud bones, and come swiftly!"
In an instant, formless, shapeless winds spread in a ring around him.
They were the keenest scouts, sweeping over dunes, brushing past the Gobi, feeding back every detail of what was happening on this land into his mind.
Soon, a highly incongruous sight was captured by him.
…
A strange contraption, resembling an open-top dune buggy, was speeding across the sand, raising a sky-obscuring cloud of dust behind it.
The vehicle's power source wasn't an engine, but a tall, upright sail at the rear, fully inflated by the wind.
Logically, the soft sand in the desert shouldn't be able to support heavy objects, let alone a moving vehicle.
But this strange vehicle could move, even reaching speeds over a hundred kilometers per hour!
"Wow! As expected of Da Vinci-chan! This sand boat is simply perfect!"
The orange-haired girl, wearing windproof goggles, gripped the vehicle frame, enjoying the thrill of the high-speed ride.
In the driver's seat, a beautiful, intellectual woman with an exquisite smile held the steering wheel with one hand, while the other rested proudly on her hip, her brown hair wildly dancing in the wind.
"You'd better not move around too much, Ritsuka, be careful not to get thrown out."
"Okay!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka immediately sat back properly in the vehicle, turning her head to look at her visibly distracted companion.
"Mashu, are you alright? You've been spacing out ever since before."
The light-armored girl with short, light purple hair trembled at the words, snapping back to attention.
She instinctively touched her chest, where a faint, intermittent throb resonated, as if something familiar and important had arrived.
"No, it's nothing, Senpai."
Mashu shook her head firmly, forcefully suppressing the surging sense of unease.
"Maybe I'm just a bit nervous because we're getting close to the target."
"That's right! We're here!"
Da Vinci, who was driving, had the widest view and pointed to the distant horizon.
"Look there!"
At the far end of the desert, a magnificent, impossibly grand pure white holy city stood silently.
Below the holy city, a dense crowd gathered like a sea.
These were refugees who had fled from various scorched lands, their faces filled with hope and reverence, awaiting the holy city's acceptance.
Several teams of solemn knights in silver armor maintained order outside the city, and the atmosphere beneath the city gate was solemn and oppressive.
Ritsuka and the others hid their sand boat, donned cloaks, and quietly blended into the crowd of refugees.
"It feels... a bit off," Ritsuka whispered. "If they're helping refugees, why don't they just open the gates instead of keeping everyone outside?"
"Didn't the mother and child say earlier that they select qualified people from the refugees to enter the city every day?"
Da Vinci, who had put on a monocle at some point, cautiously looked around, data streams flickering on the lens.
"Mhm, the magic reactions nearby are abnormally high, and those knights aren't real people, they're alchemical constructs."
"Alchemical constructs?"
Unlike the half-comprehending Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mashu's face was filled with shock.
Da Vinci met Ritsuka's puzzled gaze and patiently explained.
"An alchemical army that can precisely execute commands for long periods requires an immense amount of magic, which no ordinary Servant could possibly bear."
Fujimaru Ritsuka's eyes lit up: "So, there's a high possibility that the Servant here possesses a Holy Grail?"
Just as the three were conversing in low voices, a "sun" suddenly rose in the sky.
In front of the holy city gate, a golden aura spread, and a golden-haired knight in heavy silver armor stepped out.
The crowd stirred at his appearance. Gawain raised his hand to make a calming gesture, his voice gentle yet imbued with undeniable authority.
"Everyone, please calm down!"
"The King deeply sympathizes with your plight, and the Holy City will shelter all pure and innocent people. Now, please follow me inside to receive the Holy Selection."
The refugees immediately erupted in joyous cheers, like survivors from a disaster, filled with a longing for new life, and walked orderly into the city under the guidance of the solemn knights.
Arthur, also cloaked, was hidden among the crowd, watching Mashu and her two companions, who were preparing to enter the city with the flow of people.
"Although she has two Servants with her, venturing deep alone is still too naive. And—"
He looked up, scrutinizing the holy white chalk city, which exuded a divine aura that purified the heart.
"Has that idiot... started to overthink things again?"