ARC I: FIFTH HOLY GRAIL WAR — CHAPTER 03: THE END OF TUTORIAL!
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"You motherfu—guaaaahk!"
I couldn't finish my curse because the pain like I had never felt before.
My body crumbled on the stone floor as I writhed around like a dying worm. Not even when my awareness submerged into darkness could stop the soul-grinding pain, I felt. In the end, I thrashed around while waiting for the process to finish.
Sometimes later, "Ugh... Gah! Shiiit" I groaned loudly as the pain finally stopped, leaving only phantom of soul-tearing aches. I stared ahead to the grey ceiling above me throughout the semitransparent screen before my eyes. I was still lying on my back, resting on the cold stone floor.
Soul Surgery is finished. Congratulation for preserving until the end! With this, the Tutorial is finished! Enjoy your second life and don't forget to entertain us!
Other than the insincere, annoying notice, there were also several notices that appeared before my eyes. They were:
You Learned Pain Resistance (E-) skill
Your Pain Resistance ranked up to E-
Your Pain Resistance ranked up to E-
Your Pain Resistance ranked up to E-
Your Pain Resistance ranked up to E
Your Pain Resistance ranked up to E+
Your Pain Resistance ranked up to E++
Your Pain Resistance ranked up to E+++
Your Pain Resistance ranked up to E++++
Your Pain Resistance ranked up to D
···
···
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The notices kept appearing until my 'Pain Resistance' reached rank B+.
I suppose, it was a blessing in disguise. Not only I got a skill from the excruciating pain, but my skill also ranked up several times. That didn't mean I enjoy the pain though. I wasn't a masochist, thank you very much. I decided to lie down a little longer. The phantom ache was still bothering me and the cold sensation from the stone floor was soothing my aching body. While still in my position on the floor, I decided to check my 'Skills Window.'
Dragon's Core – Rank: E (Off)
Information: A magic core belongs to the strongest Phantasmal Beast-level creature; Dragon. Unlike normal magic circuits, which only convert life force into Prana, it keeps producing Prana when it's activated to the limit of the core's PU. The longer this Dragon's magic core exist, the PU limit will grow more.
Note I: This Magic Core has 1,000PU capacity
Note II: To produce a Prana, Dragon's Magic Core needs to active.
Mystic Eyes: Compulsion – Rank: E (Off)
Information: Grants the power to interfere with the outer world. In this case, it's the power to give compulsion to other's mind. Magic Resistance skill of the target affects the success percentage of this skill.
Note I: 50PU Cost per usage
Note II: An active skill that needs Prana to activate!
Personal Skill: Golden Rule – Rank: C (Off)
Information: A Skill that refers to the measurement of one's fortune to acquire a wealth.
Note: A passive skill that doesn't need Prana to active!
Personal Skill: Natural Born Genius – Rank: C (Off)
Information: A Skill that shows one who has unparalleled natural knowledge. Allows the use of most skills, excluding those inherited to the body (i.e: Divinity) or ones unique to a particular Heroes at proficiency of A~B Rank.
Note: A Passive skill that doesn't need Prana to active!
Personal Skill: Summoning – Rank: C (Off)
Information: A Magecraft that evokes spiritual bodies from the past, or possibly the future.
Note: An active skill that needs Prana to active!
Class Skill: Presence Concealment – Rank: B (Off)
Information: The capacity to hide one's presence. It's usually a common skill for Assassin class Servants.
Note: An active skill that doesn't need Prana to active!
Common Skill: Magecraft – Rank: A (Off)
Information: Knowledge of a Modern Thaumaturgy.
Note: A passive skill that doesn't need Prana to active! But, you need to pay the cost to cast a spell!
Since I didn't dare to activate my Magic Core inside Matou's household, I decided to put it aside. I made a mental note to try it later when I was far Zouken's reach. I was sure the old worm wouldn't keep an eye to Shinji a 24/7. I found out that Mystic Eyes of Compulsion needs PU to use. To use it on my target, I need to pay 50PU. Another skill was put on hold because my current whereabouts.
The Summoning skill was put on hold for same reason with my Mystic Eyes. However, I found out that my skill would let me to summon a spiritual body of Heroic Spirit from Throne of Heroes as my familiar instead of as my Servant. I found out the Parameters of the Heroic Spirit was according to the supply of Prana I provide. The higher the parameters, the more I needed to provide them with Prana. With my current total PU, I could summon two Mid-ranked Heroic Spirits, or a random high level Heroic Spirit recorded in Throne of Heroes. However, there wouldn't be a PU to spare for other things. The summoning was random because the rank was only at C Rank.
"What will happen if I have B-Rank or above Summoning skill," I couldn't help but to question Mr. Help Me.
Mr. Help Me: At B rank, you can summon high level Heroic Spirit at your choosing as your familiar. At A-Rank, you can summon Divine Spirit at random. Finally, at EX-Rank, you can summon Divine Spirit at your choosing.
"Is there requirements to make the summoned spiritual body as my familiar?"
Mr. Help Me: The Heroic Spirit needs to wish for second chance in live, or a reason that makes them wish to have a new chance in life.
I nodded my head, signifying my understanding.
I made a mental note to try the Summoning skill later. Maybe, I could summon a useful Heroic Spirit, albeit it was low level.
After that, I turned on my 'Golden Rule,' 'Natural Born Genius,' 'Presence Concealment' and 'Magecraft' skills.
I couldn't feel the effect of 'Golden Rule and Presence Concealment. The former because it could only affect my fortune in acquiring wealth, while the later affected others than me. However, the effect of 'Natural Born Genius' and 'Magecraft' skills was immediate.
The effect of 'Natural Born Genius' skill increased the specs of my brain. I could feel the complex and difficult stuff, such as complex mathematics had become easy. Meanwhile, the moment 'Magecraft' skill was activated, a theory of Thaumaturgy jumped to the forefront of my mind, as if I remembered a long forgotten memory. With the help from my Natural Born Genius skill, I could understand how those complex and incoherent theories easily, as if they are a curriculum of early grades in elementary school.
You acquired 60INT from Natural Born Genius – Rank: C
You acquired 50WIS from Magecraft – Rank: A
Being satisfied by the effect of my skill, I climbed up from my position, sitting on the cold stone floor. Afterwards, the cogs in my mind began to spin, thinking what I should do next. "First of all, I'm not sure what the day is. I need to find out about the day and maybe I can find how long my time before Fifth Holy Grail War starts!"
E-Rank Quest Notice!
Name: What's the date of today?
Duration: 60 Min
Details: Find out today's date!
Cleared Quest Rewards: 10Exp, 1AP, 1SP, 1CP, ¥500
Failed Quest Penalties: Confusion Abnormal Status Penalty and painful migraine for next 24H
Declining the Quest will fail it immediately!
Accept – Decline
I blinked my eyes, surprised by the Quest notice. I wanted to ask an answer from Mr. Help Me, but because how Mr. Help Me had lied to me before, I became unsure.
Mr. Help Me: No need to worry. That's one time thing. You can be relieved.
A screen appeared before my eyes and Mr. Help Me assured me.
"Can you tell me how the Quest is generated?" I questioned Mr. Help Me.
Mr. Help Me: Quest is generated by two things; (1) When you're presented by important choices you must make in your life. (2.) When you are tasked to complete a goal.
"Right. Thanks," I cut short my exchange with Mr. Help Me.
I looked around to find a clue that'd help me complete my Quest. My eyes immediately caught a digital clock on bedside desk. It showed today's date and time.
"September twelfth, year 2003, 12 AM in the morning... Well, at least I still have a few months before the Holy Grail War started. If I remembered correctly, Shirou Emiya summoned Artoria at early February in 2004," I concluded loudly.
Quest Cleared Notice!
Name: What's the date of today?
Cleared Quest Rewards: 10Exp, 1AP, 1SP, 1CP, ¥500
You acquired 10Exp, 1AP, 1SP, 1CP, ¥500
I dismissed the notice and moved to my bed. Since I'd stolen Shinji Matou's body, what he had had become mine, I suppose.
When I sat on the edge of the bed, I felt the mattress was hard as a stone floor. It seems that I couldn't affect anything, even a Kinetic Force when the reality was stopped by my power.
I dismissed all gamer's windows before my eyes. Immediately afterwards, I saw colors returned to the world, and my ass immediately sunk into the soft mattress. I checked the clock on the bedside desk and found that it had functioned again.
"Now, I need to prepare my next actions," I started in my head. "Because I've stolen Shinji's body, I'm now him; meaning there's Zouken to deal. That old worm is dangerous. He can't live on for hundred years without being dangerous. He's also sadistic and the picture of how amoral magi can be. It's better to keep my secret from him, meaning I can't show that I'm not a failure of Magi Family's descendant without ability to utilize Thaumaturgy. That means I can't activate my magic core before him. If he finds out I have a magic core, he'll throw me into the pit filled with those disgusting cock-shaped worms."
I paused as I recalled something else, before continuing my thought: "There's also Sakura. I'm not sure what I should do to her. It's true that I feel pity for her, but should I jump into danger to save her myself?"
At that moment, the reality stopped and the world lost its colors. A screen appeared before me, displaying:
S-Rank Quest Notice!
Name: What I should do about Sakura Matou?
Duration: Until New Year
Details: You have two options concerning your plan for Sakura Matou.
(1) NTR Shirou!
Clear Reward: 100,000Exp; ¥1,000,000; 50AP; 50SP; 100CP; Unlock Sakura Matou's Route
Failure Penalty: High chance to kick start Heaven's Feel route sooner; Your Death!
(2.) Let Shirou deals with it!
Clear Reward: 50Exp
Failure Penalty: Random route progress; potential Miserable Life; Potential Death.
Choose your decision wisely!
Choose (1) - Choose (2)
I regarded the screen silently, my mind thinking hard about my choice. The first choice was a highly dangerous job with high reward. Meanwhile, the second choice seemed to be easy choice, but the route progress was random. The route could progress to one of three main routes equally. It could progress into Fate route, or Unlimited Blade Works route, or even the dreaded Heaven's Feel.
"I know that I'm supposedly a careful person who loves his life to much, but the reward is too tempting. If I prepare everything carefully, I have confidence I can help her. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I suppose. For once, I'll take a leap of faith," I declared loudly, right before I chose the first option. Afterwards, the time continued and colors returned to the world.
Since I wasn't sleepy, I decided to digest my Magecraft knowledge, while doing physical exercises to raise my STR, CON, AGI and DEX, as well as waiting for morning to come.
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MC Progress Sheet (Only Update Attributes/New Skills):
INT: 65 |+60|
WIS: 55 |+50|
AP: 6 |+1Pts|
SP: 6 |+1Pt|
CP: 1 |+1pt|
Skill:
Pain Resistance — Rank: B+ |New|