Chapter Six: Novice Quest Complete

Karl, prince of the Blood Elves, led his people into seclusion during the latter days of the continental civil war. However, when the Scourge Legion invaded, he donned his long-faded crimson mantle once more and returned to the battlefield. After decades in hiding, he had mastered the secrets of wind, thunder, and fire, blending these three elements into ten distinct spells. In the end, most heroes of the previous era perished. Among the beastfolk, only the Shadow Shaman survived, tending to his wounded kin. The Demon Hunter of the Elves betrayed his own people, and his fate remains unknown. All the other heroes of the old age fell in battle. Within the Human Alliance, two human heroes died, and the Dwarven King of the Hills as well. Thus, nearly none of the previous generation remain, and now, among the new guard, only the elven prophet Fario and the Scourge’s Death Knight can stand as Karl’s equals.

Lancer, rubbing his head as he got up, glanced around. The arrangement of his surroundings instantly sharpened his gaze, which had been clouded with confusion upon waking. However, when he heard that strange singing, he realized he must be in beastfolk territory. He was about to ask Yunero about the situation when the odd metallic synthetic voice from his ring interrupted him.

"Beginner’s quest complete. You will return in thirty minutes. Holder, please prepare to return in a place with few people."

A countdown appeared on his ring.

"Hey, what’s going on? How long have I even been here? Why am I returning already?" Lancer asked in his heart—he knew that with Lianhua’s abilities, she would hear him even if he didn’t speak aloud.

"Isn’t it obvious? This was just to get you familiar with how missions work. Or did you plan to stay here forever? Really—listen, your first real mission is in the TYPE-MOON world." With that, Lianhua fell silent.

"Will I have a chance to come back?" Though no one he cared for existed in this world, he’d genuinely enjoyed spending time with several heroes of the Guard over the past few days.

"Yes, there are still fruits in this world left to harvest, but they’re not ripe yet, so you won’t be back for now." Although he couldn’t return immediately, Lancer felt somewhat relieved. After all, in the world of DOTA, they only fought skirmishes, but here, it was real war—death could come at any moment. At least, by returning, he’d have a chance to save those he could.

"I might as well leave now—there’s nothing left to do." With these words, Lancer’s figure vanished from the tent, leaving behind a single letter on his bed.

———Division line marking the official beginning———

When he next awoke, he saw Lianhua crouched before him, poking his face repeatedly with her forefinger.

The moment Lianhua saw Lancer’s eyes open, she leapt back like a startled rabbit and said, "Ah—you’re awake? I was just checking on you!" Then she quickly turned away.

Lancer was both charmed and bewildered by this scene. After all, she was supposedly a being more powerful than the gods themselves, yet in this loli-like body and with such undignified gestures, was she truly divine?

"Alright, I just want to know about my ‘assets’—could you stop trying to act cute?" Though she’d promised not to threaten his life, as someone who never entrusted his fate to others, he still wished to strengthen himself. Only then did he feel secure.

"Hmph. Really, was this book lying to me?" Lancer’s hearing wasn’t perfect, but he still caught her muttering as she glanced at a book on the floor.

How to Conquer a Loli-lover.

For some reason, he felt utterly exposed, as if his health bar had instantly dropped to zero and he’d gone straight OTR.

But Lianhua ignored him, pulling out a notebook—why a notebook?—and said, "Let’s see… you have 480 left, plus 5,000 points from your last mission, and a 1,000-point completion bonus. That means you have 6,480 in total."

"Not bad," Lancer mused, quite satisfied with his spoils from the past few days.

"Oh, and I almost forgot—there’s a reward lottery after completing the task. Want to do it now?" Lianhua prompted as Lancer was still marveling at his gains.

"There’s a reward, too? Wonderful—please, let’s start right away." His voice grew reverent from excitement.

A gacha machine appeared before him. For some inexplicable reason, it felt familiar—then he recalled it was just like the one from his childhood supermarket, right down to the scuffed paint. Resigned, he twisted the handle as usual, and a bronze capsule rolled out. The moment he picked it up—bang—a puff of smoke erupted.

A white, heart-like substance throbbed in his palm.

"What’s this?" Lancer asked Lianhua.

"This is a ‘White Seed’ in its initial form. Looks like your luck is decent—it lets you become a Ghost Swordsman. But to suppress the curse, only the basic inheritance is present—no skills included. You can use it on yourself."

Just as Lianhua finished, Lancer’s right hand, clutching the "heart," began to tremble. The white substance fused directly into his palm.

"Ah!" Agony ripped through his mind, and he collapsed.

———Division line for awakening———

"Hah… I thought I wasn’t going to make it," Lancer muttered as he sat up, still shaken, staring at his right hand. For a moment, he’d felt as if it would devour him. He turned his gaze to the loli sipping coffee beside him.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t worry—it’s just a bit painful. The demon is suppressed; there’s nothing to fear." She was entirely unfazed by his wary stare.

Lancer sighed, knowing he was in no position to complain. Painful—was it really just a bit? But he understood his own growth.

"Enough sighing. As compensation for not warning you ahead of time, the ‘Demon-Sealing Bandage’ is free," Lianhua said. Lancer hadn’t expected compensation, but it was a pleasant surprise.

He wrapped his now completely purple right hand with the bandage, and just for style, wrapped his upper body too. When Lianhua asked why, his answer left her speechless.

"Of course—because it looks cool."

She didn’t even bother retorting anymore.

When he heard his next mission would start soon, Lancer shot a resentful look at her. Lianhua, unnerved, snapped, "What are you staring at? You’ve slept for a day! Shouldn’t you get to work?" With that, she vanished into the mist.

His ring then notified him that thirty minutes remained until his next mission. A new task prompt followed.

Origin of Fate—The Glory of King Arthur: Join Arthur’s camp as a free knight and complete the assigned missions. Upon completion, gain the status of a Heroic Spirit and qualify for participation in the Fourth and Fifth Holy Grail Wars.

The introduction was brief, but at least he wouldn’t have to face the King of Heroes directly—a huge relief. Still, after encountering someone like Karl during the tutorial, he resolved to proceed with utmost caution.

The most pressing issue was weapon selection. Last time, he’d chosen a crossbow, but the lack of a melee weapon had put him at a severe disadvantage.

He browsed the exchange list for ages; most items were far too expensive. He didn’t even glance at the likes of "Xuanyuan XX Sword" or "Zhu X Sword"—not that he didn’t like them, but his wallet simply couldn’t handle it.

Still, he found two remarkable items.

Chengying: Tenth among the Ten Legendary Swords of the Celestial Empire—a sword of exquisite elegance. An invisible blade, yet its shadow can be seen in sunlight. Its attributes and abilities surpass even those ranked above it, but it vanished after the Spring and Autumn period. Based on records alone, it earned its place among the ten great swords.

Hanguang: One of the Ten Legendary Swords, Chengying’s sibling. Hidden within Chengying, it is also invisible. Only under sunlight might its form be glimpsed, and it casts no shadow.

Yuchang Dagger: The Eighth Legendary Sword—a blade of unmatched courage. The sword-reader Xue Zhu, famed for his supernatural discernment, sensed its aura and declared it "contrary to reason and unruly; unfit to wield, a minister’s blade for slaying a king, a son’s blade for slaying a father." Born of rebellion, this dagger was forged for regicide and patricide—a truly fearsome weapon. Its short length earned it the designation of "dagger," but its appearance heralds the fall of lords and monarchs alike.

Lancer liked all three weapons. His trench knife had become unusable after the last battle, and the descriptions hinted at bonus damage against those with "king" traits—a valuable asset, given the number of monarchs among the Heroic Spirits in the Holy Grail War.

Hanguang and Chengying, meanwhile, were peerless tools for ambush—one invisible, one shadowless, both formidable. Yet, with only a little over 6,000 points, and both swords costing 4,500 each, while Yuchang was 6,000, he could afford only one.

Just as he was gritting his teeth and contemplating "selling his soul" to borrow some points from Lianhua, her voice echoed in his ear.

"Have you chosen yet?" Lianhua floated beside him, lying atop his shoulder.

"It’s a tough decision," he admitted. With only basic descriptions and no details, he was truly at a loss.

"Alright, how about this: I’ll give you a task. If you accept, I’ll lend you the other two swords as well. But remember, you have to return them," Lianhua offered, as if struck by a sudden idea.

"Let’s hear it first," he replied, more determined than ever not to get tricked like last time.

Lianhua widened her eyes at him.

"Fine, I accept," he conceded, squatting on the ground in defeat.

"Good. When you participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War, just remember to bring—"

[End of text]