Arthur finally felt at ease. As Mery had said, if he managed to live for several decades, it would mean he had already unified Britain and perhaps even established a grand empire no less significant than Rome.
By then, he wouldn't need to worry about the Holy Lance's influence.
And if he were to die prematurely, he wouldn't need to worry about the spear affecting Artoria anyway. Moreover...
"So, what exactly is the deal with that Holy Lance?"
"After the defeat at the hands of that Roman Emperor, I struck a deal with certain individuals," Mery said, her arms tightening slightly around Arthur's neck, a bright smile playing on her lips. "We used the Holy Lance to plunder a significant portion of that world's 'Source' from His maw. This granted the spear even greater power and potential, but as a price, the lance's influence on its host runs far deeper."
She leaned in closer. "In other words, if you possess it, you will gain immense power, but you will also be influenced more profoundly. You will lose your 'humanity' faster and become a 'God.'"
"For Artoria, that might be a process spanning decades, centuries, or even millennia. But with this spear—which has devoured half of that world's Source and grown far more powerful—that process could be compressed into a dozen years, a few years, or perhaps even less before you lose your sense of self."
The "Godification" caused by the Holy Lance was not a simple matter of a mortal becoming a deity.
While it granted the host god-like power, it also forced the host's mindset to become like that of a god. These were not the gods of Greece or Norse mythology, who possessed passions and desires even more volatile than humans, but "New Gods"—beings without desire or need, having lost everything that once made them human.
"Where is the spear?"
Arthur didn't hesitate for a second. His voice was flat, devoid of the fear or trepidation one might expect at the prospect of losing their humanity.
"Aren't you afraid?" Mery asked curiously.
"Why should I be? I actually think this is good news."
According to Mery, there were different planes of existence, and many versions of himself and Artoria. Or rather, he and Artoria were the same person in different worlds, just with different genders.
And Rhongomyniad was originally their weapon.
The fact that this Rhongomyniad was stronger meant his chances of overturning fate were higher. As for being influenced into becoming a desireless god?
If his mind and will could truly be subverted by a mere spear, then so be it. It was better than cowering in fear and losing everything.
"As expected of my little Arthur."
Mery smiled and planted a kiss on the corner of his mouth, though her expression soon turned mischievous. "However... because this spear snatched its 'food' from that 'Beast-ified' Roman Emperor, it has also been somewhat contaminated."
"So, while you are becoming a God, you might also be turned into a Beast."
"Beast." The Sins of Humanity.
They represented the seven great calamities rejected by human history—the "Evils of Humanity." They were the stains of mankind, the incarnations of the various disasters that sought to destroy human civilization.
"To put it simply, they are the incarnations of the negative emotions of human civilization. The one that Roman Emperor represented was 'Depravity.'"
"If you take that spear, your consciousness will be tugged between Divinity and Bestiality. In the end, whether you become a desireless God or a frenzied Beast... even I don't know."
"Furthermore, if you truly take that spear, and the Roman Emperor who devoured that space-time senses your existence, He will absolutely come for you to consume both the man and the weapon!"
Arthur's expression finally flickered.
Being influenced by Divinity or Bestiality was currently the least of his concerns. Mery's revelations about the truth of the world made him realize that his enemies likely weren't just the domestic nobility, Vortigern, or Rome.
His enemy might be Fate itself, or even the Throne of Heroes.
To deal with the enemies before him—and the hypothetical enemies of the future—and to protect everything he currently held dear, he had to possess greater power.
Therefore, he had to obtain Rhongomyniad!
As for the future, he would let the future self handle it. Even if he didn't find a solution later on, failing because he was too weak was a much worse fate than losing himself to the spear.
But if obtaining the Holy Lance meant drawing an unbeatable enemy to him prematurely, then it would all be for naught.
"Will He come soon?"
"Not necessarily. I can guarantee that there won't be any issues for at least twenty years!"
"Then it's not a problem."
If he couldn't defeat Vortigern, unify Britain, and then march on Rome to establish an empire capable of weathering future crises within twenty years... then he might as well be dead.
"Take me there."
Hearing this, the corners of Mery's mouth curled into a slight arc. She snapped her fingers.
In the next instant, the illusion around them shifted. The cloudless, bright tower surrounded by a sea of flowers vanished, replaced by a pitch-black subterranean world.
In the center of this lightless abyss, a spear suspended in mid-air. It was a Holy Lance of a truly peculiar design, surrounded by a small patch of flowers but bound by countless heavy chains.
"Because it absorbed too much of a world's Source, and because that process was interfered with by the Roman Emperor, a consciousness similar to an 'Item Spirit' was born within the lance. Though it's currently as weak as a newborn babe, I added some insurance just in case."
Mery clung to Arthur's arm. She watched as he calmly studied Rhongomyniad, then stood on her tiptoes to lean against his shoulder. "Are you really going to take it?" she whispered.
"Normally, a world only has one King Arthur—either you or Artoria. But here, both you and Lily exist. So, even without that spear, there is a high probability you could change your fate."
"But it's not a hundred percent, is it?"
Arthur didn't give a definitive answer. He pulled his arm from Mery's grasp and walked straight toward the spear. He stepped through the flowers and reached out toward the chain-bound weapon.
Before his hand could even touch the shaft, the world before Arthur's eyes shifted. Ethereal, genderless voices began to echo.
The sound was incredibly airy and transcendent, as if coming from a great height. He couldn't understand the words, but the moment he heard them, Arthur felt his past desires peeling away from his soul, leaving him in a state of utter detachment.
Then, the scenery shifted instantly into a magnificent ancient city.
The city was breathtakingly grand, reaching a pinnacle of prosperity that seemed impossible for its era. But currently, this peak of civilization was engulfed in flames.
Within the sea of fire, people weren't fleeing. Instead, scenes of madness, chaos, and depravity were playing out everywhere. Robbery, debauchery, slaughter, cruelty—every sin the human mind could conceive was occurring within those walls.
Looking at this, a completely different kind of desire suddenly welled up within Arthur.
Slaughter, lust, conquest...
In the next second, the world before him seemed to split in two. One half was the sterile, colorless void of desireless Divinity; the other was the burning ancient city trapped in a cycle of eternal depravity.
"If you want to back down now, Little Arthur, I can still help you," Mery's voice suddenly rang in his ear. "If you take one more step—if you truly grasp that spear—then even I won't be able to help you anymore."
the frantic depravity and the hollow divinity in Arthur's eyes gradually faded, replaced by the calm pupils of a human being. He looked at the two worlds flanking him and suddenly grinned.
"Since I chose to pull that sword from the stone, I will keep moving forward until the day I die."
"If I can be subverted by a mere spear, or the consciousness of some 'Beast of Sin,' then it only proves I am unworthy of that sword, unworthy of being King, and unworthy of everything I have now. So..."
Arthur's smile grew more radiant. He reached out, ignoring the illusions created by Rhongomyniad, Mery, or perhaps both, and firmly grasped the shaft of the lance.
"Let's see which of us is truly the master!"
The burning city of sin and the snow-white space of divinity both vanished.
In their place was Rhongomyniad, trembling violently. The chains surrounding it rattled and groaned, letting out a mournful wail as if resisting Arthur's claim.
"You are just a weapon. And I... I am the Master!"
The smile on Arthur's face turned fierce. He gripped the spear with sudden, explosive force. With a final, lingering cry from Rhongomyniad, the chains binding it shattered into dust.
All illusions fell away.
Two surges of power, far greater than what he had felt when taking the Sword of Selection, poured into Arthur's body.
One was a noble, lofty Divinity; the other was a decadent, corrupt Demonic energy. The two powers repelled yet attracted one another, forming a bizarre equilibrium within Arthur's body, beginning a long, continuous process of reconstructing his physical form.
"Am I invincible now?"
Feeling the two terrifying forces within him, Arthur had a fleeting delusion of absolute power. Of course, he knew it was an illusion; while his strength had increased, it wasn't by a transformative margin yet.
Holding the Holy Lance granted him power in a way similar to the Sword of Selection—it would steadily increase his strength over time. However, the reinforcement provided by Rhongomyniad was vastly superior to that of the sword.
If he went to face Vortigern right now, Vortigern would simply kill him.
Nevertheless, the acquisition of such power and the potential for the future brought Arthur a sense of joy equal to, or perhaps even greater than, the moment he pulled the sword or ascended the throne.
"Congratulations on obtaining the Holy Lance, Your Majesty~"
As Arthur was basking in this joy, Mery's voice drifted from behind him.
Her voice was much more sultry than usual, dripping with feminine allure. Her body pressed softly against his back as she wrapped her arms around his waist, shifting restlessly while breathing warmly into his ear.
"As a celebration... why don't we do something fun together~?"
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Spring Sale Special – 20% OFF!
Fate : What Do You Mean I'm the Proto-Saber?
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────