3 Inheritance
The area I am in was a frozen wasteland. No sight of life can be observed. Just four kilometers away from me, a citadel of ice stood firm.
It would be an amazing sight to see, if not for a bunch of armored undead standing guard.
I managed to sneak in, there were tons of undead outside but I wiped them out by bombarding the area with my bow and arrows and went to the top floor because that tends to contain the most important figure in a citadel, or in dungeon terms the boss.
I arrived at the top of the citadel. There waiting for me was a figure clad in armor sat upon a frozen throne, idle as a statue.
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Lich King, Arthas Menethil
Race: Undead
Level: 150
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The Lich King… It was one of the great antagonists of the game, World of Warcraft. For him to appear in an instant dungeon, I'm not really surprised anymore.
This System… is just ripping off characters from different franchises and video games. Sometimes when I went inside a dungeon, a boss would be identified as an antagonist or even a minor character of an anime or video game.
But I'm basically a ripoff of Archer anyway so why am I even complaining…
Anyway...
So the enemy this time is the Lich King…
Beside him was a rune-inscribed two-handed longsword. Casting [Structural Grasp] on it revealed the weapon as Frostmourne.
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[Frostmourne]
Type: Weapon [Longsword]
Rank: B
Afflicts target with life drain curse.
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It was an B-ranked weapon due to the soul shackled within, granting it a deadly curse of draining life force and the soul.
Better make this quick, I still have some things to do.
'Trace on.'
A black bow materialized from my left hand. It was long, longer than almost any other bow I had seen before, taller than I am. From top to bottom it was crafted with the use of a black metal, one still unknown to modern man.
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[Archer's Bow]
Type: Weapon [Bow]
Rank: C
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While at the same time a crimson orb appeared on my other hand, it swiftly expanded to an outline of a sword. The sword looked unique; its shape resembled that of a drill and a length of a short sword. The sword was Caladbolg II, an imitation of the sword of the Irish Hero Fergus mac Róich.
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[Caladbolg II]
Type: Weapon [Sword/Arrow]
Rank: A
Rends space which ignores intangibility and defense-type skills and item effects.
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I nocked the bow with the sword, [Alteration] doing its thing transforming it into an arrow, and [Reinforcement] further empowering the 'sword' turning it into a Broken Phantasm.
'My core is twisted in madness, Caladbolg!'
The Noble Phantasm flew; the space distorted leaving a trail. The Lich King couldn't react in time as Caladbolg struck him in a millisecond, the half of the citadel disappearing in a sphere of flames.
The area was devastated, the flames dying out due to the coldness and was replaced with fumes of smoke.
"You dare, human!"
A voice resounded, the wind bellowed at the swing of his sword ridding of the smoke that engulfed him. It looked as if Caladbolg didn't even scratch him, but I could tell from the faintly green glow that he healed off the damage.
… Wait.
"You can talk!?"
Huh… despite all the times I've gone to dungeons, I've never really heard any mobs that speak like a person. Maybe it's the difference of levels or their race where the upper echelons can perform.
Ignoring that, how was it possible to tank a weapon that had blown off three mountains, despite being weaker as it is with this alteration?
I used [Structural Analysis] on him and found my answer; his armor, Plate of the Damned. The [Structural Grasp] informed me that the runes bound in the armor made it so the wearer would be granted pseudo-invincibility.
How am I supposed to kill an undead with nigh-invincibility?
Wait… the armor is covered in runes, so that means it's a magic artifact. It could only mean that the concept of pseudo-invincibility is granted from the runes.
I have a perfect weapon just for that.
"Your attack... is impressive, but this is where you die."
Moving on instinct I twisted my body as I kicked off the ground in an instant, dodging a sword crashing on the floor I was just in.
"Fast…!"
I hear him murmur while I summon Kanshou and Bakuya as he assaults me with attacks. Dodge, block and parry was all I could do while trying to find an opening. Just then, he went for a jump and stab but I easily dodged that and that just created the opportunity I've been waiting for.
Now!
'Trace on!'
A command resounded in my mind as blue motes of magical energy came to light as an iridescent and jagged dagger materialized in my palms.
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[Rule Breaker]
Type: Weapon [Dagger]
Rank: C
Dispels and destroys any kind of construct, contracts, and creatures born or imbued with magic.
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Rule Breaker, crystallized legend of the Witch of Betrayal. The dagger had little to no capacity as a combat weapon, but its strength lay on its anti-magic concept.
"Rule Breaker!"
I struck Rule Breaker on his armor as dark energy sputtered from the armor.
"What! No… t-this can't be happening... Nooo!"
The Lich King seemed to be affected as well as he roared in pain. I could see the runes etched in the armor began to dimmer and dispersed.
I knew the dagger worked, seeing the distress when he probably thought nothing would happen. I created distance while he's distracted as I traced another weapon. It was another sword; with the blade's color that of steel and its hilt a darker shade of blue.
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[Excalibur Galatine]
Type: Weapon [Sword]
Rank: A+
Deals Holy and Fire Damage. Inflicts Burn and prevents the target from using spells.
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Excalibur Galatine, sister-sword of Excalibur. It is known as a holy sword though it is not well known due to its legend being overshadowed by King Arthur's holy sword.
'Noble Phantasm…'
I toss the sword into the air where the pseudo-sun inside creates a miniature sun before landing back in my grasp. While the sun floated overhead, I generated a large magic circle with a sun symbol in the center beneath me as I drew the sword behind my back.
"Holy sword of the stars, swing once again! Excalibur GALATINE!"
With a wave of the sword, a broad wave of concentrated fire emerged as it blasted the Lich King into oblivion. No sight of his figure except for Frostmourne and items could be spotted in the vicinity.
Then a notification popped up, indicating my success.
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[You have successfully slain the boss, Lich King Arthas Menethil.]
[You have slain an enemy higher than your level]
[You have gained 500000 Exp.]
[Your level has been raised by 2.]
[All stats have been raised by 2.]
[You have received 10 Stat Points.]
[The skill [Tracing] has leveled up!]
[Frostmourne, Lich King's Mantle, 10000000 Yen, 1 Mythical-Grade H&M Potion and 10 High-Grade H&M Potions have been obtained.]
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'Nice!'
It has been two years since my first dungeon experience with the Legion Zombie. There wasn't much to say since all I did was hunt in dungeons, train my abilities, and again live 'normally'.
I finally maxed most of my skills, and I can finally summon Noble Phantasms. It was a bit of a pain to deal monsters with regular weapons that are quite brittle due to being created by magic, but now that I unlocked [Tracing] it just became so much easier to deal with them, especially bosses.
Dealing with enemies that have high-regeneration? Just summon Gáe Buidhe and nuke it with Caladbolg.
Immortality? Sic 'em with Harpe and they go bye-bye.
Hell, even Kanshou and Bakuya are good enough for most mobs due to possessing Anti-Monster properties and the boost in physical and magical resistance.
Though I'd just end the battle immediately most of the time, I also tend to prolong fights since it's also fun and a good exercise, plus I get to hone my combat abilities I learn from weapons wielded by legends.
Also I've learned some skills as well, most are very useful but this single skill was truly a lifesaver.
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[Indomitable Will] Rank: EX
Type: Passive
Grants immunity to mental effects. Possess high control in mental state.
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I couldn't count how many times this skill had saved me from a crap ton of situations; it's a vital skill where it helps in stressful conditions. There were times that monsters have spells or skills that affect the mind, especially when I tackled dungeons that contain monsters with mind abilities.
The skill [I.D Create] really liked to screw with me, since it brought me to a succubus dungeon. And somehow it knew of my preference of mature women, but I didn't complain much because why should I? It was a holy land for me.
And with having to experience puberty again, a conflict occurred within my mind; one who wants the lewd, and one who wants to survive.
I could even feel their hunger, and did not even hold back once they spotted me, maybe due to my mana capacity and life force being abundant.
The idea of death from snu-snu may seem tempting, but I ain't dying that way.
The bad thing is that they were about to succeed.
Then the skill just popped up, though it was a lower-rank at first, and I broke from the seduction spell and slaughtered them all. It broke my heart, but I had no choice but to do it to survive.
The hardest choices require the strongest wills.
Anyway… it took a while, but I've finally reached level 100. The experience points needed to level up widens as my level gets higher, that normal mobs don't really give out a lot of exp.
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Name: Tomoe Enjou
Title: [Hero of Wrought Iron]
Level: 100
Race: Human
HP: 53300
MP: 204800
Strength: 284
Vitality: 272
Agility: 273
Intelligence: 263
Sense: 188
Points 10
Yen: 50358000
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It was satisfying to see my stats, though reaching a certain threshold doesn't really give me a skill. Some of the stats came from items, and most of it is from levels and quests.
It must be confusing seeing my MP that high even though my Intelligence stat is lower. Intelligence may have a factor when it comes to how much mana do I have, but there are also ways in increasing the mana capacity.
First I only thought I have a single source of mana which is my circuits. But then I realized I also have a mana pool located near my heart. It was weaker than my circuits, that's why it was not detected even if I used [Structural Grasp] on myself due to it being overshadowed by my circuits.
I thought it would be useless, until I remembered two methods on how to increase my mana.
One way was to absorb the energy inside the monster cores that can be looted on monsters and integrate the energy to the mana pool to strengthen it. The undead tend to not have any and with the occasional drop, but the energy is too sinister to be absorbed.
The other was electricity.
Interesting fact is that electricity and mana are compatible with each other. Since that was a case, electricity can be converted into mana and vice versa with the use of manipulation. I can swiftly increase my mana using this method and avoid any future problems with the lack of mana.
Just then, a screen suddenly popped up.
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[You have fulfilled the requirements.]
[You will be transported...]
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Wait… what?
Then my vision faded into black.
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'What's happening now?'
I opened my eyes, only to be greeted by… swords.
No sight of nature could be found, only the ground. The sky was full of clouds with miniscule light piercing towards the ground. Gigantic steel gears filled the orange sky. It was clear that the gears were damaged, looking as if they were ready to fall at any moment.
Swords were everywhere. Swords of different shapes and sizes, other forms of weaponry are also there though the population of swords dominated the area. It's almost as if I've stumbled upon...
… a world of endless swords.
Realization struck, I would have thought it's impossible for 'his' world to manifest without the caster in sight, but most things don't really faze me anymore.
I had an inkling as to why I am transported here, but I don't have to think about it since I felt killing intent washing over me. I looked for the source and I spotted 'him'.
Standing on a hill, was a man. He stood about 6 feet, just a foot taller than I am. His hair as white as snow, gray eyes that represented his shattered ideal, and tanned skin color from the time he tried to fulfill said ideal.
I wouldn't not recognize him, for he is the embodiment of my ability.
Counter Guardian EMIYA.
His eyes were narrowed, the married swords already on his hands. I could feel the gears on his head spin, no doubt thinking I was another 'Emiya Shirou' and I must be eliminated immediately.
"You…"
His killing intent grew stronger, though it had little to no effect to me. Experience tends to temper that certain trait.
But an unexpected factor suddenly occurred.
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[An emergency quest has been issued.]
[Emergency Quest: Extermination]
There are entities nearby who have Killing Intent towards you in close proximity. Eliminate the threat and ensure your safety.
If this quest is not completed, death will be the penalty.
Enemies required to be killed: 1
Enemies killed: 0
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Reward 1: Red Plain Mystic Code
Reward 2: Bonus Stats +30
Reward 3: Hidden Reward
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An emergency quest...?
This has never happened before. Sure normal quests pop up every now and then, but an emergency-type quest is something new. This did not even trigger on those annoying thugs I met before. Maybe it has triggered due to the enemy being a human, and will only trigger when the system detects the enemy that can potentially kill me.
"Wait! I think you're mistaking me for-"
I got cut off as numerous swords bombarded where I stood. It was easy to dodge with [Eye of the Mind] and the high Agility stat.
"That was rude. You shouldn't interrupt a person when he's speak-."
Another barrage of swords tried to impale me, but I managed to jump away with no trouble.
"Hn. For a fool, you have good reflexes."
Aaand he's not willing to listen. Looks like seeing my face triggered his murder-boner for his past self and isn't snapping out of it anytime soon.
And calling me a fool... while I can be one, I don't like hearing it from him. Seeing is that he's not willing to talk through words...
"Look man… I'm trying to say something but you kept cutting me off. I really don't wanna do this." 'Trace…'
Blue motes of light gathered towards my hands, as it swiftly expanded to an outline of a sword. One was as dark as the sky with hexagonal patterns covering the body, the other as white as a hazy cloud.
His gaze sharpened, clearly recognizing the weapon on my hands. After all, it is his signature weapon after wielding them all his life.
"But you're really getting on my nerves." 'on!'
… I'm just going to let my actions do the talking.
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It was a surprise when I got summoned to this place, my Reality Marble, without me even chanting the lines. I pondered on the reasons, maybe Alaya or that troll of a vampire was messing with me. Then a figure appeared just a few meters away.
Seeing the face of the boy in front of me brought out some unpleasant memories.
I want to become a Hero of Justice.
Such is the dream of the fool who had discarded everything for the sake of saving those who hold no importance to him.
I, too, had once pursued such a foolish dream. But the reality of achieving where no tears would be shed was too far-fetched.
It was a mistake inheriting the dream of an old fool, which has led me to a life full of regrets.
Thinking that fulfilling such an ideal would make me happy, but in the end it's not my happiness to begin with.
I did become my ideal hero of justice. But as a result, all I gained was nothing but regrets.
I killed and killed. And I just kept killing. That's all I've done when trying to achieve that dream.
Being called by the people, just to take care of the crimes people have created, was the purpose of the Guardians. To prevent the destruction of humanity, even if it means killing those who are not even a part of the cause.
This is not what I had wished for. I did not become a Guardian for this!
It's impossible to save everyone. There will always be someone you cannot save. Becoming the ideal hero of justice by making everyone happy was nothing but a foolish attempt to fulfill an impossible dream.
Knowing that he's truly in front of me, I readied myself as a chance is finally presented to me.
Even if it's just a slight possibility...
To end this endless cycle of killing…
To finally set myself free of this misery...
This boy… Emiya Shirou… must be KILLED!
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Our swords clashed, both of us trying to overpower each other. I ended up winning that clash as I broke his swords and tried to slice him, but he diverted my strike and narrowly dodged and got out of my attack range.
He brought out multiple Noble Phantasms, most of which I already recognized, as it all descended at the same time towards me.
'Trace on.'
I materialized every weapon being launched by EMIYA as it all formed just above me.
"Sword Barrel: Full Open!"
With those words, the summoned weapons launched towards the approaching ones, countering each other.
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[The skill [Tracing] has leveled up!]
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Oho! To think the skill would level up this easily.
Could it be…?
Maybe because the abilities are the same, it is actually gaining experience very fast. It was mentioned that there was an ancient magecraft that allows one to acquire skills rapidly by letting themselves get possessed by their past selves.
Meaning, the more we clashed blades, the faster [Tracing] levels up.
I must exploit this as much as possible.
I started getting aggressive by launching Noble Phantasms that doesn't put too much strain on my mana, somehow forcing him back a bit while on his playing field. Since I have a mana capacity similar to a power plant and I can recover 5% in just a minute, the low mana consumption felt like nothing.
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[The skill [Tracing] has leveled up!]
[The skill [Tracing] has leveled up!]
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I lost track of time. We kept clashing, launching, and breaking swords.
I attack, he counters. He attacks, I also counter. I'm just dishing out what he also gives to me.
Then he opted for his bow, and the Fake Spiral Sword appeared in a red flash.
'It's time for the finale, huh…'
I also summoned my own, a hint of surprise on his side. Nocking at the same time, casting [Alteration] to make it more dynamic.
""My core is twisted in madness.../I am the bone of my sword…""
""CALADBOLG!!""
The sword-turned arrows flew, clashed mid-way, and caused a huge explosion. I stood, somewhat unaffected due to casting a barrier, but I can't say the same for Archer.
[The skill [Tracing] has leveled up! The skill has reached Max Level.]
'Finally…'
I exploited that moment to close the distance. I could see a light just ahead, spotting Archer with his right arm outstretched, no doubt summoning Rho Aias to defend him from the explosion.
'Let's finish this.'
His eyes slightly widened, eyebrows scrunched as he saw me summon a weapon, an aura of crippling bloodlust erupting from it, followed by an imposing presence that could make those with weaker will faint.
'Gáe… Bolg!'
The heart has already been pierced, even if I were not to actively aim for it. EMIYA couldn't block it with Rho Aias already being used to block the explosion, and even if he could cast it again due to Unlimited Blade Works, it was already too late.
"Grkh!"
He fell on his knees, blood spurting from the wound and his mouth. Most would have already died, but he was still barely alive. Good for me to make a rune with the 'Guts' effect.
But still, he truly is a strong individual for staying awake despite the pain.
"Let me just tell you one thing, Emiya-san."
He stiffened at the mention of his name. He looked towards me, as if waiting for what I was to say to him.
"I am not Emiya Shirou… and you are not Enjou Tomoe."
His eyes narrowed. He was ready to retort, ready to but I cut him off.
"You must be thinking 'how can you not be Emiya Shirou when you've used Tracing' right? I cannot say but It's actually more complicated than what you think."
I could not tell him that something, or rather someone had given me the unique magecraft of Emiya Shirou. Nobody can know.
"But I can show you this…" Saying that, I placed my hand on his head as I casted [Memory Transfer] on him.
Memory Transfer was an ability to… transfer memories to another person. Simple as that.
What I've transferred to him was the memories of other Emiya Shirou who have lived their lives differently from what he had become right now.
To show him hope, slim as it may be.
"Killing them won't result with you finally attaining freedom, with that infinite universe BS due to the Second Magic."
"The memories I've given you… are the lives of Emiya Shirou where you are summoned as a Servant. Where despite your plan on causing a paradox by killing them, you didn't and somehow altered the fate of being the World's Guardian."
"From what I know, you made that contract with your World's consciousness due to being powerless when trying to be a hero. Why kill when you can help them obtain the power they need."
I paused, letting him absorb what I was suggesting on what he can do.
"Help them forge the path, and maybe… even if it's just a slight possibility… it would change your fate. The fate of being a cleaner for humanity's mistakes."
I finished, and the silence engulfed the atmosphere once more. He seemed to be pondering my words, then he looked at the ground.
"Ah…"
He closed his eyes, a small smile can be seen forming on his face. He didn't have the hatred that would kill me a thousand times and just looked… satisfied.
"... I see. You... are different…"
He utters, and with that, he was no more. The surroundings once again turned to a frozen wonderland, the chilling air wafting the area. A notification popped up.
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[Emergency Quest: Extermination has been completed.]
Reward 1: Red Plain Mystic Code
Reward 2: Bonus Stat Points +30
Reward 3: Hidden Reward
[Red Plain Mystic Code has been obtained.]
[You have obtained 30 Stat Points.]
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I accepted the rewards with open arms. Points were something that cannot be easily raised, and to freely choose which one I can add is godsend.
As for the Mystic Code…
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[Red Plain Mystic Code]
Type: Clothing [Set]
Rank: C
When equipped, the skill [Body Materialization] and [Body Dematerialization] can be used. Emits Holy Energy, causing harm to creatures of darkness that get near the wielder.
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It's actually useful. The skills can be useful when used along with [Presence Concealment], making it easier to sneak around and hunt Strays without having the worry of my identity being revealed. Plus the cloak, made from a Holy Shroud, can help in damaging devils if I were to fight or get in conflict with them.
And for the third reward…
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[The skill, UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS, has been unlocked]
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… Huh. Neat. I won't have to actually memorize weapons now with this weapon storage located in my soul.
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[Compose your Aria for UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS]
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Aria, huh… I'll do that later.
For now, I deserve rest. Time to go home.
"[I.D Escape]."
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Name: Tomoe Enjou
Title: [Hero of Wrought Iron]
Level: 100
Race: Human
HP: 53300
MP: 204800
Strength: 284
Vitality: 272
Agility: 273
Intelligence: 263
Sense: 188
Points 40
Yen: 50358000
