Chapter 39: Birth of the NTR Knight, Lance-Alot

Alone in the living room, Ray trains his sacred gear to activate the gear. He tried many methods to activate the gear but common knowledge stated that the activation requires intense emotional state which he couldn't create artificially.

As the training continued, Ray still couldn't find any method to activate it and Ray tried to consult Azazel. Azazel proposed an outrageous yet undeniably effective method which he can't accept.

Azazel recommended using Cheshire which is his greatest emotional trigger to create the emotional state he needed. He will devise a scenario where Cheshire is put into danger and forces Ray to activate the sacred gear. Azazel reassures Ray he will prepare multiple contingencies and will be held responsible if anything goes wrong to make Ray agree to this plan of his but Ray is still hesitant. What if all the contingency failed? What if he couldn't activate the gear in time?

In the end, Ray still couldn't make up his mind and couldn't give Azazel his answer.

…

It's almost 10 am in the morning and still none of them wake up yet, including Cheshire since she woke up a few times during their grinding session. She joined the trio to sleep in their room. Cheshire is currently being hugged by Mittelt while they sleep. The trio was also very tired after spending the whole night to 3 am grinding Mission stages. They will definitely wake up after 12 pm.

With plenty of free time in his hand, Ray took out a few interesting items he obtained from new stages. The first one is a golden glowing orb that he obtained after soloing the Tomb of the Dragon King on Hard difficulty, clearing all 30 stages after the girl was too mentally tired to continue grinding with him.

[Weapon Soul]

-Special implant for weapons only to help gain consciousness. A living weapon will be able to absorb EXP to grow stronger and assist wielder in combat.

-Excellent Soul Grade

This item is indeed exceptional. The weapon will become living and absorb EXP to grow its stats and become powerful. The other perk of this soul is the weapon becomes living and has its own mana pool independent from the wielder. This will allow the weapon to lend its wielder mana/energy if its wielder runs out of mana/energy or use its own skill without needing its wielder to activate the skill.

When Ray checks his weapons, only two weapons will benefit from having the Weapon soul. The two weapons are Arondight and Holy Moonlight Sword. Ray chose Arondight since that sword is more useful in this world than the Holy Moonlight Sword.

The Holy Moonlight Sword has the word holy in its name but didn't actually have a holy attribute in its attack. If explained using Yin and Yang philosophy, the Arondight is Yang where its light burns the evil power while Holy Moonlight Sword is Yin and its light feels freezing cold rather than burning hot like Arondight. The holy radiance of Arondight is like a sun while the Holy Moonlight Sword holy radiance came from the moon. Its holy attribute isn't purifying power that burns since the Moon doesn't embody Yang aspects but instead embodies Yin aspects like cold, dark and passiveness.

Ray then summoned Proposition and unseal Arondight. Then he took the Weapon soul which he applied on the part above the hilt, near the centre of its mass. The golden orb sucked into the sword before the sword glowed golden for a moment and returned to normal. Ray waited for a few minutes but nothing happened or any notification.

The sword looked normal and Ray tried to grab the handle when he heard a gender neutral voice enter his ears, asking him questions.

[Imprinted to new master, Soulbound completed, do you wish to customize appearance or randomise?]

"Customize."

[Please provide a mental image of the appearance.]

Well, I said without any thoughts and I didn't have a mental image prepared but when I look at the sword. Its appearance does match the one from Fate world and its wielder is the purple haired milf hunter, NTR Knight of the Lake, Lancelot.

[Custom appearance created, name set to Lancelot.]

After the notification appeared, the sword glowed before a phantom created and slowly became real with flesh and bone. The same Lancelot he imagined just now had appeared in white full body armor and planted the sword on the ground to support his body. Ray then inspect Lancelot from top to bottom and feel if the armor is real or not.

"Do you understand my words?" Ray asks and Lancelot nodded his head. He is trying to figure out the capability of this weapon soul.

"Can you talk?"

"Yes"

Ray nodded his head. It's good that Lancelot can at least understand words and talk. Then Ray asks the most important question.

"Do you prefer married women or unmarried women?" Ray asks as his face becomes very serious as he gives Lancelot a judgemental look. Call it paranoid but he can't have someone that will steal his future wife existing in his group. Yeah, no way he is going to let someone steal his future wife like what happened to Artoria and Guinevere.

"None. My love, my loyalty and my entire being is to be your sword and strike your enemies." Lancelot replied stoically.

Ray immediately frowned before his face morphed into disgust. "Heck no! I don't swing that way dude. At least be trap or something…"

"Trap?" Lancelot asked with confusion and worried that he failed to meet his master's preference.

"Yeah, Trap or feminine male lik- no, nevermind." Ray abruptly stopped before he actually processed what he just said. He is swearing to all gods he could remember that he is straight. He definitely will not dip a guy no matter how feminine he looks. Reading doujin and doing the act is a totally different thing… he definitely is not attracted to real traps. Definitely not…

"Enough for now, let me continue inspecting my rewards." Ray said as he took out the next item. Lancelot nodded and stood aside while observing his new wielder.

[Small Serpent Gut]

A piece of the Serpent King internal organ that condensed with incredible energy. This artifact is scattered across the ancient ruins that can be collected and absorbed as a source of power.

-Gain 80000 EXP when used.

The Serpent Gut is a small greenish blue gem that glows. The object does contain a lot of energy inside but unfortunately cannot be used for anything else but gaining EXP. This small piece only gives 80k EXP which is only a droplet compared to the ocean for him since that much EXP cannot even fill 0.5% of his EXP bar.

"Lance, try to use this." Ray called Lancelot with the short form of his name and tossed the Small Serpent Gut to him. Ray checked his level which was still at 1. Lancelot grabbed the gem and crushed it easily before a blue aura washed over his body and Ray saw the Level jumped from 1 to 18.

———

Name: Arondight(Lancelot)

Level: 18

HP: -/-

MP: 1800/1800

Skill:

-Holy Attribute Infusion

-Energy Slash

-Blessing of the Lake

-Demonic Attribute Infusion (Locked)

-Curse of the Mad Knight (Locked)

-Arondight Overload (Locked)

-Knight of Owner (Locked)

———

Yeah, the Serpent Gut isn't useful for someone like him but useful for the low level member of his group. Ray thought as he checked if he had more of the Serpent Gut.

Ray then took out the remaining Serpent gut he had, which is a total of seven more pieces that he gave to Lancelot and told him to use them all and reached level 38. The only changes he has is the mana pool increased 3.8k, it increases 100 mana points per level.

If goes by this trend, his firearm will soon lose effectiveness outside of Mission modes or slaughtering low level mobs. The sword Arondight outperform all his firearm in a one against one or one against small group in term of dps.

His greatest problem is his lack of knowledge with firearm to actually upgrade them. The only changes he can do is on the bullets if he wanted to increase his damage dealt. He does plan to try enchanting his firearm or capture powerful being and seal them in his guns but he didn't have the opportunity yet to do any of these with how busy he is and Cheshire's safety.

Lancelot noticed the frown and troubled look on Ray's face. He feel discomfort raising in his body as he look at his wielder's troubled look and wishes to help.

"Mien Wielder, what is troubling your mind? I Lancelot are always willing to serve and help. Please give me the order." Lancelot said while standing straight and raised his right arm to his chest and his left to his back as if saluting Ray.

"Just call me by my name." Ray sighed and said after being called as Wielder. "I actually worried about my adoptive daughter. There is plenty of places and business I wanted to do but my worry about her safety always plagued me. My act become limited because of that."

"Then, let this knight bear the burden to protect your daughter." Lancelot declared.

"Sigh… not that I didn't thought of it but no offense, I had yet to know how capable are you." Ray said as he confessed his thoughts. He didn't know what personality or where those personality even came from when Lancelot is created. He afraid that Lancelot might be offended by his words.

"Worry not, Ray. I possesed all the techniques of the Arondight pervious owner and their day to day experience to some extend." Lancelot replied and didn't bothered that Ray didn't trust his might in combat. "I am willing to prove my mastery with sword against you, Ray." Lancelot said confidently and even smirked as if looking down on him.

"Sure but training facility is too far so let's settle do in in the lobby." Ray suggested and Lancelot nodded with the smile of confidence that never left his face. That same smile iritates Ray slightly everytime he sees it.

Few minutes later, Ray returned with shock on his face, unable to accept the outcome of the battle. With all advance implant, cybernetic, exoskeleton suit and advantage in stats. He still lose in less than two minutes against Lancelot. Truly worthy the title of strongest knight of the Round Table in the legend and his Lancelot inherited all the techniques and experience from the real Lancelot that once wielded Arondight.

"I am sorry Ray, I didn't expect you are that weak. I tried to hol- …" Lancelot apologized when he realised he shattered Ray, confidence but stopped when he realised he basically rubbing salt on open wound with his words.

Ray then slumped to the sofa in disbelief. Yeah, he did abstain from using skills in the duel but his raw stats and advantage of calculation with his implant should at least give him an even ground against Lancelot but in reality, he was beaten easily by Lancelot that he took pity in him and hold back in the fight. His implant can track Lancelot moves and he have plenty of chance to immediately end the duel with a decisive strike but stalled for a minute to make Ray feel less miserable.

"I apol-"

"No need, Lance. This is not your fault and in fact I should thank you for enlightening me." Ray said as he stare at the celling but actually is using his PD* to sort the documented technique used by Lancelot in the duel. He might not have experience in swordsmanship but using the implant computation power, he can analyse the technique and allow the AI to control his exoskeleton suit and fight using the similar technique or learn the technique.

(Note: PD stand for personal device if you forgotten. Its like a phone or computer but can be displayed directly to the brain and seen only by his eyes. It is part of the function made available by the Implant in his head.)

"Glad I can help you, Ray." Lancelot said with genuine happiness and even bowed while holding in his glee as he feel fulfilling that he can be useful to his wielder.

"Umu, for now I will entrust Cheshire's safety to you, Lancelot." Ray said with a relaxed and satisfied smile on his face. The problem that plagued him for very long time finally have a solution.

"Thanks you for your trust, Ray. I vow that nothing will hurt her in my presence." Lancelot declared his knight vow to protect Cheshire as Ray had stated.

—————

(Note: The reason why Ray lose is because of the Blessing of the Lake that Lancelot have that buff his stats like steroid on crack because he is the sword itself manifested as a human. Unlike when wielder received the buff, the boost might degrade depending on the compatibility which isn't an issue now that Arondight have a soul and willingly provide maximum output of the buff to Ray even if he lack Light Attribute to be proper wielder.

Normal holy sword is dormant and rarely awake to bless its wielder with power unless they have high Light attribute or a natural born wielder.)