Reincarnation Paradise Park-Chapter 692 - 2: The Old Bug

Su Xiao surveyed the situation in the basement. Just as he entered this Derivative World, a gaze filled with malice stared at him. Upon seeing the owner of that gaze, Su Xiao roughly guessed what was going on.

This time, he had replaced the Berserker class, which was previously Lancelot, whom he had fought.

By killing Lancelot, Su Xiao received no reward. It was a test: kill Lancelot and replace his class, or fail and be trapped in the barrier forever.

This Derivative World Su Xiao entered isn’t small, but the battlefield is not large; it’s just a city, and the storyline is simple.

Two hundred years ago, the Three Major Magic Families aimed to reach the ’Root’, the dream of all magicians. They joined forces to summon the Holy Grail, a ’Universal Machine’ that could fulfill any dream.

Three magic families participated, but there was only one Holy Grail, thus sparking conflicts among the three families.

After a series of struggles, the three families agreed to determine the ownership of the Holy Grail through small-scale competitions.

The First Holy Grail War formally began. The rules back then were not perfect, and the three magic families fought intensely, but ultimately all failed.

After the First Holy Grail War concluded, after sixty years, a new Great Holy Grail was about to appear.

By the Second War, the rules became more refined, and the impact on the world order diminished.

Yet, the three families still did not abide by the rules. Although the ’Command Spells System’ was completed, this Holy Grail War also ended in failure.

And so, the Great Holy Grail War occurs every sixty years, with rules becoming increasingly perfect.

Time has now moved to the current, which is the Fourth Holy Grail War.

The current Holy Grail War has detailed rules, which are as follows.

1. Absorb magic power from the earth veins (preliminary constitution of the Great Holy Grail).

2. Select Masters (After storing enough magic power to summon seven Servants, the Great Holy Grail will choose magicians suitable to become Masters and grant the ’Mark of Omen.’ Candidates must quickly prepare for the Servant summoning ritual).

3. Summoning ritual (Summoning a Servant requires a complex magical ceremony. The compatibility of spirit and body with the summoned Heroic Spirit goes without saying; more importantly, there must be a profound bond or medium with the Heroic Spirit. Summoning a Servant is a ritual beyond human capability, but with the Great Holy Grail’s assistance, the impossible becomes possible).

4. Great Holy Grail linking

5. Imprint command seals on the Master

6. Summon Servant

7. Master and Servant contract

8. War begins

9. Retrieve the soul of fallen Servants

10. Open the path to the ’Root’

Simply put, seven magicians selected by the Great Holy Grail summon Servants (Heroic Spirits) for battle, and the ultimate winning magician obtains the Holy Grail.

As for the seven Heroic Spirits, in principle, all must die because the Holy Grail needs their souls to be filled.

Although Su Xiao appears as a Heroic Spirit, he lacks most traits of a Heroic Spirit, being a Pseudo Heroic Spirit. Apart from having great strength, his soul bears no relation to the Holy Grail, and his life or death does not affect the Holy Grail’s emergence.

Compared to Reincarnation Paradise, the Great Holy Grail’s abilities are insignificant.

As Su Xiao possesses his own body, he exists without magic power supply, but if Matou Gan Ye dies, his stay in the Holy Grail World will drastically reduce to a maximum of 2 days before a mandatory return.

The main storyline mission is still unknown, and the Talent Awakening Task is about to activate. A mandatory return would be exceptionally detrimental.

Su Xiao now has replaced the Berserker class, and if there are no Contractors of similar strength, other Heroic Spirits can normally appear.

Moreover, having a Contractor of similar strength to Su Xiao would also prevent him from becoming a Pseudo Heroic Spirit.

Thinking of this, Su Xiao roughly understands the situation. Although he is a Pseudo Heroic Spirit, Matou Gan Ye cannot affect him. As for the three command seals on his hand, they are meant to control an already dead Heroic Spirit.

If Su Xiao dislikes Matou Gan Ye, he can kill him, provided he can find a new magic power supply. Considering the scarcity of magicians in the Holy Grail World, Su Xiao plans to spare him for now.

Su Xiao withdrew his gaze from Matou Gan Ye, whose body relaxed, gasping heavily. Being stared at by Su Xiao is not a pleasant experience.

"Then, let’s deal with you first."

Su Xiao raised his left arm; in his hand covered by a metal bracer, he held a strange insect that tried to burrow into his flesh when he first emerged from the spatial rift.

With force from his fingers, with a squelch, the fat worm with sharp fangs was crushed into a pulp.

Su Xiao looked at the elder retreating in the basement. He knew this old fellow’s background: Matou Zouken, Clan Leader of the Matou Family, one of the Three Major Magic Families, alive for 500 years.

Although magicians in the Holy Grail World can master some supernatural abilities, living over 500 years is quite extraordinary.

Matou Zouken lived for 500 years because he abandoned his original body and controlled magic-type insects to compose his body, essentially transforming himself into Imprinted Worms.

The old man standing in the basement was just a skin, a decaying, stinking skin, about to be eaten away by the insects.

Matou Zouken’s immortality method is somewhat similar to Orochimaru from the Naruto World, though Orochimaru uses a much more advanced technique.

Orochimaru detaches his soul, allowing it to enter new body vessels. When a vessel is damaged, he switches to a new one.

In contrast, Matou Zouken turns his body into Imprinted Worms. These worms also need to reside in a human body, but this method leads to gradual soul decay.

Matou Zouken once only needed to change bodies every few decades, now it’s every few months.

Matou Zouken’s desire for the Great Holy Grail is simple: eternal life.

In the basement.

Su Xiao stepped toward Matou Gan Ye, wiping his hand stained with insect remains on his clothes. Matou Gan Ye’s mouth twitched but dared not move.

"Which Heroic Spirit might you be? Although there seems to have been an error in the ritual, our Matou family will assist you in winning the Holy Grail War."

Matou Zouken, realizing the circumstances were unfavorable, stopped retreating and attempted to negotiate with Su Xiao.

"The insects... are yours, right?"

A smile appeared on Su Xiao’s face, and Matou Zouken also smiled.

"It’s the result of the Matou family’s magic circuits; my Puppy’s magic talent is lacking, so I can only..."

Boom!

Matou Zouken was about to shift the blame to Matou Gan Ye, but a loud bang interrupted him.

Clang.

A pale blue blade aura flashed, and a withered head flew into the air.

With a thud, the head fell, and Matou Zouken’s headless body collapsed.

"This..."

Matou Gan Ye, at the side, was in disbelief because Matou Zouken died so easily.

"The speed is commendable, and the swordsmanship is sharp enough, not inferior to the Saber class."

The head of Matou Zouken lying on the ground spoke.

"Don’t think magicians can’t challenge Heroic Spirits. Be it the Holy Grail or Heroic Spirits, fundamentally, both are summoned or constructed by us magicians."

Matou Zouken’s head let out a cold laugh, and cracks began to appear on that withered face.

With a hum, a large number of winged Imprinted Worms burst from Matou Zouken’s corpse; the mostly depleted remains of the skin had already withered and shattered.