Although thanks to Guinevere's impressive performance they hadn't wasted much time during the ambush in the jungle, the entrance to the Vein Corridor was still a long way off.
Even by nightfall, the group had yet to reach their destination.
By this point, Guinevere couldn't help but start missing the days when Redra Beet was still around.
Although he'd only traveled with Redra Beet during simulations, the thing was fast when it came to pulling the cart. The current stretch to the Vein Corridor would've taken mere hours with Redra hauling them—even factoring in his clumsy movement through the woods.
And Redra wasn't just a good mount; it was also a decent combat companion. While it couldn't compare to top-tier Servants, it could easily handle beasts like the Chimera they'd run into earlier that day.
...No way. I've got to find a way to lure it away from Aurora. This is a 996 situation.jpg
"Right now, we've got about a quarter of the way left to go… but it's already late. Everyone's probably exhausted, right?"
Suddenly, Oberon clapped his hands together and said, "Let's stop and rest for a while. If we keep pushing on and run into a powerful monster, things might get dicey."
His suggestion was met with unanimous agreement.
This time, though, considering how a campfire at night would be too conspicuous in the forest, they didn't gather around like the night before. Instead, they each took out some of the dry rations they'd bought earlier, chewed through a simple meal, and crawled into their sleeping bags.
Though Artoria had already set up a barrier to repel wild beasts, making a fire unnecessary, they still needed someone to stand watch—just to be safe.
"Sorry, I wouldn't mind keeping watch again, but considering the number of variables recently, I think I'll hop on Blanca and scout the surrounding cities of Britain for intel. You guys handle the night watch yourselves."
With that, Oberon transformed into a chibi Q-version of himself, leapt lightly onto Blanca's back, and vanished in a streak of light through the forest.
"In that case, I'll take the watch tonight—"
Before Guinevere could finish, both Artoria and Bavanzi spoke in unison as if they'd rehearsed it:
"No! We'll take the watch tonight!"
"Huh?" Guinevere blinked. What's with these two suddenly being so enthusiastic? Sure, he knew all three of them would be busy simulating once night fell and didn't really rest properly, but shouldn't they at least keep up appearances?
"Given how tense things are right now and with Lancelot likely to attack at any moment, I figured I'd take this chance to try crafting some new items—maybe I'll get lucky," Artoria said.
"I want to practice my Water Mirror magic again," Bavanzi added. "My skill with it is still too limited. If I could master it, I could teleport us all to the destination, and we wouldn't have to worry about this travel time at all."
That reminded Guinevere: Bavanzi had always used her Water Mirror magic in a very basic way. Sure, she knew how to use the spell, but typically only to open a portal for herself to Camelot or New Darlington. Creating one to a new location—or bringing others with her? Yeah, not happening.
Though in previous simulations she had managed group teleports, Guinevere remembered that was only possible because she'd collected the proper magical components and built sufficient support gear in advance.
Without those supporting relics now, she was basically winging it again.
Plus, her casting speed was a huge bottleneck. Long-distance Water Mirrors required uninterrupted concentration and significant time to channel—enough time for Lancelot to fly in from out of sight and chop her into sashimi ten times over.
"Anyway, we're going to be practicing or preparing something tonight either way. Standing watch is just something we'll handle along the way. You've already exhausted yourself in battle today, Guinevere—go get some rest."
"...Fine. But don't push yourselves too hard either."
With that, Guinevere said no more. He nodded, then made his way to his sleeping bag.
"Well then, goodnight."
"Goodnight." ×2
With his back to Artoria and Bavanzi, Guinevere silently opened his system interface. Behind him, the two girls exchanged a glance and each quietly summoned their own systems as well.
Although they had just said goodnight, it was time to reunite—on the battlefield of King's Can... no, the Fairyland Simulation.
Soon, system notifications popped up right on cue:
[Detected: Simulation invitation initiated by a player. Awaiting responses from remaining players.]
[Majority of players have accepted. Beginning new Reality Simulation. Players who did not respond will be auto-piloted by the system.]
[Simulation No. 1011 initiating... Loading...]
[After forming a team with the Child of Prophecy Artoria, Fairy Knight Bavanzi, and Oberon, the Fairy King of Wales, you set out together.]
[Due to your recent skirmish with Fairy Knight Lancelot, you've rapidly progressed from an ordinary civilian to a fledgling warrior. Your fighting spirit has increased.]
[Additionally, your excellent performance during the Chimera hunt has allowed you to properly reassess your own strength and recognize your growth, leaving you inspired.]
[Mood value increased.]
[You have gained the buff "Fired Up!"]
Fired Up!: Your base attribute growth rate is increased. You gain more Mood from victories. Mood and morale decay at a slower rate. You are more likely to experience breakthroughs during combat.
Against enemies stronger than you, this buff scales based on the strength differential. The stronger your opponent, the greater the boost.
This buff lasts until you suffer a defeat. Upon losing, it disappears and may convert into the debuff "Crushed Spirit."
Note: If using "Undying One's Endless Trials," the final evaluation of this buff will be determined by your state when the trial is concluded.
If you manage to defeat stronger enemies ten times while under this buff, it will evolve into "Momentum." At one hundred consecutive wins, it will further evolve into "Unstoppable."
Holy crap, this thing's insane.
A snowballing, growth-speed-boosting buff that evolves?
And it's perfectly compatible with the Endless Trials?
Reading through the buff details, "Guinevere" felt a shiver down his spine. After a brief moment of reflection, he quickly checked his real-world character sheet—but found no sign of "Fired Up!" there.
Instead, he saw a placeholder buff: "Hopeful Heart."
Hopeful Heart: Upon victory in the upcoming simulation, this buff will evolve into "Fired Up!" If you lose, it disappears.
...Screw this.
Guinevere's eyes turned bloodshot.
This round—we're taking it no matter what!
A chance to directly earn a powerful buff for his real-world self? If he screwed this up, he might as well uninstall the simulator on the spot.
Guinevere cracked his knuckles and leaned in with full focus.
[After a full night's rest, you depart again at first light.]
[You chat with Artoria and learn that none of her magical item creations last night were particularly successful.]
"They were... hard to explain," she said awkwardly, scratching her head. "It's always something weird that goes wrong. The ones that didn't explode on me or do absolutely nothing—let me just show you a few of the ones that actually worked."
She quickly pulled out a bomb.
"For this one, I figured that since it's impossible to hurt Lancelot anyway, I should focus on maximizing the smoke and noise. It's meant for distraction—help us flee."
"Huh?" Guinevere blinked. "That actually sounds pretty solid?"
"...Yeah, except for the part where it won't go off. I light the fuse and... nothing."
Guinevere fell silent.
"...Cool, a dud bomb. Got anything else?"
"There's this crystal," Artoria said, holding up a small gem. "Embed it into any gear and it'll increase the item's weight drastically—except for the user. And it adds traits like 'Cuts Through Iron' and 'Shatters Stone.'"
Guinevere's eyes lit up. "Isn't that basically a high-tier weapon enhancer?"
"...Except it only works if you embed it into armor."
Guinevere facepalmed.
So you wear it, increase the weight of your armor tenfold, then... what? Jump on your enemies to crush them?
Honestly, the system was being way too generous calling this "Magical Item Creation." High emotional intelligence, really—turning "gacha gambling" into a noble-sounding discipline.
"And this last one is a shield," she said, holding up a round buckler. "It's immune to all damage and drastically reduces incoming attacks."
"...Okay, I get it. What's the catch?"
"It only works when no one is holding it."
Guinevere stared blankly.
She poked it with her finger and dented it easily.
"Yep," he said. "A shield that's amazing—if you don't use it. Okay, that's officially worthless. Wait—"
He suddenly perked up. "Say that again. The shield only works... when no one's holding it?"
"Uh-huh."
Guinevere blinked, then shifted his gaze to the crystal she showed earlier.
"Say... a shield counts as armor, right? So that crystal should work on it?"
"Technically, yes... but how does that help?"
"There's one more thing I forgot to mention," Artoria said sheepishly. "Whoever holds this shield has their luck plummet. Like, dramatically. You basically become a magnet for super-powerful enemies."
"...Come again?"
Right on cue, the surrounding forest echoed with a symphony of beastly roars—deep, sharp, and blood-chilling.
Guinevere turned to see several clearly high-level fantasy beasts emerging from the woods.
Including the very same Chimera he'd needed four deaths to barely defeat the day before.
"See? My ability really is useless," Artoria muttered. "All I can do is draw random junk in simulations. If it weren't for this stuff, we wouldn't always..."
But before she could continue lamenting, Guinevere suddenly smacked her on the shoulder.
Artoria looked up, startled—only to find Guinevere staring at her with a strange expression.
"Artoria... don't tell me you're actually a genius?"