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"Sacred power, turn into nourishing grace—grant new strength to the weakened, and heal their wounds!"
As soon as the chant ended, Roxy's staff flared with vibrant green light that poured over the small sapling.
The bark that had been stripped away moments ago began to regrow before their eyes. Not only that—the tree itself thickened, stretched taller, its leaves lush and full of life once again.
Roxy nodded with quiet satisfaction. She loved the feeling of being a teacher—especially when her student was a quick learner. There was no joy quite like watching someone grasp what you'd taught them.
The first day of lessons came to an end. Alex returned to his hotel room, washed up, and collapsed into bed. Only a good night's sleep could guarantee a sharp mind tomorrow—and a sharp mind meant faster progress.
The next morning, Luo Hao began Alex's formal martial arts training.
She woke him before dawn for morning runs. After that came horse stances.
Once the sun rose, they sat cross-legged by the sea, facing the light, as Alex began cultivating Beiming Divine Art.
Luo Hao was a God Slayer. Her powers—stolen from the divine—couldn't be passed on, so she could only teach him martial arts instead.
When Alex began practicing Beiming Divine Art for the first time, he quickly realized that the martial arts of this world were nothing like those he knew.
In the world of the God Slayers, magi cultivated mystic energy, and Eastern martial artists—or Taoists—did the same. But whether called "mystic energy" or "mana," they were essentially the same thing.
That meant the energy cultivated through Beiming Divine Art wasn't inner strength or true qi—it was mana.
Still, its core property hadn't changed. It absorbed the power of others—wildly domineering and endlessly greedy.
In other words, once Alex mastered Beiming Divine Art, he could absorb the mana of other magi and make it his own.
If the Clock Tower magi ever found out, wouldn't they brand him a heretic and have him executed on the spot?
When the sun finally cleared the horizon, Alex ended his meditation and moved on to the next stage—training his body techniques.
He began practicing Lingbo Microstep, working to refine his agility and movement.
According to Luo Hao, when one mastered Lingbo Microstep to its highest form, one could elevate martial arts to the level of divine ability.
Her own skill, Shrinking Earth Technique: Divine Step, was exactly that—a transcendent lightness art refined to the divine, capable of matching the powers of gods.
It was hard not to admire her—Luo Hao was practically a living martial arts encyclopedia.
When it came to combat arts, there was nothing she didn't know.
Under her guidance, Alex made incredible progress. In just three or four days, he had already reached the entry level of Beiming Divine Art, Lingbo Microstep, and Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand.
The Plum Blossom Hand truly deserved its fame as the most refined external martial art of the Xiaoyao Sect. Though it only contained three palm techniques and three grappling forms, those six moves encompassed everything—any technique in existence could be interpreted through them.
In short, Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand was infinite. Its variations were endless.
His progress in martial arts wasn't the only thing impressive. Alex's magical studies were advancing fast as well.
From Hestia, he learned enhancement magic and projection magic—it was clear he was following the same path as Shirou Emiya, the "Hero of Justice."
From Roxy, his lessons were more diverse. She taught him a mix of elemental spells—basic, intermediate, even three advanced ones: Rock Cannon, Explosive Fortress, and Ice Lance Blizzard.
Unfortunately, his mana wasn't yet strong enough to cast them.
With only a few days left until the Holy Grail War began, most of the Masters chosen by the Grail had already summoned their Servants and started making moves.
Alex, having learned the summoning ritual, decided it was time to summon his own.
Everyone was eager—Luo Hao, Hestia, Esdeath, and Roxy alike. Even the members of his chat group were waiting in anticipation.
They'd been watching all his training sessions via livestream these past few days, witnessing his growth firsthand.
Yotsuya Miko was practically dying of envy. She wanted to become stronger too—strong enough to stop being afraid of ghosts.
When night fell, Alex started another stream, then headed out to buy a bucket of paint. He brought Luo Hao and the others to an abandoned factory.
The chat immediately lit up.
Misaka Mikoto: "I wonder who he's gonna summon."
Yotsuya Miko: "Hestia-sama said summoning needs a catalyst. Alex's doing it randomly, so it all depends on his luck."
Erza: "Doesn't matter who shows up—the war's already over."
Tsunade: "Exactly. With Luo Hao and Hestia on his side, what Servant could possibly beat them?"
Alex chuckled at their messages. They weren't wrong—he'd basically already won.
Seeing that everyone had switched their nicknames in the chat to their real names, he changed his own from Newbie Master to Alex.
Then he turned to the ritual space.
The factory was huge, and he'd cleared out a wide area. With the paint, he carefully drew a summoning circle across the cement floor.
Before long, the intricate sigils were complete—an elaborate, arcane magic array that seemed to pulse with power.
Standing before it, Alex raised his right hand and began to chant.
"Fill… fill… fill… fill… fill!"
"Repeat five times!"
"And when filled, let it be consumed!"
"Declare it now!"
"Your body shall be under my command, and my fate bound to your sword!"
"Answer the call of the Holy Grail! If you accept this will and this justice—then come forth!"
"I swear upon this!"
"I shall accomplish all that is good in the world!"
"I shall destroy all that is evil in the world!"
"You, wrapped in the Three Great Words, born of the Seven Heavens—"
"You are the guardian of balance, the one restrained by the Wheel of Inhibition!"
The instant his chant ended, blinding light burst from the circle, flooding the entire factory like daylight.
Everyone except Luo Hao and Hestia instinctively shielded their eyes.
When the light faded, Alex finally saw her—standing in the center of the summoning array was a woman who looked like she'd stepped out of a dream.
Long white hair, pale robes, long pointed ears like an elf's, and a gleaming staff in hand. Her beauty radiated gentle warmth, her smile soft and serene.
A woman as lovely and untouchable as a flower in full bloom—her presence alone dissolved all hostility.
Alex's eyes widened. "M–Merlin?"
The woman tilted her head, her smile deepening. "Oh my, so you're my Master, little one? Though I'd prefer if you called me Merlin."
Alex blinked, then laughed. "Alright, Merlin! I didn't expect to summon you of all people. Looks like fate really wants me to win this Holy Grail War."
With Luo Hao and Hestia—two god-tier powerhouses—plus Esdeath, who was strong enough to match any Servant, and Roxy, whose magic and healing were top-tier, he was already nearly unbeatable.
Now, with Merlin herself joining the team as a support…
Who in their right mind could possibly challenge him?
Maybe he really should take a page from Shirou's book—clear out the Holy Grail War in a single night.
"..."
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