Crazy Britain:They’re All Raising Me

"...So, that damn woman, Maeve, really is evil. I should've had so much fun in that fight. If it were the old me, I would've enjoyed it to the fullest... But now, I can't feel any joy at all."

Clutching the spear that pierced his chest and abdomen, Cú Chulainn finally gave up the struggle and just lay there, stiffly.

"If I ever see that stupid woman again, I'm definitely going to complain."

"I envy you. You got to meet the 'good woman' version of Maeve from the start..." Cú Chulainn muttered to himself.

However, for such words, Guinevere shook his head and said, "Don't get it wrong, Noktna Rey is not Maeve," he said calmly. "Noktna Rey is just Noktna Rey. She's not some 'better version of Maeve.'"

"…Ah, you're right."

After saying that, Cú Chulainn dissipated into spiritual particles.

After his defeat, a prompt from the system arrived shortly:

[You have defeated the Guardian of the Holy Grail. You now have the qualification to reclaim the Holy Grail. The Fifth Singularity's conquest task has been completed.]

[This FATE/Simulation is now complete.]

[Returning to reality...]

Before the screen switched, Guinevere quickly left a farewell message for Noktna Rey in the communication interface. The next moment, the world in front of him rapidly spun and returned to the real world. More system prompts continued to pop up:

[In this simulation, although you missed a large portion of the main storyline, facing the King of the Wild Cú Chulainn, who was comparable to a top-tier Servant in this singularity, you still crushed your opponent head-on with absolute violence.]

[Perhaps it fits well with that line from your favorite game—strength is the reason for being a king.]

[Completion Rating: A (Excellent)]

…Didn't I pass? Why only an A? Why not just give me an S like the London singularity?

Is this the drawback of brute-forcing my way through with sheer strength?

Guinevere sighed. Could the system be hoping that I run through the whole Fifth Singularity's storyline, like those from Chaldea, to complete everything? Seriously, that's too long. I could win directly by brute force, why drag it out?

Well, whatever. It's over now, no need to care too much.

[You have acquired new entry drawing opportunities x2. Would you like to draw now?]

Guinevere paused for a moment, then clicked to check the prize pool.

[This drawing may include the following entries:]

[Up entries: "Gladiator·N," "Brave in Ambush·R," "Dragon Slayer·SR," "War Frenzy·SR," "King of the North·SSR"]

[Non-up entries: "Blacksmith·N," "Hunter·N," "Escape Artist·R," "Lone Wolf·R," "Born King·SR," "Blessing of the Holy Sword·SSR," "Blood Crown·SSR"]

By now, Guinevere understood the system's design concept.

Skills and Noble Phantasms are important, but these are just mechanisms. The more skills and Phantasms he acquires, the more powerful the mechanism becomes.

However, in the end, mechanisms still need stats to support them. No matter how good the mechanics, without stats, the player will be powerless... After all, Guinevere has heard too many cases where "mechanics never change, always T0."

Of course, the reverse is also true: no mechanics with pure stats make for a target.

And entries, while they provide some mechanism, are most valuable for the stats they give.

No wonder the system limits the number of entries you can have. Without this restriction, you could stack tons of white entries and turn yourself into a super-stat beast.

So, now the issue is limited slots, meaning he must draw some truly excellent entries to improve his real-world strength.

His eyes scanned over the entries' effects, and Guinevere began his prayer.

Although his luck had dropped to a C-level due to that annoying "Chinese Martial Arts·Six Harmonies Spear," he still had two draws. Surely, he wouldn't turn into the ultimate European king of bad luck, right?

He dared not expect SSR-level rewards... But he hoped for at least an SR this time, right?

After silently praying for a while, Guinevere clicked the draw button.

[Drawing entries based on your performance in this simulation...]

At that moment, Guinevere stared eagerly as the card flipped... But he didn't get the gold or colorful lights he hoped for. Instead, there was a completely dull white glow.

[You have obtained the entry: Gladiator (N).]

[Gladiator (N): You once were a gladiator, fighting in the arena for survival. Every battle was a test of life or death.]

[Your base endurance increases by one level, your base luck decreases by one level.]

...Bush, Goman?

Guinevere almost spat out blood.

My luck is already this bad, and you want to lower it further?

Are you trying to send me to luck F?

[Would you like to equip this entry immediately?]

"No!" Guinevere clicked the "No" option with a dark face.

Well, the truth is, he might still need to equip this cursed entry, since his endurance was indeed a bit low. But he still had one more draw, so he would wait to see the result of that before deciding.

While entries can't be changed on a whim, there is a chance to modify the entries when a new one is obtained.

Another draw! This time, it must be something good!

Guinevere silently cheered himself on and clicked the draw button once again.

The next moment, far beyond his expectations, a burst of colorful light suddenly flashed, blinding his eyes.

[You have obtained the entry: Blood Crown (SSR).]

...Wait, what?!

Guinevere's eyes went red—he almost cried out in excitement.

Gods, after all these draws, this is the first SSR entry he's gotten, aside from the free Hunter Badge!

Holy crap! I'm finally going to take off!

[Blood Crown (SSR): In your previous life, you were a notorious tyrant. You stained your crown with blood, and most of your subjects despised and feared you. Despite this, they could do nothing but obey your every whim, for you decided their life and death at will. You were a demon king that came from hell.]

[Your luck decreases by two levels, all your attributes increase by one level, you gain "Special Attack Against Non-Kings·Small," and your gun attacks will be blessed, making it easier to hit vital points and even harm some supernatural creatures.]

[There is little that can make you feel fear, for you are the one who spreads fear. Your mental endurance increases significantly. However, as the cost of this power, you will randomly obtain a mental flaw-type entry when creating your character. If you equip this entry in a non-simulation state, the negative buffs will be ignored.]

[Would you like to modify this entry immediately?]

"Yes!" Guinevere eagerly clicked the "Yes" button to modify his entries.

[You currently possess the following entries: Stubborn·N, Gladiator·N, Beloved by All·R, Great Luck·SR, Talent for Kingship·SR, Jealous of Talents·SR, Bloodthirsty Killer·SR, Hunter Badge·SSR, Blood Crown·SSR]

After quickly scanning through his entries, Guinevere quickly made his choice.

The gold "Hunter Badge" and "Blood Crown" were obvious locks. Then, the SR entries… Bloodthirsty Killer provided great attribute boosts, although it reduced luck by one, it added strength and agility, so it was a must-lock. Jealous of Talents didn't directly add stats, but its learning ability was too strong, so it was also locked.

As for the remaining SR entries, the choice came down to Gladiator and Great Luck.

These two entries had their merits... Gladiator increased endurance while lowering luck, while Great Luck only promised better luck without giving any stats.

After thinking for a while, Guinevere chose Gladiator.

Sorry, I really want to raise my luck, but my endurance is way too poor. I have to add it. Compared to that, the luck boost is more like psychological comfort, so it's better not to take it.

After finalizing the entries, Guinevere's new stats were freshly updated:

Strength: C (Bloodthirsty Killer +1) (Blood Crown +1)

Agility: C (Bloodthirsty Killer +1) (Blood Crown +1)

Endurance: D (Jealous of Talents -1) (Blood Crown +1) (Gladiator +1)

Magic: D (Blood Crown +1)

Luck: F (Blood Crown -2) (Bloodthirsty Killer -1) (Gladiator -1) (Six Harmonies Spear -1)

Well, looking at the other stats, he's pretty strong now, at least on par with some weaker Servants. With his powerful skill set, even some moderately strong Servants like Redragon would be no match for him.

However... this F luck? Isn't that a bit too abstract?

Guinevere found himself in deep thought.

I wonder how Noktna Rey did with her draws after going through this simulation as well?