Chapter 71: The Holy Sword Blackens!
[Excalibur]
The most powerful Noble Phantasm of the King of Knights, Artoria Pendragon, is said to be the holy sword symbolizing the supreme might and honor of King Arthur and stands at the top among holy swords.
Exuding a golden sacred aura, it inspires an overwhelming sense of nobility.
Ordinary mortals are simply not qualified to lay a finger on a sword like this.
'Swish——'
However, the moment Ethan made contact with Excalibur, the once-sacred golden radiance vanished without a trace, replaced by an impenetrable darkness.
The original gold and blue hues had also transformed into black and red.
The previously sacred holy sword had been transformed into a profound demonic blade, revealing the new nature of the sword Ethan now held.
[Excalibur Morgan: Sword of Promised Victory]
Though there were slight differences in color and appearance, it was still undeniably another side of Excalibur.
Just as the fairies of the Lake, Viviane and Morgana, can coexist as polar opposites embodying good and evil, Excalibur can also hold a dual existence of good and evil.
Excalibur Morgan no longer restrains its own magical power.
If you swing this corrupted holy sword with all your strength, the magical particles are no longer holy light but become the darkness that devours light instead.
"Blackened?"
Staring at the Excalibur in his hand, Ethan couldn't help but be speechless.
He had just been overjoyed at obtaining the 'light saber' of the King of Knights, but in the blink of an eye, it had turned pitch black.
However, after some reflection, he felt it was natural.
Given his own status as the bearer of 'All the Evil of the World', the Excalibur bound to him would inevitably blacken, mirroring the fate of the blackened King of Knights who had fallen into the black mud.
Yet, as he held this sword, Ethan could clearly sense the terrifying power it contained.
Excalibur is a "sword that amplifies," converting its user's magical energy into offensive power and releasing it.
The extent of this amplification surpassed everyone's wildest imagination.
Also, as an 'Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm,' it naturally possessed the destructive power to 'demolish a fortress with a single blow.'
Back when Ethan watched 'Fate' anime, the King of Knights' battle prowess after blackening had been on a completely different level than when she was not blackened.
It was like the difference between a floor boss and a simple monster.
Sure enough, the rule 'blackening makes three times stronger, whitening makes seven times weaker' is an eternal truth.
'Swish——'
The next second, the Excalibur in Ethan's hand vanished into thin air.
Unlike ordinary weapons, Noble Phantasms had no fixed physical form.
They would materialize according to the wielder's will, which was incredibly convenient and there was no need to worry about wear and tear.
Ethan was so excited at this moment that he had completely forgotten about the other reward he had received, 'Gem Magic'.
His only desire now was to test the true extent of Excalibur's power.
Lying in bed, Ethan wanted to quickly fall asleep and get up early tomorrow.
However, with so much on his mind, he couldn't possibly rest.
The more he tried to fall asleep, the harder it was to fall asleep.
"No, I have to give this a try. Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep all night."
Muttering to himself, he got out of bed, put on his clothes, and headed out.
His destination was clear: the dungeon.
Dungeons had no time restrictions and one can enter them any time, eliminating any potential entry issues.
"Freya-sama, Ethan just went to the dungeon~"
"Don't mind him. He's bound to be restless after ranking up. I just didn't expect him to be unable to contain himself for even a single night."
Freya didn't seem concerned.
Leveling up was equivalent to human evolution.
There was a significant increase in overall strength, so it was only natural to want to test their abilities after the upgrade.
As for Ottar, he remained silent.
But deep down, however, he was astonished by Ethan's progress.
In just a month's time, the boy had advanced from Lv1 to Lv2.
Furthermore, according to their goddess, he had defeated the floor boss Goliath while still at Lv1.
Even he could never accomplish such a feat at Lv1.
Indeed, their goddess was a divine being, whose judgment was always impeccable.
If Ethan had fallen into the clutches of another Familia, especially Loki Familia, their Freya Familia could have faced serious peril in the years to come.
…
Meanwhile, Ethan had already entered the dungeon.
He ignored the low-level monsters on the upper floors and headed straight for the floors below.
'Boom——'
As Ethan was making his way, a massive boulder suddenly came hurtling towards him.
He rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the surprise attack.
Then, from the direction the boulder had come, a white figure emerged from a cave.
Standing four to five meters tall, its body covered in silvery-white fur, and its human-like posture all indicated its identity as a silverback, one of the monsters found in the middle floors of the dungeon.
"A silverback?"
Ethan recognized this monster from the original story, where the protagonist was relentlessly pursued by one.
Finally, after receiving the weapon Hestia Knife from his goddess and after a grueling battle, Bell managed to defeat it.
'Roar——'
The Silverback let out a furious roar as it locked eyes with Ethan's location.
Its massive hands grabbed a nearby boulder and threw it at him.
'Bang——'
Ethan swiftly dodged the projectile.
As expected of an ape-like monster, it had a surprising level of intelligence and knew how to take advantage of its surroundings.
"Let's test my sword on you—"
Ethan extended his right hand toward the Silverback, and in the next moment, a flash of dark light illuminated the scene as the jet-black Excalibur appeared in his hand.
As he wielded Excalibur Morgan, a formidable aura emanated from him.
'Roar——'
Suddenly, the Silverback charged at Ethan with a deafening roar.
'Swish——'
[Mana Burst——]
With the activation of this skill, Ethan's physical abilities were amplified through magic energy.
Without hesitation, he charged at the incoming monster head-on.
If he was going to test his new weapon, it was only fitting to engage in real combat.
'Splatter——'
His Excalibur cut through the Silverback's fur as effortlessly as if it were slicing through butter.
Aside from its special characteristics, as an A++ rank Noble Phantasm, Excalibur's sharpness was undeniable.
A mere middle-floor monster like the Silverback was not worth mentioning at all in the presence of Excalibur.
'Bang——'
In pain, the Silverback retaliated with a ferocious swipe of its massive hand.
However, Ethan dodged the attack with ease.
'Splatter——'
He followed up with a swift slash, the jet-black blade severing the Silverback's arm.
The surrounding rocks were instantly drenched in crimson, yet not a single drop of blood stained the surface of Excalibur, which retained its deep and ominous vibe like an abyss.
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