Completing the trial dungeon didn't give a ten-draw reward, but having Jeanne and Atalanta join Chaldea made Ryou feel it was worth the effort.
Moreover, the fundamental purpose of this trial dungeon was to enhance the Noble Phantasm Crying Warmonger to its original state.
The original Crying Warmonger was an A-rank Noble Phantasm, already quite high-level. He never expected that by bringing back the Greater Grail, he would activate a hidden reward!
As long as Ryou submits the Greater Grail, the system can strengthen him once, with enhancements covering attributes, equipment, skills, and most importantly, Noble Phantasms. The system provided several options:
[
1. Randomly select one of the four basic attributes (Strength, Endurance, Agility, Magic) and enhance it to EX rank.
2. Randomly select one class or personal skill and enhance it by two ranks.
3. Designate a piece of equipment to be strengthened to the corresponding level of a Noble Phantasm: purple equipment can be strengthened to C-rank, orange to B-rank, and so on.
4. Designate a craft essence to be strengthened by one rank.
5. Fuse Crying Warmonger with Revenge of the Weak to form a new Noble Phantasm, with a high probability of reaching A+ rank and a low probability of reaching EX rank. (Note: Luck potions are ineffective.) ]
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Seeing these five options, Ryou immediately ruled out the first one.
Using Descent cards, whether transforming into Sasaki Kojiro or Spartacus, Ryou had already experienced EX-rank Endurance and nearly EX-rank Agility.
EX-rank Endurance simply made it very hard to be killed, and nearly EX-rank Agility was still limited when facing a Noble Phantasm like Karna.
Not to mention, among those top-tier Heroic Spirits, none reached the pinnacle solely through basic attributes.
Similarly, the second option was also excluded. All his skills were currently at E rank; even enhancing them by two ranks to D would still be insignificant.
Options three and four were about strengthening equipment, which were even less appealing than the first two.
Ryou only had purple-level equipment, which would at most yield a C-rank Noble Phantasm. As for craft essences, his only three-star craft essence was Demi Spirit, and enhancing it to four stars would boost magic attributes—was he supposed to switch to a mage now?
The fifth option stood out as different. The system imposed many restrictions, highlighting that this option was much stronger than the others.
To limit him, the system even made luck potions ineffective, showing how precious this option was.
To upgrade a Noble Phantasm from B+ to A-rank required him to undergo a difficult trial dungeon, illustrating how challenging it was to increase a Noble Phantasm's rank.
This wasn't like in the FGO mobile game, where simply completing a Noble Phantasm quest could raise its rank.
Although Noble Phantasms was divided into many ranks, the gap between EX and A ranks was insurmountable, representing the difference between earthly items and divine artifacts.
EX-rank Noble Phantasms were all divine creations or planetary constructs, each with an awe-inspiring origin.
With such an opportunity at hand, if Ryou didn't choose it, he'd want to hit his head against a wall.
Unfortunately, the system blocked his cheating paths, leaving him to rely on luck.
Ryou's luck, without the luck potion, was just average—neither good nor bad, typical of the general populace. Sometimes it flared up, and other times it sank.
For this draw, Ryou did everything he could.
Naturally, he went through the full ritual of fasting, incense burning, and bathing. He prayed to various deities, including Jesus, the Goddess of luck, and Buddha.
To increase his chances slightly, Ryou even shamelessly invited Scathach, Jeanne, Ishtar, and Ais to help, hoping to borrow their elusive luck.
"As a warrior, you're relying on luck for everything. It seems that without me, your training has slacked off significantly. You need thorough, rigorous training!"
Scathach had no right to say this. Her most excellent disciple had decent skills but always met a tragic end in the Fifth Holy Grail War due to low luck, leaving people weeping and heartbroken.
Ryou ranted internally, not daring to say this to Scathach's face.
Seeing her murderous look if she learned the truth, Ryou knew a brutal training session was inevitable.
But for an EX-rank Noble Phantasm, what did a beating from Scathach matter? Even if he were beaten half to death, it would be worth it!
"Hah~ follower, you've finally recognized the greatness of this goddess. Since you sincerely prayed, I will bless you to fulfill your wish."
Ishtar spoke haughtily, radiating divine light that made anyone impossible to look at directly.
But in the next second, the goddess revealed her true colors.
"However~ if you want to borrow the glory of this goddess, no problem. But the appearance fee is very expensive... A fixed price of twenty top-grade gems, no bargaining!"
Ryou was speechless, exchanging his remaining energy points for thirty top-grade gems to give her.
Holding a large handful of colorful top-grade gems, Ishtar couldn't help but show a delighted expression. She almost wanted to run back to her room immediately, close the door, and admire them.
Fortunately, she remembered her promise and brought him an unexpected joy.
"I am the War Goddess, and you, my Master, are undoubtedly a warrior. Therefore, I will bestow upon you the blessing of a warrior, ensuring you are fortunate and invincible!"
After chanting the prayer, Ishtar gently touched Ryou's forehead with her finger. A soft golden light emanated from her fingertip and then merged into his body. He immediately felt as if everything he did next would go incredibly smoothly.
"I'll help you this one time, but don't expect it again."
As if to compete, Scathach drew a series of runes in the air with her finger. Although Ryou recognized each one individually, he couldn't understand them when combined.
After finishing the last stroke, the runes suddenly shone brightly and then imprinted themselves onto his body.
This time, Ryou could feel something changing within him.
"Hmph! What an annoying woman."
Seeing Scathach's actions, Ishtar immediately showed a very displeased expression, turning her head away in a huff. These two seemed to be naturally at odds. Whether it was their class (Archer and Lancer), their figure (flat and busty), or their stance (goddess and god-slayer), they were opposites in every way. The fact that they could be in the same room without fighting was already impressive.
"Master, I can't offer you as much help as the two goddesses, but I can pray for my Lord's blessing upon you," Jeanne sincerely held Ryou's hands.
"Don't say such silly things. Your willingness to become my contracted Servant is the greatest help to me! Also, don't be so formal; just call me Ryou."
Ryou smiled slightly. Seeing that Jeanne still wanted to say something, he immediately put on a firm stance.
"This is an order from your Master!"
"I understand, Ryou." Jeanne smiled slightly, following his lead.
"That's more like it."
Watching Ryou and Jeanne's affectionate interaction, Ishtar immediately showed a gossip-loving expression. Meanwhile, Scathach's eyes grew even colder. As for Ais, she watched them with an indifferent expression throughout.
Whether it was the original Runes from Scathach, the goddess's blessing from Ishtar, or Jeanne's prayer, they all had an effect. The system's prompt was proof of that.
[ Due to the host receiving special bonuses, probabilities have changed. The new Noble Phantasm has a 50% chance of being an A+ rank and a 50% chance of being an EX rank. ]
It seemed that cheating wasn't impossible; it was just that the level of the luck potion was too low to be effective. Now that Ryou had done everything he could, all that was left was to make the final move!
He assumed the correct stance for drawing cards and then decisively clicked on the '5' option.
Without any flashy special effects, the system calmly announced:
[ The host has chosen the fifth reward option.
Noble Phantasm separation is in progress...
Noble Phantasm fusion is in progress... ]
The system, true to its reputation, made Ryou feel as if something was being drawn out of his body, though he couldn't pinpoint what it was. It didn't cause him any excruciating pain or soul-wrenching agony.
[ Noble Phantasm fusion successful. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the EX-rank Noble Phantasm 'Reversal War God'! ]
"Haha! I got it!"
Ryou suddenly burst into laughter, and in his excitement, he hugged and kissed each of the lucky stars on their cheeks.
The reactions of the Servants to his sudden actions varied.
Originally expressionless, Ais' eyes widened, her cheeks blushed, and her gaze grew unfocused.
"Eek! Ryou! Master! Please don't do that!"
Caught off guard by his sudden move, Jeanne, with a blushing face, stumbled backward in a fluster.
"Wow! Ahhh! You! Daring to desecrate this goddess! I'll tie you to an arrow and shoot you into the sun!!!"
Initially watching the show as an onlooker, Ishtar was now both embarrassed and angry, her eyes brimming with tears.
Swish!
"!"
Originally planning to pounce on Scathach, Ryou was forced to retreat by the menacing magical spear in her hand, obediently giving up.
After a series of chaotic commotions, a delighted Ryou immediately announced that he would be cooking dinner tonight.
The foodies instantly forgot the earlier "unpleasantness," and even Scathach, who wasn't particularly fond of food, showed a satisfied expression.
Chaldea's automatic cooking machine could mimic all sorts of cuisines, even preparing special dishes from some of the most remote regions. The number of dishes it could recreate far exceeded those known by the legendary wandering chef who had traveled through countless countries. The machine produced delicious food, but after eating it for a while, something always seemed missing. This was the soul of the dish, an essence that only a top-notch chef could bestow, something the cooking machine could never replicate.
No wonder some people predicted that no matter how advanced human technology would become, the profession of a chef would never be obsolete. No matter how tasty machine-made food is, it always lacks the spirit that human chefs infuse into their creations.
After the ladies left, Ryou finally had time to calmly inspect his first EX-rank Noble Phantasm. After reading its attributes, he had only one word in his mind: Strong!!!
EX-rank indeed lived up to its name, showcasing a fundamental difference from other ranks of Noble Phantasms!
This Noble Phantasm had three major states. The first was the permanent state. In this state, any damage received could be significantly converted into magical energy, which could be used to strengthen oneself.
Ryou drew a knife across his arm to test the enhancement effect. He was astonished to find that the effect was at least three times stronger than before!
Unfortunately, Ryou thought that if he chose to strengthen himself through such self-harm, he would undoubtedly awaken some strange attributes. For someone with a normal disposition, he respectfully declined this method.
Next was what Ryou called Gear Second, the stable activation state. In this state, as long as he survived an attack, he would recover a large amount of magical energy and vitality. The next identical attack would become ineffective and double back on his opponent. This state was equivalent to the effect of Spartacus' Warcry Overload. It's an absolute bug-level skill for long battles! The only thing that might counter this state would be someone like Gilgamesh with a barrage of Noble Phantasms.
Of course, according to the rules of the Typemoon, mysteries are nullified by greater mysteries. As long as something surpasses this Noble Phantasm's mystery level, it would render it ineffective. The problem is, this Noble Phantasm is already EX-rank, equivalent to a divine artifact or 5 Star Mystic Code. The only things that could surpass its mystery level would be those connected to the Root, such as the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception used by Void Shiki personally.
The Gear Second state is most countered by martial arts masters, like Scathach. Seeing the overpowered effect of this state, Ryou began to fantasize about pinning Scathach to the ground and "grinding" her, in every sense of the word. Scathach had once subtly hinted that if Ryou could defeat her, he could do as he pleased with her, as it would be his victory prize and honor. One must admit, Scathach's belief in the ironclad law of survival of the fittest was truly fantastic!
The Gear Second was not the strongest state. The strongest was the third gear, officially named the Berserk Revenge State. The effect of this state was undoubtedly a weapon for counter-kills! In this state, Ryou could not only recover injuries with several times the efficiency but also accumulate all damage received into a power called "Full-Counter," which could be unleashed in one go.
At first glance, it seemed like a version of Warcry Overload, but it was not. The Full-Counter was not a simple numerical addition but accumulated in a geometrically multiplying manner. The heavier the damage Ryou received, the more Full-Counter damage he accumulated, and the higher the damage multiplier when the Noble Phantasm was unleashed. It could be released as a wide-range light cannon or concentrated as a single-target enchanted attack. If the Full-Counter was concentrated into a single-target attack, the power of the Noble Phantasm could reach a hundredfold or even a thousandfold!!!
Truly living up to the name "Reversal War God"!