Simultaneous Transmigration: We Share a Role-Playing System

Chapter 105 The Emperor Completes His First Baptism in Weiyuanchuan

Just after Shirou Emiya, Rin Tohsaka, and the others were ambushed by an unknown person with terrible luck, through a series of coincidences, Shirou Emiya successfully summoned his Servant.

With both parties showing mutual affection, the two successfully formed an alliance and began a battle of wits against thin air.

Meanwhile, the afternoon sun was already setting in the west.

The enormous shadow of the Fuyuki Bridge stretched long across the surface of the Miwon River, while the orange-red rays of the setting sun pierced through the bridge arches, casting a warm glow on the quiet riverbank.

The wind, carrying the dampness of the river and the lingering warmth of the day, swept across the shallows. Locke stood by the water, his fingertips slowly unbuttoning his clothes, removing all his garments, and stepping naked into the river, which was dyed golden-red by the setting sun.

On his right leg, a grotesque burn scar that stretched from his thigh to his ankle loomed menacingly, its red glow glaring in the setting sun.

The Holy Grail fire that burned half of Fuyuki ten years ago not only left an eternal mark on his skin, but also allowed the black mud of "all the evil in this world" to seep into his flesh and bone marrow through the scalded wounds.

Even after ten years, the black mud carrying destruction and curses still lurks deep in his right leg, never dissipating.

Gilgamesh stood on a high point on the riverbank, his fingertips twirling a golden gem, his wine-red eyes following the figure who was walking with a limp towards the center of the river.

The boy's back was tall and solitary, the warm red river water gradually submerged his waist and chest, until only half of his shoulder was exposed, making him look like a silent sculpture in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Looking at this scene, memories from thousands of years ago suddenly surged up—the flowing waters of the Jordan River, the holy light filling the sky, the image of the Holy Son bearing the sins of all mankind being baptized in the river, all perfectly overlapped with the figure before me.

At this moment, just as at that moment.

"Aren't you worried about something going wrong?! What if I change my mind halfway through?"

Gilgamesh's shout broke the afternoon silence on the river. The wind swept across the water, carrying the orange-red sunlight across the surface and his voice to the figure that was gradually disappearing into the golden-red river.

The Miwon River, the mother river that runs through Fuyuki, has never been just an ordinary river.

It is the core hub of the Fuyu Dragon Vein, with its underground river channels completely connected to the hollow waters where the Greater Grail is located. It is one of the few passages in the entire city that can directly lead to the source of the Grail, which has been contaminated by "all the evils of this world".

In order to reverse the Holy Grail War that was destined to lead to destruction, and to fulfill his vow to all mankind, Locke ultimately chose the most isolated path: to offer himself as a sacrifice, using his own flesh and soul as a tribute to replace the servants who should have been devoured by the Holy Grail, and to actively walk into the abyss of black mud lurking deep in the riverbed, carrying endless malice.

The icy river water had already reached his chest, and with each step forward, he drew closer to the source of the curse. He slowly turned his head, the afterglow of the setting sun falling on his profile, as if gilding him with a sacred halo.

He gazed at Gilgamesh, who stood on the shore, his wine-red eyes swirling with complex emotions. His voice was calm yet carried immense weight, clearly reaching Gilgamesh's ears along with the murmuring water: "I believe in you, just as you have chosen to trust me. If I am destined to become an emperor, then I firmly believe that my path to kingship was learned from you."

In that case, I won't let you down, and you certainly won't let me down either.

Those words, revealing his true feelings, flowed down into Gilgamesh's ears along with the murmuring water. Gilgamesh felt extremely pleased, and a strange emotion stirred within him.

Besides Enkidu, Locke was the second person to give him this feeling.

He instinctively turned his face away, then quickly masked his embarrassment with a loud, cold snort. In the most arrogant tone, he uttered the most solemn promise: "Hmph! Let me make this clear: if you fail to crawl out of this filth, I will personally wipe out those eyesores of misfits and then drag you out of this black mud! Don't come crying and blaming me for meddling then!"

The crimson glow of the setting sun bathed the river's surface, the icy water already washing over Locke's lips. Yet he still held his head high, his gaze fixed on Gilgamesh on the bank, his eyes burning with a certainty more intense than the sunset itself. His voice was soft, yet it pierced through the water and the wind, each word landing firmly in the other's heart: "That future will not happen. If I cannot even bear the weight of all the evil in this world, then I have no right to speak of bearing the future of all humanity."

So—just trust me.

As he finished speaking, he closed his eyes and sank completely into the surging river.

Once fully inside the riverbed, the hideous burn scar on Locke's right leg instantly glowed with a dark light. The black mud remnants that had been dormant for ten years began to stir wildly, like a signal tower, frantically summoning the endless cursed black mud deep within the riverbed, connected to the origin of the Greater Grail.

In the murky undercurrent, Locke stumbled for a moment, but still walked silently step by step into the darkest depths of the river.

The surging black mud, like a mad shark that has smelled blood, frantically gathered towards him, transforming into countless tough, pitch-black chains that tightly bound and entangled his limbs and torso, dragging him little by little toward the abyss.

For "all the evil of this world," which embodies all of humanity's malice, his soul was never absolutely pure and untainted. Yet, within this body, entwined in layers of black mud, beats a unique soul essence from a higher dimension.

Furthermore, under the influence of the power to distort reality, another version of him had already ascended to become a being seated on the Throne of Heroes. His dual soul qualities made him a perfect fit for the Throne of Heroes's recycling rules, like bait thrown into the deep sea, precisely captured by the endless black mud overflowing from the Greater Grail.

And this, from beginning to end, was all part of Locke's scheme.

As an arcane pioneer, he must first dismantle and thoroughly understand the magical foundations of this world, and then recast them so that they can be seamlessly integrated with the future Hextech Core and Mutant Wild Runes.

Even though the Holy Grail has long been corrupted by human malice and become a vessel for breeding curses, it is still the closest door to the "Root" for Locke.

As long as he can push open that door and reach the origin of the world, he can find a way to keep this stage play that spans galaxies and time going.

For an entire afternoon, he and his spirit-like self made countless attempts in the depths of his consciousness. Finally, he steadily handed over the complete character card to the other party, while simultaneously loading another character card onto his own soul.

The viscous black mud, like countless venomous snakes, coiled tightly around his body, dragging him completely into the underground cavity beneath the Weiyuan Riverbed, where the Greater Grail resided. All around was boundless darkness, so silent that the viscous sound of the flowing mud could be heard, and even time seemed to stand still.

Just then, in the shadows at Locke's feet, a wheel-shaped magic circle, resembling a ship's rudder, slowly began to glow with a cold light, gradually emerging from the darkness.

"Start getting used to all of this, Demon Lord."

Locke's voice rang out from the sticky black mud, still clear and resolute.

As if responding to the host's will, the roulette array suddenly broke free from the shadow's restraints and floated above Locke's head with a low hum.

Thick, black mud surged and covered his entire body. In this silent void where even light could not penetrate, a crisp sound, like a wheel locking itself after turning, suddenly exploded.

"Click~"