Those time travelers that year

"...Your idea is to perform human modification?" After looking at the person lying on the altar, Charles turned his head and asked with a slightly uncomfortable tone.

“That’s right!” Medea replied. “Or is it that you, Master, cannot accept this approach and still retain the thoughts of an ordinary person?”

"No, I'm just... not used to it..."

“Master, you have to get used to it whether you like it or not.” Medea said seriously, “You are no longer a mortal. The opportunities you have are even greater than those of the gods in the mythological era. If you really want to raise your kingdom high under the starry sky and reach the peak, then you must abandon those weak thoughts of the past.”

"The road to the gods is full of thorns and cliffs; a moment's carelessness can lead to certain death."

“Even Zeus rose to power by killing his own father. The twelve Olympian gods all ascended to their thrones by stepping over the corpses of the previous generation of gods,” Medea continued. “Compared to the gods in Norse mythology, the Olympian gods are absolutely selfish, because only in this way can they firmly grasp the power of the kingdom.”

"Although I don't have a good impression of those gods, I have to admit that the cold self-awareness of the Olympian gods is something you need to learn from, Master."

Staring intently at Medea as she spoke earnestly, Charles paused for a moment, then remained silent for quite some time.

“You’re right, Medea!” After a while, Charles sighed in response. “I need to get rid of some unnecessary things.” Covering his eyes with his hands, feeling the chaotic thoughts that had arisen in his mind because of Medea’s words, Charles felt that from this moment on, the original him was completely dead. What remained was only an absolutely self-centered monster wearing the shell of Charles. “Just like you said…”

"Congratulations on taking a step forward on your great path, my Master." Medea bowed slightly to Ciel.

"Now, can you tell me your plan, Medea?"

“Of course, Master, please follow me!” Medea smiled brightly and led Charles to the front of the altar.

On the altar, at this very moment, lies a young girl with her eyes closed, motionless, as if she were already dead.

"The magical knowledge I gained from those magicians killed by the Master, especially the body modification magic I obtained from that good-for-nothing who survived for hundreds of years..." Medea said, pointing to the girl lying on the altar. "I slightly organized and... modified this knowledge, and then re-edited a new magical modification."

"What is it?"

"To grant power and absolute loyalty to someone without talent." Looking at the girl lying on the altar, Medea continued, "That magician who manipulated the insects was foolish to think that he could prolong life in this way, so I removed most of the useless parts from the inscription magic. Especially those useless things that prolong life. Then, inspired by the magical artifact called Moon Spirit Fluid, I completed this modification ritual."

"Is the ritual just about pouring mercury into the body?" Charles asked, looking at the mercury-colored patterns covering the girl's exposed skin. "But does it make sense?"

"Rest assured, Master, this is absolutely worth every penny," Medea said. "And please, Master, use that power called the Abyss that appeared after the evil of this world was burned away by the primordial fire..."

"...giving this girl a new life!"

95. Please forgive the lack of updates.

The power of the Abyss was bestowed upon Ciel along with the Primordial Flame. The evil of this world was formed by the burning of the Primordial Flame as the foundation of the Realm of Power, and what appeared after the Primordial Flame burned away the evil of this world was this energy called the Abyss.

However, in the lore of Dark Souls, it was precisely this substance or power called the Abyss that ultimately dragged the entire world into destruction.

“What an ironic power!” Charles said, opening his right hand towards the girl lying on the altar. “But if it can be used by me, who cares about anything else?”

The twisted darkness seemed to come alive, surging out from the shadows in the room, churning like a moving mass of mud, and gradually spreading toward the person lying on the altar.

"How exactly should I do it?"

"Just channel your power, Master, into those mercury imprints!" Medea replied.

The power of the abyss extended, enveloping the person on the altar. Then, this mud-like substance seeped into the girl's body. Suddenly, the girl moved violently, screaming silently as she twisted and struggled in agony on the altar. But after a short while, she stopped moving and lay motionless on the altar again.

"Rise, little girl, come and pay your respects to your master!" Medea said to the girl. With Medea's words, the girl, who had seemed dead, slowly rose from the altar. She was a girl with some beauty, appearing to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, with brown hair. The small girl wore ordinary clothes, revealing her fair and alluring skin.

After standing up, the girl staggered a few steps, but quickly and steadily walked to Charles's side, then bowed her head and knelt down.

"Where is this girl from?" As if he had thought of something, Charles turned to Medea and asked.

“I’m just a maid working in this manor,” Medea replied. “If Master hadn’t used magic to brainwash the people in this manor early on, I wouldn’t have had the time to become a kidnapper… So, don’t worry! This won’t attract anyone’s attention, at least not yet.”

"So, after your modifications, this girl..."

"Please wait and see, Master." Medea nodded and said to the girl kneeling in front of Ciel, "Show your abilities to your master, girl."

“Yes, Lady Medea,” the girl replied in a lifeless voice. She then stood up, and Charles saw the silvery patterns on her body begin to glow faintly white. Next, many slippery, mercury-like liquids appeared on her body, enveloping her and flowing up her fair skin, coalescing into a suit of armor that covered her entire body.

This was a suit of armor that looked quite flimsy, and the girl appeared even more slender after putting it on. Although it was full armor, it didn't seem to offer much protection. However, it was worth mentioning that a semi-transparent veil floated behind the armor.

"This..." Seeing the very familiar outfit in front of him, Charles paused for a moment, then asked Medea, "What's going on?"

"Master's Reality Marble possesses two inherent energies. One is the flame called Primal Flame, which involves altering the state of the soul. The other, the power of the Abyss, can distort matter," Medea explained. "After understanding these two powers, I had an idea: to use them to create familiars with power surpassing that of the Dragon Fang Soldiers. And what you see before you now, Master, is the result of my efforts over the past few days. The power of the Primal Flame ensures that these modified beings are absolutely loyal to you, Master, while preserving their original selves. Moreover, even if their physical bodies perish in battle, only their souls return to your Reality Marble."

"And that power of the abyss directly grants these people, who were just ordinary people before, supernatural power." Medea's voice was filled with fervent emotion as she spoke. "This power, which can be said to be entirely derived from you, Master, can instantly transform an ordinary person who is powerless into someone equivalent to the fifth class in this world."

“If we simplify this ritual, Master, you only need to contribute some energy as a seed, and I can gradually build a new religion. And the god who grants them power is you, Master…”

This time, Charles was truly bewildered. According to Medea, this method was exactly like the followers of the gods in the world of Toril. Those bestowed through his hand were equivalent to chosen ones. Those simplified were equivalent to believers, whose souls would return to his inherent realm at some point. It was simply another way of saying that in the world of Toril, the souls of believers would go to the divine kingdom of the god they worshipped.

"...Medea, you mean, I am equivalent to her... " Charles pointed at the girl in front of him, "...her faith?"

“That’s right! Master, just as you thought.” Medea chuckled, her captivating face taking on a different, almost wicked beauty in the dim basement. “In just a little time, I can build a religion in this world that follows you. All you have to give is a little energy as a seed, and the faith that grows from these believers will completely replenish it. Master, you don’t need to worry about the influence of faith on you; both the power of the abyss and the primordial fire can help you solve these problems.”

"And when these believers die and return to your inherent barrier, it is equivalent to a manifestation of increased power, just like... reaping ripe fruit."

"Hoo, Medea, do you know what you're saying?" Charles took a deep breath and asked.

“Of course.” Medea nodded. “Through this method, Master, you will have enough power in a short time… For some reason, as your servant, I do not want you to make the same mistake as that cowardly waste Jason.” With that, Medea knelt down before Charles.

"If you are unwilling, I can do it for you..." Medea said. "Although I am currently only in spirit form and do not yet have a complete body, I can become a bound spirit by residing in the ley lines and create a kingdom for you in the main world while you travel to other worlds."

"Please give the order! Master, this family, and even the entire nation, will belong to you... In the future, in this world, you will replace the Lord proclaimed by the church and become the new faith..."

96. The Same Old Trick (Part 1)

"By the way, Medea, have you thought about giving the organization you're going to organize a name?" Looking at Medea, Charles said, "If not, how about calling it the Shadow Council?"

"Master?"

“Go for it! I don’t object!” Charles continued. “Whether you want to build an underground kingdom or create a brand new religion, I don’t object. Do your best to do what you believe is right! But my only requirement is that you cannot fail.”

"Yes, Your Majesty."

……

The Shadow Council, also known as the Shadow Council, is a secret organization in World of Warcraft, convened by Gul'dan, the first warlock. It was the source of a series of upheavals in Azeroth, as Gul'dan, with the help of the corrupted Guardians, opened the Dark Portal, igniting the Orcish Wars and setting the stage for the turmoil that would follow.

Now, seeing Medea's desire to form an organization completely subservient to her, Sharl immediately thought of this. Similarly, the Shadow Council, another secret organization, was formed by members seeking power. Initially, they were merely tools of Gul'dan, but after his death, the organization underwent a transformation. Its members spanned various races across Azeroth, and in the 7.0 era, they finally came out into the open to fight the Burning Legion's invasion. However, it remains to be seen how many of them genuinely wanted to save the world. Perhaps, more than resisting the demonic invasion, the warlocks were more interested in using the disaster to enhance their own power.

Now, Sharl intends to call the organization Medea wants to form the Shadow Council, in order to prove that he is still a sorcerer who seeks power.

'Although I don't have any of the three legendary artifacts right now, I'll take it slow. I'll get the bread, and I'll get the artifacts too.' As he walked out of the basement of the manor towards his room, Xia Er thought to himself. 'Besides, there are so many other worlds. I can just go to another world and steal artifacts, right? Like the Doom Blade, the Cursed Armor, and the Ghost King's Cloak from the Heroes of Might and Magic series… The former can indiscriminately unleash forbidden spells; if it clashed with the Frost Sword, it would become a planet-destroying bomb. The latter is an area-of-effect buff, and with the Ghost King's Cloak, I can summon an army of undead to sweep through at any time—that's even more outrageous than the Scourge's massive army.'

"Besides, you don't necessarily have to go to these high-risk worlds to find artifacts. While the Book of the Dead and the Book of the Sun in the mythology might clash with Egyptian gods, they are relatively easy artifacts to obtain."

"At worst, I'll just go and die in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, stealing the Aether and the Tesseract—the Infinity Stones. I refuse to believe Thanos can chase me out of the Marvel multiverse."

While recalling those story worlds with divine artifacts in his mind, Ciel walked back to his room. Inside, the sunlight, blocked by the drawn curtains, couldn't illuminate the dimness. Ciel entered and casually sat down on a chair in the room.

The next world they were heading to seemed truly dangerous to Ciel. This wasn't Skyrim or Type-Moon. In the former, as long as they didn't interfere with the Dragonborn's destiny, they wouldn't attract the attention of those scheming Daedric Lords; in the latter, as long as they didn't recklessly attempt to destroy the world, no guardians would come to clear the way.

"The next world is the real challenge!" Charles said helplessly. "I hope it doesn't really follow the game's storyline! Otherwise, I'll be in real trouble."

——————————Divider Line——————————

“Deacon Galgwin.” On the way out, Father Brown asked Iris, who had been silent ever since leaving the Gretel family manor, “What exactly happened in that accident? Why haven’t you told me what happened there until now?”

"..." Elise was silent for a moment, then responded to Father Brown's question with a hint of helplessness, "It's not that I don't want to talk about it, Father. In fact, even I don't know where to begin."

“Miss Iris, did that heretic named Charles offend you…” asked the young knight named Zavisha, who was standing next to Father Brown, anxiously.

“Shut up, Zavisha!” Father Brown suddenly reprimanded Zavisha. “You have no right to speak.”

"But are we just going to let that heretic go unpunished?" the young knight continued, unwilling to give up.

“No buts!” Father Brown glared at Zavisha. “That guy named Charles…” He took a deep breath, suppressing the slight fear that had just surfaced in his mind as he recalled those dark golden eyes. “…He’s an absolute monster.”

Hearing Father Brown's words, Iris looked at him with slight surprise.

“Don’t be surprised, Deacon Galgwen… Although you are young, you have already surpassed me as a user of a holy artifact. But I am still a fourth-order wielder, and I have been on the battlefield to fight heretics. This old dog still has some skills.” Father Brown closed his eyes, made the sign of the cross with his hands in front of his chest, and then continued. “When I was as young as you, I was a veteran who survived the Thousand-Year Holy War, the war that wiped out the last vampire elder and caused the Holy Church to lose seven or eight tenths of its strength.”

"That brat named Charles today gave me the feeling that he was no less powerful than the last vampire elder. That monster was a being that completely surpassed the fifth tier, and today I have seen another monster of that level... even more powerful."

“…Charles Gretel is indeed more than just a fifth-class individual.” After a moment of silence, Iris spoke up. “All my previous assessments of him were wrong. I will report the details to my superiors.”

"He's just a heretic!" the young knight said through gritted teeth. "Do you think the Holy Temple is afraid of him? As long as I use the holy artifact, I..." As he spoke, the young knight gripped the knight's sword that was still sheathed.

“Even with the holy artifact, you wouldn’t be a match for that monster!” Father Brown said. “The main force that surrounded and killed that vampire elder during that thousand-year holy war consisted of five knights wielding holy artifacts. Three of them died in battle, and the remaining two were seriously injured. They both died two years later due to relapses of their injuries. Not to mention the other personnel who accompanied them in battle. Let me tell you, they were basically all dead. I only managed to escape by being seriously injured and lying unconscious in a pile of corpses.”

"If that brat named Charles is truly a monster beyond the fifth rank, do you really think you, a mere third-rank bastard wielding a sacred artifact, can provoke others?"

The young knight named Zavisa blushed, but facing Father Brown's gaze, he opened his mouth but said nothing, and lowered his head unwillingly.

"Hmph!" Father Brown snorted coldly, and then continued to exchange information with Iris about Charles.

But none of them saw the jealousy and resentment in Zavisha's eyes as he lowered his head. Especially when he thought of Sharl, who had humiliated him (in his own opinion), the young knight's face twisted in anger.

97. The Same Old Trick (Part 2)

"Damn it, damn it... damn Gargwin..." Zavisa frantically grabbed at the decorative items in the room and smashed them out. Spices from the New World, ceramics from the East, precious paintings... these valuable items were carelessly smashed to pieces by Zavisa. "...And that bastard Brown, that old jerk, serves you right for being a priest your whole life, not even a bishop, you bastard!" Angry filled his head, and in a fit of rage, Zavisa slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a dent with a loud thud.

“Damn it! They’re all a bunch of damned bastards… I am, I am the next Duke of Arliut, and you’re all lowly commoners.” Zavisha’s face was contorted with resentment and anger.

Zavisha Arliut, the eldest son of Duke Arliut, one of the two great dukes of the Ruman Empire, can also be said to be the heir to the next dukedom.

At the age of 13, due to a power struggle, Duke Arlius sought the support of the Church and thus sent him to become a clergyman. Logically, becoming a member of the Church meant Zavisa would lose his right to inherit the title. However, through an unexpected turn of events, Zavisa gained the recognition of the sacred artifacts and entered the sanctuary, thus entering the underworld.

Upon learning of this situation, the current Duke of Arliut immediately designated Zavisa as his successor. More than gaining the Church's prestigious support, this ride on the coattails of the underworld pleased the conservative duke immensely. It's worth noting that while noble children who enter the Church essentially relinquish their right to inherit titles, this rule doesn't apply to the Holy See.

Nobles are generally shrewd people, and Duke Arlius is no exception.

It's easy to imagine the environment in which Zavisa Yarliut, who could easily be considered a prodigy, grew up. Therefore, Zavisa, who always considered himself superior, naturally couldn't tolerate being looked down upon. But unfortunately, the world is vast…

Iris Galgwin's background was in no way inferior to his, and in terms of strength and status within the Sanctuary, she far surpassed Zavisa Arliuth. Moreover, as a deacon of the Sanctuary, Iris had already gained practical combat experience at a young age, while Zavisa had almost zero combat experience, and his few battles were won by overwhelming the enemy with the power of holy artifacts.

Zavisa also attempted to woo Iris, but unfortunately, he failed miserably. Although this nobleman tried to demonstrate his so-called masculinity, he was completely outmatched and beaten in a sword fight against Iris, who was stronger than him and could cut bullets with her sword.

In any situation, this guy would only be a villain to highlight the protagonist. However, Zavisa, as the buffoon, didn't see it that way. He still believed himself to be a chosen one, that others should defer to him, that everything should go smoothly for him, and that no one should oppose his opinions. Unfortunately, neither Elise, whose status, position, and strength far surpassed his, nor Father Brown, the senior consul stationed in the capital of the Ruman Empire and a veteran member of the Holy Church, were people he could boss around. On the contrary, they were the ones who could boss him around.

And now, another person has shattered his pride with disdain.

"Charles Gretch, damn it, you lowly wretch who was kicked out of the aristocracy, how dare you embarrass me, damn it, damn it, damn it!!!" Zavisha recalled the person who had mocked him so rudely and ignored him, and his anger intensified.

After venting his frustrations, Zavisa calmed down somewhat. As the next duke, he wasn't a truly brainless wastrel. Moreover, having witnessed and entered the Underworld, he understood that noble status was utterly insignificant to those who possessed extraordinary powers. If it weren't for the current booming development of technology, coupled with the decline of the Underworld and the Holy Temple's continued dominance over it, those who possessed extraordinary powers would have already started causing a ruckus.

"Hmph!" As if he had thought of something, Zavisha snorted coldly and left his room.

As Duke Arliut's residence in the capital, it occupied a vast area, and its interior furnishings were in no way inferior to the imperial palace. However, Zavisa didn't care about any of that; instead, he walked straight to his father's study in the residence. Then, he went to a bookcase and pulled out the sixth book from the left, from the fourth shelf from the top.

He sat down in the chair and opened the book to the middle page.

On the very middle page of the book, there was a red six-pointed star. Then, Zavisha reached out and poured a bottle of red ink from the table onto the six-pointed star.