25Marlou's Dream
I groaned as I cracked open my eyes to find myself staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling, yeah… an unfamiliar ceiling. It is unfamiliar because it looks like it is not a ceiling, you can't see the end of the ceiling as it looks like a void of nothingness and it's only color is grey
Huh? Where am I?
As I said those words in my mind, I can see someone walking towards me. The person is a girl
"Ne… you liked books, don't you?" spoke the girl "I also like them, you know?"
"Huh?"
"Uh… didn't you hear me? I asked if you liked books like me… I loved them!" exclaimed the girl
Okay… let's calm down… Let's ask the first thing
"You are…?"
"N… me? I'm a book that loved books!"
Huh? A book? But she's a little girl, right?
"Let me complete my sentence, would ya?" said the girl
Huh? She can read my mind?
"Well duh! I'm connected to you, you know?"
I see... WAIT! WHAT?!
"Connected to you? How? When?"
"Didn't I tell you?" said the girl with a hint of, disappointment? "I'm a book that loved books, meaning, I absorb books in order to know the contents of it!" her enthusiastic persona kicks in again
"Absorb books…"
Eh?
"You're the 「Book of all Creations」!?"
"Took you long enough…" the little girl sighed "So, do you like books too?"
Now that I saw the girl more clearly, I also saw her appearance. Her height was about 160cm, black hair and her eyes are rainbow colored
"How?" I asked. How did a person turned into a book or perhaps it is some curse? Or she reincarnated and became a book? Argh! Too many options
"Hmm…" the book made a thinking pose and then bowed "I'm sorry, since I had gone asleep for too many years… I forgot everything. The thing I only remembered is that I loved books and developed the skill to absorb them and materialize the words, well, since we are connected you can also use these skills except the book absorbing"
I see…
"Here" said the pseudo-book, giving me a piece of paper. I took the paper and looked at it
Name: Marlou
Real Name: Marlou Santiago
Title: Orphan
Age: 15
Race: Human
Skills
Passive Skills:
Plot Armor
Active Skills:
Word Incarnate
What's this!? It looks like a status for a game character, but it has my name and oh! My name from Earth is also included…
"So… what's this?" I asked the girl
"Hmm… since you snapped before inside the tower, your anger released all restraints and all the thing that hinders you to use the full power of mine" spoke the「Book of all Creations」, making a thinking pose "And this status sheet appeared behind the book, well it gives info about the things you need to know about your skills, though, it does not have any level ups and other attributes like Strength, Agility, Intelligence and other stats that boosts your magical and physical powers. But it only shows the skills you can unlock"
I can unlock Skills?
"N… yeah. But there is a requirement and in your case, bullshit skills will come your way" explained the book
Bullshit skills… What do you mean?
"For example… Berserker, a skill that kills your brain for physical boost. Time Leap, ability to leap through time"
Oy… I remember those skills…
"Yeah… just like those you got from the lottery but a little broken"
How broken?
"Like if it is a broken skill and you unlocked a Berserker, you will forever lose your sanity and will go on a rampage, killing things that is in your way"
Okay that's scary… so the solution is we just have to not do anything and it will end nice, right?
"Hmm… you can't do that at all!" the person in front of me said "Since you had Plot Armor as a skill, it means that you had a role in this world and you can't live peacefully if you don't unlock skills"
Then I can unlock a skill that is not broken?
"No" is her short answer
I sighed, losing hope that one day I will lose my sanity
"Aw… Don't worry, the book will update and inform you if a skill is unlocked"
"Wait" I said. There is something I want to know "What's your name?"
"Hmm… I don't remember my name so… name me!" said the book
I'll name you? Okay… then how about, May?
"May? As in the fifth month 'May'? Well, it is acceptable, though. Sure… call me May"
Okay then, May. Are you conscious when I'm awake?
"Well, yeah… sometimes" answered May "Oops… time to wake up now, see you later"
After that, I was enveloped by darkness
…
I groaned as I cracked open an eye to find myself staring up at a familiar ceiling, a too familiar ceiling. I became aware that I was inside the church and get up from my sleeping position
I stood up and before I left the room, I fixed the mat where I slept off, becoming responsible of my responsibilities. I opened the door, leading to the kitchen
I saw no one at the kitchen and move forward, walking towards the sanctuary. I also saw no one. The heck!? Where on earth did they go? I left the sanctuary and went outside
"Good Morning, Marlou" greeted Sister Lily, hanging the clothes
"Good Morning, Sister" I greeted back
"Really, you should have held back a week ago, you almost killed the noble" Sister Lily sighed
What? A week?
"Um… How long was I out?"
"A week" answered Sister Lily "By the way, you said that you had no magic but care to explain how did all of the grimoires to fly above you?"
Oops… I didn't notice those because my mind is being clouded before "Ah… I'm sorry but, really I'm magicless, I don't know what happened before to cause those grimoires to float around me"
"Well, they returned to their shelves after I knocked you out" stated Sister Lily
What!? She knocked me out?! Is she that crazy strong!?
"Asta became down since you made all the grimoires float and all of the people inside became terrified when they looked at you" said Sister Lily "Well, Asta, though, received his Grimoire accidentally when he went in front of the tower"
"So he got a grimoire, huh?" I sighed. I thought he is magicless but there must be a requirement for every grimoires to choose its own owner
"They also began their training to go to the ranks of the Magical Knights and become the Sorcery King" said Sister Lily
"I see…" so they are both going to become the Sorcery King if so… then as a childhood friend of them, I will become the strongest Magic Knight in this world and serve them, I think or do something more "Okay! I will go on a journey!"
"What?!" Sister's eyes widened "What do you mean; you're going on a journey?"
"I will go on a journey in order to meet new people, meet new places, train my skills, learn many things and use all of the things I learned in becoming the strongest Knight in the whole world" I said, shrugging. Going on a Journey like an Epic protagonist and maybe meet some rivals and might also meet girls that can become an option, but I think it will go wrong because of my luck?
"I will prepare now and go right away. The Magic Knights' exam is in six months, right? I will meet Yuno and Asta in the capital in six months, don't worry about me!" I dashed towards the church and packed up all of my things in a materialized military backpack, I ran towards outside when someone pulled at my collar
"Where are you going, creep?!" yelled the old priest "And what's with that huge sack?!"
"I'm going on a journey in becoming the strongest Magic Knight, so would you please release me from your holy grasp" I asked, gently
"And how long is this journey that you're talking about?"
"Well, after six months, I will meet up with Yuno and Asta and will send my letters to you after that, and if I failed, I might go home" I explained, pulling my collar of the hands of the old priest
"Hmm… if you insist, I will not stop you but you have to take care of your body, okay?" said the priest, I nodded "You can come back, okay? This church is your home"
As he released me from his hands, I dashed forward, to my own doom-esque, journey
…
Two days had passed as I started on my journey, the sound of the motorcycle that I was riding is the only sound that can be heard on the road. Yesterday, as I walked towards the road that leads to the church, I became so exhausted so easily so why not materialize a vehicle? And then I materialized a Yamaha XS1100 and there, problem solved!
Are you there? May?
"Yes! Yes! May is present!" May telepathically exclaimed in my mind
Do you know what place does this road take us?
"Um… I think we're going in the Forest of Illusions" May stated
Forest of Illusions, huh… is there some useful info that you can input?
"Well, since I absorb many books in the village when we're there, I just learned that that forest is a forest full of illusions. Animals nor Humans enter that forest, if a human went there, they will be forever trapped in that forest, lost"
Okay… thanks of the info
…
Several hours pasts and I can see a huge forest not a mile away from where I'm driving. The forest is thick that I can see kilometers of it wide. I know now why people and animals get lost there, due to its size, it looks like it is a territory of a particular person and as people wanders on his territory, he eliminates them
I don't want to go there and lost but I have a weapon that can save, though
As I reach the forest, I saw that the trees are so thick and it can cover the whole forest, not letting a light shines through
Okay, here goes nothing…
I dematerialized the motorcycle and entered the forest, I tap at the word 'Uzi' and put the holster of the smg gun in my belt. I also tapped at the word 7CR13, materializing the survival knife. Using the knife to cut the tall grasses and weeds, I walked safely towards forward
As I walked forward, I noticed that the trees got creepier, the land's soil became droughty and the cold atmosphere made me shiver. I looked up above and saw that it is already night
"So this is the Forest of Illusions, huh…"
Owl hoos in the forest and other trees muffled but there are no winds. Wait, I thought animals get lost in this forest? Maybe that Owl just got lost a while ago
Suddenly, I heard crows caw in the forest but I saw no crows… Now, this forest is scaring me
Not far away from me, I can hear horse's stomps and neighs. The stomps are getting louder, meaning, the horse is near
As I turn around, I saw the horse, a black horse that has its eyes burning with purple flames, gone its body but the ribcage can be seen. When I look at its rider, OMG! A skeleton, wearing a chainmail at its body, a longsword at its right hand and a round shield at its left, it also has a helmet that resembles a crusader's helmet
May! Wake up! I need assistance!
"Huh? What now?"
A skeleton wearing armors is going to attack me, I think?
"WHAT!?"
Hush! Too loud! I said, a skeleton is in front of me and maybe going to attack me if I move suspicious
"Hmm… let's see. Ah! That's a Spectre King, a king that has been slain by his mortal enemy and due to his hatred for that person he became a vengeance spirit and only wants to kill people and maybe took this forest as its territory that's why this became the Forest of Illusions"
Nah, this forest is really a Forest of Illusions; the time I got here is midday, and now its evening; it's an illusion
"Ah… Ok. The special thing about that monster is that you can't kill it directly, you must kill it indirectly and it will die. That's the only info I got from it though"
Okay, but thanks, though. A monster that cannot be killed directly… WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?
…
Hage Village
In the kitchen, inside the church, a series of potato-related dishes can be seen on the long table. There are also 8 occupants, sitting at the table
"By the way, old man, I haven't seen Marlou since two days ago" spoke Asta "Did you know where he is?"
"Uh…" the priest sighed "That brat went on a journey and will enter the exam for Magic Knights, he also told me that he'll be the strongest Knight in the world…"
"EH! A JOURNEY?!" shouted Asta, eyes widening "BUT WHY?!"
"Shush! Too Loud! Haven't I told you already? He went so that he will become the strongest knight in the world, though, I don't know where he went…"
Asta sat down at his chair, started munching on his food, very fast
'If Marlou's going to train somewhere else, and with that performance he just shown, he might become the strongest knight… but, I'm going to become the Sorcery King!' exclaimed Asta in his mind
"I have a question to ask you Father, can I?" asked Sister Lily. The priest only nodded "Where did Marlou got his hands on that magical book?"
"Where did he got that book, huh…" he made a thinking pose "Well…"
…
Flashback
"Huh? What's this?" asked the priest in his younger self, staring at book that he got from the basket of the baby Marlou "Well, since a pendant is left to Yuno, maybe Marlou's parents gave this to him as a remembrance or something like that"
He put the book in a stool, leaving the book as it is. He went to the baby Marlou
"Maybe I can give it to him when he is five or when he knows how to read…"
Time Skip – 5 years
Five years past and the priest is observing Marlou, he noticed that the boy is looking for something. After several minutes, the boy went to him
"Oy old man, did you saw my book?" asked a five year old Marlou, staring at the priest
The priest raised his eyes "What book?"
"Umm… the you know, my book, the one that you took away from my basket?"
What!? He remembered that I'm the one who took away his book when he is a baby! He is still a baby, before!
"Well I know where it is, what are you going to do with it?" asked the priest
"It is important to me, you know? It is the only memento I've got from my family, you know?"
The priest sighed "Okay… it is above the wardrobe. Be careful on taking it down…"
"Yes!" exclaimed Marlou, rushing towards the wardrobe
Flashback End
…
"…and there! The book got bounded to him, he didn't leave the book nor forget it anywhere, he put it in his small bag and carried it with him. Though, I don't know why it feels like it is a magic item and there, in the grimoire tower, it floated and then all of the other grimoires started to float above him! Even the old wizard there is also shocked at what he had saw, saying that it is the first time he saw something as amazing as that"
"I see… so the memento that his parents left him is a magic item, but he said that he had no magic" stated the nun
"There might be a trigger in the magic item and maybe it has a requirement or the brat is just lying to us that he can't cast magic. I saw him summoned a spear out of thin air" explained the priest
"SO HE CAN USE MAGIC!?" asked/yelled Asta
"Shut up, will ya? You're killing my poor eardrums!" shouted the old priest, covering his ears "I don't know if he can use magic but I know that the book he had can use magic, that's all!"
"I see… so he can't use magic but his book can… It looks like me and my grimoire!"
"Shut up already!" swift as the wind, the priest put many food in Asta's mouth, making the teenager to choke as he continued to speak with vigor
…
Forest of Illusions
I was running away, away from the Spectre King. The Ghost's horse neighed and charge towards me, well for me, I was recklessly throwing random grenades, be it smoke grenade, frag grenade, flashbang etc… But the grenades had no effect to the Spectre-fucking King
The trees are burning, making a forest fire, but the fire is slow to spread. I hope my traps will not get broken
"Okay Motherfucker, let's kill you with a RPG"
I tapped at the word 'Rocket Propelled Grenade and the huge gun appeared at my hands and the grenade is already putted to its place
I rested the rpg to my right shoulder and aim at the skeleton, 100 apart. I pulled the trigger and the grenade was launched towards the Spectre King
*Whooosh…*
*Dang!*
I rolled backwards because of the recoil the rifle made until I was stopped by a tree. I took my Binoculars and zoom in towards the way where I launched my rpg. As the smoke dissipate, I saw a horse standing and the Spectre King is also intact, damn…
I run again
The Spectre King seemed to noticed me running, so he kicked the horse and the horse started to charged towards me again
Okay… it's time to execute my traps, thankfully, my older brother, from my former world, is a soldier, thus possessing a book for survival in the wilds. Three days passed since I went in this forest, thankfully, I can pull food from my book
The Spectre king's horse neighed as it galloped in the forest, the dark atmosphere in the forest making it sound scary. Gosh, the night in this forest sure is long…
I observed the place where I placed my first trap, a swinging log. I also tied the vine near me so I can cut it easily; thankfully, the fire didn't reached here yet so the trap is not touched. I saw the Undead pulled the reigns of the horse and stopped
It seemed he noticed that I was missing. The horse started to walk slowly, wary of the danger when careless
"So that ghost retained its intellect or is it muscle memory?"
I observed them behind a tree, where I tied the vines that hold the log, it turned my way. Shit! He noticed but it's good…
The horse started to walk towards my way, the place where I put the swinging log.
I materialized a flashbang and threw it towards the Spectre King. I took a quick peek to where I threw the flashbang and saw the Spectre King stopped at his tracks
I quickly cut the vine that held the swinging log from swinging and the swinging log swung towards the Spectre king, the log hit the body of the monster and the Spectre King got thrown away, falling perfectly onto a hole that I made
"Here comes the…"
*BOOM*
The hole I made had many traps and explosive weapons but I don't know if that will change my chance of victory, though, but, meh, I've done it already so I had no regrets about that. The skeleton horse sat down near the hole and waited for the smoke to dissipate.
Materializing a shotgun, I went to the hole near the horse. The horse, though, didn't care if I'm getting nearer
The smoke cleared, and then I heard a rustling of armor. I feel myself shaking but restraint it. I turned to the hole where I placed my traps and heard the sound. I noticed a black blur jumped off the hole and landed on the same ground where I'm standing. I turned around as I noticed the black blur act again, charging towards me with inhumane speed, cutting off my left arm
"Huh…?" I turned to my left arm, not seeing what happened. As I saw my left arm cut off, I screamed in agony as the pain registered to my body
"Th-the He-hell?!" I dropped my gun as I clutched my left arm, blood dropping from it "H-how? I t-thought I ha-have a s-skill that can even de-defy fa-fate?"
I looked in front of me, the Spectre King, now donned in a different armor. The armor is became pitch black that it cannot be recognized if it is still a chainmail like the Spectre King wore, a rustic helmet with thinly carved slit displaying the ghastly glow of its eyes… Oh no! I knew that appearance! I knew who that is!
"You killed the Spectre King, right?" asked May, now waking up
'Hn…' I nodded 'But why does 'that' appear?'
"That? Hm… I think I gave you wrong information on how to take down the Spectre King…"
…
'WHAT!?'
"Well… I lied about the Spectre King being unbeatable to direct hits. You can kill it but there's a circumstances that will follow"
'What do you mean 'you lied that the Spectre King is unbeatable to direct hits'? Then explain as to why I cannot beat it?'
"Well, that is, I don't know"
…
"What can you say? I don't have enough information about that apparition"
A heavy sighed was released from my lips 'I guess we have to run'
…
Marlou was hiding, hiding from the mad knight. He knew that he doesn't have any chance in winning against that creature; A heroic Spirit
"Heroic Spirits are beings of higher existence, becoming categorically closer to Elementals than Wraiths. Differing from how Elementals are power granted form using the human imagination as a medium; they are entirely woven from the expectation of people all throughout. They are released from the constraint of time itself and removed from the cycle of reincarnation, moved to the Throne of Heroes, a place existing outside of both world and the time axis." May said, obtaining knowledge from one of Marlou's Fate books "Though, there are also cases that Heroic Spirits are summoned as Servants, whereas they fight on a war for a grail. As a Servant, the heroic spirit doesn't have its full power compared to his legend. So, like it was nerfed down to half a level"
Marlou sighed, hearing the information he don't know if he can stand against even if it's a Heroic spirit or a Servant with a low rank stats
"Say May…" Marlou started "Do I have something like a Noble Phantasm on my arsenal?"
"Well… you have Gungnir, Mjolnir, Ascalon, Caladbolg, Clarent, Caliburn, Arondight, Excalibur, Ea-"
"WAIT! Are you about to say Ea?!" shouted Marlou, disbelieving what he had heard
"Hm… yeah"
"Then give it to me! Ea, give me Ea!" He was too excited that he doesn't realized that the mad opponent he had noticed him
"Sorry, dude. But… you can't use it…"
"HUH!? WHY?!" He clutched his left arm as the wound started to open again
A loud growl can be heard from a distance and Marlou paled. He can hear the bushes rustling; the wind also gave off a cold breeze, making him shiver in fear. He quickly materialized a camouflaged suit and crouched down near a grassy field. He waited until he saw the black figure, giving off a malicious aura, its glowing red eyes behind the visor give him chills. He looked to the black knight's right hand, noticing a dark purple sword, oozing out a presence that suffocate him
'Okay… that sword is literally Arondight… fuck. If he had that noble phantasm, then I'm done'
"Um… Marlou, I think I have a counter measure for that person…"
"Oh? And what's that?"
"Sh… don't talk, he might hear us. Let's talk mentally"
'Okay… so what is it?'
"You can use Enkidu to restraint his movements and do whatever you want"
'Is Enkidu also listed on the books I have?'
"Well, it was mentioned and it also has an explanation about its purpose so… yes"
'Okay then… Enkidu it is'
May floated in front of him, flipping pages on its own, stopping on a certain area. Marlou noticed that the word Enkidu is highlighted but he just shrugged his shoulders and tap on the word. The chains that bind the bull of heaven appeared on his hands. A golden light then coated the chain as Marlou gripped it, the golden light glowed through the dark and the mad knight noticed him. Marlou stood up, chains in hands, he looked at the 'Ideal Knight' with a calm face but deep inside he was so nervous he might die. The mad knight dashed towards him, Arondight, glowing a dark purple hue. Marlou threw Enkidu towards the knight, the chains doing its job as it went Lancelot and stabbed in the ground, the berserker threw Arondight at him but he covered his head and crouched down, he heard an explosion behind him. Turning around, he saw the result of the knight's strength.
'Wow… I did it huh…'
"Beware, Marlou. Even if the chains can hold him, we don't know if the knight will break out of its misery or not"
'Yes, master' Marlou thought 'By the way, can I use Caliburn?'
"Well, I think I can adjust the weapon to suit your capability"
'You can adjust the weapons when it's going to be materialized?'
"Yes, that's why I said before that you can't use Ea" May paused "yet"
"Then I can use it?"
"Quit asking common sense, you're starting to irritate me"
Marlou sweatdrop 'What do I look like if others saw me talking to myself?'
"Hey I heard that!"
Marlou sighed; he tap at the word 'Caliburn' and the sword appeared in his hands.
Caliburn also known as 'The Golden Sword of Promised Victory' and 'The Sword on the Stone'. It was the Sword in the Stone that chooses the King, descended from Gram, the Sword in the Tree that appoints the Ruler drawn by Sigurd's father Sigmund. It was a Holy blade rivaling Excalibur that would burn away everything it touched, which upon being drawn from the stone caused King Arthur to cease aging and become 'something' more than Human, only to be forever lost, never to exist in again.
Until now.
"OMFG! Is this real?!" Marlou shouted, lifting 'Caliburn' as he stared at it "Fuck yes!" he can't believe it. Sure he also can't believe it when he can materialized Gungnir but, it cannot compare to the excitement that Marlou felt when he held it
'May, thank you very much!'
"It's not much"
…
The black knight stared at the blade held by Marlou, he was shocked. The thing he knew is that, when someone can pull that sword apart from the stone, then he will be declared as King of England. But, he saw that the sword was broken when Camelot was on war. He saw that the sword was torn to pieces… but here it is now. Being wielded by a child, no less!
"So, sir Lancelot" stated the boy in front of him "Think you can become a training dummy for Caliburn?"
He felt anger flows through his veins. No, they weren't meant for that purpose, Caliburn was not meant for that purpose. It was The Sword of Promised Victory, it was never meant for someone to just play with. He clenched his gauntlets, gripping the chains that bounded him, using his Noble Phantasm; Knight of Owner. The golden chains turned dark purple; the brilliance it held now faded and turned the weapon into a malevolent one
He's going to punish this foolish child who dares plays with his liege's weapon