Chapter 816: Assimilating Zouken’s Inheritance — Crest Worms!
The smell of flesh and blood was thick down here.
Parts of discarded Homunculus bodies, created years ago by the Einzbern family head, were strewn here and there. The bloody stumps weren’t clean at the end of those body parts, but felt more like chewed off with a beast.
Thick bolts of red magical energy rumbled, momentarily lightening up the dark hell.
And, watching it with blank faces from one side, were Black and Medea — Berserker squirming in front of their eyes.
ROARRRRRR!!!
The massive, hulk-like Heroic Spirit — Venom and Kai — was roaring out its lungs, a massive spell circle oozing red lightning beneath its feet.
Strands of black tendrils were lashing out from Berserker, each gaining a little, fanged mouth, all screeching.
The spell circle wasn’t to contain Berserker within, but it was more like a security room, keeping others out.
Black remembered the time from when Kai had first assimilated an Inheritance — the Shadow Lord’s. It had left him momentarily defenseless — utterly on the mercy of Cersei, Dementors, and Lilith the Lethifold.
Now, they would never repeat that state, taking as many precautions as they could.
Yes. The roaring and screaming Berserker was just Kai in the process of assimilating Zouken Matou’s Inheritance!
Suddenly, with a great belch, the Venom vomited, spilling out hundreds of slimy worms.
Then, in the very next moment, a long tongue slithered out of its mouth and licked the worms up, consuming them again.
Medea frowned. "Is it necessary to go so far for a mere Servant, Master?" she asked, not counting herself in the list of Servants at all.
Once, she had desired nothing more than to go back to her home. Home from the times when she was alive. Now...
Medea looked at Black’s tall back and blushed.
In a way, the Holy Grail had already fulfilled her wish.
"It is necessary..." Black said, narrowing his eyes at Berserker.
Giving her a false explanation cooked up by the Ad Infinitum, Black recalled the Zouken’s Inheritance’s details.
Like the Shadow Lord’s Inheritance, which was related to a broad topic of Alchemy, Matou’s Inheritance was also condensed into one topic — Crest Worms!
Crest Worms were a unique kind of Magic Crest of the Matou family and the personal familiars of Zouken Matou.
They were magical energy-eating worms that could channel magical energy even when their host was no longer alive.
Not only could the Crest Worms expand one’s natural Magic Circuits, but they were also capable of acting as artificial Magic Circuits after a certain incubation period was complete.
Usually, they remained in a dormant state. However, once awakened by the activation of Magic Circuits, they would try to force the body to continuously produce magical energy to sustain themselves.
In case the user was unable to create enough magical energy, they would either consume their flesh as nutrition or stimulate the host’s libido in the hope of being able to steal magical energy from a sexual partner.
The same thing was now happening to Kai as well.
Before getting full command over the Crest Worms, he must become a host of the worms himself, which was the core part of the Inheritance’s assimilation.
However, Kai was in such a trance that not even the Ad Infinitum could penetrate the happenings of what was going on in his mind.
Also, unlike the Characters of the Fate world, who would spread this process over years, the Inheritance was forcing its assimilation inside Kai in a matter of hours.
And the full brunt of this excruciating process fell on Venom, who could neither leave Kai nor go into a dormant state without Kai’s active intervention.
-I don’t understand,- the Time Devourer hissed logically within Black. - Shouldn’t it be you assimilating this Inheritance, Master?-
Black let out a small smile at Selene’s remark.
Yes. Given that he now held Illya’s immense Magic Circuits, and given that there was a chance of becoming truly his by the end of this Mission, it made sense to assimilate the Crest Worms within him.
However, there were a few caveats to doing that, as Black explained to Selene.
First, despite the Inheritance being all about Crest Worms, it was missing one piece.
Zouken Matou had turned his body into a swarm of worms, becoming a wraith. His true body had become another worm, housing his soul, next to Sakura’s heart.
The knowledge of the Crest Worms-usage, with the help of ancient rituals, was missing from Matou’s Inheritance obtained by Black because — another Contestant had stolen it.
If this ritual hadn’t been missing, then Kai could have let Black become such a wraith, as he would never do that to himself.
The good thing was — because of the intervention of Luck — the Contestant had stolen only that ritual.
For someone possessing Biokinesis, and especially for Contestants having Life Halt, this turning of one’s body into worms to preserve life wasn’t much of a use.
-Second,- Black hissed, making Medea raise her brows next to him, -you are forgetting one crucial thing, Selene. Magic Circuits are imprinted on the soul. These Crest Worms — they are physical...-
-Ohhhhhhhhhh...- All Selenes hissed together, understanding.
Once Black ultimately made Illya’s Circuits his, he would be able to transfer them to Kai easily as they shared the same Source.
They had already decided that Kai would be focusing on Mana and Spiritual aspects, while Black would go after physical strength alone.
So, he truly had no use for Magic Circuits.
Also, as the Crest Worms were physical, not a Concept, Kai and Black wouldn’t be able to freely share them between themselves like Abilities and Emotions.
So, whoever assimilated the Crest Worms within themselves now would be the one having them for eternity.
"Medea," Black suddenly asked, turning around. "Can I use Crest Worms to prolong the life of Artificial Magic Circuits in the undead?"
The undead Pokemon, fueled by Artificial Magic Circuits instilled within them by Tina, consumed immense Mana.
If he were to let the Crest Worms incubate in those undead, expanding their Magic Circuits, he could prolong their shelf life by months.
Of course, a grand mage like Medea guessed his thoughts instantly.
"Aren’t you a piece of wonder, Master?" she giggled. "I don’t know... sadly. But — I can figure it out for you."
Black looked at her and nodded.
But, just as they walked out of the bloody hell, they found Rider staring at them, with a frown on her face.
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AN: Original Image of Venom-Kai undergoing Inheritance Assimilation is available on P trn
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