Chosen Evolution: I can load the protagonist template

Chapter 270 Commander? What are you doing? Commander!?

"...May I ask, what is your relationship with Lady Fina?"

The voice of the remnant soul Saurna echoing in Cheng Tian's mind even trembled slightly.

"Um, Contractor plus Guardian?"

When suddenly asked, Cheng Tian himself wasn't really sure, and this answer made Fina, who was still grieving, roll her eyes at him in annoyance.

The special contract of the sun and moon shining together does indeed make the Gemini Moon Goddess slightly inferior to Cheng Tian in terms of status, but it is also true that she is protected. She only uses her powerful magic for creation and assistance, so Fina, who has almost no combat power, really has no way to refute Cheng Tian.

"...Even at the cost of his life?"

Saul, however, continued to press for answers, his expression unusually serious.

For some reason, Saul's expression instinctively reminded Cheng Tian of the questioning the groom would ask him in a wedding church.

It was as if she were entrusting him with something, or as if she were confirming Cheng Tian's intentions.

Not only Cheng Tian, ​​but Fina also noticed the strange smell. Her face immediately changed from pale to flushed, though it wasn't very noticeable because of the surrounding lava.

Faced with such an extreme question, Cheng Tian first glanced at his inventory, looked at the golden knight statue sitting quietly on it, and then nodded to Saul.

"If necessary, I can die in Fina's place."

Based on the current situation, the straightforward Cheng Tian gave an answer that was completely honest: he really could die once, and in some ways he was even eager to try.

That guy really hasn't died yet.

Bazett looked puzzled, then, thanks to Utan's captions, she remembered that Cheng Tian had indeed told her about the Golden Knight statue.

As a straightforward woman, she immediately realized that Cheng Tian was indeed capable of dying once.

But when these words reach other people's ears, they don't mean the same thing.

Saul's furrowed brows relaxed. With the ability of his remnant soul to perceive the voice of the heart to a certain extent, he knew that Cheng Tian was serious and that he was truly willing to die for the goddess.

Meanwhile, Fina's eyes were wide open as she stared at Cheng Tian in disbelief, completely unable to believe that he would make such a solemn promise.

Although almost every Knight of the Temple could make a similar promise, their promises stemmed entirely from the long-standing social influence of Ys and the loyalty to the goddess they had been taught since childhood.

But as a mysterious outsider with no connection to the Kingdom of Ys, Cheng Tian's ability to make such a promise inevitably made Fina start to have wild thoughts.

Why would he say that? What does "I'd die for you" mean? Does he really... have feelings for me?

"Then, please grasp the hilt of this Crimson Lotus Greatsword on the altar with your right hand."

"Is that so?"

Following Saul's instructions, Cheng Tian gripped the sword hilt with his right hand, which was equipped with the Demon Gauntlet. The remnant soul Saul, floating above, first showed a relieved smile, and then Cheng Tian's Demon Gauntlet was activated and highlighted.

Saul's remaining soul power coalesced and, to Cheng Tian's equally astonishment, transformed into a heart-shaped object with a purple glow on its surface and a crystal-clear interior.

It was actually a special soul fragment that possessed both the characteristics of a purple soul and the soul of an innocent! At that moment, Cheng Tian's panel changed.

The "Oni Gauntlet" icon, which is already related to all template skills, now has a line extending to the additional skill "Soul Salvation".

Under the multiple interferences of the remnant soul "Saultoba" and the Ys artifact "Crimson Greatsword", your template weapon "Demon Gauntlet" creates a special synergy with "Soul Salvation".

The "Soul Salvation" effect has been updated.

Soul Salvation: Additional skill, composite skill. (Omitted)

When you encounter friendly soul units in a dungeon that possess both the "Innocent Soul" and "Purple Soul" traits, you can absorb them using the Oni Gauntlet as a medium, transforming them into a third type of soul resource—Guardian Spirit—in addition to "Innocent Soul Small (1 point)" and "Innocent Soul Large (5 points)."

Your Innocent Souls storage limit has been increased by 50, currently at 199.

For every 100 Innocent Souls you have, you can store an additional Guardian Spirit. The maximum number of Guardian Spirits you can store is currently 1. Guardian Spirits will not be cleared when you leave the instance.

You can actively summon Guardian Spirits to materialize their souls and fight alongside you. Guardian Spirits will inherit their abilities and attributes from their previous life, based on their soul strength. Summoning a Guardian Spirit immediately consumes 99 Innocent Souls, and one soul is consumed for every second it exists. Additionally, each effective attack received will consume one soul. At least 199 Innocent Souls are required to summon a Guardian Spirit. If a Guardian Spirit is destroyed or its souls are depleted, it takes at least 24 hours to regenerate its soul power. If the Guardian Spirit is actively recalled, no rest period is required. (Added permanent enhancement)

You can use Guardian Spirits as casting materials and Oni Gauntlets as casting tools to activate a special "Onimusha Transformation/Oni Humanization." The Guardian Spirit used as a casting material will fall into a slumber after the Onimusha transformation and cannot be used again in the current dungeon.

The remnant soul "Saultoba" chose to voluntarily transform into the "Guardian Spirit."

The crimson heart-shaped soul, enveloped in purple light, entered Cheng Tian's Ghost Cage without explanation, taking over the position of Cheng Tian's only guardian spirit.

Saul never regretted his voluntary sacrifice; it was for the goddess, for the temple, and for the safety of the entire Kingdom of Ys, and he had no regrets.

But even so, there were still too many things on his mind that he couldn't let go of.

The goddesses for whom he would give his life, the still immature members of the knight order... and his own daughter, who is currently only a trainee knight and also a non-magician.

Perhaps it sounds selfish, but as a father, Saul wanted to see his daughter one more time, even if it was just for a glance.

The resonance between the Crimson Greatsword and the Demon Gauntlet had not yet ended when Saul's arrival was complete, and the effects of the Demon Armament began to activate.

A two-handed greatsword, slightly narrower than the Crimson Lotus Greatsword, with many splicing marks visible upon close inspection, and very similar in appearance to the Crimson Lotus Greatsword, has been directly materialized.

[Your template weapon "Oni Gauntlets" resonated with the Ys artifact "Crimson Greatsword"—]

[The "Oni Armed Forces" are being activated—]

You have acquired a brand-new exclusive weapon, the "Flame Dragon Sword," and the corresponding "Tactical Shell" ability.

"orange!"

Just then, Qishugal's furious voice finally arrived.

However, when he saw the Crimson Lotus Greatsword in Cheng Tian's hand, the Berserker Asura was completely stunned, and then his eyes revealed an extremely complex expression.

(End of this chapter)