Chosen Evolution: I can load the protagonist template

Chapter 659 This is the true value of the Black Grail.
The source of the voice that had been angrily rebuked by the roused leader was dressed in a style quite different from the surrounding hunters.

The man, whose robes, hood, and half-face were hidden in shadow, had his most distinctive feature in his right arm, which was deliberately exposed. It was an arm that had been eroded in some way, showing signs of mutation, and had begun to lose its human form, already showing some characteristics of an "early flying shadow".

This is the Demon Arm, Merlin's unique Demon Arm.

"Merlin..."

Cheng Tian pondered the unusual name for a moment, and combined it with the "Avalon" that came out of the Grand Commander's mouth, the other party's identity was already obvious.

I initially thought this world was Monster Hunter with the soul sacrifice power system integrated into it, but I didn't expect that even key figures would be integrated in. Moreover, it seems that they are in the same camp as the hunters, but most likely have factional differences with the Grand Master.

It can only be said that Japanese game developers do like to use the legend of King Arthur as the skeletal framework for some of their stories, as seen in Fate, Knights of the Round Table, and Soul Sacrifice.

The man before us, who shares the same name as that great magician, "Merlin," is the most crucial figure in the entire story of soul sacrifice.

It is currently unknown what his role will be when integrated into the Monster Hunter world, or whether the rules have been drastically altered.

Despite the Grand Master's undisguised hostility, Merlin remained unmoved and continued to keep his gaze fixed on Cheng Tian through the shadows.

As the leader of the Fallen/Sacrifice faction in Starry Sky Stronghold, he was naturally aware of the Fifth Survey Corps members' long journey and had his own designs on them.

At least for now, all humans in the New World are from the Old World, and their numbers are limited. Once factional divisions arise, it's a classic case of one side gaining and the other losing. If the Purification and Salvation faction gains more people, it means that the Corruption and Sacrifice faction will lose fewer people.

Not to mention that there are several rather special individuals among the fifth batch of newcomers, so we must try our best to win them over no matter what.

Especially those who are the focus of the Grand Master's attention, even if they cannot be brought into the faction, should at least be made to correctly understand the nature of the Sacrifice Sect, and not be generalized by those rigid guys from the Redemption Sect.

But when Merlin's gaze settled on Cheng Tian, ​​he involuntarily paused.

In his eyes, while Cheng Tian maintained his human form, a cup with eight snakes coiled around it slowly appeared on his chest, and a voice that seemed to be based on Cheng Tian's voice but had been mixed and processed lingered in his ears.

If you wish to have your wish fulfilled, then offer up what you cherish most.

Merlin shuddered, his body trembling involuntarily, but the next second, both the cup that had appeared on Cheng Tian's chest and the voice that had been lingering in his ears vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed.

Hallucination...?

Clutching his right arm, feeling the eternal curse brought by the soul forcibly residing within it, Merlin couldn't immediately confirm whether what he saw and heard was truly real.

Merlin shook his head, but the way he looked at Cheng Tian had changed.

He might have initially approached Cheng Tian with a gamble, but now he's determined to succeed!

Also, for some reason, the skin hidden under his hood and robe had visibly become slightly loose.

"I absolutely, positively disagree with your ideology! Even for the sake of ecological balance, human lives should not be sacrificed so easily!"

Facing Merlin, the Grand Master gritted his teeth and tried to shield Cheng Tian behind him with his fan-like claws, preventing him from having any physical contact with Merlin.

But as the Grand Master finished speaking, an ominous magical power surged around Merlin, and a huge eyeball even sprouted from his right upper arm, staring intently at the Grand Master. "You are denying the sacrifices' resolve! You are also trying to erase the contributions they made! You must apologize to them..."

"Apologize!"

Merlin was as calm as he was before, and now he is just as furious.

It wasn't for himself, but for his fallen comrades.

In an instant, the atmosphere on the scene became tense. The players and NPC hunters who were about to scatter stopped moving and even showed a tendency to move closer.

Gossip is truly the driving force behind people's desire to gossip, regardless of time, place, or person.

He also wanted to indirectly understand what the role of redemption and sacrifice was in the game.

Faced with Merlin's questioning, the Grand Master's expression stiffened, and his aura immediately deflated, becoming far less imposing than he had initially appeared, causing Cheng Tian to raise an eyebrow.

The fact that a straight-laced man like the Grand Master could react this way is enough to show that what Merlin described must have been an event that had already happened, and that even if it was against his will, the Grand Master wouldn't be able to utter a word of rebuttal, which shows that it was of high quality.

So, at this critical juncture, Cheng Tian spoke up.

"Merlin is right."

Cheng Tian's words made Merlin's eyes light up, and the burly leader looked up.

"It's my decision which faction to join, and now you can try to convince me."

Mr. Cheng has taken the initiative and become the host.

……

Starry Sky Outpost, Grand Dining Hall "Weapons and Lynx Pavilion".

Inside and outside the enormous kiln-like oven, all sorts of ingredients were slowly roasted and smoked, while the one-eyed Palico chef, whose physique was more robust and powerful than his fellow Palicoes, was grilling dragon steaks on a hot plate with his greatsword.

Don't underestimate it just because it's a Palico. It's a genuine member of the First Generation and was once a frontline combatant who fought alongside the Grand Master for a long time. However, the Palico's body has its limits. Compared to the Grand Master, who is like a humanoid golden lion, the Palico's physical deterioration is far more severe than imagined.

During one of the investigations into the ancient dragon, the chef's weapon was broken, and the long-accumulated pain caused significant deterioration of his joints. As a result, he chose to retire gracefully, abandoning his career as a front-line combatant, and instead began to provide all-round support to the hunters in terms of their appetites.

Among the many types of cuisine, the chef is most skilled in "roasting," whether it is teppanyaki, kiln roasting, or fruitwood smoking.

Moreover, the head chef, who hadn't had to do anything himself for a long time, was unusually energetic when wielding his greatsword and kitchen knife, especially since his original partner, had made a long-awaited return.

Cheng Tian, ​​Eileen, Bazett, Mina, the Grand Master, and Merlin were already sitting around the largest table in the restaurant, surrounded by the aroma of grilled meat.

(End of this chapter)