A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

At this moment, Wang Chong was leading Artoria, Jeanne d'Arc, and Irisviel deeper into Mount Enzo. The reason for coming here was simply to let Jeanne d'Arc, Artoria, and Irisviel witness the truth about the Holy Grail.

Actually, the main purpose was to show it to Jeanne d'Arc, since the truth about the Holy Grail was no longer important to Artoria and Irisviel.

Artoria's inner conflict has been resolved, and she no longer cares about the outcome of the Holy Grail War. Moreover, she trusts Merlin's judgment on this matter. Irisviel, on the other hand, is completely captivated by Wang Chong, and even if Wang Chong is an irredeemable villain, she will now follow him to the bitter end. Therefore, the truth about the Holy Grail is completely superfluous to her.

However, Wang Chong felt that it was better to see things for himself, and this was also related to the end of the Holy Grail War tonight, so he had to explain things clearly.

Therefore, the group quickly arrived at the passage that Wang Chong had already dug. After dispelling their black mist, they led Artoria and the others to the place closest to the Fuyuki ley lines, which was also the closest place to the location of the Fuyuki Greater Grail—the Great Underground Cavern.

An ominous aura filled the vast cavern, causing Jeanne to frown. Even Artoria sensed an evil presence permeating the air. At the far end of the cavern, a gigantic and terrifying magic circle was drawn on the surface of a garlic-mortar-shaped rock.

“This is…” Joan of Arc frowned as she looked at the ominous magic circle.

"This is the origin of the Fuyuki Holy Grail War..." Wang Chong said slowly. "As you all know, the Fuyuki Holy Grail War was initially created by three families. Those three families are the Einzbern family, the Tohsaka family, and the Matou family."

"Approximately every sixty years, the spiritual energy in the ley lines of Fuyuki City accumulates to a level sufficient to support the descent of the Holy Grail, and thus the Holy Grail, which has the power to grant any wish instantly, appears in Fuyuki City."

"However, only a Master and a Servant can obtain this power. Therefore, an unwritten covenant was made, in which seven mages, each leading their summoned Heroic Spirits, fought a battle for ownership of the Holy Grail. The victor who survives will ultimately gain ownership of the Holy Grail—this is the Holy Grail War of Fuyuki City."

“But few people know that this is just a facade spread by the three royal families, with the purpose of attracting other people to make up the numbers and help them complete the ceremony,” Wang Chong said slowly.

"An illusion? A ritual? Is it really true, as Wang Chongjun said, that there is no such thing as an all-powerful wish-granting machine?" Joan of Arc asked, frowning.

"Yes, but no. In fact, the so-called Holy Grail War is essentially a massive ritual system planned and constructed by these three factions in order to reach the 'Root'," Wang Chong said slowly.

"The magic circle before us is the enormous altar where Justeza, the Winter Saint of the Einzbern family, sacrificed herself and became the hearth, and it is also the location of the Greater Grail. It absorbs the almost inexhaustible magical power of Fuyuki, which is used to perform a summoning ritual every 60 years. At that time, the Greater Grail will connect to a place called the 'Throne of Heroes,' located outside the normal timeline, to provide the conditions for seven chosen Masters to summon Servants."

"And then came the Holy Grail War... There was only one winner and six losers. The souls of those six losers did not return directly to the Throne of Heroes; instead, they were temporarily stored in the Lesser Grail." Wang Chong said, glancing at Irisviel.

"Afterwards, if someone makes a wish to the Lesser Grail to access the Root, the Lesser Grail can use the power of those souls returning to the Throne of Heroes located outside the world to pierce the world, and use the vast magical power accumulated in the Greater Grail to fix this hole, thus creating a door to the outside world. In this way, the path to the Root is opened."

"So... the Holy Grail was never able to grant wishes from the beginning?" Artoria said slowly.

"Not entirely. After all, the Holy Grail's accumulated magical power is enormous, large enough to distort the mortal realm. As I said, making a wish is actually giving instructions to the Lesser Grail, meaning how you will use the vast magical power stored in the Greater Grail. So, rather than calling the Greater Grail a wish-making machine, it's more accurate to say it's an accelerator," Wang Chong said with a smile.

"An accelerator?" The three women were taken aback when they heard this.

“To give a simple example, let’s say your wish is to buy a house, which costs around a million yuan. But your current resources can only support you to earn about 4000 yuan in a short period of time. So it would take you about 20 years to save up for that. But the Great Grail is like a windfall, giving you almost unlimited money. This way, you can instantly get the house you want without having to work hard for 20 years. You can even fulfill any money-related wish in an instant,” Wang Chong said.

"But even if you have an almost inexhaustible amount of money, it's still almost, the amount is still limited, and it will eventually run out. That's one point. Secondly, there are some things that money can't buy, such as no amount of money can bring the dead back to life... So, do you understand what I mean?"

"Well, in other words, behind the Holy Grail's seemingly omnipotent wish-granting power lie two major limitations. One is that the magical cost of making a wish cannot exceed the Grail's own magical power, and the other is that the wish must be something that magic can accomplish. And the wish that is granted must also be realized in the form of magic," Jeanne d'Arc said slowly.

“To achieve and accelerate this process through magic… that is the Holy Grail… not a symbol of miracles… I should have known this sooner. A puppet of the Einzbern family, yet dreaming of creating miracles,” Irisviel murmured.

"Well, the only wish of the Holy Grail that is close to creating a miracle is to reach the Root. It's just a pity that probably no one who has such a wish has become the final victor in the Holy Grail War." Wang Chong smiled inexplicably and shook his head.

“But that’s not your real reason for stopping them from obtaining the Holy Grail, is it?” Joan of Arc looked at the ominous array, sighed, and said, “Let’s get straight to the point. Show me the proof of what you call… the contamination.”

"Hmm... well, you come out too." At this moment, Wang Chong clapped his hands and said.

At that moment, from the shadow of the magic circle, a figure slowly emerged from behind the stone pillar.

“! Irisviel? How can there be two Irisviels... No, could she be the Winter Saintess of the Einzbern family that you just mentioned, Wang Chong?” Jeanne was startled when she saw the newcomer’s appearance, but quickly remembered the information about the Einzbern family that Wang Chong had given her, and so she said.

“No, she is also Irisviel. It’s just that she is the body Irisviel previously possessed; you can think of her as… the Lesser Grail,” Wang Chong said slowly.

"You mean... you've already given Irisviel a new body?" Jeanne remembered that Wang Chong was going to give Irisviel a new body. However, she hadn't expected that Irisviel would have already completed the body change in the short time she'd been asleep?

“Come on, show a glimpse of your power to our Ruler, and see what the Holy Grail truly contains… Don’t make too much noise, lest you attract the troublesome fellow.” Wang Chong said slowly.

"Yes. Then please be careful, everyone~ After all, if you accidentally get contaminated, I can't be sure what will happen then~" Black Alice chuckled, then placed her hands on the magic circle under her feet.

A red light flashed from the magic circle, and a huge, jet-black figure began to appear on Black Alice's body. At the top of the figure, a crack quietly opened, but under Black Alice's deliberate control, it was only a small crack.

Yet even this tiny crack made Jeanne d'Arc and Artoria feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy. They both sensed the overwhelming resentment and ominous aura deep within the crevice, as if it threatened to distort and corrupt everything in the world.

“This…this is the Great Grail of Fuyuki.” Jeanne d’Arc looked at the little bit of black mud that was seeping out of the crack and began to assimilate the polluted land after falling to the ground. At that moment, she finally understood why Wang Chong did not allow anyone to win the Holy Grail War.

This is power that no human should be able to control... no, it's something that no human should even covet. This thing, if handled carelessly, could destroy an entire city.

Chapter 326 Black Mud

"Alright, stop now. Any more and it will break through my black mist concealing the magic fluctuations," Wang Chong said.

"Yes." Black Irisviel closed the crack again. Only after the crack completely vanished did the ominous aura surrounding it lessen considerably. However, the filthy black mud remaining on the ground still gave off a very unsettling and ominous feeling.

"This is the corrupted Holy Grail... Since the Third Holy Grail War, the Einzbern family, in order to gain victory, illegally summoned the eighth-class 'Avenger' Servant—Angora Mainyu. The Einzbern family believed that they could summon the legendary Great Evil God and instantly dominate the entire competition. But the result was that the guy they summoned was just an ordinary young man in history, who was unjustly labeled 'the epitome of all evil in this world' in a village of Zoroastrians."

"Angola Mainyu, as a Servant, was nothing more than a weak Servant who was eliminated in a very short time and absorbed into the Holy Grail. Although his true form was an ordinary young man who was used as a sacrifice and an evil god by his own villagers, it is also a fact that he was used as an evil god to embody human evil desires."

"As a result, the Greater Grail took the evil wishes of humanity that were entrusted to it, 'all the evil of this world,' and granted them as if they were human desires. As a result, the colorless power was turned into black mud. From then on, the Holy Grail was corrupted."

Wang Chong slowly explained the truth about the Holy Grail's corruption, then looked at Jeanne d'Arc and Irisviel, saying, "Although you have never asked me about the Einzbern family, I know you understand, especially after seeing Arcueid and learning about my clone abilities. The one who destroyed the Einzbern family was none other than me."

"One of the reasons I destroyed the Einzbern family was to take Ilya out of that place. I've already made this clear to you, Alice. You should know what kind of place your family is. If you lose in this Holy Grail War or turn against outsiders, do you think the Einzbern family will let your daughter go? Do you think they will really take good care of Ilya?"

After Wang Chong finished speaking, Irisviel lowered her head slightly. She was well aware of how cold and ruthless her family was, showing no interest in anything other than achieving the Third Law, and resorting to any means to achieve their goals. If things had followed the original timeline, it would probably have been just as Wang Chong said: she and Kiritsugu would have failed, and her daughter would have become merely a tool in the next Holy Grail War.

"Secondly, what they did during the Third Holy Grail War deserves their wrath! It's one thing to try and summon an evil god through illegal means, but to shoot themselves in the foot and corrupt the Great Grail to this state is another. And yet, they still want to continue the Fuyuki Holy Grail War… The Tohsaka family might not be aware of this due to a generational change. But the Einzbern family has always been ruled by that old codger. With his eyesight, surely he could see that the Holy Grail is malfunctioning?"

"Even if they don't know, the Holy Grail is now corrupted, and none of them can control its power. No matter who wins, they will all be corrupted and corrupted by the Holy Grail, becoming tools to unleash the greatest malice. In that case, they will drag the entire city of Fuyuki down with them! Moreover, if they are not careful, it will affect more than just one city."

"Even if they don't win this Holy Grail War, their ambition won't stop there. They'll continue to wait for the next Holy Grail War to begin. Even if they see the price the Holy Grail will cause—the destruction of cities—it probably won't matter to these magicians. After all, these guys are inhuman creatures who will stop at nothing to achieve their crazy desires."

After speaking, Wang Chong looked at Jeanne and said, "Therefore, I will either take action myself or use a scheme to destroy these three families. I have dealt with the head of the Einzbern family, the head of the Tohsaka family, and that old insect from the Matou family who has lived for so long. The Tohsaka family has only one heir per generation, so the death of the head of the Tohsaka family is enough. The Einzbern and Matou families both have an immortal old man who controls the entire family. Destroying the two of them is equivalent to cutting off their hopes of continuing the Holy Grail War."

"And what they mean by... massacring all the Einzbern family members..." Joan of Arc asked, frowning.

"Oh, that was just a performance to scare people. Although they were all artificial humans, I packed them all up and took them with me. You'll be able to see them at the previous manor soon, since I need people to manage such a large manor," Wang Chong said slowly.

“I can attest to that. I not only saw Ilya, but also the people in my family… Mr. Wang Chong only killed the head of my family,” Irisviel said at this opportune moment.

"So, Wang Chongjun, the reason you eliminated the heads of the three families who founded the Holy Grail War was to prevent the Holy Grail War from starting again in the future, right?" Jeanne said. "But why not solve the problem at its root? For example... destroy the Holy Grail."

"Such immense magical power, how do you intend to destroy it, Joan of Arc? If handled carelessly, what would happen if the power within collided with the magical power that destroyed the Holy Grail?" Wang Chong said slowly.

"...I was inconsiderate. But we can't just leave this thing like this. Can your power truly control the power of the Holy Grail?" Jeanne now fully understood what Wang Chong had said earlier. The root of this twisted Holy Grail War didn't lie with any Master or Servant, but with the Holy Grail War itself. The Holy Grail being corrupted was indeed unbelievable to Jeanne, but the undeniable facts were before her, leaving her no choice but to accept it.

“Black Irisviel… cough, that’s the name I gave to the guy who currently controls the power of the Greater Grail. She’s the best explanation.” Wang Chong pointed at Black Irisviel and said, “You should have just heard that the reason the Holy Grail was corrupted is because it contained the will of all the evil in this world. So after I infiltrated my power into the Holy Grail, I destroyed that will first.”

"However, although I destroyed that will and temporarily controlled the Greater Grail, I couldn't completely eliminate the sources of pollution and the concept of all evil in this world. So I used some methods to help it reshape its personality and memories, using Irisviel's share. And it is now under my control. It is still within my control."

After saying that, Wang Chong gathered the power of the black mist again and swept it towards the black mud that had just been scattered on the ground. The black mud, which was still exuding an ominous aura, was transformed into the power of the black mist as if it had encountered a nemesis, and returned to Wang Chong's hand.

"Look, that black mud has left you all somewhat helpless, but to me, it's like a tonic, something I can transform and absorb with my power. Therefore, only I can control this corrupted Greater Grail. So, you don't need to worry about the Greater Grail; I prepared everything more than a month ago. Now, all we need to do is wait quietly for all the black mud in the Grail to be transformed into my power."

Wang Chong shrugged, then absorbed the black mist directly into his body. Jeanne d'Arc nodded slightly after watching, but something felt off. Was it really alright for Wang Chong to absorb that ominous power so recklessly? Could this assimilation be a deliberate trick by the evil within the Greater Grail?

Or... is it really a good idea to directly grant Wang Chong such immense power?

But the facts were right in front of him, and since Joan of Arc had already sided with Wang Chong before she arrived, he automatically filtered out these questions and left everything to time.

Wang Chong wasn't entirely telling the truth either. For example, the claim that he hadn't fully converted the black mud into his own power was false. The Greater Grail had long been his storage tank for magic, and the main reason he was still maintaining the Holy Grail War was for villain points and to get the women he wanted.

Now, Artoria, Irisviel, Illya, and Jeanne d'Arc have all fallen into her trap. And it's only a matter of time before Mrs. Tohsaka and her daughter follow suit. Therefore, it's time to end this Holy Grail War, which has no suspense whatsoever.

Chapter 327 Strange Golden Glitter

Enzang Mountain

"Rider, you just said you sensed something was off? Don't scare me, okay? It's still broad daylight. You must be imagining things, right?" In the forest, the Rider group, who had spent the entire night in Mount Enzo, were searching for something.

Weber was panting heavily, his stamina failing him as he struggled to keep up with Iskandar's pace. Since the death of the Thunder Bull pulling the chariot, they had temporarily lost their means of high-speed movement.

It's not that Iskandar can only be traveled on foot, after all, Iskandar has a fine horse to ride. It's just that in such dense forests, riding a horse is not as good as walking.

"Hey, Rider, did you hear me... Ugh! Why did you suddenly stop?" Webber covered his nose, about to complain, but then realized that there was a cliff in front of him.

"Hey Rider, there's nothing here at all! It's a complete dead end," Webber said, looking at the broken road.

"That's strange. Logically speaking, that chilling aura should have come from here. Could it be down here? It's a pity we don't have a chariot, so it's difficult to take you down to check." Iskandar stroked his chin and looked down thoughtfully.

"What kind of aura could make you so cautious? And weren't you just absorbing magic to recover? Why did you suddenly stop and run this way?" Waver asked, puzzled.

"It's hard to say... That thing is terrifying. I only made contact for a moment, and I saw a lot of ugly things... There's probably something dirty in this mountain." Iskandar shook his head and turned to walk back.

"Since we haven't found any trace of that thing, let's go back for now. If we come out again, let's see if we can find it then."

"Seriously... what a filthy thing. Even if it were, it wouldn't be out in broad daylight," Weber muttered as he followed Iskandar. Just then, a group of people emerged from a cave 200 meters below the cliff they had been standing on—it was Wang Chong and his companions.

“That is…” Jeanne looked up, her abilities allowing her to easily detect the presence of Servants.

"What's wrong?" Wang Chong asked when he saw Joan of Arc stop.

“There’s the aura of a Servant, it seems to be coming from above,” Jeanne said, turning around.

"It's either Rider or Archer. Currently, apart from our side, only these two remain in the Holy Grail War," Wang Chong said slowly. "It doesn't matter, we don't need to pay attention to them. They can't cause any more trouble. By tonight, we can eliminate all the opposing Masters."

“Archer is fine, but what about Rider… can’t we persuade them too?” Jeanne asked.

"I'm afraid it will be difficult... First, there's Rider, who is determined to obtain the Holy Grail and gain a physical body. Second, even if we can convince him with the truth about the Holy Grail, Waver can't provide Rider with the massive amount of magical energy to maintain the present world. The reason he's been able to sustain himself for so long is mainly due to Rider's own excellent magical energy reserves and the Greater Grail. But once the Holy Grail War ends, Waver will be unable to provide enough magical energy, leading to Rider's eventual departure."

"And for this reason, Rider won't choose to live such a cowardly life. Therefore, he will definitely fight us. This is the path he has chosen." Wang Chong said slowly, "Don't worry, I'm not an ungrateful person. Waver has helped us several times, and even if he loses the Servant battle, I will still protect him. Just like that Lady Sora."

During the battle the previous night, Wang Chong and the others were going to challenge Semiramis in Midgard, and since it was inconvenient to carry Sora's body, they found a room and placed Sora and Kenneth's bodies there. Afterwards, Wang Chong naturally found the two in that room and temporarily sealed them with black mist, intending to deal with them after the Holy Grail War was completely over.

Yes, the corpse of a certain elegant magician is also here. I've also arranged it properly with black mist.

“However, Rider is more likely to fight Archer first than us,” Artoria suddenly said. “I know those two guys well. Right now, we’re in the shadows, and they’re in the open. They’ve already made an agreement, so a battle is destined to happen between them.”

“If that’s the case, I’m afraid that given Kiritsugu Emiya’s personality… Waver…” Irisviel also chimed in with a reminder.

"Yes, I've already asked Kirei Kotomine to keep an eye on things. Don't worry, I can read faces. Waver is a lucky kid; he won't die here easily," Wang Chong said with a smile.

"Judging by facial features?" Artoria muttered, then shook her head.

……

Soon, Wang Chong temporarily sent Jeanne and the others back to the Dimensional House. He still had some arrangements to make and needed to contact Kirei Kotomine.

"Yes, continue to hide for now and don't make any rash moves. How is Kiritsugu Emiya doing?" Wang Chong began to inquire about the current situation.

"Kiritsugu Emiya and Maiya are currently at the Matou family's location... seemingly intending to confirm whether Kariya Matou is truly dead and to investigate whether there are any Riders near that ley line. However, the Matou family head has already hidden himself and his men, so Kiritsugu Emiya found nothing. Judging from their appearance, they plan to head towards other ley lines to search for the Riders later," Kirei Kotomine replied remotely using the black mist ring left behind by Wang Chong.

"Are only Kiritsugu Emiya and Maiya there? Gilgamesh isn't around them?" Wang Chong asked.

"Um... Gilgamesh's words are with me now." As he said this, a strange look appeared on Kirei Kotomine's face.

"What did you say? Gilgamesh is with you?" Wang Chong frowned and asked.

"Yes, but he doesn't seem to care why I survived. And judging from his attitude, it seems he already knew about my relationship with you. But he didn't make a single move to tell Kiritsugu Emiya," Kirei Kotomine said.

"And your call here..."

"I've temporarily left that cellar and am trying to contact you from a place with a clear view," Kirei Kotomine said.

"Gilgamesh... never mind him. He has his pride and wouldn't do anything underhanded. Just be careful that Kiritsugu Emiya doesn't track Gilgamesh's location and try to find you," Wang Chong instructed. "Prepare for tonight... I think Gilgamesh will actively release his Heroic Spirit aura tonight, provoke Iskandar's side, and issue a duel challenge. Then you..."

Wang Chong explained the evening's plans to Kirei Kotomine in detail, and Kirei Kotomine readily agreed and kept them in mind.

"Oh, right, remember to keep a close eye on Kiritsugu Emiya's movements the whole time. Don't let him kill Waver. We also need someone from the Mage's Association to cover for us. Understand?" Wang Chong said.

"Understood, sir." Kirei Kotomine responded, and Wang Chong hung up the call shortly afterward. Kirei then returned to his cellar. Upon opening the door, he saw Gilgamesh lounging on the sofa, leisurely sipping wine.

"Have you finished communicating with Faker?" Gilgash asked with a slight smile as he stood up.

"King of Heroes, what exactly is your purpose?" Kirei Kotomine asked after sitting down.

"Heh, why should I inform you of what I want to do?" Gilgamesh said. "Although I hate that Faker, I have to admit that he has a good eye for talent and has trained you quite well. It seems he is also a very pleasure-loving fellow."

"Heh, that makes sense. Otherwise, with so many Servants in his hands and the power to crush everything, why would he 'dawdle' and put on one act after another? Hmph, being able to escape from my fully unleashed Ea means he has the ability to stand on equal footing with me."

"..." Kirei Kotomine didn't say much, he just quietly looked at Gilgamesh.

"Kirei, sometimes you have to make your own choices. Don't listen to Faker too much. Everyone has their own unique path, born one of a kind. There's no need to follow his preferences so rigidly. You're one of the few people I'm interested in, so don't disappoint me." After saying this, Gilgamesh finished his glass of red wine, stood up, and vanished from Kirei Kotomine's sight in a spiritual form.

Chapter 328 The Little Medusa Stuck in the Drawer (Part 1)

In the afternoon, Wang Chong had already led everyone back to the Dimensional House and finished lunch. On the way to his study, Wang Chong, having nothing else to do, continued to ponder the usage of the Dimensional House.

Coincidentally, after lunch, Wang Chong discovered a problem with the Dimensional House: it didn't have an unlimited supply of food. What he was eating today was the food he had previously stockpiled for the Sky Garden.

But stockpiled food will eventually run out, especially since there are several big eaters in the family. As the saying goes, "It's better to have plenty of days than plenty of grain." Relying solely on stockpiled food is definitely not sustainable. It's a good idea to buy some seeds from outside. Since we have a large plot of land with fast-growing crops, we might as well grow some fruits and vegetables ourselves.

"It can even be managed with one click. This soil card is quite worthwhile." Wang Chong looked at the one-click planting button on the system panel and felt much more at ease.

"But fruits, vegetables, and grains alone aren't enough. We need some livestock for meat. Hmm, I'll see if there's anything for sale in Fuyuki City later. But we get tired of eating just ordinary animals. Sometimes it's nice to hunt some wild game in the Otherworld, like dragon meat or something."

Wang Chong had already begun to unconsciously fantasize about a peaceful life in the future. After all, when Wang Chong came to the Type-Moon world, he didn't have any great wishes. He just wanted to live a peaceful life and win over some of the female characters he liked, nothing more.

Of course, to achieve this goal, strength is the best foundation. Therefore, Wang Chong cannot slack off on villain points. He is just thinking about where to get these villain points after the fourth war ends.