He was imprisoned in Nibelungen for a thousand years, only to find out upon his release that he was

"Odin, you forced me to do this."

He murmured to himself.

If Odin and his ilk hadn't committed countless evils, been ruthless and vicious, disregarded human ethics, and relentlessly persecuted him, how could he have ended up like this!?

Lu Ming forcefully broke open a piece of translucent white bone and swallowed it.

In an instant, the elements of chaos surged around him, and the pool water boiled violently! It stirred the atmosphere and spread in all directions!

......

"Brother! I admire the first person to drink dragon's blood, because it might have been poisonous."

Alexandre Dumas raised his sleeves to shield his face from the fishy wind blowing from the low-lying area, laughing and screaming at the same time.

“You can simply remove ‘maybe,’ which is a notorious poison in the magic world.”

Feeling the overwhelming surge of magical power rushing towards him, Orlando was filled with astonishment, but he exclaimed in surprise.

Even a hard-line veteran police officer like him, who fought against Servants as a human in the Holy Grail War, had to admire the other party's will and courage.

Based on Orlando's observations and conclusions over the past two days.

Putting aside everything else, just considering the toxicity of Bashium, it's said to be comparable to or even surpasses the terrifying venom of the Hydra. And after observation, it can also be confirmed that the scorpion tail of Mushuhushu secretes venom.

Now, the blood of the countless corpses of Bashium, Ushmugal, Mushhushu, and others, enough to form a mountain, has been collected in one place.

This concentrated pool of deadly poison could probably kill even a heroic spirit like Hercules instantly.

Volume 1: Chapter 101 Now He Really Became a God Automatically

"Hey bro, something's not right."

"What do you mean?"

As Orlando relaxed and regained his magic, he suddenly noticed that Alexandre Dumas was looking around restlessly.

"What are you worried about? Judging from these piles of corpses, the enemy forces in the vicinity have been basically cleared out. No monsters will dare to venture in anytime soon."

"No, what I feel is wrong isn't those mute beasts, but that strange, powerful man who saved us and bathed in dragon blood."

Alexandre Dumas intently observed the indistinct figure in the blood-red pool. Chaotic and high-density magic roamed freely in the sea of ​​corpses and blood, stirring up the atmosphere and causing gusts of wind.

He sensed the strange flow of magic, then looked around at the complex structure of the collapsed city walls. His smile gradually faded, and the strange feeling in his heart grew stronger.

"Ha! Although I was just a writer in my previous life and not a proper magician, I always felt that this poisonous gas and foul wind didn't seem like a simple magical turbulence."

The great writer smacked his lips, revealing two rows of unusual red and white teeth, and clicked his tongue.

"What's that thing called again... a grand ceremony that requires dozens of small steps to prepare?"

"A magic ritual? Wait, could it be...?"

The police chief suddenly realized something.

Yes, it's quite obvious. Such a dangerous and ruthless act could not have been a momentary act of recklessness, and the other party could not have traveled this far solely to save someone.

When magic is involved, every action has a corresponding, assigned meaning.

The so-called baptism process that imitates Siegfried bathing in dragon blood is essentially a large-scale magic ritual built by imitating myths and legends!

Orlando thought about it more and more and it seemed reasonable.

In the world of magic, the specific principles behind Siegfried's baptism by bathing in dragon blood, aside from mentioning the defect in his back, have always been vaguely explained. However, the story of his acquisition of the holy sword Balmunk and the invisibility cloak, and his defeat of Fafnir, is clearly documented.

But that doesn't matter.

Giving concrete, practical meaning to abstract "concepts" through accumulated historical, legendary, or ritual elements is an important part of magic engineering.

The current geographical environment is also approaching that of the Age of Gods, which is quite advantageous for some great magics that pursue the highest level of magic.

The only problem is that the elaborately designed ceremony venue of this scale was simply designed to enhance the concept of "dragon slaying".

Or is there something more to this than meets the eye...?

Orlando looked at the surrounding terrain, finding it difficult to make a judgment.

"Hey, not bad! The device the blond kid gave me is still working!"

Alexandre Dumas laughed heartily, full of optimism, "Brother, instead of letting us guess here, why don't we ask a real magic genius?"

Caster Alexandre Dumas quite admired Fratt. This young magician, even when his own Servant's Noble Phantasm was stolen, was able to quickly cooperate with him and make extraordinary decisions.

"......Sizzle......"

"Cough cough! Whoa, it's finally connected again!"

Frat's distinctively energetic voice reached the ears of the master and servant.

"Sorry, sorry, Chief, was it not very safe over there just now? I think I was speaking too loudly when I contacted you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Flatt's voice was interrupted by another boy who seemed to be around the same age:

"Flatter! Everyone should reflect on their actions this time! The professor mobilized the entire El-Melloi classroom for your sake..."

"Hahaha, Lucia (Sphinx's nickname, meaning 'dog' in French), putting everything else aside, I beat you to it this time (into the Holy Grail War)! Even if you're envious, you have no chance..."

"Flatter! I already told you not to call me that nickname!"

The sounds coming from the equipment became more intense, seemingly the clattering and clanging of bells.

"..."

The police chief fell silent for a moment.

What kind of people are the students in El-Melloi's classroom?

Is it the right thing to seek answers from them?

"Hahahahaha..."

Dumas, however, remained completely unfazed, seemingly amused by the scene on the other end of the communication line. "What an interesting sight! If the occasion weren't so inappropriate, I would love to record it with my pen and use it as a blueprint for a new story..."

"Excuse me, you two."

The sounds of the two people arguing and fighting on the other end of the call suddenly fell silent, and a clear, cold female voice rang out.

"I am Luvia Serinta Edelfelt, a graduate of the Mineral Science and Modern Magic departments. You can refer to me as Luvia for short."

“Edelfelt?” Orlando immediately connected the dots, realizing the meaning behind the surname. “A Finnish family specializing in jewel magic? I remember you being known in the magic world as…”

"Let's leave out the nickname for the most beautiful hyena in the world; repeating it over and over is rather tiresome."

Luvia said calmly, "Your voices sound much calmer than last time, so it seems you're out of danger?"

Orlando said, "Well, with the help of... a passerby. I hate to say it, but I'm afraid that the danger we were in was nothing more than a trivial matter to him."

“I see. I think I have a general idea of ​​who it is,” Luvia said.

"Hmm?" The police chief sensed the underlying meaning. "You, no... your El-Melloi classroom, have a lot of information?"

"Not much, about this vast city labyrinth, about the changes in the gods and the land, about... him."

Luvia paused, then said, "You contacted us proactively, but not because you were in danger and needed help. So you must be seeking information to clarify things, right?"

Orlando glared at the 'instigator' Alexandre Dumas and uttered a single word, "Yes."

He was a little unaccustomed to such a passive negotiation setting.

If it were the previous Flat, it wouldn't be so bad. But this Luvia is from the Edelfelt family, whose motto can be described as "wherever something good is found, you'll always find them among those vying for it." She's much more difficult to deal with than a partner like Flat.

After much back and forth, he finally revealed the truth and his speculations about the ceremony.

In return, Orlando had to sign an alliance with the entire El-Melloi classroom.

But what's truly unfortunate is that, to this day, he still doesn't know how many people are in the El-Melloi classroom across the street, or what kind of Servants they are, while his own location has been unilaterally detected by this device. It's completely a one-way information disclosure.

Sensing his Master's resentment, Alexandre Dumas chuckled and whistled nonchalantly to himself.

After hearing about Lu Ming's actions from the bureau chief, Luvia paused for a moment before speaking:

"...Several years ago, I heard of something similar, which happened in the Great Labyrinth of the Spirit Tomb, Albion."

"Although I was not involved in the end, I am certain that the perpetrator of this incident, Dr. Hartrace, was trying to create a 'god'."

"And he succeeded."

"It incorporated a grand ritual using a labyrinthine terrain to symbolize the concept of 'death and rebirth'..."

"Death and rebirth... wait!"

Orlando suddenly realized that the true purpose of that highly poisonous pool water was not just to bathe in dragon blood, but also to conceal the concept of 'killing oneself and being reborn'?

Combined with the concept of a maze itself...

What a daring and bizarrely terrifying ritual!?

“That’s right, you should have realized it by now. A labyrinth is a kind of magic. Breaking through a labyrinth is a kind of ritual. The most famous one is the labyrinth that imprisoned the Minotaur.”

Luvia explained, "Once you reach the depths of the maze and turn back, it's like gradually recognizing the past you experienced when you entered the maze. The explorer who reaches the deepest point gradually recognizes and recalls the past, rediscovers themselves, and is gradually reborn."

"This is the meaning of death and rebirth."

"A return, death and rebirth..."

Orlando recalled the route Lu Ming took after saving them, retracing his steps through the blood pool... It seemed as if everything had a preordained correspondence.

"I don't know how likely it is to achieve a breakthrough in a personal sense, but some people have indeed succeeded in doing so, allowing a fake heroic spirit to ascend to godhood."

......

Meanwhile, inside the Central Hospital.

"By interfering with the soul's operation through spirit possession, a fixed personality is formed within the puppet, creating an inner spiritual entity."

"Then, through the alchemy of the Atlas Institute, this separated personality can be perfectly adapted to the puppet's own system..."

Aozaki Touko was explaining things to Olga Marie, who had come to help. Beside them stood the puppet based on Lu Ming—carrying a long spear, wearing a mask, and remaining silent.

This doll is very precious, so Orange didn't dare to just leave it unattended after it was made.

At this moment, Olga Marie took the initiative to come over, seemingly particularly interested in anything related to Lu Ming.

Orange took the opportunity to make her her assistant and gave her instructions on maintenance matters.

She was overjoyed to have a free assistant, one with monarch-level qualifications.

"Is she alright?"

Olga Marie glanced at Skadi not far away; the goddess seemed somewhat somber.

“Don’t worry about her, she’s mostly...quiet,” Orange said.

Before she could finish speaking, Skadi suddenly looked over.

"Ok?"

The goddess's eyes widened, her gaze fixed on the doll.

"Divinity!?... Divinity has appeared within it!"

PS: "The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II": "The phantom of the spirit origin has returned. That's what he calls it."

...Using the labyrinth that governs death and rebirth to pass through the ritual [Initiation] and move forward further, this is a unique magic belonging only to Hartles.

This technique doesn't simply unleash the full potential of a Heroic Spirit; rather, it forcibly conjures an impossible phantom, granting it divine abilities.

Volume 1: Chapter 102 Now we know how a thousand years came about.

"Divinity...wait?!"

The two magicians weren't as perceptive as Skadi, the goddess, and were a beat slower in their reactions.

Upon closer inspection, the masked doll remained motionless, but its aura had undergone a complete transformation...

A qualified magician can determine this by observing various signs.

The most direct sign was that the magic around the doll suddenly became several levels more active, crackling and popping like thunder in the void.

The dazzling light emanating from the Lu Ming doll could instantly illuminate the surroundings as if it were daytime, even in the dimly lit workshop. The brilliant light swallowed the darkness, and a thick sense of ancient mystery seemed to rush towards us.

There are faint signs of a major source of energy recovering... it can't be wrong. It should be...

"You mean divinity suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the puppet? How is that possible?"

Just then, Olga Marie, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but speak up in surprise, and many small question marks appeared on her forehead.

Although we know that Lu Ming's talents are always ridiculously exaggerated, is it too much of a challenge to the common sense of the magic world that even a puppet based on him can conjure up divinity out of thin air?