"The reward this time is actually holy grail stones! Quite a lot, too. It seems like killing Bosses drops more stuff."
Returning to her consciousness, Artoria looked at the dozen or so holy grail stones piled on the ground and was overjoyed. Fighting Bosses was indeed a very important way to get rich. No matter the protagonist, Bosses and fortuitous encounters were indispensable; this was prevalent in any world.
"Let's see what good things I can pull today."
With a joyful mood, Artoria went to the Blue Pool and threw the freshly obtained holy grail stones directly into it. Looking at the glowing Blue Pool—even though she had seen it for many years—it was still exciting every time. Maybe one of these gambles would turn a bicycle into a sports car.
"Blegh~!"
"...I'm really sick of this sound."
That familiar sound made Artoria's germophobia flare up again. Her mouth twitched as she watched lump after lump of black stuff come out. She still had zero desire to pick them up. This thing didn't have a voice pack or anything; otherwise, she would have changed the sound long ago to something like 'Yamete~' cough cough! That would be pretty nice.
"As expected, Iron Will of Apology."
Looking at that familiar muscular man with clenched fists, Artoria complained weakly, but she had to continue opening them; otherwise, how would she know if she had lost or gained?
"Vessel of the Saint?"
Artoria was very happy to get her first five-star Craft Essence, but its use gave her a massive headache. How exactly was she supposed to use this? It was quite baffling and indeed a difficult problem, but regardless, it was hers now! Artoria reached out toward the five-star Craft Essence. When her hand touched the Spirit Gear, it instantly turned into a golden light and entered the back of her hand, where a faint golden, complex pattern emerged.
"This is?"
Artoria's face was full of doubt, but she became very happy the next moment because this was a great treasure—another life-saving item. She picked up the remaining items, which included some materials like chess pieces and a Servant named 'Kiyohime.' Yes, that Kiyohime whose basic stats were mostly E, with only her Noble Phantasm being EX. This kept Artoria's mood relatively calm; at least, after Master, this was her first Servant, which was somewhat of a consolation.
If it were Arash's Stella, Artoria wouldn't dare use it. This was a Noble Phantasm, and it wouldn't be Arash using it, but Artoria herself. Who knew if that cursed certain-Death effect would apply to her? She didn't want to meet the Goddess of Death of this world. Although the Goddess of Death here wasn't Hela, but one of the true primordial gods, 'Death'—that woman was a truly powerful figure.
"Let's try this out; it's quite pleasant."
Withdrawing from her consciousness, Artoria went to an open area where several Shadow Clones were sitting cross-legged on the ground. This was her training method for seeking natural energy. If she could enter Sage Mode on her own, her combat power would double again, but that wasn't the focus right now.
"Pur... cough! Master, please lend me the power of the Lancer."
Raising her right hand, Artoria saw the faint golden complex pattern on it. She spoke as magic power surged through her body, and immediately, her body was enveloped in a burst of golden light. When the golden light faded, a curvaceous and mature purple figure stood quietly in place. The purple leather suit accentuated her alluring figure, but the two crimson demonic spears in her hands made people keep their distance.
"This power is so strong."
Artoria looked at her hands wrapped in purple leather and touched her face. She looked at the shadow reflected on the floor; it was indeed Master. Subconsciously, Artoria prepared her right hand to measure that chest, but she was stopped by her left hand. For some reason, her left hand suddenly stopped obeying her.
Immediately after, the possession on Artoria's body disappeared. Artoria looked at the floor in confusion. Did Master have her own consciousness? The moment this thought appeared, Artoria broke out in a cold sweat.
"Kiyohime, please lend me the power of the Berserker."
A flash of golden light passed, and a small, cute figure stood in place. Artoria tried to measure again, and this time there was no abnormality. The breasts were indeed not small, but slightly smaller than her own. Although she didn't know where the sudden feeling of disappointment came from, Artoria was soon captivated by the Noble Phantasm. A single use of 'Tenshin Kasyō Zanmai' directly vaporized everything in the vicinity, including her Shadow Clones.
"So strong."
Seeing only a large crater and some crystals remaining, Artoria nodded in satisfaction. Feeling her consumption, her magic power could handle three more shots, but it seemed the physical strength of this body was too weak. Thus, Kiyohime's role was just that of a glass-cannon ADC. She didn't have many choices now, but this could be considered a trump card.
"Saturday, find someone to fill in the training ground. I'm going to rest."
"Yes, master."
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