Reborn with Steve Stand

Chapter 799-3: Nyarlathotep, I got a job for you

[System Notification: A new module feature has been detected. Researching it will unlock the download permission.]

"...Hmm?"

Fang Mo paused briefly after hearing the system notification.

To be honest, he was a little surprised, since this was the first module he had triggered since arriving in the Fate universe.

Previously, in an attempt to unlock a module, he had forced Archer to project various items in the Dimensional Prison, including weapons like Caladbolg, Kanshou and Bakuya, Rho Aias, and many others. However, none of it had worked. Now, having just stepped into the underground leyline, the system notification had sounded.

With this in mind, Fang Mo looked ahead at the leyline.

The underground cavern housing the leyline was impressively vast, as if the entirety of Mount Enzou had been hollowed out. In this massive space, there was a naturally formed stone altar surrounded by pools of magma, and towering stalagmites all pointed toward the altar.

Streams of powerful magic flowed from various directions, converging in the center. Above the altar, a strange and indescribable orb of light hovered, formed from the gathered magic.

Fang Mo squinted to observe the orb. It wasn't large—perhaps because the Holy Grail War hadn't yet concluded, the Grail hadn't fully activated. The orb appeared small, resembling a compressed magical singularity, shimmering with an eerie glow.

"So, this is the leyline and the Greater Grail?" Fang Mo muttered as he slowly approached the altar.

Once atop the altar, he began analyzing the mechanics of the Greater Grail without hesitation.

Soon, his consciousness began to extend outward, like ripples in water, flowing through the leyline’s magic circuits, gradually encompassing the entire city.

Unlike the Lesser Grail, which was merely a container, the Greater Grail was the true manifestation of the Third Magic, created by the Einzbern family. It enabled the materialization of souls and allowed mages to reach the Root by using the returning spirits of Heroic Servants to open a gateway beyond the world.

As Fang Mo studied it, he realized that the system was more complex than he had initially thought.

Unlike the protective mechanism around the Heroic Spirit summoning, the Greater Grail's magical formation lacked defensive wards, allowing Fang Mo to freely observe its structure and analyze its principles. However, the underlying system was extraordinarily intricate.

If the summoning of Heroic Spirits could be likened to a video game where Fang Mo could hack into the system and modify character data, the Greater Grail system was akin to an entire server, built with a vast array of hardware components. To replicate it, Fang Mo would need to construct everything from the CPU, GPU, and motherboard, to managing the electrical currents, cooling systems, and complex hardware configurations.

"I swear..."

Realizing just how convoluted the Grail's system was, Fang Mo couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.

Even in the game world, Fang Mo was primarily a PvP player—the type to single-handedly take on groups in games like Bed Wars. But ask him to build a complicated contraption? That would just give him a digital headache...

However, since the Holy Grail had the potential to send him back to his homeworld, Fang Mo endured and continued his careful research.

Not long after, he encountered another problem: the Greater Grail system required the Lesser Grail as a key to activate it.

The Greater Grail was powered by the leyline of Fuyuki City and did not lack magical energy. This meant that Fang Mo couldn’t simply force the Grail to activate using raw power. The system required a sufficient number of dead Heroic Spirits to act as a medium for triggering the gateway to the Root.

"...Damn it," Fang Mo cursed under his breath.

Just as he was about to voice his frustration, the system notification chimed again.

[System Notification: Concepts such as ‘Element,’ ‘Mysticism,’ ‘Miracle,’ ‘Corruption and Pollution,’ ‘Node,’ and ‘Magic’ have been researched. You have gained download permission for a new module.]

[System Notification: The ‘Thaumcraft’ module is now downloading.]

[System Notification: ‘Thaumcraft’ module download complete. Would you like to load it?]

"...Hmm?"

The name of the module caught Fang Mo's attention. "So it’s the ‘Thaumcraft’ module? I thought it would be something like ‘Nature’s Aura’..."

For players familiar with modding servers, the Thaumcraft module needed no introduction. It was a classic among magic mods, much like the Industrial Revolution mod in the tech tree, and it had remained active from ancient times to the present day, bringing with it a rich history of features. RἈ????ÖβÊṩ

This mod introduced an entirely new system, covering crafting, enchanting, smelting, combat, exploration, mining, and more. At its core was the concept of alchemy’s four classical elements: Earth, Water, Fire, and Air, along with the special aspects of Order and Chaos. Players could not only cast elemental spells but also create magical golems, delve into alchemy, and even explore dark and twisted rituals.

Fang Mo had played this module before, but he hadn’t delved too deeply into it due to his impatience.

If there was one part he did enjoy, though, it was "stew-making" at a friend's house—essentially tossing a bunch of random items into an Arcane Alembic and causing a Thaumic flux disaster...

Given that it was late, Fang Mo decided not to head straight to the Einzbern castle. Instead, they checked into a nearby hotel for the night.

Although Fang Mo had no identification, it turned out that gold was incredibly persuasive. The receptionist nearly licked his shoes in gratitude...

After they settled into the hotel, Sakura quickly fell asleep on the bed. Even though her magic was impressive, she was still a child, and staying up late had worn her out.

Fang Mo, on the other hand, didn’t sleep. He sat in the hotel’s living room, deep in thought about his next moves.

If he wanted to, Fang Mo could wipe out the remaining Servants in under half an hour, throwing them all into the Grail. But that would be far too boring. Having made it this far, he decided to plan something memorable—something that Rin Tohsaka would never forget.

After thinking for a while, Fang Mo drafted his plan.

He summoned a piece of paper from Steve's inventory and began writing, but soon frowned, tore the paper to shreds, and started again.

After several failed attempts, Fang Mo grew frustrated. Reaching into his body, he rummaged around and pulled out a pitch-black, intricately carved statue.

The figure depicted an eldritch god with a grotesque, three-legged body and an elongated, twisted tendril where its head should be. The room dimmed as soon as the statue was revealed, and an unnamable, dark aura began to spread.

"Hello? Hello, Nyarlathotep?"

Fang Mo treated the statue like a telephone, tapping it as if making a call. "I’ve got a job for you—are you available?"

No sooner had he spoken than footsteps echoed from behind the sofa.

It was the sound of leather shoes on tiles. Soon, a tall figure approached.

"You sure know how to get around, huh?"

The man, who bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain former U.S. president, grinned broadly as he sat down on the opposite sofa. "Hmm... Another new world, I see. Fascinating... A Cosmic Egg-type universe, no less."

"Here, I’ve got a gift for you."

Without acknowledging the comment, Fang Mo pulled out a strange, dark green sword.

"Huh? What’s this?"

The man blinked in surprise. "Wait, is that...?"

"Oh, I had a little falling out with him." Fang Mo waved dismissively. "We fought for a bit. I didn’t want to go too far, so I used some Elder Signs and locked him up inside this sword."

"Pfft! Hahaha!!"

The man burst out laughing. "You sealed him up with a bunch of Elder Signs? Hahaha! Why would he pick a fight with you of all people?"

Still chuckling, the man took the sword from Fang Mo.

Though he held the hilt with ease, he avoided touching the blade as if it were distasteful.

"Oh, and one more thing."

Fang Mo shifted to the real reason for his call. "I need a speech written. Preferably something with memetic hazards. You’re the best orator among the Outer Gods—could you write one for me?"

"A speech?"

Nyarlathotep raised an eyebrow. "What, are you running for office now? Planning to toy with this little island nation’s humans?"

"It’s not about playing with them. I’ve just come up with a brilliant script," Fang Mo explained with a mischievous smile. "The cast is already assembled. All that’s missing is the speech."

Nyarlathotep grinned in response, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

"You know what?"

"I can’t wait to see their reactions.”