Altered Mordred

Arc 2 Extra 2

Life in the Medieval era was vastly inferior and distinct from the Modern era. There was no running water nor sanitation. On a daily basis, villagers must carry water from wells and rivers to water their crops and cook food. They would work tirelessly to support their village and their families, leaving little time for entertainment. Only the children could laze around and play.

I was one such child, a normal person who died and reincarnated into the nasuverse. It would be a lie if I said I didn't miss the luxuries of electronic devices and bottled water. However, these cons were replaced by the existence of magecraft.

"Open status." I spoke the magic words to activate one of my skills. Before my eyes, a blue screen akin to a rpg status window revealed itself.

I was one of the few who were gifted the 'gamer system' by the isekai gods. This ability allowed me to be proficient in magecraft and the power to retain my past memories. As a bonus, I was reborn in the world of the Fate series. The Fate lore was something I was heavily invested in my previous life, making it easy for me to modify a few parts in the story to suit my taste.

My ultimate goal, of course, was to create a harem of heroic spirits. I already had my sights on Artoria, the future king of Ancient Britain. She was at a young age of four and had not been taken by Merlin for tutoring. Since we were of the same age, forming a friendship with her was easy. Plus, as the son of the duke who was close friends with the current King my chances of success were exponentially high.

I simply had to walk up to her, enjoy friendly conversations, and extend an invitation of friendship.

Today was no different as I laid on the edge of the woods, waiting for Artoria to join me on our weekly picnic.

A wooden basket filled with sandwiches--homemade by yours truly--settled by my side. I laid on the grass, enjoying the warm spring breeze as I waited for the future King of Knights.

It was weird for her to be late; she was never late for our play dates.

"Looking for someone?" A shadow blocked the sun from reaching my head. I swiftly rolled away from the stranger and got to my feet a short distance away.

The figure was a knight completely decked in knight armor made from a black metal alloy. A large two-handed sword rested on his shoulders and balanced using his right hand.

"Can I help you?" I warily asked the knight. The land we stood on was the property of the royal family. For a knight to be allowed passage here, it meant he was either friendly, or at the very least, a soldier of Britain. Even so, I could not find any mention of him in Fate lore and any ancient myths of King Arthur.

"Yes, actually." He tapped his sword on his shoulder.

"Appraise." I hastily muttered under my breath. This skill would allow access to my target's fighting prowess in the form of a blue screen filled with labels and numbers. To understand my opponent was the first step to my survival.

A blue glow enveloped my vision, signaling the successful activation of my skill. A blue screen should have appeared...Yet, something else took its place.

A black transparent void entered my vision. It oozed out purple and red smog, blurring my sight of everything other than the void itself.

Then, a pair of skeleton hands soaked in viscous black fluids reached out and swiped its bony fingers at my left eye.

I screamed in pain and balled up on the grass field with both hands cupping my injury. The blood would not stop seeping out of my eye socket as a pool of warm liquids filled my palms.

"You shouldn't have done that." The knight shook his head in disapproval.

The knight patiently waited for my pain to subside. The adrenaline kicked in, numbing the pain and providing the strength I needed to speak.