Chapter 206: [206] Staying Up Late Playing Games Hurts Both Body and Mind

Words : 1532 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Chapter 206 - [206] Staying Up Late Playing Games Hurts Both Body and Mind Despite having a contract personally signed by Kayneth and possessing formidable strength, Sakatsuki still faced strong resistance from the Archibald family. The reason was simple: Sakatsuki was an outsider. For a magus family that passed down their Magic Crest, only those who bore the family name were qualified to become the head of the household. An uninvited guest like Sakatsuki, who appeared out of nowhere, was utterly unworthy of succeeding Kayneth as a Lord. However, in the faction-ridden Clock Tower, matters involving the twelve Lords were never decided by a single family alone—yes, even family affairs were no exception. Within the Clock Tower, there existed a Rashomon Gate, where human kindness was shut out beyond the tower while human malice thrived within. Factions hostile to the Archibalds were more than happy to see an outsider take over the family. The inability to inherit the Magic Crest meant that the Archibald family would collapse after Sakatsuki's departure, falling from grace. Allies of the Archibalds had mostly abandoned them after the death of Lord Kayneth. Rufleus, the head of the Spiritual Evocation Department and the father of Kayneth's fiancée, had even drawn a clear line, openly becoming an enemy. As for the remaining "allies," they were all scheming under the guise of alliance. Even if some families were willing to lend a hand, they would certainly be pleased to see someone single-handedly prop up the declining El-Melloi, even if that person wasn't from the family. What would become of the next generation of the Archibald family? That, of course, was not something these people cared about. Amidst internal and external crises, a drowning person would desperately clutch at any straw of hope—and now that Reines had pushed Waver to the forefront, even bestowing the name "El-Melloi" upon him, as long as Waver didn't do anything foolish, he would undoubtedly rise to prominence, becoming one of the twelve supreme "Lords" of the Clock Tower. One could say that Sakatsuki's actions, which pitted himself against the Archibald family, were essentially paving the way for Waver's rise. Faced with such a stroke of luck, most people would be overjoyed, right? Yet Waver, far from feeling happy, frowned and asked the leisurely young man. "Why are you helping me to this extent? I don't think there's anything about me that you would covet." "Who knows?" The young man smiled brightly. "By the way, in this Holy Grail War, I became a Knight of the Round Table under Saber, and you became a vassal of the King of Conquerors, Iskandar—thinking about it, we really are fated, aren't we?" "Hey, you can't just say that out loud!" Waver panicked and glanced at Melvin, but the latter didn't seem to mind. "It's fine, Waver. Sakatsuki has already told me all those stories. I must say, it was quite an exciting war. I almost regret not booking a double seat on that plane!" "Even from a personal perspective, I look forward to your future performance." Sakatsuki thought to himself that he couldn't very well say he wanted to see Waver suffer from stomachaches caused by his students, so he put on a serious face. "I have my path, and you have your battlefield. Just don't disappoint my expectations." "Understood..." Waver looked at the smiling young man and, for some reason, felt his nose tingling. After the King of Conquerors left, Sakatsuki was the second person to help him so much. "I will strive to fulfill my duties as a teacher and take responsibility for myself!" After the newly minted Lord El-Melloi II left with great determination, Sakatsuki and Melvin exchanged a glance and shook their heads helplessly. "What a fool. He could have chosen an easier path for himself, but he had to take this one." "That's exactly why I chose him, Mr. Sakatsuki." The pleasure-seeking tuner coughed lightly and smiled. "To be honest, life itself is a vector. Even if left alone, it will develop skills and abilities. Staying stagnant is actually more difficult. In a place like the Clock Tower, there are plenty of humans whose half-baked magical talents have blossomed." Looking at the doorway where Waver had left, Melvin continued. "...But it's rare for the vector itself to change. It's like being reborn from the very roots of one's soul. Especially someone like him, who has so thoroughly confronted his own mediocrity—I've only ever seen one person like that. Isn't that enough to pique one's interest?" "Hmph, a pair of bickering lovebirds. Then you can continue to witness his life." Sakatski put down his teacup. "But before that, our lesson isn't over yet, is it, Professor Melvin?" "Got it, got it. Since you've paid with a mythical mystic code, I'll reluctantly force my body to keep working overtime." The man known as the "Tuner" shrugged and resumed the lesson that had been interrupted by Waver's arrival. "All living beings possess their own inherent wavelengths. Whether it's ants, birds, or humans. Although the wavelengths of blood relatives are similar, they are never exactly the same... The problem is that a Magic Crest is also a form of life, so it has a wavelength different from its host. Therefore, by aligning the wavelengths of both as closely as possible, the efficiency of the Crest can be significantly improved..." The flickering light cast two motionless shadows on the yellowed white wall, like a mysterious and static ritual painting. *** Ting... Ting... Ting... From somewhere, the muffled tolling of a bell echoed. Walking along a quiet valley path, a young man cloaked in black robes held a long spear, his expression solemn. A silver light streaked across the sky. While the silver powder disrupted his vision, a vicious lash followed, as if prearranged. From both sides of the path, two burly men wielding strange weapons leaped out—one with a dagger, the other attacking with a mutated arm. The only response was the increasingly fierce tip of the spear. The whip was caught by the spear shaft, and the ambusher was helplessly pulled toward the young man, only to have his head pierced from above. The dagger slashed the young man's side, but the cost was having his own head smashed into the ground, ending his life. The mutated arm missed its strike and was cleanly severed by a blade projected by the young man, followed by the loss of its owner's head. The battle ended, and the young man, who had fought one against three, put away his spear and exhaled a long breath. Suddenly, his head spun. "Poison...?" With a thud, his body collapsed, and his soul ascended into the sky. Ting... Ting... Ting... The death knell echoed through the valley, presenting a single word before the soul's vision— Noob. "Damn it all!" In the quiet of the night, the young man's indignant cry pierced the heavens, lingering for a long time. The next day, the young man, with dark circles under his eyes and disheveled hair, stood in front of the sink, brushing his teeth and washing his face with a look of utter frustration. After tidying up a bit, he left his room and headed for the library. As for Sakatsuki's purpose in coming to the Clock Tower, there were actually three. First, the Clock Tower was also a location indicated by the mysterious treasure map, and the treasure had already been obtained by Sakatsuki—by means of slaughtering an entire family. Second, to assist Waver Velvet in becoming Lord El-Melloi II, accelerating the process of solidifying his authority. This wasn't just out of expectation for Waver but also one of the foundations Sakatsuki was laying in this world. In Fuyuki City, there was Kariya Matou; in the Clock Tower, there was Lord El-Melloi II. In the open, there was Sakatsuki himself, and in the shadows, there was the magus killer, Kiritsugu Emiya. If he were to leave and never return, so be it. But if he still had ties to this world, upon his return, Sakatsuki wouldn't have to start from scratch. As for the third and most important purpose— Stopping at the entrance of the library, magi came and went, but upon seeing the young man, they automatically cleared a path. After the "god of slaughter" passed, they exchanged uneasy glances and canceled their plans to visit the library that day. Sakatsuki, however, stepped into the library, ascending to the top-floor archive reserved for family heads. The third purpose was to organize his own magical system, study the incredibly realistic dreams he had every night, and... Investigate what exactly Nameless had stuffed into the Shadow of the Imaginary Number. After gathering all the books on Imaginary Number magecraft and placing them on the desk, Sakatsuki calmed his mind and began to study. *** Hey readers! Want to read ahead? ???? Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance Chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster. ????/aarvan????

Chapter 206: [206] Staying Up Late Playing Games Hurts Both Body and Mind

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