Chapter 305: The Smallest Price

Ailisi Feier listened, feeling a bit bewildered; this was completely different from her Cognition.

Weber twitched the corner of his mouth, thinking that this Caster's way of thinking was on the same wavelength as the most annoying instructors of the Clock Tower…

"But…"

Ailisi Feier hesitated, "If the Holy Grail truly could grant the victor's wish, even if it isn't omnipotent, then…"

"It wouldn't be up to me to have any wish that must be realized through it."

Black Tower interrupted her, tone flat, "The things I want, I will research myself, craft myself, or exchange equivalently. Pinning hope on a cup of unknown origin and dubious mechanism?"

She tilted her head slightly, glanced at Ailisi Feier with her violet eyes, her gaze lingering on her—especially around the chest—for an extremely brief instant.

That glance made Ailisi Feier inexplicably feel a slight shiver, as if her deepest secret had been seen through.

Black Tower seemed to have indeed noticed something, but she quickly withdrew her gaze, looked back at the Light Screen, tone still unruffled: "Fine."

She said nothing further.

She did not comment on the foolishness of this design.

After all, in her view, the world's Magic system is interesting, but many aspects are marked by inefficiency and inexplicable stubbornness.

Ailisi Feier fell silent, her red eyes slightly lowered.

She knew that this Caster had probably already sensed the abnormality in her body.

But the other chose not to expose it, and that attitude made her feelings complicated.

Weber completely failed to grasp the profound duel between the two women, merely looking around bewildered, feeling the atmosphere grew stranger.

At that moment, Black Tower suddenly, without warning, raised a hand, made a "wait" gesture, her sharp gaze focusing on a corner of the Light Screen—there, at the edge of the Rider channel image, seemed to catch a fleeting glint.

However, before she could analyze further, another surprise arrived first.

Golden light particles gathered in the nearby air without any sign.

First appeared the pair of crimson, arrogant eyes, followed by luxurious Golden Armor, and that flamboyant golden hair.

Archer, Gilgamesh, arms crossed, stepped down slowly on an invisible staircase, his scarlet pupils scanning the three people at the doorway, finally fixing on Black Tower.

A subtle, excited expression hung on his handsome face.

"Hmph, still here, Caster."

Hero King's voice carried its usual condescending tone, "What, waiting for your Master, that tough Miscellaneous Cultivation, to clean the filth below so you can reap the benefits?"

Weber shrank back in fear, and Ailisi Feier also clenched her hand nervously.

Archer's appearance was far from friendly, especially at this critical moment.

Black Tower merely glanced at him plainly, even too lazy to fully shift her gaze from the Light Screen.

"What are you here for? Also want to go down and clean?"

Her tone had no inflection, as if dismissing a bothersome automated salesman.

"Clean? Such dirty work is not something The King should do."

Archer sneered, his scarlet eyes fixed on Black Tower, the provocation obvious, "The King is here to see what gave you the nerve to repeatedly ignore The King…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: he came to reclaim the stage and flaunt his presence.

Black Tower this time didn't even bother to turn her head, while quickly scanning a newly marked large energy reaction point in A Xing's view on the Light Screen, she said in a flat tone, "Oh. Since you saw it, you may go. Or do you want to experience it yourself, feel the warm bed? There should still be a vacancy below."

"You—!"

Archer's anger visibly rose, golden ripples beginning to surge behind him.

But Black Tower's next words made him pause.

"Besides, your temper seems especially high today, and your judgment has deteriorated sharply."

Black Tower finally turned her head, eyes calmly meeting Archer's; the gaze was not at a powerful Heroic Spirit but at an anomalous test subject, "Usually arrogant, but at least you know balance and observation. Now you act like a clumsily puppeteered marionette, only baring teeth at the most conspicuous target."

Archer's pupils slightly contracted, a flash of the cold anger mentioned flickering in his crimson eyes.

Black Tower ignored him, looked back at the screen, as if she had merely stated a fact.

(Sure enough, the mind was affected. A very covert method, Huan Long's handiwork.)

She stayed outside, monitoring the underground progress and providing necessary remote support; the defense was this very measure—to prevent any "unexpected factor" covertly influenced by Huan Long from interfering with the main task.

Archer's appearance precisely confirmed her prediction.

The current problem was how to, at the smallest cost, send away this Hero King afflicted with an "Irritable Provocation" debuff, while preventing him from actually causing trouble.

She unconsciously tapped her finger on the edge of the Light Screen, her mind racing through plans.

Meanwhile, deep underground.

Artoria, the Knight King of Britannia, rank Saber, held the hilt of an invisible sword in one hand, while the other hand tightly covered her mouth and nose.

Emerald eyes filled with unprecedented shock and a hint of… Despair.

This passage was wider than she had expected, but the environment was even harsher.

Beneath her feet lay a slick, sticky secretion of unknown composition; the walls were covered with continuously oozing dark fluid and translucent egg‑shaped objects.

The air was stagnant, mixed with a pungent acidic liquid and…

…a terrifying smell as if fermented for eight hundred years, a blend of rotten fish and shrimp mingled with the ultimate Sewer stench!

Moreover, the deeper she went, the stronger the odor became, almost tangible, like countless stinky fists repeatedly pounding her olfactory nerves!

(Is this… the smell of the Insect Lair? How… how filthy!)

Saber considered her will steadfast; she never backs down before strong foes or dire situations, yet this odor, striking her physiological instincts and testing the limits of endurance, was truly the ultimate test of her knightly bearing.

She felt she could no longer keep a poker face, her brows knit tightly, breathing became extremely shallow, wishing she could seal her pores.

(The Master of the Caster… Miss A Xing, how does she move so calmly in this environment? Has her sense of smell… failed?)

With this mix of admiration and doubt, Saber finally reached a relatively open fork in the passage.

It resembled an abandoned small underground cavity, the ground scattered with more insect shells and unknown bones.

Then, she saw A Xing standing not far away, seemingly waiting for her.

Gray hair, golden eyes lacking any sparkle, expression flat, clothes stained with a bit of slime and dust, yet overall… unusually calm.

Even holding something in their hand.

Saber felt a jolt in her heart, forcedly enduring the discomfort, quickened her steps forward, preparing to rendezvous.

However, as the distance closed, the foul stench that had been tormenting her suddenly surged to a soul‑shaking peak!

"Ugh—!"