Player's Journey In Anime World

Take the earliest equipped Time Gem as an example: not only were its abilities of time acceleration and time suspension greatly enhanced, but it also gained a new power—Time Reversal! It could turn back the strings of time and restore everything to its original state. The system's description was both concise and commanding, directly revealing the essence of this ability.

Before traveling through time, whether it was Doctor Strange manipulating the Time Stone to toy with the Dark Dimension overlord Dormammu, or a certain purple titan restoring the Infinity Stones destroyed by the Scarlet Witch, such scenes left a deep impression on Ryou. Watching enemies busily scheme, only to have everything undone with a snap of the fingers—that overwhelming, godlike flair was awe-inspiring! Now I, Nguyen Ryou, can wield such an incredible ability!

Empowered, Ryou was eager to test his newfound powers. Conveniently, he had a special invitation card obtained from defeating Mordred (see the end of the Fate/Apocrypha arc for details). After resting for a few days, Ryou used the invitation card to travel to the era of Arthurian legends.

In the next moment, when Ryou returned to Chaldea, two figures were by his side. One was the noble Empress Artoria, clad in golden-white armor, with a majestic yet voluptuous figure—Lantoria. The other was a similarly well-endowed woman in a blue and purple gown, her face veiled—a special character from a certain gacha game, Morgan.

This time, Ryou replaced Mordred in the storyline via the special invitation card. Mordred's regret was her yearning for Artoria's recognition. Ryou fulfilled this perfectly—perhaps too perfectly—indirectly altering Artoria's philosophy of kingship. So much so that this Sacred Empress began to show troubling tendencies, becoming particularly attached to her Imperial Crown Prince.

Are you Artoria in name, but Raikou in spirit?!

Ryou was exasperated. His only intent had been to cultivate the land diligently. He had already experienced similar scenarios twice before, yet this time things had gone slightly awry.

Though he had no intention of wooing Artoria, she seemed to be heading down a path reminiscent of a Sonn-con. And not just Artoria herself—Morgan was openly trying to seduce him, seemingly as a form of retaliation against Artoria. Ryou was genuinely distressed. He had shifted from his usual aggressive approach solely because the system assigned him the role of Artoria and Morgan's artificial son. Before the transmigration journey, Ryou hadn't been well-regarded by his parents and even felt some fear towards his mother. So this time, with the system setting him up as their son, he had no ulterior motives—just the desire to complete the mission. Perhaps even to bring Artoria and Morgan together as a couple. But why had things turned out like this? Instead of growing closer, the two women diverged. Morgan, noticing Artoria's burgeoning affection for Ryou, began seducing him in retaliation to provoke Artoria. Ryou felt utterly drained.

Everything had seemed so normal at the start. When he first entered this special instance, Morgan had intended to recommend him directly to King Arthur as a Knight of the Round Table. But Ryou, ever the mischief-maker, had no intention of following the original timeline. He refused Morgan's proposal and, over five years, transformed a humble village into a bustling metropolis second only to Camelot. It is well known that the Knights of the Round Table are famed for their martial prowess but lack significant administrative accomplishments—even Agravain was merely the best of a mediocre bunch. Ryou's unparalleled administrative skills immediately drew Artoria's attention. She sent emissaries to invite him to join the Knights of the Round Table.

The first time, Artoria sent soldiers to invite him. Ryou politely dismissed them. The second time, Gawain stormed over in fury, only to be thrown out. The third time, Artoria herself came, intrigued by Ryou. After an intense discussion on the geopolitical state of Europe, Artoria was thoroughly impressed. In her mind, Ryou was now on par with a certain relaxed national advisor. Without hesitation, Artoria appointed Ryou as Chancellor. At that time, Artoria had just quelled domestic unrest and had yet to establish her full prestige through consecutive victories. Promoting Ryou directly to such a high position was an audacious move, drawing skepticism from both allies and enemies, all of whom turned their eyes to Camelot.

In Camelot, the Knights of the Round Table were equally displeased. These warriors, unversed in literature or strategy, saw Ryou's repeated refusals as arrogance and an insult to their revered King Arthur. To make matters worse, Ryou's instant promotion to chancellor placed him above the knights, further stoking their resentment. Almost everyone—except for one person—waited eagerly for Ryou to fail. That exception was none other than Morgan. Having long given up on her wayward "son," she was ecstatic to see him pull off such a feat, rekindling her hopes of exacting revenge on Artoria.

To RYou, Morgan seemed like a yandere. She likely harbored feelings for Artoria but expressed her love in destructive ways, seeking to obliterate everything Artoria cherished to ensure she could never forget her.

Amid the sea of hostile gazes, Ryou entered Camelot's royal court. And then, he truly caused a sensation. Before the entire Round Table, Ryou made a bold proposal: Anyone could join the Knights of the Round Table and take a seat—except Artoria herself. A king must stand apart, an independent and exalted figure. A king belongs on the throne, not at the table.

As Ryou spoke, Artoria remained silent, but the gathered Knights of the Round Table could not contain their outrage. To them, sharing a seat with the King was their greatest honor, symbolizing the collective glory of the Round Table. Ryou's suggestion was tantamount to dismantling the very foundation of the Round Table.

Unacceptable!

Almost every knight responded by hurling iron gauntlets at Ryou, a traditional challenge to duel. This, of course, was exactly what Ryou had intended—to provoke the knights and establish his dominance.

The outcome was predictable. Having reached the level of a demigod, equipped with divine armor and god-level skills, there was no chance Ryou would lose. It was impossible; even if he stood still, they couldn't breach his defenses. Inevitably, the entire Round Table was utterly defeated by him, single-handedly. Neither the sorrowful Tristan, the invincible Gawain under the sun, nor Lancelot, considered the greatest knight even above King Arthur in martial skill, could withstand him. They were all decisively crushed in mere moments.

The knights were secretly relieved, however, that the duel had been held in private at King Arthur's insistence. Initially, they thought the King was trying to protect Ryou's dignity; only later did they realize it was to shield their honor. The King, as always, remained kind and considerate.

From that day forward, nearly all of the knights avoided Ryou whenever they saw him. Through sheer force, he had brutally subdued the Round Table and established his supreme authority.

Ryou had no other choice. If he wanted to swiftly bring the Round Table under control to implement his policies, this was the most efficient route. Of course, convincing Artoria to step away from the Round Table was also part of his real agenda. A king, no matter how approachable, should not sit on equal footing with their knights in public settings....

A king is a king, above all others. Artoria was the ruler, while the knights were her subjects. How could they sit as equals?

The initial purpose of the Round Table may have been to foster unity, but over time, it bred dangerous ideas among its members. This was why Tristan had once openly accused King Arthur of lacking understanding of the human heart. It was why Lancelot had an illicit affair with Queen Guinevere, resulting in her being sentenced to death and Lancelot rescuing her from the execution grounds. It was why Gawain, driven by personal grudges, had incited Artoria to launch an expedition against France to punish Lancelot.

These chaotic events revealed one undeniable truth: though the knights outwardly respected and supported King Arthur, deep down, they saw themselves as equals to her. Such a mindset was extremely dangerous.

In truth, all the ensuing turmoil began when Artoria sat at the Round Table. Sometimes, Ryou couldn't help but wonder if King Leodegrance, who gifted the Round Table to Artoria and sowed the seeds of the knights' eventual discord, was secretly an enemy spy sent to undermine Britain.

With his dominance over the Round Table secured, Ryoug found it easier to proceed. The knights prided themselves on upholding the code of chivalry that Artoria had set forth. Thus, even though they disliked Ryou personally, they begrudgingly implemented his reforms because they felt the King's watchful gaze upon them.

Eventually, after a long discussion, Ryou persuaded Artoria to relinquish her place at the Round Table and sit upon the royal throne in the council chamber instead. With the path ahead now clear, Ryou began his transformation of Camelot. His first goal was to unite all of Britain under one kingdom.

Its geography made large-scale agriculture impractical. Instead, its island nature made developing fishing and naval power the logical path, alongside some animal husbandry.

At the time, there was no concept of a navy. It wasn't until the rise of Spain and Portugal, whose powerful fleets swept across the globe, establishing colonies and growing rich on their resources, that the importance of naval power became evident. Britain's fishermen, already skilled at sea, could be trained into an exceptional navy. The real challenge was the lack of warships. In this era, with cannons yet to be invented, naval battles relied on boarding actions, which allowed physically strong Viking raiders to dominate.

Fortunately, Ryou could solve this by designing warships himself. He could exchange for blueprints through his system and have local shipbuilders, accustomed to crafting fishing vessels, learn by trial and error.

To break through initial difficulties, Ryou focused on agriculture and livestock, using milk and meat to improve the physical fitness of Camelot's population while boosting the economy. At the same time, he avoided rushing into naval development. It was widely known that the Navy was the most expensive military branch to maintain, bar none. Instead, Ryou prioritized fishing, which not only bolstered the economy but also laid a solid foundation for naval development.

To develop Camelot's economy, Ryou paused territorial expansion and shifted to a defensive strategy. Having mastered the farming strategy, Ryou knew that the early stages of development were the hardest. But if they could endure this period, the mid-to-late stages would bring unstoppable growth, requiring little effort beyond straightforward execution. Camelot's apparent weakness emboldened neighboring nations eager to see Ryou fail. They launched raids and provocations, looting and burning at the borders. Yet Camelot was far from defenseless. With Ryou's introduction of improved English longbows and crossbows, these incursions quickly met devastating resistance.

In this era, a knight's full plate armor was little more than thin iron plating. Ryou's advanced weapons, however, far surpassed the capabilities of the time. Whenever invading forces clashed with Camelot's longbow or crossbow units, they suffered bloody massacres. The knights were initially critical, believing such methods dishonorable and contrary to the chivalric code. But Ryou paid no mind to their complaints. He knew that cavalry, no matter how glorious, would inevitably be rendered obsolete by history.

After three years of steady development, Camelot experienced significant growth. Its population increased, the average citizen became healthier, and the economy flourished. At this point, Ryou proposed to Artoria that it was time to resume expansion. The Red Dragon of Britain, dormant for three years, began to bare its fangs once more.