I was a Nerfed Hero in Another World

The words spread quickly after King Arthur died in my hands. There were no people inside the castle, but someone saw what I did to the knight. 

However, the rumours of a human with monstrous powers didn't bother me. Instead, it actually helped me share my name across the lands with ease. I didn't squeeze King Arthur about the Holy Grail, but I had Merleen by my side.

This girl didn't know necromancy, since the game developers cancelled it. But we could still use some bugs that linked to that forsaken power, which Merleen will use for King Arthur. 

"Please do the honours, Merleen. Extract the information about the Holy Grail," I commanded Merleen.

"Don't you know where it is? I remember hearing it from you," Merleen asked, but continued conjuring the spell I had instructed.

I nodded at her and replied, "It's from the Dragon's Lair….It has always been there. But just to make sure, I want to get everything right. There might be traps that we don't know, and that would cost us a fortune."

The Dragon's Lair was around south-east from where Camelot stood. We needed a long trip to retrieve the chalice, protected by a flying reptile. That dragon won't be a problem for Merleen and me, since we achieved the greatest power of all. And besides that, King Arthur left a gift just for me.

While Merleen focused on chanting her spell, I reached out my hands for the sword. Even though Excaliburs belonged to the wielder alone, this sword had its cheat.

"He who wields this sword from the stone, he shall be king."

Those were the words thrown by the game. It wasn't described as someone who had a chivalrous path, which King Arthur had paved. A strong will was enough for the Excalibur to choose his wielder. And King Arthur had every attribute for a king, which the game developers had promoted.

After killing the crown, an empty seat greeted my eyes. And when I seized the sword from King Arthur, the quote echoed through my ears.

"Welcome, new king of Camelot!" The system cheered, and gave me rewards I didn't deserve.

But since I defeated the holy knight, I became the king of this land. Every person will force themselves to obey me, which is the perk of being a king. Some townspeople would go against me, but that didn't matter for now. 

If I present the Holy Grail and save Albion, the kingdoms will have no other choice but to listen to me. And when that happens, I will create a new world for my happiness alone. 

The world gave me a chance to live a second life. It would be a shame if I didn't use it as I pleased, which would mock my second life.

Upon gripping Excalibur, my system increased my strength and statistical power. It even surpassed my original account, which was the strongest character from my time. Although I had my Clarent in my other hand, I could still harness Excalibur's power. 

Two swords rested on each of my fingers, granting me the power of a god. I had the option to kill and save someone's life. And since Merleen was my partner, she inherited my abilities as well. That girl was no knight but a wizard with an uncapped arcane coursing through her veins.

Aegis was still inside my inventory, which turned into something else. Since I had two weapons in each hand, the mighty shield became a passive ability. It also became a spell, which I could use if a tough battle would occur. 

But that event may not be necessary, considering the power I received throughout my transformation.

After a few seconds, Merleen announced the information she received. It turned out King Arthur's location of Holy Grail remained the same as my intel. 

"It's from the Dragon's Lair, Arthur. Nothing has changed," Merleen confessed, and threw King Arthur's corpse away.

The immobile, rotting body of King Arthur rested on the side. King Arthur glared in my direction, even after death. If I didn't accept Crayman's offer, I would be the one on that side….I would have been the one who's dead by now.

"Are we going for the Holy Grail or is there anything we need to do?" Merleen asked, as she retracted all her spells.

The mana surrounding us became a flood of arcane, flowing in every direction. Merleen knew how to control her mana but the amount she had overwhelmed her. That girl just let it all out while fighting King Arthur, which gave us a fighting chance.

After the battle, Merleen absorbed everything and returned the atmosphere into a normal state. Since we already completed our mission, the two of us made our way outside the citadel. 

I shook my head and finally answered Merleen's question, "No. We conquer every land governed by King Arthur. After taking control of his people, we will search for the Dragon's Lair. We also need to hunt down the one who has spread the system's power to random people. Basically, those two before taking the Holy Grail."

"What if our friends stop us?" Merleen threw another question at me.

It took me a while before answering that question. When I obtained this power, I planned on killing anyone standing in my way. King Arthur and his allies would hunt me down, especially after cutting the crown. But if our friends heard the news, they might stop me from fulfilling our rampage.

Lilith was our made problem if that occurrence becomes a reality. When we first met, Lilith was the most powerful demon that could stand a chance against Abaddon and King Arthur. Although King Arthur had his raw strength, Lilith had dark magic strong enough to create a meteor. 

But now, Merleen would have the advantage. After taking my arcane, Merleen became more powerful than ever before. 

And each of our friends had their own systems. Those systems would continue levelling up, expanding their potentials. Even though it would take a while, those people could reach our ranks. And that was the reason Merleen and I needed to decide our comrade's fate.

"So, what would it be, Arthur? Are we going to get rid of them, or are we going to let them go?" 

"No!" I shouted, but returned to my calm state. "No….We take care of it by not taking care of it. If our friends turn their backs against us, we must….put a stop of their actions. Neutralise them if possible. But if they really stand in our way, we have no other choice but to kill them."

"Our battle against our friends won't turn out….exciting. It would be bitter, Merleen. But if we want change, we will be the driving force for that. Our goal is to get the Holy Grail and change the world. But if Lilith and her team wanted to change the world apart from our vision, she could gladly do so. Let's be the challenge for them to overcome…..I think that's the right thing to do," I continued, as the two of us strolled the ruined Kingdom of Camelot.

After our battle against King Arthur, the kingdom had turned into shambles. The town had multiple casualties, which came from our hands. But since King Arthur was the first one to strike, we cared little about these deaths. 

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," I uttered to myself, while browsing the aftermath of….everything.

As soon as we walked a couple of miles, Merleen and I arrived at the road. When we gazed in the distance, the people walked away from Camelot. A few soldiers led the march, hoping they could find a shelter. If I had to guess it right, these people would relocate towards the Kingdom of Caerleon. 

"What do we do about that, Arthur?" Merleen asked.

I replied, "What else but instil fear in the people. They must have known the news and thought that we won't catch up….Come on. Let's go and prove them wrong. We'll kill the ones who want to fight us, okay?"

Within a few seconds, Merleen and I transported ourselves in front of the marching crowd. The soldiers protecting the people armed themselves with their weapons. Since these soldiers showed hostility, I returned their wrath and revealed the two swords. 

When the people of Camelot recognised the weapon, they all knelt before me. Even the soldiers, who swore to protect these people, joined the crowd. The group begged for mercy whilst praising my presence.

"They didn't even want to fight us. Well, that makes things quicker," I uttered, and returned my focus to the crowd before me. "In case you're not aware, we were the ones who killed your precious king. And ironically as it is, my name is Arthur, just like the crown you first worshipped. Nobody's going to protect you but me! I have only one instruction for the rest of you! Pledge your loyalty to me, and I will ensure your safety!"