61: Conceptual weapon: A limited wish-granting machine called the Holy Grail

As Jiang Ming's thoughts touched it, an unprecedented interface unfolded in his mind.

[Conceptual Blueprint]:

[Emotional Value Investment]:

Jiang Ming did not hesitate at all; his thoughts transformed into text, directly constructing his initial vision within the first input box.

[Conceptual Blueprint]: Holy Grail, an omnipotent wishing machine capable of granting any wish of the final victor.

Almost the instant the text took shape, a line of cold system prompts surfaced immediately after.

[Detected infinite concepts such as 'any/omnipotent'. The required emotion points is incalculable. Please set specific rules and limitations.]

Jiang Ming was not surprised by this result.

A truly omnipotent item was, in itself, the ultimate disruption of rules.

If such a thing could be easily created, the entire game would lose all meaning and fun.

Therefore, what Jiang Ming needed was never an uncontrollable wishing machine, but an ultimate prize with clear rules, sufficient temptation, and for which the final right of interpretation would always belong to him.

Jiang Ming's mind raced at high speed, beginning to add precise shackles to this prize named the "Holy Grail."

His thoughts surged again, and beneath the [Conceptual Blueprint], brand new rules were rapidly added.

[Rule 1: The Holy Grail cannot grant wishes that overturn the foundations of the world. For example, subverting existing physical laws, resurrecting the dead on a global scale, or rewinding time to a specific point.]

[Rule 2: The Holy Grail cannot grant wishes that directly bestow 'omniscience and omnipotence' upon the user, nor can it conduct any form of investigation, interference, or harm toward the [fate selection system] and its host.]

This was absolute self-protection.

The Holy Grail War was a tool he used to harvest emotion points, and the Holy Grail itself was the bait.

He could absolutely not allow this bait to turn around and threaten the fisherman.

Furthermore, the existence of the system was his sole and highest secret, which no creation was permitted to touch.

[Rule 3: The strength of the wishes the Holy Grail can grant is linked to the total global emotional fluctuations generated by this Holy Grail War, but its basic functions must include, but are not limited to, the following items:]

[1. Acquire wealth equivalent to a nation's riches (generate one trillion USD of legal funds in any designated bank account globally).]

[2. Obtain the highest secular power of a sovereign nation (through a series of 'reasonable' events, making them the de facto supreme ruler of that country within one year).]

[3. Resurrect a single designated deceased person (the system does not guarantee that the resurrected individual will be 100% identical to their state before death).]

[4. Obtain eternal youth (physical functions and appearance will be permanently fixed at the peak state of twenty-five years old, but cannot be immune to physical damage and soul attacks).]

[5. Obtain a permanent transcendent ability (the ability's strength will be limited to the 'Advanced' category, and the type of ability will be randomly generated by the Holy Grail based on the wisher's subconscious).]

...Jiang Ming reviewed the rules he had set one by one.

Every single one precisely hit the G-spot of human nature.

Money, power, the resurrection of a lost loved one, eternal life, and transcendent power.

These temptations were enough to make 99.9% of the people in the world go completely mad, and enough to make those behemoths controlling state machines invest in this war at any cost.

At the same time, each rule carried clever limitations to ensure that the final 'fruit' would not exceed Jiang Ming's own range of control.

When the final rule was set, Jiang Ming entered a number into the second input box, [Emotional Value Investment].

Ten million.

This was the same level of emotion points consumed to unlock the sixth selection. To forge an artifact sufficient to serve as the final reward, it was neither too much nor too little—just right.

As Jiang Ming's settings were completed, the text on the system interface began to flicker.

[Conceptual Blueprint confirmed, rule logic is self-consistent.]

[Performing final calculation based on settings...]

[Calculation complete.]

[Artifact: 'Finite Wishing Machine · Holy Grail'.]

[Concept established, required emotion points: 10,000,000 points.]

[Confirm creation?]

"Confirm."

[emotion points Balance: 20,580,000]

The numbers jumped frantically, and ten million evaporated in an instant.

[emotion points Balance: 10,580,000]

Simultaneously, in the center of the presidential suite of this luxury hotel in Rome, a sudden change occurred.

The air seemed to turn into the surface of water, as invisible ripples undulated out of thin air.

Immediately after, the space in the very center of the room began to violently distort and fold.

A cluster of golden light, so blinding it was impossible to look at directly, appeared out of nowhere from the center of the distortion.

That light was not scorching, yet it carried an indescribable, supreme sense of holiness, illuminating the entire room as if it were a heavenly kingdom.

After the light appeared, it did not diffuse; instead, it began to rapidly contract and collapse inward.

All light and energy converged into a single point.

A magnificent, ancient golden chalice, seemingly carrying countless legends, condensed bit by bit from a void concept into a tangible reality at the center of that light.

It took less than ten seconds in total.

When the last wisp of golden light was completely withdrawn, that golden Holy Grail simply floated quietly in mid-air.

It had no energy leakage, yet it naturally radiated a supreme aura that made all life tremble and yearn for it.

This was the miracle capable of granting finite wishes.

Jiang Ming slowly stood up from the sofa and walked step by step to the Holy Grail.

He reached out and gently grasped the cup floating in the air.

A cold and solid sensation traveled from his palm.

The moment he touched the Holy Grail, Jiang Ming clearly perceived a wave of energy resonance, perfectly aligned with all the rules he had set, feeding back from within the Grail.

Rule one, the foundations of the world cannot be shaken.

Rule two, the system and the host cannot be interfered with.

Rule three: wealth, power, resurrection, immortality, strength... everything was exactly as specified.

This artifact was real and true.

With a thought, Jiang Ming activated his Innate Domain.

The Holy Grail before him instantly turned into flecks of golden light and was directly stored by him within that independent space shrouded by a black sun composed of billions of ravens.

The prize was now in place.

Next, it was just a matter of waiting for this global war to decide its only qualified owner.

Of course, before that, some new 'actors' needed to take the stage to push this great drama to its climax.

Saber Li Bai (Saber), Berserker Shuten-dōji (Berserker), Ruler Jeanne d'Arc (Ruler).

Currently, two regular classes and one special class had appeared.

So, who should play the remaining five classes?

Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin...