The Search for the True Hero

Dugu Qing had pulled out the legendary Sacred Sword, but he was not mentally prepared to shoulder the fate of all living beings and save the world. All he could do was stall for time.

He needed a little time to think and make a decision...

Xuezhi looked back at Dugu Qing and assumed he was afraid of the monsters. She stepped back and took his hand.

"Big brother, don't be afraid. I'm here, so the monsters won't hurt you."

The girl's smooth, delicate little hand conveyed her warm concern.

Dugu Qing smiled faintly without a word and finally followed Xuezhi back into the Sacred Domain.

A transparent barrier covered the entrance to the Sacred Domain, preventing villains and monsters from damaging the Sacred Sword.

Xuezhi cast a spell and dispelled the barrier.

Seeing this, Dugu Qing pressed his lips together in astonishment. He was growing more and more certain that he had been set up.

There was clearly a protective barrier outside the Sacred Domain, yet when he entered the cave, there had been nothing...

This was obviously a trap!

"Come and take a look too!"

Xuezhi eagerly beckoned Frieren, Stark, and Fern over.

The group followed Xuezhi forward solemnly, their expressions growing ever more reverent.

Xuezhi walked up to the Sacred Sword and was about to introduce it to everyone when she suddenly noticed a tiny change in the position where it was embedded in the stone.

An ordinary person might not have noticed the change, but Xuezhi's family had guarded the Sacred Sword for thousands of years, generation after generation. Even in their dreams, the Sacred Sword was all they thought about.

She could tell at a glance that someone had moved it.

"Ah! Someone pulled out the Sacred Sword!"

Xuezhi staggered backward and fell to the ground. Her cute face was full of shock, and her very soul trembled.

We're doomed!

The Sacred Sword that could bring the end times to an end had been pulled out. That meant a terrible calamity was brewing!

She was only a teenager! At her young age, she still hadn't tried all the delicious food or played enough games. Why did she have to bear this?

Frieren walked up to the stone and gazed at the weathered sword marks etched into its surface over the years. She blinked gently.

"There really are signs that it was moved. Who was it? If they pulled out the sword, why did they put the Sacred Sword back?"

A mysterious person had pulled out the Sacred Sword, which even Himmel had been unable to draw.

Frieren suddenly wanted to see just what kind of extraordinary person could pull out the Sword in the Stone, someone who had done what even Himmel could not.

Dugu Qing helped Xuezhi to her feet and brushed the dust off her.

Fern studied the patterns on the Sacred Sword, resting her chin in her hand as she fell into thought.

"Yes! Who on earth pulled out the Sacred Sword? It's so hard to guess! There are so many people in the world."

Seeing this, Stark also made the rare effort to put his brain to work, frantically guessing which powerhouse could have pulled out the Sacred Sword.

The Sacred Domain was so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping.

Worried he would give himself away, Dugu Qing snapped his fingers. "I'm hungry. Let's go eat hot pot!"

"Sure! We won't figure it out by guessing anyway, so let's go eat!"

Frieren, Fern, and Stark all agreed.

Xuezhi walked a circle around the Sacred Sword. Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind. She spun around to face the four of them and shouted excitedly,

"I know! We can call everyone in the village and all the visitors. No one can be absent. The true hero will definitely be able to pull out the Sacred Sword again."

Dugu Qing was drenched in sweat. He hadn't expected such world-shaking wisdom to be hidden beneath Xuezhi's cute appearance. She really was not to be underestimated!

"All right, I'll go tell everyone in the village to come pull the sword tomorrow."

"Tell the adventurers staying in the village too."

"Got it."

Stark carried his battle-axe out of the Sacred Domain, full of enthusiasm.

Frieren, Dugu Qing, and Fern went down the mountain and ate hot pot at a restaurant in the village.

Dugu Qing sat in his seat, thinking about how the weight of the entire world rested on his young shoulders. His appetite vanished, and he stared blankly into space.

The normally innocent, carefree young beauty had a gloomy look in his eyes, as if he were depressed.

"Frieren, do you think there really is a world-ending calamity?"

"The Sacred Sword was pulled out, so I suppose there is! But if a disaster really does threaten to destroy the world, Eisen, Kraft, Serie, the Goddess of Creation, and I, Frieren, won't stand by and do nothing. We'll just do our best."

Frieren's eyes shone with the wisdom and composure to bring the end times to an end, as though the calamity had not disturbed her state of mind in the slightest.

Dugu Qing saw Frieren in a new light. As expected of a beautiful girl who had lived for more than a thousand years, she had lifted the burden from his heart with a casual remark. She really was remarkable!

That was right. If the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up.

If the end of the world really did come, the Goddess of Creation certainly wouldn't stand by and do nothing.

As long as the Goddess of Creation launched an attack, everything would be all right.

"Server, another pound of beef."

Dugu Qing raised his hand, his appetite fully restored and his worries gone. A confident air had returned to his wise soul.

The next morning.

The villagers of Sword Village, men and women, young and old, all came to the Sacred Domain and lined up to pull the sword.

Travelers adventuring nearby heard that the Sacred Sword had been pulled out and joined the line as well.

What if?

What if they had pulled out the Sacred Sword while sleepwalking? If they missed this chance, wouldn't they regret it for the rest of their lives?

A long line stretched outside the Sacred Domain, winding all the way from the mountaintop to its foot. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought a supermarket was holding a massive sale.

The old women and men in the village who sold pancakes and roasted sweet potatoes set up stalls by the roadside. In no time, they earned a year's wages and grinned from ear to ear.

After eating, Dugu Qing, Frieren, Fern, and Stark prepared to go up the mountain, only to be shocked by the line ahead of them, which stretched as far as the eye could see.

"Why did so many people suddenly show up?"

"There are even mages with staffs in there!"

"It feels like we're going into a dungeon."

Dugu Qing recalled playing online games in his previous life. The corners of his mouth rose slightly as he felt a wave of nostalgia.

"Why don't we just forget it? There are so many people. We might have to stand in line all day!" Stark didn't think he could pull out the Sacred Sword and only wanted to leave.

Fern pouted and lectured Stark.

"Stark, give it a try! What if you really do pull out the Hero's Sword? Think how happy Master Eisen would be."

Stark closed his eyes and imagined himself pulling out the Sacred Sword.

Eisen beamed, feeling honored on his behalf.

Fern, Frieren, and Dugu Qing gazed at him in admiration, offering him flowers and sweet blessings.

Stark stood atop a high platform, dressed in a hero's battle robes.

The kings of the Southern Countries, the Central Countries, and the Northern Countries all knelt on one knee and hailed him as humanity's supreme commander. He commanded an army of a million, looking infinitely majestic.

Whenever he ran into trouble, the Goddess of Creation would send big angel sisters to bring him divine weapons and demon-slaying Magic Circles...

Ohohoho~

He imagined flowers in full bloom, the whole world bursting into vivid color, and even the Goddess of Creation lowering her proud head.

Stark clenched his fists, his heart bursting with delight.

"All right, I'll try! It's just pulling a sword, isn't it? Let's go!"

Stark took the lead and joined the back of the line.

Frieren and Fern followed close behind.

Dugu Qing could only follow.