May the Goddess Protect Us

Waiting in line was long and boring.

Dugu Qing, Frieren, Fern, and Stark had been in line from morning until noon. After eating at a roadside stall, they returned to the queue.

Fern noticed that Dugu Qing had been a little quiet all day and looked at him with concern.

"Dugu Qing, you seem a little unhappy. Is something on your mind?"

Dugu Qing sighed. "I'm under a lot of pressure. I don't know how to put it..."

Looking at the worried Dugu Qing, Fern gently patted the back of his head to ease his stress.

By evening, night had settled in deep and dark.

Everyone in the village had tried to pull out the sword, but despite their utmost efforts, none had succeeded.

Those who had failed crowded around the cave, several rows deep, waiting to see the outcome.

Guards from Sword Village stood watch at the cave entrance.

One adventurer after another tried to draw the Hero's Sword, but every one of them came away empty-handed.

Time passed, and before long, it was Stark's turn.

He strode forward, his face alight with excitement, and gripped the hilt. He pulled with all his might, but the Sacred Sword did not budge an inch.

Stark sighed in disappointment and stepped aside, thoroughly dejected.

Just as I thought. How could a warrior who ran away possibly pull out the legendary Hero's Sword?

Alas...

Frieren stepped forward with a smile, her figure graceful. "Even Himmel couldn't pull out this sword back then, so I have even less chance."

She placed her delicate hand on the hilt and pulled with all her strength.

The Sacred Sword remained firmly embedded in the stone, completely unmoved. She promptly stepped away without a fuss, taking it in stride.

Even Frieren, with her immense mana, had failed to pull out the Sacred Sword. Fern couldn't help looking toward the back of the line.

By now, dusk had deepened, and the world was shrouded in darkness.

There was no one left at the back of the line except Dugu Qing.

The villagers and travelers all held torches, craning their necks as they eagerly awaited the final result.

Would a hero emerge, or would it all end in farce?

Fern was one of the only two people left to try the sword, and the onlookers watched with great anticipation.

"Could I have pulled out the sword while I was sleepwalking?"

Under everyone's expectant gazes, Fern's cheeks reddened slightly and her imagination ran wild, as though she had drunk a cup of fine wine.

She walked forward, her legs weak and unsteady, looking at the Sacred Sword that had remained undrawn for countless millennia. Now she was about to pull it out herself.

Her heart couldn't help racing, and a blush spread across her face.

She pulled once, twice, three times.

The Sacred Sword, which dated back to the age of myth, did not budge. Fern turned back in embarrassment and saw that Dugu Qing wasn't laughing at her. A little reassured, she stepped aside.

Forget it, forget it. If I can't pull it out, then I can't pull it out!

So many people here couldn't pull it out. It's perfectly normal that I couldn't pull out the Sacred Sword either.

No one remained in front of Dugu Qing, and he didn't have much time left to think.

He looked at the ancient, unadorned Sacred Sword, still hesitating.

Should I pull it out or not?

I clearly qualify to draw the Sacred Sword, but pretending I don't would be lying!

Dugu Qing disliked lying and procrastinating. He liked to be open and aboveboard, quick and efficient, and free of worries.

Although Dugu Qing wasn't ready to become a hero yet, things had come to this. Avoiding it might help, but sooner or later, he would still have to face it.

I might as well pull it out!

Pulling out the Sacred Sword isn't anything to be ashamed of, even if it might mean a few more responsibilities.

It wasn't worth Dugu Qing spending extra energy over it, either.

"Dugu Qing, hurry up and pull it out! We still have to eat dinner afterward!"

Stark rubbed his stomach and urged him on loudly.

Seeing that Dugu Qing was deep in thought, Fern gave Stark an annoyed pat on the shoulder.

"Dugu Qing is thinking. We should give him some time."

Frieren thought of how rapidly Dugu Qing's mana had grown, and how the Sacred Sword had also recently been pulled out so suddenly. A quiet suspicion formed in her mind, and she looked at Dugu Qing expectantly.

Could it be him?

The chosen child of destiny who would quell the catastrophe, an enforcer of justice who came bearing the will of the world.

"Hey, brat, stop waiting and hurry up and pull the sword!"

"Yeah! I'm waiting to go home and eat!"

The onlookers outside the Sacred Domain urged him on one after another.

Dugu Qing had already been ready to draw the sword, but their urging made him less inclined to hurry. He summoned a pair of white ice-silkworm silk gloves from Frieren's suitcase and unhurriedly opened them.

He elegantly put on the gloves, his every movement graceful and sacred, entirely natural.

"Dugu Qing, hurry it up! I'm starving to death."

Stark couldn't take it anymore. His stomach was rumbling.

Dugu Qing placed his hand on the hilt, and the Hero's Sword immediately burst forth with a sacred radiance.

The white light illuminated the dark cave, making it as bright as day.

A dazzling azure divine glow rose from the Sacred Sword.

Everyone was stunned, their eyes wide and mouths agape.

The Sacred Sword, which had been without a master for countless millennia, had unexpectedly produced such an astonishing phenomenon. It was truly inconceivable.

Dugu Qing tightened his grip on the hilt and pulled the Sacred Sword out with a little effort. He held it upright before his eyes and carefully examined its patterns.

The Sacred Sword pressed close against Dugu Qing's palm, and its blade suddenly gave a clear, exultant cry, as though a lover who would follow him through life and death had finally returned to the embrace she cherished.

The Sacred Sword trembled incessantly, its hum ringing through the air as immense mana spread in every direction like a surging tide.

Dugu Qing's snow-white robes fluttered in the wind like a white lotus blooming at leisure, pure and graceful, otherworldly as an immortal.

A magnificent symphony resounded between heaven and earth, celebrating the birth of a true hero.

A thousand rays of rosy light shimmered with brilliant colors, and countless streams of light wound around Dugu Qing. Bathed in holy radiance, he seemed to merge with the world, flawless and beyond compare, the two indistinguishable.

Fern stared, lost in a daze, and couldn't help raising a hand to press lightly against her heart.

"I should have thought of it sooner. Who but Dugu Qing could have pulled out the Sacred Sword?"

Adventure novels often had a protagonist.

At that moment, in Fern's eyes, the dazzling Dugu Qing was undoubtedly the protagonist.

And what about me? As Dugu Qing's friend, am I the heroine, the second female lead, or what?

"Oh my god! He really pulled it out! Damn it, he got to show off again."

Stark slumped over, utterly speechless, and weakly raised a hand in one last protest.

Heavens, this isn't fair!

Why does Dugu Qing get to be handsome, have so much mana, be so strong and talented, and be popular with girls... and still be able to pull out the Sacred Sword?!

This is outrageous! How's a simple guy like me supposed to compete?

Tears welled up in his eyes.

Frieren looked at Dugu Qing, a soft, gratified light flickering in her green eyes, her bearing gentle.

That's wonderful. The Hero's Sword, silent for a thousand years, has been drawn.

The demons can be defeated, the elves will never be massacred again, and the world is about to welcome ultimate peace.

It all begins today!

Dugu Qing, I was right about you after all. You'll surely become the hero who quells the apocalypse and accomplish the ultimate feat of wiping out the demons.

Keep it up.

"What?! He really pulled it out!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"That kid is handsome and can pull out the Sacred Sword too. I'm so jealous!"

"That's wonderful! He pulled out the Sacred Sword, so the village won't be attacked by monsters anymore."

"The holy child has appeared! Great fortune for all under heaven! I have to tell my teacher the news as soon as possible."

"Who would have thought the Sacred Sword, silent for thousands of years, would finally pierce the night at this very moment? This is definitely news that will shake the world!"

"The true Sacred Sword has appeared. Once word gets out, countries all over the world will be shocked, won't they?"

"A hero is born! The demons will surely be scared into falling to their knees and begging for mercy! Hahaha!"

The villagers and travelers looked at Dugu Qing as though they were seeing a grand epic about to unfold.

They only hoped that ordinary people would not be caught up in the battle.

May the Goddess protect them!