《I Possess The Blade Holy?!》 Chapter 1 – Goals That Seem Unreachable! "Someday, I swear I''ll kill you!!!" My voice echoed through the forest, shaking several trees and scaring off countless animals, but... No candidates came near. "Why can¡¯t I reach you!?" The answer was obvious, but I refused to accept it. The sun, as unbothered as always, completely ignored my rant and continued shining heat from its unreachable position in the sky. That only made me angrier. I tried using magic, but it was utterly useless. I¡¯m a sacred sword, not some stupid bow. "I can¡¯t stand you anymore, you bastard! Fifteen centuries! Fifteen blessed centuries putting up with you every single day! Just wait until I..." I continued cursing, yelling, and threatening so much that I lost track of time. How did it even come to this? It wasn¡¯t until sunset, when the sun began to dip below the horizon, that I finally started calming down. My breathing was still heavy, but as clarity began to return, I thought to myself: ¡®That was stupid.¡¯ I sighed. If my sisters were here, without a doubt, I¡¯d be the laughingstock among the sacred swords right now.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Ha..." I sighed again, this time feeling slightly relieved. That relief, however, only lasted a few seconds before reality hit me again. I¡¯m alone. Would I even know how to hold a decent conversation with another intelligent being at this point? What if I never find another candidate? Would I just stay in this forest forever? I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, I was inside my inner realm. I looked at my hands¡ªthey were still as white as snow, so pristine it looked like they¡¯d never touched a speck of dirt in their life. ¡®With these... I can¡¯t kill anyone,¡¯ I thought, feeling disheartened as I let myself collapse into the void. My mind is an empty place, devoid of anything to do. Every time I¡¯m here... ¡®Are my sisters doing okay?¡¯ The thought crossed my mind unconsciously, but I quickly slapped myself. I hate this body. It¡¯s small, weak, and my short white hair barely reaches my shoulders. It¡¯s definitely useless for combat. I closed my eyes again, trying to focus. ¡®Yes, I¡¯ve decided... I¡¯m going to seal myself. I can¡¯t take this anymo¡ª¡¯ "WHERE THE HELL ARE THE GOBLINS?!" A loud yell echoed from the south, catching me completely off guard. Surprised, I instinctively surveyed my surroundings from my sword-bound perspective. ¡®No, there¡¯s nothing. Just the same trees as always. I wonder... Who¡¯s rude enough to shout curses out loud like that?¡¯ Curious about this person, I began channeling magic. Specifically, a clairvoyance spell. It didn¡¯t take more than five minutes to locate them, but... ¡®Why is that girl posing in the middle of the desert?¡¯ ¡®Is she insane?¡¯ Taking a closer look at the... human, I noticed several things. ¡®W-wait... that¡¯s a guy! Why does a guy have hair that long!?¡¯ I thought as I continued analyzing his condition. He¡¯s compatible. Opening and closing my eyes, blinking repeatedly... the facts didn¡¯t change. He¡¯s a candidate! I smiled unconsciously, the thought of killing again... I¡¯m thrilled. Chapter 2 – A Wild Encounter! Part 1 The sun is sinking lower on the horizon. I¡¯m running out of time. My legs ache, I¡¯m thirsty, my clothes are soaked in sweat, my stomach growls with hunger, but the worst part¡­ ¡°Where the hell are the goblins!?¡± I shouted as loud as I could, my voice echoing across the desert. Still¡­ Not a single one showed up. The desert, described in books as one of the most dangerous places to explore alone due to the sheer number of goblins that inhabit it, was eerily empty. Much to my frustration, no enemies had appeared along my journey. ¡°Haa¡­¡± I sighed and sat down to watch the sunset. Honestly, I¡¯m not a big fan of tanning, but I have to admit¡­ I¡¯ve gotten more handsome, haven¡¯t I? Before I knew it, I was striking poses¡­ In the middle of the desert. No, no! I¡¯m not going crazy, right? This is normal! I mean, bodybuilders do it! And if they can¡­ what¡¯s wrong with me doing it too? There¡¯s nothing wrong with it! Absolutely nothing wrong at all! ¡®Goblins, please¡­ just show up already so I can finish this damn mission and head home,¡¯ I thought as I leaned on a cactus to get up. [Human.] ¡°AAAHHH!!¡± Did I just hear a voice in my head? No, wait a second¡­ ¡°My hand! MY HAND!!¡± I screamed in pain, realizing I had stuck myself with several cactus spines. I tried to remove them with my other hand. [...Are you listening to me?] They say one of the side effects of wandering in the desert for too long is hallucinations. The best thing to do in this case is to ignore it and deal with my hand. Yes! That¡¯s the most important thing: ignore it and deal with my hand! I heard the voice in my head sigh deeply. Strange, I started to feel a bit of irritation coming from it.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. [Fine¡­ I suppose I can forgive such a¡­ creature.] Ignoring the insults my hallucination started throwing at me, I focused on removing the spines. ¡ó¡ô¡ó ¡®Should I head back?¡¯ Night had fallen. The cold was becoming unbearable, and the sand, once warm, began to freeze, forming small icy fragments that hurt to walk on. ¡°Did they give me the wrong location?¡± I muttered under my breath, blowing on my hands to keep them warm. I¡¯m heading toward a forest that radiates a certain aura of danger. It may seem illogical, but I have my reasons. First, the unusual light emanating from the leaves of the trees is incredibly strange. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it, and even from this distance, its beauty is mesmerizing. Second, do I really need another reason? I just want to go! My body is screaming for mercy, but my instincts refuse to let me stop. ¡®Should I try again another day?¡¯ The goblin activity has been really odd today¡­ Should I report it? No, they¡¯d probably think I¡¯m lying. After all, why on earth would all the goblins in the desert disappear? It¡¯s absurd! All of this is absurd and ridiculous! But the worst part¡­ [Why are you ignoring me!?] ¡®Mmmhh¡­¡¯ How strange. The voice I¡¯ve been hearing throughout my journey was growing louder and clearer. Does this mean I¡¯m not crazy? Hearing voices like this is completely normal, isn¡¯t it? ¡°HELLO, MYSTERIOUS VOICE! I¡¯d love to know what you want and where you¡¯re coming from!¡± I shouted with all the strength I had left, in every direction, trying to reach the mysterious entity. ¡­ For some reason, the entity went silent. Coughing to mask my embarrassment, I hurried toward the forest. ¡®All or nothing. I¡¯ll definitely find those goblins!¡¯ ¡ó¡ô¡ó Normally, I¡¯d already be on my way home, but this forest¡­ It¡¯s strange. ¡°What the¡­?¡± I was stunned by the warmth of the air, the purple glow of the trees¡¯ leaves, and the shimmering dust they emitted. It left me speechless. Lost in the scenery, an exasperated voice snapped at me: [Hey! Do you have a problem? Why aren¡¯t you answering me!?] THAT VOICE! How hard is it to understand that I¡¯m giving it the silent treatment? That¡¯s what you get for ignoring me! Doesn¡¯t it know what karma is? Clearly, it doesn¡¯t. Sitting beneath one of the glowing trees, I listened as the voice started to give up. [Are you seriously going to keep this up all day? Ugh¡­ And here I thought I found a decent candidate.] My ears perked up at that last word. Candidate. How many times have I read that word in stories about the Chosen? Countless tales have been written about it, and all of them are amazing! I couldn¡¯t hide the grin spreading across my face. [Well¡­ Sorry for the bother. I¡¯ll wait for another candida¨C] ¡°WAIT A MINUTE!!¡± I tried to shout as loud as I could, but my dry throat made me cough instead. The mission is important, yes, undoubtedly important. [W-wow. You actually responded¡­] But becoming a candidate doesn¡¯t hurt anyone, right? The voice, which had been harsh until now, suddenly sounded a little cheerful. ¡°Yes. So, please¡­ could you explain this ¡®candidate¡¯ thing to me?¡± ¡­ For some reason, the voice went quiet again. ¡°Huh?¡± I glanced over my shoulder, feeling as if multiple eyes were watching me. Unsettled, I decided to move forward, but something stopped me. Growls. Halting in my tracks, I noticed, thanks to the glowing trees, dozens of hungry wolves. ¡®Wait. A pack of 35 wolves!?¡¯ Instinctively, I stepped back to put some distance between us. My hands trembled, my mind went blank, and the wolves drew closer. Chapter 3 – A Wild Encounter! Part 2 "Am I going to die here? I knew it was a stupid idea to enter the forest at night. I should¡¯ve been more careful with my body. Why wasn¡¯t I more careful with my body? I¡¯m such an idiot! A huge idiot!" Cursing my own ineptitude, the distance between the wolves and me was almost gone. [H-here goes!] An idea struck me. Even in my current physical state, I managed to relax, calming my breathing and locking eyes with what seemed to be the pack leader. ''If I do something dumb, I¡¯ll die. So my best option is...'' Taking a deep breath, I raised my sword, trying to make myself look taller. The wolves hesitated, stepping back slightly. For a moment, it felt like the world slowed to a crawl. "AAAAAAHHH!!!" I broke the silence, swinging my sword and screaming at the top of my lungs. Miraculously, I didn¡¯t choke. The wolves started glancing at each other. The silence between us stretched for what felt like ages. Finally¡­ The pack decided to ignore me and walked away. ''That wasn¡¯t pity, right?'' Seeing one of the tips from the book Tips and Secrets Hidden by the Best Candidates actually work was a huge relief. But it felt strange. I had thought yelling with such force would be impossible with my throat so dry. And yet, for such an idea to pop into my head in this state... It was almost like a miracle. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. [Congratulations!] A voice chirped excitedly. [You¡¯ve passed the first trial to become a candidate.] Hearing that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel elated. "Heh, thanks! Honestly, it wasn¡¯t that hard." Fixing my hair, I continued my boast, "It¡¯s all thanks to books." For a moment, the voice went silent. But oddly, I could clearly hear its breathing. [Yeah... That makes sense...] It muttered something under its breath, but I couldn¡¯t make it out. "Sorry¡­ could you repeat that-" [No, forget it. It¡¯s nothing important.] It coughed and took a long breath, its tone shifting to sound more feminine. [Ohhh~, candidate! The trials ahead of you will not be easy!] "Yes!" I responded eagerly. [Are you ready for the next trial?!] "Yes!!" [Great, now come find me.] Completely ruining the atmosphere it had built up, the voice ended with a blunt, dry remark. ¡ó¡ô¡ó [Hey... Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to help?] Ignoring the mysterious voice, I continued my search to find its source. Why? Because I refuse to cheat! I¡¯d already failed to find the goblins. If I let it help me... would I even deserve to be a candidate? During my journey so far, I had rolled out of the way of golems, ignored snakes to avoid their venomous bites, distracted demon deer by throwing a stick for them to chase, and even pretended to be a bird so they wouldn¡¯t attack me. ''I¡¯m starving... Have there been candidates who died of hunger during their trial?'' Lost in thought, I didn¡¯t realize until it was too late... [Congratulations.] Right in front of me stood a pitch-black sword, embedded in the ground. A faint chill ran through my entire body. Looking around, I noticed strange symbols carved into the trees and on nearby gravestones. As I studied the markings, the sword, seemingly impatient, shouted: [Hey, pull me out already! What are you waiting for?!] "Oh, but..." [What?!] "The books say every candidate must face three trials. Doesn¡¯t deciphering these symbols count as one?" At my words, silence fell between us. [Hmmm, I see.] "Then¡ª" [Let¡¯s skip that! Do you have any idea how long I¡¯ve been stuck here?! I¡¯ve been trapped for centuries, and now you¡¯re wasting time analyzing something I couldn¡¯t care less about!!] ''This sword¡­ What happened to the sweet tone you used earlier?'' "Uh, look on the bright side. You don¡¯t have to wait anymore, right?" [Just pull me out already.] "Okay, okay..." As I approached the sword, unease grew with every step. My heartbeat quickened, and a strange thought crossed my mind: ''Don¡¯t do it.'' Interlude – A Hairy Debt! "Hey, Ernesto... Why hasn¡¯t Isuke come back?" "For the fifth time, I¡¯ve told you¡ªI don¡¯t know!" Tired of my questions, Ernesto got up from his chair. "I¡¯m worried." "Oh? Really? I hadn¡¯t noticed!" Catching the sarcasm in his voice, I continued my monologue. "It¡¯s been two days... Two days! What could that bastard be doing?" "Something productive!" he interrupted. "Unlike you, he¡¯s out there chasing his goals. Can you leave me alone now?" Heading to the counter, Ernesto sat far from me. The library was enormous¡ªstacks of books piled high on what seemed like endless shelves. The spot where Ernesto and I were was the reception area. "You¡¯ve got nothing to do anyway. Nobody¡¯s here." "That¡¯s because you¡¯re here!" "No," I shook my head. "This place was already empty before I came in. And with that face of yours¡ª" "Alright, alright! Don¡¯t start," he said, throwing a notebook at me. Naturally, I dodged it with ease. Not in a million years could this guy challenge me. He was just a brainiac¡ªa bookworm. No, calling him that might be an insult to bookworms. "You¡¯re immature." "No more than you." Grabbing another book from his desk, he started reading. "How much do you need, anyway?" Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Hey! Don¡¯t put it like that..." I looked away. "Should I say it in Old Tongue?" Annoyed by his comment, my tail twitched instinctively. ''Oh, Ernesto¡­ Should I just kill you?'' I sighed, trying to calm myself. ''Be patient. Just... endure it.'' Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself. "They¡¯re expensive. I need you to help me cover half." Ernesto stayed silent after my comment. For several minutes, he focused on his book. I noticed him glancing at me from time to time. It wasn¡¯t until he finished reading an entire page that he responded. "Besides the gear you gave him¡­ did you buy anything else? You should be able to afford this on your own." "If I could do it on my own, I wouldn¡¯t be asking for your help, idiot!" "Fair point." Closing the book, he pulled out the glasses from his pocket and looked at me. "Alexa, be careful not to drown in debt." "I know! Will you help or just keep talking cra¡ª" Tossing me a small dark leather pouch, Ernesto turned his gaze to the entrance as he put on his glasses. An older man I recognized immediately had walked in. His clothes looked expensive¡ªboth his shirt and pants were made of high-quality yellow leather. "Welcome, Boss." Bowing his head, Ernesto paid his respects to my grandfather. "Oh, am I interrupting something?" Tucking the pouch into my left pocket, I ran over to greet him. "Not at all! What¡¯s up? Did something happen? Is Isuke here?" Frowning at the mention of that name, he replied coldly, "No. Although I¡¯ve already called the search team¡­ are you sure about this?" Scouring the Azir Desert was certainly dangerous due to the goblins swarming the area. The costs were steep; only nobles could afford a search mission of this scale. "Of course! He¡¯s a friend¡ªa friend who¡¯ll figure out how to pay me back!" Sighing at my response, Grandpa stepped further into the library. Examining the shelves, he began browsing through several books. "Boss, those are..." They were erotic books. "Yes, I know¡­ I¡¯m picking one up for someone else." Ernesto took a step back upon hearing this. "S-sir¡­ don¡¯t tell me... is it for your successor?!" Grandpa laughed at his reaction. "As sharp as ever, Ernesto." Slipping one of the books into his pocket, the Boss continued, "Keep working hard, but don¡¯t forget to rest." "Thank you! Oh, but if you need to store that, I think it¡¯d be better if¡­" I watched as Ernesto handed Grandpa a green leather pouch. I smiled slightly to mask my discomfort. ''Men...'' Turning my gaze to the window, I bit my lip softly. ''What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into, Isuke?'' Chapter 5 – A Hair-Raising Showdown! Suddenly, my perception shifted; I was no longer in darkness. "A, B... C, D..." Testing this body''s voice, I struggled to speak as the lack of air made it difficult. ¡®Damn it! It hurts! Breathing, trying to stand¡ªit all hurts! How can a candidate''s body be so fragile?¡¯ Frustrated by the situation, I forced myself to stand. I had possessed the candidate when he lost consciousness. My previous body, the sword, was still clenched in my right hand as I knelt on the ground. Hunger and thirst gnawed at me, but the worst of all... ¡°Coward! Come out and fight!¡± The bear, desperate, pounded on the barrier repeatedly, hoping to break it. The wolves, eager to kill me, supported him, scratching and ramming to see if they could crack it. ¡®Idiots.¡¯ Taking a deep breath, I focused. ¡®If I keep this up, this body won''t last. I have to release another skill.¡¯ ¡°You...!¡± The bear growled, exhaling sharply, exhausted from attacking the barrier. ¡°What¡¯s the point of having a sword if you¡¯re not going to fight? Planning to cut a cake or something? Fight! Get out here and fight!¡± He roared, coughing as he finished, and my patience snapped. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t want to fight, you moron?! Just because you¡¯re big and fluffy¡ª¡± My throat felt like it was tearing apart, but I kept yelling, ¡°¡ªyou think that gives you the right to insult me!?¡± Stunned by my response, the bear stepped back. The wolves, who had been attacking, froze and circled around the barrier. I knew these creatures had been ambushing small groups of adventurers exploring the forest for wood, killing them mercilessly due to their overwhelming numbers. ¡°You¡­ Can you understand me?¡± The bear¡¯s tone softened as he got on all fours and looked me in the eye. ¡°Human, I have a¡­¡± He mumbled something I ignored as I made a reluctant decision to unlock a skill. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s better, much better!¡¯ Smiling slightly, I felt my wounds beginning to heal. ¡°A-A¡­ aho¡­ ah, now!¡± I gasped as my breathing and throat returned to normal. ¡°A?¡± The bear tilted his head in confusion at my sudden change in behavior. Gradually, I adapted to speaking with a physical mouth. ¡°Now you¡¯re done for, big guy! Let¡¯s fight!¡± ¡°Huh? But I just said¡ª¡± Ignoring him, I stood up, gripping the sword with both hands, and charged toward the bear.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡®He¡¯s going down! Oh, he¡¯s gonna see¡ª¡¯ I crashed. Straight into my own barrier, landing on the ground in the most humiliating way possible. ¡®How? Why? Have I gone stupid from being cooped up? How do I forget to deactivate my own barrier? Ugh¡­ Well, at least no one saw me.¡¯ All the creatures around me stared in stunned silence. ¡°Uh¡­¡± I tried to rub my face discreetly as I got back up. ¡°Hahaha! No worries. I¡¯ve always suspected humans were weird. Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t judge. Though honestly, I¡¯d¡ª¡± Ignoring his rambling, I straightened up. ¡®I¡¯m rusty. Centuries away from combat have dulled me. Mistakes happen!¡¯ Cheering myself up, I readied for round two. The pain in this body was gone. My muscles didn¡¯t ache, and hunger and thirst had subsided. The only problem was a nagging thought, but I could handle that. ¡°Oh? Wait, how silly of me! Let me change form.¡± A small flash lit up where the bear stood. My eyes burned. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Sorry about that; it¡¯s beyond my control.¡± A calm, confident voice spoke. A tall, muscular man stood there, smiling. ¡°You still understand me, right? Talking in this form is more comfortable.¡± He was naked. Yes, no matter where I looked, the bear¡ªwho had been over two meters tall¡ªwas now this exhibitionist. Credit where it¡¯s due, his physique was impressive, but his tendencies were¡­ questionable. ¡°Now we¡¯re even! Has this encounter left you all bristled? Hahaha! Don¡¯t worry, we share the same style.¡± He pointed to his bald head, emphasizing it. ¡°¡­And the fight?¡± ¡°Fight? I just said I wanted to talk! It¡¯s rare to find beings who speak our language, especially humans!¡± A wolf, resembling one that had attacked my candidate earlier, approached the bald man. ¡°Boss¡­ With all due respect, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s very sane.¡± ¡°Hey! I can hear you!¡± I snapped. Surprised I understood, the wolf glanced at his companions for their reactions. Silence. Apart from the three of us, no one else made a sound. The bald man responded formally, ¡°Ethrion, please¡­ Can¡¯t you see how perfectly he speaks our language? He¡¯s practically a native!¡± Turning to me in a friendlier tone, he added, ¡°Don¡¯t mess with our guest!¡± ¡°But you ordered us to¡ª¡± ¡°Forget what I said earlier! What matters is now. We¡¯ve still got goblins in the reserves!¡± ¡°Understood¡­¡± As I deactivated my barrier, I felt all the wolves tense up. ¡°Stand down!¡± Before they could attack, the bald man gestured, and they all sat obediently. ¡°He¡¯s my guest. Go feast on goblins.¡± As if his word was law, all the wolves retreated except for the one beside him. ¡°I¡¯m glad you dropped that barrier! I have to admit, it¡¯s tough. Impenetrable, even. Though I think a few more good hits would¡¯ve shattered it.¡± ¡°No.¡± I replied curtly, approaching him with my sword in hand. ¡°Put your weapon away,¡± the wolf growled. ¡°Ethrion¡­ let it be. Maybe carrying a weapon is part of his customs.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Once I was close enough, I asked them directly: ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re not going to fight?¡± Raising his hands with a chuckle, the bald man replied, ¡°Brother! I¡¯ve been saying¡­ Fine, if you want to fight, we can do that later. For now, I¡¯ve got questions!¡± To be fair, apart from smashing into my barrier, this guy hadn¡¯t disrespected me. His subordinate, who clearly disliked me, still held an aggressive stance. ¡°And him? Does he want to fight?¡± I pointed at his companion. ¡°Haha, only if¡ª¡± ¡°No! This guy¡¯s an old assistant. You¡¯d kill him!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Good eye. I¡¯m listening.¡± I respect opponents who surrender honestly. I don¡¯t enjoy killing those unwilling to fight. ¡°Where are you from?¡± ¡°The Underworld.¡± ¡°Does everyone there have that hairstyle? I might visit if that¡¯s the case!¡± Laughing at his own joke, the wolf backed off to give us more privacy. ¡°How many people know our language? The last time I spoke to someone like this was a girl who¡­¡± This felt strange. ¡®Why are more and more trees glowing with that odd symbol? Isn¡¯t it the same one near where I was impaled?¡¯ At first, I dismissed it as irrelevant, but my instincts were uneasy. ¡®Where do I know that symbol from? Who used it? If only I could remember¡­¡¯ ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, she came here last month! You should talk to her!¡± ¡°What girl are you talking about?¡± Interlude 2 – Let’s Get This Messy Expedition Over With! Part 1 "Good morning, Francisca!" "AAAH!! What¡¯s so good about it?! It¡¯s 4 in the morning!" Jolted awake by my boss, I scrambled out of bed with a slight headache. "Clients won¡¯t wait, Francisca," she said, tossing my uniform at me and pointing at the silver watch on her wrist. "Get dressed; we leave in 10 minutes." "What?! And when am I supposed to have breakfast? I won¡¯t even have time to shower!" "That¡¯s your call. You have 9 minutes left," she replied with a smile before leaving my room. "See you downstairs with the others." "Ugh, damn it!" Dashing at full speed, I headed for the bathroom. *It¡¯s always the same with her. How hard is it to wake me up a bit earlier?!* When I got there, I noticed the bathtub was already filled with hot water. "Ha," I yawned. "The only good thing about this job is the luxuries, hehe~ every day I get closer to experiencing the afterlife." Stripping down and relaxing my muscles, I squinted at my surroundings. The porcelain bathtub was surrounded by soaps and shampoos I hadn¡¯t seen before¡ªbrand new. Lovely. With marble walls, a slate floor, and a massive mirror, the bathroom was the epitome of elegance, allowing me to see myself while I bathed. "Hu-huu~! I wish I could stay here forever¡ª" Suddenly, loud knocking interrupted my bliss. "Francisca! Four minutes left." "What?! I just got in! What kind of twisted timekeeping is this, Sofia?!" "Three minutes." "Aaaaah!!"This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. The downside of this job? The pressure. Pressure from none other than our dear team leader, Sofia¡ªa tall, 24-year-old brunette with golden eyes and the gear of a true elemental sorceress. ''I hate her!'' Rushing out of the tub, I grabbed a towel and darted back to my room. "W-Whoa¡­" My eyes widened in surprise. Everything was perfectly in place: from my bed and stuffed animals to the clothes I¡¯d left scattered on the floor. Sadly, the order vanished as soon as I tossed my towel on the floor, dove onto my bed, and started pulling on the uniform she¡¯d left for me. "Let¡¯s go." Sofia appeared out of nowhere, standing at my door. "Could you stop teleporting?! I know you¡¯re a great mage, but there¡¯s no need to show off!" My boss seemed even more invasive than usual; I needed to set boundaries. "They¡¯ve gotten bigger." "What?" "Nothing," she said, cracking her neck and yawning. "This mission is dangerous." "That¡¯s what you always say!" "Yes, but this time, we could actually die." Finishing up and donning my signature red Valkyrie armor, I mimicked Sofia¡¯s serious posture. "I see¡­ Then why don¡¯t we just stay in bed?" "I already took the money." "How about giving it back?" "Where do you think those new bathroom products came from?" "We could say they¡¯re defective. We might even make a profit!" Chuckling briefly at my suggestion, Sofia grabbed my hand, and we teleported downstairs, where the rest of our team was waiting. "Here." Diana approached and handed me a sandwich. "Thanks," I said, taking a small bite. I noticed Lia fidgeting. "She didn¡¯t sleep last night," Diana whispered. "Why?" I asked, covering my mouth as I chewed. "Ever since she gave Sofia the mission details, she¡¯s been like this." With dark circles under her eyes, Lia approached Sofia. Her steps were wobbly, and her hands trembled, though her petite stature made her look rather endearing. "Boss, I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t think we should take this mission." "Why not?" "I had a dream. The forest exploded¡­ and a demon walked out unscathed! Not even the trees were left¡ªnothing! I think I should tell my brother. Yes! I¡¯ll tell him!" Sofia grabbed Lia¡¯s hand as she tried to head upstairs and looked at her. "Calm down. We¡¯ll discuss it with everyone." "It¡¯s dangerous!" "And since when has a mission not been?" Lia fell silent and reluctantly obeyed our intrusive boss. She knew Sofia was right; things had never been easy for us. Though Lia¡¯s connections got us good missions, we¡¯d also faced some rough experiences. ''Is she exaggerating, or was this one of those famous healer premonitions?'' We all sat around the table for our meeting, and Sofia stood in front of the board. "We¡¯re heading to the Azir Desert." She briefly locked eyes with Lia. "We¡¯re not going to the forest." Then, with a smile, she pulled a paper from her pocket. "The client¡¯s name is Alexia. We¡¯re to protect her and find a boy named Isuke, who¡¯s been missing for two days." "Wait. Is she coming with us?" Diana raised her hand. Sofia nodded. "She¡¯s a mage and apparently a catfolk. She claims she can handle herself, but we still need to keep an eye on her. Any questions?" Seeing everyone stay quiet, I raised my hand. "Can I have another sandwich?" "No." Interlude 3 – Let’s Just Get This Problematic Expedition Done! Part 2 Sofia used teleportation magic to reach the meeting point as quickly as possible, but even so, the client was already there. ¡®Did she even sleep?¡¯ It¡¯s 6 in the morning. Her gaze reflected determination, and when she turned to look at our group, she smiled slightly. Her hair, tail, and ears are all white, but her eyes, like Sofia¡¯s, are golden. "Good morning, Miss Alexia," Sofia said, stepping forward and extending her hand. "Miss? I think we¡¯re the same age." "No, no... I wouldn¡¯t dare address a mage like you so casually." "Oh... so you read about that. You¡¯re diligent, but don¡¯t think too much of it." She pulled a collapsible bow from her back, and Sofia was startled. "Are you seriously going with that?" "Why not?" The two locked eyes for several seconds. Alexia, in the short time I¡¯ve observed her, has a certain mysterious aura. Sofia, on the other hand, seemed puzzled by the situation. "Ha... I see. Let¡¯s just head to the desert." "Great! I¡¯ll take the rear." Falling back to join Lia, Alexia gave her a small pat. "Your black hair is beautiful!" Surprised by the compliment, Lia blushed. "Uh... thank you." Diana, for her part, seemed lost in thought and said nothing. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t think anything can go wrong...¡¯ "Uh? What¡¯s that?" We all turned to see what Lia was pointing at, and in the distance, a massive amount of purple energy began to accumulate. "Wait a second, isn¡¯t that¡ª" The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. It exploded. The light gathered and erupted into a massive explosion in what appeared to be the forest near the desert we were heading to. Lia¡¯s gaze turned to Sofia, who sighed. "Alright, I think this situation is starting to get out of han¡ª" "I¡¯ll go." Alexia interrupted Sofia. Again, the two locked eyes. "But can¡¯t you see the explo¡ª" "Yes. That¡¯s exactly why I have to go." Another silence fell, this time broken by Lia bursting into tears. "Waaah! I don¡¯t want to go! It¡¯s dangerous! We¡¯re going to die!" Diana approached Lia and hugged her to calm her down. I can understand why Lia started crying; that explosion was anything but normal. If it could be seen from this distance, it could easily wipe out a large part of an army, no matter how powerful they were. If you¡¯re caught in an explosion like that, no matter how strong you are, you¡¯re dead. While Alexia and Sofia argued, it happened again. ¡®What?¡¯ Another explosion of the same magnitude... from the forest. "We¡¯re not going." "But I paid you!" "This request upgraded in rank the moment those explosions started happening! We¡¯ll return your money." "Fine! Perfect! I¡¯ll go alone, and then I¡¯ll file a complaint in the city. The explosion happened in the forest! Not the desert... cowards!" She had a point. The explosion wasn¡¯t coming from the mission¡¯s designated location, but considering the amount of magic used in that blast... Could we be witnessing a weapon capable of leveling half a city? Certainly, technological advancements haven¡¯t stopped in recent decades, with geniuses seemingly emerging from another world. Novel ideas never seen before, concepts challenging everything that already exists... Who the hell created and is using such magic? Are they trying to start another war? Oh, another explosion just went off... and it seems even I¡¯m trembling now. My eyes landed on Sofia. "F-fine! File your complaint... if you make it out of that forest alive." "Are you threatening me now!?" "I¡¯m warning you! Don¡¯t you see those explosions? It¡¯s a new kind of magic, never seen before!" "Couldn¡¯t it be illusion magic? Look at the forest! It¡¯s almost intact." We all turned to look at the forest, and thanks to some support magic Sofia instinctively used, we could see that several trees were indeed intact, though the same couldn¡¯t be said for the ground. "It might be illusion magic... Nothing¡¯s certain!" "And if it¡¯s not?" "Since when is a search team full of chickens!?" She had another point, but... Lia hasn¡¯t stopped crying. Though Diana is consoling her, it¡¯s clear she really doesn¡¯t want to go there. ¡®What kind of mess are we in now?¡¯ Clasping my hands, I pretended to pray. "Francisca!" "Yes!" "What do you think we should do?" My gaze shifted to Diana and Lia. Neither of them was in a position to answer, and Diana made a gesture indicating she trusted my decision. ¡®Why do the hard decisions always fall on me?¡¯ Even Alexia was waiting for my response. What I said here would decide our reputation, safety... and paycheck. Wait a minute... "Sofia." "Yes?" "How much did the request pay?" "700 gold." ¡®What!? And she told me she spent it all on shampoos and bath soaps! At most, that should¡¯ve cost 20 gold. What a scam! My salary in this team is 50 gold... And normally, we take on missions nearly as dangerous as this one, but they pay 300 gold. So the best choice now would be...¡¯ "We continue the mission." Lia seemed to faint upon hearing my decision. ¡®Sorry, Lia, but going broke is the same as dying.¡¯ Chapter 4 – A Wild Encounter! Part 3 I paused for a moment. [What¡¯s wrong?] "Ahhh, just making sure... What kind of sword are you? Are you sentient, legendary, cursed, demonic, sacred¡­?" [Sacred! I¡¯m a sacred sword. Isn¡¯t it obvious?] Sacred? She¡¯s a sacred sword?! But according to history books, there are only five in the world, and all of them already have wielders! Something¡¯s off. "Are you sure? You¡¯re not lying to me, are you?" Although there are few records about how sacred swords test their wielders¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure it involves angels and gods! [Of course. You¡¯ll see when we form the contract! Oh, and you might want to hurry¡ªI''m sensing several enemies nearby.] The sword spoke calmly, but I still had my doubts. "Uhh¡­ Could you at least tell me what blessings you have?" Holding the sword in my right hand, I waited for her response. [Blessings¡­ What¡¯s that?] Thrown off by her question, I realized my mistake. ''This sword... She¡¯s a fake!'' I tried to let go, but I panicked when I felt my hand wouldn¡¯t release the sword. [What are you doing?! You¡¯re going to die!] "No! I won¡¯t fall for this!" [Fall for what? I¡¯ve been helping you!] "No! I don¡¯t believe you! I know better than to fall for these little tricks!" [Little tricks?!] Frantically searching for a vial with my free hand to break the curse, the sword grew angry. [You¡¯re ungrateful! Do you know how hard it was to cast support magic from so far away? Those wolves would¡¯ve killed you without me!] "You?! You stayed quiet the whole time!" [Do you think magic is easy? Want me to sing next time I cast a spell? Is that it? Do you want me to sing?!] Pulling out a vial mid-argument, I grinned triumphantly. "Your little games end here." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. [No! Wait!] Holding up a vial capable of undoing any curse, the sword started shouting as I uncorked it. [Candidate! Don¡¯t you dare pour that on me! I hate that stuff! I¡¯ll never forgive you!] Without mercy, I poured the liquid onto my right hand, waiting several minutes for it to take effect. The sword fell silent during the process. ¡®I¡¯m safe¡­ I owe Alexa for this.¡¯ After a few minutes, I tried to release my grip¡­ It didn¡¯t work. ''Huh? That¡¯s strange. Enough time has passed, hasn¡¯t it?'' Normally, the vial would¡¯ve done its job by now. Panic set in as the situation didn¡¯t change, so I spoke to the sword. "Hey¡­ Could you let me go?" No response. "You know¡­ Humans make mistakes. I doubted you because I¡¯m an idiot! A lesser being! So please¡­ can we negotiate?" While trying to reason with her, I started hearing the sounds of approaching creatures. "Damn it." A two-meter-tall bear appeared, followed by several wolves. ¡®She wasn¡¯t lying.¡¯ I recalled the sword¡¯s words, realizing she¡¯d been right. To my dismay, I couldn¡¯t do anything. My right hand was bound, and I wasn¡¯t skilled with my left. Normally, I¡¯d run in this situation, but that wasn¡¯t an option now. "Hey, sword." Still no answer. The bear drew closer, its fangs massive¡ªalmost as big as my arms. But if anything stood out more, it was its claws. "What¡¯s your name?" Ignoring my question, the bear roared. ¡®I¡¯m going to die,¡¯ I thought instinctively, trembling at the sound. Accepting my fate, I closed my eyes. "I¡¯d like to¡­" I swallowed hard. "Form a contract." [Oohhh~ With my authority as a sword, I invoke thee! Barrier!] A strong impact shook me. Opening my eyes, I saw a barrier blocking the bear¡¯s strike. "Huh?" Surprised to see a square barrier surrounding me, I watched the bear continue its assault. [Don¡¯t worry. Even if it spends its entire life, it¡¯ll never break my barrier,] the sword declared confidently. And she was right; no matter how hard the bear attacked, it couldn¡¯t scratch it. "Thank you." [Thank you? You think a simple ¡®thank you¡¯ is enough? Look at me! I¡¯m filthy!] Sure enough, the sword was still drenched in the liquid I¡¯d poured on her. "Oh, sorry." [Sorry?! Ughhhhh!] Biting her metaphorical tongue, the sword sighed. [Fine! Let¡¯s make a contract.] ¡®Don¡¯t do it.¡¯ Another intrusive thought, not my own, surfaced in my mind. I ignored it completely this time. "Yes!" [Candidate! Do you promise never to abandon or doubt me?] ¡®Why does this feel like a one-sided marriage proposal?¡¯ "I swear!" A magical inscription appeared on my right hand. [I¡¯ll lend you my strength! I¡¯ll destroy your enemies. No one will stand against us! By my honor as a sacred sword, I¡¯ll protect you until death do us part. But if you¡¯re ever in danger, I reserve the right to take control of your body.] "I accept! Wait, what?" I answered instinctively but froze as I processed her last statement. ¡®What does she mean by taking control of my body?¡¯ The mark on my hand disappeared, and the area under my eyes started to burn. I could handle this kind of pain, but unexpectedly¡­ "Huh?" Glancing at the ground, I saw strands of hair falling like rain. Strange. For some reason, those hairs seemed familiar¡­ "Wait¡­ What the hell?!" The barrier trembled. No, no. This can¡¯t be¡­! "My hair!!!" As I pulled the sword from the ground, I felt completely rejuvenated¡­ And freezing. [Hehe, human, no need to¡ª] Moving my left hand to my head, I confirmed my worst fear. "Damn it!" [What¡¯s wrong?] "Why?" [Excuse me?] Letting out a long sigh, I tried to release the sword¡­ "Huh?" I tried to unclench the hand holding her, but¡­ I couldn¡¯t. [Hey, hey¡­ Are you planning to drop me?] "Yes." [I-I¡¯m a sacred sword!] "Yes!! A sacred sword that just made me bald!" [Weren¡¯t you the one so eager to be a candidate?!] "I never read about sacred swords making people bald!" [Minor details.] Glaring at the sword, I tried to calm myself since she was technically right. I was the one who wanted to be a candidate in the first place. Now¡­ Damn it, I think I blacked out.