NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11 - Episode 11: The Strongest Sword
Episode 11: The Strongest Sword
As Cea entered the shrine, he found an old man standing in front of the altar. Clad in robes, the figure appeared quite suspicious. Was this some kind of religious ceremony? The atmosphere was solemn, clearly elevating something.
“Hmm… You’ve come here. Are you the descendant of the hero?” the old man inquired.
“Yeah. I’m the guy who’s gonna become a hero,” Cea replied confidently.
“This shrine is protected by a barrier. Ordinary humans, let alone demons or monsters, cannot enter. Only those who inherit the blood of the chosen hero can enter,” the old man explained.
“Heh heh… Naturally. I’m the child of a hero, after all,” Cea boasted.
Cea was a 10-year-old child. The old man narrowed his eyes as he looked at him.
“Hmm. However, you are still young. Your destiny will become clear in five years. Bring proof of the hero. You may leave,” the old man advised.
The “proof of the hero” referred to the mark bestowed by the priest at the royal castle’s altar. It didn’t hold significant power itself but served as a key for various events, primarily granting access.
“Gramps, I want to become strong. I need a powerful weapon. I heard there’s a special weapon here,” Cea insisted.
“Yes. There is a powerful weapon that only the strong can wield. But now is not the time. You should leave,” the old man insisted.
“I can’t go back. I need a weapon,” Cea pleaded.
“You should leave,” the old man repeated.
“Please, give me a weapon,” Cea persisted.
“Destiny will unfold five years from now. You should leave,” the old man reiterated.
“Why can’t you give it to me now?” Cea pressed.
“That’s fate. Come back in five years,” the old man maintained.
“It’s the same now as it will be in five years!” Cea argued.
“That’s fate. You should leave,” the old man insisted.
“What if I don’t?” Cea challenged.
“Indeed. Fate cannot be changed,” the old man stated firmly.
Cea glanced around meticulously. Confirming that there was no one else in the room besides the old man and himself, his expression changed drastically.
“Hey, old man. Cut the crap,” Cea demanded.
“Huh?” the old man was taken aback.
Cea grabbed the old man’s neck.
“Yikes!”
“Don’t underestimate me just because I’m a kid, you old fart. I’m a hero,” Cea threatened.
“I-I understand. B-But, fate…” the old man stammered.
“Don’t give me that crap! Should I snap your neck right now?” Cea threatened aggressively.
“Yikes!”
“Listen, old man. I’m a hero! I’m the righteous savior who’ll save this world by defeating the Demon Lord. That’s me!” Cea asserted.
“Yikes… I-I understand. B-But, the story…” the old man stuttered.
“Shut up!! Do you want to be killed?” Cea threatened.
“Yikes!”
Reluctantly, the old man brought a wooden box. It was long and clearly contained a sword.
“What… is this sword?” Cea asked.
“It’s the Demon Sword. The strongest sword passed down from ancient times,” the old man explained.
Cea squinted. Status indicators appeared on the surface of the sword.
“The weapon’s status is quite high. But, these two special abilities catch my eye,” Cea noted.
They were “Attack power doubled at level 2” and “HP always reduced to 1 when equipped.” Moreover, the latter was flashing in red text.
“What are these special abilities? And why is the red flashing?” Cea inquired.
“This is a weapon of the demons. You’ll understand when you equip it,” the old man replied.
“I don’t need to equip it to know!! This is a cursed weapon with significant benefits and drawbacks!!” Cea exclaimed.
“T-That is…” the old man hesitated.
“Equipping it means death. You must have the curse lifted at the town’s church. I’ve heard the curse removal process costs a fortune!! The red flashing is evidence of that!!”
“Uh, well… M-My duty is to hand this weapon to the hero. I don’t know anything beyond that.”
“Don’t mess with me! I’ll really kill you!!”
“Eeek!!”
This was part of the tutorial. It was an event in this world involving cursed equipment.
“Who needs a sword like this!!”
With that, the box containing the sword was thrown out the window.
The wooden box flew far away.
“Ah! The strongest weapon!!”
“Hahaha! This is great! This is what happens when you protect a worthless weapon. Damn it!”
The old man slumped down, tears streaming down his face.
“Ugh… The weapon I’ve protected…”
“Tch! What a waste of time. I’m never coming back here again.”
“Ahh…”
“Be grateful you weren’t killed.”
While grumbling, Cea returned to the village.
Meanwhile, the thrown wooden box landed near the entrance to the Infinite Dungeon.
“Huh? What’s this, gobs? Oh, a sword inside, gobs! Maybe Lord Zaus will be pleased, gobs! I’ll take it back!”
The goblin returned to the Demon Duke’s castle while holding the wooden box.
Perhaps Lord Zaus would praise him. With such expectations in mind…
“Lord Zaus, this… I picked it up when I went leveling up in the Infinite Dungeon, gobs. Since it’s not an item from the dungeon, I won’t get any points for it, right, gobs?”
“No… Not just points… This… Isn’t this the Demon Sword?! It’s supposed to be enshrined in a sacred shrine, and monsters shouldn’t be able to enter?”
“Uh… I picked it up outside the dungeon, gobs. I didn’t enter the shrine, gobs.”
“No doubt… This is the Demon Sword. The fact that it has ‘Attack power doubled at level 2’ and ‘HP always reduced to 1 when equipped’ in its status is proof of that.”
“Oh no. ‘HP always reduced to 1’ makes it unusable, gobs. It’s trash, gobs. I’m sorry for the trouble, gobs.”
“No, that’s not it, Gobtaro.”
“Gob?”
“Well done!”
“Huh? What’s wrong, gobs?”
Zaus hugged the goblin.
“Well done, Gobtaro! You’re amazing!!”
“Eeeeeeeeee gobs!!”
“Good, good, good, good, good!!”
“Wowwww!! I’m being hugged!! I’m being petted by Lord Zaus, gobs!!”
The surrounding monsters watched with envy.
“Lucky Slara.”
“Gobtaro, I envy you for being hugged, gobs.”
“Huh? Seriously, gob?”
“I can’t believe it, liza.”
“Yeah. I’m super lucky, Hapi.”
“But, I don’t understand, gobs. Why would a cursed weapon be good?”
Everyone couldn’t understand why Zaus would be pleased with that sword.
The caretaker, Meel, raised an eyebrow.
“Lord Zaus, is this sword good?”
“Hehehe. This is the strongest sword.”
“Wha… What!?”
The voices of everyone in the Demon Duke’s castle echoed.