Chapter 216: What the Hell Is This?

Stepping across the protruding stones scattered over the lake's surface, he walked toward the central boulder one step at a time.

As the distance steadily closed—

Lance could clearly sense that besides the magnificent cross-shaped sword before him—

There was another voice calling out to him from somewhere not far away within this world.

Combined with the three options he had seen earlier in the Astral Realm corridor, Lance easily guessed the source of that voice.

It should be the other Noble Phantasm—

The Spear of the Lake.

As for this cross-shaped sword embedded in the stone before him—

With such a familiar appearance and introduction...

Shouldn't this thing really be called the Sword in the Stone instead?

Without any further hesitation, Lance reached out with his right hand and firmly grasped the azure-green hilt.

The instant his palm touched the metal—

The faint sounds of wind and flowing water throughout the valley vanished completely.

Immediately afterward, within Lance's mind—

A deafening dragon roar exploded.

An ancient dragon engulfed in crimson flames roared from the clouds, its voice shaking heaven and earth.

As the dragon's cry gradually faded—

A magnificent historical panorama unfolded within his consciousness.

He saw a handsome king with dazzling golden hair and eyes as clear as emerald lakes.

The man wore a heavy cloak fashioned from the fur of a giant raccoon-like beast.

The magnificent cross-shaped sword stood embedded in the earth before him, while both of his hands rested casually upon the pommel.

His face was filled with confidence as he gazed toward a battlefield shrouded in smoke and war.

Behind him stood a perfectly ordered army of knights radiating unstoppable momentum.

Although their armor styles varied greatly, anyone with a discerning eye could tell—

The magical equipment they carried had all been crafted using enormous amounts of gold and rare materials, demonstrating extraordinarily advanced alchemical craftsmanship.

This was an invincible army built entirely upon mountains of gold.

Lance recognized the figure within the vision immediately.

After arriving in this world, he had seen this face countless times in the illustrations of historical textbooks.

It was the legendary founding monarch who established the Iris Kingdom.

Clovis Pendragon.

Then there was no doubt.

The weapon in his hand was the legendary Sword of Selection that had accompanied that king throughout his conquests.

Scene after scene flashed by rapidly.

Lance quickly regained his senses.

He felt intense vibrations coming from the hilt in his hand.

The sword hilt seemed like an overly excited child, trembling continuously at high frequency.

Taking a deep breath, Lance's arm muscles bulged instantly as he pulled upward.

*Zheng!*

Accompanied by a crisp metallic sound—

The sword that had been deeply embedded within the stone was forcibly pulled free inch by inch, carrying countless fragments of shattered rock flying in every direction.

As the blade gradually escaped the stone's restraints—

Lance could clearly see the hidden runic markings resembling rippling water that had previously been concealed along the blade.

One after another, they illuminated with dazzling golden light.

An invisible aura belonging to a king began spreading outward from the sword as though it had become tangible.

The brilliance was so intense that every detail of Lance's face was illuminated perfectly.

Then—

A voice echoed beside his ear.

It was the will of the Holy Sword itself, born through countless years, communicating with him.

“Protect all who are weak beneath heaven. Reject all demands for reward.”

The Holy Sword's voice was solemn and sacred.

A system entry accompanied by brilliant visual effects appeared before Lance.

【Sword of Selection · Sacred King's Creed (Exclusive Reputation Acquisition Rules)】

【The wielder must unconditionally protect all weak individuals within sight. After resolving a crisis, you must never actively request any form of material compensation.】

【Note: If you violate this principle and actively demand payment, your current reputation will be severely reduced. Note: If civilians voluntarily offer gratitude, you will only receive an extremely small amount of Positive Reputation.】

“What the hell is this?”

Lance immediately frowned upon reading the first rule.

As the sword was completely drawn free, the Sword of Selection's dignified voice continued echoing steadily within his mind.

“Bear the suffering of the people. Endure injury with flesh and blood.”

【A king is born to be a vessel that bears suffering on behalf of the people. Whenever you endure injuries, curses, or infamy in place of civilians, you will receive substantial Positive Reputation. The more severe your injuries, the louder the people's cheers shall become.】

“Let the blade point only toward monsters. Forgive the ignorance of mortals.”

【A king's sword may only be directed against monsters and evil. It must never be raised against unarmed civilians. Even when facing misunderstanding, insults, and betrayal from civilians, you must forgive them with a king's tolerance.】

【Note: If you lose control and use violence against civilians, the Sword of Selection will temporarily lose its radiance and become ordinary steel while instantly clearing all accumulated reputation within your current region.】

“Charge into danger alone. Shoulder every crisis by yourself.”

【A true king is destined for solitude. When confronting monsters and evil, you must always stand at the forefront. You may not order civilians to fight for you or scout on your behalf. All risks of casualties must be borne by you alone.】

“Eradicate evil completely. Accept no compromise.”

【When facing evil monsters and bandits, you may not engage in trade, negotiation, or compromise of any kind. They must be completely exterminated. Any transaction that violates justice shall be regarded as a stain upon kingship.】

As all five rules appeared—

The Holy Sword's voice reached its climax.

“Heir carrying the blood of the Red Dragon! If you wish to wield this sword, then you must bear the weight of its crown!”

“You must not be greedy, must not retreat, must not harbor resentment, and must not fall into corruption!”

“Now, are you prepared...”

The sacred voice had only just reached its most dramatic point.

Before it could finish its grand declaration—

It stopped abruptly.

Because the Noble Phantasm saw something.

The black-haired youth who had just drawn the sword—

Suddenly performed an action it could never have imagined even in its dreams.

With an incredibly smooth motion of his wrist—

Lance flipped the sword around in midair.

The blade that had originally been held upright was instantly inverted.

Then he closed one eye and carefully aimed at the groove in the stone left behind by the sword's removal.

His hand tightened.

As though preparing to shove the legendary Holy Sword right back where it came from.

“Young heir! What exactly are you doing?! Stop at once!”

The will of the Noble Phantasm instantly broke down.

There was even panic in its voice.

“You are perfectly compatible with this sword! You possess the potential to become a king!”

Faced with the sword's desperate attempt to stop him—

Lance paused for only half a second.

“How many conditions does that spear have?”

The question came completely out of nowhere.

It directly stunned the highly self-important Holy Sword.

Its voice carried obvious hesitation.

“O... one?”

Upon hearing the exact answer—

Lance did not waste a single word.

Gripping the hilt with both hands, he decisively wedged the sword tip into the narrow groove in the stone.

Clang!

Watching the struggling Holy Sword, he relied purely on brute force to push it inch by inch back into the stone.

“...Unless I suddenly went deaf a moment ago, translating those five rules into plain language—”

“You want me to become a free bodyguard, punching bag, and emotional outlet for a bunch of complete strangers while receiving no pay, no food, no lodging, no right to fight back, and a constant risk of dying?”

The blade emitted violent buzzing vibrations from within the stone.

The Noble Phantasm was making its final argument.

“This is the heavy destiny every king throughout history must bear! To wear the crown—”

“To hell with your destiny.”

The muscles in Lance's arms exploded with strength.

Amid intense grinding sounds—

The Holy Sword representing glory was shoved firmly back into the moss-covered boulder exactly as it had been before.

After finishing everything—

Lance immediately stepped back two paces as though he had touched something filthy.

He even wiped his hands on his pant legs.

Then he looked up at the cross-shaped sword, whose radiance had visibly dimmed, and offered it a polite smile.

“You can keep that blessing for somebody else. Farewell.”