Chapter 216: What the Heck?

Chapter 216: Chapter 216: What the Heck?

He stepped across the protruding stones on the lake’s surface, making his way toward the round stone at its center.

As he drew closer,

Lance could clearly sense that, besides the magnificent Cross Sword before him,

another voice in this world was calling to him from somewhere not far off.

Recalling the three options he’d seen in the Star Realm Corridor, Lance easily guessed the source of the voice.

It had to be the other Treasure—the Spear of the Lake.

As for the Cross Sword stuck in the stone right in front of him.

’This familiar design and grand entrance...’

’Shouldn’t this thing be more aptly called the Sword in the Stone?’

Lance didn’t hesitate. He reached out with his right hand and gripped the cerulean hilt tightly.

The instant his palm made contact with the metal,

the faint sounds of wind and water that filled the valley vanished in an instant.

Then, in Lance’s mind,

a deafening roar from a Giant Dragon suddenly exploded.

It was an ancient Giant Dragon, wreathed in crimson flames, unleashing a heaven-shaking roar from the clouds.

As the dragon’s roar slowly faded, a magnificent historical tapestry unfolded in his consciousness.

He saw a handsome Monarch with brilliant golden hair and eyes as clear as a green lake.

The man was draped in a heavy cloak made from thick furs.

This magnificent Cross Sword was plunged into the earth beside him, his large hands resting casually on its pommel.

The man, his face full of confidence, gazed at the distant, smoke-filled battlefield.

And behind him, arranged in neat formations, stood a grand army of Knights, their presence overwhelming.

Though the Knights wore armor of varying styles, anyone with a discerning eye could see...

...that the Magic Tools they carried were forged with vast amounts of Gold Coins and Rare Materials, demonstrating an exceptionally high level of Alchemy.

This was an invincible army built from pure gold.

Lance was all too familiar with the man in the vision.

After coming to this world, he had seen this face in the illustrations of many history books.

This was none other than the Legendary founding Monarch of the Iris Kingdom.

Clovis Pendragon.

Then without a doubt, the weapon he now held in his hand was the King’s Choice Sword from the legends, which had accompanied that Monarch on his conquests!

The images flashed by, and Lance quickly returned to his senses.

He felt a violent vibration coming from his palm.

The hilt in his hand was trembling at a high frequency, like an overexcited child.

Lance took a deep breath, his arm muscles instantly bulged, and he fiercely pulled upwards.

SHIIING!

With a crisp scrape of metal against stone,

Lance forcibly pulled the treasured sword out from deep within the stone, inch by inch, sending fine chips of rock flying.

As the blade gradually broke free from its rocky sheath,

Lance could clearly see that the hidden, Ripple-like runes on the blade...

...were now lighting up one by one with a dazzling golden light.

A formless, kingly aura began to radiate from the sword, spreading out in all directions as if it were a tangible force.

This light was so blindingly bright that it even illuminated Lance’s face in perfect detail.

Just then, a voice rang in his ear.

That was the will of the Treasure, nurtured by this Holy Sword over long ages, communicating with him.

"Protect the weak of the world, and demand nothing in return."

The Holy Sword’s voice was solemn and sacred.

Afterward, a system message accompanied by a dazzling light effect popped up directly in front of Lance.

[King’s Choice Sword: Holy King’s Creed (Exclusive Rules for Acquiring Reputation Value)]

[The sword’s wielder must unconditionally protect the weak within their sight. After resolving a crisis, they absolutely must not actively request any form of material reward.]

[Note: Violating this principle by actively demanding a reward will result in a severe deduction of your current Reputation Value. Note: If a commoner offers a reward of their own volition, you will only receive a minuscule amount of positive Reputation Value.]

"What the hell?"

Seeing this first rule, Lance’s brows immediately furrowed.

As the Longsword was completely pulled out, the majestic voice of the King’s Choice Sword continued to echo unhurriedly in Lance’s mind.

"Suffer for the common people, bear their wounds with flesh and blood."

[A king is born a vessel to bear the suffering of the common people. When you take on damage, curses, or infamy in their stead, you will receive a large amount of positive Reputation Value. The more grievous your wounds, the louder the cheers of the people.]

"The blade points only toward Demons; forgive the folly of mortals."

[The king’s sword may only be pointed at Demons and evil; it must never be raised against unarmed commoners. Even when faced with their misunderstanding, insults, and betrayal, you must forgive them with a king’s tolerance.]

[Note: If you lose control and use violence against commoners, the King’s Choice Sword will temporarily lose its light and become mere iron. It will also instantly erase all Reputation Value you have accumulated in the current area.]

"Charge into the fray alone; shoulder the crisis by yourself."

[A true king is destined to be lonely. When confronting Demons and evil, you must charge at the forefront. You cannot order commoners to fight or scout for you. All risk of injury and death must be shouldered by you alone.]

"Completely exterminate evil, refuse any compromise."

[When facing evil monsters and bandits, you may not engage in any form of transaction, negotiation, or compromise. They must be utterly slain. A deal that betrays justice will be considered a defilement of the Royal Authority.]

As all five of these rules were listed,

the Holy Sword’s voice reached its climax.

"O heir who carries the Red Dragon’s Blood! If you wish to wield this sword, you must bear the weight of its crown!"

"You must not be greedy! You must not falter! You must not resent! You must not fall!"

"Now, are you ready..."

The sacred voice had just built to a crescendo in his mind, but before it could finish its grand declaration...

...the voice stopped dead.

Because the Treasure saw

the black-haired youth before it, who had just pulled out the Longsword,

suddenly make a move it would never have imagined in its wildest dreams.

Lance smoothly flicked his wrist,

flipping the sword he was holding upright over in midair.

Then, closing one eye, he carefully aimed for the crevice in the round stone left by the blade.

He slammed his palm down,

poised to shove this peerless Holy Sword, just unearthed, back into that stone crack.

"Young heir! What in the world are you doing! Stop this at once!"

The Treasure’s will instantly lost its composure, its voice laced with panic.

"You are a perfect match for this sword, a person who possesses the potential to become a king!"

Faced with the sword’s desperate plea,

Lance’s movement only paused for half a second.

"How many conditions does that spear have?"

The question came out of nowhere, completely stunning the self-important Holy Sword.

The Holy Sword’s voice revealed a clear hesitation.

"O... one?"

Hearing this definitive answer,

Lance didn’t waste any more words.

He gripped the hilt with both hands and decisively jammed the sword’s tip into the narrow stone crevice.

CLANG!

While watching the struggling Holy Sword, he used brute force to push it back into the rock, inch by inch.

"...Unless I’m mistaken, if I translate your five rules into plain English..."

"...you want me to be a free bodyguard, a punching bag, and an emotional dumpster for a bunch of strangers? And it doesn’t include room and board, I can’t fight back, and I could drop dead at any moment?"

The blade hummed violently within the rock as the Treasure’s will made its final argument.

"This is the heavy destiny that all kings must bear! To wear the crown..."

"Screw your destiny."

Lance’s arms bulged with power, and with a loud, grating scrape...

...the Holy Sword, the very symbol of honor, was once again wedged immovably back into the moss-covered stone.

After doing all this,

Lance took two steps back as if he had touched something filthy, and even wiped his hands on his pant legs.

Then, he raised his head and gave the Cross Sword—now glowing much more dimly—a polite smile.

"You can leave this good fortune for someone else. I’m out."