Summoning the Holy Sword

Silence.

Rhode stood up and rubbed his ears as he glanced over at the formerly tidy room that was now tattered with broken stones and debris everywhere. Long cracks filled the entire room. The stone columns on both sides were badly deformed. Even the solid, metal pipes were twisted and raised at an odd angle.

“Woah… I can’t believe I survived this.”

Rhode observed his surroundings and took a deep breath. The Core Guardian’s self-destruct mechanic was the only life-threatening skill that he feared. According to the game manual, the damage dealt by this skill was fixed; the damage received was determined by the player’s level. So when facing the Core Guardian, it was either to kill it off quickly, or weaken it and prepare for the self-destruct. Since Rhode’s level wasn’t enough to defeat the Core Guardian in a few strokes, he could only choose to defend against the explosion. Fortunately, it seemed that everything went well.

The ringing sound in his ears caused him to be temporarily deaf. Rhode glanced down and discovered Anne who was trying to stand up while using her shield as support. She rubbed her ears and seemed to be saying something, but Rhode couldn’t make anything out of it.

“… as… it ended, Leader?”

Bits and pieces could be heard, but as Rhode’s hearing gradually recovered, he could finally understand what she was saying.

“It ended.”

Rhode picked up his weapon while answering Anne’s question. Luckily his Crimson Blade wasn’t damaged at all even though the explosion was powerful. It seemed like this magical weapon had an excellent quality. The area where the Core Guardian formerly stood already had an enormous crater underneath. Within the hole were all charred metals, or at least that was what it appeared as.

Rhode felt hopeless. This damn thing, although it looked rather small, it was heavy as hell. Almost 100kg. Rhode used all his might but he couldn’t shift it no matter what. Eventually, he let go and gestured to Anne helplessly.

“You do it, Anne. Be careful.”

“Yes, Leader.”

The maiden who was scanning her surroundings heard Rhode’s call and quickly walked towards the center of the room. She tilted her head and looked at the Sphere of Mystery curiously.

How did this small, round ball cause such an expression on his face?

However, the maiden quickly extended her hands and attempted to lift it.

When Anne tried to lift the Sphere of Mystery, her expression suddenly changed. The maiden opened her eyes wide while feeling slightly surprised as she stared at this little thing in front of her.

This time, it was Rhode who was admiring her helpless expression…

Never did Anne thought that this little thing would be so heavy. Anne was always proud of her strength, and she was confident that she could lift it with one hand. But now, as if the ball challenged her guts, she unhesitatingly placed both hands and gripped it tightly.

“… Aaah!!”

Although Anne attempted to put on a tough front and lift it as though she wasn’t putting much effort, her intense grunts revealed otherwise. But even so, Rhode didn’t underestimate her.

And at this moment, Rhode’s expression slightly dulled. Anne’s expression as well. She frowned and turned her head towards the entrance.

Messy footsteps echoed from the opposite tunnel. Afterwards, a dozen of fully armored mercenaries rushed out.