"Boom—!"
Just as Gut was staring blankly at the Hero's Sword surrounded by holy power, a violent sound came, and even the cave floor trembled slightly.
Hastily steadying his footing and summoning his staff, Gut walked toward the cave exit.
"Using material manipulation as a medium, relying on its own mass for attacks."
"I thought this style of Attack Magic wouldn't be encountered until it became popular in later generations, but unexpectedly, I can see it today."
The source of the sound wasn't far from the cave, roughly in the area where he was attacked.
Even though it was beyond visual range, through magical perception alone, Gut knew the identities of both sides in combat.
One side was the disciples led by teacher Serie.
The other side's giant monster should be the culprit that attacked him.
From the monster's aura still persisting, his teacher probably hadn't acted personally—likely leaving the subjugation to her disciples.
Thinking of this, Gut's agile figure quickly headed toward the combat location, not wanting to miss this good show of testing his junior disciples' abilities.
He just wondered whose handiwork that Attack Magic from earlier was.
Soon, after crossing a ridge, Gut's question was answered.
Not far away.
Three junior disciples were confronting a massive monster, while teacher Serie had erected a hemispherical Barrier Magic in place, protecting herself and two females without magical reactions, leisurely watching this good show from within.
The elf could even glance at him from afar, pointing at the massive monster ahead, signaling him to join the battle.
Gut: ...
After sighing about his teacher's exploitation, Gut gripped his staff tightly but didn't rush down to participate. Instead, he stood high up seriously analyzing the battlefield situation.
This battle between human mages and the monster below was temporarily at a stalemate, but overall, the human side held the advantage.
Though the three junior disciples hadn't spent much time together, their coordination was exceptionally smooth.
The huge commotion Gut had sensed earlier was caused by Ross, the main attacker.
This last mage to join the team had abandoned his usual combat style, no longer using High-Speed Movement Magic for agility attacks, but instead planting his staff in the ground and completely giving up mobility.
Using magical power to manipulate the land beneath his feet as an offensive medium, employing the earth's own tremendous mass to shake the monster's massive frame.
From the large area of upturned earth and scattered snow, the earlier tremendous sound was likely this junior disciple charging up something big, manipulating massive amounts of earth to slam into the monster.
Zenn, usually quite socially anxious and even stuttering when speaking, was extraordinarily smooth when using magic.
The magical brilliance on his staff was constant, providing precise Defensive Magic for his companions from a relatively rear position.
Ross dared to stand in place and attack with confidence because of Zenn's full protection.
As for Hafka, he moved flexibly around the battlefield, using Andrel-style irreversible principles to construct various control magic, limiting the monster's movement and attacks while creating opportunities for companions and causing some damage with magic.
Currently, the monster could fight three people alone without falling behind, appearing mighty.
In reality, because there was no warrior serving as front line, the three junior disciples chose the safest tactics and avoided risks.
The monster's resistance couldn't harm the human mages, while it continued taking damage under human siege.
As these small wounds accumulated, once the monster's condition declined from mounting injuries, death awaited it.
Perhaps this was why Serie felt comfortable letting her disciples train.
Having surveyed the situation below, Gut gathered his magical power, gripped his staff, and jumped directly down.
The Carian Glintstone Staff enhanced by Master Ronny revealed brilliant sword light under magical enhancement.
Below, the targeted monster felt its hair stand on end, strong retreat visible in both pupils as it endured Hafka's magical attack while trying to dodge Gut's strike.
But...
This slash from above wasn't so easy to dodge.
Even though the monster's desperate evasion while injured had some effect, it only changed Gut's strike aimed at its head to being borne by its back.
After one sword strike, Gut left a massive wound on the monster's spine, deep enough to see bone.
"Roar!!!"
The monster howled in pain. At life-and-death's threshold, it ignored the pain and immediately tried to flee, preserving this life to revenge these humans later.
However, could it escape?
Coincidentally, the three disciples Serie accepted in the Holy Capital were all quite skilled at Sealing Magic.
One was a socially anxious young master from the Camm Clan in the southern nations, whose family made a living sealing demons for generations.
One was a noble young man inheriting ancestral wisdom, mastering the era-dominating Andrel-style Barrier Theory.
One was a cold, brute force user who mastered high-speed movement magic—though his sealing effectiveness was weak, he could cast instantly.
Therefore, after landing, Gut wasn't eager to pursue, instead quietly waiting for his junior disciples' performance.
The monster hadn't run far when Ross, originally standing in place, flickered and appeared before it, obviously using High-Speed Movement Magic, then instantly cast Sealing Magic on the monster.
"Flash plus hard control, more underhanded than stagnant water..."
Then Hafka followed up, applying another layer of Barrier Magic before the monster could break free from its restraints.
Zenn's powerful sealing array, requiring long preparation time, also successfully activated on the monster's head during the time his companions secured.
Thus, all possibilities of the monster's escape were firmly eliminated.
Dragging the magical greatsword materialized from his staff, Gut leisurely walked before this magic beast and with a wrist motion directly beheaded it, removing a scourge from this land and successfully avenging his earlier attack.
Not far away, seeing the battle end, Serie dispersed her barrier. Girl Sola quickly walked to brother Hafka, and after confirming her brother wasn't injured, curiously asked about his feelings fighting the monster.
The 48th generation village chief of Sword Village, after confirming the monster was dead, first bowed to Serie's group in gratitude, then offered to lead everyone to the cave where the Hero's Sword was located to try drawing it.
However, Serie didn't care much about these things. After having the village chief lead other disciples to the cave containing the Hero's Sword, she stayed behind to talk with chief disciple Gut.
"Didn't you say you didn't want to try? Why did you come over?"
Hearing the teasing in the elf's tone, Gut scratched his head and said somewhat gloomily:
"Sigh, I didn't want to come either."
"This time was purely coincidental. I forgot the Hero's Sword in Sword Village was in the outskirts, unconsciously thinking it was inside the village, so I didn't think much while hunting."
"Tsk-tsk—"
Serie clicked her tongue twice, her tone unclear whether teasing or mocking—anyway, not a good attitude.
"Never mind the reasons."
The elf's nose lightly sniffed around her disciple, then asked:
"Such rich holy power aura."
"You met Him again this time, right?"
"Mm."
Gut nodded in reply. "After accidentally seeing the Hero's Sword, my consciousness was pulled away by Him for conversation."
Gut, reporting his whereabouts completely, felt somewhat strange inside.
Like a husband returning home being questioned by his wife after she smelled another woman's perfume on him.
"Did He say anything to you?"
While Gut was lost in wild thoughts, the elf continued asking.
"Oh! There really was something."
"He said He wants us to hold a wedding ceremony in the Holy Capital's Cathedral. He wants to personally see what you look like in a wedding dress."
Serie: ???
"This is Lady Goddess's meaning. If you don't believe me, cast Truth Detection Magic and try."
"No need." Serie shook her head. "I believe you."
"Given His personality, I'm not surprised He'd say such things."
"Besides that, did He tell you anything else?"
"Mm... there was one serious matter."
"According to Lady Goddess, the demon race's Seven Sages of Destruction member Final Saint Todd—her curse covering the entire planet sixty to seventy years from now will trigger turmoil from outside the world, bringing destructive impact to this world."
"I see..."
After receiving this prophetic future information, Serie's face showed little surprise, merely nodding to indicate understanding.
"Since you've already met Him, no need to stay outside the village avoiding Him. Pack up and come back to rest together tonight."
"Mm." Gut nodded solemnly, joy rising in his heart.
Indeed, his teacher still liked him—she couldn't bear even one night of his absence.
"I want ice cream tomorrow morning, but the village doesn't sell any."
Gut: ...
"Also, I want three flavors, two boxes."
Gut: ...
Eating ice cream in deep winter—freeze to death, why don't you.
"What are you thinking? Are you planning to disobey your teacher's orders?"
The elf raised her head, looking at her disciple with disdainful eyes.
A meaningful arc hung at the corner of her mouth, threatening that if he dared refuse, she'd make him regret it.
"Nothing, I'm thinking what flavors to prepare for teacher."
"So that's it. I thought you were thinking 'eating ice cream in deep winter—freeze to death, why don't you.'"
"Haha." Gut laughed dryly. "How could that be? I like teacher the most."
"Tsk-tsk—"
The elf clicked her tongue twice and said no more.
After a few moments, Sword Village's village chief led the three junior disciples back from the sword-hiding cave. Seeing the junior disciples empty-handed, they obviously gained nothing.
But that made sense—he already knew the inside story from Lady Goddess.
Regardless of whether these three junior disciples' character met standards, none had any possibility of drawing that Hero's Sword from the stone, given their ages.
Final Saint Todd's curse would take effect nearly seventy years later.
By then, even the youngest Zenn would be over eighty—how could he possibly wield a sword to kill enemies?
Frankly speaking, at that time even the new generation Fern and Stark from the plot would be thirty-five or thirty-six, at their physical peak's end, let alone these junior disciples' generation of old-timers.
Unless choosing long-lived species like elf warrior monks to inherit the Hero's Sword, humans who could draw this sword probably wouldn't be older than Stark.
Fortunately, with Hero Himmel's precedent of failing to draw it, these three mages who came to challenge across disciplines only felt somewhat regretful but weren't discouraged.
Inside Sword Village.
Because the group eliminated the monster threatening village safety, they enjoyed hero-like treatment upon return.
In the ocean of villagers' gratitude, much was genuinely heartfelt.
[Ding!]
[Daily Task: Daily Good Deed completed]
"Oh?!"
Gut's expression brightened—he hadn't expected such an unexpected harvest.
With nothing else to do, Gut claimed the reward and directly drew it.
Perhaps due to Good Fortune's effect improving somewhat, the rewards Gut received recently were all decent. For example, the Poverty Air Conditioner and Commercial Law Compliance Implant Chip - Special Edition were both quite useful items.
[Random reward drawing in progress]
[Drawing complete]
Under Gut's anticipation, the light covering the reward faded, revealing its true appearance.
[Item: Rice Absorbent Pad]
[Effect: Super absorbent, leak-proof, with intelligently adjustable "absorption mode" and "entertainment mode"]
[Description: Remember to discard when it turns red]
Gut: ...
Silently closing the system interface, Gut gathered some holy magical power and washed his eyes.
"Getting a bit abstract."
If it were ordinary contraceptives, that would be fine—he'd need them eventually anyway. But this Rice Absorbent Pad...
Might as well pair it with Guaranteed Pregnancy Condoms for a complete set.
Taking a deep breath to stop thinking about these abstract things.
His teacher wanted ice cream tomorrow, so he needed to gather materials while the village market was still open.
Fortunately, though Sword Village was deep in the mountains, it connected the central and northern nations, with abundant products and supplies. All ingredients for making various flavored ice creams could be bought in the market.
Even if missing one or two items, they could be substituted with others, or he could develop regional specialty flavors based on local products.
After all, always having the same few flavors would inevitably become boring.
However, while mixing ingredients, Gut's thoughts couldn't help but drift.
"Speaking of which, female elves seem to have their cycles only once every ten years. So when it comes, would the amount be ten years' worth..."
"Mm... probably not."
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Powerstones?
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