The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

The two were at least acquainted, so such a ruthless approach was bound to anger people.

Even if he represents a memory of Arios.

“If Arios passed all the trials before being recorded by the Holy Sword as the guardian of the final test…” Vena murmured, as if talking to himself, “then why didn’t he take the Holy Sword?”

"Or is it that even if one passes all the trials, the Holy Sword will still have to choose its master?"

If the mechanism for selecting masters of the Holy Sword is not based on strength and trial results, but on other criteria, then what is the point of all the countless Emblem Envoys who have sacrificed themselves over the years?

Everyone fell into silence.

"There should still be a chance, right?" Doni said, mustering his courage. "If the Holy Sword were truly so heartless, why would Lord Xuan Turtle have gone out of his way to deliver it to us?"

“You’ve comforted me,” Viner chuckled. “There’s no point in thinking about these things now. We have to get through this trial first before we can think about anything else.”

“Then leave it to me!” Felix patted his chest and volunteered. “I’ve been wanting to fight Arios for a long time.”

Although Tilisa and Jessica, the master and apprentice, are strong, they are not pure swordsmen.

Arios, on the other hand, is a contemporary hero renowned for his swordsmanship.

This duel between two sword emblem wielders may determine who is truly the strongest swordsman of our time.

“Stop talking big,” Vena said, ruffling Felix’s head with a teasing tone. “Don’t let him be defeated by some nobody before he even meets Arios.”

"Then we can just give up this holy sword. Anyway, Vena, you'll be able to forge a better weapon sooner or later."

Felix grinned, seemingly unconcerned.

Whether he truly doesn't care about winning or losing, as he claims, is another matter entirely.

"Well, don't worry. If the Holy Sword is really so discerning that even you wouldn't want it, then I'll forge a weapon capable of killing the Demon God," Vena promised.

These ten days were not wasted for Vina; otherwise, he would not have been able to find the loopholes in the Holy Sword Trial.

Now, he is confident that he can create equipment that surpasses the legacy of heroes.

However, there is still a fundamental difference between demons and demon gods. Weapons that can kill demons may not pose a threat to demon gods.

Wiener needs to find the final answer from the holy sword.

-----------------

The next morning.

Now fully recovered, Jessica and Lisette stood side by side, casting a carefully prepared buff spell on Felix.

Unlike Vena, who could interfere with the Holy Sword Trial halfway through, they could only make full preparations for Felix before the trial began.

Even the slightest improvement is crucial.

"Wait for my good news!" Felix felt the surge of power within him, his face full of confidence.

He turned and waved to his companions before stepping toward the holy sword.

Vina and Jessica stood silently waiting not far away.

"Don't worry, if even Felix can't pass this trial, then no one else in the world will be able to," Venus comforted her.

“That’s not what I’m worried about…” Jessica sighed.

Felix was the most talented swordsman she had ever met, and he was no less skilled than Arios.

That legendary state of "man and sword as one" was merely Felix's starting point.

Jessica wasn't worried that he would fail as long as the trial was primarily a sword-based one.

"I'm wondering why Arios has changed so much..."

She worried that Arios's personality had changed because of the Holy Sword, and she was even more worried that Felix would follow in Arios's footsteps.

“That’s all in the past,” Viner shook his head. “With me watching over him, Felix will be fine.”

“Well, thank you for your trouble then,” Jessica said.

Once Felix officially enters the trial space, she will use the amplification array set up by Listy to teleport back to Parebia Port, relaying her experiences of the past month back to the academy and letting them know she is safe.

Previously, the situation was unstable, but now that conditions allow, it is natural to rebuild ties with the academy.

"It's just looking, it's not hard work. Anyway, it doesn't bother anything, so it's just good for the eyes."

Wiener glanced at the neatly stacked timber beside him.

"So it looks good?" Jessica suddenly asked.

"Ok?"

"I'm asking you if I'm good-looking? You've seen me quite a bit during my trials, haven't you?"

Jessica tilted her head slightly, with a hint of initiative and a tentative approach.

"really."

Wiener did not deny it, nor did he intend to deny it.

The only thing separating the two of them is a thin veil of mystery.

“It’s very expensive for me to be a model,” Jessica said pointedly.

"Did Felix tip it off again?"

Vena sighed, then pulled a palm-sized wooden carving from his ring and tossed it to Jessica.

This is a piece he sculpted to maintain the feel of the material while processing it; the prototype is naturally the person in front of him.

“It’s quite lifelike,” Jessica said, examining it carefully for a while before smiling with satisfaction.

Every detail was meticulously recreated, perfectly capturing her appearance in a shrunk form.

This is enough to demonstrate Wiener's meticulous observation.

Jessica accepted it, "But you've wronged Felix. Rikka told me."

"I was planning to make it a surprise, but it's ruined now." Viner scratched his head, looking somewhat disappointed.

"A surprise, is it..."

Jessica repeated it in a low voice, and then instantly moved close to Vina.

Before Viner could react, Jessica kissed his lips without hesitation.

"Is that surprising enough?" She took a half step back.

No one has ever given her so many surprises like Viña.

It felt like being with him would never be mundane.

During the most difficult moment of the trial, the power that Venerer transmitted through Sode no Shirayuki made Jessica feel that she was not alone.

This impromptu kiss was simply an act that turned all the unspoken emotions into action.

Felix remained silent, simply moving forward as if he hadn't seen anything.

But the moment he touched the holy sword, a sudden change occurred.

The Holy Sword transformed from its original longsword into two incredibly sharp blades.

Immediately afterwards, twenty-four light spots appeared out of thin air, each reflecting the phantom image of a powerful figure from past generations.

The same Holy Sword Trial, but Felix faced twice as many enemies as Jessica did, meaning the difficulty also doubled.

Even the two people who had the most faith in him changed their expressions drastically.

Only Felix showed no fear, even revealing a battle-ready smile.

"That's more fun!"

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Chapter 553 The Sword Demon's Relief

Jessica was filled with doubt and unease. Why was Felix's trial so different?

If Felix's previous provocation angered the Holy Sword, thus leading to such a severe trial—

Jessica couldn't help but look at the person next to her.

She still remembered Vena's harsh words about the holy sword, saying he would deal with it later.

If the Holy Sword is truly as sensitive and vengeful as I imagine, what will become of Vena's trial?

Jessica felt increasingly uneasy and was about to remind Venus not to attempt trials rashly in the future when Venus suddenly clapped his hands, revealing an expression of sudden realization.

"I understand!" Vena exclaimed. "The Holy Sword has identified Felix's true form, so the target of this trial is not only Felix!"

Jessica paused for a moment, then realized, "You mean... the Holy Sword sensed the Sword Demon within Felix?"

“This is the only explanation,” Viner’s eyes sharpened as she pointed to the distant spot of light. “Look, Felix is ​​taking on both challenges at once.”

Almost instantly, Felix passed the first test, and the two light spots shattered together and merged into his body.

"Please let me slow down."

Jessica held her forehead, somewhat unable to accept the reality before her.

If the Holy Sword hadn't noticed the Sword Demon's presence, that would have been one thing, but it clearly recognized the peculiar power within Felix, yet it made no attempt to stop him.

This permissive attitude was difficult for Jessica to understand at first.

The Demon of the Sword openly accepted the trial right under the nose of the Holy Sword. How could such an absurd thing happen in the world?

“This holy sword is more enlightened than I imagined,” Vena remarked.

"Enlightened? Do you know what that means? If the Sword Demon ultimately passes the trial, wouldn't that mean—"

“Felix will pass the trial faster than it,” Viner interrupted Jessica’s worries, her tone confident.

As if to prove his words, the third and fourth beams of light shattered almost simultaneously.

Although the times were very close, a closer look revealed a subtle difference – Felix was slightly faster.

"Do they really not rest for even a moment?"

Jessica muttered to herself that everything that had happened today had exceeded her expectations, and it all seemed far from over.

"They're probably competing with each other," Wiener speculated.

Just as the Sword Demon was single-mindedly focused on determining the victor between Tilisa and Arios, Felix was also worried that if he was too slow, the Sword Demon would steal more opponents.

It was with this mindset that they turned the Holy Sword Trial into a speed race.

Jessica tried to suppress her inner turmoil, and then began to instruct, "I need to report what happened here to the teacher first. Before I come back, you must keep a close eye on Felix."

"Okay, don't worry," Viner agreed.

Having received permission, Jessica said no more and vanished from her spot in an instant.

Vena then turned her attention back to the holy sword, which had transformed into a dual-blade form.

There are multiple explanations for the holy sword taking this form.

It could be an indication that dual-wielding swordsmanship is the most suitable fighting style for Felix, or it could symbolize the two sides of Felix and the Demon of the Sword.

Either way, it's something to ponder.

Wiener silently kept these details in his heart.

The third trial did not last long; after only half an hour, two more orbs of light shattered in succession.

This time, however, the situation was somewhat unusual. After one of the orbs shattered, it did not merge into Felix's body as it had before, but instead went straight for the long sword at his waist.

Beneath the light spot, even a barely perceptible wisp of black energy was completely absorbed by Tensho Zangetsu.

This unusual phenomenon immediately caught Wiener's attention.

After some thought, he extended the power of the Ghost Entanglement and wrapped it around the Heavenly Lock Moon Slash.

In the next instant, Venerer remotely activated the power of Gondorav, and his spirit then entered its inner world.

"You actually gave up the Sword Saint Trial."

Viner, who had infiltrated Tensa Zangetsu, looked at Sobaluke, who seemed to be familiarizing himself with the environment, and spoke coldly.

Felix and the demon passed the third level one after the other, but the sword demon did not choose to continue after passing the level and was expelled from the trial space along with the light orb.

“I just don’t want it to keep probing my limits,” Sobalukai replied.