You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

She turned and left the crowd, continuing to walk forward. But the story she had just heard kept replaying in her mind.

"If it were me, I would never let that happen."

The blonde elf Cui thought to herself, "Whether it's true or not, that elven mage clearly had a chance to be with the hero, but missed it because of her slowness and poor sense of time. It's ridiculous."

Cui had a strange sense of pride: "True love will not be hindered by such trivial matters. If two people truly love each other, they should bravely face all difficulties, instead of retreating because of status, lifespan or other excuses."

An image of someone flashed through my mind—

Yes, she had absolutely no need to worry; that guy was far more proactive than the hero. And I, too, was more perceptive and decisive than the magician in the story!

The elf's eyes shone with confidence.

"If it were me, I would definitely grab him without hesitation. No matter how many difficulties lie ahead, as long as it's true love, it's worth fighting for!"

She looked up into the distance, her heart filled with anticipation, and continued walking forward, prepared for whatever might come.

True love can be stopped by nothing!

……

"Let me introduce you. This is Saito Immortal, my wife."

"Hello, Miss Elf~"

Saito laughed heartily, while the elf opposite him froze, completely stunned.

"Huh, it seems like I'm daydreaming?"

"...My wife?"

Cui recovered her composure and asked, "What do you mean?"

"It means... it's not what outsiders mean."

Saito scratched his head.

At that moment, Midori noticed a ring on Saito's hand, with a peculiar gem set in a silver ring—her pupils contracted sharply.

The ring was specially made for Saito by Iori after he learned about the marriage culture of this world. Needless to say, the materials were of the highest quality, and the gemstone was also decorated with a defensive demonic path.

Of course, Cui didn't know any of this; all she knew was... that she seemed to have been a step too late.

—I suddenly thought of the elf girl in the story.

No way! Don't make such a precise prediction!

No, no, I must not act impulsively. What if this ring is her own property and not a gift from someone else?

"Do you mind this ring? It's quite ordinary. Iori made it for me. Would you like one too?"

"Do human life stages pass by so quickly?!"

Chapter 553 The Holy Sword of Salvation & The Sword of the Hero.

Cui stood at the edge of the forest, clutching an ancient scroll she had received from the silver-haired elf. It depicted an intricate map marking the ruins of a legendary goddess. Of course, a picture alone wouldn't be enough to find the place; the scroll's wind element had to be activated with the appropriate magic to guide the user.

Although this magic is not of a high level, its spell is extremely complex, and only elves with exceptional talent in this area can successfully decipher it.

However, the blonde elf was in a state of confusion and couldn't concentrate for the time being.

Her feelings were extremely complicated. The words "my wife" from Iori kept echoing in her mind, as did the faintly glowing ring on Saito's hand.

—What a joke! She just went on a business trip and her house was robbed!

She even wondered if she had entered a time-traveling magic circle and arrived in a world ten or twenty years later. Otherwise, how could a lover suddenly appear and they have already made a lifelong commitment in just a few months, or at most half a year?

But in fact, she did not travel through time, and she only found out later that she was the one who "came from elsewhere"!

Iori's fellow townsman, the two have known each other for many years, he is both her senior and her former boss—this relationship left Midori speechless.

Whether in terms of the length of time spent together or the level of intimacy, she was completely defeated by Saito's immortality!

She was originally very confident, after all, in her opinion, Iori didn't have any competitors, and her only close friend was Yosuke. But she never expected that someone would come from her hometown!

"What should we do?"

Cui muttered to herself, her brows furrowed.

She had never imagined that she would fall behind others in matters of the heart. As an elf, she possessed a long lifespan, and time had never been an issue for her. However, Iori's existence made her feel the urgency of time for the first time.

No, we can't give up like this!

Cui took a deep breath, a resolute glint in her eyes:

Elves have a much longer lifespan than humans, and as long as she is patient, all obstacles will eventually disappear.

As for whether Saito was an ordinary person or how long he lived... she was not willing to delve into that for the time being.

Let's get down to business first!

She unfurled the scroll, studying every detail of the map meticulously. The silver-haired elf had told her that this ruin contained a holy sword left behind by the goddess, a legendary magic that could "save the world," and only a true hero could pull it out.

Cui's heart skipped a beat: Iori and the others have also been looking for similar ruins. Why not take them along? They can explore together and get to know each other better during the adventure.

At the very least, we need to know who this Saito immortal person really is, right?

"That's it."

Cui closed the scroll, a slight smile playing on her lips. She decided to act immediately and invite those people today.

……

A few days later, Midori, along with Iori, Yosuke, Farrell, and Saito, arrived at the entrance to the ruins.

This is an ancient labyrinth hidden deep in the mountains. It can only be entered by passing through dense forests and valley barriers. The entrance is also covered with vines and moss, with only a few brick and stone surfaces showing. There are strange runes and magic circles on them, making it look particularly mysterious.

"Is this the ruins of the goddess?"

Yosuke pushed up his glasses and looked around curiously. Although he wasn't particularly interested in "ancient civilizations," he had followed them without hesitation after hearing that there might be clues to returning to his original world.

Holy sword!

Having played so many games, in Yosuke's mindset, this was definitely a key item he had to get his hands on!

Generally speaking, those who are summoned to this world like him are there with some kind of mission. As long as they defeat the Demon King with the Holy Sword and save the world, they can complete the "main quest" and be sent home by the so-called gods, right?

"Don't get too excited yet, legends aren't necessarily true."

Iori reminded him, "In the history books I've consulted, there's no record of the Holy Sword appearing in the world for at least the last four hundred years. It's very likely just a story without any real basis."

"Moreover, goddess... if it's true, gaining the goddess's approval is not an easy thing."

Farrell felt somewhat uncertain.

"Yes."

Cui nodded. "According to the scroll, the holy sword in this labyrinth—assuming it really exists—can only be drawn by a true hero."

"Brave?"

Saito pursed her lips, because due to cultural differences, she didn't quite understand what these people were excited about.

Elf Cui appeared relatively calm. He looked around with a hint of wariness in his eyes: "This maze doesn't look simple. Everyone be careful."

I don't think the sage had any reason to deceive or trick me. The legend of this ruin is probably true, but... whether we have the luck to pull out the holy sword is another matter entirely.

Let's just treat it as an adventure!

……

"careful!"

Suddenly, Cui called out and reached out to stop the appraiser who was about to step onto a loose stone slab. Farrell was taken aback for a moment, then gave Cui a grateful look.

As the group entered the maze, the surroundings suddenly became dark, and the walls were covered with ancient runes that emitted a faint blue light.

The maze was full of various mechanisms and traps that could be triggered if one was not careful. However, although there were "newcomers" in the team, there were no weaklings among them. They overcame various unexpected events one by one and soon entered the core area of ​​the maze.

After a difficult exploration, the group finally arrived at the deepest part of the labyrinth. Here was a huge circular hall, with a vast array of magic drawn on the ground. Magic was extracted from the underground spring and continuously supplied to the entire system, ensuring that the labyrinth could continue to operate for thousands of years without maintenance.

In the center stood two small altars, or rather, bases, each bearing a longsword, their shapes, inscriptions, and the aura they exuded all quite different. But without exception, the blades of all the swords shone with a dazzling light, as if awaiting their true masters.

"It really does exist!"

"Great!"

"Is this the holy sword?"

Farrell exclaimed, her eyes filled with longing.

She started as an appraiser, and although she is now a sage, she is still studying. If she hadn't taken this opportunity, she probably would never have had the chance to see such a mythical treasure in her lifetime.

"Yes."

Cui nodded, having found the long-lost ancient relic. Her voice was filled with excitement, "As long as I draw the holy sword, I can gain the power blessed by the goddess and become a hero who saves the world!"

After saying that, the elf girl subconsciously frowned, realizing a problem:

Since the Holy Sword truly exists here, it means the elven sage most likely came here... but was probably not chosen. If even that sage couldn't take the Holy Sword, what about their group?

Why are there two?

Iori stepped forward and carefully examined the two holy swords. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, as if he had noticed something amiss.

"Shouldn't a holy sword generally be unique?"

"The legend doesn't mention this... but it's assumed there's only one."

Cui also found it strange.

"One of these two swords is fake."

Saito, who had been silent all along, said in a low voice, "Different strengths of spiritual energy give off very different feelings, and..."

She stepped forward and observed more carefully:

The one on the right radiates divine energy, and even in this underground space without a strong light source, the faint light surrounding it can still be clearly observed.

The sword has a golden guard and a pale blue hilt. The blade is straight and sharp, without any damage or even dust. It doesn't look like an antique at all... It is obviously precious and special.

The one on the left appears rather ordinary in comparison. Although it is also ornate, it is clear that the original was crafted by an ordinary artisan. The gems and gold were added later. There are minor damages on the blade, as well as traces of repair, polishing, and even reforging.

Over the years, it has long been covered with a layer of dust, and its former heroic spirit is no longer visible.

Saito turned around, pointed to the one on his right, and asserted, "This one has never been stained with blood, nor has it ever been used by anyone!"

The one on the left is the exact opposite; Saito could clearly sense the lingering intent within it.

Whether from former users or enemies who perished by its blade.

This must be a sharp blade that has seen countless battles!

"I see, this is the 'Gold, Silver, and Bronze Quiz'!"

Yosuke suddenly shouted.

Although the group did not know exactly what he was referring to, they inexplicably grasped its meaning.

"You know Iori, right? The famous story of the river god and the woodcutter."

Yang Jie excitedly recounted, "Between the gold and silver axes and the ordinary iron axe, the woodcutter honestly chose his own and then received a gift from the river god."

"Hmm, what does this have to do with the current situation?"

"Many games have similar settings!"

The game deliberately sets up a level where players can choose between 'gold', 'silver', and 'bronze' – representing the rarity of the items.

At this point, choosing the most ornate or advantageous one based on intuition would most likely be a mistake; the seemingly ordinary one is actually the true holy sword!

Farrell looked on with admiration: "Oh, I see. As expected of Gombrad... Lord Yosuke, you are truly learned!"

"No, both swords are real."

Iori said something expressionless, and the atmosphere on the field immediately froze.

"Strictly speaking, they are two different holy swords, and there is no such thing as one impersonating the other."

He raised his hand and pointed, and an embarrassed Yosuke followed his gaze and couldn't help but let out a "Huh".

It turned out that he hadn't noticed before that different characters were engraved on the sword's base, each describing the sword's origin. These were ancient characters, and even Midori would probably have difficulty deciphering them all, but Iori and Yosuke both possessed language-related protective abilities, so it seemed to be no problem for them.

"Come, let me see... that... the holy sword of salvation, the hero of the goddess... it is only drawn when the world faces the crisis of destruction, and that person is the hero chosen by the gods."

Yosuke looked at the sacred longsword on the right and scratched his head. "I was wrong. This is actually the real thing... What about the one on the left? Why is it placed with the sacred sword?"