When I Tried Strengthening 【Rusted Sword】, It Evolved Into An Overpowered Magic Sword - Chapter 13

When I Tried Strengthening 【Rusted Sword】, It Evolved Into An Overpowered Magic Sword

Chapter 13   Sword and Shield

“Mmm, seems like a regular trial isn’t that easy, test doll.”

“…Y-yes, you’re right.”

Approximately thirty minutes since the start of the exam.

I, along with the girl carrying the shield, walked through the forest illuminated in seven colors.

Area: ‘Seven-Colored Forest.’

A forest where plants and trees sparkled like multicolored gems, becoming a local tourist attraction.

However, due to the prevalence of monsters, it was an area cautioned against entering for ordinary people.

We entered the forest and peered into the shadows of trees and thickets.

Our goal was, of course, to find the ‘test dolls.’

However, they were nowhere to be found.

As expected, the adventurer’s test doesn’t seem to go smoothly.

Just as the examiner mentioned, it’s highly likely that monsters are picking them up and carrying them around.

“If we could avoid fighting monsters, I thought that would be better, but it seems it’s not that easy. From now on, let’s actively search for a monster called ‘Snatch Thief.'”

“… ”

There was no response from the shield girl, but I continued to advance deeper into the forest.

She’s been acting strange since earlier. Unusually quiet. I wonder what happened?

After that, she did accept my invitation. We formed a party smoothly and are now searching for test dolls together. However, the girl’s face seems somewhat gloomy.

Could it be that she didn’t want to team up with me? Perhaps she agreed in the heat of the moment, and now that we’re actually in a party, she regrets it.

I’d prefer to continue the test with her, but if she dislikes it, dissolution might be inevitable.

As I was thinking about this, she finally spoke up.

“Um, uh…”

“Hmm?”

“S-so, what exactly do you mean by us having good compatibility?”

“Huh? Oh…”

I was taken aback by the sudden question.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t explained that yet.

I had used that as my invitation line for her to join the party, but I hadn’t elaborated on it, leaving it insufficiently explained.

I overlooked that detail. And saying ‘good compatibility’ might lead to some strange misunderstandings depending on how it’s interpreted.

Could it be that her unusual behavior and minimal speech were because of that?

Looking closely, her cheeks seem a bit flushed.

So, albeit belatedly, I hastily tried to provide an explanation.

“W-Well, when I say our compatibility is good, it’s not in a weird way…”

However, right before that…

Suddenly, “something” jumped out from the dense bushes behind us.

“Graaah!”

“W-What, a monster!?”

The shield girl’s scream was accurate. What leaped out from the thicket was a wolf-like monster.

Its size was nearly identical to mine, and it had a large mouth with gleaming fangs.

With the momentum from its leap, it aimed to bite my head.

Quickly, I extended my right hand to my back, drawing the ‘Rusty Sword.’

“T-That worn-out sacred treasure won’t—!”

Seeing my sacred treasure, the shield girl clearly became unsettled.

A natural reaction. Despite the saying not to judge by appearances, when it comes to sacred treasure, there’s often little trustworthiness beyond what meets the eye.

Especially for someone seeing it for the first time, it’s hard to believe this sacred treasure can stand against monsters.

So, the girl hastily readied her large shield and tried to get between me and the monster, but I raised my left hand, signaling her to stop.

“… Evolution.”

In an instant, a black light emitted from the ‘Rusty Sword.’

Rust fell away like breaking an eggshell, revealing its true form hidden within.

“Haaah!”

Then, I swung the sword at the wolf in front of me.

Effortlessly, as if cutting through air, I cleanly severed the wolf’s body. It scattered light and disappeared completely.

“A-Amazing…”

The shield girl gazed wide-eyed in astonishment. She seemed more shocked by the fact that I defeated the monster in a single blow than the transformation of my sacred treasure itself.

It was a natural reaction. After all, it had changed from the ragged ‘Rusty Sword’ to a sword resembling that of a demon, so her surprise was understandable.

She’d likely never heard of sacred treasures changing their appearance before. So, I hurriedly provided an explanation.

“This is my sacred treasure, the ‘Cursed Magic Sword.’ It was a beat-up ‘Rusty Sword’ before, practically useless in battle. But by using a skill called ‘Evolution,’ it transforms into this. S-Sorry if I startled you.”

“…I see.”

She seemed surprised, but not particularly frightened.

Phew, that’s a relief. If she had been scared off by the demon-like sacred treasure, I wouldn’t know what to do.

With the immediate concern resolved, the shield girl tilted her head while looking at the ‘Cursed Magic Sword.’

“S-So, wouldn’t it be better to keep it in that form all the time? Why bother changing it back to the worn-out sacred treasure?”

Certainly, her question was valid.

Though things turned out well this time, if my response hadn’t been timely, my head might have been bitten off.

It would be wiser to keep it in the ‘Cursed Magic Sword’ state rather than the ‘Rusty Sword.’ But there was a reason for the transformation.

“This sacred treasure consumes an incredible amount of energy while in use. I would literally collapse from exhaustion.”

“Eh…”

“Right now, I can keep it in this state for about three minutes… I think? The duration I can continuously use the ‘Cursed Magic Sword.’ So, I can’t keep it in this state indefinitely. After a battle, I switch it back to the ‘Rusty Sword’ and only use the Cursed Magic sword during combat.”

I had gradually learned a bit about this sacred treasure through my own research. My ‘Cursed Magic Sword’ had a time limit. It caused extreme fatigue during usage, and if pushed beyond limits, it could lead to unconsciousness.

The time limit was approximately three minutes. While it still felt quite short, it was a considerable improvement compared to the early days. It seemed that I was getting used to the Evolution skill, and the duration was gradually increasing. However, it was still a negligible progress, and it would take an unimaginable amount of time to become proficient.

That’s why I adopted a frugal approach, using the ‘Cursed Magic Sword’ only during battles and reverting to the ‘Rusty Sword’ otherwise.

“Ah, could it be that when you mentioned our compatibility…”

“Yes, that’s right. If I get tired and can’t use the ‘Cursed Magic Sword’ anymore, I want you to protect me with your shield during that time. I can use it again after a short rest. Well, it sounds pretty pathetic, but when I have the ‘Rusty Sword,’ I’m incredibly useless.”

A wry smile crept in.

Has the bad-mouthing from that purple-haired girl rubbed off on me?

But in reality, I’m still just as useless.

So, if I can get the shield girl’s cooperation, it would be a tremendous help.

After finishing this belated explanation, the girl nodded with a clear expression.

“I-I understand. If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do my best to help.”

“Yeah, I’m counting on you! Oh, um…”

A lingering question still remained.

“By the way, we haven’t exchanged names yet, have we? I’m Rust. Rust Stone. What’s your name?”

“I-I’m Dia. Dia Carat, that is. Nice to meet you, Rust-san.”

“The pleasure is mine.”

I smiled and shook hands with Dia once again.

I really appreciate your help.

As I mentioned to her earlier, my sacred treasure has a fatal weakness.

If it’s not compensated for, I might end up losing my life during this exam.

As a precaution when taking the adventurer’s exam, personal safety is not guaranteed.

So, even during the exam, you can’t let your guard down. You have to be prepared to lose your life to monsters at any moment.

In such circumstances, with my ability to use power for only a limited time, I am an incredibly weak entity.

Without reliable allies and stable strength, it’s a tough situation.

And then came this girl with the ‘Shield Sacred Treasure.’

In these conditions, she seems to be the perfect person to be my companion.

Well, the reason I invited Dia to be my companion isn’t just that.

I recall what happened at the guild.

Dia being loudly berated, echoing around us.

If I hadn’t invited her to be my companion right there, Dia probably wouldn’t have been able to form a party with anyone else.

Being loudly declared incompetent like that, it doesn’t seem likely that the other participants would want her.

Likewise, I didn’t think anyone else would be willing to team up with me after getting involved in that trouble.

So, the optimal solution at that moment, when I stepped in, was that there was no other option but for “Dia and I to form a party.”

Well, there’s no use dwelling on past events at this point.

“Now that we’ve finished the belated introductions, shall we resume the search for the dolls?”

I said, preparing to walk again, but…

Surprisingly, once again, a magical creature leaped out from the bushes behind us.

But this time, it wasn’t a wolf; it was a magical creature that looked like a “dwarf.”