When I Tried Strengthening 【Rusted Sword】, It Evolved Into An Overpowered Magic Sword
Vol. 1 - Ch. 2 - The Blessing Ceremony

The Blessing Ceremony takes place in the Temple, which was the seat of the sacred power. 

Its location would often be found where there was a large concentration of such divine energy. There has always been at least one temple in every town or village, and the village where we live in; the Red Village, also has one.

Ruby and I made our way towards the temple. 

As we navigated through the large crowds to get inside, I couldn't help but breathe out, "Wow, there's a lot of people here today, and it seems like it's not just the citizens of the Red Village."

There was a massive gathering inside and some of the faces we passed were unfamiliar to me, so I was certain most of them were residents of other towns or villages.

"It seems like there are a lot of visitors gathered here to witness the ritual. I guess that's to be expected since the temple here is the biggest in the region, and it seems like they're going to get their blessing here too, at least, that's what I heard from Village Chief Beril yesterday." Ruby told me as she pulled me with her to the front.

"Oh, really?"

I don't remember any of what Ruby said, probably because I was so nervous for today that yesterday was just a blur.

My anxiousness seemed to grow by the second when I realized that there were a lot of people around us whom I didn't know. As I glanced closely at the faces around us, I noticed they were mostly the parents of our peers who were here to receive the blessing ceremony too.

They must have come to see their own children and witness their greatest moment.

Seeing them, I couldn't help but think of my mother who unfortunately couldn't be here because she was busy with work.

I guess that's a blessing in disguise, since I wouldn't have to worry about the possibility of embarrassing myself in front of my mother. Besides, I resolved to tell her of my results when I get home later.

"Oh, look at the back. There are adventurers here." 

Ruby excitedly told me and I turned my head towards that direction as well, "You're right, they're here..."

There were a few adventurers mixing among the masses. 

I suppose they were here to recruit promising talents. They were most likely aiming to find someone who has been blessed with a high-ranked sacred weapon and recruit them into their party.

As I walked deeper inside the temple and crossed their watchful eyes, I heard a voice calling out for Ruby from somewhere up ahead of us, "Hey, Ruby, you're late!"

"The ceremony will start soon!" One of our peers added.

Ruby flashed them a wide grin, "Oh, good morning, guys! Wait up!"

She then turned to me and said, "I'm off for a bit."

I nodded in reply and watched her go.

Ruby's personality is the complete opposite of my timid disposition. Unlike me, she has a pretty wide circle of friends. She was popular with our peers in the village, and her reach was wide, wide enough that even people in other towns had heard of her.

Since I was left all alone, I had no choice but to go to some corner and wait for the ceremony to begin. When I tried to scurry more towards the sidelines, I felt a large force abruptly bumped into me, "Ow!"

'Boom!' I collided with someone's shoulder.

Maybe that description is not quite correct, the truth was that the other party deliberately crashed into me. Judging by the intensity of the collision I felt from my shoulder, it was clear that it was intentional. I briefly wondered who was so ill mannered to do something like this.

However, my wonder dissipated when I realized who it was, 'I should have known...'

"Oh, look here! It's Rust." 

The condescending tone of his voice disgusted me, "I'm sorry, you're so short that I didn't notice you at all."

I gritted my teeth and forced out a greeting, "Helio-kun..."

Helio is a young boy with golden hair and slanted eyes. He's lived in the same village as me, and ever since I've met him, he has been constantly harassing me.

Perhaps you could say that he is the little lord of the Red Village.

I heard that he was also coming to the temple to participate in the 'Blessing Ceremony' today. He is the same age as me, so it is only natural that he's here. However, it doesn't change the fact that I wish he did not bother me.

"What is this? You're going to participate in the blessing ceremony too, Rust? What's the point, if you're not going to be blessed with any great sacred weapon?"

I let out a nervous chuckle at his sarcastic remark.

Helio has always been mean to me, and I'm not very fond of him either.

However, I know that I couldn't retaliate against him, so I only remained quiet while he continued talking, "I mean; don't you think it's rather pointless to go through with the ceremony? Once you've been blessed with the sacred weapon, no matter its grade, you'll just be too chicken to fight the demons anyway. So why not just go home early?"

I needed to say something back. 

Even if I knew that I should stand up for myself, it still wasn't an easy feat for me. Each time I tried to open my mouth, bad memories would flash through my mind and make me clam up. Despite this, I tried to squeeze out a response, "Well, that may be so..."

My tongue felt like sandpaper, and I could no longer speak. Aside from me losing vocal chords I also felt a mild panic rising to my chest. As a result, I let out a weak chuckle and just gave up trying to talk.

However, I didn't remain in that uncomfortable situation for long, "Hey, Helio! Are you harassing Rust again? Stop it right now!

Helio scowled as he saw Ruby approaching us, "Tch, the annoying one has arrived."

Ruby returned just in time, like she always does. 

She always comes to my rescue when Helio and the other boys are being mean to me, much like this current scene.

Ruby's reliable back is a sight I've grown accustomed to over the years as she has always been the one who stood up to protect me. For Ruby, who had a strong sense of justice, bullying the weak was something she hated more than anything in the world. That's why she always ends up helping me every time someone attacks me.

Helio looked as if he had lost interest in us by being interrupted, he turned his back to us with a bored expression on his face

Just when I thought he was about to leave us alone, he gave us a sideway glance and a scathing remark, "At the very least, and as a member of the same generation, don't do anything that'll embarrass us, Rust."

I breathed out a reply, "Yeah..."

I was relieved when Helio finally started walking away.

I sighed in relief, it was a scary encounter. Just as I was thinking how much I don't respond well with Helio, Ruby who was standing beside me poked my ribcage. She met my affronted look with reproachful eyes, "You shouldn't say 'yeah', Rust. Instead, you should have retorted something back and defended yourself."

I looked down sheepishly, "I'm sorry..."

"We're going to be grown-ups now that we're twelve years old, so we need to be more responsible. You can't be a cool adventurer if you stay like this. Furthermore, I won't be able to protect you forever. You have to be strong, Rust."

Ruby stressed her last words carefully, even though her tone was strong, I could still feel her concern. I felt truly pathetic, "Yeah, yeah..."

That's right, Ruby can't protect me forever.

If I can't fight off a bully or two on my own, there's no way I'll ever be the hero I've always wanted to be.

I decided that today, I will change. I will be reborn into a different person.

As I mentally gathered my resolve to better myself, I heard the voice of a priest echoing inside the temple, "We will now begin the Blessing Ceremony."

After the announcement, the noises in the temple began to lull and everyone stood up straighter in anticipation. The priest ran his eyes across the crowded room, "Those who will receive the blessing, please come to the altar."

As soon as the priest finished giving out his instructions, a boy stepped out from among the participants, "All right, I'll go first!"

The boy followed the priest's command and walked straight to the altar. It was bathed in a white soft glow that was borne from the delicate touch of sunlight that poured in through the open ceiling.

Legend has it that once a year, there would be a day wherein the sun would pour out its divine light, and that it would shine upon the altar with divine providence. Only when it is illuminating the place with such sacred light can one have a proper meeting with God.

The only ones who can communicate with God during those days are people who are twelve years old or older. In other words, adults.

The practice was borne from the desperate pleas of our ancestors. In the past, people had no way to fight against demons and monsters, so they mostly fought one sided battles, with humans being at the disadvantage.

This was because the demon race is protected by a tough layer of skin known to us as the 'Demon Armor'; such could not be damaged or dented by ordinary weapons known to men.

Therefore, our ancestors begged the gods to help them. One day, they were able to communicate with them and were given special weapons that could help us fight against demons and monsters.

This is said to be the origin of the 'Blessing Ceremony'.

To be honest, I don't know if the story is true or not.

Regardless, it was a fact that if a person who was over twelve years old prayed at the altar on a day when the white light was flowing, he could obtain a weapon that had the potentiality to defeat the demon race.

The boy who had earlier come forward, silently strode in front of the altar and clasped his hands together. Then the altar began to shine brighter than the second before and the room was instantly filled with such intense brightness that it made me flinch and close my eyes. When I opened them again, a large ax appeared on top of the altar.

 The priest spoke again, "Here's the blessing..."

My eyes widened in surprise when they presented the sacred weapon.

I've been fortunate enough to stand and watch a few ceremonies before, but no matter how many times I've seen it, this phenomenon still never fails to amaze me. 

However, this time was even more amazing and felt more surreal simply because of the anticipation building inside of me, knowing that I was going to be one of the people who were at the receiving end of the ritual.

As I watched in amazement from afar, I saw the boy happily pick up the sacred weapon and shouted, "Steel Greataxe; It's a C-rank sacred weapon!"

Suddenly, the crowd exploded into a round of applause.

As soon as the chosen sacred weapon was wielded, more information could be gleaned about it. Information by the likes of its name, rank, and all abilities it possessed! This various information about the sacred weapon was called the weapon's 'Properties'.

It was also tradition for anyone undergoing the ritual to declare the sacred weapon they have to their audience. Once they were done announcing the name and rank of their sacred weapon, they could step back and make way for the next person.

The boy who had just said the name and rank of the sacred weapon in accordance with our custom stepped back. It was clear he was content with his gift.

"I'll do it next!" a girl volunteered happily, and immediately took her place. I could see her pray really hard for her weapon. Once again, a blinding light emerged, and after it died down, it left a weapon for the girl to take.

She gasped in delight, and gently picked up her green-hued dagger.

"Gale Dagger! C-rank!" she announced proudly, and the crowd gave her a round of applause. 

It was a joyous occasion this year!

The crowd muttered amongst themselves happily. Indeed, this year's ceremony was shaping up to be better than the years before.

I could hear some of the people's chatter, "Maybe we'll have a great harvest this year!"

"Some years, you don't even see a single C-rank divine weapon." Another person added.

I couldn't help but be affected by the energies surrounding me, 'Perhaps, the gods decided to be more generous this year.'

Ranks for sacred weapons have a total of six categories. The hierarchy thereof was largely dependent on the performance levels of the weapons.

From the top, the ranks are A, B, C, D, E, and F. Despite the initial ranking, the ranks could still change depending on the performance of the wielder with the sacred weapon.

On average, people would often receive a D-ranked weapon. Therefore, receiving a C-ranked sacred weapon was a cause for celebration! And for this ceremony alone, there already appeared two in a row!

In one of the many theories surrounding sacred weapons, they stated that the chances of a C-ranked weapon to appear in the rituals had a probability of one in a thousand people! B-ranked weapons had a probability of one in ten thousand, while A-ranked weapons were one in a hundred thousand people. 

Well, I'm not really sure if their math was right. In any case, I continued to watch the other participants go up and receive their weapons, one after another.

'D -- rank, D -- rank, C -- rank, another D -- rank...'

So far, the ceremony was progressing well. No weapons lower than D -- rank has appeared; it was a good omen for the witnesses. It suggested to everyone that this year's harvest will be a good one!

And then something unexpected happened!

"Whoa, what's with that sacred weapon?" Someone in the crowd exclaimed suddenly, and a curious chatter broke out among them. 

I glanced at the person who exclaimed and followed their eyes which were focused on the altar. I also tiptoed to look at what was going on, and then I saw it! In the participant's hand was a long spear! But it also looked vastly different from the other sacred weapons that had been gifted today.

It was adorned with intricate designs, and gave off a powerful aura that spread all over the place. I looked at who it was gifted to and couldn't help but feel incensed.

It was that bully, Helio-kun! And he was holding it up with one hand, before he declared proudly, "Lightning Spear, B rank!" 

And the crowd erupted into a thunderous round of applause! Some even yelled, hooted and hollered g in delight at this huge blessing! It was the loudest cheer that I heard since the ceremony started.

The people around me began talking again, "Oh! That's Helio!"

"I knew he had it in him!"

"Let me have a good look at him!"

Everyone in the village, the adults, his friends, as well as people from the neighboring towns praised Helio for a job well done.

I sighed to myself, I had to admit, receiving a B-ranked weapon was indeed amazing. 

Furthermore, Helio was a gifted fighter. He was naturally strong. Plus, he also wanted to be an adventurer like Ruby and I. I have no doubts he'll reach high places and become a great adventurer with a weapon like that. And just as I predicted, the current adventurers in attendance clamored around Helio-kun, and readily offered him a place among them.

Variations of; "Are you interested in becoming an adventurer? Why don't you come to join our party?", and; "We also welcome you, boy! Let's be adventurers and defeat the demons together!" could be heard all around him.

The annual blessing ceremony was also a means for budding adventurers like myself to garner an invitation from them, because for one to officially be an adventurer, one must take the exam, and pass it.  However, if one had an invitation from the adventurers themselves, it meant that they didn't need to take an exam. They'd automatically just be one. 

They called this process a 'recommendation'.

Though I was convinced that recommendations were only applicable if high-ranked adventurers were the ones extending and making them. Otherwise, they were hardly persuasive. For these guys to offer Helio a place among them, must mean they are pretty amazing.

Oh, how I envied him so much!

As if he was sensing my attention, Helio glanced over in our direction and locked eyes with me. He then threw us a roguish smirk.

It was like he was telling us "look at how great I am!" or "Bow down before my greatness!" 

It's a face that ultimately tells everyone, "Look at me".

Even Ruby seemed peeved at him and wanted to wipe that grin off his face. So she puffed out an annoyed breath, and stood up straighter with a determined look on her face. 

"Well then, I'll just have to do better than him!" she muttered under her breath. 

It would be difficult for her to beat Helio. He got a B-ranked sacred weapon which was a rather rare occurrence. Despite this, Ruby didn't look the least bit dispirited, and she walked past him gracefully, and headed straight towards the altar without even looking back. 

"Good luck Ruby!" I told her.

She stopped a few paces away, and turned to the priest, bowing at him in reverence before she politely introduced herself, "My name is Ruby Blood. I look forward to working with you."

She straightened up, then looked back towards the altar and clasped her hands together in a determined prayer. I don't know what she had been praying about, but the light emerging from her was the brightest one yet! I could feel from where I stood just how serious she was about this prayer.

But the light didn't seem to falter even as seconds ticked by, instead it kept on growing. I had to force myself to squeeze my eyes shut to prevent it from blinding me! And then it finally subsided...

There, on the altar was the most beautiful sword I'd have ever seen!

"Oh, that's..."

It was larger than any other sword blessed to us this year!

Its hilt was adorned by a ruby jewel, while it's blade gave off red hues whenever the light would hit it in a certain way. Before Ruby's hand clasped around it, it looked impossible for her to lift up, and yet she did so with ease when she finally took it.

She looked at it in wonder, her eyes scanned over something before she looked at the priest in disbelief, "It's... it's 'Flaming Dragon's Great Sword'." She whispered to him, before she faced the crowd in awe, "A-rank!"

Everyone turned to look at Ruby, in amazement.

They were frozen in place by what they just heard. Even I was rendered speechless.

But when it finally sunk in on us how real the events unfolding before us were, a roaring sound of applause and cheers were directed at Ruby. The ground shook with their zealous screams, and I have never cheered so loudly before this moment.

I was overwhelmed with genuine happiness for her!

People around me began to scream gleefully; "Oh, my God! It's an A-rank sacred weapon!"

"I've never seen one up close before!"

"It's so beautiful!"

Ruby still seemed to be in a daze at the blessing she just received, her mirth filled eyes were still stuck at her sacred weapon. When she finally raised her head up and met my eyes, a wide smile broke out from her lips and held it up for me to see, "I did it Rust! I got a sacred weapon, and it's A-ranked!" she exclaimed ecstatically, with tears threatening to slip out her eyes, "I'm the highest ranked here!"

I could feel the tears brimming in my eyes too as I looked at her.

"That's amazing, Ruby..." I mouthed to her.

She was truly deserving of this; I have no doubt. For her to receive a weapon stronger than Helio-kun, well, I expected no less from the gods. 

Ruby had always been amazing, that it was clear from the beginning that she was destined for greatness.

She possessed a strong sense of justice, which made her cooler among anyone in my eyes! Plus, she had the makings of a great adventurer as well, much like Helio-kun! 

I could only stare at her as the adventurers rushed to her side as well. As her friend, I was genuinely happy for her accomplishment.

I watched on the sidelines as Ruby basked in the attention and the feel of her weapon. It's a rare event to see someone gifted with an A -- ranked sacred weapon, so I was certain she'd receive a lot more offers than Helio did.

However, Ruby seemed to be overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of invitations thrown at her. She was glancing around nervously, her sword clutched closely to her chest as beads of sweat trickled down her temples...

And then the crowd grew silent, as a distinguished woman emerged.

I've never seen such a graceful walk until I saw her. 

The woman appeared to be basking in the light of the room, she even seemed to practically glow as she walked. Her white hair swayed with her hips, and fluttered behind her like feathers. She also had unblemished ivory skin from what I could see. She was beautiful...

"Hey, that's..." A voice began to whisper.

"Ah, No way..."

"It's her, the Hero Pearl..."

Why did that name sound so familiar?

I thought about it deeply. 

They called her a hero, that was the title they gave to an elite class of adventurers who had proven their worth, time and time again. As far as I remembered, the strongest one among their ranks was someone called Pearl Lightning...

'Who is also known as the Hero Pearl!' I was awestruck when realization dawned on me. As I looked back at them I couldn't help but stare with my mouth hanging open.

'No way! Why is she headed for Ruby? What did she want?'

Everyone watched with bated breath as she stopped in front of Ruby. They stood there, for a few tense seconds in complete silence, before she huffed out a small breath and offered Ruby a small smile from the corner of her lips, "You are welcome to join my party, Ruby Blood."

"Eh?" Ruby was shocked by her presence. The people around me gasped, and so did I. 

Excited whispers erupted in the crowd and the murmurs around them grew louder, "Oh, she's being recruited into a hero's party!?"

Someone even shouted from the crowd, "That's great, Ruby!"

"You should definitely join them!" another added.

Nevertheless, it seemed like the Hero Pearl didn't like the crowd's noise that surrounded them, and she shot us a glare. Her look sent shivers up my spine!

"It seems as though the crowd is too loud for us to continue this conversation here." She told Ruby, "Come and follow me. I'll discuss it with you somewhere more private, Ruby Blood." 

Moving swiftly, the hero turned on her heels, and led them to where she wanted them to talk. Ruby scrambled after her nervously.

"U-um," Ruby stuttered, "You... you're really inviting me? As in me, to join your party?" she squeaked out. This all felt too surreal, even for Ruby. 

The hero only raised a pristine brow at her.

"I see no one else named Ruby Blood around here. Do you?" she asked Ruby pointedly, who flushed and nodded her head rigorously. I could see that she could barely contain her excitement.

"Yes of course, I'll follow you!" she answered, and both of them resumed walking. Ruby seemed content in trailing behind the Hero.

But before she could disappear from my sight, she turned to give me a flying fist bump and a smile, "Good luck Rust!" she mouthed to me, and then she finally disappeared behind the crowd, along with the Hero Pearl.

All I could do was stare blankly at the back of her head. My sights remained glued to where Ruby last disappeared off to. I felt a mix of emotions as I thought of Ruby's great fortune. 

I can't believe that the legendary hero, Pearl Lightning, is recruiting her. Seeing my friend getting closer to her dream also stirred up longing in my heart and I couldn't help but wish for the same, 'I wish I had a sacred weapon like that.'

Truthfully, I didn't need to have an A ranked weapon. I just wanted a weapon strong enough that I can fight against demons and monsters, be recruited into some party and then become an adventurer with Ruby.

I took a deep breath as I tried to calm my nerves. I decided to take courage and walked over to the altar with my head held high. 

The priest casually greeted me as I arrived, "You're the last one."

I swallowed a large lump that seemed to be stuck at my throat while my heart threatened to beat out of my chest. The priest started to ask me my name, and I answered in a slightly unsteady voice, "My name is Rust Stone."

I put my hands together in front of the altar and prayed to God.

We've been told that we were free to pray for whatever we wanted. However, what I wanted is obvious and I'm sure the gods already know it. Still, I closed my eyes and prayed intently, 'Please give me strength, God. I want a weapon strong enough that I could fight alongside Ruby. I want a weapon as powerful as Helio-kun's. I want the power to become a hero...'

I was so focused on my prayer that I didn't realize I had spoken my last words out loud, "Please, God..."

Suddenly a blinding light arose from the altar.

The light was as brilliant as the one that appeared during Ruby's ceremony. Seeing its warm embrace enveloped the temple, I couldn't help but feel my expectations rising. 

I began to lick my lips in anticipation and could hear hopeful murmurs of the crowd grow louder. The light that filled the temple gradually decreased and grew smaller and smaller until it took the form of a single line. When it finally faded away, it left a sword spread out on top of the altar.

Everyone's excited eyes focused on my blessing, and my eyes widened as I finally saw my sacred weapon, "This is..."

The people around me also stared at the altar with stunned expressions. The crowd either gasped in surprise or was completely dumbfounded. I couldn't blame them because I felt the same way.

On top of the altar was something that seemed to go against anyone's expectations. I felt my knees slightly trembled, 'How am I supposed to handle this? Isn't there some mistake?'.

To confirm this, I grasped the handle of the Sacred Weapon.

However, no matter how many times I blink my eyes, the vision in front of me doesn't change. There was no mistaking it, this is my weapon.

I shook my head and tried to pull myself together to do what all the others before me have done and say the name and rank of the sacred weapon I had been given. But I struggled to say anything, and the only thing that managed to come out of my body was a barrage of nervous sweating, because the sacred weapon in my hands was nothing more but a rusted sword.

It was a tattered old sword that looked as if it was on the verge of completely rotting away...

Name: Rusted Sword

Rank: F

Level: 1

Attack Power: 1

Benefit: Strength +0, Endurance +0, Agility +0, Magic +0, Vitality +0

Skills :

Durability value: 10/10

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