From the moment I was chosen by the holy relic

Before Kadir could finish speaking, the black blade in his hand flashed with a cold light, and his followers immediately drew their weapons, forming a circle around Eric and Eileen.

As Kadir's threatening words faded, a strong killing intent spread through the forest. His black-clad henchmen surrounded Eric and Eileen, their eyes gleaming with cold-blooded malice.

Eric gripped his longsword tightly, his gaze sharp, while Eileen calmly stared at Kadir, a faint blue aura of magical energy emanating from her.

"Haha, what a futile struggle." Kadir scoffed, his eyes filled with disdain. "This is the consequence of daring to play me!"

Before he finished speaking, Kadir swung his black blade sharply, slashing swiftly at Eric. Eric reacted quickly, raising his sword to parry. With a clang, the two weapons clashed violently, sparks flying. Kadir's arm remained as steady as a rock, while Eric, exhausted from the previous battle in the temple, had his arm trembling slightly, clearly struggling to keep up.

"Kid, come again," Kadir sneered, his words brimming with the certainty of victory. He swung his blade down at Eric once more, each strike ruthless.

Eric could only barely defend himself, and the gaps in his defense gradually increased. Kadir keenly seized the opening Eric made and suddenly accelerated forward, his black knife striking Eric's waist like a whirlwind.

"Bang!" Eric's longsword was jolted out of his hand, arcing through the air before falling to the ground. Weakened, he staggered back two steps, his face showing exhaustion and resentment.

"Eric!" Eileen exclaimed, then quickly tossed the sword she had tricked Kadir from earlier to Eric. "Catch!"

The moment Eric's fingers touched the hilt of the sword, he felt a warm, spring-like energy instantly flow through his entire body. It was not just warmth, but also a power—a majestic power originating from ancient times and long hidden, as if it had traversed the torrent of time to answer his call at this moment, filling every cell.

He felt his breathing become smoother and stronger, his vision became clearer, and a deep chanting sounded in his ears. The voice was indistinct and distant, as if it came from a long time ago. It was an ancient knight's oath, a whisper of a heroic spirit.

At the same time, the sword in his hand burst forth with a dazzling light, its blade enveloped in a silvery-white radiance. The surrounding darkness seemed to be dispelled by this light, and the radiance flowed slowly from the blade, like water flowing over its sharp edge, carrying an inviolable majesty.

This strange phenomenon instantly drew everyone's attention. Everyone around, except Eileen, including Eric himself, stared in shock at the glowing sword.

A flicker of fear and disbelief crossed Kadir's eyes as he thought to himself, "This sword has such power! Damn it, I should never have given them this precious sword!"

Eric gripped his sword tightly, his gaze hardening. He raised the sword and swung it lightly at Kadir's followers. A dazzling sword light flashed across the night sky, and the followers were so overwhelmed that they could barely lift their heads, unable to even hold their weapons. They retreated in fear.

Kadir's expression changed drastically, his eyes widening in shock and anger: "How could this be? This kid was clearly exhausted, could this sword contain some ancient divine power?!"

Eric's gaze was resolute, radiating a confidence unlike anything he usually possessed. He charged at Kadir once more, slashing down with his sword, its sharpness fully revealed, its momentum overwhelming. Kadir hurriedly raised his blade to parry, only to find his arms seemingly bound by some invisible force, his sword swings becoming sluggish and powerless.

Kadir gritted his teeth in anger: "Damn it, this oppressive feeling, is it the power of the sword suppressing me?"

As Eric's attacks grew increasingly fierce, Kadir felt his strength being constantly weakened. The black blade seemed as heavy as a thousand pounds, and he could no longer swing it. Each parry became more and more difficult, his speed slowed down significantly, his breathing became rapid, and cold sweat gradually seeped from his forehead.

Eric's eyes flashed with fighting spirit, and boundless power seemed to surge within him. He swung his sword at Kadir again. As the swords clashed, Kadir was forced back several steps, and pain appeared on his face.

"If this continues, I might really die here!" Kadir thought anxiously. He glanced behind him and, without thinking, raised his knife to slash at Eric's chest. Just before they made contact, he suddenly stopped, quickly leaped backward, and escaped the fighting.

Kadir stared coldly at Eric, his eyes filled with resentment and hatred: "Good lad, you're lucky today. We'll meet again. You just wait!" With that, he waved his hand, and his followers quickly followed him in retreat, disappearing into the night.

Eric watched Kadir's retreating figure, remaining on guard but not intending to give chase.

Only after Kadir had completely disappeared did Eileen breathe a sigh of relief, walk to Eric's side, and ask with concern, "Are you alright?"

Eric sheathed his sword, took a breath, and shook his head, saying, "It's alright. Luckily, I had this sword, otherwise the situation might not have been so optimistic." He looked at the sword in his hand; the light on the blade gradually faded, returning to its ordinary appearance, but he could feel the powerful force contained within it.

Eileen smiled slightly, a hint of admiration in her eyes: "I was right, this sword can only unleash its true power in your hands."

Eric was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "It's as if you knew all along that this would happen."

"Only your blood can open the temple's gates. I suspected then that only you could wield the magic within this sword," Eileen said. "Eric, who are you? Which family are you from?"

"I don't know." Everything that happened today was too sudden, and Eric's mind was in a mess. "My family are just ordinary people in the Kingdom of Nosteria. My parents are wheat farmers, and it was only in my generation that I was fortunate enough to become a knight."

Seeing Eric's serious expression, Eileen frowned slightly and slowly asked, "So, what are your plans for handling this matter? Are you really going to go directly to the King and report everything?"

Eric nodded firmly: "Of course! These tomb raiders trespassed across the border to steal tombs, and that man who called himself Kadir committed murder in Nosteria. I urge the King to send troops to bring them to justice." He then turned to Eileen, saying expectantly, "Eileen, come with me and be a witness."

However, Eileen shook her head with a complicated expression and a hint of helplessness: "See the King? Eric, I don't want to get involved in this conflict." She paused, seemingly hesitant, "I don't want to see the King, and I don't want him to mention me to him."

"Why?" Eric was stunned, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "Eileen, this pendant, the sword, and that book all belong to Nosteria. I must hand them over to the King." He continued to persuade her, "If you are worried about any punishment, I will explain it to the King."

Eileen sighed, inwardly cursing him for being such a hothead; this Eric was almost hopelessly naive. She glanced at the pendant in her hand with a hint of disdain, and suddenly an idea struck her.

She smiled slightly, handed the pendant to Eric, and said softly, "Alright, since you insist, here's the pendant. You have the sword now, so go see the king. But could I keep that book for a while?"

Eric looked puzzled: "Why?"

Eileen calmly explained, "The language in the book is extremely ancient and profound; the king and his ministers certainly won't understand it. Fortunately, I have some expertise in translator's work. Perhaps we can study it first, and then present it to the king after translating the useful parts. That would better highlight our contribution, wouldn't it?"

Eric thought for a moment and found Eileen's words quite reasonable. A hint of joy appeared on his face: "You're right, this is indeed more thorough. Then you can translate the contents first, and we can go to see the king together when we get to the capital." He paused and said sincerely, "Eileen, come to the capital with me. That way, you can be notified immediately when the king's reward is given."

Eileen concealed her inner smugness, secretly laughing at Eric for being so easily fooled. She knew he wouldn't hand over his painstakingly deciphered content so easily once she successfully cracked the book's secrets. On the surface, however, she put on a pleased smile and nodded: "Alright, since you insist, I'll accompany you to the capital."