CHAPTER 31 - The Final Test

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Arty or Arteria Blaze, the future heroine of the story, wondered what the final test would be to prove her worthiness to be the chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade.

When she had the message through her dreams, she couldn't tell whether it was sent from the Trinity Goddess or from the magical weapon itself.

Arty remembered that she had created and made the magical weapon of the flame-enchanted sword to be slightly sentient so that it would choose its own wielder, even if the wielder has proven themselves worthy and passed the goddess' trials.

She even remembered that the sword will be the one to give its final decision on choosing its wielder by giving those a test of its own. And Arty had forgotten what that was as she was in a hurry before to improve her story and making it better but then she had forgotten about it.

She wondered and thought deeply what kind of surprise she might or might not expect when she goes through the final test and ponders what it could be as she goes through it.

Nevertheless, in her dream, it showed her the visions of where the Fiery Blade is and it's in the same place as before when she had gone through and passed the trials of the goddess.

On the dark cave it showed her and this time she should find a spot inside where the Fiery Blade is embedded in a boulder just like in the legendary story of King Arthur's sword.

On the next morning, Arty gave early notice to Lord Dark-grip and the group of freedom fighters that she's going out for one last trip and they let her go as they still don't know what she has been doing for the past previous days.

Arty was relieved that they didn't come forward and ask her questions about before she quickly left just in case they might change their minds and approach her about it. It didn't take long for her to get to the same place and reach the cave that she had gone before in one of the goddess' trials that she already passed it.

As she entered into the darkness of the cave, she had used another slow-burning torch and carefully wandered inside, being cautious of any dangers that still might be inside the cave as she got in.

She almost shivered, shuddered, and nearly jumped upon being hyper-aware of her surroundings and being slightly nervous whenever she thought she heard or sensed something that's lurking in the dark and scurrying about to get near her but then there's nothing there.

It nearly creeps her out as she walked deeper inside the dark cave but then she was glad that it didn't take long for her to see a faint light and she felt and believed that this must be the very spot and place where she will find the magical weapon.

It almost surprised her that her fear quickly turned into awe and wonder as she went to that light she had seen and she was gazing nearly stunned silent at the beautiful sight of the Fiery Blade itself embedded deep into the sword like it's almost the real sword in the stone from the infamous legends and stories.

Arty knew that she had adapted her story almost similar to the tales of King Arthur and the mythical Excalibur, but then she didn't realize that she had portrayed her creation so beautifully.

It didn't take long for her to snap out of it and she slowly approached the magical sword with wariness and caution, as if expecting a trap or something surrounding and guarding the sword.

When she found nothing, it puzzled her and it also got her more puzzled when she didn't know what to do about the magic sword, but figured that it might be similar like in the story so she carefully reached out and touched both her hands on the hilt and started to pull it out with all her strength.

But then it was a split-second for her to react suddenly when the sword started bursting into fiery flames, burning intensely with her hands somehow stuck at the hilt still.

Arty nearly cried out and tried to remove her stuck hands but she somehow couldn't. She nearly became terrified upon being burnt alive, but then she realized instantly that this is the final test that was meant to wield the magical blade.

She needs to endure its magical fires, even if it burned her. Arty knew that there's no way she would die early because of it, and even though the intense burning pain that she could feel, she decided to push this through and endure it, no matter how agonizingly painful this is for her.

Arty nearly gritted her teeth as she held on the fire-burning sword, and she could see that somehow the fire turns from various colors as if to signify what kind of other powers it has through its magical fire.

Red fire gives out intense heat, blue fire gives out icy cold, green fire gives out an earthy rough burning feel, and so on and so forth the fire of the magical blade changed colors until it stopped.

Throughout almost an hour or two that has passed either slow or fast, Arty was relieved that the burning finally stopped and somehow she could feel the burning that she has felt the moment she first touched it, disappear like magic healing and when she pulled out the Fiery Blade, she was nearly stunned shocked upon staring its magnificence and sensing its magic power coursing through her and the weapon itself.

It didn't take long for her to scrutinize the weapon a little before sheathing it hidden from sight and then slowly walk to get out of the cave now and go back to the inn. Arty knew that she should be more surprised and in wonder, but then she couldn't linger more inside the cave and return quickly before someone else might notice how very late she was or anyone else might sense the magic being flowed out from the magic sword.

After succeeding and conquering the final test given out from the magical weapon, the Fiery Blade itself, now Arteria Blaze is nearly ready to face the whole world of her story head-on as the chosen wielder and future heroine of the story.

As she made it back to the inn, late at night, with the others all asleep, and she quickly got back to her room, Arty doesn't know what's in store for her in the future, but she'll be prepared and ready to face it all when it comes to her. She hoped that she'll be able to get through everything just so she could find a way to return to her former world in real life. Arty hoped that she'll be able to succeed while maintaining the flow of the plot of her story.

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