Qualifications of a Hero!
Holy Kingdom. A simple name, yet one brimming with arrogance. What country would dare claim to be holy? But after seeing the city's landscape, I realized the name was no exaggeration. A grand temple made entirely of pure white marble, and inside it, a massive statue of a winged woman. Even lofty spires that wouldn't look out of place in ancient Greece. It felt like a blend of Greek and medieval architecture.
Yet there was no sense of awkwardness because these structures stood so imposingly, so nobly, that they overwhelmed everything.
"I've never been here before either, but this place is fucking ridiculous. What the hell kind of city is this?"
Unlike me, Han Seyoung sneered cynically at the architecture. She's a strong woman herself, so the grandeur didn't impress her—she just found the unbalanced mix of medieval and ancient Greek styles laughable.
[Statue of the Archangel of Purity, Lupelina]
As I approached the grand statue at the city entrance for a closer look, I spotted a familiar name. So that lunatic angel is revered here.
"They... they built a statue of that crazy bitch this huge?!"
"Sis?"
Han Seyoung seemed oddly pissed off. Did she have some personal grudge against Lupelina? Well, it'd be weirder to like that maniac angel.
"Sigh... whatever. No point getting mad here. Not when I've got such a tasty little guy like you."
"Ugh, ugh... don't grope my ass in front of all these people."
-Grope, grope
This woman was kneading someone else's ass in a crowd like it was nothing! She kept at it without a care, then smack—gave it one hard slap and let go.
"Let's go for round two at the inn later. They say the walls here are all glass, so everyone outside can watch us fuck!"
"In a place with the 'Archangel of Purity'... doing something so lewd..."
"So what? The priestesses who worship that bitch fuck little boys like it's routine! They say their pussies bestow divine grace or some shit."
I was already stifling in this mask, sweating buckets, and now Han Seyoung was blabbing loud enough to make my face burn with embarrassment. What an utterly shameless woman... She groped my body without a care for the sidelong glances from passersby, striding ahead confidently.
"Oh, but first things first—something even more important than stuffing my womb full of cum."
"What is it?"
For sex-crazed Han Seyoung to prioritize something over fucking? How urgent could it be?
"Hey, you forget why we came here?"
"To become a hero..."
"Yeah, that's right. If we don't go now, we'll wait all day. Miss tomorrow, and it's a whole year."
Hero. Han Seyoung seemed dead confident about becoming one. What kind of selection process allowed that kind of chill? I got curious but decided not to ask since I'd find out soon enough. I quietly admired her swaying ass as I followed behind.
"Candidates, please wait over here!"
Moments later, the city square was packed with an absurdly long line. Everyone here must be hero hopefuls. We slipped into the line set up by the guide.
They all look so strong...
These were people who'd earned cards to enter the Holy Kingdom, so their skills were on another level from regular adventurers. Maybe even some on Han Seyoung's level lurked among them.
"Candidates! Welcome. I'm Maria Teneel, the event coordinator."
A nun-clad old woman bellowed to the massive crowd. Even from way back where Han Seyoung and I stood, her voice rang crystal clear.
"We sincerely welcome you to the 'Holy Sword Extraction' event, running today and tomorrow!"
Maria scanned the candidates with a knowing smile. She clearly approved of the strong-looking bunch, as her grin widened.
"Mm, such powerful folks today. The God of Light must be pleased! Now, a brief history of the Holy Sword Extraction..."
"Skip the fluff and get on with it, High Priestess."
Interrupting Maria was a sharp-eyed beauty in a white robe, much like me. The curly-tipped staff marked her as a mage, like Ellis.
"Oh, Lady Seolhui, isn't it? Reaching B-rank adventurer in such a short time..."
"No need for intros. I want to pull the sword and chop the Demon King's head off now."
"Haha, please calm down. Everyone gets a fair shot. It might even be you, Lady Seolhui. Rash actions like these trouble even the gods."
Maria placated the woman named Seolhui with flattery, looking troubled. She was ready to pat her ass reassuringly.
"Ahem... Since some say it's too long, we'll skip the history. Now, the rules and precautions for the Holy Sword Extraction!"
-Flash
A brilliant light shone down behind Maria. Just looking at it warmed my body, like being cradled in a mother's arms.
Especially my ass feels toasty... Huh?
-Grope, squeeze...
My ass was warm because Han Seyoung had slipped her hand inside my pants and was fondling it.
"Hey, you shave your ass? Not a single peach fuzz. So smooth, fits right in my hand."
I ignored Han Seyoung and focused on Maria's explanation.
"The Holy Sword Extraction selects the sword's owner—the hero. First, behold the sword!"
-Rumble...
The ground shook with vibrations and noise, splitting open. From within rose a moss-covered rock pierced by a pristine white sword, revealing its elegant form.
That's the Holy Sword?
Pure white, like it was spun from clouds, it gleamed with light, poised gracefully.
-Beep! Beep!
[Emergency Mission Generated! Pull the Holy Sword and become a hero.]
[Current Hero Value recognized by the Holy Sword: '0']
[Reward: Hero Title]
Whoa!
I flinched at the sudden siren and popup window. A surprise mission? And what was Hero Value?
"Candidates, you should see a Status Window message right now, yes?"
"Huh...?"
She knows about Status Windows. No wonder she's in such an impressive role as High Priestess.
"Hero Value is a numerical measure of how close you are to being a hero. It's not just strength—purity, mental fortitude, combat experience, all factored in."
So personality matters too. I glanced up at Han Seyoung, still sexually harassing me. She pretended not to notice while sneaking peeks at my bulging crotch, licking her lips. Hardly the image of a pure hero.
"Proceed in order: touch the sword, then announce your value from the window! Oh, and don't lie."
As Maria finished, the muscular woman at the front stepped up and gripped the hilt.
-Flash!
A rippling light burst out. She pulled her hand away with a subtle expression and looked at Maria.
"Candidate, what's your value?"
"...87."
"Candidate? Is that really accurate?"
"You think I'd lie?"
"Tsk... that was your last chance."
-Crackle!
The sword sparked blue, then unleashed a massive bolt at the woman.
"!!"
She didn't even scream—her body convulsed, charred to ash. Even after this horror, Maria smiled benignly.
"See? I said no lying. The sword hates 'bullshit' most. Such a shame."
The extraction continued quietly. No one dared fake their value, staying honest amid the tension. Finally, the endless line reached us.
"Next... a male hero candidate. Rare sight."
"How'd you know I'm a guy...?"
"Well... Lady Han Seyoung wouldn't grope a woman's ass, would she? The most feminine woman alive wouldn't touch another girl like that..."
I glared at Han Seyoung, still groping me, oblivious to the mood. She clicked her tongue, tsk, and pulled her hand away.
"Ahem... No manual stimulation allowed here..."
"I know..."
"Good, then go pull the Holy Sword."
I stepped forward without delay and placed my hand on the hilt.
Flash—
The light rippled, and a message appeared.
[Your Hero Value: '73']
"What's your value?"
"73."
"Pardon? Wait a—!"
Apparently, I'm hero material...! I hadn't heard the women ahead clearly from back here, but those nearby scored only 20-40.
Am I actually strong?
Han Seyoung's just too strong; I'm not weak at all. Above average even among female adventurers! I indulged in happy delusions...
"99."
"...Pardon?"
"Mine's 99."
Han Seyoung brushed past me, mid-delusion, gripped the sword, confirmed her value, then scooped me up, ignoring stunned Maria.
"I'll grab the sword tomorrow afternoon. Who knows? A 100 might show up."
With that, Han Seyoung and I vanished like the wind.
***
The inn room had floor-to-ceiling glass walls. High up enough not to broadcast our sex live, but overlooking the streets below wasn't easy.
Han Seyoung stripped naked, tossing clothes aside, pussy dripping as she approached wordlessly, intent on devouring me.
"W-Wait...! Before we do it, I have a question!"
"What? Spit it out. My womb's begging for it; I can't hold back."
She stripped me while speaking. Some rationality left, she left my mask on, making only my body naked.
"How'd you know you'd become the hero?"
"Oh, that? Obvious, right? I'm the strongest on the continent. Bound to be picked."
She'd known about the Holy Sword Extraction already. Finished talking, she buried her nose in my body, sniff-sniff.
"Wait! You said we could return to our world together, but there's only one hero."
"Don't worry. Heroes can bring a party. We'll travel together."
"Aha."
No sooner said, she hugged me tight. Mwah—deep kiss on the lips, then her tongue trailed my neck, collarbone, everywhere, eyes glazed as she loomed over me.
"Hey, done talking? Then I'll eat you goooood tod—"
-Flash
[Revere! A new hero has been selected.]
"What? I'm already the hero? Feels too soon."
"They all gave up, probably. How do you beat 99?"
"Right?"
Cocky pose, but fair enough... Han Seyoung flicked the message away and was about to resume when—
[Hero "Geum Taeyeon" has been born. Hooray!]
"Huh?"
It was the dumbest look I'd ever seen on Han Seyoung's face.