Chapter 264: Lanqi's Black and White Duality
p from the first-tier Iron rank to the second-tier Bronze rank is already very difficult.A candidate has five opportunities to create cards. At least three successful creations are required to pass,...Chapter 265: Ranchi's Black and White Duality
The atmosphere in the hall was so tense it could almost be cut with a knife. {Write to here I hope readers remember our domain name}
Caius sat upon his high throne, his eyes coldly watching the throng of examinees before him.
The nearby dark gray heavy armor cleric held their breath, as if the entire air in the hall had been frozen.
Less than a minute passed before a villain submitted an irreverent act towards the Lady of Fate to Kaius, the Archdeacon.
"Kaius the Archpriest, it is done."
The statue of the goddess of fate, who crushes those who submit, is offered up with a confident smile on her face.
However.
Caius just gave a cold glance.
He shook his head.
"
The level of destruction and insult is too low.
"
The villain's face changed color, he wanted to say something to defend himself.
But only seeing Kaeus make a gesture, the nearby deep grey heavy armored priest immediately stepped forward, firmly grasped his arm, and dragged him towards the deeper corridor of the hall.
The villain's face was contorted with fear and disbelief. He cried out, "I am loyal to the Church of Resurrection! I have not betrayed!"
There was no answer, his cries echoed in the empty hall until they faded away.
Other examinees, seeing this scene, all felt a chill.
"This perfunctory work doesn't adequately demonstrate your loyalty to me. And without sufficient loyalty, there will be serious suspicions of the Fates' interference. We shall detain you for observation."
Caius finished speaking and once again rested his chin in the palm of his hand, silent.
Some crooks immediately began nervously revising their work, fearing they too would be deemed unqualified.
At this time, some people in the audience also understood.
Kaios wouldn't easily let any examinee who passed the written exam go to the Batian Branch, regardless of whether they truly had the suspicion of being taught by the Goddess of Fate.
His true purpose is to devour everyone present.
I didn't expect anyone to submit work right away.
It's less than ten seconds.
A tall woman in silver armor stood up and walked straight to Caius on the platform.
A clearly defined six-faced cube of stone was placed on the table.
"
…
" Let me know if you'd like me to translate any other text!
This made Keus pause for a moment.
He didn't expect West Germany, the most likely suspect, to be so straightforward.
She merely restored the statue of the goddess of fate to its most ordinary stone form.
One stone block, whether she used a unique magic or simply skills to mold it.
"Quick and decisive, I'll let you off this time."
After some thought, Kaeus placed the stone block on the left side of the table.
Instead of discarding students' work as before, it is now considered qualified by receiving it.
Caius' original suspicion that she might be a spy trained by the goddess of fate had now deepened.
If she really was an undercover agent, he would be even more interested in recruiting her to play with him, making her experience what it's like to be trapped and utterly desperate.
Several people in the audience slightly raised their heads to glance around.
Actually, in their opinion, the work of this silver-skirted female warrior was somewhere between passable and unacceptable.
Perhaps it was her firm and decisive attitude that led Kaeus to make the decision to let her pass.
Immediately, West Germany returned to his original seat, his expression as cold and distant as ever, his hands clasped behind him as he closed his eyes in contemplation, waiting for the content of the final review to be announced after more than twenty minutes.
Time passes by minute by minute.
Next, gradually some scoundrels completed their works and stepped forward to submit them.
Among this group, the renowned "Flame Tongue" Redol slowly stepped forward. His red hair fluttered in the wind, resembling burning flames, as he placed the statue of the Goddess of Destiny he had crafted before Kaeus. He used flames to burn the statue, charring it until it became a grotesque, ravaged charcoal corpse, barely recognizable as human.
Kaelus gazed at it for a moment, nodded, and placed the piece on the table, gesturing for him to step away.
Redor, the mimic who destroyed Bishop's imitator, confidently chuckled as he turned back, clearly satisfied with his own work.
However, the next few submitters weren't so lucky.
Their works were deemed inadequate by Caeus, who tossed them directly into the refuse heap. The individual was then escorted away by a priest clad in heavy gray armor, an event that always caused considerable panic among the audience of students.
Almost every submitter, when caught by the heavy-armored cleric in deep gray, would cry out incessantly: "I am loyal to the Church of Rebirth! Why"
But Caius seemed unconcerned, merely gazing at the next submitter with a bland expression.
Until Graff, the hulking figure, lumbered forward with a grave expression, his immense bulk seemed to dwarf the entire platform.
He set down the dismembered statue of the Goddess of Fate, and like he treated humans on a daily basis, Kaeus could even see fine traces of blood on its surface.
Caius paused for a moment, "This work... is quite good."
And then.
Several villains who had impressed him during the written exam submitted excellent answers. Walter, known as "Thorn," carved the statue of the Goddess of Fortune into a terrifying humanoid figure that had been grotesquely transformed by forbidden body modification. Gia, known as "Bloodthroat," enchanted the Goddess of Fortune's statue with sound magic, transforming it into a malevolent deity wailing in torment in hell.
After them, The Eye Collector Torls approached slowly, handing the modified statue of the Goddess of Fortune to Kaeus.
The statue's eyes had been removed, and numerous small holes had been carved into its body. They were filled with living, alien-like eyes of unknown origin. It seemed some kind of magic had been applied, for when Kaelus gazed upon the statue, all the eyes would turn simultaneously to meet his gaze.
Even Lian Kaixius felt a bit sick, placing it as an acceptable work on the table.
As student submissions began to trickle in, some incomplete entries became more stressed out after seeing the "masterpieces" submitted by others.
The heavy gears above the gate kept turning, each rotation a reminder of time slipping away.
"There are only ten minutes left."
Caius' voice rose, cold and emotionless,
"Failure to complete on time will be considered a lesson from the Goddess of Fate."
His words were like a cold wind blowing through the hall, lowering the temperature.
This kind of punishment and intimidation undoubtedly had a huge deterrent effect on other examinees who had yet to submit their papers, pushing them to work even harder.
Some candidates glanced at the clock, their eyes betraying nervousness and unease, while others remained composed, seemingly confident that their work would earn Caius' approval.
>The candidates who have passed the final review sit still, their faces expressionless.
Just waiting for the last time to end, the final assessment is coming.
Fewer and fewer candidates remained at work, their tools and the stone statues emitting a sharp clatter that was gradually overwhelmed by the grinding of the great clock's gears.
Caius sat upon the dais, leaning back slightly, his chin resting on his hand.
Although he didn't focus his attention on any particular examinee.
But of the remaining examinees, there was only one who still caught his attention: a young man named Locke.
He thought that someone capable of producing such an examination answer script would be unlikely to have the aura of a cleric taught by the goddess of fate.
But this retest is necessary, it is crucial to gauge the composition of each individual.
Even if his exam scores are excellent, once his stance and loyalty are not firm enough, he must be destroyed and cannot be used by anyone else.
Finally.
Waiting in Keauhou.
Lance completed his work, his eyes holding a hint of satisfaction mingled with a touch of weariness. He rose to his feet and walked towards Caeus.
He placed the artwork before Caius.
It is a reimagined statue of the goddess of fate.
Kaelus tilted his head slightly, looked at Lance, then turned towards his work.
Immediately, his gaze seemed to fix on the statue of the goddess of fate as if mesmerized. He remained silent for a long while.
Meanwhile, the unusually long silence caused by Caius's delayed evaluation gradually turned some examinees' attention towards Lance's work.
The young people's reaction to submitting their work was very calm.
It was his works that left Caius perplexed.
The sculpture of the goddess of fate, after being carved by him, had its posture slightly changed, reshaped into a new action, and was highly detailed.
As if sculpted by a master craftsman, the goddess's form is vibrant and lifelike, imbued with warmth, as if she could come to life at any moment.
And when the other contestants saw Lancy's work, they were all amazed by its artistry.
If they were all amateurs, this guy was a professional through and through. They had never seen a carver of this caliber before, even greed flashed in some eyes as they fought the urge to snatch the statue. No matter what, it was undoubtedly a priceless masterpiece!
But they soon noticed the problem with this modified statue.
His expressions also became similar to Kaeus'.
Only to see the goddess statue, which had always been filled with divinity and serenity, now sporting a hint of arrogance at the corner of her mouth. Her pose had changed to raising her hand and pointing up her index and middle fingers, forming an inward-facing V gesture.
There was a distinct air of disdain for all the villains present.
Logically, given how dazzling and breathtakingly beautiful the Goddess of Fate is depicted, she should be immediately deemed unqualified.
But Keus discovered a duality in this creature —
He was a little unsure if Loki was praising the goddess or slandering her.
(The End)
[ ] first came into view, capturing the expressions of travelers who had just arrived in the Imperial City. It held them for a few seconds before disappearing."It's a tradition at the station, used to re...