13 Mink Street

Simple words and a clear attitude.

Karon knew that this sleepy girl, Philomena, was very strong. In the York City district selection, she should have been tied with him as the strongest participant. After all, at the final moment, she alone had still been capable of speaking fluently when conversing with him, though one of them had ranked fourth and the other fifth. Still, Karon was unwilling to form a squad with her. That was because from the very beginning, she had never shown even the slightest intention of grouping up. She had not lowered her stance in the slightest.

Of course, it was entirely normal for her to behave arrogantly due to her personal strength. One could even say that such behavior was natural. Personal strength was capital that allowed one to refuse so-called “ineffective” and “meaningless” social interaction. It was also the confidence that allowed one to live willfully and freely. However, under normal circumstances, the proportion of people who were willing to forcibly push social interaction aside was actually extremely low. Bart, a child of the Knight Regiment, had lowered his head. Ashley’s parents had even personally come to Karon’s door in order to build ties. The pastries Vintral had brought were very fresh. One look was enough to tell that his grandmother had stayed up late or made them very early in the morning so that Vintral could bring them for his companions to taste.

If Philomena had taken even one bite of the pastry Vintral had offered to her, or said that she disliked sweets and refused, or proactively taken a sip of water from the water skins Bart had borrowed, Karon would have accepted her to join their team. Powerful people were qualified to receive special treatment, but the prerequisite was that they had to first offer some goodwill. Everyone knew that being aloof and arrogant was comfortable, but one also had to bear the price of that comfort.

What Karon was considering was not just this final selection exam. While Commander Varg had already said that this selection would be extremely dangerous, the church could not possibly stand aside and allow a large number of talented youths to emerge from the exam with brain damage. Doing so would be as foolish as undermining the very foundation of the church’s future.

However, when they entered the Reincarnation Gate, everything would be different. The dangers there would be completely real and tangible. More importantly, there was also the matter of future development after safely emerging from the Reincarnation Gate.

That was why Karon did not only consider the problem of the exam they were about to face, but was also building a foundation for his future squad and social network. Why would he pull in an arrogant thorn? Although his own captain was currently showing more and more signs of letting himself go, there was no denying that Karon had learned many things from Nio.

There was one sentence the captain had once made a point to say to Karon: “Remember, after you become a captain in the future, treating your subordinates equally will be the stupidest thing you can do.”

This had not been a criticism of absolute fairness, but rather that when taking the perspective of the leader of a small group, absolute equality would cause a small group to lose cohesion. The leader had to make their subordinates feel that their own efforts could allow them to receive different treatment, whether in terms of immediate returns or promises for the future.

Vintral, Bart, and Ashley had all made an effort, so after Varg finished announcing the rules, they immediately received Karon’s promise to form a squad with them. If Karon were to pull Philomena into the squad now, that would be disregarding the efforts all three had already put forth.

In social interactions, the greatest awkwardness often came from realizing that one was unnecessary. Philomena was now experiencing exactly that. She seemed genuinely surprised by Karon’s decisive reaction. However, her personality would not let her start begging at this moment, nor would she attempt something like trying to persuade Vintral or the others. She closed her eyes again, straightened up, and walked away.

She would eventually manage to join a squad, because Varg had already announced that there were only one hundred and twenty test participants. With six people required for each squad, everyone would have a team. No one would be left alone. Now, Karon’s squad needed to find two more people to join.

Those vacancies had to be quickly filled. They would not wait to pass through the security inspection and receive the number tags before starting to look. Otherwise, the good sauce that had been splattered would fall into other squads’ jars.

Karon looked toward his three “subordinates” and instructed, “I’ll sit down. You three stand in a row and call for people to join us. This will show our squad’s unity. The earlier we can attract people to us, the more we can screen them.”

He was offering a bit of an additional explanation. He believed that Bart and Ashley would understand his intentions. As for Vintral, whether he understood or not did not really matter. Thus, Karon remained seated while behind him, Vintral, Bart, and Ashley lined up in a row and began shouting. Their shouts were simple, “Party of four, looking for two! Party of four, looking for two! Party of four, looking for two!”

Facts proved Karon’s judgment correct. Ashley and Bart’s parents were definitely not the only ones who had accurately predicted the format of the selection. The problem, however, was that every districts’ selection process and results had been different. Even if the current situation had been anticipated in advance, it was still difficult for candidates from the same district to immediately and tacitly assemble into a squad in the same way the finalists from the York City district had done.

Although there were inevitably factions that had already been pulled together, after Varg finished announcing the rules, a large number of people still began moving away from their original positions to find new squads to join. One hundred and twenty people, if placed in an ordinary school, were only enough for two classes, so the actions of Karon’s team were enough to draw everyone’s attention. Before long, nearly ten people approached, intending to apply to join the squad. This was the advantage of making an early decision and grasping the situation quickly.

This was the advantage of making decisions early and establishing a structure quickly. First, their recruitment speed was fast. While people from the other districts were still discussing things among themselves, Karon’s team had already removed unstable factors and started recruitment efforts.

The second reason, and the most important one, was that Karon was sitting down while three people stood neatly behind him, helping him to call for recruits. A glance was enough to show that this squad had already completed its internal structure. The captain was already determined, and his authority was firmly established. The others were already comfortably settled into their roles as team members, following instructions and carrying out tasks.

The squad instantly enjoyed a strong appeal. Even though people clearly knew that they would inevitably be ordinary members if they joined Karon’s squad, they also tacitly accepted that they had to recognize this captain who had already taken control. That was because everyone’s goal was very simple, and very utilitarian: find a sufficiently outstanding group to help them through this final selection. With that, only a fool would choose a squad that was built around a sense of individual freedom, equality, camaraderie, and respect for individuality.

Clearly, those who had managed to stand out within their respective districts were not fools. Everyone understood that only a squad with a complete and clearly defined structure could maximize the integration of everyone’s strength under the premise that they were still unfamiliar with one another.

Karon began the interviews. He had each person state what they were skilled in. As for whether they were willing to take a step back and cooperate, Karon could roughly infer people’s personalities from various details due to his experience with his past profession.

Through the calculations of the Cube Key and his observation of the surrounding environment, Karon guessed that although this final selection still primarily targeted the soul, it would not drag their consciousness into an illusion like before. Therefore, the overall composition of the squad had to be considered. Vintral was the tank, Bart was the damage dealer, and Ashley was the summoner. As for Karon... for the time being, he would define himself as an all-rounder.

So what did the squad lack? It lacked supporting roles! When the Knight Regiments went out on campaign, their formations not only included various combat positions, but support units as well. Squad-level combat was the same.

The problem was that in the plaza, people skilled in holding a support role were a scarce resource. The district selections had made it very difficult for such people to break through, as most of the exams were passed by people relying on individual strength. Supporters were very important, but they needed to cooperate with a group in order to demonstrate their abilities to the greatest effect.

Fortunately, Karon’s squad reacted quickly. Moreover, a squad with a clear hierarchy was more attractive to those who needed to rely on a system in order to maximize the impact of their own role. In contrast, someone like Philomena, who regarded herself as powerful, would likely frown upon seeing such a squad and would not approach it.

In the end, Karon accepted two new members, a man and a woman. The man was named Mars, and he was a reserve array master from the Seventh Knight Regiment. The woman was named Blanche, and she was an intern at a church hospital, as well as a reserve priest from the Ninth Knight Regiment.

Both of them could be considered “supporters,” and both had Knight Regiment backgrounds. This was not because Karon particularly loved the Knight Regiments. It could only be said that because they had such backgrounds, their overall qualifications did not have any overt shortcomings, which was also why they had been able to pass their own district selections. In addition, people from the Knight Regiments heeded orders better and were more willing to cooperate.

Karon was very pleased. He felt he had struck a major bargain. He believed there was no chance that there were many talented “supporters” in the plaza, and he had gathered two at once. Barring any accidents, his squad would be the most complete.

While others were still working to form teams, Karon led his five people through the security check. One after another, they obtained their numbered tags, and then went to the reporting area, where all six tags were turned in together, officially forming their squad. Their squad number was “3.”

There was a small disturbance during the security check. Ashley’s inspection took too long, because her arms were covered with the totems of various demonic beasts. They looked like cartoon stickers, but packed onto her arms far too densely. The security personnel believed she might be cheating, so they stimulated and activated each of the totems on her arms. In the end, there was no reaction at all. Ashley insisted that she was just a tattoo enthusiast. In the end, based on the principle that cheating that could not be detected was not considered cheating, Ashley passed the inspection.

Yet the truth was that she had indeed cheated. The totems on her arms had all been added yesterday, and they left the sensory marks of various demonic beasts on her. Ashley’s parents researched on cultivating rare demonic beasts. This involved helping some demonic beasts that had difficulty reproducing raise their next generation. In a way, they acted somewhat like kindergarten teachers for demonic beasts. By relying on this favor, the Patton couple had taken their daughter to the large demonic beasts raised in the research institute and asked for their help, having them place sensory marks on Ashley. When needed, Ashley could draw upon their power with the totems they had left on her.

This was not some sort of pact, nor was it possession. The effects the totems could trigger were actually very limited, but it was hard to surpass the sheer quantity, and they were also able to bypass the security inspection. According to Ashley’s own words, it was the same principle as dogs liking to urinate on utility poles and leave their own scent marks. Her own arms were covered with the scent marks those demonic beasts had left. It was just that whether they would respond after sensing them depended purely on their mood, without strict constraint. Of course, the favor the beasts owed her parents was also involved.

Ashley’s personality was such that she did not at all mind comparing her own arms to utility poles. From another angle, this also showed just how much her parents doted on her.

After obtaining their squad number, Karon’s squad went to another area of the plaza. There were flagpoles inserted in the ground there, and each one was numbered. Karon and the others sat down around the flagpole numbered 3.

As soon as he sat down, Karon grabbed the flagpole with his right hand, while his left hand began using the Cube Key within his sleeve to conduct various calculations.

Mars did the same. He crouched down and touched the floor tiles at the base of the flagpole with both hands.

After a while, Karon released the flagpole. Although his left hand held the still moving Cube, a calm expression appeared on his face. Mars sat upright a while later.

Karon said, “Your analysis?”

Mars said, “This flagpole is a fixed coordinate point. When the selection begins, the area beneath our feet may detach from the rest of the plaza and rise into the sky. Based on our surroundings, my guess is that once the selection starts, all twenty squads will each be assigned their own individual floating examination.”

Karon said, “Go on.”

Mars nodded and continued, “This means that the format of this selection probably won’t involve direct confrontation between squads. More likely, each squad will face the trial as a unit.

“Captain, that’s all I have.”

Karon said, “You noticed the details, but not the bigger picture. The island we’re currently standing on is actually a fortress. There are no residents here, only a stationed garrison. The entire island itself is essentially one massive array. So when you said our section might rise into the air for the exam, that’s not strictly accurate. We won’t be flying upward; We’ll be expanding outward.”

Surprise appeared on Mars’s face. “Expanding outward? You mean the plaza itself will expand?”

“Yes. Right now, the distance between each flag is only around ten meters, but once the array activates, that distance could instantly stretch to hundreds or even thousands of meters.

“This island is capable of extending and expanding itself. With enough distance, combined with the barriers surrounding each squad’s area, every squad can be given a sufficiently large testing ground.

“And there’s another advantage to doing it this way...”

Karon raised his hand and pointed at the eyes of the statue of Ogureth. “I believe that when the exam begins, the church’s higher-ups will be able to observe each squad more conveniently.”

Mars was impressed. “Impressive, Captain.”

He knew Karon was not an array master, because if Karon were, he would not have recruited one to join the squad. However, for Karon to have such an astute analysis while not being an array master, it was possible that his understanding of and familiarity with arrays surpassed Mars’s own.

However, Mars did not know that Karon had merely completed his calculations much faster. After all, Karon had not yet had time to fully engage in a systematic study of arrays and was still at the stage of building his foundation. Arrays were a vast and interlocking system, which meant that unlike individual Arts, arrays could not be studied by casually flipping through notes about them while eating.

Blanche gave Karon a curious look. “Captain, do you really not have a background? Oh no, sorry, I misspoke. That’s not what I meant.”

Earlier, everyone had offered a simple self-introduction, and Karon’s had been very simple: “Karon Silva. Orphan.”

However, Blanche very much doubted his claim. Studying ritual arrays placed great emphasis on foundation and legacy.

Vintral firmly stated, “Our captain is a true genius.”

Bart and Ashley exchanged looks, then nodded in agreement. “Yes, exactly.”

Hearing this, Blanche reorganized her words and said, “Captain, you’re really amazing.”

At this moment, Karon noticed that more and more squads were sitting beneath nearby flagpoles, and there were not many people left in the distance trying to form teams. Philomena was still there, working on putting together a squad. She was personally very strong, there was no denying that, but her slothful appearance made it very difficult for others to acknowledge her. Everyone participating in the exam was an outstanding youth from their own district. They would not look up to someone just because of their attitude.

Bart spoke up, “There’s another military deployment starting over there.”

Far away, at the edge of the fortress, squads of soldiers had started moving.

Mars said, “There are array masters among them.”

Because half the squad was associated with the Knight Regiments, they quickly reached a conclusion: “They’re adjusting the fortress mode.”

Blanche said, “My teacher came here once to help treat the wounded. She said that there’s a cage here.”

Hearing this, Ashley immediately added, “I think I remember my parents’ research institute has some illusion demons from the void.”

Good. Karon now understood first-hand why Nio had wanted to pull Richard into his squad. When a squad had a number of children of high-ranking church officials, there would truly be no lack of information.

Karon said, “So this place is not only a fortress and an outpost, but also a hunting ground. With all of that combined with the fact that our squads will be separated from one another, it seems very likely that we will be facing direct attacks from illusion demons during the exam. The demons will be released from the cage. Like in a coliseum, they will watch us perform.”

Blanche said in astonishment. “Just like that?”

Karon cautioned her, “This may only be the first round, because the goal is to filter teams out until only two squads remain. So as long as the number of squads doesn’t fall below three, the test will continue to increase in difficulty.”

Bart said, “Right, so we have even more of a need to formulate a battle plan. Oh, Captain, you already realized this.”

If a little belated, Bart finally understood why Karon had recruited these two new members.

Karon imitated Nio and clapped twice. He then said, “I’ll now share my plan with you all. Remember, this plan is not set in stone. If I don’t have time to give orders later, go ahead and react according to your best judgment. The only rule is that your actions must serve the overall interests of our entire squad. Vintral, you will always stand at the very front. I need you to block every danger that comes from the front.”

Vintral nodded. “Understood, Captain.”

“Bart, you will always stand behind Vintral. Remember, you will always be the initiator of the waves of attacks.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Ashley, I want you to first classify and tally the totems on your arms, then report to me with a list. Your position is this flag. You will always stand beneath the flag.”

“Alright, Captain.”

“Mars, between the official start of the exam and when the first target appears, there will definitely be some empty time for us to adapt to the environment. You will immediately begin setting up arrays. Remember, no offensive arrays; only defensive ones. You need to ensure that when your teammates need to, they can enter your arrays and catch their breath.”

“As ordered, Captain.”

“Blanche, I need you to use Arts to enhance and treat our squad members. Vintral and Bart will need to receive some boosts and physical and blood treatments. Ashley will need her soul power enhanced and replenished. Mars needs mental enhancements and restoration.”

Blanche immediately asked, “Captain, what about you?”

“I don’t need any.”