13 Mink Street

Illusion demons born in the void all shared one defining physical characteristic: they were not composed of ordinary flesh and blood. Instead, their bodies resembled a kind of viscous gel-like substance.

The fire lizard clung to the Zoge’s body. White smoke was released by the flames, and the illusion demon’s body looked like plastic being heated over a small fire. Of course, while this comparison was very inappropriate, it was also the most vivid.

Small bits of white smoke kept rising. What Karon saw was the Zoge constantly growing weaker. It might take a little longer, but as long as things continued as they were, there was no question that the Zoge would die. If an adult could not move or dodge, the flame of even a match would be enough to burn him to death.

The reason Karon had chosen this method to deal with Zoge was not because, as captain, he wanted to show off. Rather, he was considering that since he was unable to freely use the Darkmoon Blade or Sea God’s Eyes for the time being, there was nowhere to send his abnormally large reserve of spirituality. Saving it would offer no benefit, so he might as well use this method to consume a bit of it. This way, he could also give his squad members enough time to rest.

Vintral and the others were excellent, but endurance was their weakness. That, however, happened to be Karon’s strength. With reserves vast enough, what others considered wasteful instead became an extremely worthwhile tradeoff.

Karon floated in place, never moving at all. The Zoge remained firmly locked in place, equally frozen. Suddenly, the illusion demon opened its mouth, and a mouthful of black, crystalline liquid sprayed out. It seemed to anticipate that Karon would block the attack, so halfway through its flight, the liquid exploded on its own, forming a sheet of black crystal that covered Karon. He had to either retreat and release the Zoge, or be enveloped by the corruption.

A purification halo appeared around Karon. This was the lowest-level Order purification Art. When the sheet of black crystal covered him, the Order purification simply collapsed, but Karon cast another one on himself. After that one also collapsed, he cast yet another. Such low-level Arts consumed very little spiritual power, and Karon was not really using the Arts to purify the corruption. He was essentially putting on an act. After all, he had no fear of this level of corruption.

Instead, the Zoge froze for a moment. Seeing that Karon neither dodged nor avoided its attacks, it began to continuously spit at him. Karon chose to ignore all of it.

Blanche observed, “Being able to resist corruption with such a low-level Art proves that the captain’s understanding of Arts far, far surpasses my own. So when he said before that he only knows low-level enhancement Arts right now, it’s because they are already enough for him.”

As one of the “original squad members,” Vintral replied as though it were only natural, “Of course!”

Bart sighed. “The captain alone is doing the work of all three of us.”

The three of them had subconsciously ignored the fire lizard. Although it was the damage dealer, in their eyes, the projected beast seemed more like something the captain had specifically arranged so that Ashley would have some presence in the fight.

Mars was still focused on setting up the array. When he stopped to catch his breath and consider the arrangement for the next step, he could not help looking through the barriers to the other squads. Within their own stages, each squad was essentially fighting their own octopus creature. Squad 3’s area seemed to be a little too quiet, but Mars did not feel the slightest bit bored. In fact, it was quite the opposite; He enjoyed being able to set things up calmly.

In the notes that Mr. Hoffen had prepared for Karon, he had mentioned that a calm setup was practically an obsession for every array master. Most array masters believed that hastily setting up a useful array was compromising to commercialize array Arts, which was a desecration of the Arts. What array masters enjoyed most, and the highest aesthetic that they all pursued, was discovering a mosquito in the room and having the time and conditions to set up a forbidden-level array to... drive that mosquito out of the room.

Bart said, “There are two more illusion demons after this?”

Vintral said, “Each one should be stronger than the last.”

Blanche said, “Actually, each one is more expensive than the last.”

Ogureth Fortress floated in the void. Being stationed here was being exiled even when compared to other undesirable posts. It was even more despair-inducing than being stationed on a snowy mountain wasteland. Because of that, the people stationed at Ogureth Fortress received much better treatment than other garrisons. Aside from their daily patrols and constant monitoring tasks, the garrison also had the ongoing task of hunting illusion demons in the void. After handing over a sufficient number and variety of the creatures to the Church of Order, the fortress was allowed to sell the remainder on its own. The church’s higher-ups turned a blind eye to such activities, treating it as an unofficial bonus for the garrison.

The more powerful the illusion demon, the harder it was to capture, and the higher its price. Arranging the illusion demons by strength was partly to ensure the gradual elimination of squads, but also in part because using expensive illusion demons in the first round would have been a bit too costly. As a number of squads were eliminated, more expensive creatures could be released, somewhat alleviating the cost.

“Squad 1 is done,” Bart announced.

Squad 1 was once again the first to eliminate their target.

Blanche said, “They’re from the Teygan region. When we first arrived, I saw they were already in a group.”

Bart smiled. “Did you originally want to join their squad?”

“Mhmm, yes.” Blanche did not try to conceal anything. “But it looked like they made arrangements long ago. They also have a healer with a Knight Regiment background. I know her.”

“Looks like they also made the right preparations early on,” Bart commented.

This was not strange. After all, both Bart’s parents and Ashley’s parents had accurately predicted the general format of this selection exam. The population of the Teygan region was not especially dense. It was a district that included several countries together, but... the Central Church was located within the Teygan region.

“Do you regret it now?” Bart asked.

“That’s a meaningless question to ask now.” Blanche shrugged. “While we envy how quickly they eliminate their targets, they may also envy how peaceful it is for us.”

“That’s true.” Bart flexed his hand. “Actually, our pacing is better.”

“Yes. The captain is clearly controlling our energy consumption so that we can maintain ourselves in our best condition and deal with the next targets. I even suspect that the captain is already preparing to respond to the appearance of the divine artifact from the sealed space at the very end.”

Within Squad 1’s barriers, the members were adjusting their conditions and resting while focusing on Squad 3. “Tsk, I’m a bit glad that there are slots for two squads, as that means we won’t be direct competitors with Squad 3.”

“Exactly. We’re faster, but they’re controlling the pace. Is that their captain?”

“Yes.”

“Suppressing their Zoge alone... Can you do that, Murray?”

“I can, but not as calmly as he is.”

“His spirituality reserves are abundant.”

“Heh, abundant isn’t enough to describe that. Pasquio, I don’t mind you using the word ‘terrifying’ to describe the captain of another squad, because he deserves that description. The fact that he dares to use Chains of Order to control the Zoge like that, he’s either an idiot, or this level of consumption means nothing to him. I don’t want to fight an opponent like that, you know? Unless I can instantly win with a sneak attack, or directly crush him using some tool like a holy relic, as soon as a stalemate appears, I’ll inevitably be the one to lose. Right, Degart, your grandfather is away on business, isn’t he?”

“Yes, Captain. He left yesterday.”

“Hmm. Your grandfather is the deputy director of an A-rank department for the sealed space system. Sigh, I suspect that if these illusion demons aren’t enough to leave just two squads standing, those above us will use a soul-type divine artifact against us.”

“Will things really reach that point?”

“I don’t know. That depends on whether there is a third squad as outstanding as us and Squad 3. If things really get pushed to the very end, nothing is impossible... no, Squad 3 is still setting up arrays. Pasquio, can you see what that second array is that their squad’s array master’s setting up?”

“The first is Kendos Triple Defensive Magic Array. The one being set up now is... a Mental Bridge Array.”

“A Mental Bridge Array?” Murray’s expression turned solemn. “He’s preparing to face the divine artifact. Something like that is powerful enough to affect everyone here in an instant, so they need a mental bridge array to link everyone and prepare a joint defense. That bird they sent through earlier was scouting the upcoming trials.”

“Understood. I’ll start setting it up now.”

“Mhmm, you don’t need to participate in the next round. Hurry and set it up.”

“Alright, Captain.”

***

“This Karon is somewhat interesting,” Mosvath said as he looked at the projection before him.

Glorian nodded. “Very clever. Although he is a member of a Whip squad, he is only an attached member. Mosvath, you still have a chance.”

Mosvath said exaggeratedly, “Voren would kill me.”

Glorian said, “He’s unable to discover talent for himself, or else it would be impossible for this boy to still have no official post.”

Mosvath corrected her, “You should know very well that this boy is too lazy to even upgrade his Divine Servant certificate, which means that he has no particular obsession with an official post and does not value such things very much. After all, even an Inquisitor only receives a monthly stipend of a little over a thousand Order credits.”

“Yes. The stipends and treatment grassroots priests receive is still a bit low. This is not conducive to carrying out grassroots work.”

The two stopped here. Strangely, Cardinal Claude, who was accustomed to making summaries and comments after the two of them spoke, did not say anything. Instead, his eyes were closed. He even began snoring.

***

Facts proved that if a Zoge could not be suppressed as soon as it appeared, its abilities would cause a great deal of trouble for a squad. Squads were continuously being eliminated because of the Zoges, and serious injuries even started to appear. These kinds of injuries were very likely to have long-term sequelae, even with treatment. There was no avoiding this. After all, this selection was not taking place in a consciousness space. As soon as people physically participated, it was no longer possible to fully control all risks.

Commander Varg’s expression grew increasingly dark. He could already foresee just how much pressure he would face once this exam ended. All of these young people either had parents with backgrounds or were themselves regarded as the future stars of their regions in the eyes of those regions’ authorities. If they were left virtually braindead because of the selection Varg was overseeing, even he would not be able to accept the fallout.

Sigh... Maybe I should simply not transfer back?

Commander Varg lifted his head to look at the absurd sky overhead, the one that looked as though it had been splashed with ink. Continuing to garrison Ogureth Fortress seemed rather blissful.

***

Philomena’s final punch pierced the Zoge’s body. It then began melting, and rapidly evaporated. She shot a cold glance at her teammates, whose expressions were just as cold. She took a deep breath, but did not say the word “trash.” She still wanted to fight for that slot.

Unfortunately, success was looking like a very slim possibility. Her squad had been pieced together with the last people who had failed to join any other squad. Setting aside their individual strength, not a single person in Squad 20 had a mild temper. Those who had been willing to lower their heads and say a few pleasant words had been able to find teams willing to accept them. No one would reject a humble supplement, because such a person would be easy to command and understood the need to consider the overall situation. Those who did not want to lower their heads or seek out a team, who were unwilling to say pleasant words and show a bit of humility while standing there with cold expressions had ultimately been lumped together.

If someone were to ask Philomena at this moment whether she regretted her earlier actions, she would answer without hesitation, “Yes.”

She regretted what she had done. She was very clear on the fact that Karon’s squad had a greater advantage. In his squad, she could have stood at the side and slept the whole time. Whenever Karon needed her, he would simply call her, and she would make a move. After resolving things, she would then continue sleeping and resting. She would not have to hide her true thoughts. She was used to revealing her heart openly, but if she were given another chance, she would accept that pastry, even if she did not eat it.

***

The Zoge facing Karon had already given in to despair. It had initially wanted to force things into a battle of attrition, only to discover that so long as this young human stood before it, it would never be able to move at all. As for the streams of corruption it constantly spat at him, he seemed utterly unconcerned about them.

What outsiders could not see was that the illusion demon had never eased up on its mental assaults on Karon, not even for a moment. They simply produced no effect whatsoever. This young human was like a mountain, firmly suppressing the Zoge in place.

Relying on the flames that covered its body, the fire lizard had already managed to melt more than half of the Zoge’s body. This had only happened slowly, which had also sent the Zoge even deeper into despair. At this moment, Karon discovered that the other squads were all finished. They had either dealt with their own Zoge, or been eliminated.

He had intended to control the pace of this round and let his squad members rest for a while longer, but that now seemed unnecessary. Two of the squads had fought for much longer than he had expected. But such things could not be anticipated, and he held the initiative in his own hands. Now, things could end.

Karon withdrew all of the chains. The instant the Zoge regained its freedom, it charged at him. For an illusion demon to immediately attack physically meant that it had already been tortured to the point of near madness, and even wanted a quick release.

“Order—Spear of Punishment!” From the ground before Karon, twelve Spears of Punishment rose up. The Zoge saw them, but did not dodge or try to circle around them. It continued to charge straight through them. Karon raised his hand, and the twelve Spears of Punishment shot up, stabbing right into the Zoge’s body.

“Roar!” Zoge let out a roar that rang with both pain and relief.

Boom! Then, it exploded.

Karon rubbed his wrist. He was feeling a slight bit dizzy, his eyes were somewhat sore, and his chest also felt a little stifled. This was a normal reaction to a long-term, high-intensity output of spirituality. However, his reserves remained sufficient for the rest of the exam. No, they were more than sufficient. At present, he was not even close to approaching the point where he would have fallen unconscious in the past, though he did need a period of rest. While his reserves of ammunition were still plentiful, the gun barrel was overheating and needed a chance to cool down.

Karon turned and issued an order, “Prepare to face the next round.”

“Yes, Captain!”

At this point, there were still ten squads on the field. Karon did not feel the slightest bit of relief. He had always felt a bit of pressure from Squads 1 and 7, and there might still be a few truly troublesome opponents hidden away within the other squads.

If this exam really did get dragged all the way to the end and the divine artifact appeared...

Then once a divine artifact, which represented absolute power, entered the field, luck would account for a very large portion of the outcome. “Sigh. I really don’t want to rely on luck.”

***

“Lalala... lalala... lalala...” A little girl crossed her legs as she sat on a glass cabinet, humming a song. Inside the glass cabinet she sat on were two copper coins. In a distant corner, a group of male and female, old and young artifact spirits had gathered together, discussing today’s escape plan.

This was essentially their necessary daily routine. They were always tirelessly discussing how to mobilize everyone and escape, but some artifact spirits had been discussing such plans since the previous epoch.

The little girl very much wanted to remind them, “Look, that silver gate is already open. Now is the best chance to escape.”

But Lenora was still a kind little girl. She knew that saying such a thing would be much too cruel. They did not dare attempt to escape. The price of failure was not only being captured again, but also being imprisoned in an even deeper sealed space. At least here, everyone could chat with their companions, but in a deeper sealed space, all that awaited them would be eternal solitude. They treated discussing escape as a game, while escape itself had already fundamentally lost all meaning.

At this moment, a gentle woman appeared beside Lenora. She was the artifact spirit of a harp that the Sea God had given to his lover Mios.

“Sister Lunadel.”

“Little Lenora, I’ll tell you a secret.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you know why the gate is open today?”

“Huh? Isn’t it because someone is coming to exchange a divine artifact? I don’t want anyone to take a liking to me. Hmph! Whoever takes me away, I’ll find a chance to trick him into dying, and then I’ll go find my Big Brother Karon.”

“No. It seems they are planning to choose one divine artifact to act as an examiner in an exam.”

“Oh, so that’s it?”

“Mhmm. They originally chose me, but I refused.”

“Ah, why did you refuse, Sister? It’s not easy to get a chance to go out.”

“Because I don’t want my music to be easily heard.”

“I see.”

“However, I recommended you to them. They’ll come ask you in a bit. Remember, you must show a good attitude. The candidates in this exam are all young people from the Church of Order. What they are most worried about is that we will cause a great deal of irreversible damage to those young people. After all, they are the most outstanding people of their generation. That’s why they are being very cautious in choosing a divine artifact. As long as you behave obediently, you will get a chance to go out and breathe.”

“Alright. Thank you, Sister. Hehe.”

Lenora excitedly continued swinging her legs and humming her song. Then, she seemed to suddenly think of something, and murmured, “Hmm... the most outstanding young people in the Church of Order? Then could my Big Brother Karon be there too?”