Chapter 306: Cheating

Chapter 306: Cheating

Karen had initially thought they would be teleported into some massive cavern again, but once the white light dissipated, he found himself standing inside a towering structure.

Above him was a colossal dome, upon which a magnificent figure was depicted—the very mural Alfred had been so desperately yearning to see.

However, it did not depict the God of Order, but rather one of the four great attendants under His seat: Tyranus.

In the mythological narratives of "The Light of Order," Tyranus did not possess the strongest presence; compared to the other three attendants and the Twelve Knights, almost all of whom had their own splendid stories and glorious achievements, Tyranus seemed quite low-key.

Yet his status within the Church of Order was the highest, second only to the God of Order, because it was he who, adhering to the will of the God of Order, founded the Church of Order.

The God of Order was the totem of the Church of Order, whereas Tyranus was its true architect, having penned the very first edition of "The Light of Order."

"The Hall of Tyranus?" Richard looked around. "I always knew it was in Wien, but I never knew exactly which city or location it was in."

"Your grandfather didn't know either?"

"My grandfather probably knows, but he wouldn't tell me. Many places within the Church can only be entered and used by specific departments."

Karen couldn't help but recall the light spheres he had gathered in the time-space continuum last time.

The participants in this selection were all youths, given the age limit, so most of them were visiting this place—or any place of this caliber—for the very first time; driven by the natural curiosity of youth, everyone began to look around.

Karen saw Leon and Laure gathering in a small circle of about a dozen people, chatting together; their family elders probably shared good relations.

There were many such circles, accounting for half of the people present.

The other half mostly stood alone or wandered about making their inspections, acting as independent candidates.

In short, it appeared highly polarized: they either possessed family connections or their own networks, or they were purely lone wolves, a common sight for this age group.

It was much like a key high school, where the students were either excellent academic performers or came from connected families.

However, between those with family connections and those with good grades, there was an intersection.

Aside from the circle Leon and the others were in, two other circles caught Karen's attention. One consisted of only about seven people, standing in a ring; though they stood there, no one spoke, merely waiting in serene patience. Although they wore standard Order robes, their postures were remarkably erect.

Compared to them, the posture of the Members of the Whip of Order seemed somewhat amateurish.

They were either currently part of the Knights Templar, or their parents were.

The other circle was comprised entirely of females, and they were generally very young—young even among this youthful crowd, averaging around fourteen years of age. This group of seven or eight girls was conducting a tour under the guidance of a slightly taller girl at their head.

Above the Hall of Tyranus was the mural depicting his life, while the circular walls below recorded his life story; this group of girls looked as if they had come here for sightseeing, with the slightly taller girl acting as their tour guide.

Following Karen's gaze, Richard said, "They seem to belong to that system. Grandfather mentioned that there is a system specifically responsible for breeding mythical beasts, which contains many departments. One of the higher-tier departments is basically entirely female; they are responsible for breeding top-tier mythical beasts."

"The falcons used by the Knights Templar?" Karen asked.

"Those probably don't belong to their department. Those are beneath them. The department they belong to only breeds top-tier mythical beasts. It is said that they used to be an independent belief system as well, which was later integrated by our Church."

Karen nodded, indicating he understood.

This also explained why they were all girls; it was not a matter of gender discrimination, but rather that certain smaller churches, like the Goddess Miels Church, had a predominantly female following.

Whereas deities like the Goddess of the Moon, or perhaps the Goddess of the Dark Moon that might have existed in the distant past, would not limit their followers by gender.

"Their souls must be incredibly powerful because they need to communicate with those top-tier mythical beasts," Richard said.

"Mm," Karen nodded.

"Karen, I feel so much pressure," Richard said.

"Relax," Karen comforted Richard.

In truth, even Karen himself had not expected that a regional selection could draw so many outstanding peers.

Aside from those eye-catching small circles, among the lone wolves, there were also individuals who looked extraordinary at a single glance.

For instance, the youth sitting on the ground playing with pebbles, the girl leaning sideways taking a nap, the young man playing rock-paper-scissors with himself...

In this place, no one engaged in attention-seeking performance art, and what seemed like "strange" behavior in some people actually pulsed with waves of energy.

To be able to immerse oneself in one's own world in front of a large crowd at this age was already a rare trait.

More importantly, Karen believed that there must be existences in the crowd who, like him, looked "very ordinary."

This was the deep heritage of the Church of Order...

Even though he had become a member of the Whip of Order and executed so many missions, his actual understanding of this top-ranked orthodox Church was still rather superficial.

The organizers seemed to deliberately grant the youths time to tour the grand hall; it was only half an hour later that a voice echoed from above:

"Next is the pre-selection inspection. You will pass through security one by one, then gather at the examination grounds outside. Please deposit anything you should not be carrying at the baggage storage. Anyone found with illicit cheating materials during security will have their selection eligibility revoked immediately.

As for what constitutes cheating materials, whatever we detect is a cheating material; if it goes undetected, that is your own capability, and you may choose for yourself whether to try your luck."

Hearing these words, Richard turned to look at Karen beside him in astonishment; Karen had said the exact same thing to him while they were in the carriage.

"Karen, it's just like what you said."

"It's only natural. If it gets detected, it means you lack capability; if it goes undetected, it means your capability is high."

The four main gates of the Hall of Tyranus were thrown open, and a massive desk was placed at each entrance, with clergymen standing by to conduct security checks. In addition, a group of clergymen pushed forward large grid storage bins to arrange the storage of the candidates' belongings.

"I'll go deposit our things, Karen. Is there anything in your bag that needs to be stored?"

"Take out my identification and give it to me, store everything else."

Karen remembered that Alfred had also packed some potions for him, all of which had to be stored.

"Oh, alright. You don't need to bring food or drink, I brought some. Grandmother made a lot of delicious food for us."

Karen's fingertip brushed against his ring; he looked down at it, but ultimately chose not to submit the ring for storage.

Richard walked over carrying two bags and returned carrying one. He slung the backpack in front of him, drew out two bottles of water from within, and handed one to Karen.

Inside was an infusion of orange peel with some white sugar; it tasted of the fresh fragrance of oranges without any bitterness.

"Let's go, let's pass through security," Karen said.

"Mm."

Karen and Richard arrived at the south gate. There were people queuing ahead, but not many, because a candidate had just had the phantom of a tortoise manifest on his body and had his examination eligibility revoked on the spot.

Cheating materials did not merely refer to objects carried on one's person; those retained within the body were forbidden as well.

This was actually to prevent the "cheating arrangements" made by the parents of certain candidates for their children. Some parents occupied high echelons, and the arrangements they could engineer were bizarre and varied; finding a spiritual entity to sign a temporary contract to help their child pass the exam was not even considered high-end here.

This resulted in quite a few people who were originally queuing having to step out of line to re-examine the items on their persons and inside their bodies.

Richard underwent security ahead of Karen. When his turn came, he first handed his identification to the invigilator. After verifying the identification, the invigilator handed him a card, presumably his examination number.

Next came the inspection of his carry-on items. Richard extracted a massive pile of food and drink from his bag; the large desk was actually crowded over nearly half its space by the sustenance he had brought.

Frowning, the invigilator asked, "Are you here for a picnic?"

Richard replied with a smile, "Ah, my grandmother insisted I bring it, I had no choice."

Once his personal belongings were inspected, he entered a scanning magic circle. After passing through the circle, there were examiners dedicated to conducting a further physical pat-down, divided into a male and a female inspector.

Richard proactively walked toward the female inspector, but she ignored him, forcing him to veer toward the male inspector instead.

Throughout this entire process, two clergymen stood on either side, their eyes hollow; they were likely using spells to scan the candidates passing through security.

The previous instance where the spiritual entity within a candidate was stimulated into awakening had been their doing.

Once everything had passed inspection, Richard received his backpack at the very end.

It was Karen's turn.

Karen handed over his documents. The invigilator examined them, then looked up at Karen:

"Servant of God?"

Karen nodded.

"You certainly are the most low-profile one," the invigilator said, passing the documents and a card back to Karen.

Clearly, he was well aware that while the vast majority of people would update their credentials immediately upon advancing a stage to claim higher stipends and status, there was always a small minority too lazy to bother.

He wouldn't naively assume Karen was truly just a Servant of God... yet he still found Karen's level of laziness somewhat absurd.

Everything Karen carried was with Richard, leaving nothing on the table for inspection. He walked through the security formation first and then stepped before the security officers. A female officer nudged a male colleague aside, stepping forward to personally conduct the pat-down on Karen.

During this process, Karen sensed two divine consciousnesses sweeping back and forth across his body.

The female officer checked Karen's ring. A badge hung around her neck, rippling with the fluctuations of detection magic.

"This silver ring is quite beautiful."

"My grandfather left it to me."

"Alright, you may pass."

"Thank you for your hard work."

"You are welcome."

Karen walked over to Richard, who said helplessly, "Honestly, being good-looking is a form of cheating too."

"Then you can go suggest to the invigilator right now to drain you of your blood."

"Haha," Richard laughed. "I am number 189, what about you?"

"Number 13."

"I am doomed."

"Do not let it affect your mindset."

"Alright, I understand."

The two walked out of the Hall of Tyrannus. Ahead lay a vast plaza, in the center of which stood a colossal stone statue depicting one of the fierce beasts sealed by the Church of Order—the Phantom Demon, Compasini.

In the mythological narratives of the *Light of Order*, Compasini had once attempted to build a fantasy kingdom of his own within a nation, only to be personally suppressed by the God of Order.

Within the plaza area were numerous circles, each corresponding to an exam number.

Since the security checks would still take some time, Karen and Richard were in no rush to enter their circles. Instead, they sat down on the steps. Richard pulled out the meal his grandmother had prepared, letting Karen eat first, while he kept his hands inside his backpack, pretending to look for something when he was actually turning a Rubik's cube.

Karen ate the pastry with his right hand, while his left hand rested casually on his knee, concealed beneath the wide sleeve of his divine robe. As he ate, the Rubik's cube within his left palm was rapidly deducing.

"The Semos amplification formation can strengthen illusion arrays. The core of the formation is situated on the statue of Compasini. The effect of the formation will go from weak to strong, and then from strong to weak. Because the amplification is quite massive, you just need to grit your teeth and endure through the absolute peak of the middle phase."

Karen nodded and said, "There is an embedded formation beneath the Compasini statue, and someone inside will be responsible for controlling it during the exam. Therefore, the pattern you spoke of is uncertain."

"Amplification, I am talking about the amplification. The organizers allow for minor accidents, but it is impossible for them to drive a whole crowd of people insane. The duration and magnitude of its amplification are objectively fixed there, so what I said is not wrong. Listen to me, I just used the Key of the Magic Cube to deduce it.

Trust me, Karen, I am a professional."

Karen sighed and said, "Look at the statue's eyes."

"Hmm? What about them?"

"They can move."

"This..."

"Did you think it would be uniform across the entire field? No, its eyes have begun to scan individually. You do not even need the Key of the Magic Cube to see the Semos formation; I believe many examinees here can figure it out.

So, when the time comes and the most intense phase arrives, just when you think the intensity is about to decline, it can repeatedly sweep its eyes over your area, completely shattering all your psychological preparation and plunging you into self-doubt."

"Damn it!" Richard cursed under his breath. "They can play it like that?"

"The rule of the exam is to leave the final five people. Beyond that, there are no other restrictions. Look over there, there are three stone boxes. They should contain spiritual-type sacred artifacts, meant to gradually increase variations and magnitude during a stalemate."

"Karen... there is something I need to tell you."

"Hmm?"

"Even if you can sense me and shield me during the exam, if you feel it is affecting you or bringing you pressure, kick me away immediately. Do not hesitate or feel embarrassed at all.

Even if I fail the selection, at most I will just go back and get beaten by my dad again. But I bear the surname Goumang after all; my future resources will not be lacking. You need to rely on this to secure your own status and treatment. You must give it your all."

"I know. You are not worth me giving up my own future for."

"Damn, I thought my words were quite moving, but your response instantly ruined the atmosphere I painstakingly built."

"Just set your mind at ease, it is no big deal."

Although the scale of this exam and the excellence of the examinees had taken Karen by surprise, the impact on him was truly minimal.

On the spiritual level of this age group, he rightfully stood at the absolute apex of the pyramid. As for how bloated the middle section of the pyramid was, it had nothing to do with him.

Just then, Karen saw a Bishop in red robes walking up from below. Nearby invigilators and examinees all bowed respectfully to him.

Bishop Byrne?

The father of Delius, the Holy Son of the Pamires Church. Was he in charge of this York City regional selection?

Karen and Richard also stood up, bowing to Bishop Byrne.

Bishop Byrne paused in his tracks, deliberately lowering his gaze to look at Karen: "I remember you."

"Lord Bishop."

"Delius said you are an interesting person."

"I am honored to be remembered by the Holy Son."

"Perform well."

"Thank you, my Lord."

Bishop Byrne continued walking upward.

Before long, a voice echoed from above: "Please enter your respective examination circles..."

Then, the guidelines for the selection began to broadcast.

"Whew..."

Richard began to take deep breaths, bidding Karen farewell before heading to his position.

Karen walked over to the fountain pool at the edge of the plaza to wash his hands, then unhurriedly found his spot, number 13.

Standing within his circle, Karen was surprised to find that in the row ahead of him, Leon and Laure were actually standing together—no, it was the entire circle of people around them that had practically merged into a single line.

Inside manipulation!

To Karen's left stood the tall girl who had previously acted as a guide for the sisters. Sensing Karen looking at her, she also turned her head, offering a smile in response, and said:

"I am Aisley, what about you?"

"Karen."

"Good luck, Karen!" Aisley raised her fist to cheer him on.

"Okay." Karen nodded to her.

"You have to cheer for me too."

"Oh, right." Emulating her gesture, Karen raised his fist. "Fight on, Aisley."

"Mhm!"

Standing to Karen’s right was a youth of similar age, his countenance stark and severe. He stood as rigid as a soldier on parade, that distinct military bearing radiating from him with undeniable clarity; he belonged to the Knights.

Yet, he seemed to possess no inclination to converse with his "desk-mate."

Karen glanced back over his shoulder. Behind him, offset to either side, sat a youth idling with pebbles, while another girl leaned forward, unexpectedly snoring away.

Beholding her, Karen could not help but think of Eunice. Was she, too, in the midst of assimilating her own bloodline power?

As for the space directly behind him, it was occupied by the youth who had been playing rock-paper-scissors against his own reflection. Seeing Karen look his way, he offered a smile and asked:

"Want to join us?"

Karen replied with a polite smile, "I will not disturb you. Please, carry on."

This fellow, he mused, ought to be introduced to the captain.

Just then, Bishop Byrne's silhouette materialized atop the head of the phasm Compasini sculpture. He was, indeed, the chief examiner for this region.

With his hands clasped over his chest, Bishop Byrne intoned in a deep voice, "Praise the God of Order!"

Below, the assembly of examinees responded in unison:

"Praise the God of Order!"

Bishop Byrne spoke, "I declare the examination for this region officially begun."

The words had scarcely departed his lips,

When the colossal twin eyes of the phasm Compasini sculpture beneath Bishop Byrne’s feet flared with a crimson glow,

And simultaneously,

The heavens plunged into darkness.

The surroundings dissolved into pitch-black oblivion. One fraction of a second you were still within the examination grounds, and the next, you were utterly severed from the rest of the world.

No,

There was one expanse that was not entirely black. Kneeling there was a figure—yes, kneeling, as if caught in the middle of a prayer.

That individual turned around, looked in this direction, and cried out in pleasant surprise, "Karen, you came to find me so quickly?"

Clearly, it was your own terror that turned you into a shivering quail, causing the Alt bloodline to manifest its effects the moment the exam commenced, sensing my presence.

Helpless, Karen beckoned to him.

Richard immediately scrambled to his feet and came sprinting toward Karen, waving his hands as he shouted:

"Karen, I am coming!"

Once Richard reached Karen’s side, he scanned the surrounding ink-black void with a tinge of perplexity, asking, "Um, why is it so peaceful?"

"Because it has not truly begun yet. The Shimos amplification array has not finished activating."

"Oh. Well, what do you need me to do in a moment?"

"Sit."

"And what else?"

"Do not move."

"Is that all?"

"There is more."

"Right, what else would you have me do?"

"Shut up."