Chapter 338: The Flatted Regiment Commander

Chapter 338 The Commander Beaten to the Ground

A divine servant?

The smile on Levin's face froze instantly.

He took the credentials from Karen's hand and looked down.

Position: Staff of the Pavarotti Inquisitorial Office.

Realm: Divine Servant.

It truly was a divine servant!!!

Upon hearing this "realm," the other trainees present exchanged glances, either tightening their expressions or clearing their throats with lowered heads, forcing themselves to remain solemn to avoid laughing out loud.

Among them, they were either members of Karen’s squad or those who had witnessed Karen leading his team to absolute victory during the final selection; no one truly believed Karen was merely a divine servant.

Yet credentials were the sort of thing that, once received for the first time, would not change unless one actively went out of their way to update them.

A few days ago, right after the final selection concluded, a regulatory requirement had been issued alongside several official documents from the Holy See, demanding grassroots churches to conduct an audit and update of all clerical credentials.

However, this initiative had only recently been rolled out, and its initial phase primarily targeted young people across various systems.

Because this particular demographic was the most prone to being lazy in such matters.

Someone like Ventura would definitely update his credentials quite frequently; although he had still been attending the church school previously and held no official position, he could obtain a monthly stipend based on the elevation of his realm, and it was impossible for him to give up that part of his income.

As for the actual descendants of prestigious families, they completely looked down on such a meager stipend, so they usually chose to update their credentials only when entering a position or transferring roles.

Therefore, although this "audit initiative" had been triggered because the Cardinal had looked over Karen's personal profile, Karen himself had somehow managed to remain the fish that slipped through the net.

Karen stood there silently.

Previously, he had proactively stated several times that "there is something I need to report first," but now, he did not say a single word more.

In truth, if one truly wanted to say something, no matter how much the other party interrupted, the words could still be spoken simply by skipping the preamble; wanting to say something several times yet repeating the preamble every single time usually meant there was no sincere desire to inform the other party.

The psychological analysis and behavioral anticipation of this old man were actually very simple, because he was a very simple person.

Compared to other simple people, his only additional condition was a simple, overwhelming strength.

In short, the best possible outcome had already been secured, and to expect him to speak up and explain, to expect him to proactively offer a way out, to expect him to actively smooth things over—

Apologies, that was impossible.

Furthermore, Karen could think of no reason to persuade himself to help ease the atmosphere; after easing it, would it be just to let himself get a beating?

"Are you truly just a divine servant?" Levin asked an exercise in futility.

How could a divine servant possibly appear here, and how could one possibly stand before him.

"Teacher, this is certified by the district and clearly written on the credentials; it is a divine servant," Karen replied with another exercise in futility.

"Heh heh." Levin gave a dry laugh, "Young people should not be so lazy. If everyone was like you and failed to update their credential information in a timely manner, when the Church requires personnel, there would not be enough hands to deploy. How then could we serve the Sacred Church, and how could we serve the God of Order?"

"Your lecture is well taken, Teacher. Upon returning this time, I will immediately go to the Academic Affairs Building to update my credentials."

"Mm, so you truly..."

"But on many occasions, when I see 'Divine Servant' written on my credentials, I feel a heartfelt vigilance within me, telling myself to guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and to wholeheartedly be a good servant to the God of Order, serving the great God of Order.

So right now, on my credentials, it is written very clearly: Divine Servant."

As Karen spoke, he looked down at everyone below,

Saying:

"We shall forever be the servants of God. Praise the great God of Order!"

Every member of Karen's squad immediately crossed their arms over their chests, and Muri’s side also joined in to help coordinate the response, the crowd shouting in unison:

"Praise the God of Order!"

Levin had no choice but to perform the exact same gesture: "Praise the God of Order."

At this moment, another wave of assistance arrived.

Muri turned his head to ask Elaman, a member of his team who hailed from the Knight Order: "Elaman, what rank does a divine servant count as in the Knight Order?"

Elaman replied: "First rank, of course."

"Oh, first rank."

Karen caught Muri in his peripheral vision and lowered his head slightly in acknowledgment.

A slight curve formed at the corner of Muri’s mouth.

He was well aware that stepping forward to "block the path" for the mentor at this time would very likely result in receiving extra attention from the mentor when it was his turn to take the field, but he was not afraid, because even if he did nothing, what awaited him was still being beaten to the ground by this mentor and evaluated with a foot planted on his back.

Rather than that, it was better to help out together and dig a pit for the mentor.

The young masters of the Dingle District were a grade higher than those of other districts because the Holy See was located here, giving them more confidence no matter what they did.

"Heh heh heh."

Levin began to laugh,

"Karen, a divine servant, I shall use the power of the first rank, and I will not alter it."

Hearing this, Karen felt at ease.

The crowd below grew expectant as well.

Levin's gaze swept across the entire field as he continued: "Do you truly believe that the power of the first rank is that weak? There are things that cannot be specifically measured, and those are experience, awareness, and the meticulous control of power.

The same divine servant, the same divine revelation, the same divine shepherd—moving up level by level, even within the same realm, strength can still have a massive disparity. You should all be well aware of this.

Today, I shall let you witness strength... that exists outside the traditional meaning of realms.

I hope you will gain something from this."

With a wave of Levin's palm, the floor tiles beside him flipped over, and a weapon rack rose from beneath, displaying a set of various standard weapons, with tactical firearms resting in the corner, though all were well-crafted... low-level implements.

This courtyard beneath the sea was originally intended as a teaching ground for close-quarters combat, so these props were certainly fully equipped.

"Choose one," Levin said, pointing at the weapon rack.

Karen walked straight to the section holding the various tactical firearms, picked up a long one, felt it, then picked up a three-barreled one and wiped it down.

Levin stood with arms crossed, watching Karen's behavior, noting inwardly that this was a young man proficient in spells, which was why he would prefer using firearms that could directly discharge effects.

In fact, there were indeed quite a few priests outside who used firearms, but they remained a minority within a minority, because firearms merely shortened the time required to trigger a spell; aside from that, they seemed rather redundant. Generally, priests who used firearms held a supportive role within their groups.

Karen hesitated for a long time in front of the firearms section before asking: "Teacher, does this pistol come in a pair?"

"I can allow you a pair."

"Thank you, Teacher."

Karen bent down, a slight struggle appearing on his face, then stood up and detached a greatsword from the weapon rack.

With a loud clatter, as if misjudging the weight of the greatsword, Karen lost his grip, and the greatsword crashed onto the ground.

Yet Karen still bent over, picked the greatsword up once more, and slowly walked back.

Pasio leaned toward Muri’s ear and whispered: "He would have been better off choosing a tactical firearm."

Muri, however, frowned slightly, sensing that matters were not quite this simple.

During both rounds of selection, weapons were actually forbidden, and even the use of sacred artifacts was strictly restricted, as bringing such items made it all too easy to cheat flagrantly.

Consequently, Karen had never used the Sword of Ahrius in their presence, and the capabilities he had consistently displayed made him appear more like a spellcaster.

Muri turned his head to look at the members of Karen’s squad standing on the other side, noting that their expressions were even more solemn than before.

Hmm?

Was it that they were more solemn, or was it that they were simply struggling harder to keep a straight face?

"Even if it’s close combat, the Captain shouldn't have chosen..." Maas murmured softly.

"Shut your mouth," Blanche said.

Maas realized his mistake instantly, glanced at the other three members of the squad, and immediately added:

"I believe in the Captain."

This statement was not mere damage control; rather, it was because he had doubted the Captain the previous night, which had resulted in him and Blanche tumbling down the cliff.

Ventura, Aisley, and Bart were enduring the strain with great effort; they had gathered at the funeral parlor before setting out, and they had seen with their own eyes that besides his suitcase, Karen had also brought a long box.

On the hearse, they had requested the Captain’s permission to open the box and take a look, revealing a greatsword.

Regrettably, the Dingle Region was far too distant from the York City Region, and this Vice-Commander Mentor was likely uninterested in the gossip of the youth, otherwise he would have known of the rumor that had once circulated through York City:

The Princess of Dark Moon Island had become pregnant with the child of a member of the Whip of Order squad, and had gifted him a precious sword as a token, allowing him to use the blade to gain passage to the island and recognize his child in the future.

Gripping the hilt with both hands, Karen balanced the greatsword with its tip pointing downward, taking deep breaths continuously to soothe his tense mind.

Levine spread his hand, and a pike from the weapon rack flew into his grasp; a faint, dark radiance then emanated from his body, signaling the manifestation of first-tier power.

"Are you ready?" Levine inquired.

Upon hearing this, Karen immediately began to retreat, dragging the greatsword backward, then further back, establishing a considerable distance before raising the greatsword upright once more, wedging it into a gap between the floor tiles, and replying:

"I am ready, Teacher."

Did you truly believe that creating this distance would prove useful?

Levine looked down at the gathering of students and said, "Observe closely, and place yourselves in Karen’s shoes."

The moment he finished speaking, Levine brought his pike level and charged toward Karen, his form blurring almost into afterimages along the way.

Karen did not move the greatsword, treating it instead like a barrier erected before his body.

"Order—Cage!"

A cube materialized beneath Levine’s form, but he merely used the tip of his pike to flick at it from below, deflecting the cage away; the counterforce caused his body to swerve diagonally to the side.

"Order—Guardian Wall!"

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

Three walls descended, yet Levine anticipated their landing points perfectly each time, bypassing them in advance; although he lacked the "power" to shatter the walls, they failed to impede his progress.

Karen dropped to a crouch, slamming a single hand onto the ground.

In an instant, a dense thicket of black spikes erupted from the floor tiles before him.

"To fall to your knees, how foolish!"

Levine used his pike as a vaulting pole, planting it forward to flip his body upward, then swung the pike mid-air, thrusting it straight down toward Karen.

Karen immediately summoned a phantom to materialize before him, a spell akin to summoning a substitute.

Levine’s pike struck the substitute but did not continue to drive forward; instead, it slid down smoothly, the tip carving a shower of sparks across the figure, glowing a faint red by the time it reached the very bottom.

With a press of his right hand and a flip of his left, the upper half of the pike tilted sharply upward, striking directly at Karen himself like a venomous serpent seeking its prey.

Karen’s gaze focused sharply as the power of the Dark Moon Blade and the Sea God’s Armor surged within his body, unrevealed to the eye because he wished to avoid exposure; while this significantly weakened the efficacy of the two spells, it was worth noting that the opponent before him was presently employing only the strength of a Divine Servant!

With a resonant hum, the greatsword sprang from the ground, and Karen swung his left hand forward, hilt in grasp, as the sword tip and pike tip collided rapidly in mid-air, unleashing a dense torrent of piercing metallic clashes.

Immediately following this, Karen cast three consecutive layers of Order-type physical enhancement spells upon himself, elevating his strength and speed to a higher level; these spells would never have had the chance to appear in the past when he could freely deploy the Dark Moon Blade and the Sea God’s Armor.

But now, with the internal and external forces overlapping, Karen’s physical attributes were raised to a highly formidable standard.

Yet within Levine’s field of vision, the increase in Karen’s strength and speed was of secondary importance; the true revelation was the opponent's mastery of the greatsword and the combat experience he unleashed!

He had been acting just now!

He, the mentor, had been trifled with by this student!

Following the rapid exchange of blows, Levine chose to disengage, as the power he currently employed could not sustain a prolonged offensive, while Karen chose this exact moment to press forward, denying him any opportunity to catch his breath.

The greatsword swung time and again, each stroke adhering to the safest rhythm, Karen’s offensive grounded thoroughly in stability without the slightest inclination to take risks.

The opponent’s "power" was vastly inferior to his own, while the opponent’s experience and awareness surpassed his, yet he himself was by no means deficient; therefore, if the opponent wished to win, he had to risk finding a flaw, whereas if he wished to win, it was best not to court danger at all.

Subsequently, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Mentor Levine, who had initially held the offensive, began to be pressed backward step by step by Karen.

The effects generated by the offenses and simple spells Mentor Levine employed several times drew silent admiration from the spectators below, yet no matter how brilliantly the mentor performed, Karen maintained a steady grasp on the battle.

Once he had completely ground down the opponent’s designs, Karen began to increase the stakes, applying pressure layer by layer through direct clashes of strength.

The engagement between the two became exceedingly simple: Karen advanced, Levine deflected; after two or three exchanges, Levine retreated, Karen advanced once more, and Levine deflected again, in a continuous cycle.

Though the exchanges appeared intermittent, each strike delivered a distinct accretion of pressure, ultimately culminating in a compounding effect.

A similar scene had unfolded during the clash between the Captain and Ophelia on Snake Island, where the Captain had used this very method to batter Ophelia to the point where she nearly closed her eyes in surrender.

Levine, of course, would not surrender, for he required honor;

Levine would not choose to elevate the tier of his available power, for he required honor;

Levine would certainly not sue for mercy to signal a pause in Karen’s offensive, for he required honor.

He was not a good teacher, but he was indeed a true knight.

Ultimately, after the accumulated weight of the pressure reached its threshold:

"Bang!"

The pike in Levine’s hand was struck directly by Karen’s greatsword, flying out of his grasp.

Deprived of his weapon, Levine did not choose to abandon the fight; his form rapidly underwent a transformation as the phantom of a black panther leaped from his back.

Karen extended his left hand and swept it to his side, and in that instant, dozens of Chains of Order materialized all around, binding the panther’s phantom directly.

Evidently, Karen had long been prepared; he was acutely aware of how terrifying individuals of this caliber could be, for even if their power was compressed to that of a Divine Servant, the methods and capabilities they possessed remained extraordinarily diverse.

As for when the most opportune moment for a reversal arose?

It was precisely when one believed victory was securely in hand.

Karen was highly sensitive to this nuance, as he himself frequently favored employing such tactics.

The greatsword swept down, striking Levine squarely upon the shoulder; the defenses upon Levine’s body shattered, and he fell heavily to the ground.

Karen raised the greatsword and thrust it downward.

Levine made no movement, remaining still until the blade of the greatsword plunged deep into the floor tile beside his face.

Karen released his grip on the hilt, took three steps backward, and bowed in salute:

"My apologies, Teacher."

Levine rose slowly to his feet and brushed the dust from his shoulder; his right cheek had swollen high from the lash of the sword’s aura, and the teeth on that side had loosened, yet the gaze he directed toward Karen held not a single shred of anger.

He reached out a hand, pointing at Karen, as if desperately searching for words that refused to form. Giving up, he turned sharply to face the rest of the cadets and barked:

"Listen up, all of you! Learn from him!

Remember, the spirit of knighthood is meant to govern your own soul, not to shackle your conduct on the battlefield.

He