Francis' words fell, a young man dressed as a commander walked in slowly. He was Francis' secretary and his bodyguard."My Lord, the guest has woken up."The secretary reported in a calm and steady ton...Chapter 263: Ranchill-Fortuism

In the desolate cold of winter, the natural light in Herlohm, the imperial capital, was much weaker than in other seasons. It gently pierced through the thin clouds, bringing a touch of warmth to the frigid land. 【The latest chapters are the most complete and comprehensive, with error correction being the most timely. Due to caching reasons, it is recommended to browse the official website using a browser】

Lancy walked alone on the wide road.

Today is a workday.

He didn't need to guide Zethila at Protoss Royal Academy, living a retired life every day in an inn not far from the school.

After receiving the notification of passing the written exam in the morning, he set off for the Temple of the Silent Knight order after finishing his lunch. He was still wearing a diamond-patterned vest and a deep gray long coat that could withstand the cold, looking neat and tidy.

His green eyes shone even brighter in the sunlight, like a clear emerald lake.

As he walked, the pedestrians on the roadside of the Imperial City gradually became fewer.

Most of them avoided the location of the Silent Knights, as if it were a forbidden zone on a map.

And the destination of the ranch being walked in the opposite direction seemed very obvious, attracting some ordinary people's attention. They looked curiously at this seemingly gentle and well-behaved young man wondering why he would be walking that way.

"Lan Qi, are you really acting, meow..."

A timid, youthful voice came from within the shadows.

When there are no magic-sensitive people around, the cat boss's telekinetic magic can directly transmit sound to Lan Chi's ear. However, its magical control skills are very clumsy. If a high-level spellcaster is nearby, they will soon notice something amiss in the shadows.

The cat boss feels that Ranchi's dealings with the clergy of the Hegemon branch during his time in the Southwest Province have become extremely dangerous.

Unexpectedly, Lance finally got his desired identity and escaped those revival priests. Now that he's in the Imperial City, he could live a peaceful life as a guidance teacher, but he actually took the initiative to join the Annihilation branch!

The cat boss just thought this guy was crazy!

"Relax, Cat Boss. My faith is unshakable. It's normal for undercover cops to infiltrate criminal organizations."

Lan Qi smiled softly, as if whispering to the cat boss.

"

That's good then.

"

The Cat Boss was certain that after running around in the city of Lilom, Ranch's disastrous start had returned to normal, and he even lived a comfortable and dreamy life in the prosperous Herlome Imperial City.

It pondered for a moment, but ultimately remained silent.

Let's see what Lance does before meeting Hugh.

It has settled into the status quo, but this kid seems to have some ideas and isn't planning on stopping anytime soon.

But he should have brakes.

That's it.

The

Lanche approached the building of the Knights of Oblivion.

By the end, the street was nearly deserted save for the faint snowflakes dancing in the air.

In the distance, the majestic building of the Silent Knights Order gradually came into view.

Although he had been here once before, Ranch still felt a sense of emotion seeing the legal Revival Church temple with his own eyes.

This is the North Continent.

Of course, it's very different from the South Continent.

It's in these moments that I'm most acutely aware of being far from home, a long way from my familiar town and family.

Lan Qi shook his head, and walked leisurely to the heavily guarded gate.

A knight clad in dark gray armor sized him up and down, inspecting the letter before one of them nodded, signaling he could enter.

Then, Ranch folded the notice for a second interview and strode into the building that seemed to stretch endlessly down.

Ranch remember the instructions on the letter.

He walked along the corridor on the left and soon found the exam room for the second round.

At the end of the corridor, two massive metal doors stood firmly shut. On either side of the doors, priests remained motionless, their gazes cold and watchful, ready for battle at a moment's notice.

Come in.

Without needing to show the letter again, the priest opened the door leading to the examination hall for Ranchi.

Behind that heavy iron gate, there was a solemn and spacious hall.

A tall chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow. Around it were the original decorative murals that remained in this building. They depicted the twisted and eerie Northern Continent Holy War, where the faces of heroes and demons flickered in and out of the shadows, as if they were about to step out of the paintings and into this very space.

Under a stifling silence, the air felt thin. Most of the area was shrouded in gloom. Every examinee's face seemed to be consumed by a deep shadow, their backs disappearing into an impenetrable darkness.

Compared to the later arrivals like Lanchi, over twenty people were already gathered in the examination hall, awaiting their re-examination.

They sat scattered on the chairs around the hall, keeping their distance from each other. Some had closed their eyes in contemplation, some bowed their heads in deep thought, and some evil-doers muttered under their breath, their lips moving quickly in the dim light, like a curse uttered in silence.

Most of those inside are dangerous, sinister villains. The most prominent few even rule this den of malice, making others reluctant to get too close.

Lanche glanced around the hall, and soon, the door behind him slammed shut with a bang.

The enormous clock above the door, its gears chiming with every toll, heralded the approaching trials of fate.

Once you come here, there is no turning back.

Lanchi's appearance in this short moment has already attracted a lot of attention.

From time to time, eyes would glance at him, evaluating his every subtle movement.

The young man with black hair and green eyes, who currently appears too gentle and harmless, is like a pure white lamb that has strayed into a pack of wolves.

In the first round of exams, there might be others like him who appear to be rule-abiding and orderly.

But everyone who has taken that exam knows that getting a high score on the written test requires not only an in-depth understanding of both the Resurrection Church and the Annihilation Branch, but also an extremely villainous mind.

No matter how you look at it, he's really weak and poses no threat at all.

I bet this guy only passed the exam by relying on his solid theoretical knowledge to answer objective and conceptual questions just barely enough to pass.

Lan Qi simply walked to an empty seat by the side of the hall, crossed his arms and placed them on his lap, gazing calmly ahead.

As time went on, the atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly tense.

Lanqi wasn't fazed at all, but the cat boss lurking in his shadow was trembling with fear at this thick malice.

If I could run, I would have run away. I'm a little regretful that I came with Lance out of curiosity.

All the people who come here are heavyweights.

Like Lanchi, a young man with a clean record, his danger and level of chaos are clearly not on the same scale as those pure-blooded criminals!

Click, click.

The chimes of the clock above the metal gate rang out the hour.

Lance, sitting in the corner, could hear the echoes building upon each other clearly. Each chime was like a warning, reminding everyone present that the danger here was growing with every passing moment.

In the hall, a faint light from the front corner echoed with the dim chandeliers. The biting air seemed to solidify at that moment. As the chime gradually faded, a barely audible whisper, like grains of sand, slid into the hall from the depths of the darkness. It was as if some incantation had halted time. Every corner of the hall, each candidate waiting, and every piece of ornamentation seemed frozen in this instant.

That was footsteps.

Although the sound was not loud, in this tense atmosphere, each footstep was like a drumbeat on everyone's heart, guiding their attention and drawing their gaze towards that unknown direction.

The several iron doors on the inner side of the hall would occasionally have wind blow in from some crevice, bringing a chill with it. It also stirred the faded curtains in the corner of the hall, making them rustle.

Lynch's gaze, like that of the other candidates, pierced through the shadows of the hall, waiting for the figure about to appear.

Gradually, a faint light shone from the depths of the main hall, illuminating a figure cloaked in deep gray. It slowly walked out of the darkness within the hall.

He walked at a leisurely pace, his face appearing before the crowd. It was a face etched with the passage of time, yet it held a somber and austere countenance. The deep-set eyes revealed a chilling aura of control, while beneath his hawk-like nose lay lips that were remarkably thin.

To the examiners' astonishment, a purple holy seal was imprinted on his chest, radiating a faint glow that illuminated his robes.

None of the villains present dared to underestimate him. To be able to wear a purple holy seal meant that he was more than just a big baddie; he was a renowned high priest within the Annihilation Branch, a true high-ranking figure in the Resurrection Church and a terrifying figure lurking in the dark underbelly of the northern continent.

Thus, Kaios the Archdeacon, who was in charge of the examination, walked to the front of the hall.

"I am Kaeus, the head examiner for this final round of interviews and assessments."

Kaelus's stature seemed even taller in the dim light. He slowly opened his mouth, his voice low and resonant, echoing throughout the hall.

To prove your most basic and important loyalty to the Church of Resurrection, you must complete a task. This is the content of the trial exam.

His eyes slowly scanned each candidate. Silence hung heavy in the hall as he remained unspoken.

Many of the candidates in attendance slowly revealed puzzled expressions, wondering how one could accurately test for loyalty.

Even if there were magic that could truly see through people's thoughts, it would at least take an eighth-rank expert who specialized in spirits and souls to achieve it. Even with such a level of ancient magical artifacts, the scale of this retest is obviously insufficient for their use.

"...some time ago...the Church of the Goddess of Fate from the kingdom of Aitherland became popular. They came up with a method to test for resurrected priests, which wasn't always accurate but did manage to weed out many of our people. This kind of atrocity, this wave of 'question first, demand proof later,' was what the spreading priests called 'Wilfortism.'"

Keios spoke softly, recounting to the assembled people in the hall,

Now in the Protosian Empire, our position has switched with that of the Church of Fate. So, this 'Wilfortianism' can also be used by us.

"I will first treat all of you as traitors from the Fate Goddess's teachings, and you need to prove to me that you are not."

The content of the retest is very simple, it's just to modify the statue of the Goddess of Fate.

I will give each of you a statue of a Fate Goddess. You are free to imagine, destroy, or even defile the Fate Goddess, proving your loyalty to the Church of Rebirth. Then submit your work to me. I will use it to judge your stance, style, and compatibility with our branch's artistic nihilism.

Thus, Caius succinctly laid out the subject and rules of this examination.

Today is four chapters, there are still three chapters later.

(The End)

[ ]f the Lady Luck about you.Caius said calmly."No, it's not like that. I just don't want to be so extreme!"His eyes twitched, he shouted.Caius seemed to hear none of his excuses.Immediately afterwards,...