CH 7

As soon as the words fell, the red-haired fat man's face turned dark.

"You ignorant country bumpkin, don't pretend to have amnesia. I heard that Hongshi Village has been disbanded, the outer defense line has shrunk, and you are just a pawn. That's why you are now a homeless stray dog, right? That's why you want to mix with the barbarians who raise cattle, isn't it?"

Wayne's face turned red, his fists clenched, and Rode felt inexplicable. Was this guy crazy? Didn't he just say it was human feces? Why is he still angry?

But Rode was always cautious and steady in his actions, never impulsive. It was unwise to offend someone before even entering the academy in this situation.

Thinking of this, Rode stood up and said with a smile, "You're right, stray dog, barbarian, and human feces are very compatible and suitable to be friends."

He reached out his hand, but the red-haired fat man was enraged and pounced on him.

Rode dodged flexibly, and the fat man tripped on a bench and fell.

The strange noise here immediately attracted many people's attention.

"You see it!"

Rode raised his hands.

"I didn't do anything! He tripped himself."

The fat man climbed up in anger. Kassan, the blonde girl nearby, shouted, "If you fight again, I'll call the priest!"

This sentence had an immediate effect. The fat man glared at Rode and Wayne, muttered, "You wait," and quickly left.

After a moment of silence in the side hall, the sound of people gradually returned.

Rode picked up the bench and sat down again, complaining, "Is this guy crazy? He said he was human feces himself, and now he's angry. He wasted my time."

Wayne looked at him heroically and remembered that he had amnesia, so he quickly explained.

"Rode, you can't emphasize the pronunciation of his name. His name is Hablin, not human feces. Manolobana is the surname of the upper nobility, which means his family system is very large. He has produced many fire-keepers and has connections in major political halls, key institutions, and legions."

"Oh, what about the Internal Judicature Department? Does he have connections there?"

Upon hearing this name, Wayne suddenly shrank, and then curiously asked, "Why did you mention this department? The Internal Judicature Department is a very powerful department directly under the new king's jurisdiction, and no one can intervene."

"New king? What about the old king?"

Wayne choked for a moment.

"It's the old king. He has long returned to the Holy Fire. The new king has been in office for more than ten years, but his new laws are very different from before, so everyone is used to calling him that."

Rode's heart moved, and he was about to ask again when suddenly a loud and majestic horn sounded from the distance, and the noisy voices in the side hall were instantly drowned out.

Everyone stood up, knowing that the final trial was about to begin.

They looked pale and very nervous, but Kassan, the blonde girl, walked out in big strides, and everyone unconsciously followed her, following her into the central main hall.

This was a solemn and majestic hall, with complex patterns and huge statues bringing a heavy sense of oppression.

A huge golden chalice was placed in the center of the hall, and the golden flames burned in the chalice.Beside the Holy Grail sat an old man in a red robe, his face full of wrinkles, looking as if he were asleep.

Many red-robed priests stood around, and one of them shouted, "Whoever the High Priest calls, step forward and place your right hand on the Holy Grail. Do not remove it until you receive clear instructions."

Rode looked at the blazing Holy Grail and felt a hint of fear.

Wayne whispered, "Will it be very hot?"

"Only monsters would feel the heat." Hablin sneered beside him. "You don't even know that? Country bumpkin."

Wayne's face turned red. "But it looks hot..."

"Raines from the Iron Cross Street."

A low, hoarse voice interrupted their whispers.

A red-haired shorty ran up and placed his hand on the Holy Grail.

The scorching metal did not burn his hand. The shorty stood quietly in front of the Holy Grail, motionless.

About thirty seconds later, his whole body suddenly burst into flames. Deep red flames licked his skin, swaying gently like a large robe.

The priest said, "Very good, you can take your hand off now. Your soul is very hot, like dry firewood. The ignition process was very smooth, and you will become a powerful Fire Keeper."

Raines looked very excited, and a priest led him aside.

"Lil, Eagle Eye from the Copper Hammer Street."

A chubby boy ran up. It took a little longer this time for flames to light up from his body.

"Not bad, you can go now."

"Frank from the Mushroom City."

A tall, thin guy walked up. It took a long time this time, and the flames did not ignite from his body.

Everyone thought he had failed, but the priest said, "It's okay. Your soul is a bit slippery, but the Holy Grail still left a spark in your body. With hard training, you will also become an excellent fighter. Think of Arlan."

Frank almost cried and ran away in tears.

The waiting boys also breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

But things did not go as smoothly as they thought.

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Soon, the first eliminated contestant appeared. He refused to leave for a long time and cried loudly when dragged away. His cries could still be heard from far away.

Then came the second and third.

When the fourth appeared, a tragedy occurred.

This was a black-haired shorty who recoiled like he had burned his hand when he touched the Holy Grail.

In an instant, all the priests shifted their gaze to him. Two of them immediately rushed up and pressed him to the ground.

The High Priest raised his hand lightly, and a flame flew out of the Holy Grail, sweeping over his body.

The priests looked up at the High Priest.

He shook his head slightly.

"Corruption is already too deep." The priest pulled him up and took out a small red ball. "Eat this."

"No... no." The boy cried out in despair. "Why me? I didn't do anything wrong. Please, please, let me go. My father died in a mine disaster, and my mother was eaten by demons. When I found her, she had only half of her body left, and one hand was still holding a money bag. I had to break my fingers to take it out. I am their hope. I cannot die. I cannot die!"

He struggled desperately, like a madman.The priest shouted, "Do you want to become a monster?"

The boy trembled violently.

"My, my ashes..." he asked, trembling. "Can they be placed in the Guardian Fire? Our village's..."

"Yes."

The boy grabbed the ball and swallowed it whole.

A blazing flame erupted from within him, quickly reducing him to ashes.

The priest used a red box to collect the ashes and took them away.

The ceremony continued, but the hall became silent, with no sound at all.

Rode's heart was in his throat, feeling very uneasy, but at this point, he had no choice but to go down.

Soon, the voice of the high priest rang out.

"Rode of the Redstone Village."

At this critical moment, Rode became calm.

He took a deep breath and walked up, placing his hand on the huge chalice.

It was hot.

Rode's heart sank, but he remained calm on the surface, just like those who succeeded, quietly placing his hand on the chalice.

The scorching temperature came through the chalice, and his palm felt like it was being pricked by thousands of needles, the pain constantly stimulating his nerves. Rode gritted his teeth, unmoving.

After a few minutes, Rode noticed that the high priest had moved.

He opened his eyes and glanced at him, his cloudy eyes seeming to be suspicious.

Rode was extremely nervous. If the high priest noticed anything wrong with him, then no matter how he pretended, it would be useless.

Just as he was anxious, suddenly, a loud roar came from outside the hall, and the ground shook violently. The entire hall was shaking, dust falling, and the flames flickering, as if an earthquake had occurred.

The high priest stood up in an instant. His small and hunched body emitted an undeniable power, and Rode felt as if there was a giant standing in front of him.

Boom!

Another loud noise came, and all the flames in the hall went out, leaving only the warm red light of the chalice.

"Everyone stay where you are and don't move! No matter what happens, don't leave!" a priest shouted, turning into a stream of light and rushing out of the hall, while the high priest and the other priests had long since disappeared.

The hall fell into darkness, and everyone was uneasy in the shadows, unconsciously huddling together, trying to gain a sense of safety in numbers.

Only Rode breathed a sigh of relief, taking the opportunity to blend in with the crowd. He had made up his mind that if things were hopeless, he would give up.

The chaos did not last long. Soon, a middle-aged man in a white robe returned to the main hall and shouted, "Those who have passed the final trial, follow me. Those who have not yet undergone the final trial, stay where you are."

He quickly cleared the people out, and for some reason, he also pulled Rode into the queue.

The red-haired fat man Hablin shouted, "Your Excellency, he did not pass!"

Rode trembled, about to admit that he had not passed the trial.

But the high priest glanced at him and immediately rebuked, "Shut up! Don't cause trouble!"

Hablin cried out in grievance, "I'm not causing trouble! He really didn't pass, the high priest didn't acknowledge it! The priests didn't say anything either!"

The face of the high priest became dangerous.

"Hablin, if you try to deceive me again, I will punish you. No matter what grievances you have, don't bring them into official business.""This is our rule."

Hablin closed his mouth, looking like he had just eaten a ton of dog poop.

No one spoke again. The Archbishop waved his hand and white light enveloped them, turning into a meteor that flew out of the main hall.