Reporter Meliye was taken aback upon hearing this. In truth, from the expressions of Bishop Worflen and the other regional senior figures earlier, she had already deduced that this was definitely not staged. When Karen and his companions stepped out of the vehicle, she had paid particular attention to the reactions of the three youths behind him; there was certainly a misunderstanding at play.
However, her sole aim was to catch a bit of news to meet her approaching submission deadline.
Now, she seemed to have caught a rather good scoop. *Order Weekly* was an internal publication of the Church, so positive news was naturally more welcome.
Meliye asked, "Still, do you feel this approach is a bit too radical, or has the region placed immense pressure on you?"
"Radical? I don't think so." An appropriate smile appeared on Karen's face. "Coffins carry a different, special significance within our Church of Order. My friend Bart—his grandfather served in the First Knight Order.
"Our arrival in a hearse was not only to express our resolve to secure victory, but also to pay tribute to the forebears of the First Knight Order.
"They have always been our role models. Inspired by them, we will face the impending final selection and any future difficulties with a more positive and fearless attitude."
Hearing his grandfather mentioned, Bart composed his expression, puffed out his chest, and took on a solemn air.
"Yet isn't such an act overly grim, carrying an aura of aged gloom unbecoming of your age group?"
"Not at all. Quite the contrary. It is precisely because of their protection that my friends and I, as well as the great Church of Order, can be like true youths—like the sun at seven or eight in the morning."
Right now, it happened to be precisely seven-thirty in the morning.
Meliye glanced at her two assistants—one holding a camera, the other a notebook. She was thoroughly satisfied with this interview. Even if they had rehearsed a script beforehand, they probably couldn't have put it as brilliantly as the young man before her.
Of course, if this young man made the final twelve-person roster in the selection, this interview would be completely worthy of more than half a page—or even a chance to contend for the front page. His words and his image were simply made for the front page.
"May I ask your name?"
"Karen Silva."
"All right, Karen. I'd like to take a group photo of you and your friends, if you don't mind?"
"We'd be glad to oblige."
Karen, Bart, Aisli, and Ventura lined up beside the hearse, and the reporter snapped a photo with a click.
Just as Karen thought he had finally fumbled his way through this, Meliye stepped forward again, caught hold of Karen, and had him strike a few poses for solo photos. Finally, she even went up and took two photos together with him.
When the interview ended, Meliye shook Karen's hand and said, "I believe you will successfully make the cut."
"Thank you for your blessing, Miss Reporter."
The interview was over.
At that moment, Philomena appeared almost right at the cut-off time. She still wore that sleepy, half-awake look, and the others consciously kept their distance from her.
Bishop Worflen, whose speech had been drastically cut short, showed no dissatisfaction at all now. Walking in front, he led the young candidates down toward the teleportation formation on the underground level. Because Karen walked at the very front, he was closest to Bishop Worflen.
"Well said."
"Thank you for the praise, my Lord. What happened earlier was presumptuous of me."
"You know, even my chief secretary would be hard-pressed to draft such fine remarks on such short notice."
Writing pretty words and diplomatic platitudes was not hard; what was hard was infusing them with political height and sensitivity on top of that.
Bishop Worflen chuckled. "Perhaps you might consider a clerical career. I feel you have already shown ample talent along that path."
"My Lord, I am still young."
"Indeed, you are still young."
Bishop Worflen stopped in his tracks, pointed toward the teleportation formation ahead, which was already whirring to life, and called out:
"Go forth, youths of York City Region! Let the other regions witness the excellence of our York City Region!
"May the great God of Order be with you!"
Behind Worflen, the senior priests shouted in unison, "May the God of Order be with you!"
Karen and his group stepped into the teleportation formation, each placing their hands against their chests:
"May the God of Order be with me!"
"May Order be with me."
...
When the light of the teleportation formation faded, Karen found himself standing on a plaza. Ahead of the plaza stood a magnificent statue, a hundred meters tall.
The statue depicted a bald man with both arms folded behind his back, like a wise sage lost in deep contemplation as he gazed into the distant void.
Bart spoke up: "One of the Four Attendants of the God of Order, Augurev."
Here was the Temple of Augurev.
In *Light of Order*, Augurev was praised as the embodiment of wisdom and experience among the Four Attendants. He was the shadow standing behind the God of Order. In the early records of the God of Order (the unexpurgated version), it was the God of Light who had awakened the God of Order.
Yet upon being awakened, the God of Order had not immediately joined the camp of Light. During that period, there had been a span of time—a crucible of experience indispensable to every god before attaining godhood.
This period was long enough for a family to thrive for several generations, yet it was often overlooked; compared to a chief deity's existence measured in entire eras, this experience appeared fleeting indeed.
In the mythological narratives of *Light of Order*, Augurev had followed the God of Order very early on, using his experience and wisdom to assist the God of Order in achieving His transformation and rise.
There were even speculations that Augurev himself had been a deity.
Having recognized the destiny of the God of Order, he had willingly forsaken his station as a deity to become His attendant, submitting beneath the radiance of Order.
This might seem a losing proposition—giving up being a god just to be an attendant.
Yet considering the frequent wars of the gods that erupted in the last era, where ordinary deities fell in droves, and the God of Order's widespread slaughter of deities near the end of that era, it was hard to say Augurev had made the wrong choice.
It was like the difference between the presidential secretary of the Wien Empire and a district chief in York City.
Aisli spoke up: "The Grand Temple of Augurev isn't in Wien, nor is it in reality. It sits on a void island located within the Void Space. Rumor has it that Augurev entered the Void Space under the divine decree of the God of Order to intercept the fierce beasts that might be spawned within."
Bart countered, "There's another version that says Augurev was exiled here by the God of Order."
Karen lifted his head to look upward. There was no sun in the sky above, nor any stars or moon; instead, it looked as if it had been splashed and stained with inks of various colors.
Looking around, he could see a forest of formation banners standing in the distance, and falcons soaring across the distant skies. Clearly, there was a military garrison here; it resembled an outpost.
By now, dozens of young figures had appeared on the plaza, and young candidates continued to step out of the formations in batches of five.
So far, no examiners had stepped out to organize them, and the candidates who had arrived were all observing their surroundings.
"Want some pastries?"
Ventura took out pastries made by his grandmother's own hands and shared them with everyone around him. Karen, Bart, and Aisli all accepted, but when Ventura walked up to Philomena and offered one to her, she didn't budge.
"Have a bite to restore some energy?" Ventura said.
Philomena continued to ignore him, even though everyone knew full well she could hear him.
"Let's rest," Karen said, sitting down.
Bart walked over to a patrol of soldiers in the distance, brought back two waterskins from them, and shared them with the group.
Aisli said, "Void Space is a region where one easily loses oneself. Entities born here are all adept at illusions. It is said that the phantom beast Compasini was born here. I suspect the upcoming final selection will definitely utilize this environment."
With his right hand, Karen popped the last bit of pastry into his mouth, picked up the waterskin, and took a sip. His left hand remained hidden inside his sleeve, the Rubik's Cube turning continuously in his palm.
Then Karen looked up at the grand statue once more and said:
"This island itself is a massive formation, and the statue of Augurev is its core. The plaza we're standing on is the central area. I suspect that for the final selection, the defenses here might be lifted so the unique layout of the Void Space can be channeled into the selection formation."
Bart and Aisli followed Karen's words and examined the area. Neither of them was skilled in formations, and while they didn't really understand what Karen was explaining, they felt his reasoning made a lot of sense.
Ventura asked, "What would be the purpose of doing that? To increase the difficulty of the selection?"
Karen answered, "My guess is simulation. The Church wants to use this selection test to let us experience the environment behind the Gate of Samsara beforehand, even if it's only an approximation. I've heard that even for the Church of Samsara's own people, there is a considerable chance of mishaps each time a batch enters the Gate of Samsara—let alone outsiders like us."
Bart said, "My father thought the same. But he also said that after the final twelve-person roster is decided, there will likely be a separate short-term training before entering the Gate of Samsara. In my father's view, our Church has long had a plan for the trial beyond the Gate of Samsara—a plan likely drawn up before the treaty negotiations with the Church of Samsara, or even before the war started."
Karen nodded. If that was the case, the Church of Order had clear objectives regarding specific entities or forces beyond the Gate of Samsara.
This so-called trial was not about sending twelve young Order faithful inside to try their luck; it looked more like sending... porters?
Aisli added, "My father had similar speculations. That's why he believes that beyond the Gate of Samsara, we will need to work in teams to accomplish something specific. Consequently, this final selection will very likely lean toward a team format."
Ventura ate his pastries beside them, listening with rapt interest.
Karen couldn't help but marvel inwardly; children of high-ranking officials truly possessed an immense advantage when it came to information channels.
His own dog had once dumped trash there, but if you asked it about the current specific situation inside, it wouldn't know either.
Just then, a flock of falcons flew over in the sky. These falcons appeared to be draped in divine robes—clerical robes tailored for falcons.
Bart explained, "Those are attribute-specific defensive robes. They're fitted to prevent the falcons from getting lost under the influence of the Void Space. Under normal circumstances, though, the falcons in the knight orders are armored. In wartime, depending on the combat conditions, the formation masters and spellcasters in the legions grant them temporary, specialized enhancements."
There were about sixty falcons in the sky. At this moment, a massive three-headed falcon descended, kicking up a gust of air as it touched down.
A military officer and an escort of guards stepped down from the broad back of the three-headed falcon.
When he spoke, his voice resonated swiftly across the plaza:
"Greetings. I am Punk, the garrison commander here. I will personally oversee your final selection. I hope you will abide by my discipline and have a pleasant stay here."
A very dry and rigid opening.
Karen noticed two columns marching onto the plaza in orderly formation. One was composed of three hundred soldiers clad in black armor, while the other consisted of priests from various departments.
The soldiers quickly fanned out around the perimeter of the plaza. The contingent of priests split into two halves—one seemingly preparing for security checks, the other preheating the formations.
"Next, there are three things to make clear beforehand.
"First, security inspection. You should all have experienced this before. I know many of you come from prominent family backgrounds, but I am sorry to say that once you enter the Gate of Samsara, your family background will be entirely useless. Even though the Church of Samsara was just beaten into submission by us, right now, they crave face all the more.
"The security personnel under my command are nothing like what you dealt with during the regional selections. They have all seen combat on the battlefield.
"If you want to cheat, I permit it—provided my inspectors don't catch you.
"Once you pass the inspection, you will receive your number plates.
"Second, the danger level of this final selection is extremely high. I cannot guarantee I can rescue you in time if an accident occurs midway through. Therefore, I hope you will not stubbornly hold out when you ought to give up, because your soul might genuinely be obliterated, or you could simply end up an idiot.
"Once the selection begins, there is very little I can do to intervene. Please gauge your own limits. Remember, you are all still young and have brighter futures ahead. If you cannot secure a spot and lack the strength, do not force it.
"If too many of you turn into idiots, the pressure on me will be enormous. I have no wish to make enemies of your parents and teachers, so please have mercy on me."
When he finished, smiles appeared on the faces of many candidates present.
However, their smiles were essentially polite. To qualify as chief examiner and command this fortress of the Church in the Void Space, Punk's status was beyond question. That he spoke in such a blunt, plain manner meant the danger of the final selection was genuinely very high.
Karen remarked, "Looking at it this way, I bragged a bit too heavily in that interview earlier."
Aisli shrugged, Bart remained noncommittal, while Ventura said, "I thought what you said was great."
"One's own safety is what matters most," Karen said. "I'm not trying to dampen your spirits, but everyone had better keep their heads clear. All right, that's all I'll say."
The group nodded one after another, agreeing with Karen's words.
Punk's gaze swept over the crowd. "Third, there are a total of one hundred and twenty candidates present. After passing the security inspection, you may form teams freely based on the number plates in your hands. The requirement is six people per team. Each team must submit their number plates together for review to obtain a team number. The final selection will be conducted in teams. The two teams that hold out until the very end of the test will constitute the final twelve-person roster."
This meant the twelve-person roster was not awarded individually, but to two teams—essentially just "two" slots.
Hearing Punk's third point, Aisli and Bart's faces immediately lit up with excitement.
Aisli nearly cried out in delight, and Bart clenched his fists tightly. Their parents had guessed the exam topic right!
This was why they had waited early at Karen's funeral parlor to set out together; why they had willingly followed Karen's instructions to ride a hearse to the Church Affairs Building; and why Aisli's parents had gone out of their way to examine Karen's pets in person.
The topic they had bet on was the format of the final selection—and with such a format, having someone whose strength towered above the rest on their team was paramount!
Furthermore, there was another factor that could not be overlooked: the scene of Karen hauling Richard up the mountain had indirectly proven Karen was deeply dependable, someone willing to shoulder responsibility for a friend.
It could be said that although little cousin Richard ultimately failed to pass the regional selection, the role he played continued to exert its influence even now.
Well, Richard's role seemed to always manifest passively.
Ventura, on the other hand, glanced timidly at Karen, nervously clutching the bag in his hands containing the remaining pastries made by his grandmother.
Without family standing or status to back him up, he worried Karen wouldn't want him. He knew that as the strongest among them, Karen had the power to decide their team members. Normally, one would prioritize the strongest individuals or those with the best backgrounds.
What he didn't know was that when it came to their connection, Ventura was actually the closest to Karen among them, and Karen had long since planned him into the core of his team.
Karen didn't keep them in suspense. Sweeping his gaze directly across Ventura, Aisli, and Bart, he said:
"The four of us stick together."
At this moment, it had to be said that Ventura, Aisli, and Bart were deeply touched.
With a soft thump, the sleepy girl Philomena flopped sideways toward where Karen and the others were sitting. As if talking in her sleep, she murmured, "Pull one more in."
Karen spoke: "No, we need to pull two more in."
Hearing this, Philomena opened her eyes, looked at Karen, and asked very calmly, "What did you say?"
Karen looked at her, replying with equal calm:
"Get lost."
Chapter 315