e first place, but she wasn't going to dwell on it or deny it.Perhaps it was because of his unique insight, perhaps because he was good at guessing, perhaps because his intuition was sharp, or perhaps...Chapter 264: Lance Begins Proving His Worth

Kaelus' words, like stones thrown into a still lake, caused ripples to spread outwards in ever-increasing circles. {Updated 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.}

Each candidate in the hall wore different expressions on their faces. Some were surprised, some were silent, and some were extremely excited.

Lanche listened, stunned.

When he first heard the words "Wilfordianism," he couldn't help but think of his own shaky trade guild.

Listening on, I discovered—

This seems to be the way the Fallen Angel's Feast in the Shadow World was used to destroy the Saintess back then.

Even without guessing, Lanchi instantly understood who had named this consciousness ideology after his surname!

But what he didn't expect was that one day this ideology would be passed on to the Resurrection Church and then used against him, even applied to himself.

">“……”

Kaius, the High Priest, stood silently, his eyes piercing each person in turn, trying to discern any flicker of unease or abnormality in their gaze.

Such an extremely wicked ideology, even without execution, could shake the hidden enemies and expose their flaws once it is spoken.

Many of the examinees in the hall had not heard of this so-called "Wilfordism," but they quickly understood the significance of this second test.

Most contemporary understandings of the divine conceive of gods as existing primarily in the realm of concepts.

They cannot directly interfere with the world, or they need extremely harsh conditions to intervene in the world. These conditions are related both to the deities themselves and to the beings they need to intervene in.

The specific conditions are beyond anyone's judgment.

But no matter what the conditions to be met are, there is one inevitable prerequisite, which is a direct causal relationship with that deity.

Therefore, in this world, creating cause and effect with deities is a very serious or dangerous matter.

One must never swear falsely to any deity, whether in blessings, prayers, confessions, or curses. Such oaths may not always have consequences, but the Revival Church is an organization that most vehemently abhors the interference of the goddess of fate and the unseen. In fact, one could say that the two organizations in this world that believe most strongly in the power of the goddess of fate are the Church of Fate and the Revival Church.

The clergy of the Goddess of Fate use "Wilfortism" to identify followers of the Resurrection Cult. They force those suspected of being Resurrectionists to make the most devout oaths to the Goddess of Fate, attempting to ruin their future. Once someone shows hesitation, resistance, or any other suspicious expressions, they are immediately considered highly suspect and subjected to intense scrutiny.

Now, the Recasting Examination for the Disenfranchised Branch uses a reversed Wilfortian approach, having candidates actively destroy statues of the Fate Goddess. This allows observers to glean insights from their subtle attitudes and final creations as to who might be harboring ties to the clergy of the Fate Goddess!

After all, even sincere curses and disrespect towards the deities will also reach them.

Only members of the Cult of Resurrection would so brazenly oppose the goddess of fate.

Or this could be a declaration of intent.

Having completely fallen out with the Goddess of Fate, I can only seek refuge in the Church of Resurrection.

Several well-known candidates in the hall displayed a high level of depravity, indifferent to this matter and even ready to get started.

But what caught Caius's attention most was a woman named Sid, who left vast swathes of blank space on her written exam and seemed highly suspicious of being a spy from the cult of Destiny.

She appeared indifferent, as if she were not moved at all.

Lanche's somewhat surprised expression was actually quite normal and didn't garner much attention from Kaeus.

"I'm sorry, I've had enough. It's not in my fate to defy the Goddess of Fortune."

In the hall, unknown examinees hesitated for a moment before finally standing up.

When he turned back, he found a heavily armored cleric standing motionless before the massive metal gate.

It seems you have a bit of 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, heavily armored Paladins rushed forward and apprehended him, disregarding his struggles and loud cries. They dragged him into a large hall, deeper inside, until his voice faded away and disappeared completely.

Suddenly, a brief silence fell. Many people's heartbeats and breaths slowed down.

They understood that this was a test with no turning back, and no option to quit halfway.

In the so-called Wellfort doctrine, there are only two possible outcomes: absolute innocence and absolute guilt. There is no middle ground. And every single one of you, whether or not you wish to continue participating in the exam, must now demonstrate your loyalty to the Resurgence Church at this point.

In a corner of the hall, Lance himself looked complex.

...and his shadow was already becoming more agitated than he was.

Even the cat master couldn't help but berate this sinister and vicious high priest.

And what about this terrifying "Welfarism," who the hell came up with that!

"…"

But it remembered, wasn't Ranch's last name also Wilford

Shortly after, the sound of the iron chain being broken shattered the silence of the hall.

From the inner hallway of the main hall, several priests in dark gray armor pushed a tool cart out from the doorway.

The car was filled with many exquisite stone carvings and workshop tools.

That is a sculpture of the goddess of fate, about twenty centimeters tall, with lifelike details.

"This is what you are going to destroy, and we will provide any tools you might need."

Kevius glanced at the exam materials laid out on the table, his voice cold and hard as he spoke,

The mock test only takes half an hour, and you can submit it to me when you finish. After the mock test ends, I will announce the rules for the final assessment.

After the announcement, when the heavy armored priest distributed the statues of the Goddess of Fortune and tools to each examinee, Caeus signaled that the exam could begin.

Ranch lowered his head and silently gazed at the statue of the Goddess of Fate in his hand, still as calm and contemplative as ever.

Gradually, the vast hall began to echo with increasingly heavy metallic and stone clanging as they clashed.

Some used hammers, blades or brushes and their own magical abilities. Some even went beyond destruction, using additional materials to modify and create.

All the examinees present were in their own way expressing their animosity and ill will towards the Goddess of Fate.

This is an exam that's hard to describe in detail, but easy to understand at its core.

As long as your stance is firm and you are not at fault, then this is just a formality.

But for those with guilty consciences, it's as difficult as climbing to heaven.

In this hall, already heavy with the smell of iron and smoke from the nearby foundries, Lynch stood out like a sore thumb.

He did not rush to work, nor did he treat the statue with the same imaginative ferocity as others.

He simply picked up the engraving knife, his movements very steady. Every stroke was filled with emotion and depth.

(The End)

[ ]instinctively wary.That's why he wasn't willing to attack Ranchi proactively at first. A big part of the reason was his worry that it might trigger a counterattack or some kind of special mechanic car...