Chapter 266
Chapter 266
Chapter 266
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 266 – Lan Qi Kills the Final Test
Caius’s eyes shifted between Lan Qi and the statue.
Even the clerics of their Resurrection Church knew the Goddess of Fate would never make such an obscene gesture as raising her middle finger.
But the fellow who carved this thing seemed to be using the goddess to curse their Resurrection Church and the Annihilation Branch!
Caius’s fingers lightly tapped the table, making a “tak-tak” sound, as though weighing, or judging something.
Lan Qi stood calmly in place, his face without expression, only the glimmer of amusement flickering in his eyes.
Caius’s brows furrowed. His expression was rare—confusion and complicated emotions on a face usually so cold and rigid.
Only after closely observing this youth did Caius finally confirm: this person, like his work, was abstract. He could not tell whether Lan Qi’s thoughts were simple or unfathomably deep.
After hesitating for a moment, Caius stared at the statue. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to discard it as unqualified. Instead, he placed it among the qualified works.
The ownership of these qualified works belonged to him.
Originally, they were intended for internal display.
But now, he decided to privately collect Lan Qi’s sculpture.
This youth would inevitably become the most outstanding sculptor of the Protos Empire.
By then, the value of this piece would be beyond measure.
He was certain this youth’s artistic attainment far exceeded his imagination, and that his personal talents were just as excellent as his written exam results.
“You’re very good,” Caius praised, slowly nodding. “You passed.”
Lan Qi smiled faintly. He knew Caius would never be able to bring himself to destroy that piece.
Then he walked off the platform, returning to his seat, waiting for the end of the retest.
Several already-qualified candidates turned their eyes toward Lan Qi for a moment, each with their own thoughts.
Some admired him. Some were jealous, greedy. While others, like Sid, showed no thoughts at all—simply watching Lan Qi briefly.
In the corner of the hall, discarded rubble and fragments had piled into a small hill.
The last candidate nervously stepped up to Caius, his hands trembling slightly. Even the statue of the Goddess of Fate he carried seemed to feel his anxiety.
If not for running out of time, he would never have submitted a half-finished work. His face was pale, his eyes filled with pleading, hoping Caius could see his intentions.
But Caius’s eyes clearly did not appreciate such weakness. He stared coldly at the candidate, then shifted his gaze to the statue.
After a moment, he sighed and shook his head.
Immediately, two towering clerics in heavy armor stepped forward, seizing the candidate’s arms.
“My stance is not a problem! Grand Cleric Caius!”
He struggled and begged, but it was useless. His final screams echoed as he was dragged from the hall.
As the heavy door—leading to who knows where—closed behind him, the great clock struck the half-hour, marking thirty minutes since the exam had begun.
“Congratulations on passing the interview and the retest,” Caius finally stood, his gaze sweeping across each candidate’s face. “Regardless of whether you pass the final test, you are now qualified to become colleagues of the Annihilation Branch. However, those who achieve outstanding results in the final test will have the chance to be directly promoted by the Bishop of Annihilation.”
His voice was calmer than before, though still commanding.
The candidates watched Caius, waiting for him to reveal the contents of the final test.
They knew the real challenge was only just beginning.
Rather than becoming ordinary clerics who could only earn the white [Proof of Resurrection – Annihilation], they longed for rapid promotion to elite clerics or even grand clerics—perhaps even being noticed by the Bishop of Annihilation, rising to direct subordinates, or advancing further in the future.
“The final test,” Caius raised his hand slightly, pointing at the crowd, “is for me to see your value. That value will be the best proof of your overall strength.”
“You have one day. You may challenge any cleric of the Annihilation Branch who possesses a blue-level [Proof of Resurrection – Annihilation] or higher. Within the limits of the law, you may use trickery or any method at all. I want to see how much trouble your schemes can cause them.”
This was an evaluation designed to adapt to current policies.
It was also a way to select the talents most needed during the bishop elections in the Protos Empire.
If one could not even deal with existing elite clerics in the Empire’s environment, then they clearly were not the kind of talent needed.
“But you must carefully choose your opponent. Be prepared to be counter-killed.”
As Caius’s voice faded, his figure disappeared into a side corridor of the hall.
At the same time, the great front doors opened once more, as though signaling the candidates they could now leave—or begin the final test.
They had twenty-four hours to choose and investigate their opponents, then set traps, implement their schemes, and complete their plans.
“……”
The hall’s candles flickered, casting distorted shadows of the candidates upon the cold stone walls, like demons about to break free.
The iron chandelier crystals reflected faint light, illuminating their varied expressions.
As they pondered Caius’s words, candidates began glancing at one another.
There was no spoken exchange, but their eyes shared one clear recognition.
They understood the key:
Rather than competing against each other, candidates could cooperate.
They could work together against one elite cleric, then move on to another.
Perhaps this was the message Caius wished to impart: the Annihilation Branch was an organization that prized coordinated hunts.
Yet—
Among the most noticed of the candidates, Lan Qi stretched lazily, then casually turned and walked out of the hall.
He clearly had no intention of cooperating with anyone.
“He’s that arrogant?”
“I was going to ask him to team up with us. A few of us together might’ve been able to take on a grand cleric…”
Amid whispered comments, Lan Qi’s figure slowly disappeared down the corridor.
The only one acting the same was Sid. She too disregarded everyone, leaving the hall alone.
…
The Cathedral of the Annihilation Knights was grand and mysterious, its towering spires and frost-covered walls gleaming in the sunlight.
Lan Qi stepped out from the cathedral’s great doors, onto the cold streets of the town.
The wind still gusted sharply.
He walked down the center of the road, sunlight slanting from his left, casting his shadow long onto the right side.
The stone-paved street stretched outward from the cathedral’s gates, with low buildings on either side blanketed in white frost.
After turning a few corners at leisure, a small black cat leapt out once more from his shadow, nestling into his arms.
“Meow, meow, meow! Lan Qi! Now you’ll never escape from the Annihilation Branch!”
The Cat Boss had nearly been scared half to death in that exam hall.
This organization would destroy anyone who failed—whether they passed or not!
Having come this far, Lan Qi had no choice but to complete the third round.
“Since I’m here, of course I’ll finish it,” Lan Qi said calmly, gently stroking the little cat’s head as he walked.
His bearing was composed, his steps as though on a soft carpet. In the wind, his hair brushed over his white shirt, the vest trim faintly visible. Leaving the Cathedral of the Annihilation Knights, he seemed as pristine as when he entered—untouched by the filth around him.
His goal was clear. Facing the coming test, he appeared entirely confident.
“Then… who will you target? What’s your plan for the final test?”
To the Cat Boss, Lan Qi was not the type to ambush others.
He always acted upright and straightforward—in fact, his style resembled the clerics of the Ba'tian Branch more than the Annihilation Branch.
Fighting alongside him to overpower an elite cleric was one thing, but scheming an ambush? The Cat Boss couldn’t imagine Lan Qi doing that.
“It’s already over,” Lan Qi said with a smile.
The Cat Boss: “???”
…
That night, the Protos Empire received a signed report: Grand Cleric Caius of the Annihilation Branch was privately hoarding artistic statues of the Goddess of Fate, involving an enormous sum, and was suspected of being an infiltrating cultist of the Goddess of Fate Church, his faith unstable and impure.
Although the Annihilation Branch held a press conference immediately to clarify, the Ba'tian Branch and Mourning Branch seized the chance to denounce and suppress them. The Annihilation Branch had no choice but to launch an internal investigation.
Grand Cleric Caius was stripped of his position.
(Chapter End)