In the eerie atmosphere, Gray and Lobelia led their respective newcomers into the Physical Strength Testing Ground.
What greeted them was a massive space resembling a coliseum.
The perimeter was lined with towering weapon racks displaying a dazzling array of standard-issue weapons—swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, and forks—and even heavy weapons like morning stars and greatswords were all present.
“Listen up.”
Gray pointed at the motionless Alchemical Puppet in the center, explaining the rules to the two juniors.
“The so-called Physical Strength Test requires you to pick a weapon that suits you and engage in actual combat with the practice puppet provided by the Association. The puppet’s strength will gradually increase over time until you are exhausted or admit defeat. The examiner will give you a score based on your performance.”
Katy, the model student, was the first to ask, “What if we can defeat the puppet?”
Timmy, who was a step slower to speak, glared at Katy with resentment, as if an important chance to show off his intelligence had been stolen.
“Then that would be quite impressive indeed~”
Lobelia cut in before Gray, wearing a playful smile.
“Mr. Gray over here became famous as a ‘Monster Rookie’ after not only surviving the time limit but also lopping off the puppet’s head during his test years ago.”
It sounded like praise, but with her sarcastic tone, it didn’t feel like a compliment at all.
Katy glanced at Timmy.
Seeing that the boy’s gaze toward Gray had instantly turned into a mix of jealousy and hate, looking like he wanted to punch holes in Gray, she silently rolled her eyes.
She really didn’t know what kind of spell Lobelia had cast on him.
Was it just because a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy going through puberty met a hot, flirtatious pink-haired older woman?
He couldn’t resist that level of temptation?
Sigh, Xiao Chunan really…
Katy, who was now a woman, sighed and then asked Gray when it would be her turn.
“Although I’d also love to see little Katy’s performance, my Timmy simply can’t wait.”
Lobelia waved her hand, signaling for Timmy to go first.
The boy chose a high-carbon steel longsword.
After some nauseatingly affectionate “encouragement” from Lobelia, he walked into the field with full confidence.
One had to admit, a dual-attribute genius did have some merit.
Although his swordsmanship was mediocre, his longsword was imbued with Flame Enchantment and supplemented by water magic.
Timmy moved around the puppet like a slippery loach, his movements accompanied by flashing red and blue light effects, looking incredibly flamboyant.
“Ooh! Amazing!”
“As expected of a genius! So dazzling!”
Hearing the bursts of admiration from the stands, Lobelia nodded with satisfaction.
However, her eyes kept drifting toward Gray as if showing off a new toy—an observation that didn’t escape Katy’s notice.
She turned to see Gray standing in silence, and a protective spark of anger flared up within her.
That four-eyed brat had already stolen the spotlight during the magic test.
If he was allowed to enjoy the cheers of the whole crowd now, wouldn’t that make Gray, a fellow A-rank Hero, look bad?
“Next! Recommended by A-rank Hero Gray, Apprentice Hero Katy, step forward for testing!”
As Timmy retreated, drenched in sweat but wearing a proud expression, the mechanical puppet automatically restored itself, and the examiner’s voice rang out.
Lobelia held the returning Timmy, wiping his sweat while looking toward the seemingly fragile blonde girl with an expression as if she were watching a play.
On the other side, Gray gave some worried advice.
“Miss Katy, don’t let Timmy’s performance affect you. The physical strength requirements for a Priest are very low. You’ll be fine.”
Katy returned a “trust me” smile and then jogged into the field.
Facing the reset and ready Alchemical Puppet, the girl looked around, thinking about what to pick from the weapon racks to outshine a dual-attribute mage.
To be fair, the variety of weapons was quite rich; there was even a two-meter-long massive hammer…
No, she already had Nocturne and didn’t need a second one.
Besides, the sight of a future Priest who just awakened the Light Attribute smashing people with a giant hammer was a bit too bizarre; she didn’t want to ruin her persona in front of Gray.
Katy reasoned with herself and regretfully looked away.
Then, her gaze fell upon a dust-covered object in a dark corner at the very edge of the field where junk was piled.
“I have a question, examiner.”
“Speak.”
“I remember the rule for picking weapons is—’any object’ in the field other than the testing puppet can be used as a weapon, right?”
The examiner froze for a moment and nodded, not understanding what this delicate young girl was trying to say.
Since she had awakened the Light Attribute, shouldn’t she just take a staff, cast a shield, run around a bit for show, and wait for The Church to give her a stable job?
She couldn’t possibly be thinking about surpassing that dual-attribute genius who just wore down a layer of the puppet’s skin, right?
“That’s correct, but you can only choose one item as a weapon. Once selected, it cannot be changed.”
Looking at the bewildered examiner, Katy smiled and thanked him politely.
Then, under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, she walked straight toward that corner.
“…What is she taking? Isn’t that the scrap metal area?”
“Are you kidding? Is that even a weapon? Isn’t it a decoration?”
“She’s crazy, definitely crazy. How could a little girl like her even lift that thing?”
Amidst the various skeptical and mocking murmurs, the girl’s fair, slender hands gripped the raw iron chains, as thick as an arm, wrapped around the massive object.
This was a weapon left behind over a hundred years ago by a Berserker famous for his monstrous strength—a Pitch-black Coffin forged of pure steel, with a large, menacing iron cross nailed to the lid.
Gray’s pupils dilated instantly.
Even for him, picking that thing up would be a struggle, let alone Katy’s small frame!
But just as he was about to open his mouth to warn her, a barrier of Silence Magic instantly descended, cutting off his shout.
The young man turned in shock and anger, meeting Lobelia’s shimmering fingertip and the interested smile on her face.
“You have to give her some freedom, Gray. Letting her learn her place is part of growing up.”
The Silence Magic would only affect him for a few seconds, but those few seconds were enough for Katy to smile at the examiner and indicate she had chosen her weapon.
In stark contrast to the worried Gray, Lobelia was quite looking forward to the scene where Katy would be unable to use the coffin as a weapon and would be chased around the field by the training puppet.
In the field, the blonde girl gripped the iron chain wrapped around the coffin, as if testing if she could pull it.
Lobelia snorted in disdain.
Stop pretending to pull the chain.
You don’t really think you can move—
Whir.
The sound of the coffin grinding against the ground was exceptionally clear amidst the whispering of the others.
The smile on Lobelia’s face instantly froze.
Did I see that right?
Did that coffin just move from her pull?
Katy yanked the chain.
This coffin probably weighed half a ton, an impossible weight for a normal person, but for a member of the Demon Race like her, it was nothing.
After all, it wasn’t even half the weight of her personal weapon, “Nocturne.”
Besides, this coffin had a cross nailed to it, perfectly fitting her identity as a Priest.
She really was a genius at picking weapons.
Thinking of this, Katy smiled with satisfaction and nodded to the examiner on the sidelines.
“I’m ready.”
Lobelia tried to tell herself that the coffin’s movement was just an illusion, not that Katy could actually pull the giant object.
Timmy, standing beside her, was still waiting to see this attention-seeking woman make a fool of herself.
The audience held their breath, waiting for the awkward moment when the girl failed to pull the chain.
“Then, the Physical Strength Test begins!”
The second the examiner announced the start, gravity seemed to vanish from the field.
Without any cumbersome dragging or strained expressions, that massive steel Pitch-black Coffin was swung up effortlessly like a light pillow, held by the girl’s hands on the chains.
A massive shadow blotted out the lights, bringing a gust of fierce wind.
Under the eyes of everyone, wide with shock, the coffin traced a brutal arc in the air before smashing directly into the training puppet, which had just started up and hadn’t even had time to raise its arms.
“Amen.”
A prayer recited for someone unknown was swallowed by the howling wind.
Everyone on the sidelines—whether it was Lobelia and Timmy waiting for a joke, Gray who was just worried, or the examiner who had seen thousands of candidates—was now staring blankly at the metal coffin in the air, dumbfounded by the terrifying power of this “Apprentice Priest.”
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