[Vol. 8] Chapter 148: The Third Trial of the Goddess' Chosen
The Grand Church Hall.
After the last person passed the trial and disappeared through the church’s door, the holy knights guarding the hall suddenly began to move as if they had received a signal.
They took down the high gate that had been set up beside the statue of the goddess. Then, they placed flowers and prayer offerings all around the statue. Around it, they quickly built six round gates made of gold-colored stone and decorated with precious gems. The materials alone were worth a fortune, which caused gasps and excited whispers among the crowd still gathered around.
With such expensive gates, it was clear that not just anyone could stand on them. The gates were placed directly in front of the goddess’ statue, and there were exactly six, matching the number of chosen heroes announced earlier. Anyone could guess… these six gates were clearly meant for the goddess' chosen ones.
It seemed that the question of who would be chosen by the goddess would soon be answered.
Even though the first trial had taken more than three full days, and the church hadn't revealed any details about the second trial, so no one knew when it would end or what would happen next, the fact that the hall was being repaired and prepared was a very clear sign.
Some people went home to rest for a while, but many others, especially those very interested in the results of the chosen heroes, continued to wait nearby, hoping to see the final outcome.
In fact, the answer came faster than anyone had expected.
Seventeen hours after the end of the first trial, just as the sky was beginning to brighten—
“Boom!!!”
A bright light suddenly shot down from the sky. As the crowd burst into loud cheers and shouts, a familiar figure appeared once again before everyone.
It was a young man with short gray hair and seven long swords hanging from his waist. As the light faded and his figure became clear in the center of the hall, he looked slightly confused and dazed, like he had just woken from a dream. He touched his face, surprised to find no signs of injury or swelling, then looked up at the sky, and glanced around the hall.
The hall now looked completely different from before, filled with decorations and a large crowd. This surprised him for a moment, but before he could say or do anything, someone came toward him.
It was the Saintess Frederica, who had left earlier after the preliminary trial. She had returned, now dressed in a new ceremonial outfit that was just as grand as when she had greeted the goddess before. She smiled and nodded at the young man.
“Congratulations, Mr. Dead Soul. You were the first to complete the second trial [Six-Line Array Palace]. It seems the goddess is very pleased with your performance.”
“I actually passed…? But I clearly…”
The gray-haired swordsman seemed to remember something but stopped himself from speaking. In the end, he just gave a helpless smile and shook his head. Then, he respectfully bowed to the golden-haired Saintess.
“Your praise is too kind, Your Holiness. I was simply lucky to get a head start. May I ask, what happens next?”
Frederica smiled again. This time, she politely returned the bow.
“There are three Saintesses, and so there are three trials for the chosen heroes. As a servant of the goddess, I cannot reveal what comes next. Mr. Dead Soul, all you need to do is rest and wait. The final six chosen heroes… will all appear here in this hall.”
“I see…”
Hearing this, Mr. Dead Soul’s heart tightened slightly. He looked down at the back of his hand, where the golden mark had gained another stroke. It was now almost a full circle, with a pair of small white wings growing out from it. He didn’t dare ask any more questions. Instead, he just gave a small nod, sat down cross-legged right where he stood, and began quietly adjusting his breathing, entering a calm state to wait in silence.
Time slowly passed. One after another, holy beams of light shone down from the sky, bringing the qualified people who had passed the trial back to the hall. Frederica patiently explained the situation to each of them. Even though the things they experienced in the [Six-Line Array Palace] were beyond belief, it all made sense when considering that these were trials set by the goddess herself, something unusual was to be expected.
Anyone who made it through both trials to arrive here was truly the best of the best, both in skill and in mind. Although many, like Mr. Dead Soul, were very curious about what would happen next, they quickly settled down, sat quietly, and waited calmly.
More and more people in the Angel City heard the news and rushed to the hall to watch. Many of them were fans who had been supporting certain trial participants from the start. When they saw a familiar face appear in a beam of light, they couldn’t help but cheer loudly.
Every time a new person appeared on the hall, it sparked a wave of excitement among the crowd. People would start talking and trying to figure out who they were, what their background was, and what kind of achievements they had. At this point, they were just one step away from becoming one of the final Chosen Heroes. After so many rounds of elimination, there were no longer the thousands of people from the beginning. Even regular folks could now form a basic idea of who each candidate was, just from the information that had spread.
Even if someone didn’t end up becoming one of the final chosen ones, just appearing here gave them great fame. This was one of the benefits of joining and passing the trials. It was actually the real goal for many participants.
Over 500 people had passed the first round and entered the Grand Church, but fewer than one in ten managed to return to the hall afterward, glowing with the light of success.
It all started with Mr. Dead Soul, the captain of the legendary adventurer team [Reaper's Scythe], who was the first to appear from the holy light. After more than three hours of waiting, a total of 57 beams of holy light had landed on the hall, and then, they stopped.
Then, another soft beam of colorful light slowly descended from the sky. This time, the one who appeared within it was a young woman wearing sacred robes and a dazzling crown. Her presence was pure and noble, as if she were made of light itself.
It was the leader of the Three Saintesses, the greatest protector of the Holy Empire in the past thousand years, Yuna Summerfield, the Bright Light Saintess!
“Look! That’s Her Holiness, the Bright Light Saintess Yuna!”
“No way… does that mean the final trial in the Grand Church is already…”
“Looks like it… Compared to the first trial, this elimination rate is actually not bad. And having Lady Yuna lead the last trial, it makes perfect sense.”
Her appearance was like a signal. In an instant, the crowd around the hall began buzzing with excitement. Even the 57 people sitting silently on the hall opened their eyes, one by one. They stood up and bowed toward this mysterious yet powerful figure, the highest-ranking among the Three Saintesses, a true leader second only to the Pope.
Yuna returned the bow with a graceful nod.
So this is it. The thought appeared in nearly everyone’s mind at the same time.
The final six Chosen Heroes would be selected from among these 57 people!