Chapter 7: Great Opportunity

While Andy was being talked about by a large number of strangers outside, he was actually already inside the cathedral.

This was mainly because Father Matthew's female assistant couldn't wait to pick him up early in the morning before dawn.

The reason is simple.

The Bishop wants to see him.

Royal York Port is not the capital of the country. The highest leader of the Evangelical Church here is a bishop named Norman.

Today's assessment was also presided over by the bishop himself.

In addition, there will be some religious personnel holding various important positions who will serve as "referees" and judges.

So, as Father Matthew said, the so-called assessment is actually more like a competition.

What they are competing for is who can be more appreciated and valued by the big shots.

"The Starry Temple, a sacred place with a history of three hundred years."

The Norman bishop was an old man who looked very kind, with a round face and white hair. He was wearing a bishop's robe and several ruby ​​rings on his fat fingers, symbolizing authority.

He looks more like a wealthy man than a bishop.

But he was very nice to Andy.

After meeting Andy, not only did he not make things difficult for him, but he was very enthusiastic and took him to see the next "competition venue".

There is no sign at all that he and Father Matthew were ever in competition.

"Initially, the Starry Cathedral was the place where the royal family bestowed honors. Knights, nobles, meritorious soldiers, and many heroes received the honors they deserved here."

"However, after the royal family abdicated, the temple was transformed into a place for the extraordinary reserve forces to undergo their final assessment."

“Look over there, those beautiful chairs.”

"They have a very beautiful name, called..."

In the quiet and leisurely church, the old bishop's kind voice continued to echo, neither hurried nor slow.

Father Matthew followed slowly beside him with a normal expression, but he never spoke and no one knew what he was thinking.

Andy could see that the relationship between the priest and the bishop was not good.

It can even be said to be very bad.

However, compared to the private grudges between the two people, he was more interested in the building under his feet.

The Temple of Stars is not a simple hall, but more like an arena.

Outside the arena, there are tiers of auditoriums that go from low to high.

Higher up is the second floor, which has guardrails and a better view.

And all eyes will be focused on the core of the "Arena".

The core area is not actually a playing field. The space there is not big and is basically occupied by some stone chairs.

The stone chairs have high backs and wide armrests, and are uniquely shaped. They are neatly and orderly arranged in a circular shape. They are all white, consistent with the overall architectural style of the church.

Overall, it's beautiful here.

The classical, tranquil and ubiquitous angel reliefs bring a sacred atmosphere to this place.

Andy learned about it through Bishop Norman.

Next, he, as well as other young people taking the test, will sit on those stone chairs to participate in the test.

But the actual venue of the assessment is not here.

But in the "fantasy".

"You don't need to worry that your body won't be able to withstand the long-term test. After you go in, you will find that you have fully recovered."

Bishop Norman said softly: "Of course, unfortunately, that is not true recovery, it is just a simulation of your best physical condition."

"Can you understand what I'm saying, kid?"

How can I not understand? I'm not a fool...

Andy muttered to himself, but simply nodded on the surface.

The bishop smiled with satisfaction at this.

After talking about some key points, he told the waiter to take Andy to the side hall to rest and wait, in preparation for the upcoming assessment.

"You have given me a very difficult problem, Matthew."

The old bishop then looked at the middle-aged priest who had been following him, with a complicated tone.

"We found such an outstanding child that even the old gentleman was attracted here."

…

The side hall is a well-lit hall decorated with huge stained glass, supported by two rows of towering columns, with a majestic angel statue standing at the innermost.

Before Andy arrived, Sister Lily and other reservists who were taking the test had already entered here and were waiting.

After the young people came in one after another, they immediately looked for Andy. When they didn't see him, they changed the topic.

However, this is just superficial "calmness".

When the waiter led Andy in from the side door, he was the first to attract everyone's attention.

"I knew he was short, but I didn't expect him to be this short?"

Due to long-term illness, Andy is thin and looks childish.

After careful observation, Lily's companion couldn't help but whispered: "Poor little guy, he seems to be fifteen years old?"

This guy seems to be gloating.

Lily said nothing when she heard this.

After glancing at the black-haired boy who had just arrived and was the center of everyone's attention, she lowered her head and continued reading her book without interest.

However, she was not interested, but others were completely different.

"I heard that he was almost dying of illness, and I didn't believe it at first. Now it seems that he is almost dead."

"His face is so pale that it's scary. If you see him at night, you'll have nightmares, right?"

"Yeah, it looks disgusting."

"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let him hear..."

There was a constant buzz of discussion, but it was not actually loud.

Although everyone is generally hostile to Andy as an outsider, the extraordinary class naturally respects the strong.

Andy is not strong at the moment, and can even be said to be very weak.

But his potential is so terrifying that it has become a consensus among most people that he will quickly become stronger as long as he becomes a transcendent.

So we can see that among the people outside who were still discussing how to deal with Andy together, a few actually ran forward and tried to get close to him...

This inevitably attracted everyone's contemptuous gaze.

However, the parties involved did not take it seriously at all. They rushed to chat and laugh with Andy, and they were very enthusiastic.

"It's not like no one wants to compete with you, Anthony."

There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!

On the other side of the side hall, a friend beside me uttered a mocking remark.

The handsome young man with blond hair and blue eyes felt helpless when he heard this.

But his tone was disdainful towards those peers who rushed forward.

"It doesn't matter. Trash are not qualified to stand with the strong."

"Haha, that's what you say, but what if in the eyes of others, you are also a waste?"

"That's impossible."

Anthony said with certainty.

"He has amazing talent, but it is only in the field of literature. Look at how sickly he looks. A gust of wind could probably blow him away, let alone pick up a weapon to fight."

"And I am especially good at fighting."

The young man stood with his arms folded, his face calm and confident.

This is mainly because, when the priest gave his closing report, he only picked out the key points and did not mention the less important ones at all.

This included being killed three times.

This gave Anthony, who specialized in combat, great confidence, and he didn't care about the so-called competitors at all.

However, this idea of ​​his disappeared soon after.

It was not because he discovered that Andy was not an ordinary person, but because he completely changed his decision to assist and get close to Andy.

The reason is very simple. The specific test questions have already come out.

"This, this is a little different from usual..."

Holding the paper assessment form in his hand, my friend said in surprise, "I didn't expect that idiot's suggestion is actually feasible?"

Anthony said nothing when he heard this.

Glancing at the crowd, he discovered that the brown-haired boy who had suggested that everyone show off their skills to compete with Andy in the square outside was now showing off with a smile on his face to the people around him.

And many people looked at Andy with eyes full of smiles and expectations.

That's the expression of waiting to see a good show.

"That's really interesting."

Anthony was thoughtful about this. "It seems that the Norman Bishop who presided over the assessment doesn't want someone to be in the spotlight..."

He and his friend thought that person's suggestion was stupid before, because in the assessment, they would not have the opportunity to show every detail.

It is also unlikely that Andy, an outsider, will have the opportunity to reveal his weaknesses.

This has been confirmed in countless assessments in the past.

However, this assessment is completely different from previous ones.

It really requires Anthony and his group of reserves to fully demonstrate their talents and potential in every area, no matter how big or small.

This is a huge advantage for them who have received professional training since childhood.

In comparison, Andy, the outsider, was unlucky.

He has a strong talent, but that talent is completely rooted in the field of painting.

What else could a sickly, uneducated little boy do in prayer, missionary work, horsemanship, copying scriptures, or even cooking? Perhaps he had never heard of a lot of knowledge.

With this mentality, Anthony completely gave up the idea of ​​assisting Andy.

Hailed as the strongest rising star in his country, he is a man full of pride.

In order to get the attention of important people, I suppressed my inner discomfort and planned to be a decoration for a little child.

I hope that by doing this, I can share some of the attention of the big shots.

However, now he has every opportunity to compete with his opponent, and even crush him with his best skills.

What is there to hesitate about? What a rare opportunity! "Bishop Norman is a good man."

After sighing, he was too lazy to pay attention to the little boy who was destined to be tragic. Instead, he closed his eyes and began to prepare for the next test.

Strive to make a big splash and win the old gentleman's appreciation!

Many people share the same idea as him.

As a result, the atmosphere in the side hall gradually became quiet.

This silence lasted for about an hour.

When a melodious bell rang, some waiters led the young people into the Starry Temple and sat them on the stone chairs.

Then, the assessment began.

(End of this chapter)