Gods and Men

Nicole flew through the air, bringing countless dazzling Light Spheres drifting and weaving around her. In everyone's eyes, she seemed like a deity.

Then came—the Wrath of the Deity!

Countless colored threads converged into a mottled sea of light and swept across the Cargo Ship's deck.

Soft, colored threads drifted gently before Arro's eyes, and he suddenly thought of the colored beams his mother had released when they had "fought" a month ago.

So that sparring match—had Mother merely been playing with him?

Like some children in his previous life who, after learning Sanshou for two days, would eagerly challenge their parents to a "fight." After the child had used every ounce of strength, the parents would finally "fall down," then dramatically raise a thumbs-up and praise them—You're amazing, baby?

The light faded. The densely packed pirates had Disappeared, leaving behind only a stretch of soft, mushy Flesh and Blood.

The sea breeze blew, Scraping Up a thick red mist. The intense, nose-stinging stench of blood spread across the deck in an instant.

Nicole's movements had not stopped. The shining Light Spheres rapidly drew into her hand, gradually condensing into a dazzling spear.

"Go!"

Boom—!

Light flashed, and amid a thunderous roar, seawater shot into the Soaring Sky!

"You..."

Arro vaguely seemed to have Heard the Pirate Captain's incredulous voice.

Clatter, clatter...!

Seawater crashed down. Mixed fragments of wood struck the deck in a continuous rattle, while thick filthy water flowed everywhere, washing over every apprentice and leaving countless tiny bits of flesh on their bodies.

Ocean Waves struck after it, yet failed to shake this Cargo Ship that had broken through countless towering waves.

At last—it was over.

Ding! Enemy defeated. Slash gained 765 Skill Experience.

Ding! Enemy defeated. Uppercut gained 962 Skill Experience.

...

Converted into Personal Experience. Personal Experience increased by 5,132 points.

Remaining Skill Points: 3

Personal Level: Level 16: 7073/20000

...

More than five thousand experience?

Not... bad.

Clang!

The Knight's Longsword fell helplessly, and Arro dropped onto the ground on his backside.

And that seemed to trigger a chain reaction. A rapid series of weapons falling rang out around him.

Including Arro, everyone on the deck sat down powerlessly, staring blankly at the sky.

They... were looking at a god.

They rejoiced in having survived, while yearning for a wonderful future.

So this—was a Formal Wizard!

The god... descended.

An invisible wave of air pushed aside the filthy water on the ground. Dark Brown sewage rippled in widening circles as Nicole, dressed in a mysterious black robe, looked indifferently at the remaining apprentices.

"Congratulations. You have passed the Death Assessment."

Death Assessment?

A death—assessment?

Confusion, anger, hatred, relief...

Countless tangled emotions violently battered the hearts of the surviving apprentices.

But—no one dared Speak Out.

Because the Pirate Ship, split in two, was still slowly sinking.

Because the pirates' filthy blood was still flowing.

Because—they were still alive.

The dead did not complain.

The living had no need to complain, nor did they dare.

"Now, I will tell you a truth of the Wizarding World."

"The Principle of Equivalent Exchange!"

"There is no such thing as getting something for nothing in the Wizarding World! Even if you met the aptitude requirements, what did you offer to pay the fare?"

Everyone listened in silence.

Fare?

Had you ever said there was a fare?

"Rest assured. Passing the Death Assessment means you have paid the fare."

"And this is also Jungle Home's first investment in you."

Arro knew these words had been a mandatory speech Mother was required to give when accepting the mission, yet hearing them again still felt absurd beyond measure.

You... call transporting people after deceiving them an investment?

"The Wizarding World is extraordinarily dangerous. Jungle Home, which protects the Eighteen Continents and countless islands, does not have surplus resources for you to waste!"

"..."

"We must ensure that every resource is spent on elites, so that we have sufficient strength to protect the world!"

Nicole's prepared speech was deeply moving, but Arro inexplicably thought of a scholar from his previous life and came up with a passage of his own.

'I listened from beginning to end, then thought from end to beginning. Turning it over and over, I heard two words between the lines—eating people.'

They wanted enough wizards to serve Jungle Home, yet could not be bothered to invest effort and resources into carefully nurturing them.

What could they do, then?

Raise the banner of saving the world, shout stirring slogans, then toss down a few baits and let them slaughter one another. Using Gu Cultivation, they selected the elites.

Finally, they would seize those elites who had risen above the rest, shed a few crocodile tears, and put on a sorrowful act about the scarcity of resources.

Would there really be idiots who believed it?

Then go work for Jungle Home for the rest of your life!

And if you were unwilling?

Oh, so you were the same kind of person as us. Then surely you could understand why the apprentice stage had to be so cruel, right?

See—didn't that make everyone happy?

Congratulations, congratulations!

"Enough. Desi will explain what comes next."

Maintaining her cold expression, Nicole turned to Arro. "Come with me."

Arro lowered his head humbly. "Yes, Lord Wizard."

The tall sailors Walked Out and opened the doors, skillfully washing down the deck.

Without a word, Arro followed behind his mother and entered a luxurious room.

"All right. The Recording Array cannot detect this place. Arro, turn around. I'll treat your back."

Only when Nicole mentioned it did Arro feel the intense pain in his back. He did not refuse, merely nodded obediently. "All right, Mother."

A warm sensation spread from the wound on his back, and the pain gradually subsided. Nicole suddenly spoke. "Arro, do you resent Mother for drawing enemies that were too strong?"

Nicole had built a stage for Arro, rather than arranged a normal Death Assessment. Thus, the enemies she had drawn naturally took only Arro's performance into account, not the apprentices' strength.

A saint demanded that he selflessly give to others. A Holy Mother Bitch demanded that others be selfless.

Arro did not consider himself a saint, much less some Holy Mother Bitch, so he shook his head. "No."

"Whether the enemies were strong or weak, the standard for passing had actually been set long ago."

"If they were too weak, other dangers would make up for it later. If they were too strong, Mother could simply step in herself."

"It's good that you understand."

Black Cat leaped in through the window with a pitch-black sphere in its mouth.

Thud.

The sphere was casually spat onto the floor. Black Cat fixed its Vertical Pupil on Arro and demanded coldly, "Then why did you intervene at the end!"

"Do you know that acting at that moment will affect your final evaluation?"

"Because you—were not rational enough!"

It would affect his final evaluation?

Arro could not help feeling somewhat regretful upon hearing that, but when he thought of the few apprentices who had ultimately survived, an inexplicable sense of comfort rose in him.

Arro had never considered himself a saint.

Because he could hurt, laugh, cry... feel sorrow!

He was not sufficiently smooth in how he handled things either, and sometimes he would mind the front while neglecting the back.

He needed to use the toilet. He craved delicious food when he saw it, felt greedy when he saw good things, enjoyed showing off before others, and feared death.

After all—in his previous life, he had merely been an utterly ordinary person.

In his previous life, he had often heard that another war had broken out abroad, that so many people had died, that so many had been left homeless.

Had he cared?

Hadn't he still eaten and drunk as usual, happily playing games?

When he heard that other countries were forcing his own country to take in Refugees, he had even specifically logged onto a website to leave a "Pah!"

In his previous life, he had been an ordinary citizen. He would not become a saint living for all under heaven simply because he had transmigrated.

But... even someone like him would feel anger at videos online of small animals being tortured to death, and would feel indignant for the innocent children among the Refugees who had died.

After all, he was only human—an ordinary adult with some compassion and firmly established Three Views.

So—

If you wanted to conduct trials, if you wanted to kill those innocent children, could you not be so bloody?

Could you not be so cruel?

Could you not kill them right in front of me!

If I did not know and did not see it, at most I would sigh over it a couple of times.

But when such a bloody scene struck directly before my eyes, if I had the chance and still did not help even a little, how could I ever set my mind at ease?