Chapter 48: The Examiner’s Misconception and Anthony’s Ruin

The examiner, not having paid close attention, mistakenly believed the speaker was referring to the individual Gern had pinned to the ground.

“Yes, indeed. I’m here precisely for this. Please come forward so I can assess the situation.”

“Examiner, sir, seize him first! Don’t let him escape!”

The speaker was Anthony, his hatred for Gern having reached a fever pitch. This, he recognized, was an opportune moment.

“Ah?”

The examiner scratched his head. ‘Hadn’t the Heretic God Cult member already been subdued?’ he wondered. ‘Where could he possibly run?’

As the examiner pondered, he watched the group suddenly lunge towards Gern.

Sensing that something was amiss, he quickly stepped forward, interposing himself between Gern and the advancing group.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

The group paused, slightly taken aback. Anthony, who had been leading the charge, appeared particularly bewildered by the unfolding scene.

“Examiner, aren’t we supposed to apprehend the Heretic God Cult member?”

“But wasn’t he already subdued?”

“What?”

At this, everyone present exchanged bewildered glances, still failing to grasp the true meaning behind the examiner’s words.

The imbecilic Anthony, still intent on delivering a lethal blow to Gern, found his attack swiftly countered and returned by Gern.

Witnessing this, the examiner’s mouth twitched involuntarily.

“You didn’t, by any chance, mistake Mr. Gern for a Heretic God Cult member, did you?”

“He… isn’t he?”

The examiner rubbed his forehead in exasperation. He had strong reason to suspect that these individuals before him had likely been influenced by the Heretic God Cult; their thought processes were truly baffling.

“It was Mr. Gern who uncovered the Heretic God Cult’s machinations this time. Had it not been for him, everyone participating in this assessment would likely have been corrupted by their influence.”

“!”

Every person present, including Lilia and Sina, found themselves utterly disbelieving of what they had just heard.

Anthony and his companions, in particular, looked as though their eyes might pop out of their sockets.

“Such a thing happened?”

“He… *he* was the one who uncovered the Heretic God Cult’s plot?”

As the crowd buzzed with discussion, the Heretic God Cult member pinned beneath Gern gradually pieced together the situation.

‘This fiend must have used some unique technique of the Heretic God Cult to deceive his comrades, thereby exposing the entire operation!’

‘Traitor! This brat is definitely a traitor!’

Though his heart seethed with fury, his mouth had been sealed by Gern, rendering him unable to speak. All he could do was protest with his eyes.

“What are you looking at me for? Stare any longer, and I’ll gouge out your eyes!”

Gern shot him a chilling glare. The man, sensing the lethal intent in Gern’s eyes, instantly froze, daring no further movement.

Gern then turned to the examiner standing nearby, offered a simple greeting, and handed over the captive.

“Examiner, sir, I’ll leave this fellow in your capable hands for now. I still have some matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”

With these words, Gern attempted to slip away unnoticed, but the examiner promptly blocked his path.

“Mr. Gern, our Chief Examiner is still expecting your return. Don’t you think you owe her an explanation?”

“Ah… that… that really shouldn’t be necessary, should it?”

Gern offered an awkward smile, his mind already racing, plotting an escape. Being escorted back by the examiner would mean he’d be sidelined from any further action.

This was not an outcome Gern desired. He still yearned to thoroughly thrash a few more Heretic God Cult members, to fully vent his simmering anger.

Naturally, the examiner couldn’t allow Gern to have his way. After learning of Gern’s disappearance, Snow had personally issued strict instructions to all examiners.

They were to ensure Gern’s safety at all costs upon finding him, and ideally, bring him back to be personally looked after by Snow.

While Gern’s true identity remained a mystery, that was not a concern for the examiners. Their sole duty was to fulfill the Vice Principal’s orders.

Gern’s attempt to escape proved futile. The man before him was, after all, a Sixth-Tier Knight, and no matter how extensive Gern’s combat experience, he was no match for such a formidable opponent.

Resigned, Gern could only follow the examiner, observing as he meticulously inspected the bodies of everyone present.

Since Lilia and Sina were young women, the examiner refrained from personally inspecting them, instead delegating a thorough examination to Hera.

Hera, being an elf, belonged to a race that regarded the Chaos Divine Cult as their mortal enemy.

Their conflict with the Heretic God Cult was one of unending hostility. Should an elf truly become tainted by the power of Chaos, they would immediately consider themselves corrupted and end their own lives rather than risk becoming a minion of the Heretic God Cult. This fact offered the examiner some reassurance.

The method for detecting Heretic God contamination was remarkably straightforward, if a bit crude: simply tap a Holy Light healing scroll twice against a person’s body.

This approach proved highly effective against contamination that had only recently infiltrated the body. Its sole drawback, however, was its exorbitant cost.

Any minor wound on the person being tested would activate the healing scroll. If no Heretic God contamination was present within their body, the scroll would be entirely wasted.

As one of the continent’s most prestigious institutions, Theoviga Academy naturally paid little mind to such minor expenses.

Furthermore, the students capable of gaining admission to Theoviga Academy were certainly worth the expenditure of healing scrolls for their treatment.

The examinations for the initial few individuals proceeded smoothly. While they all showed signs of contamination, it wasn’t severe, making its removal relatively easy.

It took hardly any time at all. However, when it came to the few individuals who had been consistently defending the Heretic God Cult infiltrators, the process became considerably more troublesome.

Several of them even screamed aloud, indicating they were utterly ruined.

Even if the Holy Light scrolls managed to save their lives, a significant portion of their souls would be lost. Their most probable fate would be expulsion from the academy.

This policy ensured that the resources of the Witch’s Society and the academy were utilized effectively, for the academy never harbored those who had lost their future.

Soon, the examination reached its final subject: Mr. Anthony, who had squabbled with Gern more than anyone else.

“Come, Examiner, sir! I shall prove to you that I have not been swayed by the Heretic God Cult’s machinations!”

He gazed at the examiner with a smug, self-satisfied air, convinced that his own intellect made him immune to any Heretic God contamination. He remained utterly oblivious to the impending events.

The examiner nodded, then, following procedure, retrieved a healing scroll and pressed it against Anthony’s forehead.

The very next instant, Anthony reacted as though he were snow meeting a scorching flame.

Wisps of steam rapidly rose from his head, and under the searing power of the Holy Light, his entire soul swiftly shriveled and began to melt away.

“Ah! What… what is this? Why… why am I…”

The examiner watched Anthony’s agonizing display and let out a helpless sigh.

He had not anticipated such a severe level of contamination within Anthony.

Moreover, this particular form of corruption was peculiar; it exhibited no overt aggression.

Instead, it subtly, gently, and slowly consumed the host entirely, a process so insidious that the host often remained completely unaware of it.

Anthony’s life, thankfully, was not in immediate peril, though his mind, it seemed, might be irrevocably damaged.