novelraw Chapter 448: What is a King?
Chapter 448: What is a King?
"What exactly is required to be the King of Britain?"
None of the participants had likely anticipated that this would be the very first question they faced.
"Is it courage? Justice? Compassion? Wisdom? Or perhaps protecting the weak, resisting Lies, and revering nature?"
Before each person, a special phantom projection appeared. It was an illusion simulated by Bai Yang, modeled after the combined temperaments of three foreign Deities.
Fabricated stories always had loopholes, so he simply used the presence of true Gods for these projections to guarantee authenticity.
This was one of the gains from his interactions with the Gods of the Dylan Continent. The result was excellent; at the very least, his masquerade as a divine being was much more convincing.
However, standing before such grandiose and imposing phantoms, many instantly displayed cowardice.
And just like that, they were eliminated!
Yes, it was truly that simple.
The divine phantoms merely waved their hands, kicking them out of the trial space. They were left standing in confusion beneath the Tree of Life, gazing at the remaining participants shrouded in the mist.When audiences across Earth saw nearly a fifth of the participants eliminated in a single encounter, an uproar erupted.
They flooded forums with frantic posts. After all, this trial had long since become a global carnival. By the time the number of participants had dwindled to a thousand, almost every single one of them had amassed a massive fanbase!
The Media and independent creators had mutated this solemn trial into a unique, internet-wide "talent show," thoroughly detailing each participant's identity, family background, and history to the public.
As a result, these participants had garnered hordes of fans without even realizing it!
Now, it was time for these fans to shout across the internet, demanding justice for their "idols":
"Rigged! Our hero did not even get a chance to answer the question before getting eliminated! Is it just because he is not one of the Irish People?"
"Exactly! Our brother is so outstanding! He placed fifth in the courage trial and is a legend of Chicago! Why was he eliminated just like that?"
"The Celtic Gods are committing racial discrimination! Discriminating against all non-White People!"
Naturally, they could not accept that the idols they had painstakingly chosen had been discarded like worthless trash.
Meanwhile, on the BBC's official commentary panel, the "passerby master" who had been forced into a permanent position began his analysis: "This is the selection of the Gods. The fact that no one died in the previous trials made us surprisingly feel a sense of warmth. But it seems this was not warmth at all, but rather the beginning of the most severe culling!"
"Merely showing fear is enough to lose the qualification to be selected—and thinking about it, that makes sense. As a King, how could one cower simply because of a Deity's status?"
"The Gods are choosing the master of Great Britain. As we all know, a regional King is essentially the spokesperson for the God King. Other than the God King, they wouldn't even need to bow to other Deities. How could these Gods allow someone so cowardly to ascend to the throne?"
This explanation made many rational viewers nod in agreement.
It was well said. As the King of a nation, how could they reveal a cowardly side in front of others?
Not even before their own Chief God!
However, this heated discussion allowed all the platforms to feast on the massive surge of traffic. After all, the Transcendence generated enormous popularity, and nearly every Transcendent Being was the focal point of the world's attention.
Bai Yang was more than happy to see this. To him, the popularity and discussions surrounding the Transcendence translated directly into tangible Wish Power and influence. If not for the fact that personally intervening would look too unseemly, he would have loved to push the trial's hype even higher.
Of course, the debate did not last very long, as the entire trial was being broadcast live.
On the special screen constructed by Merlin, everyone could see the remaining eight hundred or so participants answering their questions.
Take Edwin, for example. His answer was quite interesting: "I believe that what a King needs is compassion and Compassionate Mercy. Every citizen is a subject of the King, and only by truly embodying compassion and Compassionate Mercy can one take responsibility for everyone!"
"Our citizens suffer too much, especially ordinary people who work desperately hard yet cannot even maintain a normal standard of living!"
The colossal divine phantom nodded slowly. "Compassionate Mercy and compassion are key qualities of a King, and they are the most complete reflection of your inner heart!"
The divine phantom waved its hand, and a special gateway materialized beside it, sending a surge of excitement through the audience!
"He passed just like that?"
"This should be the first round. There is probably more than one round in this trial!" "No, this is the second round! That elimination just now was the first round!"
The netizens' comments flooded in, accompanied by frantic spamming from Edwin's fans:
"Yes, this is our wilderness exploration master, Great Britain's philanthropist, Sir Edwin! He deserves it!"
"A philanthropist whose words match his deeds—Sir Edwin! He is the only one who has truly achieved this!"
"Fantastic! Sir Edwin is going to enter Buckingham Palace and become the new King! He is going to save us!"
Such claims caused a massive uproar, but there were also those who voiced differing opinions:
"Could this trial really be this simple? Wouldn't that mean everyone can pass?"
Just as people began to harbor these thoughts, an elimination occurred!
It was a participant from America. He had flawlessly completed the first two trials, lacking neither courage nor a resonance with nature, and possessed a considerable fanbase.
However, when he answered that "a King needs to protect the weak," the gigantic divine phantom displayed immense dissatisfaction!
"Protecting the weak is a duty every King should fulfill. Tell me, have you achieved this?"
The man replied with supreme confidence, "Of course! I have achieved it! I protected my family!"
In the next second, he was swatted down by the Deity's palm. "One of a Knight's Virtues is honesty, and you lack this virtue! You are committing Blasphemy against the Gods. Blasphemers shall be eradicated!"
Under the shocked gazes of people worldwide, he was instantly erased!
Not only was his Virtual body destroyed, but his physical form in reality—the body resting beneath the Tree of Life—was abruptly and forcefully erased from existence!
And this was not an isolated incident. Like him, over a hundred participants spoke falsehoods against their own hearts, and as a result, they died.
"This is the true trial of the Gods! When they attempted to deceive the Deities, they should have anticipated the consequences of divine wrath!" The BBC commentary desk continued its analysis. "Divine Might is like a prison, and Divine Grace is like the sea! We always seem to forget that, although Mage Merlin is gentle and kind, the Deities are truly temperamental beings capable of destroying the world at a moment's notice!"
These words served as a harsh wake-up call for everyone. Merlin might have appeared amicable earlier, shielding them from crises and conducting the royal trials, but backing him were the Celtic Divine Pantheon and the Dana Divine Family.
If the Offspring of these Deities could engage in wanton Slaughter, how could the Gods themselves harbor genuine compassion for humanity?
Reverence began to take root in everyone's hearts, and more people gained a deeper understanding of what it meant for Deities to exist.
On the screen before them, more participants answered their questions and earned the approval of the divine phantoms. Only one young girl remained, appearing rather conspicuous in the broadcast.
The audience knew her name was Livia, a farmer from the Wales region. The sole reason she chose to participate in this trial was that she had seen King Charles's public broadcast.
This was exactly why many people knew her story. An uneducated rural girl, dressed in plain clothes, had walked step by step all the way to London. She had bypassed those favored geniuses and heirs of noble Families to reach this point, which was an incredible feat in itself.
However, when it came to answering the question, she struggled noticeably.
In fact, while everyone else was giving their answers regarding the nature of a King, she was still asking questions.
"A King... what is that?" Livia's face was brimming with Curiosity. "My dad told me that the person living in the biggest house is the King, and the land we farm belongs to the King! So, I have to listen to the King..."
This response sent another massive uproar rippling through the surrounding crowds. Looking at this girl—who could only be described as plain and bearing the rough edges of a common farmer—they felt a profound disconnect from reality.
Did such simple-minded, perhaps even ignorant, people still exist in this day and age?
"I don't know what a King is, but if I were the King, I should be able to let the neighbor's family eat their fill, right? They moved away because they didn't have enough to eat, and now I have no one to talk to..."
The young girl's words reached the Deity before her, and they received a response.
"Ensuring that the citizens are fed is, of course, a Quality of a King!"
The phantom stepped aside, revealing the gateway behind it.
The young girl named Livia became the final candidate to be selected.