Seraphs of the Emperor’s Judgment

Chapter 112: Preliminary Selection (3)

After experiencing the initial joy, Bahram immediately calmed down. The inspection was not truly over yet.

He forced himself to divert his attention, his eyes staring blankly at those spectacle-like devices on the Angel's body.

This kind of cutting-edge technology was a scarce resource in the lower hive. Most of the time, the machinery they could find was extremely dilapidated, made from materials salvaged from the radiation-filled city, and had undergone countless modifications and refurbishments.

He had never seen such elegant and miraculous machines before.

Subsequently, the Apothecary pulled open Bahram's shirt, checked the scars on his chest, then checked the scars on his arms, and then took him into the booth to strip him clean.

"No traces of augmentation. Skin integrity 99.2%. A small amount of heavy metal deposits in the body. Various indicators of bodily fluids are normal. Skeletal development is sound. Compatibility 91.2%."

As the Apothecary read this aloud, he circled around Bahram. A half-man, half-machine monster beside him simultaneously emitted ticking sounds.

That monster had a portable writing desk hanging in front of its chest, and upon the desk lay a long roll of parchment that it was currently writing on.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Bahram Tate, my Lord."As soon as he said this, he felt somewhat surprised at the softness of his own voice, so he stood a bit straighter and repeated it in a louder voice.

"My name is Bahram Tate, my Lord!"

"You seem very afraid, Bahram."

"I am very afraid, my Lord."

"And also very honest. That is a not-bad quality."

The Apothecary's tone was very amiable. His armor was humming, and the sword at his waist could chop Bahram into a pile of minced meat with just a single strike.

"Since that is the case, then why didn't you leave and return to your family?"

The Chaplain standing to the side suddenly asked.

"Because fear is ultimately just some kind of phantom pain of the mind."

Bahram mustered up all his courage and said.

"I have been frightened many times in the past as well, but they are nothing more than an emotion that needs to be ignored and overcome."

"Why did you come here? Do you want to go fight and win glory? Or do you want to attain eternal life?"

"No, my Lord. I think... no one can truly have eternal life, not even Angels. I want to go serve the God-Emperor, realize my own value, and repay all of humanity."

Yazdan looked at him with an appreciative gaze and nodded.

"Alright, child. Put on your clothes and go stand over there."

The Apothecary turned his head and said to the thrall beside him:

"Take him over to the first group."

Very soon, they brought him over to the side, sitting together with a group of unfamiliar boys.

After a while, Haomo was also brought over. When he saw Bahram, he revealed a huge smile.

That bald burly man later came to sit with them as well. It wasn't until this moment that Bahram learned that this one-point-eight-meter tall person named Kerisa was actually truly only fourteen years old.

Just thinking about it was too fantastical; that guy didn't look much younger than his father.

However, he felt very thrilled about being selected. His attitude toward Bahram also softened significantly, and he told him that he was the child of a certain Gang's boss, but didn't want to slaughter each other like beasts in mud pits and piles of corpses like his predecessors.

He thirsted for a completely new life, and thus had come here.

After accepting a brand new companion, Bahram felt much more at ease. He noticed that their group was far fewer in number than the other groups.

He anxiously wondered whether this was a good thing or a bad thing...

Time passed bit by bit. The Angels did not provide them with food or water; they could only rely on what they had on them to persevere.

During the waiting process, a small incident occurred. A boy in their team fainted due to heatstroke and thirst, and he was immediately dragged outside the team.

This situation caused all the boys to panic. They all forced themselves to perk up to make themselves look less weak. Bahram, on the other hand, chose to generously share his food with the others.

Finally, the last boy was brought to the middle group.

"The Preliminary selection has concluded. Prepare to receive the results of the first elimination!"

The Apothecary stood upon the high platform, pointing at the leftmost group.

"Third group, your bodies reject our gift. Regardless of what qualities you possess, you are unfit to join us in serving the Emperor, and it shall forever remain so! Therefore, leave here and return to your families. There is no need to feel ashamed, but do not come to participate in the selection again."

Amidst a bout of dejected sighs and groans, the robed thralls led those boys away from the plaza.

Then, the Apothecary's gaze turned to the middle group.

"Second group, your potential is insufficient to join our Chapter, but it is enough to serve in the form of Servants. You are all excellent children, possessing the potential to become leaders in the mortal world. You must make a choice! Either join us, or return to your hometowns. Should you choose to serve us, the vast majority of you shall become part of the Mortal Auxiliary, and might attain even higher status."

As if sentenced to death, many boys revealed expressions of agony and loss, and some began to sob softly.

Bahram saw that out of the same twenty-plus hive boys, there were only the three of them, and that other melancholic guy.

"There is no need for you to feel sorrowful. Those able to become Angels are destined to be only a tiny minority, but being able to become a soldier in the Mortal Auxiliary is also a tremendous honor."

The second group stood up. Faced with the choice between the starry sky and the earth, the majority of them chose the starry sky.

These people were likewise led away from the plaza.

Finally, only the least populated first group remained, a full five hundred people.

Although he looked very calm, in actuality, Bahram's heart was about to leap out of his chest.

He knew what was about to happen next, but he completely dared not believe it, unless the Angel spoke these words himself.

"First group, your potential and physiques both meet the requirements for augmentation. You will undergo further testing in three days! Thus, congratulations to you all for successfully being selected as potential Recruits. From this moment onward, you are all Candidates for the Astral Knights Chapter!"

Scarcely had his voice faded when everyone showed joy on their faces. Though they dared not speak or cheer, a cheerful atmosphere still spread among the boys.

Haomo nodded toward the Apothecary, as if the other party was a sage.

A satisfied smile hung upon Kerisa's large face.

The dark clouds on that gloomy boy's face finally dispersed as well. Although he was only smiling faintly, even the people nearby could feel his violently trembling arms.

Only Bahram remained expressionless.

But in actuality, his heart had been pounding violently the entire time.

He was full of fantasies regarding the events that would occur in the future.