I'm really not a Sanctuary Warlock.

He said nothing, but simply flashed the badge in front of the knight's eyes.

The knight almost instinctively took a half step back, withdrew his arm, and then bowed deeply to Lynn.

"Please wait a moment."

After saying that, he turned and strode quickly into the depths of the church.

The surrounding believers also noticed the unusual situation.

They all cast curious glances at them and whispered among themselves.

Lynn ignored the stares and simply stood quietly, stroking the unicorn's soft mane and waiting patiently.

Less than a minute.

The knight who had just been there rushed back.

Following behind him was an elderly man with gray hair, wearing a white priest's robe with gold trim.

The old priest walked quickly, his face showing a mixture of urgency and respect.

He strode up to Lynn, first glancing at the sacred unicorn with a look of amazement in his eyes, then his gaze fell on Lynn.

"Do you possess the badge?" the old priest asked in a gentle and humble voice.

Lynn nodded.

"Please come with me."

The old priest gestured "please" to Lynn and then led the way.

"I will send someone to take your mount to the best stable and feed it the finest hay."

Lynn loosened the reins and patted the unicorn's neck to reassure it.

The unicorn let out a low growl and was obediently led away by another knight.

Lynn followed the old priest through the bustling prayer hall and onto a quiet side corridor.

Along the corridor, giant murals depicting mythological stories hung on the walls, and the soft, silent red carpet underfoot absorbed all footsteps.

This place feels like a completely different world from the hustle and bustle outside.

The further you go in, the dimmer the light becomes, and the more solemn the atmosphere grows.

Along the way, they encountered several patrolling knights, but when the knights saw the old priest leading the way, they immediately stopped, bowed, and dared not obstruct them in the slightest.

The old priest remained silent, simply leading the way.

Lynn followed silently behind. After walking for about ten minutes, the old priest finally stopped in front of a double door made of pure white oak, five meters high.

The door was engraved with holy light runes, and the doorknob was two crossed golden wings.

"Your Excellency the Archbishop, we are waiting for you inside."

The old priest turned around and spoke respectfully to Lynn.

After saying that, he stepped forward and gently pushed open the heavy door.

The scene behind the door slowly came into Lynn's view.

It was an incredibly spacious circular study.

The curved walls are huge, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, densely packed with all sorts of heavy books.

Above the room was a huge circular dome, painted with a magical diagram of the stars moving around.

Soft sunlight streamed down from the dome, illuminating the entire room.

In the very center of the room, behind a huge desk made of obsidian.

An elderly man dressed in a simple gray linen robe, with white hair and beard, stood quietly with his back to the door in front of a huge map, seemingly studying something.

He didn't turn around.

But a gentle voice slowly echoed in the room.

"Successor, you have arrived."

Chapter Eighty Trials

Lynn's body tensed up instinctively for a moment.

He looked up at the figure whose back was to him.

The room was quiet, with only sunlight streaming in from the dome.

The old man, dressed in a gray linen robe, slowly turned around.

His hair and beard were all white, and his face was etched with the lines of time, but his eyes were as clear as those of a newborn baby, without a trace of impurity.

He just looked at Lynn quietly, his gaze gentle.

"Lynn."

Archbishop Grimmund whispered his name, as if confirming something.

Level 30.

Lynn's heart sank suddenly. He could feel that the other person's gaze had seen right through him, leaving him with no secrets.

“It seems Vigo has told you everything.” Grymond smiled, slowly walked behind the obsidian desk and sat down, gesturing for Lynn to sit.

Lynn did not move; he simply stood there, watching the highest authority of the Kingdom Church warily.

“To me, this is more like a deal,” Lynn said.

Greymond's smile deepened.

"Child, don't be so nervous. Sit down, we have plenty of time."

Lynn hesitated for a moment, but finally pulled out the chair opposite the desk and sat down.

“Before you decide whether to accept this trial, I think it’s necessary for you to understand a few things.” Grimmund interlaced his fingers and looked at Lynn with gentle eyes.

"For example, your strength is the weakest among all the successors."

Lynn was not surprised by this, after all, his original body was only level 30, while Lisa, a disciplinary nun from a small border town, was level 38, and the other successors were definitely stronger than him.

"Not surprised at all?" Grimmund seemed to read his mind and shook his head with a smile.

Do you know why I insisted on having you participate?

Lynn remained silent and shook his head.

He really didn't know that.

If you are truly the weakest, then sending the weakest person to participate in a trial that is bound to result in bloodshed is no different from sending them to their death.

“Because of your talent.” Greymond’s tone was full of admiration.

"The talents of the other successors were mostly discovered by the church and the royal family when they were young."

"From a young age, they receive the most rigorous and systematic training, learn the most profound secret techniques, and enjoy the best resources. Most of them can easily defeat ordinary level 40 experts when they reach level 30."

"But you are different."

Greymond's gaze turned serious.

"Until recently, the Royal City's Prophecy Crystal detected your trace for the first time."

“Then, I sent Hayes to Windbreak City.” Grimmund suddenly said something that sent a chill down Lynn’s spine.

"Otherwise, do you think you can leave that city unscathed just because you're a saintess who's about to be deposed?"

Lynn suddenly looked up and stared at Greymond.

Hayes...

The person I met by chance at church.

It turns out that from that time on, I had already fallen into the big net woven by the church and become a pawn.

"Looking back now, my decision did indeed bring a pleasant surprise," Grimmund said, completely ignoring the expression on Lynn's face.

"In just half a month, he has grown from an ordinary person with no power to a level 30 warlock."

"As expected of the successor chosen by the kingdom's will, your talent is undoubtedly the highest among all."

"It's just that you started too late."

Greymond's tone was full of regret, like an elder lamenting the passing of a genius.

Lynn felt agitated and took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

“Your Excellency Archbishop, I only want to know if you will keep your promise to participate in the trial and save Anna.”

“Of course.” Grimmund smiled kindly. “The Church never goes back on its word. As soon as you step into the Trial Grounds, the sacred relic that extinguishes the karmic fire will be delivered to Vigo immediately.”

"it is good."

Lynn stood up. "I'll participate."

He didn't want to play games with this old fox anymore.

Since there's no way back, we can only move forward.

“Very good.” Grimmund nodded approvingly and stood up as well.

His smile remained gentle, but something seemed to be subtly changing deep within his clear eyes.

"Now that you're here, there's no turning back."

The voice just fell.

Without warning, a blinding white light suddenly appeared on the ground beneath Lynn's feet.

Countless runes intertwined to form a huge circular magic circle, completely enveloping him.

Space began to distort, and the study, the desk, and Grimmund's smiling face all became blurry in an instant.

A strong feeling of weightlessness came over me.

Lynn felt dizzy, and the next second, he felt a hard, cold touch under his feet.

When the white light faded, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar place.

It was dark, damp, and filled with the smell of decay.

This place... is like a dungeon.

The stone wall extends from the ground to the dome, which is more than ten meters high. Every so often, a burning torch is embedded in the wall, and the dim light casts long and distorted shadows of the thick iron railings.

Lynn looked around.

He was standing in the middle of a narrow dungeon corridor.

On both sides of the corridor were rows of individual cells, with thick black iron bars completely separating the inside from the outside.

There are nine cells in total.

There is one person in every cell.

Lynn's heart skipped a beat.

Goodness, these must be... the other successors.

But why keep them in cages?

He instinctively looked toward the cell closest to him.

In the corner of that cell sat an exceptionally burly man, shirtless, his bronze skin covered with hideous scars. Even just sitting there, he resembled a lurking beast, radiating a chilling sense of oppression.

He seemed to sense Lynn's gaze, slowly raised his head, and a violent glint flashed in his eyes.

In the other cell, a young man dressed in a magnificent robe sat cross-legged on the ground, meditating with his eyes closed. A faint magical aura emanated from him, and he seemed indifferent to everything around him.

In another cell, there was a thin girl who looked only thirteen or fourteen years old. She was huddled in a corner with her knees drawn up to her chest, her face buried in her arms, her body trembling slightly, as if she were extremely frightened.

The remaining cells were too dimly lit for Lynn to see clearly; he could only vaguely make out blurry figures.

These are his competitors.

Just then.

A series of clear footsteps came from the darkness at the end of the corridor.