Levi found himself assigned to a group with two boys and a girl.
The first boy was tall and skinny, with gangly limbs that gave him a slightly awkward appearance. The second boy was fat, with a round face and a look of disdain permanently etched into his face.
The girl, on the other hand, was strikingly pretty, with cold blue eyes and hair to match, her demeanor as icy as her appearance.
The girl's eyes were cold as she looked at Levi, while the two boys regarded him with evident disdain. Levi didn't blame them. His clothes were tattered, and his appearance unkempt, they were probably from well-off families and wouldn't know what it feels like to live in the slums.
He ignored their looks, focusing instead on the task at hand as Seraphine addressed the group, "Choose your weapons wisely. They will be your only defense against the monsters you will face."
Levi approached the rack of weapons, taking his time to decide. It was the first time he was seeing these many weapons not to mention wielding them.
At first glance, he saw a wide array of weapons: swords, bows, daggers, axes, and more. There were even unusual choices like whips, halberds, and crossbows.
As he browsed, Levi felt uncertain about what to choose. In the end, he settled on a spear—not because he knew how to use it, but because it could be effective at both short and mid-range. It seemed like the best choice for versatility.
One notable absence was advanced weaponry. Despite Earth's technological advancements, no such weapons were on display. There was a reason for this. Advanced weapons, while effective against weaker monsters, proved less effective against stronger ones. Moreover, the purpose of this trial was for the youngsters to prove their potential. Providing them with advanced means would undermine that goal.
From what humans had observed, the probability of the gods choosing someone who relied on advanced weapons was very low. Therefore, only physical weapons were offered as choices.
As Levi swung around his spear, trying to get a feel of it, someone walked towards them.
As they noticed him, the group of four including Levi gathered in front of him, it was the same tall man who had guided Levi earlier.
"My name is Garret - A follower of Faithful Abundance. I will be in charge of taking you into the wilderness. If you are done with picking the weapons - follow me."
He said turning around, not even wasting a second.
The group also followed behind the man. They walked behind him Levi glanced at his teammates curious to see what kind of weapons they had chosen.
To his right, in the girl's hand was a slender two-handed long sword. The skinny boy had selected an axe, while the fat boy opted for a bow.
With two short-range, one mid-range, and another long-rage dealer, it seemed like a balanced team, at least from his perspective.
Garret led them to a mechanical vehicle, an odd-looking metal sphere. They boarded it, following Garret inside. The interior was more presentable than the exterior, with soft, leather-like seats arranged in two rows facing each other.
The girl and Garret sat on one side, while the two boys and Levi sat on the other. As the mechanical door closed, Garret did something with his watch, and suddenly, the vehicle started to move.
Levi was momentarily disoriented as the vehicle sped through the wasteland.
'Holy! It's fast,' he thought.
Its speed was remarkable, and Levi watched the wasteland blur past the vehicle's window. He couldn't help but frown as he realized this was the first time he was traveling in a vehicle other than public transport.
'Damn, am I a country bumpkin?' he wondered as they moved away from the stronghold towards the wilderness.
***
It wasn't long before they arrived at their destination, a desolate area at the foothills of a mountain. Garret prompted them to dismount and waited for them.
Seated in the vehicle, he looked at them, his expression stern. "Good luck," he said simply before the vehicle vanished into the distance, leaving them alone in the wilderness.
Levi looked around the surroundings as the four of them now stood in the barren landscape. Dust and boulders were strewn about, and the ground was hard and unforgiving. In the distance, the massive tower of the stronghold was still visible, making it unlikely they would lose their way.
They stood at the foothill of a mountain, unsure whether to go upwards or around it since the tower was on the other side.
But not everyone was thinking about returning as the fat boy turned to Levi, his eyes cold. "Hey you! Don't get in our way and just stand back."
"Huh?" Levi was taken aback by the sudden words, if if he was wearing some torn up clothes and was looking like a beggar - isn't it too harsh to treat him like that?
Even as he felt that, Levi didn't respond to the fat boy.
He knew he was no match for these kids, who were likely trained from a young age and he just didn't want to show weakness when the gods may be watching them.
The girl also remained silent, her cold gaze landing on Levi for a moment before she turned away.
The fat boy smirked, satisfied with Levi's silence, and the tall one chuckled as if it were funny.
Nonetheless, as they pondered their next move, a creature suddenly emerged from behind a boulder.
All four of them raised their weapons, sensing danger, and stood face-to-face with it in caution.
The creature gazed at them with ferocious eyes, its appearance resembling a mix between a wolf and a lizard, its scales glinting in the sunlight. Levi had no idea what it was, but the skinny boy's eyes widened in recognition.
"It's a Lizog!" he exclaimed.
But before anyone could react, the girl moved.
Her speed was astonishing, a blur of blue hair and steel. Her sword flashed, and the next moment, the Lizog's head lay severed on the ground.
The boys and Levi stood motionless, stunned by her skill still trying to registered what happened.
"Whoa... she's strong," Levi muttered, impressed by what he just saw.
As the girl cleaned the blood from her sword with a sudden swing, a bright golden light descended from the sky, enveloping her.
"What the... so soon?" the fat boy exclaimed, and even the tall one seemed surprised by the phenomenon.
Of course, they would be. It was a divine embrace—a god was offering her a contract.
---***---