Clearly, the man had lost his ability to fight.
Lin Hao walked toward him slowly, reaching into his pocket. Feeling the few coins there, he frowned.
Lin Hao came from a border village where the entire community lived in poverty. When he set out for the royal capital, his mother could only give him a small amount of money. To her, it was a significant sum, but in the capital, it wouldn't last more than a week of meals—and that was if he only ate the cheapest food.
Expressionless, he said to the man, "Hand over anything valuable you have on you, and I might consider sparing your life."
The man was dumbfounded. There's nothing more absurd in this world than a robber being robbed.
"Boss, boss, you know we've just started this 'business.' The first two people we ran into today didn't have any money!" the man hurriedly explained.
Lin Hao didn't feel like wasting any more time. He still had to make it to the capital for the examination.
"I gave you a chance, and you didn't take it. Don't blame me for what happens next. Killing you would just be doing a good deed," Lin Hao said coldly.
The man panicked upon hearing this and quickly pleaded, "I... I have money! It's on me! I'll give it to you right now! Please don't kill me!"
"Too late," Lin Hao replied sternly.
He raised his hand, and a chilling frost gathered in his palm. In the blink of an eye, a weapon made entirely of ice materialized.
"No... no... don't kill me!" The man trembled violently at the sight of Lin Hao's ice weapon, his voice quivering with fear.
The man had never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would meet his end like this.
He and his companion had robbed many people on this road, and most of their victims handed over money without resistance, hoping to save their lives. Over time, their vigilance diminished as their success rate grew, leading to this downfall.
Without a word, Lin Hao thrust his ice weapon forward, piercing the man's heart.
Splurt!
The man coughed up a mouthful of blood as Lin Hao coldly stripped him of all his valuables.
Surprisingly, despite the man's scruffy, beggar-like appearance, the money he carried was five times the amount Lin Hao's mother had given him. There was also a seemingly valuable pendant among his belongings.
After dealing with the two men, Lin Hao resumed his journey.
After a long trek, Lin Hao finally arrived at the royal capital of the Clover Kingdom.
The streets were bustling with people, vibrant and noisy.
Seeing the scene before him, Lin Hao breathed a sigh of relief. After so many days of travel, he had finally reached his destination.
The capital's main streets were lined with all kinds of shops, showcasing an array of magical wands and tools. However, everything was priced exorbitantly.
With one day remaining before the Knights' Entrance Examination, Lin Hao found a place to stay. Having been on the road for days without proper rest, he decided to take the opportunity to recover.
The Next Day - Noon
Boom, boom, boom!
Fireworks exploded in the sky, marking the beginning of the Knights' Examination.
At the entrance to the examination venue, a large crowd had gathered, many cheering and shouting words of encouragement.
"Good luck with the entrance exam!"
"The future of the capital rests on your shoulders!"
"You are the budding sprouts of the Clover Kingdom! Do your best!"
Lin Hao walked straight in. Inside, several long lines of people were waiting.
Peering ahead, Lin Hao noticed this part of the process involved verifying grimoires.
After reporting where he was from and presenting his grimoire, the examiner said, "Alright, you're number 264. Next!"
Lin Hao nodded and walked further inside.
The grand tower was filled with people, all there for the same purpose as him: to take the Knights' Entrance Examination.
Suddenly, a flock of birds descended from the sky. These were the infamous Reject Birds, known for flocking around those with the lowest magical power.
"Look, there's someone without a single bird near them," a young man pointed out.
Another man turned to look and confirmed, "You're right. Not a single bird."
The person in question was Yuno, the one who had obtained the rare four-leaf clover grimoire.
"I heard he's from Hage Village on the border, yet he has a four-leaf clover grimoire," someone remarked.
"What? A four-leaf clover? Really?"
"Yeah, that's what the grimoire examiner said."
Suddenly, another voice exclaimed, "Look over there! There's another person without a single bird near them!"
Everyone turned their eyes toward the new anomaly.