Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

Chapter 678: The Second Assessment

The fort commander and a group of military officers inside the Liming Fort escorted Alaric.

There were quite a few of them with remarkable martial talent.

Using his Appraisal trait, he discovered several young warriors who had high potential. He was even tempted to recruit them to join his House Silversword.

"Your Majesty, they are the ones who passed the initial assessment. Most of them have impressive backgrounds, but some are from smaller households." Ludwig pointed at the young warriors.

He stroked his beard and added with a smile. "The best one among them should be the young heir of House Pyeongeom. At the age of eighteen, he is already a Knight."

Alaric nodded, seemingly pleased. "That’s indeed impressive. Few can become a Knight at that age."

Ludwig chuckled.

Suddenly, Alaric spotted someone with overflowing potential, his eyes widening in shock. Just based on potential alone, this kid had already surpassed Wolf, the best prodigy among the young warriors of House Silversword.

Darco [Knight Apprentice] EXP: 88/100

Potential: SSS

Talent: Spear Mastery (B), Horseback Riding (C), Close Combat (C), Command (D), Hunting (D), Archery (E), Painting (E), Shield Mastery (E), Dagger Mastery (F)

Strength: 21

Stamina: 17

Agility: 19

Vitality: 16

Endurance: 15

Mana: 9

This kind of potential... if he is trained properly, he can surpass the Unfettered!

Alaric never thought that he would discover a hidden gem here.

"Fort Commander, you may return to your post. There is no need for you to accompany me. I have the Lord Grand Commander here, so additional safety is unnecessary." He dismissed the commander of the fort so he could proceed with his plan without any delay.

"Alright. If you have any instructions, don’t hesitate to inform me." After saying this, the fort commander left with his retinue.

...

In the large crowd of young warriors, an inconspicuous boy was standing quietly by himself. He had short black hair and slightly tanned skin. He also had the unique monolid eyes of the Veronican people. He was mixed-race, so he always faced the judgmental eyes of many.

His name is Darco, a survivor of the recent war against the heretic cult which destroyed his entire village.

When he heard that the grand commander was inviting young warriors, possibly to join a newly formed knight order, he used the money he saved up to book a flying mount to head to the capital.

His goal was to become strong enough to destroy rotten people in the world.

At this moment, he had this unusual feeling that the emperor was looking at him, but he quickly shook off his thoughts.

There are so many people around me. His Majesty can’t notice someone as unremarkable as me.

He shook his head.

When he came here, he realized that there were more prodigies than he had imagined. He was only one of the thousands of Knight Apprentices who passed the initial assessment. Furthermore, his background was also lacking compared to his peers.

He was afraid that he might fail to join the new knight order.

While he was immersed in his thoughts, a booming voice suddenly reverberated across the fort.

"Silence! You are in the presence of His Majesty Alaric Silversword, the ruler of Veronica!"

Ludwig’s face was stern as he eyed the crowd, his voice immediately silencing everyone.

Seeing that he had gathered their attention, he was pleased. "Some of you may already be aware, but for the sake of those who are still clueless, I will announce the reason why all of you here are gathered."

He paused, his eyes scanning the crowd.

"A new knight order will be created, and His Majesty will oversee the training of the members! He is also responsible for choosing which of you will join the knight order, so you better give it your all, for this opportunity may never come again!"

Everyone’s eyes shone with excitement. They all came here for a chance of a better future.

Knowing that the emperor would be responsible for the selection of members made them feel nervous and also encouraged.

"You will undergo three tests. You have already passed the first test, so you only need to pass two more assessments. Once you have completed all three tests, you will formally become a part of the new knight order!"

Sensing the anticipation in everyone’s eyes, Ludwig’s lips curved up in amusement. "Your second assessment will take place here."

"The test is simple. You just need to remain standing for an entire minute under the heavy pressure of His Majesty’s aura."

As soon as he announced the test, everyone was stunned.

"The test will now begin!"

Alaric didn’t give the young warriors the chance to speak. He activated his newly awakened SS-rank trait, the Dominator’s Aura.

In the next moment, an overpowering pressure descended without warning, pressing onto everyone present like a heavy boulder.

Even Ludwig felt the sharp increase in pressure.

Alaric controlled the amount of pressure, just enough for the test.

I only need ten thousand to join the knight order. Those who fail the remaining two assessments can be referred to another department.

These young talents would be a great asset to Veronica.

At this moment, the young warriors were already struggling to stand under the immense pressure. Some were already on the verge of collapsing, but they stubbornly refused to surrender.

After twenty seconds, a few hundred candidates could no longer stand the pressure and collapsed to the ground.

When the thirty-second mark passed, more than two thousand were already eliminated.

At the final seconds before one minute, only twelve thousand remained standing.

Alaric deactivated the Dominator’s Aura and looked at the people who had passed the assessment.

He smiled approvingly. "Good job, everyone! You have passed the second assessment. The third assessment will take place tomorrow, so you can take this time to get some rest."

"As for those of you who failed the assessment, don’t be disheartened. There are still plenty of paths that you can take. I will have the grand commander recommend you to other departments." He announced.

This made the people who failed the assessment feel a bit better.

Alaric’s eyes stopped on one of those who failed. It was Darco, the young man with the highest potential among the candidates.

Earlier, he intentionally increased the pressure on Darco. He had other plans for the young man.

Alaric believed that it would be more suitable for the young warrior to follow him.