Garion raised his hand and pointed sharply.

"You. Front."

The boy he pointed at flinched like he'd been stabbed by lightning, then shuffled forward with stiff legs.

The entire hall held its breath.

Garion pointed again.

"You. And you. Next."

He went through them one by one slowly, calmly, and absolutely unreadably.

Every time his finger moved, the recruits swallowed hard.

Some whispered prayers to ancestors they didn't even like.

None of them knew why they were chosen.

By the time he hit 300, the whispers grew louder.

"Is he choosing randomly…?"

"No, maybe it's destiny?"

"Shut up, idiot, destiny doesn't make sense!"

"Then why didn't he pick the guy who was flexing earlier?!"

"That's exactly why. He flexed too hard."

By 450, a few smart ones finally noticed something.

"…Why was the number of people chosen exactly 450?"

"No way… Is this intentional?"

Garion smirked, pretending he didn't hear any of it.

He stepped back and clapped once.

"The 450 I pointed at... Congratulations. You're accepted."

Gasps exploded across the hall.

But the loudest reactions came from two people who absolutely expected to be chosen, Valtor Vulkran and Seira Shivera.

Both stared at Garion like he had personally insulted their ancestors.

Valtor's eyebrow twitched.

Seira's jaw tightened.

Then Valtor exploded.

"HEY! Old man! How am I NOT chosen?!"

Seira snapped right after.

"I agree. I am far stronger than most of these people. How did you overlook me?"

Garion slowly turned toward them.

Hands in pockets with a lazy grin on his face.

"Is that so…?"

Both stiffened.

Garion raised one finger, pointing casually at the ground beside him.

"Then why don't you two come up here and show me your power?"

Valtor cracked his neck, fire in his gaze.

"Fine. Then I'll prove it with my fists."

Seira stepped beside him, chin raised in cold pride.

"And I won't lose to this muscle-headed idiot. Watch closely!"

The hall fell silent as both of them took their stances.

Valtor slid one foot back, muscles coiling.

Seira lowered her center of gravity, daggers raised, eyes sharp like a knife's edge.

Garion grinned.

"Begin."

Valtor moved first.

With a sudden step, the ground cracked under his feet as he boosted his body with mana.

He swung his fist like an axe toward Seira's collarbone.

Seira's eyes narrowed.

She shifted half a step sideways, letting the punch skim past her shoulder.

Her foot slid behind Valtor's ankle as she swung a dagger-hand strike toward his ribs.

"Too slow!" Valtor barked.

He twisted, catching her wrist mid-swing, pulling her forward with brute force.

Seira's body leaned in, but she didn't panic.

She shot her knee up sharply, slamming it into his abdomen.

Valtor blocked with his elbow, the impact ringing through the hall.

"Not bad," he grinned.

Seira clicked her tongue and pushed off, flipping back with light steps.

"You rely too much on strength."

"And you rely too much on being pretty," Valtor teased.

"Shut up."

She rushed in first this time, boosting her legs with mana for fast and sharp movements.

She shot her palm into his jaw, but Valtor managed to block it.

So she changed and used her knee, slamming it into his knee, but Valtor dodged it again narrowly.

Seira frowned and spun, whipping her heel toward Valtor's temple.

Valtor raised his arm and caught her kick, but the impact still forced him to slide backward, which made him laugh hard.

"GOOD! That's the kind of fight I wanted!"

He pushed off the ground and lunged again, mana surging through his body as he threw a rapid series of punches.

Seira, on the other hand, danced back, dodging and countering each strike with sharp strikes and elbow jabs.

Garion's grin widened as he watched.

"Valtor has monstrous strength for a first realm… but Seira's technique and speed are insane."

The crowd watched breathlessly as the two clashed again and again.

Valtor's fist smashed toward her face.

Seira ducked and swept his leg.

Valtor stumbled but spun, grabbing her arm.

Seira twisted mid-air and jabbed her knee into his chest.

Valtor slid back, coughing once, but smiled like a madman.

"You're fun to fight."

Seira wiped sweat from her brow.

"You talk too much."

The hall trembled as they rushed in again, their mana-reinforced strikes creating loud cracks in the air.

Neither of them wanted to back down.

"COME ON!" Valtor shouted, grinning like a madman.

"DON'T FALL YET!"

"You wish," Seira snapped back, brushing a strand of icy-blue hair from her cheek.

"I'm not losing to you."

They rushed each other one more time...

And Garion clapped his hands loudly.

"STOP."

The sound cut through the hall like a blade.

Both froze mid-step, panting hard, sweat dripping off their jaws.

Garion smirked.

"That's enough. I've seen what I needed."

Valtor straightened, wiping blood from his lip.

"So? Which of us passed?"

Seira crossed her arms.

"It better be me."

Garion pointed at both of them without hesitation.

"Both of you will become my direct disciples."

The hall erupted in shouts.

Valtor blinked, stunned.

"Wait... BOTH?"

Seira's jaw dropped.

"You're taking HIM as well?!"

Garion shrugged casually.

"Yeah. You, Valtor, will be my fourth direct disciple."

Then he pointed at Seira.

"And you will be the fifth."

They both gawked at him as if he had slapped them.

"What?!" they shouted at the same time.

Garion raised a hand.

"And one more thing."

He turned his gaze toward the crowd… and pointed at a small girl standing quietly behind a group of taller teens.

A cute girl with short purple hair, big eyes, and an innocent smile.

"You. Come here."

She walked forward timidly.

"Yes… Master Garion?"

Garion knelt slightly to meet her eyes and smiled warmly.

"You will be my third direct disciple."

The hall exploded again.

"HUH?!"

"THAT LITTLE GIRL?!"

"MASTER, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

Even Valtor and Seira yelled at the same time:

"HOW CAN SHE BE THE THIRD DIRECT DISCIPLE?!"

Garion grinned wider, enjoying their reactions.

"Because I planned it."

Valtor stepped forward. "But why? She didn't even fight!"

Seira pointed sharply. "Yes! She didn't show anything!"

Garion waved a hand.

"Calm down. I already knew I wanted both of you as my direct disciples… but you're too loud, too arrogant, and too full of yourselves."

Both fell silent.

Garion cracked a smile.

"So you had to prove yourselves before I bothered to talk to you."

Valtor and Seira both froze.

The girl beside him giggled quietly.

Garion gently tapped her head.

"She passed the moment she walked in. Her potential is higher than both of yours combined."

Valtor and Seira stared at the small girl in disbelief.

Garion stood tall again, hands on hips.

"Alright. Enough shouting. Fourth disciple, fifth disciple. Stop whining."

He pointed at the little girl. "And greet your senior sister."

Valtor groaned.

Seira rubbed her forehead.

The little girl bowed politely, smiling sweetly.

"Hello… seniors."

Valtor and Seira died inside.

Garion laughed loudly.

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