You Pass

Her clothes were torn beyond recognition, her arms were covered in scars, dirt and soot caked her face, and her hair was like a clump of tangled weeds.

Compared to the man in front of her, she was like a tiny insect that had crawled out of a mud pit—lowly and wretched.

She instinctively wanted to lower her head and avoid his gaze, not wanting him to see her in this state.

Right then, Bai Xuan looked at her and spoke slowly, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze rustling through the treetops, dispersing all of her embarrassment and unease.

“Do you really want to become strong? Do you want to avenge your family?”

These words instantly unlocked the girl's buried memories.

The towering flames during the monster invasion, the tragic sight of her village being burned to the ground, the image of her family lying in pools of blood...

And the memory of her running for her life, fleeing in utter desperation—scene after scene flashed through her mind, as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.

She lifted her head, meeting Bai Xuan's eyes once more.

The moment their eyes met, her heart couldn't help but tremble, and she instinctively wanted to look away.

Yet her obsession with revenge and her desire to grow strong forced her to halt her movement, stubbornly meeting his gaze.

Bai Xuan's eyes were calm, like a deep pool or a vast night sky, devoid of any disdain or coldness.

Looking into those eyes, the hatred in the girl's heart seemed to soften slightly.

In its place arose an indescribable sense of closeness, an impulse to draw nearer to him.

“I...” Her voice still trembled slightly, but every word she spoke was incredibly resolute.

“I want to become strong. I want to avenge my family and my village. I don't want to be bullied by anyone ever again!”

Bai Xuan looked at her and slowly nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips, gentle yet powerful.

“You will,” he said softly, his tone so certain it sounded like a promise.

Looking at his smile, the tension and unease in the girl's heart eased a bit more.

It was a wondrous feeling. This was clearly their first meeting, and he hadn't done anything yet.

But just by looking at him, she felt incredibly at ease, as if she had found a direction she could rely on.

Bai Xuan turned and looked at Jesse standing not far away, his tone calm.

“Look,” he pointed at the girl behind him.

“She is so resolute. If you take her into your family, you might end up thanking me for this suggestion in the future.”

Jesse was taken aback. His gaze fell upon the thin, small girl once more, scanning her from head to toe as he tried to find some trace of uniqueness.

But no matter how he looked, the girl before him was just an ordinary refugee child.

Thin, wretched, and covered in soot, she was no different from any other refugee; he couldn't see anything special.

Jesse opened his mouth, about to ask further, but the girl suddenly took a step forward, looking up at Bai Xuan with absolute determination.

Her eyes were still rimmed with red, but a bright spark had ignited deep within them.

“Sir...” Her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, every word laden with supplication. “Can... can I follow you?”

Bai Xuan was slightly startled, clearly not expecting the girl to make such a request.

“I can feel that you are different. Please let me follow you,” the girl said in a rush, terrified that he would refuse, her words fast but incredibly sincere.

“I can do anything—laundry, cooking, chores, I can do it all... I just want to get strong, I just want revenge.”

Bai Xuan looked down at her, his gaze deep.

Sunlight fell across the girl's face, but the thick soot couldn't hide the emotions in her eyes.

There were remnants of despair, hope for the future, and a near-instinctive trust directed toward him without reservation.

Just a moment ago.

Bai Xuan had arrived here riding his Chocobo.

From afar, he had spotted the chaotic sprawl of tents outside the gates of Calais Town.

To call them tents was generous; they were actually nothing more than hastily assembled rain shelters, pitifully crude.

Some were propped up by wooden sticks holding up a few rags, others were crooked frames cobbled together from wooden planks, and some were simply a layer of dry straw spread over the ground.

When the wind blew, the rags flapped and rattled, making the entire camp look precarious, as if it would be swept away at any moment.

The spaces between the tents were packed with people—men, women, the elderly, and children—forming a dense, dark sea of humanity.

Some sat staring blankly into space, some lay exhausted on the ground, while others cradled emaciated children, suppressing their tears as they sobbed softly.

Their clothes were long since tattered, their faces covered in soot, their eyes filled with exhaustion, and their entire bodies exuded despair.

Bai Xuan quietly released his mental power to sweep over the camp, and a heavy, suffocating weight instantly enveloped him.

The status panel displayed negative tags like Pain, Fatigue, and Confusion.

These are all refugees, he realized.

Withdrawing his gaze, he continued to look ahead, his eyes finally landing on the group of people at the town gates.

Several guards clad in leather armor stood watch, holding ledgers as they patiently explained something to the refugees.

The leader of the group, whose attire was more refined than that of the ordinary guards, was leaning down slightly, listening intently to a little girl.

Bai Xuan recognized that face at a glance.

It was the steward, Jesse. They had met before at the market near the entrance of the Blackcreek Town dungeon when handing in a commission, and he belonged to the White family.

Back then, Jesse had even given him a token badge, which established a connection between them.

Bai Xuan hopped off the Chocobo's back and, holding its reins, walked leisurely toward the town gates.

Just as he reached the outer edge of the crowd, the little girl's voice drifted clearly into his ears.

“...My Lord, I want to learn how to fight! I want to get stronger! I must avenge my family!”

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unyielding stubbornness that made Bai Xuan take a closer look at her.

The little girl was practically skin and bones, her thin clothes torn in several places, exposing arms and legs covered in tiny scratches.

She held her head high, straightening her frail back as she stood firmly before Jesse, her body tense like a bowstring, her eyes filled with determination.

Bai Xuan stopped in his tracks and instinctively scanned the girl with his mental power.

The result surprised him greatly:

【Angela Marino】

【Class: None Lv.0】

【Status: Hatred, Weakness, Hunger, **】

【Health: 7/11】

【Mana: 15/15】

【Potential: 3-Star (Monarch)】

There was something strange in the status column. What did "**" mean? Bai Xuan had never seen it before.

But in the talent column, a 3-Star Monarch?

Bai Xuan looked at the line of text closely again to confirm he hadn't misread it.

In the past, every person he had met with this level of Potential was either someone with a powerful background or an expert of formidable strength.

Amelia of the Mulan family was utterly absurd, possessing a 5-Star Skycrown Potential.

Her younger brother, Banner, also had a 4-Star Crown Potential, which put him on the same level as that undead Grand Duke.

Even the three guards of the Mulan family all possessed 3-Star Monarch talent.

Back then, he had secretly marveled at how profound the Mulan family's heritage must be if even their guards had such outstanding talent.

But looking back now, were those three really just ordinary guards?

In this region, Bai Xuan had almost never seen adventurers with this kind of talent; even those with 2-Star Potential were few and far between.

Anyone he had met with this level of talent either had a powerful background or possessed formidable strength of their own.

Such talent would likely see them groomed as heirs even within minor noble families.

How could they possibly be willing to serve under others as mere ordinary guards?

Unless... those minor nobles had purposely sent their talented descendants to serve the Mulan family to curry favor.

Using the identity of a guard to get acquainted, and perhaps even sharing some of the Mulan family's cultivation resources along the way.

Such social climbing was probably not uncommon in noble circles.

Bai Xuan shook his head slightly, unsure whether to lament the girl's terrible luck or marvel at her fortune.

To possess such outstanding talent yet be buried among the refugees.

He recalled the Subordinate Contract he had tested on the road; that Chocobo was too dim-witted to even meet the contract's minimum requirements.

But this girl in front of him...

Bai Xuan remained silent, lost in thought.

The surrounding refugees were still clamoring, and the guards were busy maintaining order.

Beside him, the Chocobo shook its head, looking rather impatient.

He looked at the thin but stubborn girl before him, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward.

“You have quite the eye.”

His gaze swept over the various scars of differing depths on her arms. Most of them had already scabbed over, though some were still fresh.

Bai Xuan paused, then added, “I will give you a test. If you can pass it, I may consider taking you with me.”

The girl's eyes lit up, as if a beam of light had pierced through the darkness.

“What kind of test?” Her voice trembled with excitement, followed by absolute resolve. “As long as I can do it, no matter how hard, I will definitely do it!”

“I don't need you to do anything dangerous,” Bai Xuan said softly.

“I will heal the wounds on your body, but the method I use will cause you considerable pain. If you can endure it, you will pass the test.”

The girl froze, a trace of confusion flitting across her face.

She didn't know what level of pain Bai Xuan was referring to.

But she knew that no matter how unbearable the pain was, it could never compare to the night her village was destroyed, or the piercing agony of watching her loved ones fall before her eyes.

“I understand.” The girl nodded hard, without the slightest hint of retreat in her eyes. “I will definitely endure it. I will pass the test.”

Looking into her stubborn eyes, Bai Xuan slowly nodded.

“The test begins now. Hold on.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he raised his staff. The golden glow of the Holy Light Catalyst instantly flowed from the shaft, gently enveloping the girl's entire body.

Her tiny wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

On her arms, her legs, her face—it was as if an invisible hand were stitching her torn flesh back together, bit by bit.

Before Angela could even rejoice over the healing of her wounds, an intense wave of pain surged from every closing laceration.

It felt as though someone were pressing a red-hot branding iron hard against her flesh.

She instinctively opened her mouth to scream, but the moment the first sound escaped, she bit down hard on her lip, swallowing the rest of her cry.

Her entire body froze in place, her hands clenching tightly into fists.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat instantly drenched her forehead. Her face turned as pale as paper, yet she didn't make a single sound.

At this moment, only one thought remained in her mind.

In truth, the healing speed of the Holy Light was extremely fast, and that intense pain only lasted for a second or two.

As the golden light gradually dissipated, the scars on the girl's body vanished without a trace, leaving her skin as smooth as before, as if she had never been injured.

Yet to Angela, those brief one or two seconds felt like an entire century.

Watching the girl who was trembling and pale yet had remained silent the entire time, Bai Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

“Not bad. You passed.”

Angela slowly raised her head, the lingering effects of enduring the pain still visible in her eyes, her lips bitten a bright red.

Yet the corners of her mouth slowly curved upward, her eyes brimming with joy and determination.

“However,” Bai Xuan shifted his tone, his voice growing serious.

“You are too weak right now.”

The smile on the girl's face instantly froze, and a flash of disappointment crossed her eyes.

“Unlike the White family, I don't have many people or enough manpower to protect those around me,” Bai Xuan said slowly.

“I spend my years traveling alone, and danger is everywhere. If you want to follow me, you must first start with the most basic training and gain the ability to protect yourself.”

He glanced at the blank, helpless refugees in the camp before turning his gaze back to Angela.

“I have an important matter to attend to recently. If you can become a bit stronger and gain the ability to protect yourself before I finish, I will take you with me.”

Angela opened her mouth, wanting to say something.

She wanted to follow Bai Xuan right now; she didn't want to stay here.

Bai Xuan naturally guessed her thoughts, but he knew even better that the girl currently had only 7 Health, making her incredibly fragile.

Any low-level monster could easily take her life with a single touch.

He was a Healer; he could cure her wounds, but he could not bring the dead back to life.

“Stay here for now,” Bai Xuan's tone softened slightly.

“The White family will give you a place to stay and the opportunity to train. Once you have the ability to protect yourself, come find me.”

Angela bit her lip and remained silent for a few seconds before finally nodding heavily.

Though there was a trace of disappointment in her eyes, they were mostly filled with a newly ignited hope.

Just then, a man suddenly squeezed through the crowd.

Cradling a child tightly in his arms, he rushed up to Bai Xuan with a panicked look and a hoarse voice.

“My Lord! Please, save my child! You must be a priest from the Church, right? Please, save him!”

Bai Xuan looked down at the child in the man's arms, his brow furrowing slightly.

Fortunately, the child was unconscious. The intense pain from the Holy Light Catalyst wouldn't scare him, nor would it make him endure unnecessary suffering.

“Let me see.” Bai Xuan reached out, gently took the child, and laid him softly on the ground.

Immediately after, the golden glow of the Holy Light Catalyst shone once more. At the same time, the power of Purifying Severance silently went to work, completely dispersing the faint trace of curse aura lingering on the child.

The child's body shuddered slightly before his tense frame gradually relaxed. The purplish-blue hue on his face slowly faded, and his breathing grew steady.

Not long after, he slowly opened his eyes, looking around at the surrounding people in confusion.

Then, with a loud wah, he burst into tears.