249. The Assessment Ends
Yun Ling had indeed failed, but succeeded strangely.
He controlled Hiyokumaru at the last moment, but Yae Sakura ultimately couldn't withstand Hiyokumaru's dying counterattack.
Everything seemed to be heading in the worst possible direction.
However, just before Yae Sakura's soul dissipated, the 'Stigmata Prototype' on Yun Ling's back glowed faintly, actually absorbing Yae Sakura's soul!
This scene reminded Yun Ling of some plot points about Yae Sakura; it seemed that's how the "Sakura-sama" phenomenon originated.
She wore the suit of Magical Girl Teriri, but in reality, it was Yae Sakura herself who transformed into a Stigmata and attached herself to her.
However, because this manga was so old, Yun Ling couldn't quite remember it clearly.
But since the manga series often changed its established lore, there was no further mention of where Yae Sakura went afterward, and Yae Sakura only appeared again in events or the Captain's storyline.
Yae Sakura appeared to be unconscious, but Yun Ling could sense her presence.
Hiyokumaru had died along with Yae Sakura, but her soul hadn't attached itself to Yun Ling; instead, it had attached itself to the Corruption Key before him—the 'Jizo Mitama'.
Hiyokumaru, like Yae Sakura, was temporarily asleep.
Holding the gradually stiffening Yae Sakura's body, Yun Ling first used his water manipulation power to envelop her entire body, then slowly and painstakingly created an ice coffin, freezing her completely before placing her inside the Theater of Domination.
"Sigh, let's leave it at that for now," Yun Ling sighed softly, unsure whether the situation was good or bad, but at least Yae Sakura had survived.
As he pushed open the door, he saw Rita running towards him from a distance.
Yuna seemed about to ask about the situation inside, as Yae Sakura had just let out a painful scream.
But Yun Ling gestured for her not to speak yet.
"Mr. Yun Ling, Ms. Yuna, did you find any survivors around here?" Rita asked as she approached. Because she noticed that Yun Ling and Yuna's positions hadn't changed, she assumed they had found survivors.
"No, I suddenly felt dizzy, so I asked Yuna to take care of me," Yun Ling shook his head.
Yuna, though suspicious, obediently remained silent.
"Are you injured?" Rita blinked, concerned.
"I'm not injured, just a little exhausted. I'm much better now."
Yun Ling's face was slightly pale.
Creating the ice coffin had taken a lot of effort; his control over water was still too rudimentary, requiring him to condense it into ice bit by bit.
Therefore, Yun Ling did indeed look somewhat weak.
Rita simply nodded, not questioning further.
"Did Miss Rita catch up with that wanted criminal?" Yun Ling asked.
"Unfortunately, she got away," Rita shook her head.
"That's a pity," Yun Ling echoed.
"Can Mr. Yun Ling continue the assessment? Mr. Yun Ling's rating is already at the B-rank Knight level," Rita reminded him.
On the way here, Yun Ling and Yuna eliminated quite a few Honkai Beasts and zombies.
This was all done without either of them wearing any armor.
That's quite impressive.
"Then let's continue. My goal is A-rank," said Yun Ling, shaking his head.
"Hehe, good luck then," Rita encouraged, then disappeared.
"Yuna, let's go." Yun Ling took Yuna's hand and continued searching for survivors.
Although searching for survivors was the primary task, the people from St. Freya Academy had already searched this area several times, so the Valkyrie assessment was really just to determine if one had the corresponding strength.
"Mmm…mmm!" Yuna felt the warmth of Yun Ling's hand and nodded shyly.
She glanced back at the empty medical room; Yae Sakura had disappeared.
She didn't sense anyone leaving the room; at least, the surrounding vegetation didn't detect it.
But Yuna didn't press the matter. If Yun Ling didn't want her to know, then she didn't need to know. This was Yuna's way of living.
Yun Ling led Yuna to clear out all the Honkai Beasts and assassins within a radius of several miles. Among them were many Chatiot-class and Emperor-class Honkai Beasts, thus Yun Ling's strength fully met the requirements for the A-rank assessment.
Yuna, however, was only responsible for clearing out those below the Chariot-class Honkai Beasts; therefore she could only be classified as a B-rank Valkyrie.
"Becoming an A-rank Knight after only one month of enrollment, that's probably the fastest record in St. Freya Academy's history," Rita joked.
"You flatter me. But I never expected Miss Rita to be an S-rank Valkyrie. You're truly a hidden talent," Yun Ling gently shook his head, expressing his admiration.
"I believe Mr. Yun Ling will one day become an S-rank Knight, and perhaps then we can work together."
Rita's eyes held a hint of allure, her words carrying a suggestive undertone.
"Yes, I look forward to that day." Yun Ling simply nodded casually.
Rita is dangerous when you can't fully trust her; after all, roses have thorns!
"Miss Yuna's performance is more than enough to qualify her as a B-rank Valkyrie, so congratulations in advance to both of you."
Rita gracefully bowed to the two of them, then went to Theresa's side.
"Ahem, congratulations, everyone, on completing the Valkyrie assessment. Those who didn't meet the standards, please don't be discouraged. You can go out on missions with your instructors to gain experience and strive to become capable Valkyries next time!"
Theresa encouraged the group.
As the Hyperion returned, those who had passed the Valkyrie assessment were gathered together.
There seemed to be about a dozen scattered around.
However, the vast majority of them could only serve as C-rank Valkyries. As for D-rank General Affairs Valkyries, these were generally reserved for those who hadn't passed the assessment by graduation but still wished to serve Schicksal.
"Quite a few passed this time. You are all future outstanding Valkyries... uh, warriors of Schicksal."
Theresa originally intended to say Valkyrie, but seeing Yun Ling standing among them, she changed her words.
It would be somewhat impolite to consider Yun Ling a Valkyrie as well.
After giving a lengthy speech, Theresa told them to disperse and wait for news; once Schicksal approved them, that was it.
"Yun Ling, Kiana, Mei, Bronya, Yuna, you few stay behind. The rest of you can leave now," Theresa said to the group.
Only after everyone else had left did Theresa continue speaking.
"While I don't want you to become B-rank or even A-rank warriors so quickly, since you want to, I won't stop you."
"Especially you, Yun Ling, A-rank isn't just a rank; it's a heavy responsibility. Many times you'll need to carry out missions alone. Without backup, please be extremely careful." Theresa looked at Yun Ling earnestly.
Yun Ling nodded in agreement.
"Alright, fill out this form. It's the application form for Valkyrie armor. After becoming a B-rank Valkyrie, you'll be able to have your own Valkyrie armor. Write down your preferences and strengths, and hand them in to me tomorrow."
"Yun Ling, since Schicksal has never designed armor for male Valkyries or Knights, I can only apply to higher authorities. I can't guarantee I'll be able to get an armor. After all, the more powerful the Valkyrie armor, the higher the requirement for the user's Honkai energy resistance, and men generally have lower resistance..."
Yun Ling pondered for a moment.
"Could you apply for some materials for manufacturing?"
"...What do you mean? You want to make it yourself?! This is completely different from the gun and weapon manufacturing you've studied!" Theresa doubted her ears.
"Trying it won't hurt. Anyway, I don't really need that armor. I'd rather have the materials and tinker with them myself," Yun Ling said nonchalantly.
"You really underestimate the Valkyrie Armor!" Theresa's face showed a hint of dissatisfaction.
A Valkyrie Armor set can elevate a Valkyrie with only B-rank strength to A-rank.
And an A-rank can somewhat contend with an S-rank.
The Valkyrie rankings have been reassessed. Before the Valkyrie Armor existed, the previous A-rank was equivalent to the current B-rank.
Even Rita needed the Valkyrie Armor to reach S-rank...
"It's alright, it's alright. Even someone as strong as Fu Hua doesn't have Valkyrie Armor, right?" Yun Ling waved his hand.
"You... never mind." Theresa rubbed her forehead. However, she also understood that Yun Ling's choice was actually quite good.
After all, there had never been armored suits for men before, not even Siegfried, with his S-class strength.
So, the chances of getting armor were practically nonexistent, but if she applied for the materials, it was a sure thing, something she would definitely get her hands on.
In a sense, this was a 100% profitable method.
...