Chapter 139

‘…Pathetic.’

Choi Jitae, now twenty-four, was a seasoned Exorcist recognized by both himself and others.

Though he hadn’t learned Cursed Techniques from a prominent family or any other prestigious educational institution, he had been taught by a master since childhood and had spent several years abroad in actual combat after becoming an adult.

In Choi Jitae’s estimation, the other examinees in this Examination Ground were nothing but greenhorns.

Kids who knew neither the resolve to stake their own lives nor the responsibility to protect the lives of others.

Especially the Academy students who had applied early for the exam without knowing any better felt extremely disagreeable to Choi Jitae.

They must be at an age where they haven’t even properly experienced real combat yet; there’s no way such individuals could be responsible for protecting citizens as Exorcists.

Thus, Choi Jitae thought.

If an opportunity arose, he would show those early applicants the difference in Level and personally fail them in the exam.

His primary targets were the two early applicants in the same waiting room, Academy students named Yoon Jeongil and Han Kangyoon.

[The first exam will begin shortly. Examinees in the waiting room, please proceed to the Examination Ground following the guidance of your assigned examiner.]

As soon as the announcement signaling the exam’s start was broadcast, Choi Jitae leisurely stood up and walked, deliberately brushing past and bumping their shoulders.

It was a kind of marking behavior to suppress their momentum from the start.

“Ugh!”

As expected, Yoon Jeongil staggered and looked at Choi Jitae with a bewildered expression, but soon averted his gaze upon seeing Choi Jitae’s trained physique and intense eyes.

‘Hmph. Figures. Can’t see any guts or backbone.’

However, the reaction from the other side, Han Kangyoon, was quite unexpected.

After glancing briefly at Choi Jitae, Han Kangyoon soon brushed off his shoulder and left the waiting room with a short smile.

It was an action brimming with composure. From Choi Jitae’s perspective, it was a rather displeasing reaction.

‘…Still, a greenhorn is a greenhorn.’

In any case, in the various exams about to begin, opportunities to teach Han Kangyoon about the reality of the towering wall would be plentiful.

Choi Jitae, with a smile full of derision, followed everyone to the first Examination Ground.

And soon, the examiner announced the content of the first exam.

“The first exam is a basic ability assessment. Please perform the designated task using one of the Art Formulas written on the screen in the center of the Examination Ground, according to your preference.”

The first exam wasn’t difficult. It was literally meant to assess the foundational skills accumulated so far as an aspiring Exorcist.

Without hesitation, Choi Jitae chose his specialty, an Offensive Art, and used the designated Art Formula, Soul Blaze Rending Wave, to successfully hit all three prepared targets.

The Art’s deployment speed was fast, and its accuracy was also high. Its power likely exceeded the benchmark sufficiently.

When he looked at the examiner with an expectant gaze, the examiner nodded and showed a gentle smile.

“You seem proficient enough to utilize it perfectly in actual combat. You must have undergone numerous trainings; that’s a good mindset.”

While it felt somewhat like giving him a boost, this was an excellent evaluation.

Choi Jitae, with a satisfied look, left the area with the targets and joined the line of those who had completed their measurements earlier.

Then he shifted his gaze to Yoon Jeongil and Han Kangyoon, who had chosen Defensive Arts.

‘As expected, that side. How weak.’

Unlike Offensive Arts, which almost directly reveal the practitioner’s capability, the Defensive Art test in the qualification exam is relatively low in difficulty.

One simply needs to block the prepared Offensive Art or Binding Spell Formula as one sees fit, and the examiners, not knowing how the results might turn out, naturally have no choice but to lower the upper limit of its power.

Because of that, those not very confident in their own abilities almost always choose Defensive Arts in this type of exam.

Choi Jitae thought they too must have picked that up from qualification exam guidebooks or internet communities, pretending it was some kind of tip.

‘In real combat, enemies don’t make such allowances.’

After numerous examinees’ turns passed, Yoon Jeongil’s turn finally approached.

Whoosh.

Prepared Stitch!”

Clang.

As expected, it was unimpressive skill. He blocked the attack, but no particular flair or mastery was felt.

One could even sense a complacent mindset focused solely on somehow passing from his very attitude.

Choi Jitae shook his head side to side and sneered at such Yoon Jeongil.

And soon, this time, Han Kangyoon’s turn arrived.

‘Hmph, let’s see what he’s got.’

For defense, one had to use the designated Art Formula, so what Han Kangyoon was preparing was also the same Defensive Spell, Prepared Stitch.

Soon, the examiner shot an Art of the same power as always, and Han Kangyoon, standing still, observed it intently.

Seeing this, Choi Jitae tilted his head in confusion.

‘What is he doing?’

Normally, the Art’s deployment should be carried out diligently around this time. If not, the timing is late.

However, Han Kangyoon didn’t take any action, as if frozen by the pressure of the exam.

Just as the examiner, confirming this, frowned and was about to retract the deployed Offensive Art, Han Kangyoon finally began to move.

Whoosh.

Fwoosh.

“Prepared Stitch.”

Kiiing!

The ensuing scene left everyone watching no choice but to be astonished.

Clearly, the timing of the Art deployment was significantly off. The examiner’s Art was already fully aimed at Han Kangyoon, and there wasn’t enough time to do anything.

Yet, Han Kangyoon perfectly deployed the Defensive Art in that split second and blocked the attack.

A control near perfection.

Unless it was a High-Ranking Exorcist who, through countless experiences, could deploy Arts as naturally as breathing, such a level was utterly impossible for an Exorcist Apprentice who hadn’t even obtained their qualification yet.

In that situation, the examiner abruptly stood up from his seat, and Choi Jitae, also flustered, replayed the series of offense and defense he had just witnessed in his mind.

And then unconsciously denied it.

‘It must be a mistake.’

And for good reason. This couldn’t be possible.

A mere Academy student showing this level of Art deployment ability? It’s something that, logically, cannot exist.

Perhaps the examiner had calmed his surprised mind, as he returned to his seat and proceeded with the remaining two tests.

This time, it was a process of blocking another type of Offensive Art and a Binding Spell Formula.

However, in those two attempts as well, Han Kangyoon perfectly deployed his Art at the last possible moment, blocking the examiner’s Cursed Technique.

At that miraculous tightrope walk, the examiner, while amazed, slightly frowned.

“Impressive skill. But was it necessary to create such a dangerous situation? I wish you had taken the exam with a bit more earnest attitude.”

“……”

At those words, Han Kangyoon remained silent for a moment before speaking again.

“If it were the same situation as before, this is what I consider the optimal form of defense.”

“…Could you explain?”

The examiner, now also interested in Han Kangyoon, asked a question instead of reprimanding. Then Han Kangyoon continued, showing no sign of tension.

“Please use the same Art as before once more.”

“Understood.”

Whoosh.

Swaaak!

Soon, the examiner’s Rending Burst Art was fired, and Han Kangyoon, timing it, leaped forward and instantly deployed his Art.

Then an astonishing situation unfolded.

Clang!

Crackle!

Tik.

The examiner’s Offensive Art was blocked by Han Kangyoon before it could even advance one-third of the way, and in that time, Han Kangyoon, having closed that distance, was already holding a Talisman to the examiner’s neck.

In short, he blocked the attack at point-blank range and immediately launched a counter.

Paradoxically, it was an extremely aggressive form of utilizing a Defensive Art.

“…I see. This isn’t skill from just one or two attempts. Do you fight in the same style in actual combat?”

“I simply find the optimal solution for each situation.”

“Hoh, that’s not something an Academy student who isn’t even an adult yet would normally say.”

Clearly, at Han Kangyoon’s age, it would be difficult to accumulate such significant experience, yet for some reason, Han Kangyoon already exhibited the appearance of a battle-hardened veteran who had fought countless times.

At that fact, the examiner, purely impressed, praised Han Kangyoon.

“An excellent talent has arrived. I look forward to your future exams.”

“Thank you.”

And watching that scene, Choi Jitae, with his hands tightly clenched, muttered in his heart.

‘…Hmph. When you think about it, it’s nothing special. I could do that too.’

Indeed, if Choi Jitae also repeated some training, he could perform the same feat as Han Kangyoon.

However, that assumed a confrontation between Basic Arts like before.

Choi Jitae couldn’t even imagine that Han Kangyoon could realize the same tactics in higher-Level combat.

Receiving such a gaze from Choi Jitae, Han Kangyoon merely flashed another slight smile.

‘Literally, he’s so frustrated he can’t stand it.’

I could unmistakably sense from the waiting room that Choi Jitae viewed me unfavorably.

Seeing him direct similar glances at Yoon Jeongil a few times, he clearly disliked early applicants.

‘He certainly seems to have some skill of his own.’

Given that level, he must have undergone considerable real combat and training, accumulating cultivation.

But even such efforts from Choi Jitae would pale before me.

Because the time I have accumulated is literally not just one or two years.

Moreover, a significant portion of that is not time from the past, but from the future.

Frankly speaking, compared to the difficulty of the qualification exam in the latest installment, the exam at the time of the first installment felt strongly outdated.

‘But I mustn’t let my guard down. It hasn’t even properly started yet.’

With the first exam, which was essentially a warm-up, completely over, all examinees from the 4th Waiting Room headed to the next Examination Ground.

Subsequently, the content of the second exam revealed by the examiner’s mouth was Barrier Escape.

From the second exam onward, the content was famously not fixed and changed each time, and Barrier Escape was known to be a fairly high-difficulty exam among them.

However, that too was not the case for me.

From my perspective, having conquered countless mystical realms like labyrinths created by witches or mirror forests, a mere maze in an Exorcist qualification exam was literally child’s play.

“This exam will be conducted as a relative evaluation, and all rankings, including personnel from other waiting rooms, will be made public. However, the evaluation criteria are not just the time taken, so I expect you to wisely deal with the challenges.”

And I know. Who holds the record for the best performance in this Barrier Escape exam.

‘It was definitely Cheong Soha.’

Of course, there were geniuses who dominated their eras even before Cheong Soha, but the Exorcist qualification exam was formally established after the first Night Parade of One Hundred Specters Crisis.

Considering she is essentially regarded as the greatest talent in modern-day Korea, it’s a somewhat fitting result.

Then, what would happen if someone appeared who could break that record?

‘……’

Imagining the events about to unfold in my mind, I slowly took steps forward.