WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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Chapter 15: Act 3: Great Exorcist Order Entrance Exam (8)

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The Shaman examination offered three choices.

One talisman, one small combat puppet, or one straw effigy.

Make and submit at least one of the three.

Ise stared intently at the sample pieces, then decided to start by drawing a talisman.

Surprisingly, the atmosphere in the examination hall was rather relaxed.

No one stopped the applicants from exchanging opinions or helping one another.

The examiners simply looked over the finished pieces and graded them on the spot.

‘They said a talisman loses its effect if even a single stroke, line, or dot is different.’

Ise put his full effort into completing his first talisman. Since he had drawn it without any pressure, it seemed reasonably well made compared to the work of the other applicants, whose hands were trembling.

After comparing it to Seolryeong’s talisman, he smiled in satisfaction. She gave him a sour look.

“What’s with you?”

“What?”

“That was your first time using talisman paper, yet you barely made any mistakes.”

“I’ve always been pretty good at writing and drawing.”

“…You’re good with your hands. Still, you won’t be able to do it like that in the field.”

“I wasn’t planning to waste valuable materials anyway.”

In truth, this was only a scrap of paper.

A talisman only became effective when a talisman artisan used a brush made from a spirit beast’s hair, talisman paper made from spiritual materials, and precisely infused it with spiritual energy.

Since even ordinary sects found it difficult to raise a single talisman artisan, Ise had no particular desire to learn the craft professionally.

He moved on to the next test.

The sample straw effigy and combat puppet were easier to copy than he had expected.

Seolryeong kept chattering beside him, saying these were extremely basic procedures.

When it became too noisy, he moved seats. Seolryeong stuck out her lips and followed after him.

At last, the results came in.

“Nine, eight, nine. Twenty-six points in total.”

“Thank you.”

His score was one point lower than Seolryeong’s. Still, it was better than he had expected, so he was satisfied.

Maybe he had some talent for it after all.

“Y-you wanted the Shaman specialization?”

“No. I’m applying for the Demon Hunter specialization.”

“Then why? I can understand copying a talisman or a straw effigy, but a combat puppet isn’t something you can make without practicing beforehand!”

Ise patted her trembling shoulder and tried to comfort her.

“I only made the shell. Don’t get so worked up.”

“That still makes no sense!”

“If you only scored one point higher than someone making one for the first time, doesn’t that just mean you haven’t trained enough? Or that you don’t have enough talent. There’s still time, so why not visit the Healer examination hall? You should find another talent before it’s too late.”

“……”

Seolryeong froze where she stood, like a stone statue.

After offering his sincere advice, Ise headed for the next examination hall.

The Shadow Agent examination required applicants to activate a formation, repair a mechanism, or submit a written explanation of the principles of Arcane Gate Evasion.

It apparently required more foundational knowledge than he had expected. His average score there was a miserable five points.

Still, considering he had been the only person in the examination hall, perhaps it was not too bad.

Thanks to that, he got to observe, handle, take apart, and thoroughly enjoy all sorts of mechanism formations and Arcane Gate Evasion techniques.

“In all my years, you’re the first person I’ve seen use an examination hall as a training room.”

“It was a valuable experience. Thank you.”

“Mm. Your talent isn’t bad, considering you have received no formal training. If you have no other aspirations, consider this path as well.”

“Yes.”

Ise obediently answered.

* * *

That evening, Seolryeong brought over a new team member.

“I personally read each person’s fortune and chose him carefully, so you can trust him!”

“Pi Garam.”

The boy who introduced himself as Pi Garam had short hair tied back, subdued eyes, and dark shadows beneath them. He gave off a strange air.

“That’s an unusual name. What are you good at?”

“I can make simple sealing formations.”

At that, Hae Unchan clapped his hands.

“Wow, applicants who have studied formations are incredibly rare. You found a good one!”

Seolryeong cleared her throat at Hae Unchan’s praise and planted both hands on her hips.

“He’s at the First Star of the Qi Condensation Realm.”

At the First Star of the Qi Condensation Realm, one still could not properly control spiritual energy. Pi Garam likely relied on the power of spirit artifacts for his formations.

Hae Unchan and Seolryeong were at the Second Star of the Qi Condensation Realm.

Ise and Pi Garam were at the First Star.

Their combat ability was honestly much the same.

Until they reached the middle stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, when cultivators could truly wield their powers, there was not much difference between them.

They were simply far stronger than ordinary people.

The four briefly discussed their specialties, equipment, and other notable details.

Hae Unchan mainly used fist-and-kick arts and swordsmanship. He had no other spirit artifacts or specialties.

Ise said that he likewise used fist-and-kick arts, a hatchet, and shield techniques in battle. He did not mention any other specialties or spirit artifacts.

Seolryeong had trained in basic spells for eliminating low-level evil spirits, as well as combat using various spirit artifacts. A whole array of spirit artifacts hung inside her loose robe.

Pi Garam said he had trained mainly in archery and formations. He seemed to be hiding something, but no one pressed him.

Most spirit artifacts used by early Qi Condensation Realm cultivators were either single-use items or consumables with a limited number of uses.

That was because cultivators did not directly control spiritual energy to use them. Instead, the artifacts consumed the spiritual energy infused into them during their creation.

“Most of Seolryeong’s spirit artifacts can be used three to five times... Pi Garam, how many times can you use your formation?”

“There’s no limit. But I need time to draw the formation myself.”

“How long?”

“Seven and a half minutes.”

“…That’s awkward.”

It was exactly enough time to drag out a fight and die screaming.

Most spirit artifacts used at this stage were like that. They were incomplete, or expensive yet usable only a few times.

Still, if they could help them pass the examination and save their lives in a real battle, they were worth using.

Once they had finished introducing themselves, Seolryeong asked, “What about a strategy? Aren’t we making one?”

“I don’t think it means much when we don’t know what we’ll face. Let’s just arrange our positions based on our equipment. Is it all right if I take command in battle tomorrow?”

The other three nodded as though they did not care either way.

It was not as though there would be much to command.

Seolryeong, who somehow seemed more knowledgeable about the examination than Hae Unchan, as though she had taken it once before, gave them one final warning.

“Be careful. Don’t get hurt, and let’s all pass. There are three examinations left, but aside from the written test, there are really only two. Most of the people injured in the Great Exorcist Order examination are hurt in those two.”

She added, “If the tests so far were meant to assess the minimum requirements, now they’ll see who has what it takes to become cultivators who could truly lead the next generation of Great Exorcist Order.”

“As expected of a noble family’s daughter. You know so much. That’s impressive.”

At Ise’s casual praise, Seolryeong twirled a lock of hair around her finger and puffed out her chest as she said, “It’s nothing much.”

He could not shake the feeling that she had lied about her age.

* * *

‘Move.’

On the morning of the fifth day, Ise settled atop a scenic outcrop of strange rocks to control his spiritual energy and demonic qi.

After awakening to spiritual energy, he had cut his morning training down to the minimum.

Having become a cultivator, he felt he had already reached the limit of what he could improve through physical training at his current level.

He had stepped into the realm of the superhuman.

From here on, he was certain that excessive training would only be inefficient.

There might still be room to increase the size of his muscles, but his agility would decline in proportion.

In the end, he had no choice but to admit that his current body was in its most balanced state.

‘Physical training should only maintain my best condition.’

He spent the rest of his time gathering the energies within his body.

It was not going as he wished.

‘I should be able to reach the Second Star even without learning a cultivation method.’

In principle, Great Exorcist Order forbade applicants from practicing other cultivation methods before joining.

Because the Demon Extermination and Spirit Subjugation Method was so unusual, this was meant to prevent someone’s spiritual root from becoming contaminated and making them unable to learn it properly.

In other words, every applicant had yet to learn a cultivation method.

Yet some had still reached the Second Star of the Qi Condensation Realm.

Hae Unchan and Seolryeong were examples.

That proved it was possible to reach that level through natural enlightenment alone, without a cultivation method.

‘Could I really be lacking in talent...?’

It was hard not to think so when he felt the spiritual energy flowing steadily without yielding to his will, and the demonic qi rampaging wildly in every direction.

Naturally, Ise did not know that those who had already reached the Second Star had not learned cultivation methods, but they were children of powerful families with countless supporters and their clans’ investments behind them.

* * *

“We will begin the fifth examination.”

By now, he was becoming used to the examination hall.

Five hectic days had passed.

The nearly two thousand applicants had dwindled until one could count them at a glance.

Perhaps many applicants had awakened their spiritual roots over those five days. In the training ground where they gathered, unrestrained spiritual energy shimmered like heat haze, as if on display.

They had likely eaten and slept well in a place overflowing with potent spiritual energy.

Ise himself felt as though his entire body had changed in just five days.

“The fifth examination is a team examination. Those who failed to form teams beforehand have been assigned to teams at random.”

The examination would be held in the central training ground. As in the third examination, a large pattern had been drawn in the center.

“Each team will face and kill one demon summoned at random. Use whatever means and methods you wish. Once the demon is killed, every person still alive in the examination ground will pass. If you believe you cannot do it, declare your surrender. Unless you hunt the demon or surrender, the examination will not end even if someone dies.”

Death.

Given Kang I-tae’s personality, he would not be exaggerating for effect. People had surely died during this examination before.

Someone swallowed loudly.

“There is one thing you must be careful about. Do not die before you can declare your surrender. We cannot bring the dead back to life.”

After his short explanation, Kang I-tae called the first team.

Every person called wore a sour expression.

It was a team made up of people who had still failed to awaken spiritual roots. In other words, no one had chosen them, and they had been forced together.

A fourteen-sided Spell Bell die, marked with the numbers one through fourteen, spun through the air.

It landed on one.

Kang I-tae drew a small knife from his robes and slashed through the air.

Something astonishing happened the next moment.

The empty air tore apart like paper. Kang I-tae reached a hand inside and pulled out a bound demon.

A real demon.

Not a haechi transformed into one or showing them an illusion, but a living demon struggling desperately.

Ise asked Hae Unchan, “What is that?”

Hae Unchan shrugged, showing that he did not know either. Seolryeong answered instead.

“That is a sacred relic called the Ghost-Storing Prison. It is said that Hall Master Kang I-tae captures low-level demons alive, imprisons them in there, then uses them for examinations like this.”

Ise quietly marveled. He had studied an enormous number of books, yet there were still so many things he did not know.

Footnotes:

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