Chapter 3: Preliminaries

After sending Jamsuni back, I turned on my computer and searched for Cheonsu Doryeong. "Haa"

My sister warned me not to delve into psychics because of my peculiarities, but in a life-or-death situation, I had no choice.

"Cheonsu Doryeong, 29 years old, runs a club and a restaurant in Hongdae..."

A promotional article appeared alongside a photo of a man wearing silver sunglasses. The article briefly mentioned that Cheonsu, despite his young age, was a successful entrepreneur and a shaman.

"Hmm."

I tweaked my search terms a bit.

Hongdae’s gang leader, Cheonsu's gang, Cheonsu videos. Still, I couldn't find the brutal video Jamsuni had mentioned.

However, I stumbled upon some intriguing posts: 

"This gang leader seems to have a tight grip on the Hongdae drug scene lately." 

"Where did that guy go?" 

"Heard someone got their hand chopped off for messing with the bottom ranks of the Cheonsu's gang."

Confirming that if one messes with the Cheonsu's gang, they risk losing their hand.

Honestly, it was quite unnerving...

I gently rubbed my wrist and continued to search the internet for more about Cheonsu.

"No dine and dash at that store; it's protected by Cheonsu."

"These guys really do whatever you ask for. It's beyond imagination."

"Did you see the chaos at the club today? A drunk from the Cheonji side beat up the Cheonsu gang, and their executives came out and collectively bowed their heads."

This was quite an interesting post. Clicking on it revealed a photo of some rough-looking guys bowing their heads to a handsome man.

The comments read:

"Even the gang leaders bow down to Cheonji. Such a loss of face, lol."

"His own gang member turned into a half-wit, and still, he can't stand up to Cheonji."

Now it was confirmed that the Cheonsu gang was very subservient to those from Cheonji.

I was beginning to get a clearer picture of what kind of person Cheonsu was.

He seemed like a literal gangster shaman.

He was the type who grovels before the strong and shows boundless cruelty to the weak. A classic thug, the kind one often see in real life.

I finally ventured into the deep web and searched for 'Thousand hand Scion.' Minutes later, I regretted that search.

Videos filled the screen: a man being tortured for hours, a woman's prolonged screams, an elder begging for death, a child ceasing to search for mom and dad. It was a grotesque collection.

"Damn it..."

I was as enraged as I was terrified.

This guy Cheonsu.

He was a truly despicable monster.

And these videos were just the free samples. The ones available for purchase were probably filled with even more horrifying scenes.

"Crazy bastard."

My hands trembled uncontrollably. The thought of possibly being the next one in those torture videos made me feel like I could wet myself any second.

Wait, couldn't psychics track where people have gone? I quickly searched for methods psychics use to track people. 

The answer was straightforward.

<Strong spirits, psychics, or shamans can read the celestial patterns to track people. If you want to hide from such stalkers, it's best to scatter your own celestial pattern. Talismans to conceal your celestial pattern from stalkers, now available for just two million won...>

Cheonsu was a powerful shaman. He probably, like my sister, could read the celestial patterns to find out where I'd fled. 

Ah, damn, this is hopeless.

"Maybe I should write a will..."

I spread out an A4 sheet and began to write my will. It went something like this.

To the uncle next door: Drink less and exercise more. Feel free to take anything you need from here. And please format my computer.

To Jamsuni: Go back to school and live a normal life. Cut down on swearing and picky eating. After the old man formatted the computer, it's yours.

And to our crazy girl Nayu: Honestly, I doubt you'll understand this will, so I won't write much. Just live well. Make sure to get treated by a shaman later.

Tears inexplicably started to fall as I continued writing the will.

"Why don't I have any spiritual gifts?"

That was really puzzling.

Genetically, I had a high chance of inheriting psychic abilities.

My ancestors were generational shamans, and my sister was exceptionally gifted.

But I couldn't see ghosts.

Even when people in the world couldn’t see ghosts, my sister could snap the possessed back to their senses just by looking at them, without any ritual.

Back then, I thought it was all just a show.

If only I had such abilities...

"I would have joined Cheonji."

As a member of Cheonji, I’d have shown the Cheonsu gang what real power is. Especially to that fanatic Cheonsu, I would have personally instilled the spirit of a true shaman.

"...Wait."

Something came to mind when I thought of Cheonji.

My hands moved back to the keyboard.

There was a hot topic in recent news. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ ɴøvᴇl_Firᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

"That's it."

This news was at the top of the portal site:

"The time has come to ascend to Cheonji. Who will be the remarkable talent this time?"

It was the season for Cheonji to recruit new talents. Cheonji holds an annual exam to select new members, drawing global attention.

The reason for the attention was simple.

Thousands of selected psychics from various countries attempt the preliminaries, but only a few hundred make it to the finals.

The finals were even more challenging.

In the finals, more than a hundred participants often died. Even those who survived sometimes ended up disabled or severely impaired.

I heard that only a few dozen were selected after such a grueling process. This was the notorious Cheonji examination.

"Didn't they say Cheonsu can't touch anyone involved with Cheonji?"

This meant that while I was taking the Cheonji exam, the likelihood of Cheonsu kidnapping me was practically nil. Though there was a high chance of dying during the Cheonji exam, it seemed a cleaner end than being tortured by the Cheonsu gang.

Of course, with no abilities, my chances of passing the exam were nonexistent. But that was fine. My goal wasn't to pass the exam, but to befriend someone strong enough who could. This thought reminded me of something my sister had said.

"She warned me not to get close to psychics or even learn about psychic abilities since I can't see ghosts."

I had lived by that advice until now.

But in a life-or-death situation, I had no choice.

"The dream of extending life...!"

I began to search urgently for information on the Cheonji exam.

* * *

I took a deep breath.

Honestly, I was starting to feel nervous. Why? 

Because I was standing at the Cheonji exam venue.

Arriving at the actual exam site, the tension skyrocketed.

"Pyeon* Station."

After the day when everyone's spiritual eyes were opened, a subway station suddenly appeared. It was called Pyeon Station. Seeing it in person, there it was, the sign reading 'Pyeon Station.'

Surrounding me, numerous journalists and examinees had set up camp at the entrance of Pyeon Station. The examinees wore expressions of difficulty, murmuring amongst themselves.

"This prelim is too intense, isn't it?"

"It feels twice as hard as the last one."

Hearing this, I quietly despaired.

The prelims are tough?

Please, stop exaggerating.

I needed to befriend those who made it to the finals.

I prayed silently. To God, Buddha, and even the almighty Lucifer...! Please let me pass just the prelims. 

I envisioned a girl, angelic in appearance but devilish in play, wishing me luck... Somehow, that was not reassuring.

Then, I greeted a man in a traditional hanbok standing at the entrance.

He must be some sort of exam facilitator.

"Ah, hello."

"Hello. Are you an examinee?"

"Yes. Where do I take the prelims?"

The man in hanbok smiled and replied.

"This is the place for the prelims. Simply passing through the golden rope around the entrance of Pyeon Station counts as passing the prelims."

I looked towards the entrance of Pyeon Station. There was a tightly strung rope with talismans attached to it.

"...?"

Is just passing through that the prelims?

Are they mocking me?

"Is that really it?"

"Yes, it's true. Don't be too despondent. This exam is quite difficult, and we've raised the bar for the prelims to avoid unnecessary casualties..."

Ignoring the man's words, I lifted the golden rope at the entrance of Pyeon Station. It lifted easily.

And just like that, I had passed through the golden rope.

"...Does this mean I've passed the prelims?"

"Ah, y-yes, of course."

The man in hanbok looked at me, bewildered, and nodded. In my overwhelming joy, I found myself doing a cartwheel.

But it didn't matter. My knees might as well be made of adamantium. To thought the prelims would be this easy when I was preparing for the exam.

I must have spent all my life's luck here.

"Hahaha."

Now, time to meet those who've made it to the finals.

* * *

Cheonji's examiner stood with his mouth agape, unable to close it.

The reason was that a massive and solid barrier, akin to a giant fortress wall, had been breached in an instant.

Of course, the core of this barrier was the golden rope, reinforced with talismans.

But once the barrier was formed, finding that golden rope was an impossibility.

How could anyone find the golden rope beyond the wall, especially with anti-penetrative magic in place?

Even if found, it posed a problem.

How could one break through the wall and touch the golden rope?

'To breach a barrier that might not even yield to high explosives in an instant...'

Even he, affiliated with Cheonji, would need to pour spiritual energy for over ten minutes to break through this seal. Yet, it was effortlessly crossed in a blink. He, aware of many monsters within Cheonji, had never seen this type of monster.

This exam wasn't designed to brutishly break through barriers. It was meant to assess how examinees cleverly deceive, strategize, and sacrifice to pass. That was why he had never imagined such a scenario.

"What kind of monster could that be?"

The entrance to Pyeon Station, used as the prelim venue, buzzed with noise. Journalists murmured, "Did he just lift a barrier?" 

"Which family does that man belong to?" 

"Hey, quickly contact the desk, find out that man's identity!"

He sighed softly and then gently clapped his hands.

Instantly, everyone around Pyeon Station became mute.

Not figuratively mute – literally. Despite their attempts, no sound came out.

"Silence in the examination area."

People looked at Cheonji's examiner in horror, unable to speak. He remarked,

"This exam is going to be quite interesting."

It was because the monster laughed.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

[TL: Pyeon: In buddhist terminology this word ('피안') means the afterlife after liberation but the literal meaning can be different base on the context. ]