Chapter 9: End of the First Exam

Stepping off the subway, I was greeted by a sunset-drenched sky.  How quickly time had passed.

Looking around, I noticed there were people nearby. But these weren't ordinary citizens. Their attire, intense gazes, and the peculiar objects they carried hinted they were all psychics, likely connected to the Cheonji or the examinees.

"Gooju-nim, send someone to Saengmun Station. Arrange the rankings for those who exit, starting from third place downward."

"Have the first and second places already been decided?"

A woman, who had been drinking wine as if it were water, looked at me and a chick beside me, asking.

"Who disembarked first?"

Who disembarked first? I couldn't quite remember. I certainly didn't want to draw unwanted attention from the psychics by being ranked first.

"This one here."

"Cheep?!"

"Indeed, you are... Hah, yes."

The woman, who I presumed to be an alcoholic, flashed a sly smile and turned to the chick beside me.

"It's common knowledge, but I'll explain anyway. The one who tops the first exam of the Cheonji receives special privileges."

What? There are special privileges for coming first in the exam?

Why didn't they tell us this sooner?!

But it was too late to catch a ship that had already sailed.

"You are truly remarkable. Do you wish for 'congratulations'? Do you wish for 'blessings'? Do you wish for 'prosperity'?"

"If I may be so bold, I wish for congratulations."

"Congratulations."

The woman, presumably suffering from alcohol addiction, spoke up.

"The term 'Chug [축]' (Zhù [祝]) refers to praying or wishing for something in front of an altar. Then what determines what you wish and pray for? It's the word that follows, 'Ha [하]' (Hè [賀])."

She continued.

"...'Ha [하]' (Hè [賀]) combines the character for 'shell' used in trading with 'Ga [가]' (Jiā [加]), meaning 'to add'. Thus, 'Chugha [축하]' (congratulations) can simply be interpreted as a prayer or wish to increase wealth."

"Are you saying you'll give money?"

Could the first prize really be money?

In a world where it was all about money, money, money.

Did I just miss my chance to become rich?

"Hehe. You're such an interesting child. It's not like we would give something as mundane as money. Our cultivators' treasures are not judged by their monetary value."

I sighed inwardly.

That was a relief.

It felt like the pain had lessened.

"Since you wished for 'congratulations', I shall bestow them. Accept it."

"I gratefully accept, ma'am."

The alcoholic woman handed over to the chick something resembling marbles used in playing marbles.

The chick, unable to hide its joy, tightly clutched it as if it were precious.

"This is a Golden Elixir made by the alchemist Gooju-nim, a spell bead. Once broken, you can use Gooju-nim's spell once. Gooju-nim, can you explain your spell to the top scorer?"

"It was originally made for that purpose."

"Alright then."

The alcoholic woman took out something that looked like a small blackboard from her bosom. Then, she began to write something on it with white chalk.

"O esteemed recipient. You know what this item is, right?"

"Yes, I've heard it's used to convey confidential information that must not be disclosed to others."

"The principle of this item is simple. It's inspired by how demons corrupt manuals, pictures, and texts in the mortal world."

Having finished writing on the blackboard, Gooju took it and slightly lifted it for everyone to see.

"Using this board, you can corrupt the text so that it is visible only to the intended recipient, like this."

I gazed at the blackboard.

Written on it was this:

<The principle etched into Gooju's soul is the principle of law. If he deems someone has violated the law, he can impose corresponding punishments. By clapping his hands to declare a session open, he can then curse or attack the violator as much as the law was broken. The law here is set by your own standards, and it doesn't matter if those laws are petty or irrational.>

So that was his ability.

He makes his own laws and meets out punishments.

That was utterly overpowered.

But then, why could I see the writing on this blackboard so clearly? Could it be that I've been permitted to see it?

"Yoo Hahjin, no matter how hard you stare, you can't see the contents of this blackboard. No matter how powerful your spiritual energy is, the laws of the soul are unchangeable."

From the words of the alcoholic woman, it seemed I was wrong. It looked like the text was made invisible by something like a ghost or spiritual energy. But since I can't see ghosts, maybe I can see the writing obscured by them.

It's probably not a good idea to reveal this fact.

So, I changed the subject.

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh, haven't we introduced ourselves yet? I am Gamlo. And you are Yoo Hahjin, right? Yes, that settles it."

Is this Cheonji's way of introduction?

Lost for words, I looked up at the sky.

"Everyone, got it?"

"Yes, we understand."

"We mustn't recklessly divulge others' abilities. There are many gifted individuals in this world, some even with the ability to read the memories of space itself. That's why we use this item, 'Heuksulmyeong'."

"I understand."

"It's easy to use and powerful. If sold, it would easily surpass a billion. Use it wisely."

Hearing this, I collapsed.

More precisely, I clutched my stomach, writhing in pain.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Cheep?!"

My stomach, it hurts so much.

Darn it!!!

Why is nothing going right!!!

Why!!!

Even after all that hard work!!!

I haven't even managed to save up a million won in my bank account!!!

Give me back my billion!!!

Oh heavens!!!

* * *

I reached out toward the sky, but it remained indifferent, slowly darkening. I never really expected anything from the sky anyway. The world is inherently unfair, after all.

Still, I couldn't shake off the gloom.

When feeling down, it's best to think positive thoughts.

At least the issue regarding Cheonsu was resolved. This chick said it would handle it. Plus, the pink chick had secured either a gold or silver elixir, which would surely boost her value.

As I was basking in my mental victory, the chick spoke to me.

"Um, you're Yoo Hahjin, right?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you curious about my name?"

Right, I needed to get the chick's name and phone number to clarify our contract. That way, I could hold her accountable later.

"What's your real name?"

"Jinari. Not just a chick."

"So, shall we exchange phone numbers then?"

"Cheep, a phone number. A man's..."

Jinari suddenly hung her head. 

What's with this reaction?

And so, we finished exchanging phone numbers.

"See you at the next exam. Make sure to be there."

"Yeah, sure."

Though I said that, I had no intention of participating in the next exam. Considering how today's exam unfolded, I couldn't even guess how many had died.

The blood-soaked subway floor, people losing their minds, and the indifferent examiners watching over it all. It was no different from Futaba Park, marked with three skulls.

Not participating in such exams is the wise choice. I had no desire to die taking such absurd tests. Now that the Cheonsu issue was resolved, my exam was over.

As I was about to leave the subway station, I noticed some suspicious characters communicating with a blackboard.

<Assassination of Fengchu failed. Master is furious.>

<Next assassination planned during the second exam. We have decided to employ the assassin Guon who passed the first test. >

<Guon, the Grey Spider, right?>

<Yes, that Guon.>

Oh, Fengchu , they are talking about that chick, aren’t they?

They're planning to assassinate it during the second exam.

The value of Chick coin is plummeting...

No, it's not just plummeting; it's delisting!

If the chick is assassinated, there will be no one left to handle Cheonsu. And though it might sound foolish, I didn't want to leave the chick to die. I know we've only met for a day, and our meeting wasn't exactly pleasant. But still...

I let out a sigh naturally.

"Phew."

I'll go home and think about this.

* * *

The second exam is said to take place in the former DMZ in northern Gyeonggi Province.

After North Korea's downfall at the hands of evil spirits, the old DMZ has reportedly become a real netherworld.

Even Professor Wiki didn't know much about it.

There was plenty of information about the DMZ before the 'Day of Awakening,' but very little about it after that day.

It's just described as a hellish place. A hell on earth with a survival rate of 1%.

That's all the explanation there was.

However, there were plenty of research papers from the South Korean Bureau of Paranormal Phenomena, memoirs of those who'd ventured into the DMZ and managed to escape, and information on the types of evil spirits frequently encountered there. There was so much data it was hard to determine what was crucial.

"Jamsuni would know about this stuff."

Jamsuni, with her internet ghost-like manner of speaking, was well-versed in such information. It was Jamsuni who had told me about the broken spirit gate being a paranormal phenomenon.

Alright. I'll ask Jamsuni  about the DMZ.

With that thought, I was about to enter my officetel.

"Where have you been today?"

But I couldn't go in.

Jamsuni was blocking my way.

"You won't believe where I've been." S~ᴇaʀᴄh the N0ᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

"It's Pyeon Station, isn't it?"

Jamsuni's expression turned icy as she spoke.

Yikes, how did she know?

But I wasn't too surprised.

Jamsuni, despite her bluster, had something akin to spiritual abilities.

"Ah, this is so annoying. Which bitch put her spiritual energy on my stuff? Seriously want to kill her. Damn it."

"Don't, don't use such harsh words."

Jamsuni hurriedly covered her head as I slightly raised my hand.

I found her reaction cute, so I shook my head and stroked her hair.

"Don't treat me like a child."

Despite her protest, I found it amusing how her expression softened.