Episode 145
“Heh, that kid like that is a senior, so the level of the qualification test has dropped as soon as it’s gone.”
“If not, is it that the skills of rookies have deteriorated that much recently?”
Of course, there were not only those who welcomed Han Kang-yoon’s senior pass.
No, on the contrary, there were a lot of not-so-pretty eyes.
For those who have been eroded by supremacy or competition that has been rooted for a long time, Han Kang-yoon, who does not span any lines, was like a thorn in the eye.
Also, even if it wasn’t for that reason, there were those who sighed deeply at the news of Han Kang-yoon.
Qingdaoyul, the elder of the Cheongga, was one of them.
“… He was no ordinary guy.”
“Like the elder said, he seems to have been a more talented person than I thought.”
“And it means that such a talented person is under Jeong-ha.”
It was never welcome news for Qingdaoyul.
A promising rookie is because it has infinitely useful value.
The gap with Jung Hae, which had already occurred due to the last incident, had widened the gap even more.
‘Besides, you’ve surpassed the record of that cleaner?’
It is truly astonishing. Qingdao-yul, who recently met Chung-do-yul, knows best how much monster Jeong-ha has.
“but. It wouldn’t be so strange if she was a talented person who had been secretly nurtured.”
At least, the exorcist qualification test must have been as simple as going for a walk to Han Kang-yoon.
Qingdaoyul sighed deeply with a confused look.
It was because there was no way to get through the current situation.
‘… Some of the neutral families have turned their backs on them.’
The forces that originally belonged to the Qingdao Yul faction are now showing signs of withdrawing little by little.
It was decided that there was no future for Qingdao Yul.
Towards Cheongdo-yul, who was deep in the water, his close confidant, Cheong I-rin, spoke carefully.
“… How about summoning Cheongundo?”
“What is that, you’re talking about a big deal.”
Cheong Un-do was a former elder of the Cheong family, and after being deprived of his seat for disturbing the family, he was also turned away from the faction he belonged to.
If he held him in his arms, of course, the criticism against Qingdao-yul would be stronger, but Cheong I-rin did not back down and continued talking.
“It’s a pretentious thing to say, but I think the current reputation has already fallen more than expected. The gains of putting him on the same side will outweigh the losses.”
“… … .”
It wasn’t wrong. Now that everyone is pointing at me anyway, just adding a little bit doesn’t change anything.
On the other hand, since he was a former elder, Cheong Un-do’s ability cannot be denied by everyone, and he clearly has the strength of the upper ranks among the elders.
“Also, it may not be a bad choice, as you can get a lot of benefits without having to move him publicly.”
“… It makes sense.”
It was Cheongun-do, which was no different than the scoundrel of the family, but the current Qingdao-yul clan was in decline to the extent that he coveted it.
In the end, Qingdaoyul quietly nodded after finishing all her worries.
It was the moment when the troubled child of the Cheong family, who was famous even decades ago, returned to the center of the family again.
***
After the Exorcist Qualification Exam was over, the academy began to spread the news of our acceptance on a large scale by putting our name on it.
In fact, it was normal. The early release of candidates was like an opportunity to prove that Cheonghwa Academy was excellent.
The cadets attending the academy also became aware of our achievements, and for a while, our names began to be mentioned in various places.
[Five people, isn’t that the highest number ever?]
[right. They said that the second and third graders are now the golden generation, so it doesn’t seem like it was a bluff.]
[Only that much? I heard that both the senior and second-class passers are in the 3rd year, don’t you know what that means?]
Perhaps the most interested in such news were first-year students who had just entered the academy.
In fact, the sophomores were less surprised because they already knew to a certain extent the skills of the current third-year class A, but the first-year students seemed somewhat shocked by the performance beyond their imagination.
[The 3rd grade A class is like that… … .]
[Can we do as much as that in two years?]
[I can’t really imagine it right now.]
It’s time to draw your future in full swing, so it’s easy to think that one day the protagonist could become himself.
Anyway, for that reason, recently, whenever I wandered around the academy grounds, strange eyes began to follow.
And, the interest did not stop there.
“Are you a guest?”
“okay. It’s just that he’s too high-class for us to reject. At least he wanted to ask for your opinion.”
“All right. I will see you.”
At the words of Professor Baek Ji-eun who had called me out, I thought for a moment and then nodded.
If Baek Ji-eun is a person who emphasizes that much, he will be quite famous outside, so there is nothing to lose by looking at his face.
I was expecting a little bit after hearing the brief explanation, but the person waiting for me in the visitor waiting room was a pretty familiar face.
It was Shin No-eul, the leader of the Red Flower Team, a special task force belonging to the Exorcism Headquarters.
‘It is the same as the description in the original.’
Long red-red hair, as if watching the twilight at sunset, and eyes shining like jewels.
Even though he was not taking any action, he could feel the gentle force of a strong man.
Also, even if not for her distinctive appearance, I remember her relatively clearly. It was because the image of an event that was about to happen was too intense.
‘… An incident that is nothing more than a signal that heralds the second Baekgwi night trip to come.’
In the midst of that, the Red Army, who faced the S-Rank Yokai, Myodusa, fell into a state of annihilation.
‘The members are almost annihilated, and Shin No-eul is also seriously injured and falls into a state of retirement.’
The shocking strength of the S-Rank Yo-kai that first appeared in the original work has still clearly left an image.
In fact, high-ranking exorcists who had been treated as the strongest class in the community before that.
The sight of them being brutally murdered and collapsing brought a great shock to many players at the time.
It was also the moment when I realized once again how vicious the game was.
‘… … .’
It was at the time when it became certain that the second Baekgwi Night Trip would actually happen due to the rice cakes that had been revealed, but on the other hand, Yoo Ha-on and his party, the main character, were in the midst of whether or not they would have to work together to catch the A-rank monster, no matter how well they nurtured them.
In the midst of that, the relentless strength of S-Rank was revealed, so it was natural for the player to wonder how the hell he should handle it.
Anyway, Shin No-eul, the protagonist and victim of such a fight, is now in front of me.
Now, as a living human being, not just a piece of data in a game.
“Are you Han Kang-yoon? nice to meet.”
“Yes. It is an honor to meet you.”
“yes? Did you know me?”
“He is the leader of the Red Flower gang and has been promoted to a special exorcist, so many of you have never heard of his name.”
I was also interested in hearing about her promotion recently.
Hearing my words, Noeul Shin responded that he was not in a bad mood and opened his mouth.
“Actually, I’ve been paying attention to you since before. It was probably around the time the public presentation was held. But I thought it was unrealistic, so I just put my thoughts aside… … .”
It was not difficult to guess what the purpose of it was.
“I’ll tell you straight up, I want you to join the Red Army.”
“May I ask what the reason is?”
“Well, not to mention talent. I just absolutely liked you.”
It was a pretty straightforward answer. Even with a single word now, I could roughly recognize what kind of person Shin Noeul was.
It was a really insignificant recommendation, but seeing it in front of my eyes gave me a different feeling. It seemed clear that Shin Noeul had a great charm as a leader.
“Now that I have obtained my exorcist qualifications, there is nothing to take. After graduation, is there any place that you set your mind on?”
“Not yet.”
“Okay then. Think about it. I don’t know in terms of money or reputation, but if you want to grow as an exorcist, the Red Army is a very good option.”
The current conversation alone moved me to some extent, but unfortunately I cannot accept that offer.
After graduating, I was planning to move on my own according to my purpose rather than belonging to somewhere.
But apart from that, I also felt a strong interest in this moment.
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More precisely, I rather wanted to draw them towards me.‘… There wasn’t much performance in the original.’
It is natural. After defeating Myodossa (猫頭蛇), the Red Flower Group naturally followed the procedure of disbanding.
However, that does not undermine their skills. On the contrary, the fact that he was able to defeat the opponent even after a sudden encounter with an S-ranked monster was quite remarkable.
So, what if we could borrow their power in the fight to come?
‘It will definitely be a very powerful force.’
At that moment, I quickly shook my head. How can I get them to participate in the battlefield of the future?
And, I quickly came to a conclusion.
“First of all, thanks for the suggestion. I am also not very interested in money.”
“… then?”
“However, it is clear that this is not an easy decision to make. So, may I ask you a favor?”
“great. I will listen and decide.”
The request I made to her was, in a way, natural.
“I want to temporarily join the Red Red Army to gain experience. The period would be around June.”
“It is not difficult. I’ll tell the upper class and the members from here.”
“thank you.”
Perhaps because of unexpected results, Shin Noeul left the academy with a satisfied face.
And I thought, nodding my head softly.
‘It is clear that the time of appearance of Myodousa (猫頭蛇) is in June.’
So, at the same time, join the Red Red Army and help them avoid falling into a state of annihilation.
It can be a blessing and borrow strength later, but it is ultimately helpful to me.
For the future, the more power on the exorcist side, the better.
However, for that, you have to be very busy from now on.
‘… S rank youkai.’
No matter how expedient it is, the current state of affairs is unreasonable. It would be impossible to even stand properly in front of it.
So, until then, I had to use all sorts of methods to at least get to a higher level.
Returning from the waiting room to the dormitory, I clenched my fists tightly.