Chapter 166
“Ah, I said it in a strange way. What I meant is that I will be moving separately,” I belatedly explained.
However, it didn’t change the fact that I sounded crazy. The practical exam this time around included individual, group, and departmental evaluations. For someone like me who belonged to the Department of Paladins, acting individually was simply insane.
To enter the Department of Crusaders, one had to master at least one combat discipline. To enter the Department of Priests, one had to achieve the required grades in sacred dynamics and sacred material science. However, there were no such requirements for the Department of Paladins. That was why the individual capabilities of the paladins were the lowest, and that was why there was quantity over quality to compensate for this shortcoming. Acting individually more or less meant that I was not utilizing that advantage. Thus, Dae-Man and the other team members tried to stop me, however...
"...This is the plan that I have devised so far. This is something that I came up with just now, so there might be a few flaws.”
After hearing my plan, my team members no longer tried to stop me. Instead, they looked at me with expressions that contained a bit of reverence. It wasn’t particularly an amazing plan. In many ways, it was an obvious plan that didn't deviate from the conventional framework, but it was enough to convince them.
I had to go with a straightforward plan to persuade my team members and make them understand why I had to act alone. After finishing my explanation, I was about to escape from the group and act independently, as discussed in the plan.
At that moment, Dae-Man grabbed my wrist and said, "Sun-Woo, I have something I want to ask."
Even though he seemed to be holding my hand lightly, there was a tremendous amount of pressure. This guy was indeed very strong.
I shook off his hand and said, "What is it? Tell me."
"I'm not opposed to your operation. However...."
Dae-Man hesitated to speak.
"If we follow that operation, wouldn't it be better to move together with the team instead of acting individually?"
"..."
"I can't explain the reason exactly, but I strongly feel that way."
I was slightly surprised. Dae-Man was able to accurately point out the parts of my explanation that I had intentionally excluded in order to justify my decision to move individually. Seeing how he was saying that he couldn’t explain the exact reasons, he must have figured it out through intuition. I seemed to have underestimated Dae-Man. He didn’t become the Holy Name of Diligence because of his massive body.
"Ah, you’re right. Typically, it’s better if I'm with you guys.”
I decided to tell him the truth. Dae-Man slightly frowned upon hearing my answer.
"Then why are you leaving the team?"
"Dae-Man, only you should know this. You can’t tell the other team members.”
I looked at his face. He had a firm expression that did not contain even a slight sign of wavering. It wasn't because he was in a bad mood. Rather, it seemed like he was simply focusing on what I was saying. It was because I had used the special phrase of only you to imply that this was special information.
"There is one more plan. The reason why I am acting individually is because of that.”
"Then the reason why you didn’t tell the other team members is because—"
"It's because their actions and behavior, which come from not knowing about the second plan, are part of the plan."
When I said that, Dae-Man nodded with a serious expression.
"Got it. Let's do it that way."
"Oh, by the way, while I'm not here, you have to take on the role of leader. Just like I mentioned earlier."
"Of course."
Dae-Man turned toward the team members. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned his body around to face me and waved his hand while shouting in a loud voice.
"I believe in you, Sun-Woo!"
"Yeah, sure. Believe in me," I replied half-heartedly and stepped out of the formation.
With his large build, Dae-Man led the team members and moved toward the location I instructed. Soon, they completely disappeared as they moved further away. The sight was similar to that of a mother bird followed by her baby birds. Dae-Man sure had a large physique.
I looked up at the sky. It was very cloudy. It seemed like it would rain soon.
It was because I had called Dan Wedo, back when I was just about to cross through the security checkpoint. It would have been strange for it to suddenly rain when the skies were clear. Thus, I had prepared in advance.
"Dan Wedo."
[Rain... right now?]
“Oh, I don’t even have to ask you now. I’ll leave it to you.”
Pitter patter—!
Not long after I called Dan Wedo, it started pouring heavily.
While getting soaked in the rain, I tore the lining of my coat and pulled out Baal’s Maw that I had hidden inside. Then, I put on The Gown of the Shem Brothers. With this, I could conceal my presence, but I couldn't completely hide my appearance.
That was why I made it rain with a heavy downpour. The mist created by the rain would limit visibility, and the sound of the rain would conceal my footsteps. The heavy raindrops would erase my footprints. Even so, I couldn't completely hide my appearance, but it was enough to avoid the teachers’ eyes.
Splish, splash.
I walked through the rain with the gown on. The sound of my footsteps was loud, but the sound of rain was louder, so there probably wasn’t going to be a problem.
While walking, I turned off the power of the electronic watch that I had received. It was because I was concerned about functions such as tracking or wiretapping. If someone asked why I turned off the watch later, I could just come up with an appropriate excuse. Coming up with an excuse was my specialty.
After walking for a while, I could see the supervising teachers guarding the examination site in order to prevent the students from leaving.
"...Sobo."
[Is it thunder or lightning?! Just say the word!]
"Both. In ten... thirteen seconds, at the same time."
[Understood!] Sobo replied energetically.
I covered my body with the gown once again. Then I carefully walked past the teachers.
Splish splash.
The sound of my wet footsteps seemed exaggeratingly loud in the rain. Although I was wearing The Gown of the Shem Brothers, the Florence Academy teachers were not oblivious enough to not notice people passing by right in front of them. That was why I needed Sobo's help.
...Three, two, one.
Boom!
In that instant, all the sound within the world disappeared, and only the sound of the sky tearing apart could be heard. Successive thunderbolts created flashes that dyed the world white. Only the sound of thunder could be heard and only the flash of lightning could be seen. It was a world that was devoid of everything else besides thunder and lightning, and it seemed like everything else was meaningless.
I didn't miss that opportunity and I passed by the teachers camping out around the perimeter of the examination site. Using the thunder and lightning to hide my body, I ran without looking back.
"Phew...!"
After hiding my body behind a tree that was of a suitable size, I collected my breath. I poked my head out and observed the gazes of the teachers. They were either absentmindedly gazing at the sky that was throwing a tantrum as if they were witnessing a phenomenal sight, or they were frowning due to getting pissed off by the sudden rain.
No one had seen me. It seemed like I had successfully made it through the second hurdle. I lifted my head and looked at the sky. Perhaps due to the demonic energy that had spread out due to the aftermath of the battle with Wrath, all the branches were bare and leafless.
Splash, splash, splash...
I kept walking until I was completely out of sight from the examination site, and until the teachers couldn't see me at all. Perhaps due to the tension I was feeling, or perhaps due to the lack of sleep, my lips, and even the inside of my mouth, were completely dry. It might have also been because I had used Dan Wedo's power.
Despite drinking the falling rain to quench my thirst, it was far from enough. Whether it was due to dehydration or lack of sleep, my head kept spinning, and I felt a strong urge to vomit. My eyelids kept on closing, and my legs kept wobbling. It was difficult to control my body.
"I need a spell..."
[I knew this would happen, you fool! How many times did I tell you not to stay up all night?] Legba scolded.
[A small amount of sleep deprivation makes a person daring. I don't think it's a bad thing,] Baron Samedi responded.
[This is more than just a small amount!] Legba retorted.
I expelled Voodoo magic power from my trembling fingertips and drew a spell array to cast an intoxication spell. I turned up the output to almost the maximum level, and I breathed in the mist. It felt as if the barriers obscuring my senses were instantly being lifted.
"Ha...!"
I couldn’t help but groan. A tremendous amount of pleasure that I wasn’t able to get used to, and should never get used to, washed over me.
High-intensity spells would leave traces unless they were used in the state of acquisition. However, the Voodoo mist blended into the darkness and dissolved into the rain. On a sunny day, it might be a different story, but if it was raining like this, then it wouldn’t leave a trace even if I used a considerably strong spell.
"Now I finally feel alive."
[Look like you’re already addicted,] Legba retorted with a displeased tone.
His voice sounded very loud and exaggerated. Perhaps it was because I had just used the intoxication spell. It felt like the sound was piercing into my brain. I’d never been pierced by noise before, but it felt like it would be similar to what I was experiencing right now.
"Please, just let me be until today... I mean tomorrow."
Anyway, my mind was very clear and lucid at the moment. I didn’t have the nerve to say that I was in the right state of mind, though. With renewed vigor, I pulled out an umbrella and a bottle filled with bone dust from Baal's Maw. I opened the umbrella to shield myself from the rain. I also tore my now unusable coat and turned it inside out to use as a makeshift mat on the ground. I sprinkled the bone dust on top and formed a hand symbol.
It was the vèvè that represented Granbwa.
"Granbwa!" I called out.
[Aren’t we still on bad terms?] Granbwa asked coyly.
In preparation to borrow Granbwa's power, in other words, the power to borrow the vision of the plants, I placed my hands on the ground and said, "Didn't we reconcile last time? Our relationship is really good.”
[It seems like you're saying that because you’re under the influence of the intoxication spell.]
"It’s the truth. I’m currently growing the flower with great care as well.”
[...Sigh, I understand.]
Granbwa let out a deep breath and reluctantly agreed.
I don’t know if it was just me, but based on her tone, it seemed like her mood had improved quite a bit. I summoned the replication spell, Dawn's Blade, and made a small cut on my finger before letting a drop of blood fall onto Granbwa’s vévé. After doing so, the pattern began to glow. It glowed in the purple shade that represented Voodoo magic, but I could also see a faint hint of red as well.
I closed my eyes and prayed. The pattern emitted a dim light, but when I closed my eyes, it appeared vivid and clear in the darkness.
While I was murmuring the prayer, Granbwa said, [Please don't mix blood next time.]
Finally, after finishing my prayer, the darkness was lifted and a new world unfolded before my eyes. Thanks to combining the vévé with the prayer, the breadth and depth of the world I could see were different.
It no longer felt like I was borrowing the sight of the plants. Rather, it felt as if I was seeing all the physical elements on top of the earth using the earth’s vision. It was as if I was looking down on the world from the perspective of an existence that transcended humans. Perhaps those deemed as seers and prophets saw the world like this. They were people who did not look at the world with naked eyes, but their mind’s eye.
However, I unfortunately did not have any time to admire this sight. I shifted the focus of my vision and searched for any potential dangers.
—Why is it suddenly raining like this?
—Yeah, the weather was fine just before the exam...
I could hear the voices of the teachers blocking the rain with their hands as they monitored the examination in order to prevent any students from leaving.
—Just where in the world are the clergymen? I can’t find them...
—Let's go over there. There doesn’t seem to be any clergymen over here.
I could also hear the voices of students searching for the clergymen scattered throughout the examination site to obtain tokens. Then, I shifted my gaze to the outside of the examination site, to a more distant and wider location.
If the Satanist planned to attack this place, they would either come themselves or they would have deployed minions under their control. They would have deployed demons or demonic beasts to be more specific.
However, since this place was selected as the examination site, security was strict. It wouldn't have been possible to place demons or demonic beasts inside the examination site, so they would have been placed outside the examination site so that they would be able to pull off a sneak attack once the exam began.
I looked at the scenery outside the examination site that was hundreds, no, thousands of meters away. I was starting to smell the scent of blood from my nose. It meant that I was using powers that exceeded the limits of my capabilities.
"..."
However, despite searching across such a wide area, I still couldn’t find any demonic beasts or demons. In fact, I couldn’t even find a single suspicious person. Just when I was starting to wonder whether Jun-Hyuk had lied just to screw with me, I spotted something.
"...I found it."
Within an area of the mountains that had been long neglected, there were dozens of vines and weeds. Through the eyes of the vines and the weeds, I was able to see the world.
Due to erosion from the wind, there were several holes in the middle of the mountains surrounding the examination site. They were small holes that only one or two people could barely fit into at a time. And from one of those holes, dozens of demonic beasts and demons exited at once.
Due to the pressure from the mountain, their bodies were constantly breaking apart. They were being squashed, crushed, and shattered by the second. Then, they would regenerate with the help of an unknown power. When one of the demonic beasts regenerated, another would be crushed, and when one demon regenerated, the body of another demon would be crushed.
Just like how blood circulated with each heartbeat, the demonic creatures repeated a cycle of regeneration and restoration, slowly pushing through the hole in the mountains. It was reminiscent of maggots wriggling out of a wound. At first glance, there seemed to be dozens of demonic creatures, but once they emerged from the holes, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were hundreds of them.
"Gran... Ugh, Granbwa...!"
Whether it was because I saw a disgusting sight, or because I had used too much power, a sense of nausea washed over me. I forced myself to swallow down my urge to vomit as I called out to Granbwa. If I used her power, it would be possible to seal that hole. An alternative method was to seal up the mountains and bury the demonic creatures alive by terraforming the mountains.
No, if possible, I had to use this method.
Those demonic beasts and demons were completely different from the ones that Jun-Hyuk had manipulated. Just from a rough glance, I could tell that their skin and flesh were much tougher and denser. Their fur was sharp and pointed like needles, and they were capable of withstanding and regenerating from immense pressure that would have normally resulted in death. If those creatures came out from the mountains, despite the large number of teachers and clergymen in the examination zone, it would be difficult to prevent casualties. It might end up becoming a massacre.
"Granbwa, what are you doing?!"
However, Granbwa hesitated to answer.
[...I can't do any more than this.]
Due to the intoxication from the spell and overwhelmed by urgency, I blurted out whatever came to mind at Granbwa.
"Why? Is it because you are still upset? Isn’t it fine if I just grow one more flower?!"
While I was saying this, the demonic beast and demons ceaselessly continued to crawl out of the hole.
[You’re going to die. Well, maybe not die, but still...]
"I won't die."
I firmly cut off her words.
"I won’t die."
Fluid was dropping down from my eyes. At first, I thought it was the rain, but it felt somewhat lukewarm. It seemed like blood was spewing out from my eyes. A bitter smell came from deep inside my nose. However, I could tell that I wasn’t close to dying yet. On the contrary, I felt that there was some leeway at the moment.
"And besides, if those creatures make it out of there, I'll die anyway!"
It was difficult to deal with such a large number of demons and demonic beasts. Even if the clergymen managed to deal with the threat by themselves, they would suffer significant losses. In the worst case, I would end up having to deal the demonic creatures with the power of the Loa and Voodoo spells. Of course, if I used the power of the Loa and Voodoo spells, I would be able to defeat all of the demonic creatures.
However, doing so in front of the students and teachers of Florence Academy and clergymen would be suicidal. I wouldn’t be able to disguise it as a miracle like I did with Ha-Yeon. I had to eliminate those demonic creatures, even if it meant that I would have to endure some losses.
[...I understand,] Granbwa replied reluctantly.
Soon, I could feel her power. Everything from weeds and flowers to tree roots and vines, everything under her control entered my consciousness. Each root, stem, and leaf moved freely like my own hands and feet.
"Haah, ha..."
I collected my breath and took in as much air as possible with my final breath. Then I exerted strength and moved the plants such that they would block the hole that the demonic beasts and beasts were coming out of. The rocks in the mountains were unable to withstand the strength of the plants, and as a result, they twisted and shattered.
Crumble—!
The hole was gradually narrowing. The frequency at which the demonic beasts and demons broke apart and regenerated increased. Inside the hole that narrowed so much that it was difficult to even fit an arm though, the demonic beasts and demons lost their form and became a massive twitching lump of flesh. It swelled as if it was going to burst at any moment before succumbing to the pressure of the ground and returning back to a lump of flesh. Eventually, the hole had reduced in size to be called a crevice rather than a hole.
Boom─!
The flesh of the demonic beasts and demons simultaneously all exploded. The scattered flesh soon became mushy, and eventually mixed with the soil and gravel before turning into black smoke and evaporating. The surrounding soil decayed to a pitch-black color.
"Phew...."
I finally exhaled the breath I had been holding. I felt a significant amount of exhaustion, perhaps because I hadn’t used Granbwa’s power in a long time. However, despite the fatigue, I felt a sense of accomplishment. With this, I had overcome the third hurdle.
Now, only the final hurdle remained. I had to wear The Gown of the Shem Brothers and return to the examination zone again. If I utilized Dan Wedo's rain and Sobo's thunder, this was also a hurdle that I could easily overcome.
I tried to stand up by pushing off the ground with my hand.
Rinnnng—!
The moment my hand touched the ground, my ears rang and a scene flashed through my mind like a bolt of lightning. Granbwa’s power, which still hadn’t been deactivated yet, showed me the world from the perspective of the earth. Within that vision, I saw a demon that I had failed to defeat.
In that fleeting moment, I could tell that this demon was on a completely different level compared to the demonic creatures that had been stuffed in the hole. Its exoskeleton looked like it would be impenetrable by any kind of blade, and the sharp decorations attached to its joints and fingers looked like they would be able to easily tear through human skin.
It was the largest demon I had ever seen. Unlike the ones that Jun-Hyuk controlled, it looked slick and clean. It was to the extent that, depending on the perspective, it could even be called beautiful. Its pure red eyes stared up into the sky. No, it wasn’t looking at the sky. It was looking up at the ground above.
"Below... the ground...."
It was buried underneath the examination ground, crouching down and waiting for the right moment to strike.
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