Chapter 69
The day passed in a blur. Morning classes and lunch blitzed by, and before I knew it, afternoon had arrived.
I headed to the Great Auditorium to take the Holy Name of Charity re-election test. Jun-Hyuk and In-Ah were by my side. However, since In-Ah wasn't a candidate, she was just accompanying us on the way.
"Good luck! Let me know when it's over," In-Ah said as we arrived in front of the Great Auditorium, waving her hand in farewell.
I responded with a silent wave. Jun-Hyuk looked back and forth between In-Ah and me with a somewhat dissatisfied expression.
"...Hey! What about me? You’re not going to wish me luck?"
"Why? Do I have to? Alright. Good luck to you too."
“That’s a half-hearted cheer if I ever saw one. Put some heart into it."
“Some heart will cost you. I'll consider it if you give me around 30,000 won."
"30,000 won? Pffft, you’re out of your mind."
While In-Ah and Jun-Hyuk bickered back and forth, I counted the people gathered at the Great Auditorium. Apart from the proctors and the students who came to watch, there were roughly a hundred people left. There were quite a few students from other classes than the Class of Charity.
Strangely, students from other classes were allowed to participate in the Holy Name of Charity re-election test. Even students who already had a Holy Name, like Min-Seo with the Holy Name of Kindness, Su-Ryeon with the Holy Name of Temperance, and Ha-Yeon with the Holy Name of Chastity, could take the test. In fact, Ha-Yeon was receiving her test admission ticket in front of the Great Auditorium while Min-Seo and Su-Ryeon were making their way toward the auditorium.
"...Huh?"
Right then, I made eye contact with Su-Ryeon. She pointed her finger at me and said something to Min-Seo, who nodded with a profound expression. I didn't know what they were talking about, but somehow it made me feel uneasy.
At that moment, Jun-Hyuk tapped my shoulder and asked, "What do you mean ‘huh’? Why are you spacing out again today?"
In-Ah was just talking to Jun-Hyuk earlier, but she had disappeared.
"Looking for In-Ah? She left. Seems like she got annoyed because you weren't giving her enough attention."
"Oh?"
"Wow, look at that reaction. 'Oh?' Not even a small bit of guilt even when I tell you she’s upset because of you?" Jun-Hyuk said mockingly.
I didn't understand why, but I could sense a bit of anger in his tone. Perhaps it was because I had been neglectful of the people around me. After all, I had been immersed in spell practice and had too many things to worry about, like the Satanist, so I had been neglectful of the people around me. But did I really have to pay attention to them?
While the thought popped up in my head, a teacher’s sharp voice cut through the confusion and reached my ears. "Exam candidates, please come here to receive your admission tickets! You cannot take the test without an admission ticket!"
Jun-Hyuk and I made our way through the crowd to receive our admission tickets.
"Write your class and name here. And please show your student ID."
Following the teacher's instructions, we wrote our class and names on the registration form, then showed our student IDs. With furrowed brows, the teacher shifted her gaze between her documents and our student IDs, then nodded and handed us the admission tickets. The admission tickets were simple in design.
[Participant 041666 - Class of Charity Do Sun Woo]
On the white ticket, the letters were printed in black, and there weren’t any other words or decorations. Somehow, it reminded me of Han Dae-Ho's business card, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh, 666," Jun-Hyuk exclaimed as he looked at my ticket.
Only then did I realize that the last three digits of my registration number were 666.
"Of all numbers, it had to be 666. Ominous."
"On the contrary, I think it’s a good sign. Consider it a lucky charm."
"A lucky charm?"
Were lucky charms a part of the Romanican Church? While there was a similar culture within the Voodoo Cult, I was not sure if it aligned with the teachings of the Romanican Church. [1]
"...Well, isn't praying for prosperity similar to a lucky charm? I’m just saying."
"Ah, I guess,” Jun-Hyuk quickly corrected his mistake.
Although I found it somewhat strange, I didn't dwell on it much. It wasn't that significant of a slip of the tongue, and I didn't have enough brain space to pay attention to such a small detail.
"Students with registration forms, please move along!" the teacher shouted loudly.
Following closely, several large buses lined up in front of the Great Auditorium. Teachers loaded students onto the buses as if they were baggage. Jun-Hyuk and I watched the scene in bewilderment.
"Wait, why are there suddenly buses here? This is on another level," Jun-Hyuk exclaimed in amazement.
I nodded, agreeing with Jun-Hyuk's words.
"Hey, if you're taking part in the test, hurry up and get on!"
"Oh, they’re calling us."
Where on earth were they taking us that they had to use buses? However, before I could ponder further, we boarded the bus under the guidance of the teacher.
Inside the bus, the faces of those who had boarded before us were stiff and tense with anxiety. The windows were covered with curtains, so we could hardly see the scenery.
"...Ah, I’m feeling a bit nervous," Jun-Hyuk said, fidgeting with the back of his neck. There was a slight tremble in his voice.
Vroooom–!
Accompanied by the roaring sounds, the buses came to life and started to move.
***
I couldn't tell how much time had passed. The teachers confiscated our cell phones right after boarding, the curtains remained closed, and there was no clock inside the bus, making it impossible to check the time.
I looked around. Some kids were experimenting, drawing blessing arrays in the air, while others were chatting with their friends. The rest were sleeping.
"You know what this feels like? Kidnapping... Yeah, I feel like I’m getting kidnapped right now." Jun-Hyuk said.
It was a truly fitting expression. It did feel like we were getting kidnapped.
"And why are all the windows covered? I feel suffocated."
"You know what it is? What was it called...Area 51? Maybe we’re heading to a restricted area or something like that."
"Just to take the re-election test? Is F.A. swimming in money?"
"Judging from what I’ve seen, it seems likely. And if not, then oh well." Jun-Hyuk scoffed and leaned back in his chair.
Since Jun-Hyuk had taken up more space, the space of the kids sitting behind him decreased by the same amount.
"Ah, come on." A voice of complaint came from the back, but Jun-Hyuk didn't seem to care.
He simply sat in his chair and leaned back, gazing blankly at the bus ceiling.
"Hey, what holy artifact did you bring?"
"Well..."
I had no reason to answer the question, so I vaguely brushed it off.
In a situation where I wasn’t sure what the exam was about, revealing what holy artifacts I had would be tantamount to suicide. It would be best to keep what artifacts I had hidden, and if I happened to arrive at a situation where I had to tell someone what artifacts I had, it would be better to lace my explanation with lies.
"Ha, I see you're not talking. Are you trying to keep your competition in check?"
"What competition? Why do you keep thinking of me as a competitor?"
"Ah, come on. Stop joking around and be honest. I know you do consider me as your competition," Jun-Hyuk said, looking beyond the invisible window. His voice was somewhat serious.
It was true. Once the exam started, I would be competing with Jun-Hyuk. However, I didn't think of him as a competitor.
"..."
I turned my head and looked at the girl sitting at the very back. From her white hair to her skin, she had an overall pale appearance. She gazed aimlessly into the air with an expressionless face as if she didn’t feel the pressure.
It was Ha-Yeon, the Holy Name of Chastity.
Although they hadn’t boarded the same bus, Min-Seo and Su-Ryeon, the Holy Names of Kindness and Temperance, had also applied for this exam.
I felt sorry for Jun-Hyuk, but compared to Ha-Yeon, Min-Seo, and Su-Ryeon, he didn’t feel like a real competitor. If any unexpected variables were to occur in this exam, they would likely cause it, not Jun-Hyuk.
"When will we arrive? I’m starting to get bored."
"Um, could you please pull the seat forward?"
"If they could just tell us what time it was, that’d help a lot."
"Hey, guys..."
"I know, right? Why did they take our cell phones? It's ridiculous."
"..."
I could faintly make out a strange sound behind us during our conversation, but the voice was too soft.
The bus continued to speed on. We stared at the grid pattern of the curtains covering the windows, not knowing how much longer we had until reaching our destination.
*
Soon, the bus stopped, and, following the guidance of the teachers, we got off the bus.
As I set foot on the ground, I took a deep breath. I was first greeted by the scent of the forest and then the smell of fog. The air was so thin that it made it hard to breathe.
The place we arrived at was none other than a mountaintop. All the students, including Jun-Hyuk and me, looked around with bewildered expressions.
Right then, a man introduced himself with a hearty laugh.
"Welcome, everyone. I am Noah, the supervisor of the Holy Name of Charity re-election test and the overall person in charge of the Ark," he said cheerfully. "Oh, of course, that's not my real name. Noah is my baptismal name. A fun fact, however, is that my last name is Noh... Hahaha. Oh, wasn't that funny?"
His name, or rather, his baptismal name, was Noah. He wore a white shirt with black slacks, and ?he had a long robe that reached his ankles. The robe was a refreshing shade of blue and looked as if it held the sea within it.
"Well, anyway! I'm sure you all must be confused. Why did we bring you all the way up to the mountaintop for the re-election test? I'm sure some of you must be wondering. Naturally, this is not where you will be taking the test!"
[He talks too much. I despise men like him.] Legba clicked his tongue, listening to the man.
Come to think of it, Noah was indeed a talkative person. He seemed to talk more than Baron Samedi or Sobo.
"Your test will take place behind me, in this Ark!" Noah pointed exaggeratedly behind him.
It was the perfect time for applause, but unfortunately, not a single person clapped. The reason was simple. There was nothing in the direction Noah was pointing toward. Noah was pointing at empty space while babbling about the test and the Ark.
"...Is he crazy?" someone said.
Perhaps because the voice was heard in the silence, but it sounded even more exaggerated. Upon hearing this, Noah scowled slightly.
"Calling me crazy? That's quite harsh! There is an Ark behind me! Can't you see it? Only good people can see it, so maybe you can't see it?" Noah said loudly, waving his arms and legs in a disorderly manner.
Indeed, this person was crazy, I thought. Noah unleashed his divine power and drew a blessing array that I had never seen before.
Puuuuuu—!
The light flowed out of the blessing array and enveloped the air. In that instant, a loud boat horn roared, and something appeared in the previously empty space.
It was a boat made of wood. It was so enormous and magnificent that it was hard to capture it all within my field of vision. As soon as I saw it, the word "Ark" unconsciously came to my mind.
"Now, can you see it?" Noah said triumphantly.
The kids looked at the Ark that suddenly appeared with dumbfounded expressions with their mouths wide open as if in a trance.
With his lips rounded, Jun-Hyuk looked up and down at the Ark with sparkling eyes.
"I'm glad to see you surprised. Hahaha! Anyway, you will be taking the test inside this 'Ark.' Oh, just in case! This is an Ark, and although my baptismal name is Noah, this is not Noah's Ark!"
According to Noah, this was an Ark, but it wasn’t the ‘real’ Noah’s Ark made by Prophet Noah as recorded in the Holy Book. It was a holy artifact designed by Sung Yu-Da, the previous Cardinal, an expert in holy artifact production, and a man well-versed in the arts of sacred material science and sacred dynamics.
The moment the name Sung Yu-Da was mentioned, everyone’s gaze turned to Ha-Yeon. She, however, did not bat an eye.
I was bothered by how often I came across the name Sung Yu-Da. The names I didn’t want to hear stuck more vividly in my mind and lingered in my ears.
"Well, enough of that. Seeing is believing, so it's faster to go in and experience it firsthand. Now, everyone, let's go inside."
Noah guided about a hundred students, followed in a line into the Ark. The entrance to the Ark was spacious, befitting the Ark’s overwhelming size, preventing any confusion. I followed the crowd and entered Noah’s Ark. There was a security checkpoint similar to the entrance of an airport.
A man who appeared to be a staff member of the ship said, "Yes, you may proceed. Next!"
The students showed their holy artifacts to the man and passed through the security checkpoint, finally entering the ship.
Eventually, it was my turn. I showed the staff member the holy artifact I had brought and passed through the security checkpoint.
Beep! Beep!
A sharp sound resonated from the security checkpoint.
"Hmm? Is there a holy artifact that you haven’t submitted?"
"...No. There isn't."
"Huh, that's strange. Just a moment."
The staff member took a metal detector and scanned it over my body.
Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep.
At first, the detector didn't react to anything, but as soon as it passed over my fingertips, it made a sound.
"Ah, could it be because of this ring?" the staff member said.
“...”
I closed my mouth. Cold sweat trickled down. If it was impossible to bring the ring into the ship, my plan would be foiled at such an early point in the exam.
"Student, is this a couple's ring? Rings are allowed, but couple's rings aren't~"
"...What? No, no, it's not a couple's ring."
"I’m just joking with you. You can wear the ring and go in! Sometimes, things like this happen. I can tell it’s not a holy artifact. Hahaha. You’re free to go~" the staff member said, laughing heartily.
Fortunately, it seemed that rings were allowed. There were a few kids whispering behind me, staring at me while gossiping. I ignored them and passed through the security checkpoint.
After everything, I finally passed the security checkpoint and entered Noah's Ark.
When all the attendees had passed through the security checkpoint and finally entered the Ark, Noah stood in the middle of the Ark with his arms spread out wide as he proudly exclaimed, "Ta-da! This is the Ark right here!"
I looked around the ship. I was surprised by how barren it was. It was truly a bleak sight. How on earth were we supposed to take the test in a place like this? As I started to grow irritated from new questions arising one after another, he suddenly said, “Well then, everyone, please give your best in the exam!"
Snap!
With the sound of fingers snapping, the lights went out.
Thick darkness obscured my vision. I couldn't see anything in front of me. The darkness felt so deep that I didn’t dare take a step forward.
Startled by the sudden darkness, the students erupted in noise. Screams, shouts, whispers, sighs, the different sounds tangled and swirled around me like mist and then disappeared. What remained was pitch-black darkness and silence.
[Sung Yu-Da, that despicable bastard...]
Legba's muttering broke through the silence and echoed in my head. I couldn’t understand what he meant.
Snap!
At that moment, the same sound as before echoed. The thick darkness that obscured my vision began to recede, and gradually, a light started to seep in. It was blinding. I looked around, narrowing my eyes.
The dreary landscape I saw when I first entered the ship was nowhere to be found. I was now standing in a meadow. The ground was covered with short grass and lively flowers, and trees were scattered in the distance. Beyond them, there was a tall mountain that stood so tall that I didn't even dare to look up at it. The sky was clear and blue, and medium-sized clouds drifted by at a moderate pace. The sunlight felt warm and cozy. It was as if I had been transported to an untouched natural Earth, untainted by the hands of civilization.
Although I felt a sense of comfort in the absence of civilization, I also felt anxious. I still couldn't fully grasp what had happened to me.
Rustle.
Then, something fell in front of me. It was a note. I unfolded the note because I felt like I had to, as if, someone had commanded me to do? so.
[Candidate Number 041666 - Class of Charity Sun-Woo]
The theme for the first checkpoint is Ark!
Adonai is furious. Rain pours from the sky, the rain so fierce that it can submerge the whole world. Before you are drowned by the rain, you must quickly move into the Ark!
Evaluation Criteria:
1. How quickly did you move into the Ark?
2. [Confidential Condition]
The time limit is 2 hours. If you exceed the limit, you will be immediately disqualified and expelled from the Ark!
Candidates who pass the first checkpoint will have the opportunity to take the second checkpoint!
Good luck.
Everything happened so suddenly that it was difficult to fully grasp the contents of the note. Unfortunately, the situation did not allow me to take a moment to understand what was going on.
Tip, tip tip.
Swooosh—-!
The rain started pouring as if to signal the start of the test. The first few drops of rain quickly turned as thick as waterfalls. The clear and sunny sky was now densely covered with dark clouds. As I looked around, I saw other candidates braving the rain and running toward the mountain.
And so, very abruptly, the test had begun.
1. In the original literature, the word used in place of lucky charm is ??. ?? is a traditional Korean superstition where one believes it is good for something bad to happen to an insignificant event rather than during a significant event. Because it is a superstition, Sun-Woo is questioning why Jun-Hyuk would say something that contradicts the Romanican code. ?
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