After sending a ‘signal’ to the entire Extreme Scythe Faction, I turned my steps towards the Western Continent.
If someone has directly felt my power, I surely sent out waves that they would recognize, so they should come looking for me soon.
I wish they would come immediately after sending out the waves, but unfortunately, they just seem to notice without actually coming out.
“Finally arrived.”
There are two factions in the Western Continent: one is the Extreme Blunt Faction that primarily uses hammers.
And just before I got here, there’s the Extreme Axe Faction that uses axes.
Originally, the two factions shared the Western Continent, but after the Extreme Axe Faction’s main base moved to Aether, it naturally became the territory of the Extreme Blunt Faction.
Currently, it seems that the Extreme Axe Faction only has a small branch left…
[Would you like to join the Extreme Blunt Faction?]
As I tried to enter the massive Inner Hall of the Extreme Blunt Faction, a message popped up.
I can’t enter here unless I become a disciple.
“Yes.”
[To join the Extreme Blunt Faction, you must receive the faction’s acknowledgment.]
[Please pass the ‘entry exam’ for the faction.]
[Current ‘entry exam’ is not yet started.]
“Exam?”
Do I really have to take a test?
Looking around the Outer Hall, I noticed a place packed with a lot of people.
With people talking about passing and leveling up, that must be the exam site.
[Low-level exam ㄷㄷ]
[No way, does Lily need to take an exam too?]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[With someone like Lily, she should be given urgent status right away;;]
[Let’s just smash everything!]
[5-minute exam cut, can’t stop laughing ㅋㅋ]
Numerous people gathered in a gym-like area, with someone standing on a wooden podium.
There’s a man wielding a fairly thick hammer and a woman resting a small hammer on her shoulder.
Unlike other factions, the members of the Extreme Blunt Faction wore short uniforms that matched well with the hammer.
‘Their skills… are not as good as Bujin’s.’
At best, they’re around level 120 to 130?
Since Bujin is an urgent disciple, I assume they are probably below advanced level.
As the man cleared his throat, everyone’s attention focused on him instantly.
“Hey! Everyone, pay attention! Those taking the examination for the first time to the right! Those taking the advancing test to the left!”
“Quickly move!”
“Get moving!”
As people rushed to move, I also shifted to the right while scanning the surroundings.
Unlike the main temple, which was overflowing with other races, most of the people here were humans.
I don’t see any particularly different races, and even if there are, they hardly deviate from human traits.
Most of them seem to be around level 90 to 110, not much different from the main temple.
“Cave?”
Following the crowd, I came across a cave.
Following the line, a cave appeared.
In front of the cave was a man wielding a hammer, but he looked even weaker than the guy on the podium earlier.
“Nice to meet you. I am Won-ho, an Intermediate Disciple of Extreme Defense. For this Lower-ranked Entrance Exam… um… a total of 70… huh? Why so many? Anyway, thank you for applying in such numbers.”
Cough!
“I won’t beat around the bush. As you all know, the most outstanding is our Extreme Defense Sect. We have overwhelming strength and superior techniques compared to other sects.”
Ahem! Won-ho folded his arms and proudly proclaimed their excellence.
I don’t know if that’s actually true, but there’s no need to speak down to potential new members of his sect.
“To become a Lower-ranked Disciple of our sect, you must pass a total of three tests.”
“What kind of tests are there?”
“That will be revealed in due time. But there is something even more important.”
Answering the question from the guy with the ponytail who was mixed in the crowd, Won-ho uncrossed his arms and slammed the hammer down with a bang!
When the ground shook and cracked, many challengers opened their eyes in surprise.
“In this place, rank is law. There are rules, so it’s best not to talk carelessly to disciples of higher rank than you.”
“…Understood.”
The ponytail guy bowed his head deeply.
Hmm…
[What a show-off lol]
[Merely an Intermediate brat?]
[Why is he getting all worked up over just a question…]
[Lily should ask a question]
[Time for rebellion ㄱㄱㄱㄱㄱㄱ]
[Lily should be promoted to Advanced right away]
“But everyone has to start somewhere. I will give you a hint about the exam.”
‘Hint?’
“The first and second tests are individual tests, but the last test requires teamwork. You must cooperate with each other.”
Teamwork, huh.
The fact that they need to work together made many challengers whisper among themselves.
It looks like some of them were pretty flustered, perhaps not having heard this information before.
‘Some are already trying to pair up…’
[Lily, who will you team up with?]
[?]
[Do we really need a duo?]
“Well, I guess we should try the individual tests first and decide afterward… Ah. Shall we do that?”
Since I brought them here, I can’t just let them do nothing.
[?]
■
The first round of the Lower-ranked Entrance Exam began, and a total of 72 challengers entered the cave.
This cave was a Magic Array cave created based on the wisdom of the ‘Ancestors.’
Called the “Hand of the Earth,” this cave could present trials to entrants based on special conditions.
I can present trials to the particles.
Won-ho, the supervisor of this exam, used the magic array to observe all the challengers’ tests.
As two individuals, a man and a woman, entered Won-ho’s room, he stood up abruptly and bowed his head.
“Hey~ Won-ho.”
“Is everything going well?”
“Ah, Mujoo, Senior, Minja, you have arrived.”
“I don’t need to be called Senior.”
The female, Intermediate Disciple Minja, waved her hand as she said this, causing Won-ho to bow even lower.
“Still, since you’re a senior who came in before me, it’s only right to show respect.”
“Hmph. Is that so?”
“Is the exam proceeding smoothly?”
“Of course.”
At the words of the Upper-ranked Disciple, Mujoo, Won-ho nodded.
“A total of 72 challengers have entered the hands of the earth. They are currently facing the ‘Extreme Strong Stone.'”
“72? I thought it was 70?”
“Ah, that’s true, but… it seems there’s been a misunderstanding. Minja, Senior.”
“Hmm. Is that so? What do you think, Senior?”
“Well… there must have been some missing people along the way. Lately, things have been chaotic.”
These days, the whole world, including Extreme Defense, is in turmoil.
The high-ranking members of each sect seem busy preparing for some issue, which is why the entrance exam, originally set to open much later, suddenly commenced.
And even that was under significantly ‘relaxed’ criteria.
Minja shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.
“I really don’t understand. I mean, no matter how chaotic it is, how can we teach kids who don’t even qualify?”
“The higher-ups must have their reasons, Minja, Priest. We just have to follow.”
“No~ but that’s just too much. In the end, it’s us Intermediate Disciples who’ll end up teaching those low-ranked.”
When are we ever going to take care of all these low-ranked ones~
“I’ll tend to them when I can. So don’t worry too much.”
“Okay~ You’re the only one we can count on. The other Intermediate folks are too engrossed in their training.”
“Haha~ I lack talent, so I have to do something like this.”
“Ah? You shouldn’t say that! If you lacked talent, you wouldn’t even be able to join Extreme Defense. You’d be treated like a low-ranked disciple in Extreme Scythe or Extreme Shield.”
Kekek. Minja said with a laugh, and everyone present didn’t respond negatively to that.
No matter how much of the Seven Factions it is, there has to be a hierarchy.
Of course, you can’t disregard their high-ranking members, but below that, they’re perfectly dismissible.
–KWAAM!!
–KWANG!
–Hryaap!
–Why is this so hard! It won’t break!
–Kuugh…!!
–Break already!
Sounds from numerous challengers could be heard beyond the magic array screen.
They were putting in all their effort to pass the ‘first trial.’
Struggling to pass through it were they.
But unfortunately, mindlessly using brute force wouldn’t destroy that ‘Extreme Strong Stone’.
Mujoo, the senior most in this place, watched the screen with a dull yet somewhat dissatisfied expression.
“…The level has certainly dropped. It seems we’ve accepted those who shouldn’t have been accepted.”
“Exactly, Priest. They plainly handed out the book, but it looks like some haven’t even read it a few times before swinging.”
“They’re newcomers, after all. Even those kids will be useful if we keep giving them a chance.”
“But rolling them is our responsibility, right? Ah~ They probably don’t even have jewels. What on earth are they doing?”
In this world, there are many strong individuals above the level, but ‘talents’ are scarce.
All born with natural bodies, yet they are merely big children who can’t use even a fraction of their own strength.
It’s truly frustrating as a talent scout, but if they were easy to find, would they even be called talents?
Ideally, we hope for a ‘genius’ with jewel-like abilities to come along, but those only appear once in a hundred years, if at all.
Even if one appears, there’s no guarantee they’ll come out with extreme defense.
“…What happens if they can’t pass this?”
“They measure the destruction level to set the benchmark and pass them.”
“When I was there, you had to destroy everything. It has truly weakened! It’s weaker!”
“Minja Priest.”
“Hey, even you agree, right? Back in my day, I quickly mastered the technique and shattered it like this in just 30 minutes…”
─Crackle crackle crackle.
“…Huh?”
“?”
“?!!”
A light lit up on one of the 72 screens.
It meant they had passed the test.
Startled by the sudden news of a pass, the three supervisors turned their gazes to that screen.
Did they look at the booklet? No.
The book lying on the stone table inside the cave seemed untouched, as if only a page or two had been glanced at, and there were no signs of technique involved.
Above all, the challenger wasn’t even holding a ‘weapon’ in hand.
“…???”
“That…”
No, they were indeed holding a weapon.
‘Should I consider it as holding that? It’s questionable.’
“…Claw?”
─Uh… did they, did they pass…?
A little girl with red hair, her one arm transformed into a claw, was staring up at the sky.
Below her were the remnants of the ‘Extreme Strong Stone’ shredded apart by ‘power’…
“…How many minutes has it been?”
“4 minutes and 27 seconds.”
4 minutes 27 seconds.
Three times faster than the upper-ranked disciple.
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