Episode 246 Ghost Shadow
On the way to the training center, I contacted Shin Byeong-cheol.
He deserves a chance, as he contributed greatly to the conquest of Heuksabang.
[Kim Ho: Yeah, yeah]
[Shin Byeong-cheol: Where are you?]
[Kim Ho:Tsen]
[Shin Byeong-cheol: Thank goodness I’ll go right away]
Then, Shin Byeong-cheol really came running.
“Oh my, thank you for calling.”
“You promised.”
“Ugh, that’s wrong. As expected, humans should live by keeping their promises.”
I asked Jang Mu-geuk with a nod, and he nodded his chin slightly in response.
It seems that Wang Chun-sam has already been summoned.
I went to the training center and took up a large training room.
And then, with everyone watching, they started setting things up one by one.
When I manipulated the training room terminal, a square-shaped stage appeared.
It is very similar to the one-person training facility seen in Jukrim.
Next, I took out the evil spirits and goblin statues that I had stored in my inventory one by one and placed them around it.
In order to recreate the magic of the Hwanma, each position must be exactly the same without even a single inch of error.
However, in this case, no special skills or knowledge related to formations were required.
‘You just have to memorize it all.’
There weren’t many stone statues, only about ten at most, so it was enough to memorize them all.
A goblin in the eastern corner, an evil spirit in the opposite western corner, and another evil spirit in the corner next to that… … .
The stone statues were placed one by one, paying careful attention to their positions and the direction in which they were viewed.
– Ss …
Fog slowly spread across the square stage, and the goblins and evil spirits gradually grew in size.
Dang Gyu-yeong gently touched the stone statue as if it was curious.
“This looks like a balloon. I know it’s a welcome sign.”
When we see a vision, it means that the law is being properly manifested.
It also means that I am doing it right.
So I continued to place the statues, and by the time I was finished, the statues had grown larger than people.
When I turned my back on the stage, Dang Gyu-yeong asked me.
“Is it done?”
“Yes, would you like to go first?”
“Well, that’s what it is.”
Dang Gyu-yeong came up on stage and took his place in the center.
Then the fog suddenly thickened and covered her.
Only the silhouette is barely visible.
“… … .”
“… … .”
Everyone strained their eyes and stared into the fog, wondering how the test of the magician would be conducted.
However, Dang Gyu-yeong’s silhouette just stood there still.
This is because the test takes place in a fantasy setting, not on a stage.
Then, not long after, the fog quickly cleared and Dang Gyu-yeong’s figure was revealed.
“omg.”
And then he comes to his senses with a start.
Judging by his complexion, it seems he failed.
It probably ended with him getting beaten up by the statues.
I asked Dang Gyu-young, who had come down from the stage for a moment.
“Would you like to take a rest?”
“No. I have a rough idea. We should end it now.”
“That sounds good.”
I nodded coolly, and Dang Gyu-yeong took his place on the square stage again.
The second challenge took longer.
As the fog cleared, Dang Gyu-yeong let out a long sigh, but a smile was slowly appearing on his lips.
Sometimes, he looks to the side briefly as if a notification message has popped up.
“I got it.”
“You finished it quickly.”
“Twice is enough.”
Dang Gyu-young smiles proudly.
I was confident in evading it since it was a Rogue class, but I still thought it would be able to do at least 3 tries.
Judging from the fact that he was able to do it in just two tries, it seems like Dang Gyu-young’s talent isn’t bad.
Next up is Chae Da-bin.
This time my prediction was right, it took me three attempts to pass the Demon’s Test.
His magical engineering skills are amazing, but everything else is somewhat lacking.
‘So, if you graph it as a hexagon, it’s an awl.’
Wouldn’t I lose if I fought against a promising first-year student?
While I was thinking like that, Dang Gyu-yeong came over and asked me.
“So we’re done? Is there anything else we can do?”
“No. You can go.”
Both of them have mastered the Ghostly Shadow ability, and since the test will be held in the welcoming circle anyway, there is no need to watch.
It’s more productive to go do something else.
“Have a nice rest this weekend~”
Dang Gyu-young waved his hand in greeting and left the training room with Chae Da-bin.
Next, I looked at Shin Byeong-cheol and Ko Hyeon-woo alternately.
“Who wants to go first?”
“I don’t mind taking it slow.”
When Go Hyun-woo gave in, Shin Byeong-cheol raised the corners of his mouth.
“Huh, it’s finally my turn.”
And then he steps up onto the stage with a confident stride and declares.
“You don’t need to do it twice or three times. I’ll finish it in one go.”
“What is confidence?”
Soon, fog covered Shin Byeong-cheol and the ghost shadow test began.
But soon after,
“Ugh.”
Shin Byeong-cheol staggered with a sound of deflation.
It looks like he got hit hard in the stomach by a goblin statue.
But still without losing composure,
“You let your guard down. But this time it’s different.”
I’m going to try again right away.
Of course, the second challenge didn’t have much different results.
The third challenge is the same.
“Ugh.”
“… … .”
Although I, Ko Hyun-woo, Jang Mu-geuk, and Wang Chun-sam were all silent, an unspoken consensus was forming between us.
The thoughts that came to your mind were probably similar.
‘You shouldn’t be nagging.’
There is a good chance that they will end up in the same situation, so it is better to keep your mouth shut as much as possible.
Shin Byeong-cheol, who is trying for the fourth time.
“Ah, I get it. Now I just get the ghost.”
“Stop for a moment.”
But I stopped him and said,
“Since I failed the 3-try, I’ll do it again after doing it once like everyone else.”
“Do we really have to go around once? Wouldn’t it be cleaner if we just did it one by one until each person got used to it?”
“It’s neat, but there’s a limit to the number of times you can do it.”
– Perseus,
As I was about to say those words, I heard a crashing sound.
I checked the stage and saw that several of the statues were cracked.
“… … !”
Everyone’s expressions became a little stiff.
I realized that if I failed too many times, I might lose my opportunities.
Shin Byeong-cheol’s once-exaggerated confidence shrank in an instant.
“… … Sir? Can I do it again?”
“well.”
Wouldn’t the rest depend on how many challenges you use?
I glanced at Shin Byeong-cheol’s anxious eyes and then looked at Ko Hyeon-woo.
“It’s your turn.”
Go Hyun-woo goes up on stage with light steps and takes the test of illusion.
And he did not disappoint me.
When the second challenge was over and the fog cleared, a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
“I did it.”
“Well done.”
As expected, this kid doesn’t fall far behind in terms of talent.
Next, it’s the turn of the two killers.
“It’s me now.”
Jang Moo-geuk did not make an energetic 1-try declaration like Shin Byeong-cheol, but he gave Ko Hyun-woo a look full of victory just before going up on stage.
I guess they’re trying to finish it in 2 rounds.
And he had the skills and talent to make it happen.
When the fog filled the stage twice and cleared, a smile like Go Hyun-woo’s was on Jang Moo-geuk’s lips.
“Brother Jang also finished it in two.”
“One failure is not enough.”
It was a joke that Jang Moo-geuk answered nonchalantly.
Wang Chun-sam immediately took up the challenge.
He, like the two unmanned players, seemed to be aiming for a 2-t clear, but unfortunately, he was relatively lacking in skill.
“……hmm.”
So the result is two consecutive failures.
I stopped Wang Chun-sam for a moment as he was about to challenge for the third time.
And in a low voice, he reminded me of one fact.
“Chun-sam, if you fail this time too, you’ll end up like Byeong-cheol over there.”
“… … !”
“You should also change your pseudonym to Wang Byeong-cheol.”
“… … That can’t be. I will definitely succeed.”
Wang Chun-sam faced the Hwan-ma Test for the third time with a determined determination.
Soon the fog will clear,
“……after.”
Wang Chun-sam sighs in relief.
Somehow, it seems like he is more relieved that he didn’t become Wang Byeong-cheol than that he learned Ghostly Shadow.
Two men approached me and each expressed their gratitude.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to obtain the chance I had been searching for for so long.”
“You kept your promise, so we will keep ours too.”
Then he hands me a few luxurious wooden boxes.
The reward Jang Moo-geuk received for participating in this attack as a mercenary was, after all, ‘priority in trading.’
The transaction is separate.
And now that you have the Ghost Shadow, it’s time to pay the promised price.
Let’s check this slowly later.
I put the armors in my inventory and said.
“Thank you for your hard work. You can go now.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Jang Mu-geuk and Wang Chun-sam, who were about to leave, looked at Shin Byeong-cheol for a few seconds.
Because that was the only one I hadn’t gotten the Ghost Shadow yet.
Then, as if something had occurred to him, he calmly turned his back and said,
– Slurp—
– Slurp—
At the same time, he left the training room while performing a ghost dance.
Looking at her back, Shin Byeong-cheol felt a deep sense of anger rising in him, and he put his hand on his forehead.
“No, that’s real, wow.”
“Hold on. If you fight, you’ll lose.”
“No, that’s true, Mr. Ao.”
Shin Byeong-cheol quickly controlled his anger, seeming to agree with those words.
To be precise, the direction of anger was changed.
“I succeed because I am dirty.”
Shin Byeong-cheol strides up to the stage and takes the test.
… … After two more attempts, he was finally able to obtain the Ghost Shadow.
Although there were some twists and turns, it is true that he eventually acquired high-performance skills, and Shin Byeong-cheol looked very satisfied.
After sending Shin Byeong-cheol away, the only ones left in the training room are me and Ko Hyeon-woo.
“Fortunately, they all succeeded. I was worried that we might run out of attempts before then.”
“It was close. There really isn’t much left now. Two or three at most?”
Unlike when the formation was first installed, the stone statues are in a weathered state as if a lot of time has passed.
Not only were there cracks here and there, but some parts had even fallen off.
Of course, it wasn’t broken and the formation was still functioning properly, so it still has some usability.
Since this is also a high-level formation, it can be given to Zhuge Xiaoso as research material, but
‘I have to use it all up and then pass it on.’
Actually, I sent you a message earlier.
[Kim Ho: Knock knock knock]
[Kim Ho: (cat emoticon knocking on door)]
[Kim Ho: (cat emoticon knocking on door)]
[Kim Ho: Get up and try]
[Calligrapher: (Boosus cat emoticon)]
[Calligrapher: ?]
[Calligrapher: (rolling cat emoticon)]
[Kim Ho: I have something to show you]
[Kim Ho: (shy cat emoticon)]
[Calligrapher: (Gyawning cat emoticon)]
[Calligrapher:????]
[Kim Ho: Training Center, okay]
Soon, I felt a presence and turned my head to see Seo Ye-in standing in front of the training room door.
Like an emoticon, but still fluffy.
As always, it looks like he just woke up after a long sleep.
“… … ?”
A calligrapher staring blankly at me.
There seems to be a question in his eyes, ‘What do you have to show me?’
I took a step forward and took a stance.
“Look carefully.”
“?”
“Slurp.”
And when I cast Ghost Shadow, my body moved forward as if it was sliding.
“… … !”
Her gray eyes sparkled brightly.
It was the look in your eyes when you have something you want.
The supporters ate it all
