Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Waiter Hides His Magic (3)

"Then what is it?"

Ha Jin asked, sounding puzzled.

"The Heavenly Demon Divine Sect is a place of Reverence of the Strong—where the powerful become the law and the order. Do you happen to know why the Divine Sect exalts the strong to such a degree?"

"......I'm afraid I don't."

Ha Jin thought about it briefly, but no clear answer came to mind.

"The Divine Sect began by protecting powerless commoners from corrupt authority. Breaking the old order that oppressed the common people required great strength, and in the end, to shatter that order, we had no choice but to brand ourselves as demons."

Yang Jun's eyes blazed with intensity. His voice carried unmistakable reverence for the Heavenly Demon.

"And the one who led us and ushered in a new era was none other than the First Heavenly Demon."

Ha Jin nodded along as he listened to Yang Jun's explanation. At first blush, it sounded plausible.

But the problem was,

'A leader who destroyed the existing order and guided the common people? So basically a radical revolutionary who tried to change the world through extreme means? And with a barbaric philosophy that might makes right mixed in—a cult......?'

Tch, sounds like some dangerous ideology.

While Ha Jin was still steeped in doubt, the carriage had already reached the foothills of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, a range famous for its rugged terrain. Before long, the village Yang Jun had spoken of—Black Wood Cliff—began to come into view.

Ha Jin's eyes went wide at the sight unfolding outside the carriage window. It was nothing like he had expected.

Far from a gloomy, murderous-looking mountain stronghold or fortress, it was more like a sizeable mountain town—no, calling it a provincial capital wouldn't have been an exaggeration, so bustling was the scene.

"Huh? It's way bigger than I thought......?"

Ha Jin murmured, looking around after stepping down from the carriage. The faces of the people coming and going showed none of the gloom or timidity he had imagined; if anything, they were brimming with vitality. Occasionally he spotted someone with a weapon at their waist, but the vast majority looked like ordinary farmers, merchants, and craftsmen.

'Was all that stuff about the Demonic Sect being wicked and cruel just a narrative the orthodox sects fabricated? With a place like this, an inn could do really well here.'

Ha Jin's mind was already churning over the location and menu for a new inn. Assessing the foot traffic and spending power of this place was the top priority.

And soon enough, he found a spot with what looked like excellent visibility. Even at a glance, the foot traffic was heavy—it would be an ideal location for a shop.

Above all, wasn't Yu Jin-bang originally supposed to have been brought here to Black Wood Cliff?

"Captain Yang. If I wanted to open an inn here, where would I go to get permission?"

"You would need to receive direct authorization from the Heavenly Demon Sovereign."

"I'm sorry......?"

Ha Jin doubted his own ears for a moment.

"You're saying I need the Sect Leader's permission just to open one inn?"

Bewilderment and disbelief were written all over Ha Jin's voice. This wasn't some corporate franchise approval process—why would he need the supreme leader's personal authorization just to open a single inn?

"Yes. The prime land in Black Wood Cliff is managed by the Sect. Most of it is granted as a courtesy to members who have pledged their loyalty."

"Ah......?"

Things had gotten considerably tangled.

'Tch. So what you're saying is, I can't just use a good spot for free.'

He considered whether invoking his title as Ghost Hand's disciple might help, but quickly gave up the idea. If they demanded proof of his relationship with Yu Jin-bang or evidence that he was truly the man's disciple, he wouldn't be able to produce any.

'What if I give up on this spot and open a shop somewhere else......?'

He could already see it. A shop swarming with nothing but flies. At the end of the day, running an inn was a form of self-employment, and the foundation of self-employment was market analysis. He simply couldn't give up a prime location like this.

'I've got to secure the spot by any means necessary!'

The old man would have wanted the same, probably. And if not, well, too bad.

Ha Jin looked at Yang Jun and called out.

"How can I meet the Sovereign?"

Meanwhile, Yang Jun seemed to sink into thought for a moment at Ha Jin's question before answering in a measured tone.

"There are occasions—major events or assemblies of the Divine Sect—where one might glimpse the Sovereign's countenance from afar. But obtaining an audience to speak with him directly is like plucking stars from the sky. And even then, there's no guarantee the Sovereign would grant the request."

"Hmm, is there no surer way?"

"The surest way to gain an audience with the Sovereign and petition him would be the banquet held for those who pass the fourth stage of the Demon Path Hall's trials."

"The Demon Path Hall?"

It was a somewhat unfamiliar term to Ha Jin. Yang Jun nodded and explained.

"Yes. The Demon Path Hall is a place where the Divine Sect's young rising talents compete against one another and prove their abilities. There are five stages of trials in total, and with each stage passed, one receives corresponding status and privileges."

Ha Jin narrowed his brow slightly as he listened to Yang Jun's explanation.

'Rising talents competing and proving themselves, and only the strong survive? Isn't that just a venom jar—throw everyone in and let the strongest crawl out? So they really do plan to crush everything with raw power.'

Of course, the logic of power existed in the modern world too. Money, authority, status—things like that. Ha Jin himself had felt it multiple times during his Hunter days. But here it was far more primal; brute force was everything.

'So basically, I need to prove myself in the Demon Path Hall before I can open an inn on prime real estate within the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect?'

When he thought about it, the conditions weren't all that bad. Given his current situation of having barely any money, having to prove himself through strength was actually more manageable than being asked for a fortune. And he had, after all, beaten a sect's First Disciple in combat. It might have been luck, though.

"Then could you tell me more about the Demon Path Hall? I'm completely ignorant about it."

"You're entering the Demon Path Hall? As expected! The disciple of Elder Ghost Hand!"

"......I'm still considering it."

These people made it impossible to get a word in edgewise. He had no actual intention of entering a dangerous place like that.

Yet the reason he still hesitated was the nagging question: even with magic at his disposal, could he truly hold his own endlessly against those who had professionally trained in martial arts?

'Back in the modern world, mage-class Hunters had a hard time winning head-on fights against martial-class Hunters.'

Only someone of his caliber—who had been called a genius—could manage it. But if he had information on his side, that changed things, didn't it?

"First and foremost, the Demon Path Hall is a place completely sealed off from any outside interference. You can step out, of course, but the trials themselves are conducted strictly within its walls."

That was more predictable than he'd thought. It seemed to be a common educational institution of sorts.

Though, of course, this "education" was quite a far cry from the kind of environment where you went to cram school and focused solely on studying.

'He said you stay inside the Demon Path Hall until you're eliminated, only going out occasionally. So it's basically a boarding academy.'

Beyond that, the rest of the explanation wasn't anything remarkable.

Starting with the fact that the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect was upheld by five sub-sects, each led by one of the Five Demon Lords: the Sword Demon, the Blade Demon, the Poison Demon, the Fist Demon, and the Mad Demon.

Then the fact that fully clearing the Demon Path Hall could qualify one to become the next Heavenly Demon, that the average level of entering cadets was second-rate, and finally, that this year's admission was only two days away.

"Though, does this sort of thing happen?"

"What sort of thing?"

"Someone passing the trials and then leaving the Demon Path Hall."

Ha Jin's goal was, first and foremost, to open an inn on Black Wood Cliff's prime land. If there happened to be some clause preventing him from leaving the Demon Path Hall after entering, things would get very messy.

"Ah! You needn't worry about that. Leaving the Demon Path Hall is entirely at the cadet's discretion. I have heard rumors that those with truly exceptional abilities get pressured to stay, but I've never actually seen it happen."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. After all, someone of that caliber—why would they have any reason to leave the Demon Path Hall? They'd be a talent set to lead the next generation of the Divine Sect."

That would be the case for most Demonic Sect members. Ha Jin, with his different dreams, was simply the odd one out.

"And you needn't worry too much. No matter how fierce the competition in the Demon Path Hall may be, you are Elder Ghost Hand's disciple, are you not?"

"......Mmm."

"On top of that, you already possess the skill to have felled Baek Hak—a first-rate master of the Kunlun Sect—in a single blow. If you were to enter the Demon Path Hall, your outstanding ability would likely attract considerable attention, and you might even draw the focused interest of the Divine Sect's upper sub-sects or elders! Rest assured, there is no worry of being expelled."

Yang Jun's words were pure encouragement, but they landed on Ha Jin with an entirely different meaning.

'Ah, so what you're saying is, if I do anything that stands out, I'll be fast-tracked straight into the Demonic Sect officer corps and have to devote my entire life to working for the Demonic Sect. That's what it is.'

It felt strangely like the military, for some reason. Don't try too hard—just do as much as everyone else.

Warning bells blared inside Ha Jin's head. This was a completely different direction from his modest dream of opening an inn and peacefully making money. He had not the slightest desire to become a key figure in the Demonic Sect.

'Okay, I absolutely must not do anything conspicuous in there.'

Ha Jin made a firm resolution in his heart.

***

And so two days passed.

Ha Jin finished his preparations for the Demon Path Hall. Just in case, he had brought along a sword as well.

'I never learned any martial arts to begin with, so it's not like I'll ever use it.'

Still, there was something to be said for presence, wasn't there? Like those tattooed tough guys flexing their shoulders.

That line of thinking changed entirely the moment he set foot inside the Demon Path Hall. The part he had failed to consider was that tattooed tough guys only look intimidating to ordinary civilians.

'When everyone around you looks like a tattooed tough guy, a sword doesn't mean much, does it......?'

Every single person entering the Demon Path Hall carried something menacing. Naturally, one sword among them did nothing in terms of presence.

Quite the opposite—a prickling killing intent that seemed to sting his skin emanated from them even as they stood still. The same was true of all several hundred rising talents. Ha Jin alone stuck out as someone who clearly had no martial arts training.

'Tch. What's with all this pressure?'

It was a moment where even the Demon Path Hall's trials, which he had taken so lightly, began to worry him a little.

'He said the average is second-rate? I did manage to take down a first-rate warrior one way or another. If I train hard, could I aim for something higher?'

His magic was powerful. Probably stronger than most martial arts, even. But it had one critical flaw—the total amount of mana he possessed.

'There doesn't seem to be anything like a mana potion in this world, and my total mana hasn't increased one bit over these past few months.'

This was a serious problem. If he couldn't continuously procure mana potions, he needed to at least massively increase his total mana capacity. And the fact that he couldn't cast high-level spells continued to be the constant shackle around his ankles.

While Ha Jin was lost in thought, a white-haired man slowly approached from the far end of the grounds.

The moment he appeared, the warriors gathered in the training yard erupted in cheers. Ha Jin had no idea who he was. Of course, it wasn't long before he had no choice but to find out.

"The Right Protector has appeared! Everyone, show your respects!"

"OOOOOOH!"

Only then did Ha Jin understand why the warriors were cheering. He didn't know who the man was, but the title "Right Protector"—that he knew. The Heavenly Demon's bodyguard and right-hand man!

The Right Protector opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for this very moment.

"Welcome, all of you who have entered the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect. This Protector will now assign you a single trial."