Chapter 19
Chapter 19
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: True Talents Emerge
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After the recruitment test had fully concluded.
The now-empty training ground held only Hyeok Mulin and Ji Wolhon.
As Hyeok Mulin was finishing up confirming the personal details of the final passers, Ji Wolhon, who had been watching from the side, spoke up.
"The applicants seem to be of a higher caliber than expected."
"Posting the announcement across the entire Shin-gang region must have paid off."
"Still, no one imagined you'd flip the hourglass again."
When Hyeok Mulin flipped the hourglass once more, their faces turned pale as if confronted by an unbelievable reality.
But what could they do?
With no other choice, they had to fight on.
The battle dragged on from fierce to downright desperate, and only when about ten applicants remained did all the sand finally settle, signaling the true end.
"Are you satisfied?"
"Pardon?"
"You're the captain of this guard unit, aren't you? These are the people who'll become your subordinates and comrades—they need to meet with your approval."
"Yes, I'm satisfied. None of them look like troublemakers."
Moreover, quite a few of his former comrades had passed as well—not all, but enough that Ji Wolhon had no real complaints.
"That's a relief."
"There's just one thing that's been bothering me."
"Speak your mind."
"The number of members feels woefully insufficient for a proper guard unit."
His concern was entirely valid.
Even combining the passers with Ji Wolhon, they barely exceeded ten in number.
But Hyeok Mulin brushed off the worry as if it were nothing.
"Who said we were only recruiting once?"
"...Pardon?"
"Do you know this? When a tidal wave rolls in from the sea, the second wave is bigger and carries even greater force than the first."
"Then...!"
Ji Wolhon's pupils dilated at Hyeok Mulin's words.
"Post another announcement."
Hyeok Mulin turned his head toward the door beyond and continued.
"The people coming this time—they're the ones I've been targeting from the start."
After the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad's first recruitment test ended, the news sent the entire Shin-gang region into a frenzy.
The details of the test conducted during the process had already spread in full, becoming the talk of the cult members' mouths.
"Making them fight twice in a row— the Cult Leader sure is bold."
"No breaks at all, they say? I'd have been out in the first round."
"On the flip side, anyone who survived that hell should have skills you can count on."
"Of course—it's the Cult Leader's personal guard, after all."
"I heard even that Red Head Fist Demon got knocked out early. Can't wait to see what kind of monsters made it through."
People chattered animatedly about the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad everywhere—in markets, on streets, in inns, anywhere you went.
But not all the voices were positive.
In some hall somewhere, apologetic voices rang out as well.
"Patriarch, forgive us! None of the spies we infiltrated into the recruitment test survived!"
Crunch.
"...The Cult Leader's sharper than we thought."
The patriarchs of the Seven Great Demon Clans sensed their plans starting to go awry, bit by bit.
And so, amid a mix of reactions, the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad became the hottest topic on everyone's lips.
"H-Hey! There's a new poster up on that wall!"
"They're holding another recruitment test?!"
"I'll definitely join this time!"
"Time for the Cult Leader to recognize my talents!"
The announcement for the second recruitment test ignited the people's passion.
Time flew by, and soon enough, the day of the second test arrived.
The venue for the second recruitment test was much like the first, but with a slight difference.
It was still the Demon Army's training ground outside the outer walls, but it felt a bit more cramped than before.
Yet paradoxically, more people had gathered than for the first test, filling the training ground to the brim.
Just as the crowd started feeling stifled, Ji Wolhon and Hyeok Mulin ascended the platform in turn.
Hyeok Mulin, appearing after Ji Wolhon's greeting, addressed the densely packed applicants briefly.
"Everyone here who applied already knows what this position entails and the kind of people we're looking for."
A profound silence fell over the arena, as many marveled at the sight and voice of the Cult Leader himself.
"Even so, I thank you all for gathering here in such numbers—your loyalty touches me."
Hyeok Mulin nodded, and emotion washed over the applicants' faces.
Then, without delay, he set the hourglass down.
The crowd's eyes shifted to a mix of wonder and tension, as if saying, 'So it's here.'
But then.
"...Was the hourglass always that small?"
The hourglass was remarkably tiny.
As people puzzled over it, Hyeok Mulin spoke.
"The rules are the same as the first test, as you all know. However, today, this hourglass will be flipped only once—at the beginning and end."
"Ooooh!"
"And as you can see, being small, it holds little sand. It won't even take an incense stick's time for it all to flow down."
With his firm declaration—no flipping midway like last time—and the shortened duration, cheers rippled through the applicants.
"In exchange."
Hyeok Mulin doused their excitement with a somber tone.
"Thirty."
He held up three fingers and continued.
"When time's up, if more than thirty people remain, everyone fails."
"...!"
"...!"
"...!"
The applicants gasped at Hyeok Mulin's announcement.
More people than the first round, less time, and tighter space.
Despite the momentary shock from the harsher conditions, they quickly steeled themselves, eyes burning with resolve.
"Good. Let's begin."
Hyeok Mulin flipped the hourglass right away.
This time, the moment it turned, every applicant dove straight into combat.
'Short time—no need for chairs.'
As Hyeok Mulin stood watch from the platform, Ji Wolhon approached his side.
"It's even rougher than before."
He was right.
By shortening the time and cramming people into a confined space, he'd deliberately created a powder keg of excitement.
Applicants' movements grew larger, vision narrowed, and actions turned brutal.
Even in those harsh conditions, Hyeok Mulin sought those who stayed true to their path, surviving with sharp adaptability.
"It's a free-for-all this time—top talents stand out fast."
"Indeed."
"And the most eye-catching among them is..."
Number eleven.
That low-seeded guy.
The man handling his sword with calm precision had subdued dozens around him without a single scratch.
'Not bad.'
Hyeok Mulin watched the slow yet fluid sword path, lips curling.
"What's number eleven's name?"
"Danri Hyang."
"Danri Hyang?"
Hyeok Mulin turned to Ji Wolhon at the name.
"You mean the Danri Clan from the Central Plains?"
"Yes, that's right."
"A branch member of the Danri Clan applying directly to our cult? That's surprising."
"...No. He's direct lineage."
"Direct lineage?"
Hyeok Mulin whipped his head back to the training ground.
Ji Wolhon nodded simply and explained.
"Yes. But he's a bastard son from a different mother, cast out of the Danri Clan at a young age. Afterward, he came to our cult alone and pledged himself."
No wonder. No ordinary story would land a Danri Clan direct descendant smack in the middle of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
The Danri Clan was a reputable house even in the Central Plains—lacking a bit compared to the Six Great Righteous Clans at the righteous faction's core, but a family with real potential.
Never heard of him in my past life.
No memory of that name from such a clan meant he wasn't a righteous faction spy, at least.
And having already pledged to the cult, returning to the righteous side was impossible. Odds were, he'd lived an unremarkable life here and died forgotten.
His motivation's clear enough.
No matter how he'd pledged, his blood was from a prestigious righteous clan.
Shunned by cult members, he likely never found solid footing anywhere in the cult.
In the vast Shin-gang, the doors open to him must have felt terribly narrow.
"Finally, someone who fits the bill."
Hyeok Mulin had left origins unrestricted on the forms precisely to draw in types like him.
It signaled that advancement came purely by ability, regardless of background or reason.
A gem buried in mud, treated like a mere stone—but hiding true worth within.
One for now.
As Hyeok Mulin smiled contentedly.
Boom! Crash! Kaboom!
A roar erupted from another direction, dust billowing.
Turning his gaze, the dust settled to reveal a man swinging a broadsword with reckless abandon.
Hyeok Mulin stared, scratching his beard awkwardly.
Didn't think he'd actually show.
He'd been half-doubting even as he ordered the second round.
Given the guy's personality, the odds of him showing up were high.
But he wandered on whims, so no real expectations.
Yet here he was, right before their eyes—Hyeok Mulin felt like he'd reeled in a golden ox.
"Didn't expect a direct son of the Man Clan to apply."
"I wasn't certain either."
"What if he has ulterior motives...?"
Ji Wolhon voiced his concern, eyeing Man Hyobom of the Man Clan unleashing his wild dance.
Hyeok Mulin shook his head.
"Put that worry aside. He's here purely out of interest in the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad and this test."
No reason for the Man Clan's second son to risk infiltration as a spy.
Besides, Man Hyobom was more than unique—he was eccentric.
And among Man Ho's sons, he inherited the most of his father's free-spirited nature.
I knew his name well in my past life.
His martial prowess outshone even the eldest son's, earning direct training from Man Ho and the highest expectations.
Yet on reaching adulthood, he shrugged off all those hopes with ease.
Who could've guessed he'd skip the young clan lord contest altogether.
Second son or not, he was in prime position to vie for young clan lord.
With his superior strength, he had plenty of clan support.
And it wasn't some minor house, but one of the Seven Great Demon Clans—worth fighting tooth and nail for.
Yet he'd done the opposite.
Just as discussions heated up and the official contest was about to be announced, he'd declared the young lord seat too boring for him—like his father would—and run off.
Three years later, he blew back in like the wind, and no one mentioned young lord to him again.
"The Man Clan must be in an uproar."
He'd probably applied without a word to his family.
Man Ho, hope your head doesn't ache too much.
Bam! Boom! Kaboom!
Man Hyobom wielded a brutish broadsword fit for bandits.
His swordsmanship looked crude at a glance, but it was anything but.
True heir of a famed house.
It seemed chaotic and random, but every swing linked into a single flow.
Forcing one-on-one duels by blocking outsiders from his fights.
Landed a big one.
Hyeok Mulin grinned at the instinctive combat prowess.
Time passed, and the hourglass emptied.
But the standing weren't the targeted thirty.
Only twenty remained.
Hyeok Mulin glanced at Ji Wolhon, who nodded approvingly and addressed the front.
"Welcome, new members."
And so, the recruitment for the Divine Demon Blood Death Squad—Hyeok Mulin's sword and shield—came to a close.