The Heavenly Demon Administers the Test (3)

As soon as my gaze landed on him, the man wielding the Namgung sword realized his mistake and hastily withdrew his blade, but it was already too late. Dealing with rule-breakers wasn't my responsibility.

From a blind spot the users couldn't see, a dagger shot forward and buried itself in the neck of the Namgung swordsman. The poison the watchdog had stolen from the Tang family side long ago spread through the player's body in an instant, dropping him to the ground. The speed of his collapse made it clear he had no preparation against the toxin.

The other applicants stared at the twitching player on the floor before turning their eyes toward me.

"If you use any martial arts besides Mount Hua's, this is what happens. I suggest you keep that in mind."

I had brought along some of the ones the watchdog had raised. Monitoring all five hundred people by myself would have been far too bothersome. So that was why he had asked me to entrust the task to him with such confidence. At this level, it seemed safe to leave the job in their hands.

"K-kill... me..."

Those watching the trembling Namgung warrior turned away with hardened expressions. That miserable sight appeared to serve as a warning for everyone. Unless they wanted to fall into a deep, prolonged sleep from the poison, they would all hesitate before using any martial arts other than Mount Hua's.

Amid the chaos, several people slipped free of the commotion and sprinted into the mountain. That's right. The true essence of this test was first come, first served. No matter what happened, reaching Hakigi first meant victory. Reducing the number of competitors was one tactic, but the best approach was to pull so far ahead that catching up became unthinkable.

"Hmm. Shall I go watch them for a while?"

My part in the first test was finished, so it was time to observe the others. Since the broadcast was on, I needed to show the viewers something entertaining.

The sight of LightningCutter collapsing drew every eye. Even a skilled swordsman like him had been helpless against the unexpected ambush.

"A dagger? Where did it come from?"

While Siyugeom scanned the direction the blade had flown from, Seol-ah was thinking. Isn't this the perfect chance to escape? Thanks to LightningCutter pulling massive aggro, even the Mount Hua players surrounding her were half-distracted.

If she used Siyugeom as bait and ran now, she might break through the encirclement. After turning the idea over in her mind, Seol-ah concluded it was entirely feasible. The moment she decided, she stopped hesitating.

She examined the Mount Hua players boxing her in and picked the one who looked easiest. Then she charged.

Though the Mount Hua users were beneath her in skill, they were still high-ranking players. Even while distracted, they reacted instantly to her movement. But they were too slow. Before their swords could even rise, Seol-ah's hand had already reached her target.

What she unleashed was one of Mount Hua's techniques: Honwonjang. On the surface, this art that mixes the foremost with everything else sounded like chasing clouds. But it wasn't.

What is foremost to a martial artist? Internal energy. This technique disturbed the opponent's qi through a palm strike.

The player struck by the Honwonjang dropped to his knees, vomiting blood. It was weak. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠She had meant to render him completely combat-incapable, but her lack of regular practice with the technique had lowered her proficiency.

Even so, Seol-ah achieved her goal. Turmoil rippled through the Mount Hua users. They all knew one another and were close enough to coordinate organically even in sudden crises. When one of them was injured, their attention inevitably shifted.

This was exactly the method Hwaryeong had described when explaining how to dismantle a group. As expected of Lady Hwaryeong. The gap appeared the moment I followed her instructions!

Seol-ah dove into that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠opening at once. She charged the player who was hesitating between helping his comrade and attacking. He assumed she was targeting him and raised his guard, but that wasn't her aim. Seol-ah stepped on his shoulder and sprang into the air, then stepped on empty space again.

Seol-ah was a veteran of the martial arts game. There was no way she couldn't use Void Walking, one of the key measures of martial mastery. Of course she couldn't wield it with Hwaryeong's effortless grace, but she could manage enough to escape this mayhem.

The Mount Hua players shouted at the sight of her walking through the air, but it was already too late. She had reached a position where she could shake them off with ease.

"Lady Naseol?! Hey! Naseol!"

Siyugeom, suddenly left alone to face the Mount Hua users, shouted desperately, but Seol-ah ignored him. The world of competition had always been ruthless.

"I'll get my revenge later! Just wait!"

Seol-ah let the vengeful voice wash over her, mentally pressing X to pay her respects. Hwaryeong-nim definitely said Hakigi, right? As she sprinted forward and manipulated her map, an arrow promptly appeared ahead of her.

The current frontrunners were Han Min-jun and the other Mount Hua players I had personally instructed. They had been the most passionate about rebuilding the sect. Their contributions had apparently earned them the chance to break away without interference from the rest.

"It's not rigging. I already told you. Any means are permitted."

Connections were a form of ability too. Therefore, I saw nothing wrong with it.

"Not necessarily."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Just wait a little. You'll understand naturally soon enough."

The moment Han Min-jun and the others stepped into the mountain forest, thick fog that had begun at the peak spread across the entire woods. The perfectly ordinary forest was now completely shrouded in mist so dense it was difficult to see even a companion's face, let alone the path.

"It's to test how well they know the mountain called Mount Hua."

In a situation where it was hard to see even an inch ahead, they had to locate a specific spot on the mountain. Anyone unfamiliar with Mount Hua would struggle.

"A fair point."

The sponsor had mentioned one of the features available to users. By marking a location on the map, a user could generate an arrow that guided them there. So even without a sense of direction, blindly following the arrow would eventually lead to the destination.

"That's why I prepared a few more obstacles."

To rob them of their sense of direction. To shake their focus. To make them doubt the arrow in front of them.

The Mount Hua players hesitated at the fog before steeling themselves and plunging inside. Not long after—

"Kyaaaaah!"

A scream echoed from within. The voice was so delicate it was hard to believe it came from a man.

"This is a jump-scare warning. Steel your hearts."

I followed a short distance behind the Mount Hua players into the fog. The mist obstructed my vision as well. Although I scattered my qi sense around me so I wouldn't get lost, the inability to see ahead remained the same. The same applied to those watching my broadcast. They couldn't see even an inch in front of them either.

In that situation, if a spirit suddenly appeared before them—perfectly preserving the exact appearance it had at the moment of death—would the people beyond the screen be startled?

Without any warning, a spirit emerged from the fog. Half its face had rotted away, exposing bare skull. The sight was genuinely grotesque. If Enry had been here, she would have shrieked.

I glanced at the chat window and saw that many viewers were indeed shocked.

"They're spirits summoned by Baru. Didn't you see them last time?"

Specifically, when I faced the mountain deity of Mount Hua, Baru had summoned spirits to assist me. These were the same ones. They should remember.

"That's because Baru summoned them in the prime of their lives before. This time she called them exactly as they looked at the moment of death."

Most people who died in the murim rarely left intact bodies, so the result was inherently terrifying.

"I don't know what you're talking about. They're enjoying themselves."

"Baru's Taoist magic is merely a request for their cooperation. If the spirits don't like it, they simply refuse."

The proud ones who thought Why should I do something like this? had already left. The only spirits currently in the fog were the ones who delighted in tormenting others and were enthusiastically participating.

The obstacles in the fog weren't limited to the spirits. Baru had spent time installing various Taoist magic formations across the entire mountain. No matter how clear the arrow was, could they truly find the right path while being assaulted by spirits and hindered by spells?

The blunt remark hit so accurately that I choked and burst into a coughing fit.

Although Seol-ah had broken free of the encirclement and taken the lead, she wasn't completely in front. Several people had escaped the chaos before the real disorder began. How many were ahead of her? No more than fifty, surely? If she used her movement technique with everything she had, it was still possible to catch up.

Seol-ah was sprinting forward with desperate speed when—

"Kyaaaaah!"

The terrified scream of a man made her stop in her tracks. It was bizarre. Thick fog had suddenly engulfed the entire mountain that had been clear only moments ago. Trees drained of life, twisted and withered. Mist so dense you couldn't see an inch ahead. And screams echoing from within it.

...Wait a second?

This is strange. I was definitely watching the Mount Hua entrance exam. Why did the genre suddenly switch from wuxia to horror?