episode_0015

“Mind if I sit next to you?”

I glanced at Cheok Jiyeon for a moment.

Upon closer inspection, her hand was trembling slightly.

‘Is she nervous because she talked to me?’

For a second, that thought crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it.

A woman who casually wields a sword like it’s nothing wouldn’t get flustered over something like this.

‘Or maybe she’s just trying to be friendly since we’re the top two recruits.’

From what I remembered, Cheok Jiyeon didn’t have many friends at the company either.

And since the top recruit also seemed like a loner, maybe that’s why she approached me.

Either way, I couldn’t really refuse.

Not because I was scared of the sword hanging at her waist—I’m just a nice person like that.

“Sure, of course.”

As I nodded and answered, Cheok Jiyeon immediately sat down beside me.

“…….”

“…….”

I thought she had something to say, but she didn’t speak up.

‘Did she really just want to sit next to me?’

Well, I wasn’t complaining. Having a beauty like her by my side was better than sitting alone.

And since I already knew what kind of person she was, I actually felt more at ease.

Cheok Jiyeon wasn’t deeply involved in the main story anyway, so getting closer to her was fine.

‘With her next to me, I’ll stand out less.’

“Whoa, look. Those two are sitting together.”

“A bomb sitting with another bomb.”

“Don’t get anywhere near them. We might get caught in the crossfire.”

…On the other hand, us gathering like this might make us look even more suspicious as a group.

But I decided not to worry about that for now.

“Hey…”

Then, Cheok Jiyeon cautiously spoke up.

“Do you have any foods you dislike?”

“Huh? Food?”

Nod.

As if it were the most important question in the world.

Cheok Jiyeon nodded with an absurdly serious expression.

‘What’s this? A background check before becoming friends?’

Since there was nothing to hide, I decided to answer.

“Not really. I eat pretty much anything.”

“Ah… Then, what’s your favorite food?”

“Kimchi stew and ramen?”

“Do you have any plans for intense physical activity or exercise soon?”

“Uh… I jog every morning and hit the gym in the evenings, but I wouldn’t call it intense.”

“I see.”

Cheok Jiyeon nodded with a satisfied look.

‘Is that all? I don’t get why she’s asking these things.’

We spent some time making small talk like that.

Getting along with a fellow recruit wasn’t a bad thing.

‘She even asked questions first. Jiyeon’s more sociable than I thought.’

Turns out she was just pretending to be a loner.

A true loner would’ve been bawling in a corner by now.

As the seats were nearly all filled—

The door opened, and someone walked in.

The trainees who recognized the instructor burst into excited murmurs.

“Whoa! It’s Han Sujin!”

“For real? I’ve only seen her on TV!”

If you imagine exorcist instructors as old professors, you’d be mistaken.

Among exorcists, the younger generation makes up a much larger proportion.

Physical strength is a crucial factor when dealing with supernatural threats.

And if there was one exorcist who represented “physical strength” or “martial arts,” everyone would point to this person.

“Nice to meet you, everyone. I’m Han Sujin, leader of the martial arts division at Cheonjihae.”

A striking beauty with a short black haircut and a toned physique.

Her proportions were like a model’s, sculpted through rigorous training.

She practically embodied the very concept of “healthy beauty,” radiating charisma.

“Whoa, is that body for real?”

“How much training does it take to get a body that defined?”

“So cool…”

It wasn’t just the men—even the women were looking at her with admiration.

Even I had to admit, her physique was seriously impressive.

She could’ve easily been a fitness magazine model.

‘So that’s Han Sujin…’

The exorcist who represented “martial arts” at Cheonjihae.

Methods of dealing with supernatural threats varied wildly among exorcists.

Some used swords, some used talismans, others practiced necromancy.

Some even crushed spirits with sheer spiritual power alone.

Han Sujin’s specialty? A body honed through relentless training and martial prowess.

To put it bluntly, she beat ghosts into submission.

‘Some users even begged her to hit them as a reward after seeing that.’

Han Sujin smiled brightly and straightened her posture on the podium.

Even that simple motion drew cheers.

“Looks like we’ve got a lot of energetic trainees this time. I like it.”

After speaking, she scanned the room with a sweeping gaze.

Her confidence was palpable—unsurprising for a veteran exorcist of Cheonjihae.

“But energy and willpower alone won’t be enough to exorcise supernatural threats.”

As she spoke, she slowly walked toward us.

“When your stamina runs low, so does your mental fortitude. Without the armor of health and physical strength, our exorcism techniques are nothing but paper.”

Cheok Jiyeon, sitting beside me, nodded in agreement.

As a fellow martial-focused exorcist, she seemed to resonate with the sentiment.

“A strong soul resides in a strong body! No matter how many times I say it, it’ll never be enough.”

But I couldn’t bring myself to feel entirely happy about this.

Because this woman… was infamous even within Cheonjihae for her brutal training methods.

“…And that’s exactly why learning in a classroom has its limits.”

Han Sujin grinned.

“What are you all waiting for? Get up. We’re starting with a run to work up a sweat.”

“Hahk! Hahk! I’m gonna die…!”

“H-How long do we have to keep running?!”

“Don’t talk! I feel like I’m gonna drop dead!”

The trainees were now all running around the training field inside Cheonjihae.

A massive exorcism corporation like Cheonjihae naturally had its own sports field.

Normally used for company events or sports days—

But Han Sujin repurposed it for training.

“Hmm.”

Under the blinding sun, Han Sujin crossed her arms and observed the trainees.

If anyone expected a gentle “lesson,” they were sorely mistaken.

Less than 50% of Cheonjihae’s trainees made it to full-fledged exorcist status.

Meaning half dropped out before completing the training period.

Every single session was part of the evaluation process.

At the same time, it was also an opportunity for team leaders to scout future members.

‘If there’s anyone standing out here, it’s definitely Cheok Jiyeon.’

The sole survivor and head of the annihilated Cheok Family.

Her sword-based exorcism techniques and swordsmanship were renowned in the industry.

One of the most prominent martial-focused clans.

As its only heir, her physical conditioning was naturally exceptional.

‘She’s running faster and longer than anyone else, yet she doesn’t look tired at all. She must train hard even outside of this.’

A gem already polished to near perfection.

Though she had her quirks, she was the type who’d grow on her own without needing much guidance.

A recruit who’d pull her weight and then some if brought onto a team.

‘For someone of her caliber to only be second place… This batch must be overflowing with talent.’

Speaking of second place, the top recruit was also in this session.

Nam Dohyeong, this year’s top recruit.

Han Sujin’s gaze naturally shifted toward him.

‘In contrast, the top recruit doesn’t seem all that impressive…’

He was running hard, but that was it.

In terms of pure physical ability, he lagged behind even the other trainees.

Personally, I’d give him points for effort, but…

Lacking in physical conditioning was a problem.

Many of Cheonjihae’s trainees were already active exorcists.

‘Maybe he relies more on spiritual power or techniques. That’s not bad, but not what I’m looking for.’

Besides, this wasn’t her first time seeing the top recruit.

He was the one who’d almost been late for the written exam.

She’d been surprised to hear he’d taken first place, but…

‘Compared to the intensity he showed back then, he seems pretty ordinary now.’

She watched him with mild disappointment.

Sweating buckets, face flushed like he was about to collapse—yet his pheromones were exactly her type.

“Hm? Wait.”

As she observed him, something suddenly felt off.

‘He’s not using any spiritual power at all?’

An exorcist’s physical abilities were enhanced by spiritual power.

It was the reason they could surpass human limits in strength and stamina.

But right now… she couldn’t sense any spiritual power from the top recruit.

It was as if he either had none or couldn’t use it at all!

‘But there’s no way the top recruit at Cheonjihae would be like that.’

Skilled spiritualists unconsciously leaked spiritual energy.

Even Cheok Jiyeon, who had more than enough stamina, was subconsciously using hers.

For his spiritual power to be completely undetectable… meant he was already accustomed to training like this.

‘This level of training is routine for him. My Spartan methods are just another day for this trainee…’

Gulp.

Han Sujin swallowed without realizing it.

Now that she knew the truth, his sweat-drenched shirt and ragged breathing seemed unbearably lewd.

A shiver ran down her spine.

‘Ghh—!’

Ignoring evaluations, restraining his spiritual power purely for self-improvement—

What an obscenely dedicated rookie!

‘I can teach physical strength and martial arts anytime. But that mindset… that’s something only he can cultivate.’

The spirit and mentality of a martial artist.

That was something one had to realize on their own.

She’d taken a liking to a few trainees like this before.

But most of them gave up the moment training got tough.

In that sense, what about this top recruit?

Didn’t he already possess a mentality so refined that further teaching was unnecessary?

All she had to do was fill in the gaps.

In fact, that made him all the more delicious… no, worthy of her guidance.

‘In some ways, he might even surpass Cheok Jiyeon…’

Grit! Grit! Grit!

That was the core principle Han Sujin, the face of martial-focused exorcists, valued above all else.

‘I want to train him properly. No, working together would be even more fun.’

Honestly, trainees like Cheok Jiyeon weren’t much fun to teach.

They were already near-perfect.

All they needed was experience and time—there wasn’t much left to teach.

And with their clan’s inherited techniques, it was awkward to interfere.

‘But the top recruit doesn’t seem like that. Probably self-taught. Doesn’t look like he’s trained in any other martial arts either.’

Meaning she could mold him entirely in her own image!

That thought excited her more than anything else.

‘I’m taking him for myself! No, I’ll make sure he walks the path of martial arts and becomes my disciple!’

Han Sujin stared at Nam Dohyeong, hiding her perverse thoughts behind a professional gaze.

Meanwhile, completely unaware—

‘Hahk! Hahk! I’m dying here! I worked out too, damn it! Why are these guys so fit?!’

Nam Dohyeong was desperately running, cursing his talentless body.

All because, as the top recruit, collapsing first would be too embarrassing.