Chosen: Beyond Fate

At the association office, Li Yun smiled as she put away Ji Jue’s application form. “All right. That completes your registration. Please keep an eye on your messages from now on so you don’t miss any notices.”

She slid a card reader across the desk. Now came the painful part.

When Ji Jue’s trembling fingers finished entering his PIN and a payment notification popped up on his phone, he felt his heart break all over again. He had now learned firsthand that Ember had its own currency, and that the exchange rate against Fedra was absolutely brutal.

Just like that, 410,000 Fedra vanished from his account, leaving only a pitiful balance behind. It had taken him only a few days to go from getting rich overnight to nearly broke again. His bank balance had risen and crashed like a roller coaster, and Ji Jue felt like he was falling apart with it.

“There are still a few days before the exam. Make good use of your time and review what you can,” Li Yun reminded him kindly. “I just checked with a friend at headquarters. There are considerably fewer applicants this year than usual, only a little over eleven hundred. Mr. Gustav, one of the Eight Laureates, will be presiding over the examination this time. Compared to the others, his standards tend to be much higher and stricter, so you should prepare yourself.”

Ji Jue immediately grew wary. “The exam will be harder?”

“From what I understand, yes.” Li Yun thought for a moment before continuing, “According to the announcement that was just released, this year’s examination will be adjusted compared to previous years. Theory and fundamentals will carry less weight, while practical skill and creative ability will be emphasized much more heavily.”

“What?”

Ji Jue almost jumped out of his seat. He repeatedly checked that he had heard correctly, hardly able to believe it. His biggest weakness had suddenly become far less important?! Seriously?

Sure, he had already grasped the basics of Modern Alchemy, Fluid Alchemy, and Aberrant Alchemy. His practical skills were comfortably above those of an ordinary craftsman, and he had long since become proficient at creating Blessed Creations.

But he simply hadn’t been studying alchemy for very long, nowhere near long enough to fill all the gaps in his theoretical knowledge. What he knew was barely enough for his level, and if he were put up against people who had been grinding away since they were fourteen or fifteen, one exam would probably expose every weakness he had. If luck was against him, even scraping a pass would be difficult.

And just like that, the exam was no longer testing his weakest area?

“This is really... terrible.” Ji Jue struggled to hide his delight. His expression twitched as he let out a long sigh. “Ahem, ahem... Ah, so much pressure. Whatever am I going to do?”

Li Yun sighed sympathetically. “I heard quite a few apprentices who had already registered submitted requests to withdraw today. The association is making a rare exception this time. As long as you withdraw before the examination officially begins, it won’t go on your record. You still have the next couple of days to think it over carefully.”

She had known Ye Xian for years and was familiar with both her style and her perfectionism. Among the many schools of Modern Alchemy, Ye Xian belonged firmly to the camp that believed in building a solid foundation one step at a time. As far as Li Yun was concerned, even the most extraordinarily gifted apprentice would probably spend their entire first year doing little more than mastering the basics.

And it wasn’t just her. Even Gustav had never imagined that there could be a freak who had studied alchemy for less than half a year, could outperform ordinary craftsmen in practical work, yet still get completely crushed by other apprentices when it came to theory!

“Of course. I’ll definitely think it over!” Ji Jue gritted his teeth, rose to his feet, lowered his head with a deeply troubled expression, and hurried away. If he stayed any longer, he wasn’t going to be able to keep the corners of his mouth down.

Hold it in. Hold it in. Don’t laugh!

He continued on his way, practically weeping tears of joy, barely resisting the urge to sing and dance.

There’s actually such a good deal in this world?!

Heaven had finally taken pity on him! After all the rotten luck he’d had, it was finally his turn to catch a break.

What a wonderful day. Truly wonderful!

It was only an exam. How could he possibly fail to take this one down?

***

After putting up with Ji Jue’s stupid grin all morning, Ye Chun finally had enough and burst his bubble. “What are you so happy about? Sure, the changes happen to work in your favor, but they’re obviously trying to crack down on exactly the kind of reckless, impatient attitude you represent, you know?”

She pointed at him with a potato chip. A cucumber-flavored one, no less. Somehow that made it feel even ruder. “Besides, the one presiding over this year’s exam is Gustav.”

“Huh?” Ji Jue snatched the chip out of her hand, tossed it into his mouth, and crunched away. “Who the hell is Gustav? Never heard of him.”

Ye Chun picked up her phone and pulled up Gustav’s profile on the Taiyi Ring’s website. At the top was an old photograph. On the screen was a stern, middle-aged man with a face covered in stubble and an indifferent gaze. He looked as though he were constantly looking down on everyone, silently judging everything he saw.

“I heard he can’t stand people who show off, overestimate themselves, and aim far beyond what they’re actually capable of. Since becoming a council member, he’s had the licenses of more than twenty craftsmen revoked during internal reviews for ‘insufficient talent’ or ‘lack of ability.’” Ye Chun paused, looking at him with pity. “He’s also the one who proposed the rule barring apprentices with less than three years of training from taking the exam. So who do you think he’s going to be targeting this time?”

Ji Jue gasped.

Ye Chun’s smile turned gleeful. “Oh, and he really doesn’t get along with Auntie. Three years ago, he openly criticized Auntie and a number of other craftsmen at a council meeting for ignoring association regulations and doing whatever they pleased.”

Ji Jue’s eyelid twitched violently. “What else?”

“What else? As if Auntie would ever care about something like that.” Ye Chun shrugged. “I think he later tried to make an issue out of one of her research results, got thoroughly shut down, and never brought it up again. But don’t worry. Council members are all broad-minded people. Surely he wouldn’t make things difficult for you over something that petty, right?”

Ji Jue stared at her, dumbfounded. In a quiet voice, he asked, “Um, so if I withdraw my application now, will I get the exam fee back?”

Ye Chun’s smile grew even brighter. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Nope.”

Smack!

Professor Ye’s righteous judgment descended without warning. At some point, she had appeared behind Ye Chun. She raised a hand and knocked her on the head, making Ye Chun yelp and curl up on the sofa, squirming around in protest.

With tears in her eyes, Ye Chun glared furiously at Ji Jue. You set me up!

Ji Jue shrugged regretfully and gave her a sympathetic look. You brought it on yourself.

“You don’t need to worry about Gustav,” Ye Xian said calmly. “He may be rigid, but rules are the one thing he values above all else. He wouldn’t stoop to tampering with your exam just because of some minor grudge against me. You’d be better off worrying about your own weaknesses. Whether you pass or not, if you want to make it as a craftsman, there are still things you need to learn.”

She paused, a hint of danger creeping into her gaze. “You didn’t think a few lessons from someone else meant you could slack off here, did you?”

Ji Jue’s eyes widened as he declared with absolute conviction, “Absolutely not! Tidesound Workshop is my home, and you, Professor, are my only guiding light[1]! You’re the only teacher I acknowledge! How could I possibly go out and take lessons from some random nobody?!”

As for Jian Yuan?

That old geezer? Never heard of him. Get lost!

“Is that so?” Professor Ye smiled as though she were pleased. The sight sent a chill down Ji Jue’s spine.

She slowly brought her other hand out from behind her back. In it was a book nearly as thick as Ji Jue’s head. The gilded title on the cover gleamed with an ominous chill, reading, Collection of Past Written Questions from the Taiyi Ring Craftsman Examination (Cataclysm Era 109–401).

She gently placed the book in Ji Jue’s hands and patted him on the shoulder. “Even if the Association doesn’t test some things, I will. The exam doesn’t start until next week, so you still have plenty of time. Don’t push yourself too hard. Just finish this before the exam begins.”

Ji Jue stared down at the book and opened the cover. The pages inside were so thin they were practically translucent. After estimating the sheer number of questions packed into that monstrous volume, enough to give him a fatal brain hemorrhage on the spot, he swallowed nervously.

Clinging to his last shred of hope, he looked toward Ye Chun on the sofa, tears welling in his eyes. Senior Sister, my savior, help me out here!

Ye Chun laughed, mercilessly turned her head away. She even opened another bag of chips. Go screw yourself. You chose this yourself, you damn workaholic!

1. Raw here writes ‘sun’ but since it sounds pretty weird in English I changed it to ‘guiding light.’ ☜