Hello

"Barking?" Ji Jue turned around, bewildered. Through the iron door, the sound was faint and muffled, impossible to hear clearly. He almost began to doubt his own ears... Logically speaking, the fellow who had assigned him the task could be considered an examiner to some degree. But why was the examiner screaming outside the exam room as if he had seen a ghost? Could it be that Kanemoto had mastered his demonic art and charged over leading the Profound? In that case, would he still have time to turn his coat, embroider a black flag overnight, and welcome the imperial forces with open arms? Boom! The earth convulsed violently, buckling like a shaken carpet. The vaulted ceiling of the basement cracked open, dust showering down in waves. Outside the narrow window, it sounded as though a thunderclap had torn across the sky. A fleeting flash illuminated a colossal silhouette within the dense sheet of rain. It was like a grotesque, monstrous insect crawling above the clouds, its writhing limbs sprawling downward toward the earth, shedding a deluge of pitch-black rain. Within the black rain, piercing shrieks echoed without end. Inside the room, the high-frequency shrill of an alarm began beeping from the wall. On the dust-coated detector mounted there, the numbers shot up like a rocket. *Warning: Corruption level rising...* He did not even need an instrument; Ji Jue's body was already in intense discomfort. Even though he knew for certain that everything before him was an illusion, all that met his eyes, all that his hands touched, and everything his soul and sense of self could perceive felt completely real. Mild corruption symptoms: dizziness, panting, accelerated heartbeat. Soon, a faint stinging prickled his skin, accompanied by drowsiness, sluggish reactions, and strange noises in his ears. If left unchecked, it would progress to severe conditions such as delirium, hallucinations, and schizophrenia! The workshop's spiritus seal had sprung a leak, and the corruption from outside was eroding and spreading inward. He had to react immediately... Now Ji Jue finally understood why he had been given so many grey tiles! Ignoring the shrill screams and wailing outside the door, Ji Jue moved with lightning speed. Even without Masterwork Nature and Non-Offensive, the muscle memory, experience, and instincts he had built up could never be taken from him. Ji Jue decisively pulled the unrepaired hazmat suit over himself, cobbling together two sets of parts to barely shield his body, then patched and reinforced the joints and weak spots with tape strengthened by material properties. Next, he scooped up the still-hot grey tiles fresh out of the furnace and lunged straight toward the narrow window. Tossing aside the jammed nail gun, he grabbed a hammer and nails, using planks torn from the dismantled wooden crates to board up the window first before reinforcing it with grey tiles. The narrow crevices were packed with dust ground down from the leftover fragments. He was all too familiar with this process. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined his bricklaying skills would actually come in handy during an Embers artisan examination. With the window sealed, he moved on to repairing the ceiling, patching up every crack and breach across the four walls, before hurriedly sorting through the pile of junk, picking and choosing. Throughout it all, the screams outside the door never ceased. From far to near. Eventually, it sounded as if someone threw themselves against the door, pounding desperately: "Help... help... save—" "Coming, coming!" "Right away!" "Almost there!" "I'm on my way." "Just another second..." Ji Jue casually humored the voices, which were difficult to distinguish between hallucinations and reality. After pouring diesel fuel into the tank beneath his feet with a series of heavy glugs, he gave a hard pull on the cord, and the generator sputtered to life with a chug-chug-chug, spewing thick smoke. "Hold on, I'll open the door for you right away!" Dragging long cables and numerous iron bars, he walked over to the door. Wiping his sweat, he patiently and gently consoled the desperate caller outside. Then, expressionless, he picked up the welding torch. His foot pressed down on the pedal. Inside the furnace, a blazing jet of spiritus shot out along the alloy hose and erupted from the welding torch like a blade, instantly melting the aluminum powder flux Ji Jue had poured over the iron bars, welding the door seam shut. Then, he crisscrossed bar after bar across the surface, reinforcing the structure. Outside, the caller seemed to hear the clatter. Their patience thoroughly depleted, they wailed shrilly, demanding, "What on earth are you doing?! I'm your teacher! I... I'm..." "Sorry, who? Don't know you." Ji Jue took a step back, admiring his handiwork. "I don't have a teacher who doesn't even know the association's emergency regulations. Once an emergency occurs, the workshop must be locked down and must not be opened until the crisis is resolved. It's hanging right there on the wall. Haven't you read it?" "You lied to me! You lied to me! You lied to me!" A venomous shriek rose from behind the door. Amidst the incoherent screeching, the cries and wails grew ever more piercing. Then, the iron door shuddered violently, almost bulging into a faint outline. It felt as if some colossal behemoth was slamming furiously into the door over and over. The screech of metal scraping against metal rang relentlessly, threatening to tear the entire iron door down. Unfortunately, it was utterly futile. Ji Jue had not only reinforced it physically; his other hand was pressed flat against the door, steadily channeling his own thin spiritus to manipulate material properties and reinforce the weak points. For a moment, the sounds outside fell silent. Heavy footsteps receded into the distance, departing in resentment. Yet, without warning, violent tremors erupted once more. As if hoping to catch Ji Jue off guard and breach the room, it tried again—only in vain. In the lulls between the thunderclaps and torrential rain, Ji Jue heard sharp impacts clattering continuously from overhead, as though something was slithering through the walls and pipes. The battering against the door continued, yet amidst a lull of dead silence, Ji Jue heard another sound behind him. A sharp scratching. Coming from... Inside the furnace! "You really can't stand seeing anyone have it easy, can you?" Ji Jue almost laughed out loud. What kind of stress test was this? First corruption, then emergency repairs, a demon trying to trick him into opening the door, and now an attack from behind? The faint scratching grew clearer. Under the erosion and pollution of corruption, the battered furnace had finally reached its limit. Over a long period, the large amount of debris and ash accumulated inside had begun squirming, gradually coalescing and taking shape. It was about to finish gestating amidst the flames and spiritus, ready to hatch! Until Ji Jue's palm ignored the searing heat and slapped flat onto the furnace— "Sorry, pal, you picked the wrong place to be born." He gave a regretful sigh and told it, "No through road." Amidst the sizzling sound of scorched flesh, an agonized howl erupted from the furnace. The rapidly mutating aberrant froze instantly, and in the next moment, felt a cruel transformation unfolding within its body. The mutation ground to an abrupt halt. Then, the coalesced shell began contracting inward like a cage, pressing against its anatomy like advancing iron walls, threatening to crush it to dust! Solid Alchemy: Lockdown! In an instant, the underdeveloped aberrant was sealed tight inside a shell of mutated metal. Then, a torrent of spiritus surged like pairs of invisible giant hands. They cruelly meted out corrections and revisions, paring away excess mass, grinding down dissonances, reshaping it from the inside out. Boom! The furnace jolted violently, cracking open a seam through which blazing fire flared. The silhouette of a violently thrashing form could be faintly discerned within, but alas, it was too late. Even without using the corruption alchemy that old fossil Kanemoto had shoved onto him, Ji Jue could cook up at least eighty-one different treatments for a creature that delivered itself to his doorstep using modern alchemy alone! Considering the current situation... His brief contemplation ended in an instant. Accompanied by continuous screams, the remaking began inside the furnace! . While some candidates' creations were only just beginning, the exams for others had already come to an end. Inside the Tower of Myriad Transformations, before Gustav and Jiang Tongguang, scarlet warnings popped up across screen after screen, accompanied by unending pale faces and terrified screams. In just a few short minutes, the continuous alarms blended into a nearly unbroken hum, never stopping once. To avoid damaging the candidates' souls, multiple safeguards had been installed in the simulated universe within the Tower of Myriad Transformations. Once an apprentice lost their life or their consciousness collapsed to the point where they were deemed incapable of continuing, their link would be severed and they would be kicked out of the simulation. As for whether it left any lasting trauma, that was beyond the association's concern. "Ten minutes into the first trial, and over three hundred are already eliminated?" Jiang Tongguang marveled with a click of his tongue. "Most couldn't even survive the opening... Old Gu, I'm not saying anything bad, but wasn't your scenario a bit too difficult?" "Did I set a problem an ordinary artisan couldn't solve?" Gustav asked coldly in return. "Did the challenges the candidates faced exceed what they should be capable of handling?" All the necessary hints had been given. All the tools to cope were right inside the workshop. In fact, even a novice apprentice who had just stepped through the door only needed to analyze calmly, respond steadily, assess the situation, and execute a plan to resolve the crisis perfectly. Unfortunately... The vast majority of the eliminated couldn't even maintain basic composure. They were either bewildered and panicked, not even knowing what hit them in the end, or driven mad by the slightest stimulus, losing sight of the situation and throwing away their own lives. Some had even blown themselves up before this. If they had truly memorized the Workshop Safety Regulations and the Emergency Management Strategy Manual, they wouldn't have been left helpless and waiting for death the moment trouble arose. If they had an ounce of brains to analyze the situation, they wouldn't have been stupid enough to open the door, let an aberrant in, and walk into their own doom. With even passably solid fundamentals, they could have reinforced the workshop in time. With a little adaptability, they would have known how to resolve the issue and keep the contamination at bay. There were even two sets of protective suits. If someone didn't even know to put one on when corruption was right under their nose, they deserved to die. Those who failed to notice the signs in the furnace, lacked the ability to deal with mutation and aberration, or didn't even have the guts to cut their losses and destroy the furnace in time, only to end up crushed by a fully formed corruption creature—they had it coming as well. This was by no means a harsh exam concocted out of thin air on a whim; it was adapted from historical cases, a practical stress test well within any apprentice's capacity to handle. It hadn't even reached artisan-level difficulty! All the theory and fundamentals were laid out clearly in the association's textbooks and test papers, and instructors should have drummed every single procedure into every new apprentice's head. After more than three years of theory, study, internships, and hands-on practice, these things should have been etched into their bones and instincts, leaving no room for hesitation. If they could die at the very beginning of the exam under those conditions... with that kind of intelligence and brainpower, they might as well stay away from Embers and stop wasting the association's resources, right? "Oh, look at this one. This one's pretty good." Jiang Tongguang brought up a projection of light. The workshop on screen was completely tranquil, without the slightest chaos. From beginning to end, the youth, steadfast as a rock, showed not a trace of panic. He effortlessly untangled the complex mess, repaired breaches, inventoried materials, and reinforced the workshop. Before the aberrant in the furnace could even manifest, he had spotted the signs and nipped it in the bud. Right now, he was already repairing the water purification core. "Is this the hot-tempered old dragon's student?" Jiang Tongguang remarked with amazement. "Such a composed demeanor—he doesn't resemble his teacher in the slightest." "No matter how abrasive Lilin's temper may be, the Clock Tower is the legacy of a grandmaster after all. Their ability to teach students is never lacking." Gustav glanced over and nodded slightly. "This student actually resembles the Carrion Eater of the past—methodical and steady, never reckless." "This one's not bad either. Hasn't made a single mistake so far. Oho, sharp instincts, great at defusing hazards." On the screen, a dark-skinned candidate kicked open the furnace door, picked up a pair of tongs, yanked out the underdeveloped aberrant, and shoved it straight into a vat of strong acid. Sizzling echoed non-stop. Soon, chunks of chilled residue floated up in the boiling acid. Problem solved. "This one... well... his technique is very polished, clearly built on solid fundamentals, and he doesn't lack adaptability. But... isn't he a bit hot-headed?" Jiang Tongguang's gaze landed on another projection. The workshop was in utter disarray, yet structurally sound. The corruption creature that had lunged out of the furnace was now pinned beneath a boot on the floor, convulsing and struggling in terror. "You piece of shit, I've put up with you for long enough!" His face livid, the candidate stomped on the aberrant, both hands shrouded in spiritus and hardened like iron mallets. Swinging them down with howling winds, he rained down blows while cursing continuously: "You bastard, look at you now! I'll teach you to play innocent! I'll teach you to talk about being my fucking partner for life—" "Fucking! Die! Die! Die! Die!!" Heavy thuds echoed endlessly. The aberrant shrieked, struggling in vain, until it was bludgeoned to death with bare hands. In the brief silence, Jiang Tongguang and Gustav exchanged a glance. Both shared the exact same speechless expression. "At least... cough... his boxing technique is proficient, right? Hmm, from that stance, he's definitely trained; put in the hard work." Jiang Tongguang shook his head with an emotional sigh. "Let me see whose student this is... hm? Little Kong..." Gustav fell silent as well. "That's... understandable, then." "Indeed." Jiang Tongguang nodded. "Definitely his true disciple, no doubt about it." With so many changes occurring across the numerous projections, it was impossible to watch them all. Even the two directors could only set alert triggers and check on the critical or perilous cases, ensuring they could intervene immediately to prevent candidates from suffering irreversible damage. Amidst their monitoring, another alarm sounded. Someone else had opened the workshop door... "How are there still idiots opening the door at this point?" Jiang Tongguang frowned and looked over—then froze on the spot. After a long pause, he reached out a hand. He poked the focused Gustav beside him, once, and then again. "Old Gu... Old Gu, come look at this..." "I told you, don't call me Old Gu!" Gustav, thoroughly fed up, turned around with a glare—and then his gaze was drawn to the screen as well. He fell into the exact same stupor. In the projection, as the door swung open, the aberrant that had been lingering outside hissed in excitement. The grotesque silhouette stitched together from multiple corpses writhed, its limbs twitching and dancing with glee as it threw itself through the doorway without a second thought. And then, it saw... The figure standing before the furnace. With the furnace door thrown wide, backlit by the roaring flames, there was only a pitch-black silhouette. Utterly terrifying. Over the hazmat suit, he wore iron armor welded together from scrap steel. The diesel engine on his back crudely pumped out electric current to drive the motorized frame, sparks flying from the cable connections. Exposed, massive gears slowly turned, and grease-stained hydraulic rods slid and ground against each other, forming an exoskeleton structure so rudimentary it was appalling. And gripped in his hands was a massive iron hammer—one that, in the most literal sense, was baring fangs and brandishing claws. It still radiated the searing residual heat of the furnace. Across the massive hammerhead, a hybrid of steel and flesh, grotesque eyes and mouths shifted restlessly, howling in hunger and thrashing about, yet bound securely to the hammer with no way of escape. From between the pupils and bloody maws, viscous saliva and bloody tears dripped continuously, hissing as they hit the ground. Now, accompanied by the grating screech of metal as the machinery whirred, the hammer was slowly raised. The menacing silhouette cast a pitch-black shadow, blotting out the stunned, twisted faces covering the aberrant's body. "Hello—" Ji Jue said. And then... —BOOM!!!