The House of Jegal.
A clan known more for its intellect than for martial prowess or techniques in the Martial World.
Typically depicted as the brains behind the Martial Forest Alliance, they have a strong presence as a steadfast second-in-command, but the House of Jegal holds a different standing in this Martial World.
Experts in Array Formation.
From installation to modification, maintenance, and problem-solving of formations.
That’s why there were always crowds bustling at the main gate of the House of Jegal.
Array formations aren’t just any ordinary complicated matter. When they’re functioning smoothly, they’re already convoluted, but when tangled, they’re like a knotted ball of yarn.
If a clumsy person carelessly fiddles with it, they’re likely to tighten the knots and remove all chances of intervention.
So, to avoid making things even more complex, many people seek the House of Jegal, the top experts in the Central Plains right from the get-go.
Also, there are security issues with array formations.
If a problem occurs with a formation and a Master of Formation is called to fix it, one unavoidable anxiety arises at that moment.
Namely, the fact that the Master of Formation must know the composition of the modified array.
Generally, the purpose of using these formations is to enhance security. However, calling a Master of Formation who has trust issues to repair an array is like putting the cart before the horse.
Thus, despite steep fees and the long journey from Hubei, people still flock to the House of Jegal, knowing their secrets won’t leak.
And the result was unfolding right in front of my eyes.
Chatter!
Buzzing!
Countless individuals gathering in front of the House of Jegal!
It had become a daily sight with people forming tent villages around the entrance of the House of Jegal.
“What the…”
I had never seen such a scene in this game’s Martial World before!
While I was perplexed, Tang Do-yeon spoke calmly.
“The House of Jegal is as it was.”
“Just as the rumors said.”
Tang Do-yeon acted as if this scene was natural for the House of Jegal, while Black Cat seemed to understand the current situation perfectly.
None of our party members seemed flustered by the event; everyone seemed to take it in stride, so I also chose to accept the situation for now.
“My Disciple, let’s get a waiting number first.”
“Understood.”
Hyeok Gi-rin and I decided to get a waiting number, while the rest of the party chose to wait in the cart.
“Peanuts! Jerky! Refreshing drinks right from the shade! Get yours here!”
“Wide-brimmed hats to keep the sun away! Sunshades to protect your skin! Buy now!”
We watched as vendors hawked their wares while heading towards the main gate.
“What brings you here?”
“I’d like to request the crafting of an array formation.”
The brows of the gatekeeper lifted.
Well, it’s certainly rare for someone to come looking to craft an array.
“If it’s no problem, I’ll need to verify. Are you referring to the successful formations established by martial artists?”
“Yes, the successful formation that can utilize the mysteries of synergy.”
“Hmm. My apologies. It’s such a unique request that…”
“Please go ahead and issue a waiting number.”
Upon entering the information desk, a scholar with a bored expression handed me a ticket.
It was a paper printed with the number 147 and a strange symbol.
“Do not show the number and the symbol to anyone. If you lose the waiting number or if it doesn’t match during future verification, you will lose your eligibility for entry.”
“How long will I have to wait with number 147?”
“That number is just a placeholder, not an actual waiting number. If you’d like to know how long you’ll wait, it could easily be a month.”
“….What?”
I was taken aback.
A month?
With the Blood Sect’s grasp looming, wait a whole month?
“Of course, that’s the minimum period. Depending on the handling of other matters, the waiting time could be longer. And that ticket is merely for consultation within the House of Jegal. It will take more time to get an estimate and assign personnel, just so you know.”
“So, even before putting in the request, I’d have to wait a month, and after I request, how long it takes depends on the request itself?”
“That’s correct.”
“Hahaha…”
“I’m terribly sorry to say this, but is there no way to expedite this? Even if it costs several times more.”
The scholar, looking like one who had seen countless people in a rush, gazed at me without much reaction.
“I’m sorry, but there are no exceptions. Even if the formidable Lord of the House of Jegal were to return, you must take a number and wait your turn.”
I smacked my lips, having received the waiting ticket and stepping out.
Complaining to my ancestors about these unsympathetic descendants wouldn’t do any good.
“Phew, seems like I’ll be waiting quite a while.”
“Indeed.”
A month?
That seemed more like an uncertain wait when considering how long it would take for a request to be accepted.
Should my situation develop, it could take months before actual work on the formation began.
Was it really necessary to go through all this waiting just to request a formation from the House of Jegal?
While there weren’t many Master of Formations comparable to the experts of the House of Jegal, they weren’t entirely non-existent. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to seek them out instead of waiting without any idea of when it would all happen?
With Black Cat’s information-gathering ability and Bicheongmacha’s mobility, I could probably cut the time by searching for independent Mages.
Getting the formation was just the first step against the Entity; understanding and mastering it would require relentless practice. And once the basics were grasped through practice, I’d need to gain real-world experience handling the wild Entities.
There were so many mountains to climb ahead. It wasn’t a great idea to waste so much time on simply putting in a request for a successful array formation.
Moreover, if business at the House of Jegal was this booming, getting a competent Master of Formation would be like reaching for the stars.
Waiting for months only to get assigned a mediocre Master of Formation would be an absolute waste of time.
“Hehe. Hello there, Great Hero.”
As I was slowly detaching my mind from the House of Jegal, someone started up a conversation beside me.
“Your face seems full of worries, so I thought I’d say something.”
The man, somewhat dapperly dressed but seemingly exuding the aura of a Black Bandit, was approaching.
Engaging in a first-time conversation like this felt a bit odd, but he appeared like he could very well have been a pickpocket in an alleyway.
“I can’t help but wonder if you might require the assistance of the House of Jegal urgently… Hehe.”
I felt a sense of déjà vu with that sly smile of his.
Could it be…?
“I happened to acquire a waiting ticket that’s quite close to the current number… It seems I’ve found someone in more of a hurry than I thought.”
“Hahaha…”
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Wait, what, is there a scalper around?
They’re selling snacks, drinks, and even scalped tickets! This place is like a baseball stadium—almost.
Soon, I would just need to put on a glove and start collecting flying balls over the fence.
Despite my inner complaints, I decided to speak up.
“I heard the numbers don’t follow the order, so how can you tell yours is close?”
The situation was absurd, but separate from my feelings, his proposal was enticing.
The man grinned in response to my question.
“Look over there.”
He pointed toward a scoreboard displaying numbers.
272.
“While the waiting numbers are random, there’s still a pattern. The hundreds and tens are random, but the units follow the order. Oh, the number is changing!”
The staff from the House of Jegal flipped the numbers on their display.
As the number showed 273, someone waiting suddenly pulled their token from their pocket and rushed forward.
“As you might know, the House of Jegal does not accept many requests in a day. At most, it’s two or three.”
That was entirely understandable.
With requests flowing in from all over the Martial World, even the House of Jegal would struggle with a shortage of manpower.
“I have ticket number 278.”
278, huh.
If this man spoke the truth, waiting only a day or two would allow me to place a request.
“How much do you want?”
“Cough. Well, I also received quite a handsome sum when I got this ticket…”
“So, how much?”
The man swallowed hard before replying.
“Ten gold coins.”
I frowned at him.
Are you serious?
Ten gold coins were enough to keep everyone crowding the House of Jegal fed and sheltered for an entire month.
“Let’s settle for five.”
“Half is just… too much.”
“Five gold coins. Need I say something else?”
Honestly, even one gold coin felt overpriced.
However, it was better to get scammed than to get stuck with unnecessary complications. He had asked for ten gold coins, but he couldn’t hide the fact he wasn’t planning to sell it at that price either, nodding hastily in agreement instead.
“Ah, no, it’s fine!”
I handed five gold coins to the scalper and received the waiting number in return.
“Hmm.”
Although it was marked as 278, the handwriting seemed slightly different somehow. The design might vary, but the general feel should be similar.
However, the paper itself felt the same.
The material of the ticket given out by the House of Jegal was different from regular paper. It had a unique texture resembling business card stock, which made it obvious compared to other tickets.
Once I confirmed that they matched, I nodded lightly.
“Well, it’s not ideal, but it’s a deal.”
“Haha, haha… Now that I’ve finally gotten rid of my ticket, I can happily return home.”
You’re a native of this place, though.
The scalper, giving off a vibe that he had never left Hubei, tried to act nonchalant while making his exit.
“Hmm. A scalper… I wonder if it’s a good idea.”
Hyeok Gi-rin murmured, watching the fleeing figure of the scalper.
“Well, with the amount of money involved, it should be fine.”
Honestly, he probably didn’t believe he could sell the ticket for five gold coins. Hitting a jackpot like that would mean he wouldn’t be sharing stories of it with just anyone.
If one were to con someone out of a few coins, they’d have no qualms doing so, but five gold coins was a hefty sum—far too large for petty bragging.
He’d probably keep his head down afterward, not wanting to attract attention until he thought the storm had passed. By then, I’d have already placed my request.
The next day arrived, and with the unyielding will of my party members to never leave me alone, I was pushed into waiting in front of the House of Jegal with Black Cat.
As I looked at the number of applicants stacked before the House of Jegal, I felt relieved I had bought a scalped ticket.
Though the rear numbers changed regularly, no one really knew when their numbered ticket would come up, so most people stood and waited without budging an inch.
As we waited, the eyes of most passersby were glued to Black Cat.
Wearing normal attire instead of her typical formal wear, Black Cat still couldn’t hide her shining beauty.
While a single action restriction was in place, I wasn’t quite sure whether it was a good thing to be drawing so much attention after buying a ticket.
While I contemplated this, Black Cat poked my shoulder.
“You know, Senior, you should count yourself lucky. Look at how others envy your relationship, huh? Care to treat her better, rather than constantly giving her a headache?”
“Cough. I’m sorry.”
Black Cat giggled. Having dealt with everything from Dokgo I-seol to the Blood Sect, I could say I didn’t have words to express it and only scratched my head in helplessness.
The number on the ticket changed to 278.
“Let’s go, Senior.”
When we stood before the gatekeepers, something unexpected happened.
“Wait, it’s my turn!”
Another person stepped forward to join us.
In that instant, I felt a chill run down my spine.
“You both have 278 tickets?”
“That’s right.”
“Yes, we do.”
It was clearly a situation where one of us must be fake. However, the gatekeeper, as if accustomed to such incidents, pointed us toward a small booth for verification without changing his expression.
A different scholar was sitting there today.
“Show me your tickets.”
Both the man and I presented our tickets. Honestly, just glancing at the scornful look from the guy beside me felt like a foregone conclusion.
I remembered the scalper I’d met yesterday.
Why did I trust that scalper’s ticket so easily?
The ticket had looked convincing, but the real reason was simple: the scalper had sold tickets right at the House of Jegal’s front.
In truth, as long as it wasn’t scalped from a waiting line, it wasn’t necessary for the House of Jegal to intervene in buying tickets, and realistically, it would be quite difficult to stop.
They couldn’t compare every number to every person waiting.
However, counterfeiting these tickets was a whole different matter.
Receiving requests for formations was solely an affair of the House of Jegal.
If those who’d awaited more than a month to submit requests were left restless because of counterfeit tickets—if they lost their turn unjustly due to those forgeries?
In the end, selling counterfeit waiting tickets would disrupt the House of Jegal’s operation.
I wouldn’t know how much the scalper was making off selling counterfeit ones, but it would barely be worth the trouble with what he stood to lose with the House of Jegal.
That’s why I bought that ticket even with my doubts, parting with five gold coins.
“Yours is real, then.”
However, the world is vast, and there are a ton of crazy characters out there.
“Seriously, live your life properly!”
The man confirming his ticket pointed angrily at me before stomping off toward the House of Jegal.
“Lately, there’s been a surge in counterfeit tickets. Do you require a new ticket?”
The scholar addressed me politely, without mentioning my blunder, which only increased my embarrassment.
“I’m fine.”
I exited the booth, hearing whispers from the crowd around me. Witnessing the guy get turned away with a fake ticket surely piqued everyone’s interest.
“Hahaha…”
I raised my gaze to the sky.
I got scammed?
Me.
Ho Cheon-an is the fool, huh?
“Hahahahahaha!!!”
I burst into uncontrollable laughter, the mirth rising from my gut.
At some point, the laughter abruptly halted.
“Black Cat.”
“Yes! Senior!”
The pale-faced Black Cat quickly replied.
“I’ve got a job for you.”
You’re in deep trouble now, you little rascal.
