Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking

Not that it's hard. Actually, it's the opposite. It's easy...too easy, even.

Someone who memorized the 'Symbols for the Stupid' book - the introductory material for people who are interested, would be able to answer everything that's in the questionnaire.

Sure, there were some misleading questions here and there. Those who breeze through the exam, not reading each question properly, will fall into this trap. But even these questions could be counted with his fingers with some left.

For an exam that would determine if someone could be considered a 'Professional', this was a little disappointing.

'There should be a catch here...at least.' Cedric sighed after reviewing his answers for the 5th time now.

He looked at their examiner; Chrome who was dozing off in a corner and his lips twitched. Seriously, the guy was too relaxed. He wasn't putting on an act either, that much Cedric could tell.

'Maybe there's none...maybe I'm just overthinking things.'

Cedric shook his head and decided to review his answers one final time. And even after doing that, he still had some time left.

He waited until the timer was over before passing his answers. Once the time was up, Chrome told them that they would receive an e-mail about their results after a few minutes.

There's no surprise here. Cedric aced the exams. Not a single wrong answer on his papers. He received a congratulatory e-mail as well as instructions on where to proceed from there.

Leaving the exam room, he went back to the reception to get his credentials. After confirming his results, the staff gave him his license and congratulated him for becoming a member of the Lifestyle Guild.

With his license and registration done, Cedric no longer had any business being here.

Now that he's officially recognized by the guild as a Professional Scribe, he could take requests or missions from the guild to build up his profile steadily.

Granted, he could only do small missions right now. That's the rule for any beginners like him.

'That may be why the test was so easy.' He mused while he was driving his car. 'Even the low-leveled missions rewards Demon Souls upon completion. They must be pitying those who are struggling financially.'

Most of the work listed on the quest board can be completed online for the convenience of its members. Harder missions require a visit, like what the group of inscriptionists who visited the RMC did.

Either way, if one desires to become a part of the upper echelons of the guild, then one must build their profile carefully.

Cedric had no interest in participating in the politics of the Lifestyle Guild though. If anything, he just did this to add to his credentials as a civilian.

That said though, his official registration would help him in the future. Just a reminder, Cedric did discover a way to purify Demon Souls. Although it's still a prototype, for now, it worked phenomenally.

If he wants to release his invention one day, having this license would come in handy. And if he builds a decent portfolio with the guild, then his credibility wouldn't be questioned.

On his way back home, Cedric went to a drive-through to get something to eat. Once he's back home, he is greeted by Erica who confirms if he is really okay with not being paid for his help.

Cedric assured her that there was really no need. He was tempted to tell her that he was essentially a millionaire, far from lacking in financial terms, though he prevented himself from doing so.

As it turns out, Erica was supposed to leave that same day so his timing was perfect.

He sent off Erica, once she was out of sight, Cedric threw an array disk on her lawn. As soon as the thing landed, it released a pulse of light that covered every inch of her property.

This array disk was similar to a security system. It alerts Cedric of any disturbances within the area. It also contains traps and nasty surprises for any stranger who dares to entertain any idea about Erica's home.

As for trimming her lawn...that's not an issue for now. She just trimmed it. Besides, if it grew, Cedric could trim it in no time at all so there's nothing to worry about.

With that out of the way, Cedric returned to his home and decided to relax.

While he was relaxing, he was thinking about his future.

Well, he's Tier 2 now, something that he thought would never happen less than a year ago, but here he is. Additionally, he's not just any ordinary Tier 2 Superhuman.

He's a Tier 2 Superhuman who has a Legendary Tier Class (Demon Slayer) and also a Unique Class (Luminous Sage) who also has an EX-ranked Overall Aptitude. He's a uniquely terrifying person, one who has to keep all of this a secret if he wants to grow old in this world.

'...wait, isn't there a Sage Art for this?'

Cedric hurriedly closed his eyes and reviewed his stock knowledge about Sage Arts. It didn't take him long before he got what he needed...

'Alright, let's try this out.'

"Sage Art: Jester's Mask."

Cedric's face then suddenly warped, changing into something new. His hair color also changed to black. He looked in the mirror and didn't recognize himself. This meant that the technique worked.

'Jerster's Mask' was a Sage Art that was purposefully created to fool people. It changes the caster's appearance based on the image they want. The technique was also comprehensive since even the caster's voice, height, weight, hair color, birthmarks, and so on could be changed.

If Cedric were to master this technique, then he could fool even those with skills that could determine someone's true appearance. And with how absurd Cedric's learning speed was, this was a guarantee.

'This is perfect!' Cedric inwardly exclaimed. 'Not to mention, I could keep this up permanently if I wanted to!'

This technique solved his immediate dilemma...

Remember, the Demons are still spying on him. He could tell that they were still gathering sufficient intel about him to assess his danger to them. The White Mask that Chief Lucas gave to him was still working but that wasn't a permanent solution.

The Jester's Mask, on the other hand, was more reliable. And if he acted according to how he planned to, then he should be able to fool the Demons into thinking that he's a lesser threat than they initially thought.

Plus, with this technique, he can forge an Alter Persona.

'Cedric' would still show up regularly in Hell Dives, acting semi-cautiously as he clears his Hell Dive. He would display some of his skills but keep most hidden, only showing enough strength to barely pass the Monthly Mandatory Service.

Meanwhile, his 'Alter Persona' would also go in, but this time he will hold nothing back. He would use both the Demon Slayer and Luminous Sage Skills which will undoubtedly put him at the very forefront of the Demon's scrutiny.

'He' would attract their attention instead. But since he would appear out of nowhere, they will have no lead as to who he is in real life.

The 'Alter' would home his skills for both classes, steadily increasing his strength while provoking the demons thoroughly. He would be elusive but a show-off.

And since he needed to clear his Hell Dive twice now, this works perfectly for him. Additionally, since Acala herself called him a heaven-defying genius, she would do her best to protect him.

With this set-up, Cedric could continue building up his strength privately until the day comes that he becomes strong enough that he would no longer need to hide his identity.

That's certainly going to take a while but Cedric wasn't in a hurry. Time was on his side and he planned on taking advantage of that as much as he possibly could.

With that plan in mind, Cedric began to work.

He activated the privacy seals in his room. He knows that he wasn't being spied on by anyone right now but it wouldn't hurt to be extra cautious. Once he's assured that he's alone, he starts sculpting the face of his Alter Persona.

Scarlet red, long hair and eyes. A rugged middle-aged man appeared with a long diagonal scar across his face. Same weight and height to lessen the need for adjustment. This is what his alter-persona would look like.

'Derrek...that's gonna be your name.' He mused to himself. 'Just in case a need for a name arises.'

'You'd also be a left-handed swordsman just to make it different. After all, I already have a fighting style. If there's no difference between the two, then I'll just be announcing who I am to the demons.'

'Derrek would also incorporate guns in his fighting style. Just to really make a clear distinction. That should throw the demons off when they try to guess who Derrek was.'

Satisfied with his plan, Cedric dismissed the disguise and deactivated the seals around his room. The next Hell Dive schedule was next week, meaning that Derrek's debut was also coming soon.

He has a couple of days to prepare the rest but for now, he will continue relaxing.