Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Area-Wide Aggro (3)
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Up until moments ago, Cha Gangju's irritation meter had been teetering right on the edge of explosion.
"What the hell is with all these damn procedures! So annoying!"
This wasn't her usual temperament.
It was the influence of her unique trait, Berserker.
In combat, it granted superior reflexes, near-prophetic instincts, and explosive physical enhancements, but the downside was that her battle instincts were constantly stimulated, leaving her on edge.
It had started with the monsters' roars.
Sounds that instilled fear in some and tension in others hit Cha Gangju differently.
Ecstasy. Elation. Thrill.
The anticipation of an imminent clash with the beasts filled her with exhilaration.
She was struggling to rein in her eager body when words like Gold Mountain or Silver Mountain floated into her ears unnoticed.
Then someone caught her attention.
Kim Gunja.
"...The highest score?"
"Yes. Interested?"
"Of course... I am."
Even as an A-rank hopeful, she was still just a Hunter trainee.
It was common knowledge that high exam scores meant a bigger payday upon contracting, something every applicant dreamed of.
Especially for someone like Cha Gangju, whose thirst for battle and victory burned fierce.
But how?
Curiosity piqued, her upper body naturally leaned toward Kim Gunja.
Noticing her gesture, Kim Gunja smiled.
"Too many ears around here, so I'll explain the details once we reach the hunting grounds. It suits your abilities perfectly, actually."
His words only deepened her curiosity.
He was an intriguing guy.
Not just what he said, but the signals from her heightened instincts amplified it.
From the moment they started talking, her instincts had been whispering to her.
Be careful.
His right arm.
'...That's weird.'
She occasionally got warnings about someone's entire presence, like with Jin Garyul, but her instincts zeroing in on a specific 'body part' like this? That was a first.
Cha Gangju moistened her red lips and extended her hand.
"Sounds good. I'm looking forward to it. Nice doing business with you."
Kim Gunja shook it gladly.
A foothold for clearing the quest had fallen into place easily.
Geum Jinung eyed the pair with displeasure, while Han Jihan just watched with an amused grin.
"We'll now head out for the hunting phase! Please board the vehicles assigned to your groups!"
At the announcer's words, Kim Gunja's group began to move.
The groups were formed randomly, but there was a minimum criterion.
Their chosen theme: forest.
Kim Gunja, Cha Gangju, Han Jihan, Geum Jinung, and one other had all picked forest, then been randomly grouped.
Kim Gunja's reason was straightforward.
'It's the best place to make full use of the abilities from the Customizing Room.'
The vehicle headed for the forest hunting grounds.
The Hunter license exam's first practical test—and Kim Gunja's very first hunt—was about to begin.
#
Screeech—the vehicle pulled up at the forest entrance.
"Your time limit starts automatically via GPS on your smartwatch the moment you enter the forest."
Leaving only the hovering camera drones behind, the vehicle drove off.
That was when Kim Gunja was about to explain what he'd mentioned to Cha Gangju.
Cough!
Geum Jinung cleared his throat pointedly to draw attention.
He glanced at Cha Gangju, then spoke in polite form instead of his usual casual tone.
"Everyone knows the active A-rank Hunter, Ranger Mok Woojin, right? I got one-on-one training from him."
Even Kim Gunja was mildly impressed by the mention of personal training from a pro A-rank.
He'd heard about it from Park Chunduk.
It must've cost tens of millions at least. A true Gold Mountain Group heir.
But why bring it up now?
The mystery cleared up fast.
"I know all his exclusive tips inside and out. So, to make our hunt as efficient as possible, how about I take the lead?"
He was volunteering to lead the hunt.
When people group up, they need a leader, and it wasn't decided purely by strength.
Geum Jinung was subtly pitching himself.
Acknowledge me as leader, and I'll get us high scores.
He'd lost face early on, but figured it wasn't too late to seize control.
"I'm for it."
The quiet guy finally spoke up for the first time.
B-rank Awakener Park Juhwan.
The 23-year-old applicant who'd been a college athlete before awakening.
But something about him...
He had too much discipline for a student.
Like he'd spent years in a strict hierarchy, army-style.
Park Juhwan glanced at Kim Gunja and continued.
"My goal is a stable Hunter license pass. Not some reckless high-score gamble. So I trust Ranger Mok Woojin's know-how over this guy."
He turned to Cha Gangju.
"You're aiming high too, right, Cha Gangju? Wouldn't it be better to follow proven expertise instead of pie-in-the-sky 'highest score' talk?"
It made sense.
Cha Gangju stared at Kim Gunja, and Geum Jinung jumped in right away.
"Kim Gunja, was it? Mind sharing where you learned your hunting skills and knowledge?"
The intent was obvious.
Let's compare brands.
Kim Gunja shrugged lightly.
"Park Chunduk Academy."
"First time hearing of it. Private academy? What's the trainer's rank...?"
"C-rank."
Geum Jinung's smile deepened.
"C-rank, huh... So you learned this 'highest score' method from him too?"
"No. That was self-taught."
Strictly speaking, from the Customizing Room, but no need to spill that.
"...Self-taught? This is your first hunt today, isn't it? You're saying you pieced it together from theory and are testing it now?"
"I guarantee it'll work, but yeah, first time trying it for real."
"Ha..."
Geum Jinung wore a smug victor's grin as he turned to Cha Gangju.
"So, what do you say? Cha Gangju."
"......"
Was it all just bluff?
Hard to tell—Kim Gunja's expression hadn't changed.
But.
Her instincts were still sending the same signal.
That right arm is the real deal.
Cha Gangju let out a soft sigh and asked provocatively.
"What do you think? You made the first pitch. Your lead and Mok Woojin's tips—which gets higher scores?"
Kim Gunja answered without hesitation.
"Mine, obviously."
Geum Jinung bristled to retort—
"But for now, following your lead isn't a bad idea. My prep takes a little time."
There it is, Geum Jinung smirked.
Too embarrassed to back down after name-dropping Mok Woojin, so bluffing to save face.
"...Fine."
Cha Gangju replied, sounding a touch disappointed.
No other objections, so Geum Jinung stepped forward confidently.
"No disagreements, then. I'll lead the hunt. First..."
With that, Kim Gunja and the group grabbed their weapons and entered the forest.
#
Pfshk!
The hunting spear's blade pierced the thick neck of the C-rank monster, Gray Bear.
Kuooooh—
Even with its body shredded to rags, the Gray Bear let out a plaintive wail as it toppled sideways.
Dust billowed, and with a ding! the smartwatch chimed.
⏰ Time Remaining:02:46:32
📊 Hunting Score:790 / 1000
🏆 Personal Rank:6
The score updated in real-time based on drone footage.
"Haha! As expected of Cha Gangju! Impressive!"
Geum Jinung praised her for severing the Gray Bear's last breath.
"Eh, you're not bad yourself."
His first compliment earned a beaming smile from Geum Jinung.
Even Cha Gangju had to admit—his leadership was rock-solid.
One by one.
He tracked forest monsters expertly and hunted them efficiently by exploiting weaknesses and habits. Top-tier stuff.
Cha Gangju checked her smartwatch.
[Time Remaining: 02:46:32]
[Hunting Score: 790 / 1000]
[Personal Rank: 6]
The result of about an hour of focused hunting.
A little more momentum, and high ranks were within reach.
Buoyed by her words, Geum Jinung glanced smugly at Kim Gunja.
He'd been diligently gathering something after each hunt, which Geum Jinung chalked up to embarrassment over the skill gap.
'Must be awkward. The difference is glaring.'
He muttered loud enough for all to hear.
"Someone was bragging about top scores earlier. Wonder what amazing method could beat this."
Open mockery.
Even Cha Gangju doubted anything more efficient than Geum Jinung's clean approach.
Kim Gunja, who'd been harvesting fluffy tufts from the Gray Bear's paw pads, looked up.
And replied casually.
"Perfect timing—prep's done. Mind if I take the lead from here?"
Geum Jinung's face twisted at the unexpected remark.
Han Jihan approached Kim Gunja with a shocked look and whispered.
"Kim Gunja, if you're just pissed and lashing out..."
"Huh? No way. I'm not petty enough to bluff over something like this."
"Ha! So you're saying you can beat this score?"
Geum Jinung snapped harshly.
Implying: if not, shut up and back off.
But Kim Gunja's response defied expectations again.
"Not exactly, but at least three times faster."
"...Nonsense!"
Barely holding back "bullshit," Geum Jinung bellowed.
Cha Gangju proposed with curious eyes.
"Sounds fun. How about handing the reins to Kim Gunja from now on? We're already safe for passing, so no harm."
Before the others could respond—
Kim Gunja spoke first.
"Ah, but there's one thing I'm a bit worried about."
All eyes turned to him.
"My method's pretty Spartan, so I'm not sure if the rest of you can keep up."
The group let out hollow chuckles.
Who was worrying about whom?
Cha Gangju replied on their behalf to the D-rank guy with no standout combat feats so far.
"We'll see once we try, won't we? Whether our skills fall short or your lead does."
Well, fair enough.
No reason to refuse.
"Alright then..."
And so Kim Gunja's leadership began. A hunt utterly unlike Geum Jinung's.
#
The artificial island's central control room and conference hall.
South Korean Hunter Association reps, corporate scouts, and guild talent spotters sat before massive screens streaming every drone feed.
"Man, Diamond Han Juyeong's straight out of the textbook."
The pomaded burly man led like a manual come to life.
A rising star defender, for sure.
At the front, he blocked every attack flawlessly with his massive shield.
His teammates poured safe damage from blind spots.
"Demon Eye Sin Yeji and Joker Jin Garyul lack a bit in teamwork, but that's experience. Doesn't detract from their overwhelming dominance."
Sin Yeji sealed monster movements or hit vitals with her signature mana bursts and control, while Jin Garyul toyed with them using beastly agility and superior power.
"Compared to last year, this crop is seriously promising all around."
"Haha, yeah. Scout wars are gonna be brutal this time."
True to the words, scouts were constantly hashing out recruitment terms via messengers.
"Huh?"
One monitoring staffer voiced doubt.
"What? Something off?"
Hunter license exam chief overseer Lee Youngsik turned to him.
Screen 17 showed one man.
Kim Gunja, D-rank.
Profile: Unique Trait - Right Arm Swordsman. Displayed on one side.
He remembered the face.
"Oh, the oldest applicant? Find something special?"
Lee Youngsik's question went unanswered. Instead—
"W-What the hell is that psycho...!"
The staffer swore. Right in front of the boss.
Lee Youngsik furrowed his brow to reprimand—
"That crazy bastard!"
He couldn't help swearing too.
He'd seen it.
The mad scene Kim Gunja was unleashing.
Unlike the stunned staffer, chief Lee Youngsik judged swiftly.
He seized the mic.
"Forest Sector 17 safety team—no! All nearby safety personnel, move to Sector 17 immediately! Right now!"
His shout drew all eyes; they too froze in horror.
Screen 17.
There, an unprecedented crisis in Hunter exam history unfolded.
All because of a small ball lobbed by applicant Kim Gunja.