Chapter 8
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 008
Chapter Title: Rock Spirit - [1]
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"Spirits, you've all seen them in fantasy novels or games, right? They come across all romantic, guardians of nature who bless swords and such...
The spirits that pop out of gates? Not even close. They're just crazed man-eaters, and I have no idea why we bother calling them 'spirits' like it's something fancy. Overseas, they call them Elementals, and someone translated it that way, but let me say it again: these things are straight-up insane cannibals.
And more important than their appetites—if you spot a spirit, don't even think about fighting it. Hide. Run like hell. You can't take one down with the fire extinguisher you're carrying.
Spirits, on the other hand? They can kill you just by glancing your way.
Think about ice Awakeners. People call them useless because they can't handle monsters, but they can kill humans or even elephants just by staring. Spirits are the same. They can fry your brain or flood your veins with oxygen just by looking at you. You have to avoid their line of sight entirely.
Oh, Kim Geuk doesn't have to worry. Awakeners can't use their powers directly on each other, right? Spirits and monsters use the same kind of Awakening abilities, so they can't pull that on Awakeners either. Ice Awakeners can't freeze a monster's insides or necrotize a body part like they can with people...
Uh, Kim Geuk? You have something to say? Why do I keep using ice Awakeners as examples...? Sorry. What should I use instead? Rock Awakeners? They're too strong for anyone to relate..."
On the day of the Hunter exam, honestly, I was nervous.
The academy had invested a not-insignificant amount of money in supporting me up to this point. Failing would just be a huge nuisance. To ease the tension, I pulled out my smartphone.
Hunter exam really as easy as they say? If I fail, the director's gonna beat me up
Easy. No exaggeration, it's as easy as enlisting.
Baby Mushroom couldn't enlist cuz it's small and weak
Baby Mushroom? Are you insane?
Guess it was public service, but same deal. The moment you show up at the Hunter exam site, consider yourself passed. The association crazies have zero intention of failing anyone.
I'm the guy from Incheon Bupyeong Hunter Academy. Berserker bro, I think I know who you are—can you drop the concept? You're over 2 meters tall, it's scary as hell...
I frowned for a moment. Over 2 meters? Try 211 centimeters. Is that guy's eyesight messed up?
Baby Mushroom is a 111cm baby! Cute like a hamster!
And when the exam started, I realized all the senior Hunters' testimonies were true.
I don't even want to describe the morning physical test. If I had to, I'd call it a one-hour-forty-minute waste of time prepared by the government.
I asked the gathered trainees if they'd had breakfast.
"Everyone passed, right?"
Twelve of us from the academy took the exam together. Not a single one could have failed.
"Unless you napped midway, there's no way to fail. It felt less like a fitness test and more like checking if all your limbs were properly attached."
Im Hyeong-taek, who at his age usually ended up half-dead after a treadmill run, made the comment.
Even Kim Jin-jun, who was confident in his stamina, chimed in.
"I heard the Hunter exam physical test uses the same standards for men and women, no distinctions. So I killed myself at the gym. But taking it, it feels like they intend to pass everyone, regardless of gender, age, or anything."
"If they're gonna do it this half-assed, why not just deliver Hunter licenses to anyone who applies? No need to call us for an exam."
"They couldn't collect exam fees that way. The association makes a killing off this; they won't give it up."
The written exam was no different.
While marking the test sheet, I just wanted to punch the criminal law instructor. All those fancy legal terms he droned on about? Nowhere to be found on the exam.
Even a foreigner who didn't know Hangul could ace it. No exaggeration.
Like it was prepared for that, every question had illustrations. Pick the one with the vicious-looking character, and that was the answer.
There's no way to fail unless you're dead set on it. I guarantee it—a high school dropout who got expelled on the first day of freshman year.
In the end, we all passed the first round of the Hunter exam. No sense of accomplishment. Of course not.
After that came the training camp for first-round passers, originally a month-long curriculum, but shortened to a week after some ridiculous diet.
"This is insane, right? One week from now, Hunter duty evaluation? Pass that, and we're Hunters making bank."
Young trainee Lee Jong-ho spoke, but Im Hyeong-taek shook his head.
"Not something to celebrate too much."
"Why?"
"Passing everyone like this means active Hunters are dying just as haphazardly. And shortening training despite that? Means they don't care if we live or die..."
"Yeah, probably."
"When they first issued Hunter licenses, exams and training were brutal, they say. What is this now? This camp feels like reserve army training."
I'd never done reserve training, but I got the gist. Playtime.
Sure enough, the camp was so lax it barely qualified as training. Trainees on phones or sleeping during sessions? Instructors didn't bat an eye. Explained why the academy made us learn marksmanship and monster data beforehand.
Im Hyeong-taek grumbled angrily.
"Seeing everything this sloppy scares the hell out of me. If I die, what about my wife and daughter? No compensation for Hunters dying on the job."
"Right? Why no payout for Hunters dying to protect the country?"
Lee Jong-ho griped, and Seong Mun-yeong jumped in—the guy who'd introduced me to HuntWeb, always acting like an industry insider.
"That's why the Hunter system exists: they don't want to pay compensation. If they paid for deaths in battle, why subcontract to a shady group like the Hunter Association instead of using active military? They round up the unemployed, hand them guns, and call them Hunters."
"So they don't care if non-Awakeners die because there are plenty of jobless doing it?"
"Except Awakener Hunters. Awakeners are valuable assets foreign countries pay big to poach, so if one gets hurt, local governments flip out. Saw on HuntWeb: Awakener Hunters commit crimes and get acquitted or suspended sentences, keep Hunting. Local gov pressures the district court where they operate."
"Man, Awakeners have it good... That S-rank psycho acts like he's above the law."
Hm, as a former human rights activist with the Korean Awakener Alliance, I had more than a few things to correct, but I held back.
Guess my expression soured. Seong Mun-yeong, mid-rant, noticed and backpedaled.
"Ah, sorry, Kim Geuk hyung. Wasn't trying to diss you. You know that, right?"
Finally, after even more pointless time-wasting camp, the last step remained.
Hunter duty performance evaluation.
The final practical: proctors observe how you'd act on a Hunter dispatch and score you.
The proctor uncle's sleepy face screamed passing as long as you didn't screw up big.
"Doesn't mean slack off completely. Sometimes they pretend to grade loosely, then fail you at the end and demand bribes."
I scanned the group for the final exam.
Kim Jin-jun, Im Hyeong-taek, Lee Jong-ho, Seong Mun-yeong, Jeong Jin-yeong... Eight from our academy, twelve strangers. Twenty total.
All carried a K-1 rifle.
The proctor, clearly eager to clock out, said:
"Alright, everyone armed? Don't point guns at people... Let's go."
Thus, our academy trainees followed the proctor out.
Soon, we reached the final exam site.
An eight-story hulking building. Like many local structures, abandoned after people fled.
Leading up the stairs, the proctor explained the scenario.
"Monster in this building. Scout team reconned: fixed on 6F, info broadcast to all. Now show how you'd move as strike team to the target."
So, Hunter-like to 6F. Crouch-walking stairs with stamina = pass.
Sure enough, everyone climbed casually, no tension.
Not me, though.
"Kim Geuk hyung, why so serious alone? Worried about the Awakener screening after?"
"No..."
"You're A-rank for sure. You okay?"
I shook my head, gritting my teeth. Damn, hard to explain my issue.
Silently, frowning, I climbed. 3F...
Déjà vu, intense déjà vu messing with my head. Felt like I'd been here, done this exactly before.
Started four months ago. Faded after intense workouts, but today it hit like old times. Why?
Something ominous. 4F.
But ominous didn't tell me what to do. I didn't even know the cause.
Couldn't just bail and forfeit the pricey fee over a bad vibe. Me or them, we'd starve otherwise.
On 5F, I asked:
"Our guns unloaded, right?"
Im Hyeong-taek replied:
"Yeah. Training blanks, few rounds."
Then 6F.
Proctor at target declared:
"Target confirmed! Strike team, breach..."
Examinees entered 6F, fanning out vigilantly.
I had no time to mimic.
"Kim Geuk hyung, what're you doing? Don't slack."
Couldn't even heed Seong Mun-yeong's valid point.
I stared at the 6F floor.
That floor, peeling wallpaper over concrete—too familiar.
Déjà vu? Yes. But more than that...
I'd seen this floor many times. When?
Probably... in hallucinations...
"All done? My stomach hurts, let's head b―"
Mid-sentence.
Behind, thuds: thump, thump, crash. Heavy things falling.
Turning, eyes widened.
Emergency stairs we'd climbed—ceiling above collapsed.
Emergency exit blocked. Concrete pile sealed it perfectly, contrived around the door.
From ahead, proctor's voice: that dumb tone of someone seeing the inexplicable.
"Huh?"
Looking front, I saw it.
Gate-spawned monster, otherworldly being armed with bizarre powers and overwhelming size.
6F partition walls already rubble.
Concrete debris floated up on its own. Clumped, forming a shape.
Human? No. Simian humanoid.
Like... goblin from lessons...
"What the hell is that?"
4-meter concrete monster looked our way. Specifically, tiny face between absurdly broad shoulders.
Concrete monster's mouth opened.
「I love you. I won't hurt you」
「I love you. Walk to me. I'll hug you」
We'd studied countless monsters at the academy. Knew what it was instantly.
"It's a spirit. Rock Spirit..."
Proctor finally got it, backing away. Trying to flee? Didn't he hear the collapse?
The concrete monster—Rock Spirit—laughed at the dumb attempt. Mocking, probably.
「Free hug declaration! Free hug declaration!」
With that eerie psychic wave, I felt pulled somewhere.
My first hallucination in three months.