Chapter 147
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 147: How to Get a License (2)
The Provisional Hunter License exam was a survival test.
“It's a kind of survival game where you have to survive on an island, hunting and avoiding monsters. You have to defeat a certain number of monsters and find food to survive for 3 days.”
At Na Yuhan's words, Yggdrasil nodded and said.
“That's why you must work as a team, looking out for each other and moving as one to eliminate dangers!”
Ahem. She cleared her throat and looked up at us.
“There may be cases where you ally with other teams, but fundamentally, they are your competitors.”
“Yes. The basic stance is not to mind each other... but I've heard there are vicious people who attack others to get them eliminated.”
“Right. You can only trust your own team. Keep that in mind. The pass rate for 2nd years is only 40 percent. Of course, I believe in you all!”
“...I think we'll be fine, as long as Park Yul-ah and Kim Kang-ha don't cause an accident.”
“...Well, that's true.”
Yggdrasil expressed her agreement with Na Yuri's words.
Even she was fed up with the invention combo's incidents.
“So, don't cause any accidents, Park Yul-ah! Kim Kang-ha!”
“Yep!”
“Yeees!”
...Will it be okay?
I looked at the two with anxious eyes, but they just smiled innocently.
It'll be fine.
I trusted my teammates—excluding those two.
Fundamentally, we surpassed the skills of the existing students, so we were unlikely to be eliminated.
If it weren't for those two!
Anyway, the intense training, in the name of license preparation, continued.
"If the robot is no good, how about a bomb!"
"Great! Can we?!"
"As if!!!"
…And so, the hardship of controlling the invention combo's rampage, which was just as bad as the intense training, also continued.
The commander trying to stop them, Na Yuhan, grew more tattered by the day.
"Yuhan… you okay?"
"I'm... fine..."
Kwaang—! Kwang—!
“...Doesn't look like you're fine.”
Yeah. Looks that way to me, too.
“As expected, the explosive power of an artificial core rivals that of a monstercore! Amazing, Yul-ah!”
“Hehe, it's nothing!”
“Ah, but I was thinking recently. If it's an artificial core, it might be able to serve as an artificial organ for other races who have cores as hearts, like monsters.”
"Maybe? Medical stuff isn't my specialty, but if the components of the core I made are the same as a monstercore, it's possible."
I let out a sigh of relief as I watched the invention combo, who had started their own discussion.
They tended to quiet down a bit when they were like this.
Only then did we breathe and clean up the chaotic field.
"I'll help~"
"Me too!"
"Thank you… thanks."
Choi Sujeong's wind and Kang Yu's water made quick work of the mess.
It was dizzying to imagine how long it would have taken without those two.
Yggdrasil gave us a short break, also for cleaning.
During that time, we chatted.
“Come to think of it, I think that cult that approached Jaeyun-ssi was the Tower God Cult.”
“Really?”
"Yes. So I looked it up, and it's a religion that's been growing rapidly. It seems to be on the news from time to time."
“How annoying~”
I tuned out Choi Sujeong's jeering and filed Na Yuri's story away.
I've been so busy lately, I haven't been able to check the news.
Kang Yu, who had been listening quietly, pouted.
“Sion-sunbae fell for it, too! He said he 'saw the light' thanks to some prophetic dream. I don't know what he's talking about! It's weird!”
“Prophetic dream?”
“I looked it up, too. That's the common claim of the Tower God Cult's fanatics. Keep your distance. If you start to accept it, they'll eventually give you a 'strange letter' and tell you to have a prophetic dream too.”
Shin Baran said, as if grumbling.
“I think that letter is going around our school too… I still think we need to investigate it. Isn't it some kind of curse? Jaeyun had a nightmare after receiving some paper, too. Right?”
"Huh? Ah, uh-huh…"
Min Jaeyun, who had been listening quietly, flinched when the dream was mentioned.
"That dream... it was so realistic… it was believable as a prophetic dream….”
“Don't worry about it. It's a trick.”
“Uh-huh.”
Shin Baran still seemed to think the evangelist was the main cause of Min Jaeyun's nightmare.
And Min Jaeyun seemed to not want to mention the nightmare at all.
As Min Jaeyun seemed reluctant to continue the topic, Choi Sujeong brought up another.
“Hmm~ The embargo on the unusual situation was lifted, right?”
“Right. Everyone's worried.”
“It seems to be a huge shock to the civilians. They seem especially surprised that the Academy is conscripting students.”
I agreed with Lee Hana and Na Yuri.
My own Teacher from the orphanage had called me as soon as she found out about the unusual situation and the conscription, pouring out her worries.
Park Siwoo, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke.
"Still, it's a relief that 1st years probably won't be conscripted for a while. There are still many inexperienced students among them.”
“We've already been conscripted once, so we don't know what will happen….”
“Won't it be fine? We became a prime example of why 1st years shouldn't be conscripted.”
At Na Yuri and Min Jaeyun's words, Shin Baran nodded.
“They're also wary of our families right now, so they won't be able to pull anything. I heard the other side was prepared to take some damage with that last move. We're fine for now.”
"That's true. Though who knows how long that'll last…."
Na Yuhan added with a sigh.
Thanks to that last comment, our mood sank completely.
It was because we all remembered what we'd heard about the power struggle among the higher-ups.
And Yggdrasil suddenly cut in.
"Hmph! Fledglings shouldn't be worrying about such things!"
As if to punish Na Yuhan for ruining the mood, she instantly kicked the back of his knees and knocked him over.
Then she dragged over Park Yul-ah and Kim Kang-ha, who were still in a corner, in their own discussion.
"Lady Yggdrasil! Are you interested in replacing your heart core with a cool artificial core!?"
"I am not! Stop with the nonsense and restart your training. Training is the best way to clear your head!”
Wow, she has the guts to try and experiment on Yggdrasil with an artificial core.
Yggdrasil simply dismissed them and started running us ragged again.
The chaotic training quickly drove the recent conversation from our minds.
October arrived, and the Provisional Hunter exam was just around the corner.
As time passed, the atmosphere in the school changed.
"Believe in the Savior! That one will save us!"
“Ooh, Lord Cheonho, who built the Tower for us!”
…In a bad way.
I wish it would change in a good way.
I held back a sigh as I watched the Tower God Cult members, who were gathered and whispering amongst themselves again.
Their numbers are growing by the day.
And they're all needlessly passionate.
Well, I don't care as long as nothing happens to me, but the problem is…
"Savior-nim, please join us."
"Mihail. I have to get to class."
"This is more important than class."
"Would you please move?"
These bastards keep trying to recruit me!
I don't know why, but the Tower God Cult students kept calling me by the strange title of ‘Savior’ and acting friendly.
Thanks to that, the way the regular students looked at me became strange, too.
On top of that,
“You must not associate with that devil, Savior-nim!”
“That's right! Be gone, devil!”
“...Me?”
"Yuhan?"
The fact that they were hostile to Na Yuhan was also a problem.
Furthermore, the cult members, as if possessed, became very lax in their classes.
It got so bad that even Yggdrasil, who couldn't stand to watch, exploded in anger.
“I don't care about Lord Cheonho or the Savior or whatever, just show up to class!!!”
See.
As if they couldn't possibly take on 'that' Yggdrasil, the cultists scattered the moment she appeared. I finally sighed.
Na Yuri hugged me tightly, as if to protect me.
Being like this, I felt at ease.
I rubbed my face against Na Yuri's shoulder.
[A Story Fragment has been added.] [Currently collected Story Fragments: 16]
[Story Fragment (Unread)]
A certain dormitory room.
A secret room, layered with sound-blocking items.
The handsome, fox-eared young man smiled and spoke to an orb.
Inside the orb, a person's shadow flickered ominously.
He chattered, as if lightly reporting on his encounter with Kang Nahyun, then grinned.
"Well, that's how it is. Failed to recruit her again today."
—You didn't even try properly, did you?!
"That's true. Can't have her getting suspicious."
—Haa…
He spoke slyly, his tail swishing.
"Don't interfere too much. We're just in an alliance, aren't we?"
His tone was light, as if it were no big deal.
—Yes, well. I'm sure you'll handle it… So what will you do now?
"I will disrupt the Balder Family, and use the faction I've made to set a trap."
The young man beyond the orb was silent for a moment, then spoke in a dumbfounded tone.
A tone that said he just couldn't understand the fox-man.
—You. I thought you were quite fond of the Balder Family.
"Who knows. Is there any need for me to tell you my business?"
—Fine, fine! Do as you please!
Just do your job properly!
"Don't you worry about that."
—Still, I have to check this. You won't ruin the job because of personal feelings, will you?
"Haha, what nonsense."
He smirked.
Like a mischevious child plotting something wicked.
"From the very beginning, I never gave Nika Balder any affection at all."
—…Well, fine. I'm hanging up.
With a click, the shadow in the orb disappeared.
At the same time, the man crushed the orb in his hand.
"It's not long now."
The man muttered with a blank face, looking down at the shattered pieces of the orb.
His swampy, emerald-green eyes were reflected in the fragments.
Whether the school became a den for a cult, or the invention combo went around causing trouble, time flows on.
We suffered, but we prepared for the exam, and finally, the license exam day arrived.
"We can do this, right?"
"Of course! We worked hard, didn't we?"
I earnestly reassured Na Yuhan, who was glancing at the invention combo and looking very anxious.
No, I'm pretty anxious about that combo too, but….
We warned them so many times not to cause trouble, so it should be fine, right...?
“Huu…”
Na Yuhan, who had become very worn-out in the past few weeks, let out a deep sigh.
“Right. It'll be fine… It has to be… Let's go.”
"Okay!"
And so, we walked into the exam hall.
…Completely unaware of what kind of chaos was waiting for us.