Chapter 7
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Hunter Examination
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‘Two stomachs.’
A hypothesis formed for the curiosity he’d been harboring.
‘A world ruled by elves. Is that why they’re so strict about meat……?’Maybe because they’re herbivores. They might despise the very act of eating meat. He’d need to observe more closely to confirm.
‘I don’t want to see an elf chewing cud, though…….’Still, wondering if he could glimpse the digestion process, Dane stared hard at the receptionist’s body. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see the contents or the muscular movements.
As Dane glared intently at his own body, a look of bewilderment crossed the elf receptionist’s face.
Her eyes returned his gaze with cold contempt at the blatant, almost leering stare.
“What?”
Dane met the elf receptionist’s question with eye contact, forcing himself to focus on the situation.
“Ah, um…… I’d like to take the hunter exam.”“……Place your hand on the crystal orb and state your name.”When Dane placed his hand on the transparent crystal orb on the table and said his name, the receptionist overlaid her hand on the back of his.
“Huh?”
Ignoring Dane’s reaction, the receptionist closed her eyes and muttered in some unintelligible language. A faint light accompanied a brief warmth around his hand.
“First registration. You’re all set. Here’s your exam pass.”The elf receptionist handed Dane a badge embedded with a white gem.
“Head to the Management Bureau hunting ground.”
The registration process was overly simplistic, and the execution was refreshingly efficient.
* * *
The Management Bureau hunting ground was a fan-shaped zone between the eastern and southern parts of Foldtown.
The entrance was at the tip of the fan. Passing through the entrance led to a plaza packed full with examinees—roughly a hundred by his estimate.
‘Ended up taking the exam on a whim. Am I lucky or what.’With just the cleaver at his waist, what couldn’t he handle? Dane casually sized up his competitors with a relaxed mind.
They seemed overly confident for their physical abilities. Their gear was top-notch, too.
“A lot of people for this exam.”“It’s only once per season, so everyone’s been waiting.”“Wonder how many will pass…….”“It’s up to the elves. Could be none, or all of them.”
Such talk floated among the aspiring hunters.
‘Absolute evaluation, huh. Just do what I can, no big deal.’He strained his ears for more info.
“Hope I join a good hunting party and rank up fast. My goal’s green.”“6th grade? Dream big. Get your red 9th first, haha!”A man counting grades on his fingers burst into loud laughter.
Hunters had ranks after all. Dane quietly regarded the white badge the elf had given him.
‘Red’s 9th grade, green’s 6th…… probably goes up to rainbow. 1st and 2nd must be special colors.’Then a voice cut through the plaza’s murmurs.
“Entrance closing!”
The gate shut, and elves ascended a platform on one side. All eyes turned to them.
“I’m Chief Supervisor Illein.”A grayish-blonde elf stepped forward. Hard to guess her age—maybe early twenties. A sharp, grassy scent wafted strongly from her.
“First test: scouting and tracking.”“What are we tracking?”A man, visibly anxious, jumped in without pause.
“Follow the supervisors’ traces to camp. Time limit: two hours.”They were to hunt the elf supervisors as prey.
Dane recalled his days roaming Mekel Mountain, pursuing countless beasts and monsters. That’s where Walter had started teaching him to hunt.
Scouting and tracking were a hunter’s basics. They required solid knowledge, experience, and keen senses. Plus, first-come-first-served would test physical prowess too.
As if they’d heard enough, the examinees surged toward the massive stone wall blocking the plaza’s rear.
“Let’s begin.”-Rumble!
At Illein’s words, machinery groaned, and the wall’s center parted left and right. Simultaneously, low-lying fog beyond seeped into the plaza.
First-come-first-served, yet no one bolted. They all knew rash movement without knowing the target could miss crucial tracks.
“Huh?”
“What’s that?”
Dane was the exception. The moment the word dropped, he sprinted toward the hunting ground.
His sudden, blinding speed left onlookers stunned. Soon, tongue-clicks and snickers erupted.
“What a…… total amateur showed up.”“Bet he’ll ruin the tracks messing around like that.”Competitors gazed into the fog after Dane’s vanishing silhouette.
* * *
While examinees meticulously sought footprints and scanned underbrush anomalies, Dane was already far ahead.
The V-shaped hunting ground had deep moats on both sides, making it hard for monsters and beasts to enter laterally.
Dane zigzagged widely, using the moats as boundaries.
‘If the camp has elf supervisors, their unique scent and aura should reach me.’Fog made tracks hard to spot, but Dane didn’t need them.
He calculated scent range in his head, set his direction, and rapidly expanded his search area. The hunting ground was broader than expected.
‘Ecosystem’s totally mixed up.’Thick fog near the entrance gave way to plains, then coniferous forest. Fog lifted, but dense trees impeded progress.
‘Tracking normally would’ve taken forever.’Meat alerts rang—he veered away. Better not to engage if he wasn’t eating them. Pass the first test first.
‘Focus on elf scent and aura.’There—faint but distinct from the entrance.
Emerging from straight conifers, tangled shrubs, ferns, and vines slowed him. Without the intensifying scent, even Dane would’ve struggled.
‘Getting close now.’Just then, the elves’ sharp grassy smell hit clearly on the wind.
After that, he just charged into the wind. No need for stealth if they spotted him.
‘Scent’s stronger.’
Accelerating, he burst into a lush forest clearing: the elves’ camp.
Without senses, even Dane would’ve found it tough. It was deeply hidden.
“Already?!”
“No…… how so fast.”“Not even an hour since start?”Dane’s arrival startled the camped elves. Catching his breath, he approached the center.
“First place……?”
“……Yes.”
As a male elf checked his badge, murmurs persisted.
Unprecedented speed, leaked location maybe, impossible time otherwise, oddly pristine appearance—such talk.
‘When’s this over.’
Dane hoped others arrived soon for quick hunting. Hunger was creeping in.
While resting in the designated waiting area, examinees trickled in one by one.
All gawked at Dane. No one imagined he’d arrived first.
* * *
“Congratulations on passing. Proceeding to round two immediately.”Before the last passer could catch breath. Brisk pace.
“Second test: individual hunt. Target: Epuplowk.”Dane felt both glad and wistful.
They moved under supervisor escort. Beyond the forest: barren hills.
“Basins below this hill are Epup habitats.”Dane and forty-odd examinees peered down from beside supervisors. Multiple basins dotted the hills.
‘Huge area.’
Massive boulders strewn about, jagged earth thrusting up—grotesque terrain. Patchy forests and reed beds stretched here and there.
Hard to notice someone dying down there.
“We’ll judge passage by Epup caught before dawn tomorrow.”More catches, more likely to pass.
‘Simple system…… but much to consider.’Examinees seemed to think alike.
“How do we catch Epup alone?”“Teams allowed. Divided by team size.”“How confirm kill count?”“One per right front paw.”Severing the small front paw required killing. Easy to carry too—fair method.
“Do supervisors watch?”“We don’t interfere. Results only.”“So…… incidents below don’t matter?”“We judge by results, as said.”Illein smiled faintly. Beautiful, but the mood soured. The questioner fell silent.
‘They don’t care if we die hunting. And…….’Dane scanned fellow examinees for the Epup hunt.
‘Means we can steal from others too.’Some already exuded murderous intent. They’d be the wild cards.
Illein spoke.
“Begin. Depart when ready.”Like round one, no one rushed down. Instead, they negotiated teams.
‘Before Kaipatu, I’d have done the same.’But now was different.
‘Not used to hunting with others. And…… hunting’s not priority.’Amid the bustle, Dane trudged down alone.
‘Caught Epups till I’m sick of them…….’Epubs inhabited forests, hills, plains steadily.
Adapted to surroundings, appearances varied slightly, but habits didn’t.
Thus, Epup was perfect practice and proof of growth.
‘Power at 146 now.’
Gained since Dleksadhak. Hard hunting yielded just that. Still, six or seven Epups were a joke.
He deliberately skipped three or four basins. Closer to base camp meant more chaos and rivalry.
‘And higher chance of elf eyes.’To last till morning, he needed meat.
Exam mattered, but eating was more urgent.