Chapter 119
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: The Midterms Go Smoothly!
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Everything was proceeding smoothly.
After taking down Steel Mountain, I spent the remaining time honing my skills bit by bit while enjoying quality moments with my women.
I even had a threesome with Eli and Rize, shared even hotter nights with the Yagitsune mother and daughter, got Chisaki to obey me a little better, and tuned in to private live shows just for me from Aika and Anastasia.
I also went on sweet dates with Yume.
The only hiccup midway through was a minor incident involving Anna's husband.
Two days after I sent Anna that netorase video, she suddenly took some time off.
When she got back and I asked her what happened...
"I was nursing my husband back to health after he exhausted himself too much..."
"Exhausted himself?"
"Well, you see..."
According to Anna, her husband had gotten so worked up watching the video we'd made together that he'd binge-watched it nonstop like it was his favorite side dish.
He'd holed up in his home workshop, viewing it solo and indulging in some alone time.
The next day, when Anna went in to wake her weary husband...
"Kyaaak! Honeyyyy!"
She found him passed out, charred white as a ghost.
That's why she'd taken sudden leave to care for him until his energy recovered.
I'd created such a masterpiece that it backfired spectacularly.
"Oh, and my husband asked me to pass this on to you, Young Master! He said it was the best! Thank you so much!"
"Uh, yeah. Sure."
Well, if he enjoyed it, then that's what matters, right?
Such minor happenings aside, time passed.
And the midterms arrived.
"Alright, everyone knows how to take the exam, right? If you're thinking of cheating on problems this simple, that'll be an embarrassment!"
Instructor Dias's shout kicked off the written midterm exam.
Prometheus Hunter Academy's midterms are split: written on the first day, practical on the second.
They run the artificial simulation dungeon for the entire student body, which makes it impossible to combine with written tests.
'...Easy.'
For someone like me, who'd received genius training since childhood, the Prometheus Academy's written problems were genuinely a breeze.
In fact, the difficulty wasn't that high—anyone with a functioning brain could avoid failing.
Sure, the last few questions ramped up a bit, but no issue there.
After the written exam wrapped up, we all grabbed lunch together.
"Ohohoho! The exam was a piece of cake."
"Yeah. Whew, I was nervous, but it turned out easy. What a relief."
Seeing Kagura let out a sigh of relief, Chisaki grinned and chimed in.
"Heeheehee, it wasn't anything to get that worked up over."
"Still, it's a new exam format. No telling the difficulty ahead of time—not gonna lie, I was tense. What about you, Chisaki? Nailed it?"
"Of course! Dad drilled it into me from childhood—not just swordplay, but basics too, no exceptions. So yeah, I've got a brain in this head~."
"I see."
I recalled Master grumbling in the past about the hassle of tutoring Chisaki, but I kept it to myself.
"What about you, Isihoon?"
"Easy for me too. Right, Yume?"
"Yeah. Wasn't tough."
"How'd you do, Yesli?"
"Pretty good."
"See? Yesli's smart like that."
"I-I'm not that smart..."
Yesli blushed at Isihoon's praise as he grinned back at her, beaming.
Those two had gotten even closer leading up to midterms.
"Looks like everyone aced the written part. But you all know the real test starts tomorrow, right?"
This was Hunter Academy.
Practical skills trumped theory here every time.
For first-years who hadn't decided on a combat hunter path yet—unlike second-years— these midterms were a major fork in the road for their futures.
"Get some early rest tonight. Come at peak condition tomorrow."
Standard pep talk to rally the group.
But to my harem members, it carried another message entirely.
No one's getting any action tonight for exam prep.
"Tch."
Chisaki clicked her tongue, getting it right away.
It's not your turn tonight anyway, Chisaki.
The next day.
All the cadets headed to the facility housing the artificial dungeon simulator.
For Prometheus Hunter Academy—tasked with raising humanity's defenders—the exams were a top-priority event.
They pulled out all the stops, deploying tech that represented humanity's pinnacle.
Cadets entered the artificial dungeon one by one, but never shared the same space.
Using the dungeon's individual dimension tech, each was placed in a separate zone, stocked with monsters to test their skills solo.
Each artificial dungeon was monitored via control room cameras, with three examiners scoring per cadet.
Even one class required about 90 examiners.
But training hunters who could sway humanity's fate allowed no compromises.
Retired or active hunters served as examiners.
"Enter in order!"
We lined up at the dimensional gate leading into the artificial dungeon, following the guide's instructions for the exam.
One by one, cadets stepped through. Glancing around, I saw other classes doing the same, one per gate.
Soon enough, it was my turn.
I stepped through without hesitation into the artificial dungeon.
Beyond the artificial gate stretched a space mimicking a real dungeon.
"Set."
I activated Hepai, switching to my combat suit and drawing my go-to straight sword, then pressed forward.
It wasn't long before monsters appeared.
-Kikhit! Kikihihit!
A pack of F-rank goblins.
Perfect for testing whether party-reliant cadets could handle mobs alone—without panicking or hesitating.
For first-years who partied up even in E-rank dungeons, it was spot-on.
-Kirreeeek!
The goblin horde charged me at once.
Tiny daggers or bare fists in hand.
Slash!
-Kkeaak!
-Kkruk!
-Kkeeeek!
A casual three swings severed the necks of the leaping goblins, and I carved through the rest without pause.
Pop! Pop! They dissolved into light in an instant.
The survivors froze in panic.
Swish!
-Kkgeok!
I sliced the gaping goblin's throat.
F-rank trash like this? One-shot kills for me now.
Just like late-game stats in a game one-shotting low-level mobs with normal attacks.
'Wonder who's waiting for me at the end~.'
These midterms had a surprise for cadets.
A special opponent at the artificial dungeon's finale.
In Blaze Blood, clearing the sim as protagonist led to an active hunter NPC testing your skills.
Not announced ahead, so even the protagonist was shocked.
That event impressed the faculty with the protagonist's awakened supreme technique from the Steel Mountain fight, drawing their interest.
Now, though, I'd be the one stealing the spotlight.
Control room.
Three examiners fixated on a screen showing one spot in the artificial dungeon.
Invited by the academy as one-day examiners, they were all active hunters.
Their subject? None other than the famed Golden Kirin prodigy, Rubelt.
A stern-faced man spoke first.
"As expected of the Golden Kirin. Handling monsters that effortlessly."
The lighthearted man and mature woman followed.
"No wonder he's a top prospect."
"Even our newbies couldn't clear like that... Looks B-rank at least?"
All three were A-rank powerhouses in the hunter world.
Ironclad Kim Taegun.
Swift Jarvis.
Storm Helen.
Guild leaders roped in for scouting and exam duty.
Rubelt's prowess left them slack-jawed.
Worth every bit of his Golden Kirin title.
Overwhelming skill from a fresh academy freshman barely out of his teens.
Not even a working D-rank hunter could dispatch F-ranks that casually.
"Slicing monsters like weeds."
"That sword looks like a quality blade."
"Even a masterwork's useless without skill. Kid's already weapon-enhancing with mana at that age."
The more they watched, the clearer it became: Rubelt was leagues beyond ordinary cadets.
"At this level, just hand him a hunter license already. What's the point of testing him?"
Jarvis chuckled wryly, but Kim Taegun and Helen couldn't argue.
Still, they wouldn't slack on their examiner duties.
"Focus. Check your assigned metrics properly."
"Yessir~ Guess we'll grade diligently while watching our future star shine."