Flame Mark

We followed the arrows drawn on the floor for about three minutes and arrived at the corridor leading to Test Room 4. Two men dressed in neat suits, much like the staff member who had guided us in the first-floor lobby, were waiting to greet us.

"Please wait just a moment. The promotion exam will begin within ten minutes."

"Understood."

Whoa... So that's why it's so chaotic outside.

Yeah. No wonder there's such a commotion.

They glanced at me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and whispered among themselves with interest, but soon turned their attention toward the door where the test was already underway. We sat down on the long brown wooden bench in front of the door and waited our turn.

BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!!

Though we couldn't see inside the test room, it was clear something intense was happening beyond the door.

'Test Room 4... Of all places, it's that guy.'

I had never encountered it in my previous life, but this was the room belonging to the examiner Yeonhee had mentioned in the elevator.

"Haa... Why did it have to be Room 4... Do I have to come back in a month?"

The man who had been waiting ahead of us let out a long, heavy sigh.

Come to think of it, that trash from earlier had also failed here.

"Looks like Room 4 really is a bad draw, Ilwol."

I nodded.

Since different people were being tested, it was impossible for every room to have identical difficulty, but I knew the evaluation criteria were supposed to be the same. Still, whether or not you could display your true strength ultimately depended on who the examiner was—and luck. It was no different from how life and death hinged on such factors inside a dungeon.

GRRRAAAAHHH!!

UWAAAAAHHH!!

The examiner inside the room was roaring loud enough to shake the entire building.

'He's huge.'

The silhouette my senses picked up was unmistakably that of a martial arts specialist. His massive frame and muscles that looked ready to burst were completely exposed, as if an orc warrior had simply put on human skin.

'Does he really have to walk around with his shirt off like that? Definitely not normal.'

Then again, if someone who had permanently crippled a person during an exam had been stuck doing promotion tests all day, it would be hard to stay sane.

'Wait, shouldn't we double-check the facts on him getting bullied in the first place? Who could possibly bully someone that size?'

"Ugh..."

Yeonhee tensed up more than I'd ever seen at the faint screams leaking from the test room, but the other summons—including Ran—were already being called out one by one.

"Um... Excuse me, are you planning to use all of your summons?"

"Yes? Is... is that not allowed?"

The staff member standing by the entrance quietly hinted that a D-grade promotion exam didn't require going that far.

"That examiner tends to get a bit excited when his opponent comes at him seriously. He causes accidents from time to time. Breaking an arm or a leg is pretty common."

"Ah... I see..."

Yeonhee scratched the back of her head, looking a little embarrassed.

'Why would you even say something like that?'

"When you registered earlier, you signed a contract, right? It should have mentioned that the Association bears no responsibility for injuries sustained during the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠exam. Quite the vicious organization, isn't it? Hehe—"

"Ah... I suppose so..."

'Is he deliberately trying to scare Yeonhee? There really isn't a single normal person here.'

I had a bad feeling about today, but I couldn't agree with the staff member's suggestion to take it easy. That examiner was at minimum a high B-grade, possibly even low A-grade.

'I can't waste an opportunity like this. Chances to spar seriously with someone like him don't come often.'

Having an arm or leg broken was an acceptable price for the training fee.

I told the summoned Ran to give it everything she had, and the quick-witted Ran immediately relayed my intention to Yeonhee.

"Got it! So, Ilwol, about our strategy—"

I nodded repeatedly as Yeonhee whispered a simple battle plan into my ear, then she summoned enough creatures to completely fill the waiting corridor. The people waiting with us quickly backed away and began drawing their weapons one by one.

'Haha— I guess we are being a bit of a nuisance. Just bear with us for a bit.'

After all, once we entered the test room, we wouldn't have time to summon anything else.

THUD! THUD!

"Ugh! W-wait! I surrender! I give up!"

"Surrender? Do you think monsters will accept that, Hunter?"

The staff waiting by the door shook their heads at the voices coming from inside. Even after the examinee declared forfeit, the examiner kept going. What a truly troublesome person.

But.

'Actually, that's perfect for me.'

At this point, most of my abilities had essentially been revealed to the world. No Hayun, Bae Jua, and the Helen combo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠probably wouldn't go around spreading rumors about me on purpose, but rumors had wings—they spread fast.

Too many variables had appeared, and my growth rate had long since surpassed my expectations. I could no longer predict what kind of butterfly effect my actions might cause. From now on, I would simply do my best in every moment.

In short, the days of hiding my full power and fighting half-heartedly were over.

'Of course, if I can still hide it, I will. At least Jo Giman has been staying quiet, which is fortunate...'

After the previous examinees were carried out on stretchers, half-dead and thoroughly beaten, our turn came without even a moment's rest.

"Hm? A summoner? KWAHAHAHAHA— Today's main dish has arrived!! My name is Maeng Seong-yong!!"

"Hic... M-my name is... Lee Yeonhee... P-please take care of me..."

'Ugh... What kind of examiner acts like this?'

The nearly two-meter-tall giant who treated us like food let out a booming laugh. Yeonhee trembled like a rabbit placed before a predator.

"Hm? How much more restraint do you want from me?! Those pathetic bugs from earlier don't even deserve to walk the path of a hunter!!"

......

'Just send a lunatic like him straight into the field.'

Maeng Seong-yong wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then licked his lips while slowly scanning the numerous summons Yeonhee had called forth. Suddenly his eyes flashed as they landed on me, and a wide grin spread across his face.

'He noticed. As expected, his senses are sharp. He immediately identified the strongest one and isn't showing any openings... What now?'

If I were to actually face a monster like him, how should I fight? I decided to test that scenario right here.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep—!

The moment the starting signal rang out, the examiner vanished from sight. Yeonhee wrapped herself in slime and spread her summons out in a wide fan formation. She had only summoned half of the lizard troops so she could focus on testing her newly acquired summons.

Whoosh—

The Neos Harpy took to the sky first, and my field of vision rose with it. At Yeonhee's signal, Lizard No. 2 and No. 3 charged forward, each carrying a clacker and a Screaming Mushroom.

CHIIIRRR—!!

KIIIYAAAAAHH—!!

The moment the two monsters unleashed their taunts simultaneously, the examiner who had disappeared from our sight revealed himself.

"KWAHAHAHAT! Where did these fun little things come from!"

Despite his words, irritation was clearly written on the examiner's face. The Screaming Mushroom's taunt was powerful enough to grate on even high-ranking hunters' nerves.

CRACK!

BANG—!

The instant he appeared, the examiner crushed the Ironclad Beetle and the Screaming Mushroom with his bare fists.

—!

I wasn't about to let him off easy just because I'd witnessed his monstrous strength. Lizard No. 2 and No. 3 swung their machetes in perfect sync toward his neck.

CLANG! CLANG!!

Shockingly, the examiner didn't dodge or block. He took both strikes directly on his thick neck.

Drip—

Red blood trickled down his collarbone, but the fear was ours to bear.

'A pure tank, huh.'

"KWAHAHAHAK! This is fun!"

"Wow... No way."

Even Yeonhee couldn't hide her astonishment, but the summons' coordinated assault showed no signs of stopping. The Orc Warrior, Deonni, and ten lizards from the lizard unit all charged at once, completely swarming the examiner's body.

"UWOOOOOOH!!"

But the examiner spun like a top, flinging every summon attached to him flying toward the edges of the test room.

BLEEEGH!!

Zombie No. 1 and No. 2, who had approached with a slight delay due to their slow movement, couldn't even get close before their heads were severed by the examiner's hand blades. The lizards and orcs that had been sent flying charged in again, but it wasn't enough.

Swish—!

"Hehe— Young lady, your archery skills are rather mediocre, aren't they?"

Yeonhee occasionally drew her bow, but the examiner simply used the summons as shields to block her arrows with ease.

'As expected, it's not working.'

The gap in power was so vast that even landing a single proper hit would be something to brag about. Just as the necks of the charging summons were being severed one after another, the Neos Harpy that had descended from above attempted a slashing attack with its sharp talons.

Grab—!

But as if he had eyes in the back of his head, the examiner effortlessly blocked the harpy's attack aimed at his blind spot. He grabbed the creature, yanked it backward, and tore it in half. Then he shook his head and spoke with a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

"Kid. Just throwing your summons at me won't—"

Just as the examiner was about to launch into a boring lecture...

"Hm?!"

I, who had been riding on the Neos Harpy's back while stealthed, landed on the ground and delivered a perfectly timed strike to the examiner's back. It was the tiny opening created after Yeonhee had sacrificed most of her summons.

Slice—!

"Hngh!!"

The moment a small flame erupted and drew a red line across his back, a massive fist—moving so fast I couldn't even perceive it—slammed into my left shoulder.

BOOOOM—!!

I was sent flying and crashed straight into the outer wall of the test room. The déjà vu made me grind my teeth.

'Damn it— He hit me in the exact same spot as in the canyon!'

"Ah! Ilwol!!"

"Now now, young lady. You shouldn't take your eyes off your opponent."

"KYAAAAAH!!"

Before anyone realized, the examiner had gotten behind Yeonhee and lightly swatted her back with his palm.

CRASH! BANG!

Yeonhee flew quite a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠distance, but the slime acted as a cushion, so she didn't seem to have taken much damage.

At that moment—

CLAAAANG!!

"Hm?! This is... a Spectre?!"

Yeonhee had memorized 99% of the Spectre's summoning incantation before entering the test room. The moment the examiner approached, she called it forth. The Spectre slashed at the examiner's side with a razor-sharp hand right as he struck Yeonhee.

Splat—!

It was a fairly deep wound, deep enough for blood to visibly spray out. But to the examiner, it was probably nothing more than a scratch that didn't even require a band-aid.

"Hoh—? Puhahaha!! This is a masterpiece!!"

Maeng Seong-yong burst into roaring laughter as he watched the Spectre continue swinging its arms at him. Then his hand suddenly glowed red as he swept it across the Spectre's head.

After Maeng Seong-yong's hand passed through, the Spectre scattered like cigarette smoke in the air and vanished.

As he nodded in satisfaction, Maeng Seong-yong felt a scorching heat approaching from his left.

BANG!!

He didn't move. A lumpy fireball landed quite far away from him and blazed fiercely.

Swish—

When he turned his head to the left, he saw the skeleton that had attacked his back earlier.

"... You did that...?"

Maeng Seong-yong, who had been toying with the exam like it was a game, finally hardened his expression for the first time. He ran his hand down his own back. His fingers traced from just below his nape all the way down.

A 20-centimeter gash. A single slash had torn his skin open quite deeply, and hot blood was pouring out, soaking his gray training pants dark.

To Maeng Seong-yong, who possessed natural regenerative abilities, it was no more than an ant bite. But something felt off.

'Why isn't the wound healing properly?'

The bleeding, which should have already stopped, was still flowing. It was strange. Moreover, a message he had never seen before in his life appeared before him.

'Hm?! This isn't an ordinary skeleton? What kind of effect does this Flame Mark have?'