The Hunter Evaluation

The black object that burst from empty air was a long chain — Chain Disaster, a Material-type ability. I'd studied up on abilities a little before coming to the Association, so I recognized it at once. A vicious power, perfectly suited to a woman as ice-cold as Lina.

The chains she summoned bound the scarecrow standing some ten meters away. This wasn't the bondage play you'd find in porn. She'd trussed it up the way you'd restrain a prisoner on a battlefield. Sturdy iron chains clamped down hard around the scarecrow's neck and torso, the taut strain in them palpable even from where I stood. Just watching it made it hard to breathe.

"Hah!"

With a sharp kiai, Lina folded her outstretched arm in toward her chest. Seeing her from this angle, her chest was rather underwhelming. Well, an A-cup was hardly a flaw on a cool-beauty type, so it didn't matter.

The black chains squeezing the scarecrow moved in lockstep with her gesture. The dummy, rooted in the floor, bent so far over it looked ready to be ripped out by the roots. If that had been a person, the force of the chains alone would have torn their head from their neck.

"Excellent. Chain Disaster. Material-type abilities aren't easy for a beginner to handle — they're on par with Natural-type in difficulty — and yet she's already at that level. Considerable talent."

The Association staffer offered a small note of admiration at Lina's performance. Even to my eyes, her ability was top-tier. Then again, that scarecrow holding up under her assault was impressive in its own right. It had to be made from monster byproducts.

Earlier the staffer had said preparing the test room would take about ten minutes. Had that "preparation" been about this scarecrow?

True to its purpose as a Hunter-ability testing tool, the scarecrow endured Lina's chains to the bitter end. Eventually she was the first to gasp for breath and withdraw them.

The staffer glanced at his watch. Looking closer, it wasn't just a luxury timepiece — it was a smartwatch. An app linked to the scarecrow must have been running on it; a three-digit number appeared on the display. It seemed to indicate the intensity of the ability.

"Excellent work, Lina. With results like these, passing the Dungeon Hunter test is all but certain. I can't make any absolute guarantees, of course, but with talent like yours, you should have no trouble. Congratulations. You've naturally passed the General Hunter test. After you complete the Dungeon Hunter exam, please proceed to the Registration Office on the second floor to have your photo taken and collect your Hunter license. The Dungeon Hunter exam results come out about two hours after the test, so please keep that in mind."

Lina gave the staffer a light bow. A courtesy she never showed me. A beautiful woman really could make anyone dance to her tune.

"Next is Jaeseong. You may begin immediately. Just like Lina, unleash the most powerful attack you can on the scarecrow. We'll start right away."

Now it was my turn. But there was something I needed to do before showing off.

"Just a moment, please. I'd like to take the test alone."

I said it with a sly little grin, looking straight at Lina. The corners of her eyes, as she stood there with her arms crossed, twitched ever so slightly.

A ripple spread across that face of hers, hard as a glass mask. I was proud to be the one who'd made it. Lina's annoyed expression was quite a sight. A beauty really was pretty no matter what she did.

"Ah… you wish to keep your ability a secret. Of course, a Hunter's ability is personal information, but…"

The staffer broke into a cold sweat looking at Lina's face. He was right — an ability user's power was personal information. Of course, it wasn't as sensitive as a Social Security number. They called it personal information, but the abilities of any reasonably famous Hunter were mostly public knowledge.

The reason I was doing this was obvious: I wanted Lina's attention. Good attention or bad, I needed to get her noticing me so I could stamp the existence of Baek Jaeseong into her mind.

If I hadn't drawn her interest like this, I would have been no different from a passing insect to her. Wait… was that still basically how she saw me?

"Fine. I'll step out."

Lina turned on her heel with a frosty expression and left the test room. A chill lingered in the air with just the staffer and me remaining — the intense afterimage she'd left behind. The staffer dropped his awkward look and offered me something resembling advice.

"Among Dungeon Hunters, hiding your ability is actually quite rare. Except in very special cases. That's because Dungeon Hunters have to collaborate constantly. You absolutely have to form a party to clear a dungeon. I hope Lina isn't too upset. If you and she both pass as Dungeon Hunters this time, you'll train together, so you'll meet as comrades in the dungeon."

"Hmm. I see. I had no idea. I should apologize later. I didn't mean to upset her."

I'd known all of that, of course. Training together, though — that was a good opportunity for me. A perfectly legitimate chance to get close to her.

"Well, I'm sure Lina will understand. Now then, let's begin the test. Your ability is Light Control, I see. This is an extremely ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rare ability. Every Hunter I've known with this power has gone on to become a Dungeon Hunter. As far as I know, at least."

I looked at the scarecrow in front of me, then stretched a hand toward it. Similar to the pose Lina had taken a moment ago, though mine looked a bit more awkward. Tch. If I'd known, I would have practiced the pose. Not that the pose mattered — the power of the ability did.

A low hum filled the air.

A sphere of light bloomed in front of my palm. Light that proved I was a Light Control user. The staffer blinked hard at the orb I'd created.

"Your ability usage is quite stable."

Of course it was. My Light Control was level 3. Most people taking the Hunter test were random nobodies who'd only just awakened. Even the best of them would be around level 2.

"Holy Arrow."

I deliberately spoke the technique name as I cast it. The sphere of light I'd created transformed into a sharp arrow and shot ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠toward the scarecrow, cutting through the air with a vicious sound that tore the atmosphere, and buried itself in the dummy. An aggressive sight that didn't match the gentle nature of light.

The arrow that struck the scarecrow dead in the face exploded with a bang. The vibration of the blast reached us even several meters away. Honestly, I was startled too. I'd never fired Holy Arrow at a target before, so I hadn't expected it to explode. Thank god nothing had gone wrong when I tested it in the park. Or was this a phenomenon from Holy Arrow's level going up? I had no idea.

"Huh? Holy Arrow exploding… that's an incredible technique. This isn't beginner Dungeon Hunter level!"

The staffer raised his voice, apparently excited. Was it really that impressive? I was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠short on information about Dungeon Hunters, so I honestly didn't know if I was amazing or not.

Anyway, if the Association staffer said it was amazing, it probably was. The scarecrow that had taken Holy Arrow dead-on was tattered and falling apart in places. The head and torso were completely separated — it looked like it couldn't serve its purpose anymore. I snuck a glance at the staffer's smartwatch. A three-digit number was visible.

"Lina was impressive, but you're even more so, Jaeseong. A rare ability plus talent like this… aiming to become a Rank 1 Hunter someday might not be just a dream."

The staffer praised me like that. Heh. He could kiss my ass all he wanted — nothing was coming out of it. Still felt pretty damn good, though.

And this staffer had surprisingly good instincts. Of course I was going to become a Rank 1 Hunter. With the power of the Unix Cube, nothing was impossible.

Wait. If I'd known it would go this well, I should have kept Lina in the room. Watching her bite her lip, drowning in inferiority, would have been entertaining.

Judging by the attitude she'd shown, her pride was clearly as high as Everest. What face would she make if she learned my ability surpassed hers? It'd be as fun as the look on Sujin's face when she came.

"You've passed, of course. Congratulations, Jaeseong. Then we can proceed straight to the Dungeon Hunter exam. We'll move to the test room where Sujin is waiting."

"Huh… how should I put this. The exam was surprisingly simple."

"This is the General Hunter test, after all. The Dungeon Hunter exam is a bit more involved, but given the ability you've just demonstrated, I expect that will wrap up quickly too. Shall we go?"

Lina was waiting outside the test room, looking at her smartphone. When her eyes met mine as I came out grinning, she sent me a frigid glare that radiated cold. The old me wouldn't even have been able to meet her eyes. I'd have looked at the floor, gone home, and jerked off to the thought of her stripped bare.

But things were different now. I met Lina's glaring pupils head-on and smiled. The image of her panting beneath me rose unbidden in my mind. Damn. I'd gotten vulgarly hard. I slipped a hand in my pocket and adjusted my cock.

"Let's move. With the skill you two have shown, the Dungeon Hunter test should finish quickly as well."

Lina said nothing, lowering her head as she headed toward the test room where Sujin was waiting. When we arrived, the staffer called the three of us to the center of the room. Standing in the middle of a wide, empty chamber felt strange. The excessively inorganic interior seemed to inflict a kind of mental stress. Was that intentional too?

"We will now begin the Dungeon Hunter qualification test. In this test, it is important that you display the maximum ability you are capable of. Sujin, you've taken the General Hunter test before, so you know — the General Hunter exam is a test to prove whether or not you can use an ability. This Dungeon Hunter exam is a test to prove the strength of that ability. As a Dungeon Hunter, it is a test to prove whether you can face monsters in a dungeon with your ability and clear it."

The staffer stretched a hand toward the ceiling. A sound similar to the one I made when creating a sphere of light rang from his palm. Was he using an ability? Sujin's, Lina's, and my eyes naturally gathered on his hand.

"My ability is Real Mirage. The power to summon illusions indistinguishable from the real thing. Even so, I cannot summon everything I imagine. What I can summon are only the monsters I have personally faced."

A low hum filled the room. A bright cluster of light burst from his hand, settled gently onto the floor, and took form.

Sharp claws and fangs, a massive body over two meters tall, and a sleek, wolf-like frame — a monster stood in the room.

A Dire Wolf. The kind that occasionally escaped dungeons and caused damage in civilian areas. Not a monster that gave Dungeon Hunters much trouble, but one that ordinary people could never hunt even with guns. I tensed and raised both fists.

"Don't worry. This is a summon under my control, so it won't attack recklessly. It follows only my commands. Your exam is to face the monster I've summoned. You don't necessarily have to defeat it. Frankly, a Dire Wolf isn't an opponent a freshly minted Dungeon Hunter can take down easily. What this exam evaluates is the process, not the result, so don't get too hung up on the outcome."

Focus on the process. Nice words. But people loved results more than process. And I was no exception.

I turned my gaze toward Lina. In her tightly pressed lips and sharp eyes, I could see a thread of tension. Oho. I might be able to make up for the opportunity I'd missed earlier. I wanted to leave a good impression here — with overwhelming power.