Chapter 207: Hunter Qualification Exam (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 207: Hunter Qualification Exam (4)
The Hunter Qualification Exam had drawn a record-breaking number of applicants.
With nearly 30,000 people gathered, there was plenty of riffraff, but there were also countless brilliant gems shining among them.
Im Hyeon-gi, an A-rank Hunter, was the Chief Supervisor for this year's exam.
As he managed the exam, he felt a mixture of dread and regret.
The ever-increasing number of Awakened beings each year felt like a harbinger of a great crisis looming in the near future, which filled him with dread.
“Only a hundred from this group…”
Now that the third test was over, only about 1,000 participants remained.
It was a deep shame that out of all these promising individuals, only a hundred could earn their Hunter licenses this time.
“…But it can’t be helped.”
That’s right.
It couldn’t be helped.
Whether mentally or physically.
The right to be a Hunter must be granted only to the strong.
After all, the monsters they would have to face possessed no soft emotions like pity.
So, he decided to change his perspective.
“If we’re going to choose, we might as well pick the most brilliant gems of all.”
Since he had to choose, he would select only the hundred most valuable gems from the thousand that remained.
The stage for this was already set.
The fourth test, the grand finale of the Hunter Qualification Exam.
An extreme trial designed to simultaneously test everything required of a Hunter: mental fortitude, physical strength, judgment, and more.
Around noon, when the sun was high in the sky, he switched on the small radio attached to his ear and issued an order to the proctors.
“Open the fourth test: the ‘Maze of Darkness’.”
Ten years ago, it had appeared just once. An extreme trial that had been sealed away ever since due to its hellish difficulty.
“All proctors, be fully prepared to ensure the applicants' safety and stand by at your positions. That is all.”
The maze of darkness, which swallowed everything into blackness, finally swung open its tightly sealed entrance, ready to devour the applicants.
* * *
Unlike the previous tests, which started right after breakfast, there had been no announcement about the fourth test, even as noon approached.
“I've got a bad feeling about this.”
My sixth sense, honed over many long years, kept nagging at me.
Times like these, something unexpected always happens…
From 30,000 down to 1,000. The number had been drastically reduced, but it was still too many to finish the exam in a single day.
And yet, their leisurely pace made one thing obvious.
“This test isn't meant to be over quickly.”
As I’d mentioned before first entering the dorms, the Hunter Qualification Exam lasts anywhere from a minimum of four days to a maximum of a week.
That's because the time it takes to pass each test varies wildly.
Some tests are short and intense, while others are long and even more intense.
There's a reason the failed applicants call the Hunter Qualification Exam a "fucked-up game of luck" on the community forums.
“And my luck is just the worst.”
It was already the fourth day since I'd last been with a woman.
I don't think I'd ever taken a break this long since I started sleeping with Jeong-hee and Yu-jeong.
I had to laugh at how my patience had completely worn thin.
“How on earth did my old self endure it?”
In Son Si-woo's body, I'd survived a whole seven years without sex, yet here I was, whining after just four days. It was pretty pathetic.
Was it because I was younger now, or because I'd become more honest with my desires?
“Or maybe… I just haven't trained enough?”
It was true I barely trained at all compared to the old days.
In Son Si-woo's body, I used to train relentlessly, pushing myself to the breaking point almost every day.
Looking back now, I wonder if I pushed myself so hard not because I wanted to get stronger, but to control my urges.
“Come to think of it, she's taking longer to call than I expected…?”
Lost in old memories for a moment, Han Ju-hee's face naturally came to mind.
One experiment a month. That was the condition I'd set, but I never expected her to call right on schedule.
She'd always been like that.
Whenever she had a mystery to solve, she'd first tackle it with everything she had, only asking for help from others when she hit a dead end.
The mystery I'd thrown her way was the kind that might be impossible to solve even with my help.
So, it seemed about time for her to give up on her solo research and give me a call.
“Well… she'll call when she's ready.”
I decided not to get impatient.
I was curious about the secret she held, but then again, what good would it do me to find out now?
After all, she and I are strangers now, aren't we?
The thirsty one is the one who digs the well. When her thirst becomes unbearable, she'll be the one to contact me.
Until then, all I have to do is have fun.
Just as I was lying in my empty room, lazily letting time pass.
[The fourth test will now begin. All applicants, please take the elevator to the 7th basement floor.]
The announcement finally blared through the dorm.
It seemed all the preparations were finally complete.
As always, I waited a moment to avoid the crowd before leaving my room.
I took the elevator down to a massive waiting area on the 7th basement floor.
Proctors were handing something out to the applicants, who were standing in neat rows and columns.
“Take this.”
“What is this?”
“You'll find out shortly.”
The proctor placed a small device in my palm. It had a large red button on it.
The other side was enchanted with an adhesion spell, just like the tokens from the second test.
That meant I was supposed to stick it somewhere on my body…
“What was this thing again?”
The object looked strangely familiar.
The first thing that came to mind was a sex toy.
No, no. Hanging out with that pervert is starting to corrupt my thoughts.
“Ah.”
Once I cleared my mind of lewd thoughts, I finally remembered what it was.
“It's an emergency rescue device.”
The moment the button was pressed, a distress signal would be sent to the nearest Association branch.
Handing these out meant there might be a moment during the fourth test when we'd have no choice but to use it…
“Just how hard is this test going to be?”
What was the hardest test in the Hunter Qualification Exam again?
As I was rummaging through my old memories, a man with heavy footsteps ascended the stage.
A striking scar cut diagonally across his left eye, and his face was solemn, as if he'd never known fun in his life.
“Oh, it's Hyeon-gi.”
A-rank Hunter, Im Hyeon-gi.
A junior I'd worked with on a few operations.
He was a man of few words, unnecessarily stern and serious, which made him boring, but he was a perfect colleague.
“Greetings, applicants. I am Im Hyeon-gi, an A-rank Hunter and the Chief Supervisor of this exam.”
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
Fervent applause followed.
It was understandable. Actually meeting an A-rank Hunter, of which there were few, was a rare opportunity.
For aspiring Hunters, seeing someone who was practically an idol in the flesh was certainly exciting.
“I'll cut to the chase.”
Just like him.
“The name of the fourth test you will be taking… is the ‘Maze of Darkness’.”
“…Huh?”
Like a powerful body blow landed without a jab, the applicants doubled over at once.
Even I was so surprised by the name that my eyes shot wide open.
“M-Maze of Darkness?”
“You don't mean the ‘Maze of Darkness’ from ten years ago, do you?”
“Holy shit…! It wasn't gone for good?”
The murmurs from the crowd quickly escalated into a frenzy.
It was only natural.
The Maze of Darkness. This test, designated ‘Haetae No. 44’ by its creator, had appeared for the first time ten years ago, only to vanish after producing the absurd result of all 400 participants giving up.
“Recently!”
Whoa, that startled me.
The man on the stage suddenly captured everyone's attention with a booming voice.
“The average skill level of Awakened beings applying for the Hunter Qualification Exam has been rising every year. As a result, it has often become difficult to properly differentiate between applicants with the existing tests.”
It's true… kids these days are definitely more skilled than they used to be.
Thanks to that, some arrogant little shits run their mouths, calling first-generation Hunters 'overrated has-beens' and whatnot.
Tsk, tsk. They don't seem to realize it's not because of their own talent, but because of the systematic training programs built through years of trial and error.
“As you fear, the Maze of Darkness is indeed the same ‘Maze of Darkness’ that made every single applicant give up ten years ago.”
Haetae No. 44, the Maze of Darkness, could only be described as a masterpiece.
It was so well-made that its quality became its own poison, leading to it being sealed away until now.
A maze so convoluted that even its creator would have trouble navigating it, combined with a darkness that completely blocked all vision.
Traps and magic circles lurking everywhere, and even golems.
It was packed with every element designed to drive a person insane.
“The Association has determined that the applicants' skills have grown enough to pass this test, and thus, we have decided to unseal it after ten years.”
The Maze of Darkness was certainly difficult, but it was also an undeniable way to distinguish skill levels.
All they had to do was rank everyone based on how far they progressed through that treacherous maze.
“If you are afraid, you are free to give up. However… you should ask yourselves whether someone who backs down from this level of fear can ever become a great Hunter.”
Oh, look at this guy.
He's subtly questioning their qualifications as Hunters to get under their skin, isn't he?
He's not the type to use such provocative language. What's gotten into him?
“This is your last chance to forfeit. Any applicant who wishes to withdraw, please raise your hand.”
“……”
Everyone remained silent, their lips sealed tight, glaring at Im Hyeon-gi on the stage with fiery eyes.
The fact that not a single person raised their hand meant they were all pissed off.
Confirming that his provocation had worked, Im Hyeon-gi let a small smirk play on his lips.
“The fourth test will now begin. Please attach the emergency rescue device you were given wherever you wish.”
Everyone attached the device to a place they could easily reach.
“Hmm.”
After wondering where to put it, I just slapped it onto my chest.
I wouldn't be pressing it anyway.
Because.
“You will now enter one by one.”
I've already been inside that place before.