Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: 20. Showcase (7)
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The test was over.
Kang San collapsed in his tattered state, chugging a potion to heal his wounds.
"We're truly sorry. We should have responded faster, but these sudden variables caught us off guard."
"It's fine."
The examiners approached.
Having dealt with the Death Knights, they arrived late to the scene—by then, the testers had already cleaned things up. Kang San didn't blame the proctors unnecessarily. Trials stemmed from the participant themselves, so if anything, he felt sorry for causing the mess. Once the examiners checked his condition and left, Nam Tae-ju came over next.
"Thanks to you, we made it through the test. Honestly, if it weren't for you, I would've given up mid-fight."
"I just did what needed doing."
"No, that's not it. I'm a seasoned hunter myself, but I've never seen a tanker like you. Now that the test's done, I'll say it: watching you throw your body at monsters biting and tearing—no human could do that. Or do you just not feel fear or pain like the rest of us?"
"......Who knows."
Kang San gave an awkward smile.
After taking down the vampire...
Kang San had grabbed Im Chan-young and escaped the basement.
The outside was still a battlefield, but when the team spotted Kang San covered in blood, their eyes went wide.
They'd thought it impossible for just the two of them to handle, yet he'd butchered everything and gotten out. From that moment, they truly acknowledged him. Strangely, not one believed Im Chan-young had pulled it off. His battered state said otherwise, and Kang San's actions from start to finish confirmed it. No one could credit the dazed Im Chan-young trailing behind.
And finally...
A halo bloomed around Kang San's body.
The dramatic buff boosted the team's stats, letting them muster the strength to finish off the last monsters.
It was all thanks to Kang San.
Nam Tae-ju, who spent a while praising him, spotted Im Chan-young on his way out.
"I just can't wrap my head around it. Why'd you act like that at the start?"
Early in the test...
Im Chan-young had openly called Kang San a pushover.
Eyes turned to him at Nam Tae-ju's words, but Im Chan-young just flushed red, unable to respond.
More like, he couldn't.
Im Chan-young himself...
'......Yeah, what was that? I don't get this situation either.'
He couldn't make sense of it at all.
This incident...
Who was the most shocked?
The other testers?
Or the people watching outside, or the proctors?
None of them.
For Im Chan-young, who remembered Kang San's past life, no one was more stunned by the outcome.
'......He definitely took that vampire's attack for me.'
The final scene.
It was still vivid.
He'd been lost watching Kang San solo the vampire, but when its headless body burned its life force for one last strike, his heart sank. The black aura wrapping him made him think he'd die right there in the test. Then the shared pain message hit, and chills ran down his spine.
Kang San collapsed.
Watching him smash face-first into the ground, groaning in agony, Im Chan-young froze, unsure how to react.
'Why the hell...?'
The question dominated his mind.
It was just a test.
Im Chan-young had already failed nine times—better to save his life for next time than risk it. But Kang San saw it differently. He'd thrown himself in harm's way to save the guy who'd mocked and belittled him. Come to think of it, he'd blocked that thrown weapon earlier too. From beginning to end, Kang San had perfectly played his tanker role.
Shame flooded in.
As Nam Tae-ju pointed out, tearing down a guy like this hit back as unbearable embarrassment.
He glanced at Kang San.
Thanks. You saved my life. He wanted to chat with Kang San like the others.
But he couldn't.
When Kang San fought the vampire, Im Chan-young had done nothing, thinking only of his own danger. Survival instinct had paralyzed his judgment, blurring right and wrong. He'd clung to hope that if Kang San died, the proctors would save him.
He bit his lip.
Irritation boiled up.
Miserable, he didn't want to stay.
'What a piece of shit I am.'
He started walking.
The test was done anyway.
Results in an hour, but he'd meet his manager to gauge them.
'I screwed up mid-test, but I showed overwhelming firepower wiping those monsters at the end. That should pass, right? Extra points since this was brutally hard.'
He held onto hope.
Raid success gave him that much.
He stepped outside.
Suddenly, emotions swelled in Im Chan-young.
"......What's this? Everyone's waiting for me?"
A massive crowd.
Only one reason they'd be here.
To watch him—once Korea's top talent—take the test.
He was thrilled.
That they still cared.
That he'd shown pass-worthy skill before their eyes.
And among them, elite Gu Jun-ho from Daeyang. Im Chan-young strode forward confidently, waving. He'd show them he'd aced it.
But...
"......"
"......"
No one responded.
Some scowled.
Then it hit him.
'No way... it wasn't me?'
The crowd's gazes.
Looking past him. Im Chan-young realized the truth.
One person still missing.
They were all waiting for Kang San.
A little earlier.
The outside atmosphere was tense.
Not danger from the vampire takedown, but everyone sensing this was bigger than expected.
Next to Jeong Hye-mi.
Gu Jun-ho, staring at the screen beside her, spoke without looking away.
"What do you make of this situation?"
"Why ask me?"
Jeong Hye-mi frowned.
She and Gu Jun-ho didn't get along.
They clashed constantly, and he cut corners for his goals.
Gu Jun-ho eyed her.
"Why? Kang San's putting on an absurd show. D-Rank just recently, yet he soloed dozens of C-Rank monsters—and now a vampire. A top-tier B-Rank suspect, soloed. His potential's beyond prediction. Even against the Werewolf Lord, he wasn't this strong. Half a year later, he's B-Rank level."
His point...
Jeong Hye-mi didn't fully get why he was telling her.
She'd seen Kang San's prowess firsthand, but...
"Plus, we saw his dedication. A tanker who risks everything for teammates. The ideal everyone's after—in this cutthroat hunter world, an invaluable gem. This result? It'll shake things up big time."
"So, that's our conversation starter?"
"Yes."
Gu Jun-ho's eyes burned with ambition.
Utterly captivated by Kang San, his internal limits crumbled.
"Both you and I underestimated him completely. If we'd foreseen this potential, we'd have pushed harder. This is a declaration of war. I'm all-in on recruiting him—stake my position on it. Whatever Heavenly Firmament preps, Daeyang will top it."
He turned away.
Just then, Im Chan-young emerged.
"So gear up fully. Feels like the winner here claims top dog status for a while."
After Im Chan-young left first...
Kang San checked his reward.
A full 4-star skill.
Impressive effects.
The debuff cut 20% from enemy stats.
A 300-stat foe drops 60; the vampire just fought lost an extra 60, down from 300 to 180. Miraculous.
And the third perk...
Doubling holy-based skills meant Aura of Recovery and Guardian's Will got buffs. Guardian's Will now gave 4% defense and HP regen per enemy in Sanctuary—double the usual 2%.
High risk, high reward.
The deadlier the trial, the greater the prize.
Especially now, prepping for an S-Rank outbreak—Sanctuary was perfect.
'But that vampire's final attack... what was that?'
The finale.
The vampire's grudge was unnatural.
A human lifetime flashed; Kang San had never heard of monsters doing that. Oddities piled up: stronger than average vampires, emerging first instead of guarding the castle, targeting Im Chan-young deliberately. Questions chained, but no clear answers.
Ultimately...
Azmun's trial. That was it.
No way for Kang San to find the unknown truth.
He stood.
Recovery mostly done; time to wait outside for results.
And right now...
Flash.
Pop pop pop flash.
"Kang San!"
"Kang San, a quick word with us!"
"Kang San, congrats on your B-Rank promotion!"
Flashes exploded from all sides.
The crowd swarmed.
Just as planned.
Kang San's deliberate showcase—time to bask in it.