Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Officer Exam
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"Alright, Group 3 will now enter the physical examination area."
A group of five people entered the examination area in a single file line.
Inside, doctors in white coats were stationed in partitioned spaces, and each person sat down in front of a doctor according to their number.
"Hello, doctor."
Do-jae's station was number three, right in the center.
The attending doctor replied to Do-jae's greeting in a cheerful voice.
"Good morning. Could you give me your documents first?"
"Here you are."
Do-jae handed over the papers he had brought.
Essential documents like his resident registration and academic records had already been submitted online. Anything unusual, like his work history or certifications, had to be presented in person at the physical exam.
"You have quite an extensive record. Would you mind waiting a moment while I enter it?"
"Yes, of course."
He began typing into the computer, compiling the pre-printed forms with the documents Do-jae had brought.
In the past, people would have complained about wasting a doctor's talent on such clerical work, but these days, doctors were divided into two categories.
Hunter doctors and regular doctors.
Naturally, hunter doctors were considered superior to their regular counterparts.
Hunter doctors were far superior in terms of surgical speed and precision.
Even if they graduated from the same medical school, the difference in quality was stark.
Furthermore, surgeries performed by doctors with healing skills had reached a point where even patients who underwent major operations could be out of their hospital beds in a matter of days.
Ah, but the concept was completely different from a healer.
Healers boosted regenerative abilities to enable self-healing, while doctors were the ones who performed surgeries and procedures.
"Hmm, you certainly have experience, but this is a rather unusual case."
"Haha, you think so?"
Do-jae had an inkling of what the doctor meant by "unusual case."
His career as an F-rank.
He had only recently become an E-rank, so his experience at that level was virtually nonexistent compared to his time as an F-rank.
"Since the Suppression Corps recruits from E-rank and up, I'm not sure if your F-rank experience will be recognized. We haven't had a case like this before."
"Right. F-ranks aren't recognized anywhere."
"Yes, so for now, I'll submit it with just the basic documents and inquire about the details separately..."
"Doctor, just a moment."
"Yes?"
"Is it possible to get a mana scan?"
Do-jae mentioned the information he'd found beforehand.
He had read that a preliminary mana scan was available at the physical examination site.
"It's possible, but... didn't you have one done recently?"
"I'd like to have another one. The application said it was possible upon the applicant's request."
Just as Do-jae said, the application contained not only warnings but also various other pieces of information.
Most people just filled in the blanks and moved on, but Do-jae had read it carefully.
"Alright, I can do the scan for you. But you know that to get a confirmed rank, you'll need to undergo a formal scan again, right?"
"Yes, I'm aware."
"Please wait a moment."
The doctor stood up and went somewhere.
It seemed this wasn't a common situation, so he had gone to get a scanner separately.
‘The scan results had better come out properly this time.’
The results of the last scan were completely unbelievable.
He had been sure there was a problem with the scanner or some kind of error, and now a good opportunity had presented itself.
Normally, one had to wait six months between mana scans, but his plan to join the Suppression Corps had given him a chance for a re-evaluation.
‘I need to be at least C-rank.’
Do-jae's desire to be C-rank wasn't just about the better treatment he'd receive as a hunter.
Starting from C-rank, one was eligible for the Suppression Corps officer exam. Only by becoming an officer could he request the unit he wanted.
This, in turn, was the very reason Do-jae wanted to join the Suppression Corps.
‘I put President Choi in a difficult position, but I had to know. I have to find the other half.’
The other half of the orb he had seen at President Choi's shop.
He had gone to great lengths to find out where this half-orb had come from.
He eventually found out, but since President Choi valued trust with his customers, Do-jae couldn't help but feel guilty as he left the shop.
But even that information wasn't complete. All he knew was that the person who sold the orb was in the Suppression Corps, and their unit insignia was that of the Suppression Corps Headquarters.
It would have been helpful to know what the person looked like, but Choi had said that with dozens, even hundreds, of people visiting each day, he couldn't remember the face.
Perhaps President Choi knew more but was holding back, staying true to his principles.
Knowing President Choi well, Do-jae couldn't press him further and had no choice but to leave.
In the end, Do-jae concluded that he would join the Suppression Corps and search from the inside, which was what brought him to the physical examination site.
Thud.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
The doctor said, placing a plastic box the size of a briefcase on the desk.
He opened the box, revealing a monitor, a keyboard, and a tangle of wires inside.
"Alright, attach these one by one. One on each palm, one on each ankle bone, and this one on your solar plexus."
Do-jae followed the doctor's instructions, attaching the sensors to the specified areas.
Fortunately, the wires were long enough that he didn't need to take off his shirt.
"I'll begin now."
Click.
When the doctor flipped a switch inside the box, a graph on the monitor began to fluctuate wildly.
He couldn't tell what the x and y axes meant, and the screen was filled with all sorts of abbreviations, making it incomprehensible. The doctor watched the screen intently.
"Hmm... That's it. You can take them off now."
With those words, he flipped the switch off.
Zzzing—
A strip of paper, like a convenience store receipt, about thirty centimeters long, printed out from a narrow slot in the box.
"Haha, since this is a portable scanner, it requires a bit of interpretation. I'll let you know in a moment."
A little time passed.
The doctor compared the figures on the monitor and the paper, then spoke with a beaming face.
"Wow! Is this for real?"
Do-jae's hopes rose.
In truth, he had a reason to be confident.
The increase in his mana from acquiring the sealed memories of his right hand was the basis for his faith.
"Even if it's a portable scanner, its accuracy is nearly on par with the main ones. For now, you've been assessed as C-rank!"
"Oh! That's a relief. Does this mean I can take the officer exam?"
"Yes, but this result is temporary! You must submit a formal one before the final acceptance."
"I understand."
The rest of the examination proceeded smoothly after that.
Part of it was because Do-jae had prepared thoroughly, but the doctor also helped him through the process with genuine care.
The doctor seemed as happy as if it were his own accomplishment, offering all sorts of advice. Do-jae felt good, thinking that such kind people still existed.
‘It's just barely, but at least I can take the test. Now all that's left is to pass.’
Clutching the remaining documents, Do-jae left the examination site with a light step.
***
Two weeks later.
"Haaah... I didn't get a wink of sleep..."
Do-jae stood before the main gate of the exam site, his eyes hollow.
For the past two weeks, he had gone to a place called a reading room for the first time in his life.
These days, they seemed to be called study cafes rather than reading rooms. For someone who had lived where the clash of weapons and the grotesque screams of monsters were the norm, the quiet classical music of the study cafe was an utterly foreign place.
‘Being an F-rank hunter was a blessing in its own way.’
He had been shocked to realize that after leaving the physical exam, he had only two weeks until the officer's written test.
It made sense; the Suppression Corps itself was so unpopular that they had streamlined the system to make it easy and convenient for people to apply.
However, the officer exam was held only twice a year, in the first and second halves. If he missed this one, he would have to wait until next year.
Thus, the combination of the Suppression Corps' accessibility and the officer position's exclusivity had created this situation.
"The problem was the law and history sections."
The officer exam had a total of five subjects.
Intellectual Assessment, Situational Judgment, Introduction to Suppression, Suppression Law, and National History.
The Intellectual Assessment and Situational Judgment weren't things you could really study for.
Of course, there were practice questions, and he had scored well enough to pass easily.
Introduction to Suppression was also on the easier side.
The knowledge he had gained through his life as a hunter came to him naturally, and he just had to apply it to the given scenarios.
The remaining two, Law and History, were his poison.
‘Memorization subjects just don't suit me.’
As a result of studying so hard that he sacrificed time for sleeping, eating, and even using the bathroom...
...he had barely managed to raise his score to the passing cutoff.
‘The atmosphere here is intense.’
A group of men and women were gathered by a wall, chain-smoking.
They were all so burly that an onlooker might mistake them for a gang, but they were actually hunters.
And since they were here for the officer exam, it meant they were all C-rank or higher.
It was almost comical to see such people gathered together, nervously smoking cigarettes.
‘Should I try to listen in?’
Do-jae casually moved closer to them, careful not to get too close.
Judging by their demeanor, they seemed to have prepared diligently. He might be able to pick up some useful information.
Like potential exam questions, for example.
"You don't think we're going to fail, do you?"
"Well, I told you to study hard."
"I know, but memorization... You know I've always been bad at memorizing things, right?"
"You know that's just an excuse, right? The chief went out of his way for us. He even got us a private tutor."
"I know, I know. That's why I'm asking. Just give me a few pointers on the questions. I heard you were first in your class back in school."
"Me? Why? I'd rather you fail. Seeing you get chewed out by the chief... Heh... Hehehe."
"Just tell her. If one of us fails, it'll be a hassle for everyone else. For the sake of the operation."
‘Operation?’
Do-jae pricked up his ears.
The unexpected word piqued his curiosity.
"See! I knew you were on my side."
"Are you even listening? He said it would be a hassle..."
"Hey, you! Don't just stand there, back me up a little, will you? They'll definitely need me for the first operation. I'll use my feminine wiles and bam!"
"I'm not taking anyone's side. And you're being too loud."
"Yeah, yeah, go ahead and be Mr. Neutral your whole life. I'll just fail and go home."
Do-jae moved a little closer to them.
Their voices had grown quieter.
But that was a mistake.
One of them noticed Do-jae and called out to him.
"Hey, you there. What do you think you're doing?"
The distance between Do-jae and the group was nearly ten meters.
For ordinary people, it was a distance at which they wouldn't even notice each other.
Especially on a busy street like this.
But because they were all hunters, they were aware of each other even from that far away.
"Ah, sorry. I was just wondering if I could borrow a cigarette."
Suspicious gazes fell upon Do-jae.
Do-jae explained that he was just looking for someone to borrow a cigarette from and had been glancing around since they seemed to be in the middle of a conversation.
He added a slightly dazed expression for good measure, which seemed to allay their suspicions somewhat.
"Here. Is that all?"
"Yep! Thank you!"
He quickly took the cigarette and left the area.
He was curious about the rest of their conversation, but the exam was about to start.
‘Don't get distracted. I need to study every last word I can before the test starts!’
Do-jae stood at the entrance of the exam building.
He stretched his arms wide.
"Uwaaah!"
After taking a deep breath...
...he walked into the exam hall.
