Chapter 114
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: If You're Caught Bluffing, It's Your Neck
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Graduation day was drawing near.
The end was truly just around the corner.
But instead of chatting away with that bittersweet mix of refreshment and reluctance, the participants were all too busy eyeing each other warily.
...Was this camp way bigger deal than I thought?
The caliber of people filtering in wasn't ordinary at all.
"I've never seen so many high-rank Hunters gathered like this. I mean, not counting the C-ranks. A-ranks...! And they're all Guild Masters or the like...!"
And right here were two people utterly indifferent to the Hunter world.
"They must all be pretty impressive folks."
Su-hyeon whispered to Ga-eun upon hearing the murmurs.
"Yeah. I don't follow this stuff much, so I'm clueless. But with Na-rin unnie over there, they're probably all similar, right?"
Her eyes met Na-rin's, who was greeting guests from the VIP seats. Na-rin flashed a subtle smile their way.
Su-hyeon and Ga-eun waved lightly in response.
In truth, any A-rank Hunter whose name and face were known had to be a guild leader of some major outfit, unless they were as publicly active as Seo Na-rin.
The fact that people recognized them despite shunning the media said it all about their stature.
"Really? ...Dunno, though."
"It's like how we wouldn't know famous scholars or musicians, right?"
"Hmm..."
It clicked perfectly.
So-yeon stared at the two in disbelief as they bantered so casually.
What the hell are these two even talking about?
For the record, these two having this utterly clueless chat were members of the top-scoring team from the camp.
Time passed, and the VIP seats filled up.
"Those old guys from earlier are here too."
Several elderly men in suits took the prime seats.
About a dozen of them—half the VIP section, maybe?
One, two, three...
As Su-hyeon counted with her eyes, Ga-eun covered them with her palm.
"Don't look at creeps like that."
"Come on, Ga-eun. Even so, calling people 'creeps'..."
They didn't seem on great terms with the other Hunters either.
A few exchanged perfunctory greetings, but the rest just glanced over without a word.
Yet the old men didn't care. If anything, they seemed to relish the awkward vibe that kept people at bay.
"Alright, everyone! The moment we've all been waiting for—graduation time!"
The host's bright, upbeat voice echoed through the auditorium.
He was a bespectacled man with a perfectly average face.
"First off, a huge round of applause for everyone who joined us in the inaugural Newbie Talent Camp!"
Clap clap clap—
Applause erupted alongside camera flashes.
Journalists all the way out here in the mountains? This camp was bigger than its belly, alright.
"And it'd be great to introduce all the folks who made this possible, but... you all know each other better than I do, right? No need to waste time?"
"Pfft."
"Hahaha."
"Ahem..."
The younger crowd chuckled at the host's light touch, while the stuffy elders couldn't hide their discomfort.
"Everyone, you worked so hard these past two days. Days sweating through training, nights burning the midnight oil studying. I hope they become unforgettable memories."
Feels kinda exaggerated.
Sure, they sweated some, but it felt more like a fun vacation than real training. The praise was a bit embarrassing.
Just as the ceremony seemed to proceed smoothly...
"...Congratulations on becoming proper Hunters. Finally, we'll begin presenting the certificates. Please come forward when I call your name. First up, Trainee Kang Min-su!"
The called man stepped forward.
"Congratulations! Here's to becoming an amazing Hunter!"
Amid applause, the certificate changed hands. More names followed in quick succession.
"Now for our lovely ladies. Trainee Kim Su-hyeon?"
"Hoo...!"
Su-hyeon took a deep breath and strode forward confidently—or tried to.
"Hold on!"
A man suddenly dashed to the stage.
"I...!"
Ga-eun's eyes widened upon recognizing him.
It was that staffer who'd tried hitting on Su-hyeon through her.
He'd been snooping around but vanished since.
Where the hell was he hiding?
"Sorry, but we need to pause the proceedings. It's an emergency."
The flustered host glanced at the man.
"Pardon? Oh, uh... what's going on?"
The intruder snatched the mic like a conquest and took center stage.
"Sorry for taking your valuable time. But today, right here, I must reveal a crucial truth. One tied to all our safety."
Safety?
Everyone looked baffled at the out-of-left-field remark.
After letting the tension build, the man dropped his bombshell.
"There's a demonic beast here. Right now."
...?
The auditorium fell deathly silent, like ice water had been dumped over it.
Demonic beast...?
In the growing unrest, Su-hyeon inwardly wrestled with whether to bolt or not.
Why'd he butt in right when it was my turn...?
...Bad vibes.
"What do you mean? An undetected gate nearby?"
The man had short-cropped gray hair and a scar by his mouth.
He was the Guild Master of "Steel."
"No, Hunter Lee Cheol-min. I mean right here. Inside the camp."
That set off murmurs among the journalists and staff.
The relatively weaker ones couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Demonic beast? In the mountains?
Can they even roam outside gates?
Another weird gate?
"Quiet—!!!"
Jang Tae-won's roar boomed through the hall.
Rumble...
The room hushed instantly.
Damn, did that geezer eat a train whistle or what...?
...Excluding one rude mutterer loud enough for all to hear.
"Continue."
Jang Tae-won ignored it and urged the man on.
"Ah, yes. You might've heard... On the first day of camp, many reported strange experiences."
Huh.
This was clearly about when she'd fought with Ga-eun...
An alarm blared in Su-hyeon's mind.
"Those with low mana reserves felt depression and lethargy. Ring any bells?"
"Magic..."
The man reacted fiercely to someone's murmur.
"Exactly. It's like what happens when you enter a gate too dense for you. Not quite neural breakdown or addiction, but similar principle. Coincidentally, the surrounding forest looked half-dead that day too. Like it'd been tainted by something foul."
Unease rippled through the participants.
They'd lived it, seen it. How could they not be shocked?
Ga-eun gritted her teeth.
Should she rush up and shut him up now?
But that'd invite questions she couldn't dodge.
It'd only accelerate things.
How?
Grab Su-hyeon and run?
From this place crawling with monsters far stronger than her?
...If she stepped up, could she buy time for Brüel to intervene?
Regardless of Ga-eun's burning anxiety, the man pressed on.
"What clinched it for me was this band we use for precise checks instead. It's been sending participants' biometric data since day one. Analyzing it blew my mind."
"Hey."
Lee Cheol-min cut in as the explanation dragged.
"So what're you getting at?"
Cowed by the icy response but steadfast, the man held his ground.
"Ahem. It was here. The demonic beast. Posing as human!"
Chaos erupted again.
A demonic beast mimicking a human?
Shocking stuff.
In the uproar, Jang Tae-won spoke once more.
"Then you know where this humanoid demonic beast is?"
"Of course!"
"..."
"Ho? Where?"
Breath caught in throats.
The man spun, pointing triumphantly at the fidgeting Su-hyeon beside him.
"Right here! Standing before you! That's the humanoid demonic beast!"
At the man's declaration, Chan-seong reflexively shot to his feet.
He couldn't bear to watch.
Setting aside that Su-hyeon was his benefactor, terrorizing a little girl like that?
Bullying the weak. His most hated scenario.
Demonic beast? What nonsense.
But a pipe blocked his path.
Na-rin had stopped him.
Her gaze remained fixed on the stage.
"Master. Sorry, but I..."
Na-rin was a huge benefactor to Chan-seong too, but if push came to shove, Su-hyeon came first.
As Chan-seong tried ignoring her to advance...
"That's not it. Wait."
"Pardon...?"
Na-rin's face he saw was utterly serene.
"It's fine."
"But..."
"Have I ever said something I couldn't back up?"
Under her steady gaze, Chan-seong slowly sank back into his seat.
"...Ugh."
The accusing finger.
The crowd's chilling stares.
Su-hyeon's vision swam.
"What kinda bullshit is this?!"
Ga-eun stormed forward, bellowing.
Her clenched fist trembled, as if ready to deck him.
"There's limits to nonsense!"
"Right!"
So-yeon chimed in.
No solid proof, yet slandering her before everyone.
Utter rubbish.
"We've been with her the whole two days. Never saw anything off."
Other participants who'd observed Su-hyeon nodded in agreement.
"What do you know to spout crap?"
"Fraud! Setup! Total setup!"
"G-Get off! Die!"
The stage devolved into pandemonium.
Ga-eun pulled the panicking Su-hyeon back, participants circling protectively.
But all fell silent soon enough.
"A few questions."
Carmen Rodriguez.
From her spot at the stage's edge, she growled her words.
Her eyes screamed she'd swing her weapon if she had it.
"Ask away, Instructor Carmen."
"The depression reports and the forest dying then reviving—definitely anomalies. But the link to a demonic beast feels thin. Care to explain your reasoning?"
"Simple!"
The man eagerly expounded.
"It only hit low-mana C-ranks and below, killing and corrupting surroundings. Classic gate and demonic beast trait! Happening on day one means that's when it arrived. A single humanoid specimen!"
Vague questions like "Single specimen? What's that?" popped up but went ignored amid the focus.
"Then why'd it revert?"
"Obvious—it ran low on power, reabsorbed the magic it spewed. Or maybe feared you, Hunter Carmen. Sneaky enough to mimic humans, after all. Haha."
"Haha."
Carmen chuckled at his self-aggrandizing joke.
And the moment her laugh faded...
Crunch—
The man's head met the stage floor.
"!?"
"Wha...!"
Eyes bulged across the room. Su-hyeon, teary-eyed; even Jang Tae-won, smirking in triumph.
"Demonic beasts feel no emotion. Can't even bluff properly without the basics to fool anyone."