NOVEL NEXT C8
Time passed in the blink of an eye. On the day of the Hunter License Exam, I looked up at the exam hall.
“That’s quite large,” I thought.
A dome-shaped massive building.
Before the Great Change, it was used as a World Cup stadium. Now, it had been bought by the Association, renovated, and repurposed as an exam venue.
In front of the exam hall, a crowd had gathered, creating a sea of people.
“This is the Hunter License Exam hall. This is the 55th Hunter License Exam, and…”
“From the Hwarang Guild, we have…”
“Which rookie will emerge in this exam? The attention is already focused…”
Reporters were looking for their next story.
“Hey! Make sure you pass this time!”
“Son, don’t be nervous, just do your best!”
“Fighting, Kim Wonjun from Dongam High, Class of 63!”
Numerous people were cheering on the candidates.
“Hey! This charm will guarantee you pass the exam! Take a look at this B-grade Artifact made by a renowned creator!”
“Essential exam item: Magic Pen!”
There were even vendors targeting the candidates and their supporters.
The front of the exam hall was buzzing with noise.
“Registration complete. Please wait until the announcement is made.”
[Hunter License Exam Candidate: Jeon Mincheol]
[Number: 511]
After completing my registration, I entered the waiting room.
Half of the room was already filled. All of them were candidates for the Hunter License Exam.
I found an empty seat and sat down to wait for the exam to start.
Then, the waiting room suddenly became noisy.
“Shin Yumi! Are you really taking the Hunter License Exam?”
“Seungwoo Yoo! Can you give us an interview?”
A couple walked by, keeping their distance.
The reporters surrounded them like a swarm.
If it weren’t for the fierce-looking bodyguard, they would have been approached immediately.
“Shin Yumi? Isn’t she the daughter of the Bahnaheim Embassy?”
“That’s right. I heard she married a Korean.”
“Does that mean she’s a half-elf?”
“I heard she can use spirit magic as well.”
“Wait, I’ve heard that name, Seungwoo Yoo. After the aptitude test, he was recruited by the Hwarang Guild.”
“Hwarang Guild? The top guild in the country?”
“The guild that recruited him? His initial awakening stats and aptitude must be insane.”
“Either he or Yumi is likely to be the top scorer.”
Envy and competition were boiling among the candidates.
As they said, the two individuals who were receiving all the attention walked with confident expressions.
“Sorry, but the top spot will be mine.”
– Ten minutes later, the 55th Hunter License Exam will begin. All candidates should proceed to their assigned locations.
After glancing at the two, I followed the instructions and moved to the designated spot.
The guide, dressed in the Association’s uniform, handed out smartwatches to all candidates.
“Here. Wear this on your wrist before entering.”
I strapped the smartwatch to my left wrist.
I walked down a long, straight corridor. How much time passed, I wasn’t sure, but suddenly, a blinding light filled my vision.
Woosh!
When I blinked, the light vanished, and the scene changed.
A tropical jungle.
The trees were densely packed, and long vines blocked out the sunlight. Long shadows stretched across the ground.
Even though the sunlight was blocked, the humid air clung to my skin.
“This isn’t a natural terrain,” I thought.
The exam hall was some kind of artificial gate.
While I observed the surroundings with interest, I heard some voices.
“Wow, the exam is in a jungle this time?”
“Ugh, it’s so hot. How are we supposed to take the exam in this heat?”
“I heard the last exam was in a frozen tundra. I’d rather deal with heat than freezing cold.”
One by one, the candidates entered the exam hall.
There were nine other candidates who were teleported to the same location as me.
– The 55th Hunter License Exam’s first event will now be announced.
The voice of the overseer echoed loudly.
– The event is Survival. Survive among the monsters in the exam hall and other candidates.
“Damn it. Survival, huh?”
“Same old crap exam.”
A few candidates frowned.
– You must earn a total of 100 points to pass the exam. The points can be earned from the monsters, as well as from your fellow candidates. The Hunter Watch will provide details.
Candidate – Jeon Mincheol
Candidate Number: 511
– Common Monsters: 1 point
– Named Monsters: 10 points
– Boss Monsters: 100 points
– Candidates: Half of your earned points go to you.
– Survive until the end: 50 points
Earned Points – 0 points
Shield Energy – 100/100
– The Hunter Watch shows the candidate’s points, the map, and includes shield magic.
All candidates start with the same shield energy, which depletes with impacts. Candidates who use up all their shield energy will automatically be disqualified and moved out of the exam hall.
“This exam… could be quite interesting,” I thought.
There were three ways to pass the exam.
You could hunt fifty common monsters and earn 50 points.
You could raid a boss as shown on the map.
Or…
“Targeting other candidates.”
If you survive without earning points, you get 50 points.
The passing line for the exam was 100 points.
50 points wasn’t enough.
“Just hiding or running away won’t be enough to pass.”
While hunting monsters for points, you’ll inevitably have to compete with other candidates. If you don’t earn enough points, your only option is to target other candidates.
So, the purpose of this exam was clear.
They’ve set the stage for the candidates to fight openly.
The theme of the exam this time was survival. Everyone here was a competitor.
As we each kept our guard up and began to distance ourselves…
“We haven’t even earned any points yet. If we fight here, we’re just helping the others,” a bald candidate stepped forward.
“I’m Min Hyung-sik, scouted by the Horizon Guild. I promise equal point distribution in my name,” he declared.
“Horizon Guild?”
“The one led by Hunter Park Yo-han.”
“They’re a mid-tier guild, right?”
“If it’s that kind of guild, we can trust them.”
The unease that had been swirling among the candidates quickly subsided.
‘Smart guy.’
Candidates with zero points would only waste energy trying to take each other down. There was no reason to fight right now. It was a wise decision.
But…
‘I don’t like group tactics.’
Step by step, I walked deeper into the jungle.
“Hey, you. You’re not thinking of going in there alone, are you?”
The bald guy blocked my path.
“Is there a problem?”
“We should combine our efforts if we want to increase our chances of passing…”
“That’s the way of the weak,” I interrupted him.
The veins on his forehead bulged, and the candidates behind him began to step forward.
“Didn’t you hear what Hunter Min Hyung-sik said?”
“Guys like him always get eliminated early on.”
“Tch, can’t even be humble?”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“You all live your way. Be humble if you want.”
I turned my back on them and entered the jungle.
I could hear jeers from behind, but honestly, it was more of a hassle than anything.
If I worked with them, I’d have trouble getting what I was aiming for.
And that’s because…
‘I’m after the boss.’
I focused my gaze on the large dot in the corner of the map, to the north.
It was fixed in the location of a boss monster.
A deep shadow stretched across the ground, with waist-high bushes.
The jungle was an ideal place for an ambush.
There were plenty of places to hide and it was hard to detect the approach of an enemy.
A hunter’s worst nightmare.
‘It doesn’t matter if I know where they’ll attack from.’
[Dark Star – Machete]
I swung the black blade diagonally.
Swish!
The sound of fabric being sliced.
As the green snake’s head and body separated, droplets of blood splattered in the air.
– You defeated the Green Snake. You earned 1 point.
– Cumulative Points: 22p
‘Just small fry here.’
The monsters in the jungle area were specialized in ambushing, using the terrain to their advantage.
They would hide in the bushes and spring an attack, or camouflage themselves like the green snake and strike when there was an opening.
‘At least if I level up, it’ll feel worthwhile.’
I smacked my lips in disappointment.
All the monsters in this exam were illusions.
Even if I killed a few, I wouldn’t gain any experience points.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal clashing.
It was coming from the west.
It wasn’t far from here.
‘A fight’s broken out.’
I walked toward the source of the noise.
Isn’t the most fun thing in the world watching a fight or a disaster unfold?
‘It’s also a chance to see what the candidates can do.’
Then, the bushes ahead of me rustled slightly.
[Dark Star – Spear]
In an instant, my longsword transformed into a spear of about a meter in length.
“Grrrr!”
A three-meter-tall monster leapt out from the place where the bushes had shaken.
A Stalker.
It resembled a black panther, but had long fangs that reached its chin and a tail with spikes like a steel mace.
“Hooh.”
This one looked like it would be worth hunting.
Though the creature was an illusion, the malice it emitted was as real as anything.
I felt a prickling sensation rise on my skin.
‘Change of plans.’
I locked eyes with the Stalker and grinned.
This was my first real fight in the license exam.
[Activating Celestial Chaos Field.]
[Chaos Energy envelops your body. All stats, excluding Chaos Power, increase by 40%.]
[2 Chaos Energy consumed per second.]
A massive explosion created in the mindscape.
Light and darkness.
The collision of two forces that should never coexist, forming a fierce chaos energy.
As I activated the Celestial Chaos Field, intense chaos energy surged through my veins, circulating throughout my body.
Strength flooded my limbs.
“Grrrrr!”
In an instant, the Stalker opened its jaws and charged at me.
‘I can’t just block that head-on.’
The force of its charge was brutal.
I took a step forward.
[Using Swift Flow.]
[Movement speed increased by 50%.]
[2 Chaos Energy consumed per second.]
My feet slid as if I were skating, minimizing friction. I dodged the Stalker’s charge.
At the same time, I thrust my spear into the Stalker’s side.
Crack!
The wound wasn’t deep. Its thick hide deflected the spear somewhat.
I didn’t stop using Swift Flow and kept moving, constantly searching for openings.
Small, shallow wounds appeared all over the Stalker’s body.
But none of them were fatal.
The Stalker ignored its minor wounds and continued charging at me relentlessly.
‘Its defense is pretty good.’
To make a deeper wound, I would need to switch weapons and get in close.
However, the Stalker’s tail, swaying back and forth, made it difficult to approach.
“Grrrr.”
The Stalker leapt at me once more.
Its mouth opened wide, revealing long fangs that reached all the way to its chin.
If I got bitten by that, my shield’s energy would be drained instantly.
The moment I saw that vicious mouth,
‘I’ve been waiting for this.’
A grin tugged at the corners of my mouth.
It was the moment when the creature exposed its vulnerability by opening its mouth wide.
*Whirr*
Dark energy wrapped around my spear.
The spear technique of the Shandong Akga, famous in the continent of Wu, was now being replicated through my hands.
[Akga Spear Technique]
Type: Martial Art
Grade: B
Restriction: Must wield magic/chaos energy
This spear technique is famous for being developed solely for the purpose of severing an opponent’s life. It’s a quick, destructive style with no unnecessary movements.
Level: 1-star (0%)
* Increases Strength by 30%, Agility by 20%, and Penetration by 120% (Consumes 8 Chaos Energy)
[Using Akga Spear Technique – Crushing Strike.] [8 Chaos Energy consumed.]
The chaos energy wrapped around my spear swirled and spun.
The spear tip, like a beam of light, tore open the Stalker’s mouth and shattered its entire head.
Thud.
The Stalker, having lost its head, lost its momentum and collapsed to the ground.
– You defeated the Named Monster, Stalker. You earned 10 points.
– Cumulative Points: 32p
“The level of the Named Monster was only this much, huh?”
The Stalker.
Unlike the smaller monsters, it was a tricky opponent.
If I had fought the group of candidates I encountered earlier, we would have been wiped out.
This creature excels in stealth, has fast mobility, and possesses solid defense, making it an overall formidable monster.
I wondered how strong the boss monsters would be.
‘I’ll finally get to stretch my legs properly.’
I grinned, eagerly awaiting the upcoming fight.
“Hey? That guy. He just killed the Named Monster we were hunting?”
“That bastard snatched the kill from us.”
The sound of rustling leaves reached my ears as three figures emerged from the bushes, heading toward me.
They appeared from the west, the direction where I had heard the clashing of weapons earlier.