NOVEL NEXT C9
I scanned the unwelcome visitors.
In the front were two close-combat hunters wearing black armor.
A man, cloaked in a black robe, positioned himself in the back.
All the intruders wore a brooch with the character ‘山’ (mountain) on their chests.
“Do you know who we are, applicant?”
“The Black Trifold Brothers are talking about us. Huh?”
“You dare steal our prey?”
Are they picking a fight?
I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.
“Hey, this bastard’s laughing.”
“I was going to let him go if he just handed over the points, but I guess we’ll need to teach him some manners.”
I checked the information of the intruders with my **Truth Eye**.
**Kim Youngcheol**
Race: Human
Age: 26
Affinity: Fire Magic
Strength: 9
Agility: 10
Stamina: 6
Health: 12
Mana: 61
Potential Ability Awakening: 11%
**Special Traits**
Flame Mark [A]
**Kim Youngsu**
Race: Human
Age: 24
Affinity: Spear
Strength: 35
Agility: 40
Stamina: 29
Health: 30
Mana: 26
Potential Ability Awakening: 10%
**Special Traits**
Instinct [B]
Fast Dash [C]
**Kim Youngjin**
Race: Human
Age: 20
Affinity: Sword
Strength: 54
Agility: 40
Stamina: 45
Health: 50
Mana: 21
Potential Ability Awakening: 14%
**Special Traits**
Sword Master [A]
‘Quite impressive.’
The stats of these three were on a completely different level compared to the candidates I had encountered so far.
Physically, they were far stronger than I was.
Their potential abilities were also remarkably high.
These guys were the real deal.
‘If they were confident in their abilities, I knew they’d act like this.’
Boss monster hunting.
An applicant without confidence in their abilities would never even think about attempting it.
On the other hand, applicants with real skill would target boss monsters.
Thinking about it from the other side, there are also those who will try to ambush applicants aiming for boss raids.
Just like the three brothers boasting in front of me.
“I don’t care if you’re called the Black Trifold Brothers or the delusional trio. You’re going to fight anyway, right?”
I flicked my right hand.
“Stop talking and come at me.”
The three brothers’ faces flushed red.
“We’ll show you why we’re called the Black Trifold Brothers!”
“Brothers, I’ll shut this bastard up.”
Kim Youngsu and Kim Youngjin, the two close-combat hunters, quickly closed the distance.
‘These guys have been properly trained.’
The second brother, who used a spear, maintained a safe distance.
The youngest, wielding a sword, boldly entered my attack range.
The mage in the back rearranged his mana and prepared an offensive spell.
These guys were qualitatively different from the candidates I met right after the exam started.
“Die!”
The sword and spear flew towards me from the front and my side, slightly staggered in timing.
A great coordinated attack, possible because they understood each other’s abilities well.
‘If I wasn’t the one they were up against, this would be trouble.’
[Using **Unyielding Step**] [Movement speed increased by 50%.] [2 Chaos Energy consumed per second.]
The effects of **Seongcheon Joegong** amplified my stats.
And the movement speed boost from **Unyielding Step** stacked.
My agility, normally 20, was now amplified to 42 for movement.
Looking at the numbers, it was over 110%—more than double the speed.
**Seongcheon Joegong** – Consumes 2 Chaos Energy per second.
**Unyielding Step** – Consumes 2 Chaos Energy per second.
Chaos Energy regeneration speed – 3 per second.
My total Chaos Energy was 637.
With just the use of the **Movement Technique** and **Inner Energy**, I could maintain this for over 10 minutes.
’10 minutes? I don’t need that long. One minute is enough.’
I didn’t want this fight to drag on.
Like walking on clouds, I slid effortlessly forward, skating past the sword strikes aimed at me and darting inward.
“Fool!”
Kim Youngsu’s lips curled into a grin, his mouth wide.
I slipped inside as the sword slashed horizontally, positioning myself directly in front of the spear’s trajectory.
At this angle, I would take a direct hit from the spear.
But I wasn’t flustered.
‘I already figured out what to do.’
[Using **Dark Star – Long Sword (Dao)**]
The long spear disappeared, replaced by a 30 cm dagger.
I gripped the dagger in reverse.
[**Hua Hua Dandao Technique**]
Type: Martial Art
Grade: C
Restriction: Requires mastery over magic/chaos energy
A defensive martial art developed by the women of the **Hao Sect** to protect themselves.
Developed over the long history of the **Hao Sect**, it specializes in countering an opponent’s attack with minimal force, redirecting it or breaking the trajectory with ease.
Level: 1-star (0%)
* Reduces the opponent’s attack power by 30% when countering and deflects the attack’s path. (Consumes 5 Chaos Energy)
If you strike the vital spots, it inflicts 50% additional damage based on strength. (Consumes 3 Chaos Energy)
[Hwa Hwa Dan Do (Flower Blossom Blade) – Hua Cho Pung Wol used.] [Consumes 5 Chaos Energy.] Clang!
Just before the tip of the spear touched my side, the short blade held in my reverse grip deflected it accurately.
If we had clashed head-on, I would have been overpowered by their strength.
However, the trick of Hwa Hwa Dan Do allowed the short blade to divert the force of Kim Young-Soo’s spear, causing it to veer off course.
I closed in on the third brother, Kim Young-Jin, whose shock was clear on his face, and pressed the attack.
The short blade relentlessly stabbed into Kim Young-Jin’s body.
Ka-! Clang!
The shield embedded in the Hunter’s Watch activated.
Green light flickered wherever the short blade pierced or stabbed.
As my assault continued, the light grew brighter and spread rapidly.
“Ugh, ugh!”
Kim Young-Jin swung his sword violently to try and shake me off.
Hooom!
When he swung his sword, he created some space, but I used the ‘Gyeong Sin Beop’ (Lightening Method) again to stay glued to him.
‘I can’t let them get any distance.’
I was more aware of the first brother, Kim Young-Cheol, who was at the rear.
‘At my current level, I don’t have many ways to counter magic.’
That’s why I pressed for close combat.
Kim Young-Cheol’s affinity was with Fire Magic.
Rather than targeting a single individual, he had more wide-area destructive spells, like explosions.
If I stayed too close to the third brother…
‘He won’t be able to cast his spells easily.’
As expected, Kim Young-Cheol was only showing signs of frustration.
Unlike his earlier confidence, he couldn’t get involved in the fight.
‘That’s the difference experience makes.’
The second brother, Kim Young-Soo, had repositioned and was now behind me.
“Damn it. Get off my brother!”
His spear aimed low.
I sprang from the ground with a quick, evasive move, redirecting the attack with my own force.
The third brother, Kim Young-Jin, regained his composure and started to retreat.
“Burst Flare!”
Kim Young-Cheol released all the magic he had stored up.
A fiery sphere, about a meter in diameter, shot toward me as the third brother created some distance.
“It’s over.”
“You disgusting bastard!”
“Underestimating us brothers will cost you.”
The three brothers yelled, convinced that I was about to be defeated.
But little did they know…
‘I’ve been guiding them to this point.’
[Dark Star – Great Sword]
The black blade gleamed.
I pulled up all the Chaos Energy I could muster.
The next technique I was about to use was an advanced martial art beyond my current level.
It was a technique from the famous martial art school, Ha Buk Peng Ga, renowned for its swordsmanship.
The A-grade martial art, Oh Ho Dan Mun Do, manifested in my hands.
[Using Oh Ho Dan Mun Do.] [Consumes 150 Chaos Energy.]
The Dark Star, infused with Chaos Energy, trembled violently.
Whoooom!
A black aura ignited like flames.
The energy, called “Do Ki” (Sword Qi), surrounded the blade.
In the Pandemonium, this energy was referred to as “Aura.”
Only beings who had ascended into true demons could manifest this energy.
On the continent of martial arts, those who mastered the sword to this extent were revered as “Peak Martial Artists.”
‘What I’m doing is just mimicking them.’
With the knowledge from my past life, I was able to mimic these techniques, even though I couldn’t handle them perfectly.
I swung the black, flame-wreathed blade forward.
Swish—
The fiery orb was cut in half by my swing.
Using the Unryu Bo technique to its fullest, I jumped high, using the spear lodged beneath me as leverage.
“You used my spear as a stepping stone?!”
Kim Young-Soo shouted in shock.
I leapt over the third brother, Kim Young-Jin, and headed straight for Kim Young-Cheol, who was in the rear.
“Uh, uhhh?!”
Kim Young-Cheol’s face turned pale in surprise.
It was a critical moment where a gap appeared in his defense.
“This is the end for you.”
I swung the blade.
Ka-ching!
The shield disintegrated with a single strike.
Kim Young-Cheol mumbled something, but
I couldn’t hear the rest as he vanished with a burst of light.
– Exam participant 450, Kim Young-Cheol, has been defeated.
– Kim Young-Cheol has earned 25 points. 13 points have been added to your total.
– Total accumulated points: 45p
Whew.
This guy had gathered quite a lot of points.
“Hyung, the eldest hyung is down.”
“Crazy! What was that energy in his weapon… was that an aura?”
The two brothers were in a panic.
It must have been impressive that I cut through their magic with my blade.
I grinned at the remaining brothers, now reduced to two.
“Shouldn’t you finish what you started?”
How many points would these two give me?
Thud.
As I moved, the remaining brothers instinctively stepped back.
Shing, whoosh
Light soared from the right side of the waiting room.
One by one, the defeated participants were teleported out.
– Exam participant 101, Park Jun-Seok, has been eliminated.
– Exam participant 755, Jang Jin-Soo…
The announcements flowed continuously.
Guild representatives were monitoring the exam.
“This licensing exam has many participants.”
“About half of them are repeat exam takers.”
“How many outstanding talents could there be among the repeaters?”
“Wait, is it true that the Black Triad brothers are taking the exam for the second time?”
One guild representative laughed and covered his mouth.
“Is that true?”
“The Black Triad brothers are a new force raised by the Geum San Guild.”
“Oh…”
Some expressed surprise, others sighed in regret.
The Geum San Guild.
It was one of the few guilds that could compete with the top guilds like Hwarang.
“Shin Yoo-Mi, Yoo Seung-Woo, and now the Black Triad brothers…”
“I just hope none of our guild members cross paths with them.”
“The top spot in this licensing exam will likely go to one of them.”
“Except for Shin Yoo-Mi, the winner is already decided. It’s meaningless.”
Most guild representatives were discouraged.
The theme of this licensing exam was survival.
If they encountered any of the above-mentioned participants, the guild-affiliated exam takers would likely be eliminated, or strong talents could fall early.
“What’s the point of releasing five ecosystem-disturbing species?”
Someone muttered.
This summed up the concerns of most guild representatives who had come to recruit hunters.
Among them, some were smiling.
The scouts from the Hwarang Guild, Bang Ye-Ri, and the candidate from the Geum San Guild, Woo Hyo-Jin, were both present.
‘Yu Seung-Woo can’t lose. The Master guaranteed it.’
‘The Black Triad. No one can defeat their coordination.’
The first and second top-ranked guilds in the country.
The two exchanged smiles, hiding their true feelings, each confident that their own hand was the better one.
Then…
– Exam participant 450, Kim Young-Cheol’s shield energy has reached 0. He has been eliminated from this exam.
Woo Hyo-Jin’s eyes widened.
“What, what?!”
It was a reflexive response, triggered instinctively.
Woo Hyo-Jin quickly realized his mistake and composed his expression.
“Hmm, wasn’t that one of the Black Triad brothers you were managing?”
Mockingly,
Bang Ye-Ri chuckled softly, deliberately provoking Woo Hyo-Jin.
Her words caused quite a stir.
“One of the Black Triad has been eliminated?”
“Kim Young-Cheol. Yes, he’s the eldest brother of the Black Triad.”
“Monitor! Switch to the monitor!”
“Who defeated the Black Triad?”
As the guild representatives quickly turned to the monitors, another announcement came.
– Exam participant 451, Kim Young-Soo’s shield energy has reached 0. He has been eliminated from this exam.
The broadcasts came one after another.
Woo Hyo-Jin could no longer hide his surprise.
“This can’t be! The Black Triad can’t be eliminated twice in the exam!”
“Haha, it looks like even the Black Triad from Geum San Guild wasn’t a match for Seung-Woo.”
A victor’s smile appeared at the corners of Bang Ye-Ri’s mouth.
She believed Yu Seung-Woo was the one who had defeated the promising talents of the Geum San Guild.
“Monitor, catch the footage!”
“One of the Black Triad is still fighting!”
A man in black armor, Kim Young-Jin.
The opponent standing against him was a participant wearing civilian clothes and holding a black weapon.
As the monitor revealed the two, the participant’s weapon pierced Kim Young-Jin’s chest.
– Exam participant 452, Kim Young-Jin’s…
“Did the Black Triad lose to one person?”
“Identify the participant!”
The guild representatives scrambled to take action.
Bang Ye-Ri, moving in slow motion, elegantly looked at the monitor.
‘Hoho. Looks like our guild is winning this exam.’
Just as the guild master had predicted.
Yu Seung-Woo.
The second-ranked Hunter in the country, personally trained by Lee Won-Taek, the leader of the Hwarang Guild.
Even the three promising talents of the Geum San Guild weren’t a match for Yu Seung-Woo.
However,
When Bang Ye-Ri saw the monitor, she realized her huge mistake.
“Who is that?”
Her voice, filled with confusion, escaped her lips.
The participant who had defeated the Black Triad.
The face of the man who raised his head was someone she had never seen before.
Jeon Min-Cheol.
A rookie participant who had only awakened his mana ten days ago.