The Hunter Test (1)
“You look too young… did you come to take the exam right after graduating from the academy?”
Lee Kyung-min, a 23-year old applicant, asked the cadet in front of him.
This was going to be his third attempt, having failed the exam twice. The cadet in front of him seemed to be below his level, so he caught his attention. If he found the exam difficult, it would be more so for this kid.
The cadet seemed to be a little less than 20-years-old, and he was in a solitary corner, reading a notebook.
“Excuse me? Why don’t you answer?” He prodded politely.
“Oh, sorry. I’m so focused,” the cadet laughed.
Lee Kyung-min burst out laughing too.
Is there anyone in the world who wouldn’t hear someone talking to him just because he is reading something from his notebook? He’s trying to pretend, but the truth is, he probably didn’t hear it because of the tension he feels.
“Don’t be too nervous,” Lee Kyung-min advised the cadet. “Anyway, at that age, you must have applied for the test to gain experience, right?”
“…”
“Even if you fail, it would be a good experience. I learned a lot when I failed in the examinations.” He smiled and touched the young man’s shoulder.
Then, he paused in surprise.
The cadet looked small, but his muscles felt surprisingly strong.
It feels like it’s made of stone. Maybe, on top of training in the academy, he had been exercising steadily.
“Ah, right. Experience.” Lee Kyung-min caught himself.
“…”
“But you’d want to gain other experiences, too. So, I hope you don’t fail and pass right away.”
When the cadet’s eyes met his, Lee Kyung-min felt strange.
Those were not the eyes of a freshly graduated cadet.
It did not suit his youthful appearance.
Do they look like an active hunter’s? No… Those eyes were like those of the old professors I saw in my academy days.
Those eyes seemed as if they could see through a person.
“I hope you’ll pass this time, too,” the cadet answered.
“Huh?”
“If you fail once, it’s an experience. Fail two or more times, that’s a different story.”
Lee Kyung-min’s face turned red. Just before he was able to respond, they heard an announcement.
-Applicant 628, Jeong Si-woo, come in.
The young man got up.
“Ah, it’s my turn. I have to go. Please try hard on the test this time. Good luck.”
Lee Kyung-min stared at Jeong Si-woo’s back for a long time.
* * *
“Whoa, you’re not a joke!”
Physical measurement room. When I took off my coat, the evaluator spat out words of admirations at my exposed body.
My physical form vastly improved as a result of the increase in overall stats and steady training.
My body, which was previously no different from ordinary people, has now reached a level superior to other cadets as well as hunter applicants. When it comes to pure stats, I know I could compare to third-class hunters at this point.
“What, do you have any characteristics or skills that improve your physique? Surely this body could not be made just by staying in the academy.”
“If you’re concerned about drugs, I’ll take a blood test right away,” I offered.
“Ha ha ha ha… No, I was just a little worried, but now I’m relieved.”
The evaluator laughed. He’s probably convinced that I didn’t use steroids. These evaluators weren’t sloppy. They could look at a bare body and find flaws at one glance.
[What, they think your body looks good? In Moorim, the village workers would laugh at you.]
I snorted at the Traveler’s words. I wasn’t sure if it was an exaggeration or not.
“Well… Oh, and you passed the first exam with a perfect score?”
“Yes.”
“The youngest candidate. The only perfect score and the shortest test duration. You seem to be a great talent, ha ha ha ha!”
The evaluator was in a good mood.
The first test was a written test. It was not very difficult, so most of those who graduated from the academy tend to pass.
Of course, some analysts put in a few high-level problems that couldn’t be solved easily and takes up much time to solve, so it was hard for anyone to answer all the questions completely, let alone get a perfect score.
But it wasn’t that difficult for me.
The evaluator continued our conversation, asking questions covering several topics. My attitude about hunting, questions about cracks, my views on phenomena analysis. It was the usual interview.
[You speak very well. Look at that evaluator’s expression. It was as if you were giving him honey.]
It was very easy to answer because I was also an evaluator in the past. I knew the answers they are looking for, and I gave it to them without much thought.
When I was an evaluator, a lot of applicants didn’t get past me.
There were some who collapsed and cried; there were others who quit the interview halfway. The other evaluators thought I was too strict, and since then, I wasn’t placed in the interview position again.
“You seem like a talented person that we’d really like. Ha ha ha ha. Top-class physique, skills that are suited in front, center, and rear, an extraordinary brain that has ‘Excellent Insight’ that can quickly judge the situation… It was as if you fell from the sky, ha ha ha ha!”
“Thank you.”
The evaluator nodded his head vigorously as he wrote down my marks.
“I can’t find any fault, so let’s move on to the final part of the exam. Do you know what it is?”
“Yeah, I know.”
The first two parts were the written exam and the interview.
Those two were my main strengths. I would probably pass those two easily in my previous life.
The last part is where a lot of applicants fail.
The hunting test.
Now, it’s my turn to prove that the word ‘hunter’ fits me.
“I ready to proceed.”
“You can get your suit in the waiting room and enter the field right away.”
* * *
The suit prepared by the organizers was very comfortable to wear.
It was a premium product that was comparable to hunting suits worn by hunters when they enter actual cracks. It was made a requirement to prevent casualties during the examination, where there is a real possibility of being killed or crippled for life.
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