Chapter 24: Hunter Han Sungyeun (4)

Chapter 24: Hunter Han Sungyeun (4)

No regrets.

From the start, I thought this was the most appropriate level.

But Hwang Manho seemed to express some disapproval.

“Sir, are you really going to take the level 10 exam?”

It was as if he wanted to ask how someone like me would pass an exam like that.

Well, I guess I didn’t really have a retort...

“It’s fine.”

I had no intention of changing my mind.

I picked this because I had determined that it was the correct level for me.

Plus, I wanted to double-check exactly how effective the rewards from the ‘Tower of Trials’ were.

“Alright, I’ll set it to level 10, please enter the chamber.”

Kim Inhoo’s tone didn’t change, as if he was indifferent to anything that was happening.

Almost as if he was a machine.

Maybe he just didn’t care since there weren’t any sponsors.

‘Superficial, aren’t we.’

I mean, there were so many controversies associated with sponsors.

This was basically nothing compared to that.

Step step.

I silently marched toward the glass doors.

A pearly white stone chamber, an announcement started as the door shut behind me.

Wrrrr.

「 Starting Han Sungyeun candidate’s hunter exam. 」

「 The following exam is the highest level, level 10, and placement will be at least D-rank upon passing. 」

「 Please choose any weapon to use on your right-hand side. 」

「 In three minutes, please prepare to face the monster that will form inside the black circle. 」

‘Starting with a D-rank? Not bad.’

You could consider it the best starting placement for hunters because it normally took quite a while to get to that point.

Of course, that meant the exam would be that much harder.

But I was more excited than nervous.

I wondered what they were building up so much anticipation for.

‘It won’t be something as ridiculous as the doppelganger.’

I could barely bring myself to smile after remembering it’s near-C-rank combat abilities.

The 1v1 on the third floor left quite an impression on me.

But I think I’d be able to beat the doppelganger pretty easily in my current state.

‘At least if it’s a one-on-one environment.’

I’d probably have some trouble if there were around 4 of them.

They did have a lot of features like physical damage resistance and shapeshifting.

On the other hand, I’d be able to handle almost any monster as long as it was around that level.

The hunter association probably wouldn’t be able to emulate anything too difficult though.

‘Now, I just have to pick a weapon.’

I examined the wall of weapons to the right.

And ended up picking the most comfortable two.

「 Pure Silver Guild’s Mass-produced Steel Sword 」

「 Grade: F 」

「 A sword manufactured by pouring decent quality steel into a mold. 」

「 It is well balanced and does not dull easily. 」

First, I picked the item that said ‘mass-produced.’

There wasn’t anything much better than this and it was also the closest to my obsidian dagger.

It was almost insulting to compare the dagger sitting in my room to this trash but—

‘Well, the length of the blade is similar at least.’

Then I picked up one of the shields close by.

It was a rectangular steel shield that was weaker than my wooden shield.

「 Pure Silver Guild’s Mass-produced Steel Shield 」

「 Grade: F 」

「 A shield manufactured by pouring decent quality steel into a mold. 」

「 It is quite heavy but has no other pros and cons. 」

Even the Crude Dwarf Shield was better than this.

「 Congratulations. 」

「 Candidate Han Sungyeun’s final evaluation is C. 」

I spent 7 years trying to pass this exam.

And the end couldn’t have been more anticlimactic.

***

A man watching through the glass wall was furious.

Kwaang!

“...No, fuck, what the fuck!”

The man smashing the wall to express his anger was Hwang Manho.

He couldn’t begin to even understand what had just happened in front of his eyes.

The man who had only been a trainee somehow killed a D-rank flame bird.

In the instant that it was summoned as well.

Was that possible?

‘No, it’s not possible.’

Han Sungyeun was the worst player he’d ever seen.

Not to mention that he had nothing remotely related to mana resistance.

The trash player who couldn’t even unlock his innate ability.

That was Han Sungyeun.

‘Fuck, how did this even...’

There was no earthly explanation for what just happened.

Hwang Manho directed his anger towards the man standing next to him.

“...Can you explain what just happened here?”

“...I’m speechless, is this really a player who hasn’t even debuted?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. I told you to fail him in 10 seconds, not pass him.”

“Are you accusing me of something?”

Kim Inhoo loosened his tie at Hwang Manho’s accusation.

“We did what we could. As you said, this was designed to be impossible for Han Sungyeun.”

They were planning to give him a monster one rank above whatever he initially picked.

That’s what Hwang Manho requested and they accepted.

He was a valuable pipeline that provided a lot of new hunters, so they had no choice but to accept.

But the situation had changed.

“First, he picked the highest possible level, so the initial plan wasn’t plausible. Then he obliterated that exam on his own. How is that my problem?”

“...”

“And we even sent out the monster that he was most unsuited to fight.”

“But— The bastard is...”

“As the announcement said, he’ll receive a C-rank hunter license.”

“I mean, can’t you lower it a bit?”

“How do you even lower this? He beat the exam in 10 seconds. If he’d gotten a D-rank evaluation, we would have refuted it.”

“Damn it.”

He had to swallow his anger because they were right.

‘He’s going to start off as a C-rank hunter...’

Hwang Manho retired as a C-rank hunter back in the day.

He’d quit because his talents never took him further, and hard work had never been his strong suit.

That’s why Han Sungyeun bothered him so much.

It was like looking at all the work he’d never done.

And that’s why he’d always left him alone without teaching him properly.

‘Fucking shit...!’

He was officially a hunter now.

And a very promising one at that.

Han Sungyeun would probably only get bigger and bigger.

It was then—

“You don’t look so well. Did something happen?”

The glass doors opened and Hwang Manho turned his head.

The source of Hwang Manho’s scowl.

“Han Sungyeun...”

He smiled as he looked down on the disgraced manager.

Translator’s notes – Or ask me for clarification on our channel in discord!

Mans says he’s not that petty and then hits him with is anything wrong? UwU