CH 1

+ Prologue

[Current status: Protection protocol in operation]

[18 years, 2 months, 3 days, 7 hours, and 22 seconds passed—

[Danger factors: 1. High-level Dungeon Increase]

[2. High-level Boss Evolves]

[3. Increase Minus Hunters]

[4…..]

[Solution: 1. Increase High-level Hunters]

[2. Increase Plus Hunters]

[3. Add Supporter.]

[4…..]

****

There was something that every modern Korean citizen who had turned 19 years old was required to get the day after they took the CSAT.

A test to examine whether or not the person has the abilities of a Hunter.

Or they called it ‘Ability Test’.

The reason why it is the day after the CSAT is because the CSAT is important in Korea, regardless of whether or not the monsters run wild in the world.

Furthermore, becoming a hunter at a young age has a negative effect on their abilities and health. 

Therefore, in Korea, the ability test is taken the day after completing the CSAT at the age of 19, which doesn’t affect the student’s academic performance or their health. 

The ability test was very important. 

– If you become a hunter, you can eliminate monsters and contribute to world peace and development.

This was a story from a moral textbook, but in reality, it was because of money.

It depends on the skill, but even the lowest F class made a lot of money.

Of course, the above E-class, D-class, and C-classes were the same.

The people in the higher class, which starts at B-class, have become so rich that everyone envies them.

– I want to be a Hunter!!!

Everyone had at least one of these kinds of wishes.

However, it was very rare to become a hunter. 

One day, a dungeon suddenly appeared, and it had been 18 years since a hunter with the ability to catch monsters existing in it appeared.

Even though each country is very different, about 0.1 percent of the people who took the ability test in Korea were found to be hunters every year.

It was very high compared to other countries, but most were F or E class.

However, at least one person with a C class or higher must have appeared. 

But three years ago.

– I can’t believe D class doesn’t even come out!!!

This was the first case in Korea, which is known for having a lot of hunters with a B class or higher.

On very rare occasions, there have been cases where the ability testing devices measure the wrong class.

. 

But it happens very rarely, and they went into the dungeon and checked it thoroughly, so there haven’t been any mistakes in the past few years.

Nevertheless.

We will conduct the ability test again for all citizens over the age of 19!!

The government made and carried out this plan because the public was so angry about it.

But the result was just the same.

All Korean citizens were shocked, but they moved on because things were much better than in other countries.

Among the new hunters, the highest in Korea was D class.

– SS class has appeared in Japan!!!!

There are less than 130 people in the world who are above S-class and are called Transcendents.

Because no matter what weapon you use, how many troops you put in, you can’t kill them.

As the SS class, which transcends the transcendent more, is a very rare existence, they were even less than 20 people around the world. 

However, there were two people in Korea and none in Japan.

Korea was very proud of this fact; this time, the SS class also appeared in Japan. 

Still, Korean citizens thought it was okay so far.

But last year, the situation was different.

– SS class appeared again in Japan!!!

– The highest class our country gets again is a D class! 

Naturally, Korean citizens felt annoyed.

Also, the Japanese hunter, who became a new SS class, had a tough mind but no personality, and he barked at Korean citizens in particular.

As the number of angry Korean citizens keeps increasing, it is also the day after the entrance exam.

– No way, it’s not D class again, right? 

– S class must come out!

– Hey, who thinks that classes other than S class are useless? Even if it’s only an A class, it’s good too. 

– SS Class is not going to appear in Japan again, right?!

From the morning, countless Korean citizens began to watch the results of the ability tests of those who turned 19 this year with anxiety.

The test itself was simple.

All they had to do was go into the examination device that looked like a tube that had been set up for a while and then come out.

The device was made as a byproduct of the dungeon, so it didn’t react to ordinary people.

But if the person entering was a Hunter, it was different. 

The higher the grade, the louder the sound, and the body shook violently. 

They said that the whole thing fluctuates if it is A class, but if it is S class, it falls apart completely.

Although it is extremely expensive, most Korean citizens have looked forward to seeing the device split.

– May the S class be born!!!

No, they hoped the SS class would come out, just like Japan.

But there was a time when not even D class appeared, let alone SS class.

Everyone’s hopes and dreams faded little by little.

– Even if it’s S class—.! No, even if it’s an A class—! Please!!!

A class came out after the sun went down. A class for the first time in years!

Korean citizens who were impatiently watching the results’ live broadcast were happy with that.

But it was for a while. 

– We need an SS class!

Once again, while Korean citizens crave the SS class, the ability test device at the Busan Hunter Center is broken.

It was really the birth of an SS class! 

People cheered even louder than when Ahn X-Hwan scored a golden goal for South Korea in the 2002 World Cup Round of 16.

There were so many people stamping their feet that it was mistaken for an earthquake, and they reported it. 

It was a time when almost everyone in Korea was so excited.

The examiners at the Hunter Center in the southern part of Gyeonggi-do were also filled with these feelings.

“I want to see SS class!”

“Me too!” 

“I can’t wait to finish this and go home and watch the news!”

“Are there any examinee who haven’t come yet?”

“Let’s see, there’s only one person missing.”

“One person? What is it, don’t tell me only one person didn’t come? How brave.” 

Everyone groaned and waited.

A little more time passed, and it was just ten minutes before the closing time at midnight.

A female student came into the examination room. 

She felt like she was being dragged to hell and was going to die. 

The examiners were puzzled.

‘Is she really 19 years old?’

The student had a good proportion thanks to her small head, long limbs, and skinny body. 

‘She’s really small. I don’t think she’s even 155cm?’

The white and clear face was also very young.

The eyes were round and as big as children’s eyes. The nose was cute, and the pink lips were small.

A cute girl with a young and gentle impression.

She looked like 15 years old at best. 

“Is it true that you came here to receive the ability test?” 

The head of the center stepped forward. 

Only the people being tested could go into the room, but they had to make sure because she looked too young. 

“Yes…” 

“Take out the ability test QR code and put it on the device.”

It took the student a while to use her fingerprint to open the QR code on her mobile phone.

It seemed like she was nervous or that she wasn’t good at using mobile phones for her age.

[The relevant citizen qualifies for this year’s ability test for 20 years.]

This sound rang when the QR code was placed on the identification device.

The student jumped at the small noise, showing how timid she was.

They felt sorry for her. 

“Now, go inside the ability testing device.” 

“…Can I not take the test?”

Sometimes, children did this because they were afraid of being tested. 

When the small, delicate child asked for it sincerely, the head of the center was shaken.

But he couldn’t go against the rules set by the government. 

“As you know well, students, this is something that any Korean citizen should do. If you don’t get it, you’ll be in big trouble.”

“….”

“It will be over soon. Now, go in there, close the door with a sound, and then open it right away. It takes less than three seconds.”

The student looked around the examination room with a depressed face. 

On the big screen in the middle, the numbers and grades of those who were found to be Hunters by the nationwide examination were floating up.

There were also several cameras.

In order to check whether the subjects were properly tested, the inside of the examination room was sent to the Central Hunter Center in Ilsan in real-time.

“Whoo…” 

The student walked slowly toward the ability test device, letting out a deep sigh of frustration.

She stopped in front of it, looked at it with disgust like it was a cockroach, and then went inside. 

The examiner looked at her and thought in their heads. 

‘As soon as it’s over, I’ll start with the phone that was submitted for classification and find out about the SS-class hunter.” 

Their thoughts were as shattered as if someone had used a knife to cut a cucumber in half. 

It was because the device disappeared as soon as the student closed the door. 

To be precise, it just disappeared from the world. 

As if it didn’t dare to make a sound or cause a fuss. 

“….?” 

So far, the competent examiners have been trained on everything that has happened in the examination process.

But this was the first time.

“What just happened?”

“What’s going on?”

“Why did the device disappear?”

While everyone was puzzled, the head of the center gulped down dry saliva and said.

“It’s only been three times that ability test device has had this kind of reaction. All over the world.” 

If it was only three times, it was the case where an SSS-class hunter was born. 

It wasn’t exactly the same.

The three hunters smashed the ability test device like dust. Because it’s not like they destroy it without a trace at all.  

But it seemed like it was forcibly removed.

“So.” 

Before he knew it, the head of the center opened his mouth, which was as dry as a desert, and said.

“SSS-class…?”

“SSS-class?!”

“SSS class!!!”

“SSS-class!!!!!!!”

As if the speaker’s + button was kept pressed, the sound of the speech grew louder and became a tremendous scream. 

The examiner went crazy as if the fuse had been blown. 

‘C, come to your senses!!!’

Only the most experienced and competent head of center among them has barely swept away. 

He picked up the phone with shaky hands and dialed a number that could only be reached when a transcendent person appeared on the day of the ability test. 

「This is Minister of Department Ability Lee Beomjin.」 

It was a nice but cold voice.

Thanks to this, the head of the center has come to his senses more. 

“T, this is the Southern Gyeonggi-do Hunter Center.”

The head of the center’s eyes seemed to grow when he saw a student, no, an SSS class hunter. 

The SSS class hunter stood as still as a statue. 

She did that because she found out something that was too much for her to handle, but there was something strange about it.