CEHA was located in the northern part of Northlake city. It was a fairly large area, with a unique landmark as a tall building that rose to the sky. A building that stood out like a sore thumb in the middle of the city.
It was a unique landmark that was easy to spot from far away because it was light yellow in color and had a unique structure, like a gigantic spiral decorating the outer side.
"I didn't expect this place to be so beautiful up close." Nathan whispered in amazed.
"It's almost like a giant yellow flower blooming in the middle of the city," Linda added.
"Yes," Muramoto agreed.
They stopped in front of the main gate. "Let's go." Nathan said.
"Yes." They all nodded.
They walked up the stairs and went through the metal door. They could automatically pass through the large gate because their hunter device had already registered for the entrance test.
Dozens or even hundreds of people walk on either side of them. They were all wearing their respective battle suits.
"I'm so nervous..." Muramoto said.
Nathan walked slowly and straight, trying to avoid several people walking in a rush, and some even nudged his shoulder.
But not with Muramoto, who fell to his knees.
"Muramoto, you okay?" Nathan asked.
Linda stopped and looked down. She clenched her fists and looked towards the front, where a young man with short blonde hair with a sharp gaze stared back at her.
"Tell me, Muramoto, was he the one who pushed you down?" Linda said, pointing at the young man.
Muramoto got up and shook his head. "No, sorry, I just slipped because I wasn't paying attention to my step."
Linda ignored him and walked towards the young man. "Hey, you." Linda said.
"Linda, enough. This is not the right time to make a fuss." Nathan whispered softly from behind her left shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Oppa." She apologized.
She turned around while looking annoyed but smiled slightly after seeing Nathan. "I'm angry, but because you asked me to stop, I had to comply, Oppa."
"Right now, let's focus on our mission first." Nathan pointed at the vast building in front of them: CEHA. "We'll have plenty of time to fight next time, okay?"
Linda nodded in understanding. "Yes, I agree."
The young man smiled faintly, then turned and walked away. He was being followed by dozens of other people who looked like his comrades or even his subordinates?
Muramoto came running beside Linda, then coughed loudly to cover it up.
They walked to the building, crossing a wide and spacious field.
They walked closer to the yellow building, which, at the lower part, had a wider and larger structure, like an enormous cube, with hundreds of glass doors and windows filling it.
When they arrived at one of the entrance doors, there was another person waiting for them. A very handsome white male with blue hair was about 1.70 meters tall and slim. His suit was very simple; a white shirt and white jeans.
"Welcome to CEHA, please wait over here," he said while waving his hand.
"Yes, sir." Muramoto replied.
He handed over a device similar to the Hunter Device that Nathan was wearing, but in a light yellow color. "Do a synchronization with your current hunter device. And use this one for the entrance test."
Linda did what she was told, then stared at the screen with curiosity. "What kind of program is this?" she wondered.
They entered the building, greeted by a large hall accommodating thousands of people in a single space. Hundreds of people were already seated and lined up as if preparing for a concert.
"Everyone, please sit anywhere you want," the man who guided them before said and left quietly.
Linda ran and grabbed a random seat, then sat down, followed by Nathan and Muramoto.
"Wow, this place is really big." Linda said.
That hall was very crowded and filled with chatter from all around. Even with so many people in one place, the cooling system can still make such a large room comfortable. It wasn't too hot or too cold there. But it wasn't cool enough either because most of them wore battle suits that had been made especially for outdoor activities like hunting beasts or monsters.
"I wonder how long we have to wait here." Muramoto said.
"It doesn't look like they're going to start soon. So boring." Linda replied.
The chairs with dark blue seats are lined up from left to right, with each one about 1 foot apart. A small podium in the middle with an open area around it.
More people gradually came in, with the new participants filling the empty seats.
A loud sound came from the entrance where they came from, followed by the sound of footsteps.
The people sitting in the chairs were all looking forward. Several men walked towards the podium in the middle of the hall.
Nathan's eyes widened when he noticed that one of them was carrying a hammer that could easily crush a human skull with a single blow. "I want one!" he thought.
"They are sensei in this academy, Nathan-san." Muramoto whispered back.
"Why does he have to carry that hammer? So weird..." Linda added.
The man stopped in front of the podium and put down his weapon. The others gathered around the podium, while one stepped onto it and stood there.
"Good morning to everyone!" the man said while raising his hand.
"I'm glad that you decided to join us today!" That was someone they recognized as Pascal Rigal, the acting grand master of CEHA.
"Please listen carefully to what I say," he continued.
"Today, we'll start off by doing a written exam." He lifted his head and looked around.
No one made a sound. The large room suddenly became silent.
Pascal didn't budge for a few seconds, but then a small laugh could be heard from his mouth.
"I'm just kidding. No more boring tests this year." He said cheerfully while smirking widely.
"You will face a real case, something that you will or have already passed on your way to level fifty. It will not only be based on skill, this time the winners are the ones who can think the fastest with all the information which they can collect in a very limited time." he continued to explain loudly and clearly.
"After all the candidates have been selected, the finalists will then participate in a very dangerous and deadly battle against each other. One of them will get hurt seriously and might even die during the fight, so please keep that in mind." he continued, explaining in a flat tone.
The participant began to murmur excitedly. Some wanted to become stronger, while some of them also didn't want to lose their life at such a young age.