Chapter 41
The air was filled with the harsh clanging of metal and dense mana, pressing heavily against his skin.
Lee Chaeho lightly rolled his ankles and looked around.
He was inside the large promotion examination hall located beneath the headquarters of the Hunter Association.
Dozens of hunters were already waiting inside.
Every one of them was fully equipped and warming up. Their hardened expressions and practiced movements showed the experience expected from hunters at the upper end of C-rank.
Among them, however, an unusual tension hung in the air.
Many eyes were focused on one place.
And at the end of those gazes stood Lee Chaeho.
"That's him, right? The guy who recently cleared the Gray Swamp alone."
"Yeah. Lee Chaeho. I heard he hasn't even been C-rank for long, but he's already here for the B-rank evaluation."
"His build looks pretty ordinary, though. Did he really kill the Water Dragon by himself? Wasn't it some kind of error in the Association's records?"
They weren't even trying to whisper.
Because of his unusual record of clearing the swamp solo, the gazes directed at him were filled with curiosity, suspicion, and a hint of competitiveness.
Chaeho didn't bother looking toward them.
What other people thought didn't matter.
The only thing that mattered was his actual ability.
He calmly interlocked his fingers, stretched his arms, and loosened his tense muscles.
Beeeep!
A sharp burst of feedback rang from the microphone on the platform.
The noisy waiting hall instantly fell silent.
The head evaluator, dressed neatly in a suit, tapped the microphone a few times before stepping forward.
"Please pay attention. Welcome to the B-rank promotion evaluation."
His voice was low and firm.
"All of you have spent enough time fighting as C-rank hunters, and I'm sure most of you believe you're quite capable. But this B-rank evaluation is not a place for you to show off how strong you are."
He swiped across the tablet in his hand and looked sharply over the participants.
"Starting from B-rank, we strictly evaluate your ability to fight higher-level monsters over long periods, your ability to respond to unexpected situations, and most importantly, your overall ability to survive."
He paused.
"The purpose of this examination is to filter out hunters who rely only on firepower and end up getting themselves killed."
The participants' expressions hardened at the cold declaration.
"That concludes the orientation. We'll immediately begin the first stage: basic physical ability and mana measurement. Those whose names are called, step forward."
A huge striking machine and a spherical mana-measuring device were revealed beneath the platform.
The veteran hunters were called one after another.
"Put some strength into it!"
A huge hunter carrying a massive two-handed axe shouted and threw his fist forward.
BANG!
The heavy impact rang through the hall as the machine bent backward.
The number on the display rapidly climbed.
"Strength: 8,500. Pass."
Next came the mana test.
He placed his hand on the sphere and released a fierce flow of energy.
"Mana output: 7,200. Well above the B-rank requirement. Pass."
The veteran hunters continued producing impressive scores.
With renewed confidence, they returned to their seats with proud expressions.
At least when it came to strength and mana, they were proving themselves worthy of B-rank.
"Next. Hunter Lee Chaeho. Step forward."
Chaeho casually walked toward the striking machine.
The eyes of the surrounding hunters immediately sharpened.
They clearly wanted to see for themselves whether the rumors about the monster who had cleared the swamp alone were true.
The evaluator glanced at Chaeho while holding his records.
"No equipment. Strike it with your bare hands when you're ready."
"Understood."
Chaeho stood in front of the machine.
He took a deep breath and loosely clenched his fist.
He had no intention of tearing his muscles apart by using every ounce of strength he had.
There was also no reason to activate [Time Slow].
He simply threw a punch using the physical ability he had developed through ordinary training.
Thud.
A dull impact sounded.
Unlike with the previous participants, the machine barely moved.
The number on the screen quickly stopped.
The evaluator narrowed his eyes.
"Strength: 5,100. Barely above the B-rank passing line. Pass."
Snickers immediately broke out around the waiting hall.
"What the hell? His punches are that weak?"
"He cleared the Gray Swamp with that kind of strength? Could he even scratch the hide of a One-Horned Water Dragon?"
"Maybe he found some ridiculously high-grade disposable weapon somewhere."
Chaeho's expression didn't change despite their mocking reactions.
He simply walked over to the mana-measuring sphere and placed his hand on it.
As he naturally pushed mana from his body into the sphere, a faint blue glow appeared.
"Mana output: 5,300. This one barely passes the requirement as well. Pass."
The evaluator tilted his head.
The numbers were far too ordinary compared to Chaeho's impressive solo-clear record.
"Your offensive numbers are much lower than I expected."
Chaeho shrugged.
"Yes. I've never really been the type to overpower enemies with brute force."
That was all he said before returning to his place.
There was no reason to explain himself.
Using skills to exploit an opponent's weakness and controlling the battlefield weren't things that could be measured by the number displayed on a striking machine.
Chaeho knew his own limitations clearly.
That was why he wasn't shaken by the opinions of others.
"The first measurement is complete. We'll move directly to the next stage."
Following the evaluator's instructions, the hunters moved deeper into the examination hall.
A huge transparent cube measuring ten meters in width and length stood there.
Complicated devices covered the walls, ceiling, and floor.
"The second stage is the basic reaction-speed and evasion test."
The evaluator pointed toward the cube.
"Rubber projectiles will be fired randomly from inside the cube, and obstacles will appear without warning. While avoiding them, you must touch the red sensors that light up randomly using either your hands or feet."
The participants grew tense.
"The time limit is three minutes. Being hit or colliding with an obstacle will result in penalties. If you fail to touch enough sensors, you will naturally fail."
He continued.
"Using mana around your body like a shield is prohibited. Prove yourself using only your body's natural reflexes. Begin."
