Chapter 42
"Move this way. We don't have time to waste."
The guide's dry voice echoed through the wide corridor.
Chaeho silently followed at the back of the group while loosening his shoulders.
The cube evasion test was over, and they had already been given a short break.
As the participants moved toward the next examination area, an unusual silence hung between them.
Only moments earlier, several of them had mocked Chaeho's low basic strength.
Now, none of them dared say much.
They only stole occasional glances at his back.
Everyone's being unnecessarily sensitive.
Chaeho ignored them.
What others thought of him didn't matter.
His only concern was safely completing the remaining examinations.
The group stopped inside a massive dome-shaped training arena.
The floor was covered in black special alloy.
Dozens of circular barrels were embedded across the surrounding walls like a honeycomb.
Around ten steel targets, each roughly the size of an adult man, were positioned irregularly in the center.
The head evaluator stepped onto the platform and raised his microphone.
"We will now begin the third evaluation: the practical reaction-speed and striking test."
At his gesture, the barrels embedded in the walls rotated and began glowing red.
Their dense arrangement was almost disturbing to look at.
"The rules are simple. You must avoid mana projectiles fired from every direction while accurately striking the central targets whenever they turn red."
The participants immediately became tense.
The evaluator continued.
"This examination isn't simply testing how long you can survive. We're measuring how quickly and accurately you can identify and attack an enemy's weakness while under constant pressure."
"As the stages increase, both the speed and number of projectiles will rise dramatically."
Before he had even finished explaining, the first participant was called.
A huge hunter took a deep breath and walked into the center.
Beep!
The moment the signal sounded, thumb-sized red mana bullets poured in from every direction.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Stage One was manageable.
The hunter knocked aside some projectiles and twisted his body around others while punching the targets that turned red.
But once Stage Two ended and Stage Three began, everything changed.
"Urgh!"
The trajectories of the mana bullets began bending unpredictably.
Their speed increased until they became difficult to follow with the naked eye.
The participant could no longer focus on striking targets.
He was completely occupied with avoiding the incoming attacks.
Eventually, three mana bullets struck his waist in quick succession from his blind spot.
He crashed to the ground.
"Failed. Next participant."
The evaluator showed no mercy.
The following results were similar.
Even well-known veteran hunters from the upper range of C-rank rarely made it beyond Stage Four.
The mana projectiles were sharp enough to tear flesh on impact.
Expecting ordinary C-rank hunters to avoid them while simultaneously attacking targets was already close to unreasonable.
"Next. Hunter Lee Chaeho."
Chaeho stood.
His steps were as relaxed as if he were taking a walk.
Every participant turned toward the center.
The evaluator also leaned closer to his monitor.
Everyone wanted to know if the incredible movement Chaeho had shown during the previous evasion test would work here as well.
Chaeho reached the center and lightly rolled his ankles.
Then he lowered his stance.
Beep!
Four mana bullets flew straight toward him.
Chaeho didn't make any large movements.
A small tilt of his head and a slight twist of his shoulder were enough.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The mana bullets brushed past his clothing.
At the same moment, his body shot forward like a spring.
THUD!
His fist struck the glowing red target on the right.
"Stage One cleared. Beginning Stage Two."
The number of projectiles doubled.
Red trajectories poured in from every direction.
But Chaeho showed no urgency.
Instead of trying to visually track every projectile, he focused on understanding the space around him.
It was a sense he had developed by training his body relentlessly day and night.
His muscles reacted before his conscious thoughts did.
Using his left foot as a pivot, he turned halfway around and let a mana bullet from behind pass beside him.
Using the same momentum, he extended his arm and struck the second target.
Clang!
The clear impact echoed across the arena.
"Entering Stage Three."
The projectiles became noticeably faster.
Their paths twisted unpredictably.
