episode_0096

[Artificial crack field] is a huge facility built in the basement of the association.

A place to recreate as much as possible the environment of [Rift Field], where hunters mainly operate.

The dense concentration of mana interferes with people’s breathing as if they were entering an alpine region, and strange plants that are different from those of this world gather to form a lush forest.

The [Artificial Rift Field], built in a closed basement to maintain mana concentration, is located directly below the large open space where the ‘physical fitness test’ was taken.

In other words, the area of this place also boasts the vastness of a stadium.

“It didn’t collapse at all. Wouldn’t it be a big problem if there was an earthquake?”

“Eunha. If something big like that happened, would I be the test proctor? I’d rather work part-time at your cafe.”

“That’s what I heard.”

“Well, the big tree in the center is a crack plant called ‘Giant Baobab.’ It supports the entire ceiling, so I don’t have to worry about an earthquake. It’s probably safer than outside, right?”

“……Trees don’t break through the ground?”

“It’s my job to prune that bastard.”

“It must be difficult.”

The test invigilator, who entered the [artificial crack room] with his arm around Eunha’s shoulder, raised his black horn-rimmed glasses and explained.

As for why Eunha is being shouldered by the supervisor… it’s not something she should earn.

Because I lost my way.

I could visit the written exam site I had been visiting for three years with my eyes closed, but even the ‘promotion test guide’ was not enough to find the [artificial crack site] I had never been to before.

Even when I looked at the map, it was extremely complicated.

Eunha, who was walking aimlessly through the hallways of the association, was caught by an exam invigilator she happened to meet and brought here.

“What would you have done if it weren’t for me? In just a few months, your breasts and breasts got bigger…”

“Is it okay for a person called a supervisor to use such vulgar language? And he was able to come visit me before the exam.”

“You should come early and prepare! Why is this kid who is taking the Class D exam for the first time so nervous?”

“Because good things are good things.”

Eunha held her stomach with one hand and looked at the [artificial crack field].

A strange plant with an unknown name, a mana concentration so thick that it feels humid…

If you turn your head and look at another section, you can also see artifacts overgrown with weeds, like old ruins.

Efforts can be seen to create as diverse an environment as possible in [Crack Ground].

‘Did you say that soil and plants… and rain falls from the ceiling? ‘It must be difficult to manage.’

Given its size, managing an [artificial crack field] is not unusual, but the taxes paid by hunters are also unusual, so it is said to be surprisingly okay.

In normal times when there are no promotion exams, it is used as a training ground for hunters, making a lot of money.

‘If you pass here, you are a D-class hunter…’

It doesn’t feel real.

Eunha touched her cheek and adjusted the corners of her mouth that kept rising.

The last of the D-level exams.

A one-on-one sparring with an [artificial monster].

No drugs or artifacts allowed.

Skill can be used.

The Association is not responsible for any injuries that occur during the test.

Palakㅡ.

Eunha took something handed to her at the entrance and handed it to the test proctor.

It was a kind of memorandum to not hold the Hunter Association responsible for any injuries that occurred during battles with [artificial monsters].

“The contents of this memorandum are very brutal. You won’t die while fighting, right?”

“Do I supervise the exam for a day or two? Rest assured, the injury is nothing more than being bitten by an animal’s teeth.”

The sight of her pointing to a box full of ’emergency recovery potions’ with a strict expression on her face was not only trustworthy, but reassuring.

Come to think of it, he was a very strict inspector who didn’t even bother to look at the physical fitness test…

Surprisingly, you must be supervised by someone like that to be safe in case of an accident.

But he is strict.

When will I go bald?

<>

“Eunha where are you?”

“Wait a minute… Block 7-4, 11th.”

“Oh, it’s here. Wait on the bench over there.”

With the announcement, the test takers go to their respective sections.

Eunha sits on the bench, receiving inexplicable stares from other test takers, and quietly looks at the proctor who is leaving to prepare for the test.

The exam starts now, but I’m not that nervous.

I want to pass the exam by quickly killing [artificial monsters] or whatever.

Constant stomach pain prevents her from sitting still on the bench.

“Eunha. I brought you a fresh one.”

Ban Harin appears without a sound and hands an aluminum baseball bat from behind.

When did this woman come again? It’s starting to get scary.

There was an identical weapon among the weapons distributed at the test site, so I tried to use it, but it probably doesn’t really matter…

Eunha said a short thank you and accepted the weapon.

Rattling…

The aluminum bat that has been swinging at the park for the past few days is shaking with excitement as it waits for its turn.

Eunha took a deep breath, holding her trembling hand with the other hand.

Okay.

I also learned about ‘body strengthening’, and I can do it.

I strengthened my courage.

“The [artificial monster] practical training will now begin! Test taker number 1, please enter.”

Rumbling……

Two moles under the eyes that resemble blood stains.

Sticky blood runs down my cheek.

Preparation is over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sigh! Sigh!

“Kaaak-! Kaaak!”

“Die! Die!”

[Artificial crack field] 7-4 block supervisor.

B-class hunter Lee Seul-bi.

She raised her black horn-rimmed glasses that kept falling down with her thumb and middle finger, and watched with fierce eyes the number 10 examinee who was struggling with the [artificial monster].

Test taker number 10 is a young male student wearing an academy uniform.

He frowned in displeasure and desperately swung his weapon at the creature the size of a large dog that gave off an antiseptic smell.

The fierce sword was deeply embedded in the [artificial monster]’s side, causing it to struggle with all its might.

The examinee trembles at the feeling of his ribs hitting the blade, but then grits his teeth and begins to trample on the monster’s neck.

Sigh! Sigh!

The strength strengthened through ‘body strengthening’ had enough destructive power to split the monster’s neck vertebrae.

When the monster began to droop and stop moving, the test taker, who had pulled the sword from its side, let out a heavy breath.

However, when the strong smell of preservatives hit his nose, test taker number 10 started to gag from the disgusting feeling.

Supervisor Lee Seul-bi glanced at the checklist he was holding and spoke to the examinee.

“The test will be completed only when the magic stone is collected from the monster.”

“Ha… ha… take it out yourself?”

“yes.”

Looking at the examinee who was in tears,

Seulbi began to coldly keep score.

‘As expected, the academy cadets have good movement. ‘You seem to have learned something.’

[Artificial monster] is not something special.

The heart of a monster is a mass of energy called a ‘magic stone’, and the magic stone collected from the monster is transplanted into the ‘highly resilient corpse of a monster’.

And if you leave it in an area with high mana concentration… it will survive and move, albeit somewhat clumsily.

To put it simply, it is creating a ‘zombie monster’.

Although it is lifeless, its instincts remain, and it rushes at the surrounding creatures without warning… A punching bag suitable to be thrown to a new hunter.

Since blood does not flow and the heart does not beat, there is less resistance than killing a real living thing.

Since the body is a ‘monster with high recovery power’, the wounds can regenerate just by replacing the magic stone.

It’s the perfect target for practice.

“The damage to the magic stone is good… You have passed the test. The results will be sent via text message, so please check.”

“Wow… thank you…”

Examiner number 10, who had collected the magic stone from the monster’s chest, left the exam room with his mouth and nose covered.

Students from the same academy who were watching from outside hug him and congratulate him.

but,

The guild scouts who were watching the situation from afar,

You won’t even give him a single glance.

Cheaeng!

The 7-3 division is probably what most scouts are paying attention to.

After finishing grading, Supervisor Lee Seul-bi looked over and saw a female student with black hair tied in a ponytail, splitting an [artificial monster] in two with a single sword strike.

“Trainee number 12, passed the exam! Congratulations!”

“hmm.”

A stylish school uniform that stands out among other academy students.

[Euncheon Academy] A female student wearing a school uniform left the exam room, smoothing the long sword on her waist.

The heavy atmosphere exuded by the female student caused other test takers to get out of the way.

‘[Changcheon Swordsman] Did you say she’s the guild leader’s only daughter… She’s amazing.’

Literally boneless.

Even she, a B-class hunter, was impressed by the sword strike, which carved a clean cut edge on the [artificial monster]’s body.

There will be no stronger hunter than that examinee in this Class D exam.

Rustling…

Inspector Lee Seul-bi turned his head to his section again, replaced the checklist filled with notes with a new one, and headed to the center of the exam room.

The body of the [artificial monster] was placed in an iron cage and a new magic stone was placed in its chest.

Then, like a toy whose batteries have been replaced, it begins to move its limbs and regenerate wounds on its body.

Test preparation complete.

Lee Seul-bi sighed lightly… and looked at the next test taker with a complicated mind.

Over there is pure death.

And… this one is pure death in a different sense.

“…Testee number 11. Please enter.”

“yes.”

The test taker who soon entered the exam room was so beautiful that even Lee Seul-bi, a fellow woman, could feel his heart pounding.

As if the black vest meant for compression was useless, Lee Seul-bi’s chest, boasting superior volume, caught Lee Seul-bi’s attention.

A woman with attractive features and two moles under her eyes.

A 1000-year F-level hunter who was promoted to E-level last month.

He has a [Self-Healing] skill that even she, the test proctor, has never heard of…

It’s Eunha’s turn.

[Changcheon Geomga] A different kind of attention is paid to the only daughter.

Eunha approaches Director Seulbi Lee and takes a stance while lightly swinging the aluminum bat.

This is something I thought about during the physical fitness test earlier,

I really don’t know why I’m targeting Hunter.

With that look?

“Can we just fight?”

“…Okay. Defeat the [artificial monster], take out the magic stone from its body and submit it, and that’s it. Are you ready?”

“great.”

However, as a test proctor, all she can do is grade test takers and prevent accidents.

Drizzle announced the start of the test and opened the cage where the [artificial monsters] were rampaging.

… … .

… … .

Cough! Kang!

Eunha started the test, and one minute passed.

The test supervisor, Seulbi Lee, watched her struggle with mixed feelings.

“Hmph!”

Cough!

I hit the head of the fiercely charging [artificial monster] with an aluminum bat.

The monster that had been hit in the lower jaw at an angle passed by Eunha at the same speed it was running at, and Eunha, who took a short breath, lowered her body and lifted up the monster’s hind legs.

Wow!!

[Artificial monster] that falls forward like a person with a sprained foot. Eunha quickly approaches the monster and stomps on the monster’s neck with all her might, just like examinee number 10 did.

However, since the creature’s neck vertebrae do not break that easily, the [artificial monster] immediately stands up and lunges at it with its mouth wide open.

Eunha frowns as she is pushed back, calmly holding the bat between her gaping teeth.

“…….”

Director Lee Seul-bi watched quietly.

Jot down notes on the checklist and calmly analyze the situation.

He fights better than I thought.

To be honest, I was surprised.

How is a boneless chicken that can’t even do push-ups?

When did you learn about ‘body strengthening’?

His visual acuity is good, and he has the courage to calmly take attacks.

Above all, there is no hesitation.

Not afraid of getting hurt, he swings his weapon to kill the monster in front of him.

It is a determination that is not easily found in hunters who are still taking the D-level exam.

Considering that Eunha did not even attend the academy, this is amazing.

‘I learned it well. Did you go to hunter academy?… Still, your killing power is lacking.’

Kyaang!

Cold sweat was streaming down Eunha’s forehead as she knocked on the head of the [artificial monster] with a cool sound.

Everything is good.

Except one.

Kyaang!!

The [artificial monster] that got hit on the head lunged at me like nothing happened.

If it were an ordinary living being, it would have suffered a concussion from dozens of beatings, but the [artificial monster] in front of me attacked Eunha without the slightest hesitation.

Eunha’s physical power was somewhat insufficient to deliver an effective blow to a monster with strong vitality.

“Grrr…”

“Ugh, my arm hurts.”

“Kyaaaa!!”

“So, are you faster than Harin’s hammer? If you hit him, you’ll die.”

Kyaang!!!

Eunha did not attack right away, but cleverly lowered herself and defended her ankle from the [artificial monster].

His breathing became heavy, as if he realized that the situation was not good.

She opened her eyes wide as her breathing became increasingly heavy.

it’s tough.

Should I have used a knife instead of a blunt weapon?

No, a blade is a weapon that requires more strength than you think. If you don’t have enough strength to separate flesh and muscle, blunt weapons are better.

Pow!

I took a picture of the left eye of the charging monster with the handle of the bat.

Nevertheless, the guy doesn’t slow down and crashes into it. The forearm is cut by sharp claws and red blood flows down.

I swung my weapon.

Kang! Cough!

Like that, Eunha was fighting with an [artificial monster] that was alive and breathing only by instinct,

After a struggle that lasted for several minutes, unfortunately, the limit was reached.

Grumbling…

“Tsk…”

Boom!

Steamy blood flows out of the nose.

With one eye squinted, she widened the distance by swinging the aluminum bat.

Mana depletion.

Even though I saved and conserved my mana for up to 3 minutes, my ‘surplus mana’ was depleted before I could defeat the [artificial monster].

A strong feeling of dizziness came over her and she fell to one knee, and the monster that did not miss the opportunity rushed forward and bit her on the shoulder.

She is attacked by a monster and falls down on the dirty dirt floor.

Wow!

Dizzying pain.

Eunha, who was bitten on the shoulder, looked up blankly at the ceiling of the testing room.

I am feeling out of breath because even a little bit of the ‘essential mana’ required for vital activities has been used up.

The strong smell of blood and the preservative smell of [artificial monsters] mix together and sting my nose.

I felt dizzy.

‘Ah… that’s a shame.’

Eunha thought.

This doesn’t work.

I tried a lot.

Every evening at the park, I learned techniques from Ban Harin and also received advice from scout Sora Jeong.

After raising ‘Fly’ for a few days, I got used to the pain.

What was lacking?

I don’t want to know.

If the test ends like this, you will probably fail.

Then, you have to prepare for the D-level exam again and pass the physical fitness test again.

‘it’s a shame.’

So close.

If only I had a little more strength,

If only I had done a little better,

If only I had practiced ‘body strengthening’ a little more,

Just a little more, just a little more, just a little more,

I feel resentful of myself.

[Self-recovery] that hinders growth, a weak body,

He persistently interferes with his attempts to become a hunter.

Is this what you want?

It’s so disappointing.

… … .

… … .

… … I guess I just need to try a little harder.

(『Do you want to write this…?』)

I nodded.

“Tsk!”

Supervisor Lee Seul-bi, who was watching the situation, took out an ‘emergency recovery potion’ and ran to Eunha.

The exam is over.

I watched the situation for a little while, hoping that Eunha would somehow pass, but it didn’t seem like she could do anything more after being attacked by the [artificial monster].

The [artificial monster] must be removed before the wound grows bigger.

With that thought in mind, Drizzle generated mana to suffocate the monsters that had attacked the galaxy.

… … .

“……it’s a shame.”

But then.

Eunha, who was attacked by a monster, slowly moved her hands.

“In the first place, you shouldn’t misuse something that someone else lends you…”

and,

Before Director Seulbi cut off the head of the [artificial monster],

Before the monster biting my shoulder could react,

Eunha ‘cut off’ the monster’s leg.

Let’s go!!

“Kwaeee!!!”

The startled monster let out a loud scream and retreated.

Supervisor Lee Seul-bi, who was running, stops Mana due to a scream that is so horrifying that even those who hear it stop.

‘Did you step down? why?’

She looked at the monster that suddenly retreated and gave an expression of incomprehension.

Aren’t they zombies that only move dead bodies with magic stones?

The guy who only had the instinct to kill living things was walking away from Eunha, limping on one leg.

“Kkiiing… Kiing…”

Like an animal trembling with fear.

The [artificial monster] lay flat on the ground, trembling with its roughly severed front legs,

The guy, who was already dead and just a corpse, trembled in fear as he looked at the woman slowly getting up.

“Wow… that hurts.”

The galaxy arose.

The blood flowing from my shoulder turned my clothes red.

Slowly move your neck with your usual smiling face.

“Still, this will be cut.”

She carelessly let the blood soak her clothes red,

Gently shaking the old jigsaw in my hand,

I approached the [artificial monster] whose body was trembling in fear.

… … Clap!

That moment,

The lights in the exam room went off.

Like there was a power outage.

As if you shouldn’t see anything.

“Why is there a sudden power outage?… Yes, it’s okay. It’ll be over soon.”

The woman whose clothes were stained red with her own blood,

I approached the monster.