Chapter 16. This Is Too Easy
Oh Sang-Jin was, ostensibly, a perfectly run-of-the-mill manager of Karma.
Except, of course, for the fact that he was not very ordinary at all—he was the Guild Master's son. Thanks to that, he enjoyed the special privilege of splurging the hefty sum of twenty billion won on a rookie.
I'm lucky that Kang Jae-Jun is such a careless fellow.
The bizarre public auction held at the café was a novel—albeit a bad sort—experience for him. Fortunately, Kang Jae-June's heedless personality made it simple for Oh Sang-Jin to step in with an enticing deal.
He found himself inside a monitor room overlooking the second exam venue. The room, lined with dozens of screens along a wall, doubled as an opera box for managers and attending family members of the examinees.
The voice of the Association employee in charge came through the loudspeaker.
— I'll take a moment to explain the second phase of the exam.
The countless monitors were aligned to form a single grand display. On it appeared a view of the examinees wearing protective suits, distributed by the staff.
— From now on, you'll form teams and enter the forest as one. Your objective is simple: stay alive—conscious, that is—until the time is up.
The Hunter exam had increased in difficulty over the years.
Originally, it was a simple written test. Licenses were handed out to anybody who could prove they had a skill, nevermind how they might be lacking in other aspects such as stamina or mental fortitude. Tragically, with the low low barrier to entry came a high mortality rate among the Hunters.
Then came the suggestion of capturing monsters for use as hunting practice. It was, however, an impractical one, as catching them unharmed was a challenge in and of itself. Capturing even the weakest monsters demanded a ton of manpower, causing naught but a waste of national funds.
Another solution posited was a tournament pitting examinees against each other in duels, and evaluating their performance. This one, too, had its pitfalls; it failed to foster adaptability within dungeons.
"Please think of the forest as a dungeon and yourselves as the monsters. Work with your team to disqualify the others when you can, but you must survive as long as possible."
A cautious examinee raised his hand and asked, "If it's a matter of riding it out, are we allowed to hide the entire time?"
Looking weary, as if he had heard the same question a million times before, the employee answered, "Yes, you may… but you won't have an easy time with it."
"Huh?"
"The forest is enclosed within a circular barrier that will shrink over time. The barrier will start out large enough to accommodate several large sports fields, but it won't be any larger than a studio apartment by the end."
The employee continued to explain that the moment they crossed the barrier, they summarily failed.
"Oh…"
"We abide by absolute grading, not relative. Every action you take is subject to scrutiny. Hiding won't impact your score, but actively hunting down other teams will earn you a higher grade."
Knowing how to maneuver and hide away was undeniably a valuable asset. However, Hunters entered dungeons to hunt monsters—it was only natural that emulating the job would net you points.
When the questioner lowered his hand in understanding, the employee glanced over the remaining examinees.
"If there are no other questions, we'll be moving on to team assignments. We have balanced the teams as best we could based on your skills and Compatibilities."
Flap—
A large list was unfolded, and the examinees followed its directions to gather up in groups. Each team consisted of three to four members, with one exception: Kim Do-Joon and Kang Jae-Jun were made a two-man team.
Seeing his only other teammate, Kang Jae-Jun furrowed his eyebrows. He loudly called out, "Excuse me!"
"What's the matter?" the employee asked.
"Looks like I'm paired with this guy here."
"Yes, that would be correct. The two of you have the highest Compatibility this exam, so we put you together."
"I want to take it alone. May I?"
The employee was taken aback. "Huh?"
It would be one thing for the man to protest competing as two, but it was preposterous for him to want even fewer.
What is his deal?
For the exam, numbers tended to give the advantage as each examinee was trained and capable. Kim Do-Joon and Kang Jae-Jun were paired off as a handicap for the rest, alleviating the impact of their higher Compatibilities.
"Um, that's… I understand what you mean, but what about Mr. Do-Joon? There will come a time you have to ally yourself with unfamiliar Hunters, collaborating on the spot. You should think of this as practice—"
"I'd also feel more comfortable going alone," Kim Do-Joon quietly cut in.
Kim Do-Joon was well aware of the benefits to moving as a team. However, it was also true that not all teams were worthwhile; Kim Do-Joon considered the scene from the café and decided that Kang Jae-Jun's uncompromising personality might hinder him more than help.
Upon his agreement, Kang Jae-Jun chucked and tapped Kim Do-Joon's shoulder and said, "See? We're of the same mind. Now what? Still gonna force us to team up?"
The employee's mouth gaped open. He had not expected that out of the polite-looking Kim Do-Joon.
What's going on? Did something happen between them?
The employee let out a small sigh. The silver-lining was that they were not asking to change teams, only to set off further hampered.
With a troubled expression, he nodded. "Well… it's your decision."
Shortly after, a flock of helicopters arrived to port the examinees to the forest. The examinees, who had been huddled together in teams, began boarding one by one.
Not all of the examinees' conversations made it to broadcast. The change in teams came as an abrupt change to the display inside the monitor room. As shown on the side of the big screen, Kim Do-Joon and Kang Jae-Jun, the only two-man team, would thereby play solo.
Oh Sang-Jin chuckled.
It'd be a challenge for most people, but Kang Jae-Jun should be fine on his own.
Kang Jae-Jun's bravado was well-founded. He was a newbie, certainly, but not only was he skilled, he also boasted field experience aplenty.
Oh Sang-Jin thought the young man was better off on his own than carrying dead-weight.
That poor old timer, he's got nothing to lean on.
Kim Do-Joon appeared before his eyes, looking terribly out of place at his age. The man, perhaps even older than Oh Sang-Jin himself, didn't seem to hold much promise. His elemental-alignment at odds with his enhancement-type skill was curious enough, but nothing else about him stood out.
Oh Sang-Jin saw no use in recruiting him.
You know, he actually looks a bit familiar… Where have I seen him before?
He brushed aside the passing thought. If he couldn't remember, it could not be important.
Satisfied, Oh Sang-Jin glanced back at the monitor while noting the other managers' expressions. Every one of them looked grim.
Oh Sang-Jin's lips curled into a smirk.
"Oh dear, I wonder if our Jae-Jun will be alright. It would be terrible for him to get injured in a fight... No, what's there to worry about? He's the same man who defeated a D-rank monster right after awakening!"
His words made other managers frown.
Ugh, there he goes again.
If only he wasn't the Karma Guild Master's son…
Look at him, getting all smug because he landed Kang Jae-Jun.
Chuckling at their reactions, Oh Sang-Jin turned his attention back to the monitor.
The exam began with the examinees dropped into random stations across the forest. A small drone was attached to each, filming them individually.
Every manager's eyes were immediately drawn to Kang Jae-Jun's screen.
Kang Jae-Jun had gone on the offensive without a moment of pause. He encountered a four-member team and dispatched them with ease using his spear. With each dazzling flash of golden light, a person fell.
Just as expected…
Ugh, it hurts to miss such a catch.
Pouring twenty billion into a newbie… Karma's really going all out to make it to the top four.
While the other managers were engrossed in their thoughts, Oh Sang-Jin watched with joy.
Of course, there were others witnessing the test alongside them; parents, siblings, seniors all gathered around with anticipation.
A lone individual watched the screens with an expressionless face: Lee Ji-Ah.
"Mr. Do-Joon…" she murmured.
***
I'm fighting for my own skin, huh?
Kim Do-Joon, clad in protective gear, warmed up and entered the forest. He was not as arrogant in the way Kang Jae-Jun was, but he also preferred being the lone wolf. It was what he was used to, fighting the monsters of the labyrinth on his lonesome.
Inside the forest, his footsteps were as quiet as a cat's, no matter if he stepped on a fallen leaf or pressed through bushes.
The rock snakes of the Elemental Island were sensitive to the sound of footsteps and, using them, ambushed their targets. As a result, Kim Do-Joon had learned to hunt while suppressing his presence as much as possible.
In spite of that, there was one flaw: he could not hide his appearance.
"Found you!" another examinee shouted, having spotted Kim Do-Joon.
Kim Do-Joon tensed and pulled out the baton he had been given. Suddenly, he felt a presence approaching from behind him.
What is that?
Kim Do-Joon spun around and swung his baton down, catching his tail by the shoulder. The second examinee who had set out to rush him stumbled and fell flat on his face. His suit crumbled with the force of Kim Do-Joon's baton, and he froze where he fell.
The first examinee went wide-eyed, taken aback by Kim Do-Joon's swift reaction.
Kim Do-Joon was likewise perplexed.
This is easier than I thought it would be.
He had expected more of his fellow examinees, being specially trained for combat for years on end, but their tactics were mere child's play. They scarcely held a candle to the rock snakes, which could only be detected by faint vibrations in the ground.
"Sang-Min hyung! Let's attack him together!"
"Huh? Okay!"
Once they both gathered their bearings, Kim Do-Joon's foes shot toward him, batons in hand. Meanwhile, a third person emerged from the bushes to his right.
So they're a three-man team?
The one coming in from the front had a faint glow emitting from his body—a telltale sign of an enhancement skill. The examinee to his right wielded a baton that shone red with the activation of his skill forbye.
Kim Do-Joon could do without knowing the specifics of their abilities.
In the midst of the chaos, Kim Do-Joon's well-trained observation skills—trained under the assault of three hundred Skeletons—did not falter in the least. He took a step back and evaded their attacks, retaliating with a swing of his own baton.
Thwack! Thwack!
"Argh!"
"Keugh!"
The three men screamed with bone-chilling agony. They had assumed their suits would protect them against most attacks, but their expectations were betrayed. The suits were easily crushed with a single blow.
There. That should be three points, just about?
Kim Do-Joon left them to rot and head further into the forest. He assumed that the rescue team would arrive to their aid in due time.
His brief clash had caught the attention of several spectators inside the monitor room.
"Wow!"
"He's pretty skilled, isn't he?"
"No, he probably got lucky. Still, he does seem to have a bit of know-how under his belt."
While most managers did not attach much significance to it, some watched Kim Do-Joon's performance with considerable interest.
His movements were too clean for it to be a fluke.
It's unthinkable for him to brute force that amount of damage with his stats alone... Has he learned martial arts?
People only saw what they knew. The managers who had written him off had little practical experience of their own, while the ones who realized his feats were not borne of luck had made a name for themselves in the past.
Oh Sang-Jin had an epiphany, and the smile fell off his face.
Come to think of it, isn't that man the Gatherer who went missing in Seorim-dong?
He searched for the accident report on his phone and, sure enough, hit the mark. Kim Do-Joon was a Gatherer of six years who had, by his guild's mistake, encountered a monster and gone AWOL inside the dungeon.
Oh Sang-Jin frowned. He had spent an exorbitant amount of money covering up the incident, only for the man involved to turn up without warning. Feeling no relief over his safety, he worried over what incriminating things Kim Do-Joon could post on social media.
Ugh... What's worse, Hyung's already in a sour mood…
He was the son of the Karma Guild Master and an Awakener himself, but Oh Sang-Jin possessed little talent for hunting. His skills were nothing remarkable in comparison to his older brother, a renowned Hunter who had achieved A-rank at an early age.
Considering the fierce competition, Oh Sang-Jin had given up his claim as successor long ago. However, he could not give up his present life of comfort as easily—to maintain it, he could not risk stepping out of line with his father or brother.
He had already received an earful from his brother for his poor management of the Seorim-dong dungeon and the followers he had dispatched there.
How on earth did he make it back?
Oh Sang-Jin clicked his tongue and pondered how he should handle the matter. At the very least, he needed to meet Kim Do-Joon face-to-face. Perhaps if he pressured the older man with some money and the guild's name, he could keep his mouth zipped.
He had, after all, been a mere herb gatherer of six years. How much of a backbone could he possibly have?
About thirty minutes had passed of the exam, with Oh Sang-Jin staring at the monitors, paying particular attention to Kang Jae-Jun and Kim Do-Joon. Suddenly, he smirked.
The two men's screens overlapped, meaning that they had made an encounter. If either got knocked out, it would mean they would fail without recourse.
Oh Sang-Jin thought that if Kim Do-Joon failed the exam, people would eventually forget about him and make the case easier to cover up.
He sent a message to Director Jang—one of his subordinates—asking him to bring along a few thugs. The more intimidating, the better.
Oh Sang-Jin did not bother to consider the possibility that Kang Jae-Jun, bought out with twenty billion won, would lose.
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