Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Xiong Tai didn't take long to emerge from the restroom. By then, most of the other candidates had already left, which was quite normal. In such situations, walking alone posed a significant risk.
Due to the association's regulations, candidates participating in the assessment had to reside within designated areas. They could arrange their own accommodations, whether it be tents or apartments provided by the association. This rule was intended to prevent candidates from being alone with any Examiner. Another rule stated that during their stay, each Examiner could only occupy a single room alone.
Naturally, Xiong Tai had to try to accept these peculiar regulations. The Hunter Association was still quite large, especially with its buildings marked in prominent and easily recognizable places. With little time to spare, Freyr headed to the store first to buy some dry rations, deciding not to go out again that evening.
Xiong Tai resolved to hit the cafeteria one more time. He initially intended to discourage him from acting alone, but once food was mentioned, it felt like a declaration of war. It was best not to face his glare filled with resentment, so he reluctantly allowed Xiong Tai to go on his own.
After purchasing some items from the store, Freyr went to register at the association's apartment building.
Time passed as if nothing had happened. Upon waking up, he felt slightly better; his muscles showed no signs of soreness, indicating that the long run hadn't taken much toll on him—though it was comparable to the weight training in the military.
After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he stepped out of the apartment building just as Xiong Tai appeared before him.
"Good morning! We just finished breakfast," Xiong Tai said cheerfully, as always focused on food and plotting how he would turn Freyr into a pancake.
Freyr chuckled, "I wasn't planning on relying on anyone else, so I prepared my own food." He smiled lightly for once and pulled out a pillow-shaped bread and a carton of milk from his bag for a simple breakfast.
They headed towards the bulletin board and found they were among the last few arrivals. The Examiners who passed yesterday's review had also gathered here; the area around the bulletin board was already crowded, making it difficult to squeeze in.
Those who remained until the end were all top talents with balanced development in mental acuity, skills, and physical abilities. These individuals were not naive. Soon after, over twenty candidates followed the path indicated on the bulletin board toward a unified destination.
They arrived at a dimly lit Bell Tower that seemed somewhat out of place compared to other buildings, especially with its dazzling golden walls and elegant appearance. It was easy to spot a man standing atop the tower.
"Ah, you all made it! I'm your instructor for this round," he announced. "There are far fewer of you than I expected. Elite candidates, I'm pleased to be your final examiner. You should have heard from Gordon by now; there will be eliminations this round—this is certain. The Hunter Association has no need for useless cowards. Whether for justice or evil matters not to me; I only hope you all learn to persevere."
"Hmph, so annoying." At that moment, a strangely styled man in the group cleared his throat and called out, "Examiner, what exactly do you want us to do this time? I can't wait to become a Hunter."
With that, the examiner leaped down from the Bell Tower and stood in front of the man, glaring at him with cold eyes.
"Don't rush. I've prepared a special operation plan for you all." As he spoke, he turned his back and pulled a stone from his pocket. He shook it in his palm and quickly threw it towards the beam at the top of the Bell Tower.
A strange light flickered at one end of the Bell Tower, and then colorful confetti began to rain down from the bottom. Following that, a long banner unfurled and fell from above, displaying a large heart symbol.
When everyone saw the heart symbol, they thought it was yet another ridiculous game.
"Hmph, boring. It won't be another long-distance run, will it? I’m not afraid of anyone; if we have to run, then let’s run," said a man who seemed to be of similar build to Xiong Tai with a cold laugh.
"Don't be hasty; I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Atate. Before joining the Hunter Association family, I was a psychologist specializing in mental health. I have considerable expertise in this field, so I won’t take any of your words as my assessment criteria. However, you must pay close attention to what I’m about to say; it’s very important for you," said Atate, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light as he spoke grandly.
As everyone listened to him boast about his qualifications, they fell into silence. Of course, there were still some who felt dissatisfied, thinking his words were just nonsense. After a while, Atate cleared his throat, and an ethereal voice echoed in their minds as if he were issuing direct commands to everyone’s brains.
"In order for everyone to understand clearly, I had to do this—for the sake of the association's reputation, for the future, and for those truly yearning for the life of a Hunter. You must remember what I’m about to say: there are twenty-three of you. Ah, I see now—ten spots available. For your final requirement during this assessment period, you must not kill anyone in front of you; otherwise, I will eliminate you immediately and revoke your chance to participate in future Hunter assessments. Now? Form teams with those you are most familiar with—preferably six people per group—divided into four groups. The minimum requirement for smaller teams remains unchanged. Alright, move out! No dawdling!"
The initial approach was quite unexpected, and the implication of the heart symbol left everyone feeling uneasy. The examiners exchanged glances with one another while most participants had only met each other briefly before; their interactions had been limited to sharing information.
After some careful consideration, two groups successfully completed their team formation task.
Loud, maniacal laughter echoed from all directions, stirring a vague sense of unease in the other Examiners who had yet to find their teammates.
"Hmph, as long as we win, right? We just need to defeat the other teams, and then everyone in our group can pass," one of them said.
"But that means we have to deal with at least two teams to make it through safely, doesn't it? That's what it implies," another replied.
The crowd began to stir restlessly, and another Team was formed as a group of like-minded individuals gathered together to discuss their strategy.
At that moment, a girl exclaimed sharply, "Wow, everyone just disappeared all of a sudden."
Freyr sighed and said helplessly, "There's no choice now. Let's form a team with the remaining people. If we all forfeit, we might as well take a chance; who knows, we might make it through."
Xiong Tai, in an unusually good mood, cheerfully added, "Let's smash them to pieces, make a real ruckus!"
Chou stepped forward with a grin and said, "Yeah, I'm really glad to see you all again."
"You..." Xiong Tai stared blankly at Chou and stammered, "Um, I don't know you. Who are you? Please introduce yourself; I don't recognize you."
"You jerk! You don't recognize me? It's infuriating!" Chou's face flushed red with anger as he turned and kicked a nearby stone. To him, being forgotten by others was an incredibly embarrassing situation.
Comment 0 Comment Count