The door opened, and the staff wheeled a cart into the exam arena. Seated on it was a monstrous humanoid figure, standing about two meters tall. Its upper body was bare, while its lower half was covered with tattered cloth pants. It remained motionless, shackled in chains, and the only feature that set it apart from a human was its head.
The creature had a massive hammer for a head—no nose to breathe through, no ears to hear, just a mouth full of sharp, saw-like teeth. It was bound tightly in chains, preventing any movement. Those watching Asic's exam murmured in confusion and surprise.
"That's a Hammerhead! Why is it here for a two-star Miner exam?!"
"Are they insane? Expecting someone to defeat that monster in three minutes? No way."
"But we don't need to win, right? Just show off our skills. Even if he can't beat the Hammerhead, he shouldn't fail the exam."
Opinions varied, and soon news of the two-star Miner applicant facing a Hammerhead spread like wildfire. People who heard the rumors gathered to watch Asic's exam. They looked at the actual Hammerhead, and many couldn't help but feel nervous.
"Will this guy survive?"
"I don't know. I think he might, though... because he's handsome."
"He is good-looking, but is he skilled?"
Newcomers had no idea about Asic's impressive test scores. They whispered because of his appearance—sharp features, broad shoulders, and a confident posture. But Asic paid no mind to the crowd. His focus was solely on the Hammerhead.
Asic's mysterious and composed demeanor in the exam room had unknowingly captivated the crowd. Who was this skilled newcomer from seemingly nowhere, who had scored the highest marks and was now challenging the Hammerhead? The reporters present at the Miners office today were ecstatic—this was a big story.
"Asic Quadro, since this is a special case, we've decided to extend the time limit from three to five minutes. Any objections?" Higgs's voice resonated through the exam room.
"If you're offering, I'll take it," Asic wasn't arrogant enough to refuse more time. Three minutes was cutting it too close, but five minutes made it feel more manageable.
"The exam isn't about killing, it's about showcasing your skills and abilities for us to see. There's no need to win—just show us what you've got, kid."
"Got it." If they wanted a show, Asic didn't mind making it the highlight.
"In ten seconds, we'll release the chains. Prepare yourself. As soon as we give the signal, the exam will begin." Higgs gave Asic one final warning. A large countdown timer appeared on the screen, starting from ten and counting down—9... 8... 7... 6... 5...
Handsome, Morgan, and Alan Yuri had already finished their tests but hadn't left. They were waiting eagerly to see Asic's exam.
4... 3... 2... 1... 0! The lock clicked open.
A spark burst from the restraints as the chains were released. Instantly, the air filled with an intense demonic aura emanating from the Hammerhead. Its powerful arms ripped the chains into pieces and it leaped from the cart, its massive feet smashing the concrete-metal floor, leaving cracks.
The Hammerhead turned toward Asic. Though it had no eyes, it could clearly sense its target.
Hatred for the humans who had imprisoned it ran deep in its soul, and it was ready to unleash its rage on the nearest human. Its powerful body radiated a dark green aura. A fifty-kilogram warhammer materialized in its right hand, which it swung skillfully.
The buzzer sounded, and the lights turned red. The Hammerhead moved, its heavy steps echoing across the arena as it closed in on Asic. In the split second before the Hammerhead reached him, Asic released a dark purple aura from his body. His amethyst-colored eyes glowed, faint lightning coursing through his form. Electricity sharpened his muscles and nerves. His right hand gripped a tonfa baton from his back, extending its length by about 45 centimeters. His left hand held a revolver.
"Roar!" The Hammerhead swung the warhammer at Asic, who stopped in his tracks and swiftly sidestepped out of its range.
In a single fluid motion, Asic stomped his foot, propelling himself to the Hammerhead's blind spot—appearing behind it in a flash. He jumped, raising the tonfa above his head with a graceful, almost soaring posture. Despite the elegance, it was followed by brutal force as he transferred all his strength into his arm and the metal baton.
Electricity surged down the tonfa as Asic aimed downward and struck from above.
Thud!
The 900-gram iron tonfa crashed into the Hammerhead's shoulder. The electrical shock numbed its nervous system, and the impact traveled from its upper body all the way down, making its knees buckle.
"!!" The crowd watching, along with the sponsors in the control room, all widened their eyes. They saw Asic's foot barely touch the ground before he twisted his body, delivering a lightning-enhanced spinning kick directly to the Hammerhead's neck.
Crack!
The kick, swift like lightning, struck the side of the Hammerhead's neck. Its knees, already bent from the baton strike, caused it to lose balance. A second powerful blow forced its massive form to collapse.
Asic tossed the tonfa into the air and raised the revolver.
Click.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Six rounds fired in quick succession, hitting the Hammerhead's head, mouth, and chest. Asic flicked his wrist to open the cylinder, letting the spent shells fall one by one, and caught the tonfa that had been thrown.
"..." The Hammerhead lay still, unresponsive. Other applicants, the crowd, and the sponsors in the control room were losing their minds.
"What? Is it over?" Swan jumped up from his chair, shocked. This was almost too miraculous.
"Fifteen seconds? No, less than ten seconds! That's too fast," Fujioka struggled to control his emotions, now on the verge of madness over possibly losing the chance to sign Asic. This wasn't raw talent; it was a polished diamond.
"..." San watched, lost in thought. The entire fight had taken less than ten seconds. The first step was Asic's movement—sidestepping the Hammerhead's warhammer at the last moment. Asic Quadro's left foot touched the ground just once.
His left foot powered his dodge, then pushed him to the blind spot behind the Hammerhead. Asic's movements formed a Z-pattern.
Next, he jumped, transferring his body weight into the tonfa, striking down on the Hammerhead's shoulder, near the neck. The technique forced the humanoid creature, similar in physique to a human, to drop to its knees under the heavy impact. It was a standard takedown maneuver used by special police units.
Tonfa batons were popular among police forces, whether regular officers or special units. As a non-lethal weapon, it was ideal for subduing offenders. Striking the shoulder or back forced the target to either fall or buckle to the ground. The metal end could also be used to jab the abdomen, causing the target to double over in pain.
San still couldn't grasp how Asic transitioned from landing a step to delivering a spinning kick to the neck within just one second. No one could keep up with his movement—it was like time itself had skipped. However, seeing how Asic wielded the revolver revealed a lot about who he was.
'Those who are skilled with guns never wield them with one hand,' San thought. Asic was a combat specialist, with expertise in firearms—a true professional. It made sense that he'd been part of the suppression unit.
"It's not over yet," Higgs knew just how strong the Hammerhead was. Despite Asic Quadro's incredible attack, the Hammerhead wouldn't fall so easily. It was one of the toughest monsters in the three-star Miner exam.
Moreover, its vital signs and brainwaves were still displayed on the control room's computer screens—it wasn't unconscious.
The Hammerhead's pinky twitched, and suddenly the warhammer flew toward Asic. He dodged effortlessly, as if he had eyes on the back of his head. The Hammerhead got up, swinging its warhammer with full force. Asic stepped away before the warhammer crashed into the floor.
The concrete-reinforced floor cracked slightly. Asic kicked off, creating distance, but the Hammerhead pursued him relentlessly.
"Roar!" It roared in fury, trying to smash Asic like a whack-a-mole. Asic dodged each time, raising his revolver and firing six shots point-blank.
The revolver's bullets struck the beast, but the Hammerhead barely reacted, moving just as quickly as before. The bullets seemed to have no effect, but Asic could sense the bloodthirsty aura pouring from it.
[The rounds you used were .38 caliber. They couldn't penetrate the Hammerhead's skin. You need larger rounds or ones made of Cardanium,] OC analyzed the Hammerhead's body and cross-referenced the purchased data.
The Hammerhead could withstand regular bullets but was vulnerable to Cardanium rounds. It wasn't immune to conventional bullets—its skin was just too tough for them to pierce. The body still took internal damage from blunt trauma.
[Because of your previous attack, its left shoulder is tilted by nine degrees. Its left arm's efficiency has decreased by 13%. If you strike the same spot again, it's likely that the nerve connecting the left arm will be destroyed, causing paralysis.]
"It's not stupid—hitting the same spot won't be easy," Asic murmured. He didn't know how smart monsters typically were, but the Hammerhead was clever enough to counterattack when he was off guard. If Asic didn't have eyes capable of seeing attack paths and exceptional reflexes, he would've been crushed.
"OC, analyze a point to attack that will immobilize it."
[Understood. Analyzing.]
[Analysis complete.] OC projected an anatomical diagram of the Hammerhead in Asic's mind, detailing every muscle and joint. Although the Hammerhead's external appearance resembled a human's, internally, it had nearly twice as many bones.
OC marked a weak point for Asic.
Asic unleashed more of his aura, the dark purple lightning swirling intensely around him. He jumped, dodging the downward swing of the warhammer, slipping under its arm to end up behind it. The revolver aimed at its flank.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One bullet struck the beast, but it barely penetrated its skin. The second shot slammed into the first bullet, akin to driving a nail. Asic fired more rounds, hitting the same spot until the initial bullet was forced deep into the Hammerhead.
"!!!?" The Hammerhead roared in pain, the indescribable agony making it scream. And with Asic's final shot, the first bullet struck a crucial bone.
That bone was the center point for all of the Hammerhead's nerves. In that moment, its limbs seemed to lose connection to its brain.
The Hammerhead's entire body seized up, not even a finger twitching. The bullet hadn't killed it, but damaging that single bone had left it paralyzed.
From the crowd's perspective, they had no idea what had happened. They only saw the Hammerhead suddenly become motionless. Asic walked around it, and still, there was no reaction from the beast.
"What just happened?" The scouts were puzzled and wanted answers, but no one could explain it. Except for one person.
"How did he do that?" Morgan had special eyes that could see through obstacles and observe with incredible precision. It was difficult, but he saw that Asic had fired repeatedly at the exact same spot, not even a centimeter off—just like when he shot ten rounds into a target, all ten hitting dead center.
But this was much harder. The Hammerhead was a living being, not a stationary target. There were no markers to help aim. Even Morgan couldn't do what Asic had done—at least not yet. It wasn't just about accuracy but also confidence.
"Examiner," Asic called for the proctor, wondering if his exam was over.
Higgs in the control room didn't know what to say. Asic had demonstrated his value—he had overpowered the Hammerhead with overwhelming skill. But the sponsors would undoubtedly be dissatisfied; the fight had ended far too quickly.
"Examiner," Asic assumed something had gone wrong in the control room. Why hadn't his exam concluded yet? That's when the Hammerhead's mouth moved.
"Kakovinwon daatemhallkamtai mobparulhwika," it muttered in an unknown language, and then a dark aura began to emanate from its body. Asic stepped back, unsure of what was happening. Even Higgs looked alarmed.
"This is..." Roland adjusted his glasses slightly.
A power erupted from within the Hammerhead, its body nearly shattering before reassembling. Asic raised his arm to shield himself from the shockwave of the transformation. When the dust settled, a new form of the Hammerhead was revealed.
Hammerhead - Fallen Type
"A Fallen," Roland observed the Hammerhead's new, more powerful form.
Some special monsters could evolve or undergo transformations, one such form being the "Fallen Type." This transformation occurred when a monster reached a state of utter despair and used its final energy to survive.
Asic's overwhelming strength had triggered the Hammerhead's change. Its combat power had now grown beyond its original state. Continuing this battle could put Asic's life at risk.
"..." Asic in the arena understood this better than anyone. This Hammerhead was different from the one he had just fought. He could sense faint electricity emanating from it—its entire body was shrouded in darkness, and its bloodlust had multiplied. It was now wielding two pitch-black warhammers instead of one.
Overflowing dark aura poured from its massive frame. The Fallen Hammerhead swung a hammer into the air, and a bolt of black lightning shot toward Asic. He dodged in time, but the Hammerhead anticipated his move, closing the distance and slamming a hammer down from above.
Asic grabbed the other tonfa baton with his left hand, extending it to cross-block the hammers. Black lightning spread across his body.
It was mimicking Asic's techniques.
Whether it was the lightning or striking with a weapon aimed at the shoulder, the difference lay in the Hammerhead's superior strength, forcing Asic to bend his knees under the pressure. Yet a faint smile appeared on Asic's face, a hint of frustration stirring inside him.