"It's unfortunate news, but not all of you will make it into the elite team. After conducting tests, we plan to select only a few of you. There might be just one successful candidate, or perhaps none at all. That would be rather disappointing."
"Wait a moment. I really don't understand why I'm even here."
This time, it was Kim Jinhae who voiced his discontent.
"I'm a C-rank, and I have a phobia of monsters. I don't even enter dungeons, nor am I dispatched during dungeon overflows."
Yoo Juncheol reached out to the hologram and switched the screen. Several photos, including Kim Jinhae's profile picture, appeared on the display.
"'The Perishers,' the guild Hunter Kim Jinhae belongs to, is a good guild. It's a family guild where only those of the same bloodline gather, so their bond is strong. The footage of Hunter Kim Jinhae treating civilians attacked by monsters was hidden so well by the family that it was difficult to find, but we eventually did. Witnessing the miraculous scene of you reviving someone whose limbs were torn apart and heart was stopping—I was deeply moved. This happened three times. It's hard to believe this is the healing power of a C-rank healer."
A video played on the hologram. A person who was practically a corpse was being revived by Kim Jinhae's healing skill. Kim Jinhae wore an expression of frustration but didn't back down.
"My abilities are limited to healing. I have no offensive skills whatsoever, and I really am C-rank. If I enter a dungeon, I'd die immediately."
"Our Hunter Kwon Jihan and the elite hunters of Perfect wouldn't abandon a teammate to die."
"But…"
Kim Jinhae tried to say something, but Namgung Simhae placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. Kim Jinhae frowned but kept silent, though he didn't forget to shake off Namgung Simhae's hand.
"Does anyone else have any objections?"
Sniff… A tearful sound came from beside Yoon Seo. It was Park Kang. His hands were trembling awkwardly, neither fully raised nor lowered.
"Hunter Park Kang… Can I really talk about your mask?"
Eek! Park Kang flinched, his shoulders jerking as if he'd just had a seizure.
"N-no. I, I'll… I'll take the test."
Even the timid-looking Park Kang seemed to be hiding something.
Yoon Seo hesitated about whether or not to raise his hand.
How much do they know about me?
They probably included me because they found out I've been enhancing the performance of shield traps. But even if that's the case, enhancing shield traps wouldn't qualify me for the elite team.
Should I say something?
As Yoon Seo fidgeted with his fingers, he was about to cautiously raise his hand.
"If we don't want to…"
A heavy voice resonated. Hwashim, with his emotionless and indifferent face, spoke in a monotonous tone.
"Can we forgo the test and leave?"
The room fell silent. Even Yoon Seo nervously waited for Yoo Juncheol's response.
"I anticipated that some of you, who have been deliberately hiding your strength, might make such a choice."
"..."
"Unfortunately, voluntary withdrawal is not an option. If we lose contact with you for over 40 hours before the test results are finalized, we will immediately release your photos and profiles to the media, disclose all the skill names we've discovered about you, and make sure to bring you up now and then so you're under public scrutiny for the rest of your life."
It was a vile and despicable threat. Considering that most of the people gathered here had gone to great lengths to hide their abilities, it was particularly nasty. However, there was one person who wasn't fazed by the petty threat.
"What? My face and name being revealed to the entire world…? That sounds f***ing amazing…?"
The one mumbling with a serious expression was none other than Hong Euiyoon. Compared to Park Kang, who was trembling so violently he looked on the verge of fainting, Hong Euiyoon's reaction was striking. Yoo Juncheol, seemingly hearing Hong Euiyoon's murmuring, briefly twitched his cheek before continuing to speak.
"If you refuse, your guild will be subject to an enormous penalty. The contract specifies that if a guild member disobeys the orders of the higher-ups during the merger process, the guild must pay Seokyoung a penalty equivalent to 100 times the estimated raid revenue. I assure you, such an amount is beyond what a small guild can handle."
This was truly despicable.
Yoon Seo glued his hands to his sides, as if he had never intended to raise them in the first place.
He didn't want to cause any harm to the Guild of Leaves, and there was a way to get through this situation without drawing attention.
'If I fail the test, it'll all be over.'
Yoon Seo was confident in his ability to fail any test.
"What kind of test is it…? If I pass, do I join that strongest hunter team, Perfect, with Hunter Kwon Jihan? Surely it's not a written test, right?"
Hong Euiyoon's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, burning with a passion to join the elite team. Namgung Simhae, who had joined Seokyoung to find Seo Chaeyoon, remained expressionless, but it seemed this was what he had wanted.
"Of course, it's a practical test. We have a B-rank dungeon contracted for your use."
"Only a B-rank? That feels like an insult."
"Of course, for Hunter Hong Euiyoon, who holds the record for solo-clearing a B-rank dungeon, it might seem that way. But we don't have much time. In reality, one decisive moment is often enough to reveal one's true abilities."
A dungeon? A dungeon raid?
Yoon Seo's determination to fail any test evaporated in an instant.
There were several reasons he hadn't participated in any battles since the Great Dungeon.
First, psychological trauma. Second, being preoccupied with executing wills. Third, the "abnormal status" caused by the Great Dungeon.
Even if it was just a B-rank dungeon, Yoon Seo wanted to avoid combat altogether.
'Should I use my skills to escape?'
[The
[Encyclopedia of People: Yoo Juncheol, 32 years old, Male
Rank: A
Trait: Night Walker
(Protected by the God of Darkness)
(Protected by the God of Night)
Skills:
Special Skills:
*Additional statuses can only be viewed in dungeons.]
Fortunately, the guild master of Seokyoung was A-rank. Everyone in the room, except for one, was also A-rank, meaning Yoon Seo could easily implant false memories. The problem was Kwon Jihan, sitting indifferently over there.
'They said he's S-rank.'
Having heard of Kwon Jihan's terrifying reputation from the media, Yoon Seo felt uneasy. He needed to check if Kwon Jihan had any skills that could block
'First, I'll use
As Yoon Seo was about to use the skill on Kwon Jihan, he froze. It felt as though the other had sensed his intention to use a skill. A scorching and intense gaze bore down on him, and an overwhelming pressure, as if something massive were crushing him, made it hard to stay upright.
Sweat soaked his back in an instant.
It had been a long time since he felt this kind of oppressive force.
There were few people who could make him feel this way….
'Sigh…. '
Even though he knew he shouldn't meet the gaze of whoever was staring at him, Yoon Seo couldn't help but lift his head.
Until just a moment ago, Kwon Jihan had seemed indifferent, but now his expression was like that of someone who had found an amusing toy, and his gray eyes glimmered with a golden hue.
['Kwon Jihan' has activated the
'What?'
Seeing a message he thought he would never encounter again in his life, Yoon Seo forgot how to breathe.
[The effect of the skill
['Kwon Jihan' is viewing your system profile.]
It felt as if a blade was pressed against the back of his neck, sending a cold chill down his spine. This was a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time. The gray eyes, tinged with gold, seemed as though they were peering deep into the innermost part of Yoon Seo.
If he lost his composure now, everything would be exposed. So, Yoon Seo calmly opened the Gaia system to assess the situation.
Yoon Seo was somewhat familiar with
Since
[Yoon Seo, 29 years old, Male
Rank: B
(Using the item 'Sage-Killing Branch,' all skill stats are enhanced.)
(Using the item 'Lucifer's Smile,' all resistance stats are enhanced.)
(Using the item '■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■■,' all resistance stats are enhanced.)
(Using the item '■■■ ■■,' the skill <■■■■ ■> is applied as a passive skill.)
Trait: Survivor, Creator, Protector, ■■■ ■
(Protected by the God of Life.)
(Protected by the God of Death.)
(Protected by ■■■.)
(Protected by ■■■.)
Skills:
Special Skills:
※Further information is not visible.]