A Public Servant Hunter Who Exploits Skill Combinations – Chapter 28
Translated by: Hanzo
Chapter 28: Midterm Exam (2)
“What about amending the law?”
“Amending the law?”
“Yes. If a student achieves excellent grades, they could graduate early from the academy and be immediately eligible to apply for and be hired as public service hunters. What do you think?”
It was a proposal to slightly tweak the rule that required academy graduation before becoming a public service hunter.
“That won’t be so easy…”
“Actually, public service hunters should’ve been open to hiring anyone awakened in the first place. Limiting it to academy graduates has only worsened the shortage of personnel, hasn’t it?”
Shin Myung-min shook his head in response to the secretary’s remark.
“No, that’s not it. We can’t entrust national duties to individuals whose identities haven’t been properly verified. At the very least, they should spend two years in the academy. That way, we can get a basic understanding of who they are.”
“Well, I suppose that’s a valid point too.”
“There are too many people with hidden agendas in the world. Don’t you know? Out of 1,000 awakened individuals, 5 of them are unregistered awakened hunters.”
These so-called Rogue Hunters, unregistered awakeners, or illegal abilities users were known by many names.
But they were most commonly referred to as rogue hunters.
These individuals formed special organizations among themselves, engaging in black-market dealings and other shady activities in the underworld.
What’s the issue with that?
They stopped at nothing to achieve their goals.
Sometimes, they invaded gates managed by weaker guilds, and if things went south, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill.
These individuals also fell under the jurisdiction of public service hunters.
It wasn’t just Korea—it was a worldwide headache.
Yet, they couldn’t be dealt with recklessly.
After some thought, Shin Myung-min spoke to his secretary.
“Then, let’s try drawing a picture with Jung Tae-sung as the protagonist.”
“Pardon?”
“As politicians, we need a solid justification. That way, I can speak boldly.”
“Are you suggesting we create an image campaign?”
“That’s right. You’re catching on quickly.”
With a satisfied smile, Shin Myung-min murmured in a low voice.
“Even if this isn’t a true opportunity… let’s turn it into one. Make sure that the student’s actions leave a positive image of the Hunter Association.”
“Yes, I’ll make the preparations.”
Shin Myung-min swiveled his chair to face the window, looking out at the rising sun.
The sight filled him with hope that, perhaps, Jung Tae-sung might brighten the Hunter Association’s future in the same way.
“Well, if we’re doing this, we should make the preliminary sketch as beautiful as possible. That way, it’ll be worth painting and sell for a high price once it’s complete. Try reaching out to Dr. Choi from SIU Electronics—he might be able to help.”
“Understood, sir.”
Thus began the Make Jung Tae-sung a Public Service Hunter Project—without him even knowing.
Something completely unnecessary…
***
‘The midterms schedule has been changed.’
Reading the announcement posted on the bulletin board, I frowned instinctively.
‘Why… was the exam schedule changed again?’
Normally, midterms took about a week to complete.
That was because they had to arrange for dungeons.
The dungeons had to be evaluated for safety, and the teachers would follow along to observe how students used the terrain, how they utilized their skills, and how well they worked as a team.
The group format was chosen because the exams would otherwise take too long.
In some cases, students ended up waiting on buses all day…
But this time, the exams had been moved to an artificial dungeon.
‘Well, finishing early might actually be better for me.’
***
Midterm Exam Day
The midterm exam was conducted in teams.
“All students, please put on the uniforms being handed out.”
“Why do we have to wear these?”
“They’re team uniforms.”
The uniforms were color-coded for each team.
Our team was given red uniforms.
I would’ve preferred black…
“This time, the monster you’ll be hunting is a Pig-Rat Beast.”
A Pig-Rat Beast, huh…
A D-rank monster.
My teammates—all in the same group as me—looked at me expectantly.
You’ve picked the wrong person today.
I have no intention of doing well on this exam. Heh heh heh.
The mock exam rankings had been used to divide us into four teams.
As a result, me, Ma Tae-ho, Mun Jung-ho, and Seo Ye-rin wer the leaders.
There weren’t any particularly standout individuals in our group, but clearing the exam without issue didn’t seem like a problem.
The real challenge would be how quickly we could finish.
More than anything, it felt like they were relying on me, and I figured that if I led properly, we could easily secure high marks.
Of course, that was only if I decided to perform at my full potential.
Looking at Ma Tae-ho’s expression as he adjusted his black uniform, it was clear he hadn’t slept at all the night before.
‘That hard worker… Because of me, he’s probably going to grow even faster. Well, as long as he doesn’t get in my way, I don’t really care how much he improves…’
I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him.
To be honest, I was hoping that by tanking my own grades this time, Ma Tae-ho would find a bit of breathing room.
“All teams, please wait at your designated entrances. The exam will begin as soon as the doors open. The team that eliminates all the monsters in their dungeon the fastest will receive the highest score. You are free to use any ability. Let’s begin.”
Beep!!!
With a notification sound from the system, the dungeon doors opened.
Once inside, the others immediately drew their weapons.
Though they looked a little tense, all the practice and field experience they’d accumulated seemed to have made them much more comfortable compared to when they started.
As we proceeded deeper, we soon came across traces of the Pig-Rat Beasts.
Without hesitation, I rushed toward them.
“As expected of Jung Tae-sung!”
After easily dispatching the monsters in front of me, cheers erupted from behind.
Of course, my actions were purely for show.
There weren’t many monsters near the entrance, so we quickly ran out of targets.
“Tae-sung, there aren’t as many monsters as I thought.”
“Yeah, instead of sticking together, it might be better to split up and hunt.”
“Agreed. Let’s do that.”
“Alright. Go ahead and catch as many as you can.”
“Okay!”
Since they were all from the special class, they didn’t need much direction from me.
The Pig-Rat Beast was a monster shaped like a rat but the size of a pig.
Whoever named it sure nailed it.
It was faster than expected, with sharp front teeth that made its bites quite painful. Most importantly, its long tail was something to watch out for.
The tail was incredibly powerful, and getting caught by it could trip you, drag you around, and leave you vulnerable to being bitten to death.
So even though it was “just” a rat, underestimating it was never an option.
Of course, since this was just an exam, things wouldn’t escalate that far.
While the others scattered, I leisurely wandered in the direction with the fewest monsters, enjoying a stroll.
‘This is the life. Why bother hunting when I don’t have to? I’ll slack off and aim for mediocre grades…’
At that moment, through my Amplified Mana Perception skill, I detected one of my teammates surrounded by monsters.
‘Guess I have no choice but to help…’
Using Wind Sprint, I quickly rushed toward the teammate in danger.
‘Heh heh. Perfect timing. This way, it won’t look like I was just slacking off.’
Four Pig-Rat Beasts.
Squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak!
I rescued my teammate with ease, slashing through the Pig-Rats with consecutive strikes.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, thanks. I dropped my weapon because they swarmed me so fast…”
Well, it made sense—he was wielding a bulky axe that didn’t suit his frame at all.
“You seem better suited for a sword than an axe.”
“But isn’t an axe cooler?”
“Uh, well… sure, axes are cool too, but…”
What was the right thing to say here?
This guy would go on to become a somewhat renowned B-rank hunter in the future.
“Eh, do whatever you like.”
“Exactly.”
But then, something smelled strange.
Sniff sniff…
What’s that smell?
And through my Amplified Mana Perception, I sensed a massive concentration of Pig-Rats’ mana.
A horde of Pig-Rats was heading straight for me.
I made a show of clumsily fighting them off, pretending to struggle.
But…
Something felt off.
“What’s going on? What is this?”
Squeak-squeak!
Even though my teammate with the axe was standing right next to me, all the Pig-Rats were rushing at me.
Why does it feel like they’re all targeting me? Is it just my imagination?
In the blink of an eye, I was surrounded by dozens of Pig-Rats.
I had to constantly move my feet to avoid getting caught by their tails.
Ugh, I really shouldn’t be taking them down like this…
The others were still nowhere in sight.
I had to make a path out of here and get out of my teammate’s line of sight.
If the others showed up and saw this, I might end up having to take care of all the monsters.
And that was the last thing I wanted.
To create an escape route, I used Lightning Slash and swung my sword.
Pzzzzzt!
Squeak-squeak!
I only swung my sword at the Pig-Rats in front of me, but the lightning coursed through them, electrocuting dozens at once.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
Squeak-squeak!
The dark dungeon lit up brighter than daylight as the Pig-Rats screamed in agony.
Crackle-crackle!
Squeak-squeak-squeak-squeak!
What the heck just happened…?
For some reason, the electricity from Lightning Slash kept transferring endlessly between the Pig-Rats, damaging them all.
At that moment, my teammates started to arrive.
“Gasp…!?”
“Tae-sung, what happened? The Pig-Rats were all rushing over here… gasp.”
“What the—did you seriously take down all these monsters by yourself?”
They stared, their mouths agape, unable to close.
This wasn’t what I wanted.
“No, I mean, yeah, I did it, but it wasn’t intentional…”
Something was definitely off.
My teammates were now looking at me with expressions of admiration and trust.
Stop looking at me like that…
“Wow, I can’t even sense any Pig-Rats nearby anymore. Does this mean we’re already done with the midterm?”
“Right? Thanks to Tae-sung, we’re all going to get perfect scores. How did you finish it all in one go?”
And so began an endless stream of idle chatter.
With all the monsters defeated, the others had nothing else to do.
Finally, the results were announced.
----
Team 1: 4 minutes 22 seconds.
Team 2: 24 minutes 31 seconds.
Team 3: 25 minutes 17 seconds.
Team 4: 26 minutes 40 seconds.
----
We had finished a full 20 minutes faster than any other team.
Naturally, our team received an A grade, and I was awarded an S grade.
At the gathering of the special class students, I received applause, while Ma Tae-ho’s glare felt sharp enough to shoot lasers.
Seo Ye-rin was looking at me with eyes full of admiration.
Ugh!
Whether they understood my feelings or not, Mun Jung-ho approached me and said,
“As expected of Jung Tae-sung. You’re amazing!”
No, wait a second. This isn’t what I wanted!
“Jung-ho… I feel like crying.”
“Was it that emotional? Come here, let me give you a hug.”
It seemed like Mun Jung-ho was trying to encourage me.
No, I need comfort, not encouragement.
***
Sirius Electronics. Research Lab.
“Oh, Dr. Choi, how are you? Thank you for taking the time despite your busy schedule.”
Dr. Choi adjusted his glasses and nodded slightly in greeting.
“Secretary Kim, it’s been a while. Director Shin already informed me about this.”
“I wanted to ask, is there a material that conducts electricity exceptionally well?”
“Hmm. What do you mean exactly?”
“Well… for example, if I attacked one monster with a lightning-type skill, could that electricity affect other monsters nearby?”
“That’s certainly possible. Saltwater, for instance, is an excellent conductor of electricity.”
Secretary Kim smiled, satisfied with the answer, and asked his next question.
“Then, here’s another question. Is there something that drives monsters wild?”
“Such as?”
“For example, a scent that would make certain monsters lose control and rush over.”
“Actually, during recent research, we discovered that Pig-Rats go crazy for the smell of aged cheese. They can track the scent from up to 3 kilometers away.”
“And is there a way to release that scent at a specific moment?”
“For instance…?”
“When mana is used, for example.”
“That’s not difficult.”
“As expected… Dr. Choi, there’s nothing you can’t do.”
“Haha, you’re too kind.”
“Then, could you create clothes that release that scent when mana is used and coat them with saltwater?”
“I don’t know what you’re planning, but it’s certainly doable.”
“Then, please handle it for me.”
According to Secretary Kim’s research, Jung Tae-sung’s abilities involved both physical enhancement and lightning element attacks.
Even with minimal use of lightning, he could electrocute Pig-Rat Beasts in an instant.
And if they could lure the Pig-Rats together in one place?
Even if he tried to hold back, he would end up defeating them all in a flash.
Of course, no one expected him to finish everything in just 4 minutes.
***
After the midterms, I went to see Teacher Choi Jung-gang.
“Teacher…”
“Jung Tae-sung, you were amazing today… you exceeded our expectations.”
“I don’t think I did much, though…”
“To lure all the monsters and defeat them all at once with an electric attack—have you already mastered controlling lightning to that extent?”
“That’s not it.”
He smiled contentedly.
“You’re as humble as ever.”
“Excuse me?”
How did he interpret it like that?
“I’m looking forward to your future even more.”
“Why was the exam changed? It seems different from last year.”
“This time, the association provided us with a specially designed artificial dungeon. It was a direct order from the director of the Hunter Department, which is why the midterm manual was completely revised.”
Something definitely feels off…
Ugh, whatever.
Let it be.
At least my parents will be happy that I did well on the exam.
....
I just made a Patreon account, feel free to support me and get access to 5 or 10 chapters in advance: patreon.com/Hanzo123
This is what you call having pig teammates ...also a great way to create a potential black mark in the future. Rather short- sighted and careless as plans go.
ReplyDelete