Chapter 32..
Apprentice of the Storm (1)
Being tested on something you’ve worked hard to prepare for is always nerve-wracking.
“Come on, follow me. Take a deep breath, hehehoo!”
“Mom! That’s for childbirth!”
“Oh, my. Are you more nervous about a test than giving birth? No, right? Then you can use this here.”
“R-Really?”
Persuaded by her mother’s dazzling words, the mother and daughter stood side by side, practicing Lamaze breathing.
But Shinwoo couldn’t laugh, no matter what.
‘If it were any other time, I might’ve snickered, but with this crowd…’
Some were furrowing their brows while chewing calming pills, others sprinkled holy water on themselves, and a few even wore talisman-infused clothing.
A chaotic scene mixing science and superstition.
A few test-takers clicked their tongues as they passed, but Shinwoo honestly understood their mindset.
‘It’s natural to be desperate, and plenty of hunters believe in superstitions.’
After all, in a society where gates, hunters, and special abilities have become everyday life, coming to a hunter—or ability user—exam, superstition isn’t nonsense; it’s “something that might work.”
Of course, understanding doesn’t mean he intended to follow suit. Shinwoo slowly made his way toward the testing hall.
Was he confident enough not to be nervous?
Of course not. Shinwoo was the type to get quite tense during tests.
Without his calm, rational magic, he might have been performing all sorts of superstitious actions right there.
‘Honestly, if magic counts as superstition, I’m probably the most superstitious person of all.’
He firmly trusted the unnamed tower and the magicians there, and the knowledge they’d accumulated. That was the most reliable “superstition” he could have.
But even that confidence faltered as Shinwoo glimpsed the testing hall, which was far larger than he imagined.
“So they converted a failed hotel…”
He’d noticed from the shuttle bus, but true to the Hunter Association’s style, the scale of spending was on a different level.
Though not highly sophisticated in design, the entire space was stylish while maintaining a calm, test-ready atmosphere.
“So we’ll be taking exams here for two nights and three days.”
The order would be written tests, ability evaluation, interviews with professional hunters, and finally practical tests.
Although the interview and practical order seemed switched, it couldn’t be helped considering the content of the practical.
‘Even if it’s an F-rank gate, they only allow the most verified people in to prevent accidents.’
Ohana had also said: if someone runs away crying from a gate, it’s actually fortunate. That alone showed how intense the pressure of real-life situations could be.
“So I need to stay sharp.”
Lightly slapping his cheek, Shinwoo walked to his classroom according to the number on his nametag.
4-27.
“Class 4, room 27, here it is.”
Dr-ruk
Upon opening the door, many were already seated, reviewing the material for the day.
Shinwoo also sat in his assigned seat and opened the workbook.
‘Let’s see…’
From basic terms used in the system, like jobs and job skills, to precautions during rescue operations, and professional ethics as a hunter—the scope was wide, but Shinwoo wasn’t worried.
‘I studied this back in school.’
Having studied even harder than schoolwork, he remembered everything after cramming for the past few days.
Of course, some sections had been updated, so he just needed to be careful with those.
‘Even if my written score is a bit lacking, I can make up for it in the ability test.’
While Shinwoo casually reviewed his workbook, the classroom door opened again.
Dr-ruk
A man and a woman in suits entered.
From their aura and attire, they didn’t look like test-takers.
Indeed, they were active hunters.
“I’m Han Jincheol, the examiner for Class 4 today.”
“Ah… I’m Lee Tari, also an examiner…”
The muscular Han Jincheol, whose suit seemed to scream, and shyly greeting Lee Tari beside him—quite unique examiners. Shinwoo quietly thought:
‘I wonder if Hunter Lee Tari likes Italy?’
His parents seemed to, hence the name. Test nerves made Shinwoo’s mind wander.
“The exam time is exactly 50 minutes. Any cheating will be immediately detected, so please refrain.”
“…Well, those determined to cheat will get caught anyway. Uh, the guy in seat 27?”
“Me?”
Startled by the examiner’s sudden call, Shinwoo pointed to himself, puzzled.
‘Did I mess up?’
All eyes turned to him, heightening his anxiety. He even started to sweat, wondering if he’d entered the wrong classroom.
Lee Tari spoke hesitantly:
“Excuse me, could you show us your mana usage? I… can’t see any mana from seat 27.”
“Ah! Of course.”
Relieved, Shinwoo opened his palm.
Fwah!
A radiant star of mana appeared above his hand, illuminating the classroom.
A mana projectile.
What better spell to prove mana than one that condenses it into physical force? Shinwoo admired his choice and looked at the examiners.
“….”
“….”
But their reactions were odd.
They stared at him in surprise and muttered something to each other.
The stares only intensified.
‘What’s wrong now?!’
Shinwoo felt unfairly treated.
Meanwhile, Lee Tari was just as bewildered.
‘Is he… really an awakened one?’
Awakened individuals can all manipulate mana and have unique jobs and skills. In a written exam, cheating would be almost impossible to detect.
Each classroom had two examiners: one for the warrior-type, Jincheol, and one for the magic-type, Lee Tari.
Yet neither sensed any mana?
‘Then he must be non-awakened!’
Twins posing as each other had been caught before. Lee Tari had politely asked to see his mana as a cautious gesture.
Even with items, detection wouldn’t have been an issue.
‘He’s really that strong.’
The mana projectile shining in the palm of seat 27 confirmed it. The examiners, all skilled in detection and sensing, could not miss it.
Seat 27, Seong Shinwoo, was indeed an awakened—an exceptionally skilled magician beyond expectations.
The problem was the examiners didn’t recognize his talent and doubted him in front of everyone.
“Jincheol, if we get caught, we’ll be disciplined and never examiner again.”
“…Exactly.”
“Ugh…”
Lee Tari groaned with relief behind the soundproofing spell.
“So we have no choice. Apologize sincerely, and… bribe them.”
“…Bribe?”
“Yes! Bribe! Who doesn’t like money? And with his skill, as long as there’s no major disqualification, this should work.”
Lee Tari opened a coupon she’d carefully kept:
“It’s a 20% discount coupon for the Witch’s Salon. It also works as a visitor pass, so that’s perfect!”
“That might just work…”
Han Jincheol nodded sincerely.
The Witch’s Salon.
Not on par with a huge company like G-Market, but famous domestically for potions. The owner is even from the global guild “Walpurgis,” a hunter. Occasionally visiting could help network with powerful figures.
“But how do we negotiate with just this? Calling them out might be risky.”
“My telepathy magic can buy time.”
“Ah.”
“Just cover me for a bit.”
Jincheol nodded heavily, creating a brief commotion outside the soundproof spell to calm the test-takers. Meanwhile, Lee Tari sent Shinwoo a telepathic message:
-Seat 27, we may have been rude. How about we do this?
Not wanting to lose her coveted examiner position, she quickly listed conditions. Seeing Shinwoo’s expression, she added one more:
-Number one! Don’t you want to meet Hunter Ohana?
Cough, cough!
Shinwoo nodded slightly through a cough. Lee Tari relaxed but immediately realized the boldness of her offer.
-Perhaps we should change the final condition…
Shaking her head, she thought: Ah, we’re doomed.
Shinwoo had learned one thing from military life:
‘If you stay calm, at least you’ll make it halfway.’
The examiners whispered among themselves, and Shinwoo, feeling wronged, sensed someone tapping lightly in his mind. Odd, yet somehow the right expression of the feeling.
Accepting the offer, he heard many amusing stories, especially about meeting Ohana.
The test papers and OMR cards were distributed quickly due to the delay.
“Let’s begin the written exam.”
“Good luck, everyone.”
Shinwoo focused and flipped over the test paper.
Meanwhile, the Suwon branch director, Moon Kyung-sik, silently observing the classroom:
‘Seong Shinwoo… he seemed interesting on paper, but in person, even more so.’
Mana concealment undetectable even by examiners, and the precise mana control for a mana projectile—like a gem itself.
‘A hidden dagger can’t help but poke out eventually.’
Moon Kyung-sik had come to this very place to draw out such hidden daggers.
