Chapter 88

Chapter 88
The Hunter Exam commences now.

Cease acting foolish and step aside. After shoving the young participant away who kept uttering nonsense while striking an absurd posture down from the platform—honestly, what was wrong with that individual? Regardless, I ascended the platform to survey the gathered examinees below. Three hundred and nine candidates were present for this entrance examination. Roughly thirty percent held sponsorships from senior officers, seventy percent consisted of former child soldiers, and a single examinee originated from a different zone. Among them, three were players.

Shut-In Honey operated as the former child soldier. Shin Eun-jo functioned as the examinee from another zone. For the record, Taejeong fell into the category of being sponsored by a high-ranking officer. On paper, Meursault served as Taejeong’s guardian, though the actual guardian was myself. Reflecting on it, Taejeong seemed entirely unfamiliar with dating simulators. While I possessed a rough understanding of the activities Shin Eun-jo and Shut-In Honey pursued prior to inhabiting their present forms, I had never managed a conversation with Taejeong regarding their past identity. I deliberately maintained my distance so Taejeong could integrate with the other servants, avoiding private discussions, which left me less informed about Taejeong than about Shut-In Honey, whom I rarely encountered. Once this entrance examination concluded, I intended to converse with Taejeong as well.

Regardless, Shut-In Honey, Taejeong, and Shin Eun-jo hailed from completely distinct backgrounds. The cadet proctors appeared to assume I established this test out of favoritism toward the child soldiers while excluding the sponsored youth, but the truth was I held zero prejudice concerning their origins—whether sponsored children, former child soldiers, or outsiders. To me, they all functioned merely as NPCs. I afforded the players no preferential treatment either. After all, a group of eleven-year-olds had no chance of failing an entrance test this straightforward. Consequently, this evaluation remained entirely fair for everyone, anchored by a simple reason: the core task of the exam was an activity every child had experienced at least once—game of tag.

Upon announcing that the entrance test involved a game of tag, the cadet proctors stared at me with blank expressions. Behind them rested a towering heap of luggage. Both the independent children and the sponsored examinees had clearly been weighed down by officers who anticipated a genuine monster hunt. Once enlisted, everyone would utilize standard military-issue gear anyway, rendering all that extra baggage pointless and highlighting how few officers had ever partaken in an actual subjugation. Those with genuine combat experience were easily identified, as their sponsored children carried only absolute essentials. The child soldiers were even better prepared, with all their belongings already meeting military standards. I remained puzzled as to how Shin Eun-jo had acquired a Cola Zone child-soldier uniform. Even the child soldiers looked slightly let down upon learning it was tag rather than a hunt, well aware of who a monster hunt would have favored.

Then Shut-In Honey, positioned in the front row and gazing upward, thrust a hand skyward to ask, “If it is tag, what are we supposed to catch?”

“Ahem.” One adjacent proctor cleared their throat, glaring at Shut-In Honey for the overly informal tone. Shut-In Honey pulled an utterly displeased expression and amended, “What are we supposed to catch… sir?”

Everyone else shared the exact curiosity regarding the definition of tag here, fixing their gaze entirely upon me. I gave a concise reply: “Me.”

“Pardon?”

“Your subjugation target is myself.”

According to Meursault, the Commander felt profound anxiety regarding this game of tag, acting as though he expected me to quietly distribute written exams after dumping the entire admissions process onto me. More significantly, I figured attempting to catch me would prove preferable for the examinees compared to hunting a monster. Their facial expressions, however, suggested otherwise.

“Guess it truly is a Hunter Exam after all.” Shut-In Honey continued uttering nonsense. Somewhere amid the crowd, Shin Eun-jo raised her hand. Unlike Shut-In Honey, her youthful act appeared nearly convincing as she inquired with a grave expression, “Does this imply we must attack you?”

“Naturally, I am not instructing you to actually kill me.”

“Then what?”

“Precisely what it sounds like—tag. Employ any necessary means to capture me.”

Even after I affirmed that any methods were permitted, the examinees remained thoroughly perplexed. Whispers regarding my background had already permeated the zone, causing the proctors to wear expressions questioning whether I seriously believed eleven-year-olds could accomplish such a feat. Shin Eun-jo glanced toward the proctors before addressing me once more.

“Is there… a specific reason you are executing the exam this way?”

“Because it is entertaining.”

My completely dismissive reply stunned both examinees and proctors alike. Only Shin Eun-jo maintained her composure, pushing further. “What occurs if… no individual manages to capture you?”

“I am whimsical and act entirely upon my desires. Should I appreciate someone’s approach, I might simply allow myself to be caught.”

“Permit yourself to be captured?”

“And I favor individuals who disregard conventional means.”

“What does that… Are you suggesting we possess permission to inflict harm upon you?”

“Figure that out independently.”

Shin Eun-jo’s brow furrowed, and sensing the proctors were on the verge of questioning me rather than the candidates, I raised a hand to quiet them and proceeded. “The designated search zone is restricted to the area enclosed by the red lines. Step beyond those bounds and face immediate disqualification—keep that rule in mind. Exiting the search zone does not qualify as employing any necessary means. Understood?”

The establishment of a clear search boundary seemingly reassured both participants and proctors. Had I been permitted to roam the entire snowfield, apprehending me would have been impossible.

“Tag commences at sunset. Until that time, you may establish teams, formulate strategies, and accomplish whatever is necessary. Submit those plans to the proctors prior to nightfall.”

“The time limit extends until sunrise tomorrow.”

I offered a gentle smile. “I sincerely hope no one faces elimination prior to managing to catch me.”

Naturally, I was not orchestrating a game of tag solely for amusement. Commencing next year, I intended to revert entirely to soul-crushingly tedious written examinations. The rationale behind putting this year’s incoming cohort through such a trial was straightforward. Recognizing that inter-zone boundaries had dissolved, we anticipated clashing with players from alternative domains well before the Second Apocalypse struck in a decade. While the exact player count in other zones remained unknown, we all shared similar physical ages, excluding those from the Unicorn Zone.

Consequently, what outcomes would arise if every eleven-year-old minor in our territory—our peers—began operating identically to players? Anyone who had accessed the system would remain undeceived, but players lacking Character Inspection capabilities might misinterpret the situation, assuming the Cola Zone teemed with players. In short, I was inflating our apparent numbers.

Even Shin Eun-jo appeared doubtful that the exclusive players in our domain consisted solely of myself, Shut-In Honey, and Taejeong. Her failure to comprehend how Daphne could qualify as a player clearly unnerved her, likely fueling her insistence on taking this military academy entrance test. For all I knew, she was currently inspecting every child’s status window sequentially in search of players—an entirely futile endeavor, naturally.

The academy’s initial capacity hovered around thirty candidates. However, as promised during my graduation speech, I intended to select a hundred Haydams. While critics might argue that accepting and training every single applicant would benefit the future, that assertion was false; not everyone possessed the aptitude to become an officer. Failing the academy did not preclude military service, and an armed force devoid of enlisted personnel is no army at all. Therefore, this examination allowed me to categorize the youth into future officers, future soldiers, and future players. Those intended for cultivation as players—

They could never truly become real players.

Yet I possessed the capability to align their mindset sufficiently. Shin Eun-jo had appeared astounded when I claimed to execute this for mere entertainment, though she likely dismissed the notion that I would undertake such lengths strictly for recreation. At this very moment, she was likely mingling among the examinees, frantically verifying the existence of alternative players or special NPCs.

The genuine motivation driving my insistence on holding the entrance test on the snowfield involved a specific location requiring investigation: the cavern where I collapsed following the absorption of the Snow Giant’s jewel. I needed to uncover the exact sequence of events that transpired there afterward. Shut-In Honey had claimed knowledge of my location because he was already acquainted with that specific cave. Yet how on earth could he have deduced my presence within that particular cavern and insisted on a rescue mission? When an individual falls off a cliff, standard procedure involves searching the base, not a grotto midway up the precipice. Regardless of perspective, his possession of exclusive knowledge remained abnormal.

Consequently, I resolved to inspect the cave personally, while also harboring curiosity as to why a cavern existed in such a terrain. In essence, I utilized the game of tag as a pretext to secure freedom of movement. Informing the proctors that I would conceal myself from candidates and maintain strict confidentiality regarding my whereabouts to prevent cheating, I promptly departed the designated search zone and advanced toward the crevasse. Locating the grotto without a pursuing Snow Giant proved effortless, as residual markers from their prior rescue operations remained intact.

The cavern entrance I previously descended into via rope remained completely undamaged despite the preceding chaos. Relief washed over me, as I had feared the impact might have triggered a collapse or that rescuers had sealed the shaft afterward. During my earlier panic-stricken dash, the deeper interior tunnels felt infinite. Walking through now without any underlying threat revealed that the passage was not particularly deep after all.

The primary object encountered further inside consisted of a massive heap of icicle debris.

The exact site of the Snow Giant’s demise.

The ceiling scars where the icicles had sheared off remained distinctly visible, permitting instant recognition. They evidently neglected to clear away the ice after retrieving the Snow Giant’s carcass…

…What object was that?

An unfamiliar geometric pattern was etched into the distant wall—a marking entirely absent during my prior visit. At a glance, it resembled a magical circle, marred by deliberate gouges across its surface where someone had attempted its destruction.

“Ah.”

This… this represented the exact zone of my collapse, did it not?

It matched the precise location where the Snow Giant’s strike hurled me backward. Reclining to align my posture with hazy recollections, I discovered myself positioned dead center within the design.

Consequently, this pattern… materialized after I lost consciousness?

Possessing no memory of encountering such a design prior to my blackout, it must have formed immediately following unconsciousness—subsequent to my absorption of the Snow Giant’s energy. Perhaps it constituted a side effect of ingesting the jewel.

Yet more confounding than the strange insignia itself remained a lingering question.

Why had no individual previously mentioned the presence of such a bizarre mark?

Were the Commander or Meursault cognizant of the pattern? If awareness existed, why had neither uttered a single word to me regarding it?

I would simply inquire upon my return.

Naturally, posing questions had to await the conclusion of the entrance exam. Resolving to defer this mental burden, I crossed my arms over my chest and closed my eyes briefly, intending to rest here until sunset before rejoining the examinees.

Would the pattern persist upon my return?

Perhaps memorizing the configuration beforehand proved wise. Such thoughts filled my mind until an auditory cue resembling fluttering insect wings interrupted the silence.

Bzzz…

Though subtle, my heightened vigilance immediately registered the sound as anomalous.

What phenomenon was this?

The noise steadily amplified. It possessed excessive volume for ordinary insect wings and was unmistakably penetrating the cavern depths.

Bzzzzz—

As the audio clarified, understanding dawned.

That object is…

The engine of a hoverboard.

…Impossible.

Lifting my head, I directed my gaze toward the entry point.

The white-haired man I recognized intimately casually glided into view, maintaining his stance atop a hoverboard while fixing his gaze upon me with that familiar expression.

The Dopamine Addict articulated:

“I went through the absolute trouble of dispatching you elsewhere, yet here you reappear.”