Han Dae Sung Returned From Hell - Chapter 34

# 34

034

“Just looking at it, it looks like the competition will be at an all-time high.”

Someone was so impressed by the crowd that gathered to fill a large site twice as large as a soccer stadium.

It was the testing center where the licensing exam for the first half of this year would be held.

< The number of awakened people increased by 25% compared to last year! >

< With the rapid increase in the number of awakened people, the competition rate for the hunter exam in the first half of this year is also expected to rise.... > < The association is changing the test method from this year to prepare for the excessive number of applicants. It can be changed... >

There was a heated atmosphere at the scene that made recent news like this seem insignificant.

“uh?”

“Wait a minute, that’s…”

At that time, everyone’s eyes, whether awakened or civilian, were focused on one place.

Vroom –

A supercar with the logo < Red Devil > was just entering the lot.

The focus was not on the fact that the supercar’s identity was an expensive Maserati coupe.

The logo engraved on the car body attracted the attention of people around it.

Suddenly,

the driver’s and passenger’s doors opened and two men appeared.

“Seokwoo Lee here himself?”

“It’s rare for the leader of a large clan to come directly to the testing site…”

“Then is the member next to you the one they’re putting forward this time?”

“If Lee Seok-woo personally drives you to the bar, it means that pushing is no joke…”

It was Lee Seok-woo, the leader of the < Hongma > clan, and Jeong Jin-cheol, a rookie who will be taking the license test.

Ordinary people are just amazed to hear that a celebrity has come, but they say,

“He really looks like a dog.”

From the perspective of applicants who have to compete directly with rookies raised in large clans, it is inevitable that they will say that they are like dogs.

Chop clap!

At this time, reporters at the scene set off their camera flashes and flocked to Lee Seok-woo and Jeong Jin-cheol.

Is it possible to miss an interview when a big name has emerged? The reporters pounced like wild beasts that have found their prey, thrusting their microphones at Lee Seok-woo.

“Lee Seok-woo! My name is SBC’s Reporter Oh Jae-cheol! “Is the person next to you a rookie from the Scarlet Demon Clan?”

“Roughly what is the performance expected of the Crimson Demon Clan in today’s license exam?”

“Due to cheating, the Hongma Clan was unable to participate in the exam last year. Please tell us what you think about the introduction of the rookie today for the first time in two years!”

Seokwoo Lee laughed silently in the face of a barrage of questions without stopping.

‘You bastards who are annoying me from the beginning.’

Although I wasn’t smiling at all on the inside.

There is no problem if you decline the interview like this.

Still, since public image is important to large clans, it would be good to give a simple reaction.

“I also feel sorry for the accident the year before last. “We promise that this year’s exam will be clean and fair.”

It was the third reporter’s question that Lee Seok-woo responded to.

After answering, he passed through the reporters and entered the building before the target of the questions turned to Jeong Jin-cheol.

Jeong Jin-cheol, who was walking next to him, giggled.

“I should have just left it alone. “I had a few crazy quotes in mind.”

“It’s not too late to do that later after the exam.”

“After the exam, are you going to be so scared that you’ll even talk to me properly?”

Stop –

Lee Seok-woo, who was walking one step ahead, suddenly stopped.

Even though it seemed clear that he had stopped because he had something to say, Jeong Jin-cheol did not erase the smile from his mouth.

“Jincheol.”

“Yes brother.”

“It’s okay to have fun, but don’t get too excited. “If that gets revealed, we’ll be in trouble too.”

“i know.”

“Don’t forget.”

Lee Seok-woo, who turned to Jeong Jin-cheol, placed his hand on Jeong Jin-cheol’s shoulder and made a request.

“You should never get excited. “Don’t be swayed by your emotions, control it with reason-”

“What are you saying, don’t get excited?”

A voice from behind suddenly interrupted their conversation.

Lee Seok-woo frowned and looked in the direction the voice came from.

A middle-aged man in shabby clothes wearing sunglasses and a hat was sitting on a bench.

A man with an unremarkable appearance.

However, Seokwoo Lee is also a class A hunter.

With a sense commensurate with his skills, he was able to immediately guess the identity of the middle-aged man.

“Aren’t you Captain Hwang Jun-young?”

“It’s been a while.”

It was Hwang Jun-yeong, the leader of < Soul >, a large clan larger than the < Hongma > clan.

Because of the shabby clothes and crude makeup, it didn’t seem like he was the same person as that big name.

“Why are you looking like that?”

Seok-Woo Lee spoke openly in a quarrelsome tone, but smiled softly.

Hwang Jun-young accepted it resolutely, as if it was not something that happened once or twice.

“This level of makeup is essential to avoid the eyes of extreme reporters. “Thanks to you, I didn’t have to be as stressed as you when I came here.”

Lee Seok-woo felt very uncomfortable because it sounded like he was stressed because he was less basic.

Hwang Jun-young blatantly ignored Lee Seok-woo’s reaction and then glanced sideways at Jeong Jin-cheol next to him.

‘…This is a guy with a stable flow of Aurors. There is a lot, but it is not overflowing. It’s clean and refined.’

For a very short moment, less than a second, Hwang Jun-young’s eyes narrowed.

‘…There are no traces of artificial drugs being administered. On the outside, it seems.’

He is simply a rookie with outstanding skills.

but.

‘You used your hand very cleverly, Lee Seok-woo.’

Other large clans gave up on sending rookies to this test in order to avoid the < Red Demon >, who never knew what dirty tricks they might use.

In a situation like this, are they coming out fairly?

Hwang Jun-young knew.

There is something ‘something’ about this rookie named Jeong Jin-cheol.

The only problem is that there is no way to find out or investigate until it is directly revealed.

Hwang Jun-young said, taking his gaze away from Jeong Jin-cheol.

“Hongma says he will be clean and fair in this test?”

“Sure.”

Eat.

Hwang Jun-young laughed, and Lee Seok-woo didn’t like that laugh.

“I hope so.”

“Do whatever you want. “I’ll just go now.”

Lee Seok-woo, who did not want to continue the unnecessary war of nerves, left the scene with Jeong Jin-cheol.

As soon as the distance from Hwang Jun-yeong got quite far, Jeong Jin-cheol sarcastically said that he had been waiting for him.

“This ugly old man is looking at you lewdly. “Brother, is that person a pervert?”

“Jincheol.”

“Yes brother.”

“I want to fuck that bastard no matter what.”

“me too.”

“Then look over there.”

Seokwoo Lee pointed to a familiar face with his chin.

A woman was appearing from the women’s restroom on one side of the large communal area.

Lee Seok-woo and Jeong In-jeol immediately recognized who the woman was.

“It’s Shin Cho-young. A rookie who put a lot of effort into < Soul > this time.”

“He’s also your competition.”

“A slut like that is no match for me. “You know it too.”

“know. So-”

“You mean to destroy it?”

Seokwoo Lee nodded.

“If the rookie who showed off with confidence breaks down, it will be a huge shame.”

Rumors have already spread among those who know that a considerable amount of money was invested in Shin Cho-young’s training.

But what if Shin Cho-young goes bankrupt and all the investment made there goes in vain?

It was thrilling just to imagine what kind of expression Hwang Jun-young would make.

“Jincheol, you know what to do, right?”

“It’s nagging to say the least.”

actually.

Jeong Jin-cheol planned to do so even if Lee Seok-woo did not give the order first.

***

Lee Seok-woo wants to feed Hwang Jun-young some shit.

on the other way.

Hwang Jun-young also wanted to feed Lee Seok-woo.

Two years ago, a < Red Ma > candidate who took illegal drugs ran away during the test, resulting in a fatal injury for a < Soul > rookie.

Hwang Jun-young wanted to take revenge, so he just blatantly provoked Lee Seok-woo.

And thankfully, the guy fell for the provocation.

Now it’s all out war.

‘No matter what tricks they try, Choyoung won’t suffer.’

They can’t even imagine how grueling the hellish training Shin Cho-young has been through until today.

And as grueling as it was, the results were also brilliant.

The current Shin Cho-young has become a talented person who can compete with the top A-level players in terms of pure ability.

Unless the < Red Demon > comes up with a move that would be too difficult for even an S-class to handle, there will be no way to overwhelm her.

No problem. It is perfect.

Hwang Jun-young was so confident in his heart.

however.

“…hmm?”

A moment fainter and finer than a thin thread.

However, in that moment, Hwang Jun-young could feel the back of his neck becoming stiff and the hair on his entire body standing up.

Swish!

Hwang Jun-young, who had maintained a calm pace until now, turned his head, breaking into a cold sweat.

“Captain?”

At that time, Shin Cho-young, who had just come out of the bathroom doing some business, approached me and started talking to me.

However, even though Hwang Jun-young knew that she was by his side, he did not give Shin Cho-young a glance.

No, I couldn’t give it to you.

“Um… Captain?”

gulp.

Hwang Jun-yeong’s neck rang heavily.

“Choyoung.”

“yes?”

“be careful.”

“Suddenly, what… ah. The Hongma side kids? Do not worry. Just like I told you, never let down your guard and stay focused-”

“No, I’m not talking about them.”

Hwang Jun-young pointed towards the entrance of the building in the distance with a stern expression.

Shin Cho-young’s gaze also moved towards the entrance.

“…I mean that guy.”

There,

a white-haired man was leisurely entering the building.

***

[Hey, I’m sorry. I should go see it in person, but I have a lot of work to do here too…]

“It’s okay.”

I’ve heard over and over again that being a gate seeker is a very busy job.

So I was able to understand Seong Chan-ho’s position when he apologized like this.

‘Anyway, the result doesn’t change whether Chan-ho comes or not.’

It doesn’t matter to you

how many spectators there are or how many competitors there are .

No matter what variables there are.

Because there will be no one who can stop him.

It was ten days for that.

It was then.

< The hunter license exam for the first half of the year will begin in 10 minutes. >

< We hope that applicants gather at the exam center in Building 3 on time so as not to be late... >

An announcement rang out from the speakers installed in the premises.

[Hey, it looks like it’s starting soon. Get in on time! Contact me when you’re done!]

“Uh.”

[Fighting, man! Don’t forget to have a drink afterward!]

“Okay.”

Beep –

After finishing the phone call, Daesung walked over to see the fruits of his ten days.

Just with an infinitely calm face.

***

As we entered Building 3, the supervisor who was waiting handed a box to the test takers.

Inside the box was a pair of full-body bodysuits that fit each person’s size.

It was commonly called Auror Armor, a reinforced suit used by hunters in combat.

Of course, what was given to test takers was improved for testing purposes only.

The test takers went into the locker room divided into men and women and quickly put on their armor.

After a while.

The proctor, facing a group of candidates wearing dark blue armor, began guiding the test.

“The main theme of this licensing exam is ‘adaptation.’”

Just as

the supervisor snapped his fingers, the association employees waiting behind him operated the remote control.

OK.

Kugu Palace –

The large rectangular iron gate installed at the edge of the cavity began to split left and right, and a colorless and transparent whirlpool appeared.

It was an artificial gate for testing purposes.

Oh wow –

some of the first-time test takers, excluding repeat takers, exclaimed in admiration.

“The gate prepared by the organizers this time consists of a total of three floors.”

Test gates do not have the function of entering another world like real gates.

It’s just that the external appearance has been decorated to create an environment that resembles the real situation as much as possible.

In other words, it means that sometimes something that is different from the actual situation is presented.

That was the case this time.

“3rd Floor?”

“What does that mean?”

“This is the first time in my life that I have seen floor numbers divided by the gate.”

Beyond the gate is just another place or another world.

It is clearly different from something like a tower with divided floors.

It was natural for test takers to have questions, so the supervisor quickly continued to provide supplementary explanations.

“As this exam attracted an unprecedented number of applicants, we decided to make a difference from the previous method. “It was necessary to judge your overall skills as a hunter, not simply how well you hunt monsters.”

The reason the gate is scary isn’t just because of the monsters.

A world in another dimension.

The environment, which is different from Earth, sometimes brought hardships and trials more severe than monsters.

“So, at this test gate, different environments are created on each floor. And only those who clear the conditions presented will advance to the next floor.”

The point is.

The key to this test is how well you adapt to the ever-changing environment and hunt monsters.

“The passing cutoff is the first 20 people who clear up to the 3rd floor. That is all. “Does anyone have any questions?”

There wasn’t.

It was concise and easy to understand.

As before, there is no need to question how many more points are calculated and based on what criteria.

The 20 people who clear the 3rd floor first will be the successful applicants.

Is there any other story that is easier to understand than this?

“Of course, the moment you attack another test taker, it will be considered cheating and you will be immediately eliminated. Also, please keep in mind that when entering, everyone here is designed to be moved to a different location. Then-”

Finally, after completing the essential instructions, the supervisor took a step to the side.

Hung- Hung-

The artificial gate whirled and roared in the air.

“We will enter in order, starting from the first row.”

And silence mixed with puzzlement filled the cavity.

Among the test takers, “Huh?” A voice came out.

At this time, a female candidate who couldn’t help but raise her hand.

“Over there…”

“Candidate number 52?”

“Weapon provision…?”

The supervisor who heard the question said, “Ah.”

Until then, test takers thought the supervisor had simply forgotten to provide them with weapons.

“Weapons will not be provided to candidates for this exam.”

“yes?!”

“What do you mean by that?!”

Protests from test takers continued.

This is the same as saying that you will not be given a gun during shooting training.

However, the supervisor and, by extension, the association had different thoughts.

“I clearly stated that the theme of this exam was ‘adaptation.’”

Equipment is important.

However, reality is not a game and good items do not guarantee survival in all situations.

The true value of a hunter is not the equipment, but the aura that flows from the body.

In other words, it comes from the strength of the body.

“How well can you display pure skill? Even if it is under a hot tropical night or a cold freezing weather.”

Everyone is speechless as the supervisor continues his sermon.

Only one person agreed with that statement.

“How well do you adapt, how well do you survive, and how well do you fight? If this doesn’t work, it goes without saying that you won’t even be given the chance to risk your life.”

This is because he has personally experienced for 80 years that this statement is never wrong.

“Again, please enter in order, starting from row 1.”

The one who agreed was Daesung.

He knew because he ended up in hell.

That is by no means wrong.

***

As I entered the gate, a humid tropical rainforest unfolded.

Although it was only a plausible trick, the vividness felt through the skin was not a lie.

The humidity is too much to endure unless you are a human who has lived in the Amazon.

but.

‘It’s muggy.’

This was a story that did not apply to Daesung, who had endured wetlands worse than the Amazon.

Daesung made no move from the beginning.

Perhaps because the remaining candidates were still entering, no separate clear conditions were sent out on Armor’s notification board.

But that wasn’t the only reason Daesung didn’t move.

‘I have work to do.’

Snapping –

He ripped off the nearest tree branch nearby.

The association sent a message through this test.

Whether you fight with bare fists or make weapons, it’s up to you.

Daesung chose the latter.

If it’s not the latter, all the efforts of the past ten days will have been in vain.

first of all.

Daesung now recognized the broken tree branch as a weapon.

And…

“Road.”

The moment Daesung recited the command.

[Do you want to load the Flame Great Sword into a weapon recognized by the Absolute?]

The feel of the tree branch in my hand has changed.

It may not be visible to others, but it was clearly visible to Daesung’s eyes.

A very faint silhouette of a huge sword wrapped around a tree branch.

While other competitors were struggling in harsh environments without weapons.

‘I wasn’t planning on using the cheap weapons the association gave me anyway.’

Only Daesung could wield the ultimate weapon.