At this time of the year, virtually every academy within the Academy City held their practical entrance examinations.
Anyone who lived in the hunter world naturally turned their attention toward these examinations, as they attracted promising talents alongside children from prestigious clans and renowned masters’ disciples.
Among these observers, there were also those known commonly as “villains,” whose hunter licenses had been revoked due to abandoning hunter principles or committing severe crimes.
The woman was precisely one of these villains.
“The night here in Academy City is much different from the outside world,” she said casually. “Behind the scenes, crimes like this happen quite often.”
“Ah…” came a weak, frightened sound in reply.
“It’s an ideal environment for villains like me to hide out. Sure, there are patrols and enforcers, but they don’t notice us if we’re careful enough. Besides, they rarely enter these places anyway.”
“Ugh…”
“You never know what might happen if they did. Didn’t anyone warn you about this when you were preparing to come here?”
The other remained silent.
“People say Academy City’s nightlife is dangerous, particularly the slums. Judging by your presence here at this hour, I assume you’ve never heard such warnings.”
Silence persisted.
“Or perhaps you dismissed them merely as ghost stories?”
District 23 of Academy City.
Far from the bustling center, hidden deep within alleyways overshadowed by towering skyscrapers.
Standing quietly beneath her concealment magic, which subtly pushed away any passerby, the woman gazed up at the suspended exam candidate with a calm curiosity.
“Urgh…”
“I wouldn’t struggle if I were you. You might end up sliced apart.”
The examinee hung helplessly in midair, bound tightly by invisible threads.
With each futile struggle, the threads tightened more aggressively around the student’s body, cutting deeply through clothes and flesh, slicing into his skin as easily as paper.
Slowly, crimson blood seeped out, flowing down the threads in tiny rivulets.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
It sounded like droplets of rain falling from a spider’s web, forming tiny beads before plummeting onto the ground.
The woman extended her palm beneath the dripping blood, bringing her tongue to it, tasting carefully.
“Tasteless,” she grimaced. “Disappointing. Since your exam pass is yellow, I expected nothing special, and I was right. Your blood barely contains any mana worth mentioning.”
She spat disdainfully onto the ground, as if she’d tasted something foul.
With fading consciousness, the examinee struggled to form words.
“Why…”
His voice was small, weak, almost inaudible. He couldn’t even finish the sentence.
But the woman easily understood his unspoken question.
“You’re wondering why I’m doing this to you?”
Silence was his only reply.
“There’s no particular reason,” she said lightly. “I was bored, with nothing better to do lately. This city’s been annoyingly noisy too. If you insist on a reason, call it stress relief, just idle amusement perhaps?”
“Ah…”
“What? Did you expect some special reason? Sorry, but the lack of a reason is precisely my reason. Honestly, you aren’t important enough to warrant any justification. Simply put, you’re just unlucky.”
“Huh…”
“If I must find value in you—well, your appearance suits my tastes. You’d make a pretty doll. But above all…”
She swiftly drew her manicured nails through the air, commanding the threads to lower the examinee until they were eye-to-eye.
With a mocking smile, she reached out to lightly tap the student’s exam pass.
“It’s this,” she continued, smiling. “I was suddenly curious about the potential of students applying to Diamond Academy, renowned as Academy City’s best. Someday you may become my enemies—or perhaps even our allies. As a villain, I simply wish to examine your capabilities firsthand.”
“….”
“For that, I need your body.”
“My… body…?”
“Yes, your body.”
“What do you mean…?”
“By occupying your body, wouldn’t I be able to watch the candidates closely? I doubt the instructors at Diamond Academy would even dream I could infiltrate this way.”
“Ah…”
“It’s a massive academy, after all—security gaps exist, especially now when tens of thousands of examinees keep coming and going. Who would ever notice me?”
“P-please… spare me… I beg you…”
The student’s eyes trembled violently with fear.
Gently cupping the examinee’s chin, the woman’s lips curved into a gleeful smile.
“No.”
Pulling a small bead from her pocket, she slipped it into her own mouth, then suddenly forced a deep kiss upon the student, pushing the bead in with her tongue.
“Umph…!”
The examinee desperately fought against swallowing, but his struggle was futile against the woman’s strength.
Eventually, he swallowed the bead.
Immediately afterward—
“Ah… Ah, ah, aaaah, AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
His agonized scream echoed through the air, a chilling sound as if his very soul was being ripped apart and obliterated.
“Scream all you want; it won’t help. No one can hear you through this barrier anyway. Not that it would make any difference.”
The woman watched silently as the student violently convulsed and spat blood amid his suffering.
After a moment,
The student’s screams abruptly ceased. His limbs went limp, and his head dropped forward lifelessly.
But only for a brief moment—
Creak, crack.
With eerie sounds, the student’s joints twisted and cracked back into position.
“It works nicely.”
When the student slowly raised his head, the lifelessness vanished from his eyes, replaced by an unnatural spark.
The woman smiled in satisfaction as the examinee’s lips curved into a mirrored smile, echoing her voice perfectly.
“Excellent timing. I was bored anyway. This will let me blend in as a student and see who seems interesting.”
The woman responded smoothly.
“Pay special attention to promising talents, especially those from the Ten Great Clans or famous families.”
“Should I watch the disciples of famous masters, too?”
“Now that you mention it, I’ve heard the Demon Fighter’s disciple is around the age to enter an academy…”
“Think he’ll choose Diamond Academy?”
“If he’s truly the Demon Fighter’s disciple, wouldn’t he?”
“Hope I get to see him.”
“If you do, don’t kill him.”
“Because he’s still young?”
“I have no grudge against the Demon Fighter, nor should we crush a sprout before it blooms. It would be a waste. Unless, of course, he’s too dangerous.”
“You’re right. It’s always interesting and exciting to watch their growth.”
“What kind of kid do you suppose he is?”
“I’d love to make him my doll.”
“What if he doesn’t suit your tastes?”
“Then I’ll just kill him.”
“And the others?”
“I wonder. Let’s see who’s out there.”
“Will anyone detect my true identity?”
“Impossible. How could anyone know? The original owner of this body is long dead.”
“That my soul resides within?”
“No one could ever notice.”
“Exactly. There’s no way they’d ever realize it.”
One of the Six Demons.
A high-ranking officer of the Demonic Circle.
“Never, never, ever.”
Doll Demoness Lee Ga-hyun.
Hidden in darkness, she asserted this with absolute certainty.
Crimson droplets and azure droplets floated gently through the air.
When the droplets collided, they merely pushed each other away without breaking or distorting.
‘Could this really be related to the test?’
I wondered what Do Si-eun was trying to convey. Why had she created these droplets?
Observing closely, I lightly poked an azure droplet.
‘It didn’t change shape?’
It simply drifted toward Do Si-eun, maintaining its form perfectly, like a soft ball.
This time, I touched a crimson droplet.
‘This one changed?’
The droplet vibrated slightly and broke apart into smaller droplets upon contact.
‘What’s the difference?’
Curious about their contrasting behaviors, I fell into thought, before quickly understanding:
“Oh.”
The realization didn’t take long.
“I see… it’s whether or not the droplet is influenced by mana.”
“…That’s right,” Yeon Ha-neul chimed in, apparently noticing it too.
Do Si-eun nodded gently in confirmation.
“The azure droplets behave like this…” Do Si-eun tapped one softly, pushing it gently forward. Then she activated her mana internally and lightly touched the droplet again.
The azure droplet reacted precisely as the crimson droplet had when I’d touched it moments ago.
“When coated with mana, touching the blue droplet causes it to scatter, just as the red droplet did earlier,” Do Si-eun explained softly.
“Then conversely, if I coat my finger with mana and touch the red droplet, it doesn’t scatter, only moves away intact.”
“Yes, exactly.”
I activated the mana inside me and gently touched the crimson droplet once more. This time, instead of breaking apart into smaller droplets as before, its surface merely trembled slightly before drifting intact in the direction I’d pushed it.
“When you think about it…” I began thoughtfully.
Yeon Ha-neul quickly intercepted my words. “It’s like imagining the droplets as monsters, right? Whether only physical attacks work, or only magical attacks. I remember Master mentioning monsters like that.”
“Don’t steal my lines.”
“Hmph, does it matter who says it first?”
Ha-neul stuck out her tongue playfully, a mischievous smile spreading across her face. Annoyed by her expression, I discreetly jabbed her ribs under the table.
“Ah! Gyeon-woo, you little—!”
“What’s wrong?” Do Si-eun glanced up, puzzled.
“Oh, nothing at all! You don’t need to worry, Unni.”
Ha-neul’s rabbit-like ears twitched upward as she shot me a glare from the corner of her eye. Yet, her annoyed stare didn’t faze me at all.
Ignoring Ha-neul’s threatening gaze, I smoothly changed the topic.
“So, Unni. You think something like this might appear in the exam?”
“Hmm, it’s quite likely.”
Do Si-eun withdrew the mana she’d infused into her sword, Suyeon, and at once, the floating droplets transformed back into mana particles, returning gracefully into her body.
“Almost every year, the practical exams require examinees to switch their internal mana control on and off effortlessly, like flipping a light switch.”
“Oh… So it wasn’t just about fighting monsters immune to one type of attack? That’s what I thought at first,” Ha-neul murmured.
“You’re not wrong either, Ha-neul. Ultimately, it tests the same thing: how freely you can alternate between mana-infused and mana-free states. It’s even appeared explicitly as a test scenario before.”
“So, it’s evaluating decision-making, mana activation speed, and reaction time?” I asked, realizing the significance.
“Exactly. Those are essential skills for any Hunter. Even if it doesn’t come up in the third test, it’s likely to appear in the fourth or fifth round.”
Since Do Si-eun had maintained her position as the top student from the moment she’d enrolled, I knew her advice was worth listening to carefully.
“Thanks for letting us know, Unni.”
“It’s only natural for me, as your cousin and senior. Both of you don’t need to worry about passing, but I hope you aim for excellent results anyway.”
Night had fallen by the time we exited Brilliant Café. Outside, Do Si-eun turned toward us with a serious expression.
“Academy City’s nights are vastly different from the outside world, so be careful. Don’t stray onto dark paths—you might end up tangled with dangerous individuals. Stick to the main roads whenever possible, and absolutely stay away from the slums.”
“Got it, Unni. We’ll be careful,” I reassured her.
“I’ll make sure Gyeon-woo doesn’t wander anywhere strange,” Ha-neul chimed in cheerfully.
“…Why does that sound like you’re assuming I will?”
“Oh, so you’re saying you won’t?” Ha-neul raised an eyebrow teasingly.
“When you live in Academy City, sometimes you end up—”
“Just don’t. It’s dangerous,” Do Si-eun cut in firmly.
“…Understood, Unni.”
I felt guilty deceiving Si-eun when she was so earnest, but unfortunately, progressing the game’s storyline would inevitably force me into the slums sooner or later. But that wasn’t something I could openly admit now, so I managed only an awkward smile.
For reference, those residing in Academy City commonly distinguished themselves from outsiders, referring to everything beyond the city limits as “the outside world” or simply “the mainland,” considering Academy City a separate reality altogether.
Indeed, the Hunter-centric laws and lifestyles of Academy City differed vastly from Korea, with its predominantly civilian population.
“Well then, I have something else I need to finish up tonight, so I’ll be heading back first,” Do Si-eun announced gently.
“Thanks again for the meal, Unni!”
“See you later, Unni!” Ha-neul waved energetically.
After parting ways with Si-eun, we began heading back toward the hotel. Given tomorrow’s exams, resting early seemed wise.
“Only three exams left now, huh…” I mused aloud, recalling the testing schedule.
Starting from the third exam, candidates wouldn’t return to their accommodations midway like today; instead, we’d be staying at the gates overnight.
That meant if someone intended to replace an examinee secretly, it had to happen tonight.
‘I’m sure it’s happening right now.’
Knowing the game’s storyline meant I could easily foresee the complications awaiting us. Somewhere hidden, a troublesome villain would already have stolen an examinee’s identity.
And undoubtedly…
‘They’re planning to infiltrate the exams to scout the examinees’ abilities.’
With so many candidates eliminated after the first two rounds, this was the perfect moment for such espionage.
Knowing this was coming, I turned seriously toward Ha-neul.
“Ha-neul.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“From tomorrow onward, be extra cautious.”
“Eh? Why all of a sudden?”
“If anyone threatens you—even slightly—show no mercy.”
“What are you suddenly talking about?” Ha-neul asked, bewildered.
“Take them down immediately. You have my permission.”
Naturally, we needed to prepare. After all, I knew we would soon face one of the game’s major antagonists—the Doll Demoness, Lee Ga-hyun.
“Hey, do I need your permission?” Ha-neul protested lightly, giving me an incredulous look.
“Of course you do. After all, I’m your master.”
“Seriously… you’re unbelievable.”
Despite her grumbling, I noticed she didn’t deny it.
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