Rank 2 Monster, Boss Phantom Rabbit.
It wasn’t just near where Do-gyeon-woo was. That creature was appearing all over the forest surrounding the Dreamlike Hotel.
The examiners observed the test takers battling the Boss Phantom Rabbit, watching intently through the moving screen.
[What splendid muscles! A sign of dedicated training, no doubt.]
[Kuaaaargh!]
[But mine are nothing to scoff at either! This is shaping up to be a worthwhile clash!]
That was Yong Hae-rang of the Chivalry Clan.
Gripping his knuckle-shaped device, he hurled himself fearlessly at the monster, engaging in a fierce brawl.
[Ora ora ora!]
[Kuaaaargh!]
[Pow! This is what grit looks like! Grit, I tell you!]
Like a hand reaching into a campfire to snatch roasted chestnuts.
Yong Hae-rang’s fists moved too fast for the screen to follow.
The Boss Phantom Rabbit’s fists were just as fast.
“…Such passion. Truly overwhelming,” someone murmured.
“The Chivalry Clan is especially fired up this year.”
“Feels like watching the strongest fighters in the entire world go head to head.”
“That? Really?”
“I get how he feels though. As a fellow man, I understand.”
“You’re a woman though, Instructor.”
“What does gender matter to a true man? A man’s a man, regardless.”
“…Right.”
There was something about Yong Hae-rang’s combat that ignited the hearts of onlookers.
Before they realized it, the heat in the exam control room had risen. Sweat ran down the necks of the evaluators, as though the battle itself was radiating through the screens.
“L-let’s move on to the next candidate…”
“Ah…”
Unable to handle the intensity, the evaluators quickly switched screens.
They sighed with regret, having just watched Yong Hae-rang finally defeat the Boss Phantom Rabbit.
But only for a moment…
[Just imagining that musclebound rabbit charging in with its camouflage on… Ugh. Gives me chills.]
Their attention soon shifted to another screen—this one focused on Min A-rin of the Arcane Folk Clan.
The Boss Phantom Rabbit lay crumpled nearby.
“What… in the world did she do to it?”
“No idea.”
It looked like it had been roasted.
The once-white rabbit had lost all its fur, charred black, smoke still curling from its corpse.
[Ugh. Digging out the mana stone is such a chore.]
With a jab of her staff, Min A-rin stirred the body and extracted the mana stone.
Just then, at the edge of the screen, a group of examinees began approaching.
She noticed them right away.
“Guess I’ll have to make a run for it.”
“That one can fly, right? Should be easy for her.”
“Though… she probably won’t be able to pick up all the mana stones dropped by the other phantom rabbits.”
But contrary to their expectations…
[Hmmm….]
Min A-rin casually scanned the approaching examinees, then struck the ground with her staff.
The mana stone in her hand—and those scattered on the ground—suddenly lifted into the air.
[Try and take them if you can.]
[…]
[From me—Min A-rin.]
With a sharp huff, she taunted them.
Then, keeping the mana stones floating mid-air, she engaged them in battle.
The result? A clear victory for Min A-rin.
[Hmph. Pathetic.]
She collected even their mana stones, mounted her staff, and took off.
The stones trailed behind her like obedient birds.
“Her technique’s really clean.”
“Plenty of firepower too. Not bad at all.”
“If she can carry mana stones like that, she won’t have to keep going back and forth to change chips like the others.”
No one among the examiners voiced any disagreement about Min A-rin’s skills.
It was then that the screen changed once more.
[Kuaaargh!]
[I’ll hold off its attacks! You all focus on the boss!]
Unlike Do-gyeon-woo, Yong Hae-rang, and Min A-rin, the next group on-screen was fighting in a party.
One girl standing at the rear of the group caught the evaluators’ attention.
“That candidate…”
[Casting buff: Attack Boost!]
She had blonde hair in braids and piercing blue eyes—clearly foreign.
The exotic-looking examinee raised her staff and cast a support spell.
“I heard a princess from the Grace Empire was applying. That must be her.”
“Do we know her name?”
“No need to be so formal. She’s not high up in succession, and once she joins Geumgang Academy, she’ll be one of our students.”
“And we’re in Korea.”
“In the City of Academies, not just Korea.”
“Her name’s listed here. Skipping all the middle titles… it’s Lisa Grace.”
About two centuries ago, during the Great Cataclysm, the Grace Empire appeared alongside the World Tree, descending from another world entirely.
Now, the examiners quietly debated how best to deal with this foreign royal.
“Still, her skills aren’t bad.”
“Not as impressive as the heirs of the Ten Great Houses, though.”
“Well, what do you expect? Those kids trained their whole lives to become Hunters. She probably grew up in a royal greenhouse.”
“Then why even become a Hunter? She could live in luxury back in the empire.”
“Who knows.”
“She must have her reasons—something worth risking everything for.”
Meanwhile…
Yeon-ha-neul, perched in a tree, caught the falling bundle with ease.
“Gotcha!”
Really, Do-gyeon-woo’s ideas were always so outlandish.
She hadn’t expected this strategy to work—but it had.
She peeked inside the bundle, checking the mana stones, and let out a wry chuckle.
That’s when she heard it—
“This way! It fell somewhere around here!”
“She’s got to be nearby!”
Other examinees, likely watching from a distance, had noticed the bundle drop and were now scouring the area to claim it.
“Hm. What to do…”
If she stayed put, they’d eventually find her.
She needed to move before they got too close.
But she also had to keep receiving the bundles Go Eun-bi was sending her.
Every time she caught one, more would come chasing after it.
The number would grow.
“I’ll deal with them now.”
Better to thin the herd while it was still small.
Besides, those examinees were bound to have chips or mana stones on them.
She needed enough chips to account for three people, after all.
That settled it.
She revealed herself—deliberately.
Fwoooosh!
Mana surged from Yeon-ha-neul’s core, spreading through the area.
The examinees searching nearby felt it immediately and came running.
“There!”
“She’s over here!”
“She’s alone!”
They pointed up at her.
Yeon-ha-neul stared down at them blankly.
Then, like a rabbit, she hopped down from the branch.
Her pale blue-white hair shimmered in the air.
“She’s coming!”
“She’s walking right into us!”
“Her exam badge is black! Be careful!”
She wasn’t worried about her skirt revealing anything—she wore shorts underneath.
Keeping her eyes on the examinees, she reached out—
Whoosh!
Someone cast a fireball spell.
Flames rushed toward her, scorching the air.
But Yeon-ha-neul didn’t flinch.
“Device, on.”
Clutching the bundle tight, she channeled mana into the metal badge in her hand.
Recognizing the activation word, the device transformed.
In her hand now was a massive warhammer—larger than her own frame.
With a powerful swing—
BOOM!!
The fireball exploded.
Sparks engulfed her.
But the protective shield wrapped around her body held strong. She emerged from the flames unscathed, her feet just inches from the ground.
“W-what?!”
“She’s dropping fast!”
The examinees’ faces came into view.
Yeon-ha-neul deactivated her device.
“Device, off.”
The hammer reverted to a badge.
Though its weight remained the same, removing the massive shape made it easier to adjust her landing.
Twisting her body mid-air, she brought the badge behind her shoulder—
“Device, on.”
…!
The warhammer returned.
Naturally, her stance followed.
She swung it downward with all her strength.
CRASH!
The ground cracked.
The examinees directly beneath her were buried in collapsing earth and flying sand.
Ssshhhhh!
Dust swirled, masking the scene.
“Ugh…”
Amid the smoke, groans echoed.
Whiiish!
SMASH!
Her mana detection spell located them in the dust. With ruthless precision, Yeon-ha-neul swung again and again.
The others couldn’t even see her coming.
Hunting rabbits is no fun at all.
They’re wary by nature, hard to sneak up on, fast, agile.
And these weren’t even normal rabbits—they were monsters.
They could vanish without a trace and even use camouflage to shrug off physical attacks.
Sure, she could handle them. But there was no thrill in it.
Why waste all that time wandering the forest for something so dull?
Worse, if she wanted the top-tier Sweet Suite, she’d have to kill dozens, maybe hundreds of these things.
“No. I don’t want to. It’s boring. I didn’t come here to hunt rabbits. I joined because I thought the Academy would be exciting. Phantom Rabbits? Please. I killed plenty of them back in the clan.”
Of course, not all Phantom Rabbits were created equal.
There was one that stood out.
A Rank 2 monster—the Boss Phantom Rabbit.
That one could pique her interest.
That one could give her the challenge she craved.
But it only appeared under special conditions.
No one knew exactly when or where it might show up.
Waiting around for it didn’t suit her nature at all.
Because of that…
“Thanks a bunch! I’ll make great use of all the mana stones and chips you collected!”
“Urgh…”
“P-please… give them back…”
“Ah~ that was fun!”
Somewhere deep within the forest—
Nam Yu-ri of Alchemy Southern House had ambushed a group of examinees who had been hunting Phantom Rabbits together as a party.
The examinees tried to use their numbers to fight back, but it was completely useless.
She overwhelmed them with ease—whether by twisting and reshaping her body or by swinging her massive scythe, she dominated the battlefield.
“Device off.”
Nam Yu-ri reverted the enormous scythe into a metallic badge.
Tucking it into her back pocket, she casually bent over to rummage through the fallen examinees’ belongings—humming cheerfully to herself.
“Found it! You gathered quite a haul, didn’t you?”
With a plunder rate like this, she wouldn’t need to waste any effort grinding for a high-rank room.
After checking her spoils, Nam Yu-ri flashed a bright, carefree smile.
“That’s ours… please give it back…”
“Nope! It’s mine now.”
“Please…”
“Oh? Are you begging me right now?”
“…”
“Don’t. Don’t do that. I hate it when people beg.”
The sweet smile she wore just moments ago vanished in an instant.
Her face hardened, cold and expressionless.
Though her tone remained gentle, her words came with a razor’s edge.
The examinee must’ve sensed it. The subtle threat underneath.
They looked down, silent now, no longer pleading.
Only then did Nam Yu-ri withdraw her sharpness.
“If you want it back—take it from me. Yourself.”
With a sudden flip of her expression, as if turning over her own palm, she grinned again.
And just like that, she waved goodbye to the battered examinees who couldn’t even stand properly.
Off she went, no doubt in search of her next victims.
Crackle!
“Hmm?”
A sudden flash of light sparked in the distance.
Nam Yu-ri paused mid-step, her eyes turning toward the source of the glow.
“…”
Wrapped in arcs of blue lightning, someone was locked in combat with a Boss Phantom Rabbit.
“…Whoa.”
Even if they had caught the rabbit off-guard, the fact that he’d taken it down in a single strike was impressive enough.
And it didn’t end there.
Now, that same figure was taking on a whole crowd of examinees by himself—knocking them down one after another.
Nam Yu-ri found herself genuinely impressed.
She didn’t know who he was.
But judging from the way blue lightning scattered each time he swung his sword… she had a pretty good idea.
“A member of Shinsword Doga, huh?”
Blue Thunder—Byeok-roe. The signature of their swordsmanship.
It was the first time she’d seen it in person. Her eyes were naturally drawn to it.
“If he’s got a black exam badge…”
She’d heard the rumors too.
Among all the examinees bearing black badges, there was only one who hailed from the Shinsword Doga.
“So he’s Rabbit.”
Rabbit. Do-gyeon-woo.
The lion who couldn’t even catch a single rabbit.
His reputation preceded him.
But…
“He doesn’t look like that at all…”
Nam Yu-ri murmured, recalling the tales.
To her eyes, the boy effortlessly toying with the examinees around him didn’t look anything like a helpless rabbit.
If that was a rabbit—
“…Then he’s a mutant, isn’t he?”
A mutant rabbit.
Not weak. Not fragile.
But a rabbit as swift and deadly as a lion.
“Playing with him would be so much more fun!”
Compared to the dull grind of rabbit hunting, this promised to be thrilling—electric.
Something that could make her feel alive.
At that very moment, Nam Yu-ri’s violet eyes shimmered with curiosity—sparkling with excitement.
Leave a Reply