--- [Shin’s perspective]
Less than half an hour has passed since the exam started.
Me and Alex have been running around for a little while now, but we haven’t come across anyone yet.
It seems like the number of people are already starting to dwindle…
At this rate, we won’t be able to show of our skills enough!
Just as I finish my thought, Alex taps my shoulder and whispers something to me.
“Shin, look! There’s a team over there.” – Alex
He points at them, they’re right outside a large stone church.
They look around for a few seconds, then enter.
They’re probably trying hide.
Good thing we noticed them…
“Alex, listen. We haven’t been able to show off what we can do yet, and at this rate we might not be able to, so we need to make the most out of this opportunity. We can’t just walk through the front door and beat them up, that’s not enough. Let’s show off a bit more!” – Shin
“Oh? What are you thinking?” – Alex
“We’ll destroy the church!” – Shin
“…” – Alex
Leanne said the exam is based on performance, she never said it had to be against other people.
“You’re right. Destroying it will be a good opportunity to show off our strength. Let’s do it!” – Alex
“Okay, how about this. I destroy the building, then you take on all of them alone. Does that sound fair?” – Shin
“Sure.” – Alex
Nice.
Working with Alex has been easy, he’s good at cooperating.
I doubt someone like Leon would ever want to share like this…
I’m a little curious about Alex though…
He said earlier that he’s no weakling, but he doesn’t look particularly strong.
He just looks like a normal 16-year-old boy.
I’ve never heard of Minima either; it’s probably just some small village in the outer area.
People from the outer area usually aren’t very strong either.
They don’t have access to nearly as many resources as someone like me or Leon has.
Villages in the outer area tend to be extremely poor, so even the kids need to work.
He can’t have trained nearly as much as I have.
Yet…
He was able to keep up with me earlier when I was chasing after Leon.
Although I wasn’t going at my absolute max speed, I wasn’t exactly going slow either…
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He’s a mysterious one indeed.
“Okay, Shin. Are you ready?” – Alex
“Yup!” – Shin
I start charging up my attack.
If I’m going to destroy a large stone church like this, it won’t be enough to just throw a normal BDM powered punch.
I have to put everything I got into this.
Just like I was a kid and was just learning to use BDM, I’ll stand still, gather as much Divinity as I can, then just before I lose control, I’ll release it all in a single powerful blow,
My fist starts glowing blue.
Ahh, I haven’t done this in a while.
Wait…
Waiiiiiit…
!
Now!
I throw the punch and most of the building is blown away.
The rubble goes flying everywhere, destroying multiple smaller buildings in the distance.
“Now, Alex! Let’s go!” – Shin
I made sure to not destroy the lower parts of the building, otherwise I might have accidentally killed them.
We jump up on what’s left of the wall.
“What the hell?!” – A girl from the team inside the church
“All up to you now, Alex.” – Shin
“Right!” – Alex
They look terrified.
They must have thought no one saw them go into the church, and now someone comes and busts down the entire building…
“Don’t worry, we’re not here to kill you. We just need to beat you up a little, so we pass the exam.” – Alex
There he goes again.
It’s admirable how committed he is to not kill.
He’s just like my sister…
She was a member of The Red Knights Guild when she was still alive…
While she was clearing a dungeon with her team, a Reaper came…
She and her team were all D-rank hunters, but the Reaper was C-rank.
They didn’t stand a chance…
She knew that, but still decided to fight him so her team could escape.
She gave her life so they could live…
She didn’t deserve that…
All her life, she was nothing but kind to everyone around her.
The Red Knights has an extra condition you must meet before they’ll let you join, something other than just being strong…
You must have had the opportunity to take a life, yet still not have done it.
They only want the pure of heart to join.
After all, what’s the point in being strong if all you use your strength for is killing?
That’s what she would have said at least…
I don’t know if I can say that I truly believe it…
There are disgustingly evil people who don’t deserve to live.
The world isn’t a utopia.
Not even remotely so…
We were both born in one of the largest cities in the middle area, Magnum.
We’re both privileged.
We have always had food on the table, we had access to almost any training resources you could think of, we got an education, and we had loving parents.
But it’s not like that for everyone…
In the outer area almost everyone is poor.
There are countless villages where people starve to death, simply because they don’t have access to their basic necessities.
Most of these village rely on having a hunter for income, but being a hunter is a dangerous job…
It shouldn’t be necessary for someone to feel the burden of having the lives of everyone in their village on their shoulder, all while risking your life doing the most dangerous job in the world.
But…
That’s how it is.
I’d say about half of the people taking the exam today are poor people from the outer area who are risking their lives just to give their family a shot at life.
That’s why so many people stayed even after Leanne warned us…
The middle area, but especially Adamas, didn’t get so rich for no reason…
As if these people didn’t already have it bad enough already, evil people continue to exploit them for their own gain.
In exchange for becoming life long slaves, they’ll give the victims’ families resources.
When those resources eventually run out, they’ll come back and do it all over again.
It’s unforgivable!
My sister would never kill anyone, no matter what.
But I’m not like her…
If I saw one of those bastards, I don’t think I could control myself.
Strength isn’t only useful for protecting others, it’s also useful for ridding the world of the human filth that is slave owners.
Alex hops down from the wall and walks towards the girl.
She’s crying.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to do this, but I have to.” – Alex
He punches her in the stomach, just hard enough to knock her out.
She’s not dead, but she’s definitely not waking up for a little while…
The last two guys pick up their weapons and charges right towards Alex.
They swing with all their might, but Alex swiftly kicks their weapons out of their hands.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to hurt you too. It’s the only way I’ll be able to become a hunter. Don’t worry, I’ll find a good place to hide you.” – Alex
Alex lifts both his arms up, pointing one arm towards each of them.
What is he doing?
Is he gonna…?
…
He flicks them both in the forehead, and they go flying into the wall behind them at supersonic speeds.
What the hell?!
He did that with just a flick?!!
That’s some serious power…
Good thing I’m on his team…
He wouldn’t be an easy opponent to beat.
He didn’t lie when he said wasn’t weak.
“I’m so sorry…” – Alex
“Don’t worry, Alex. They’re not dead. Let’s follow through with what you said. We’ll find a good spot to hide them so that they won’t get killed while unconscious.” – Shin
“Yeah…” – Alex