Chapter 16: The Hunter Exams

As Akira and Ren made their way back toward the town after their victory in the dungeon, the excitement of defeating the Goblin Lord still fresh in their minds, Ren couldn’t help but think about the future. There was more to look forward to than just getting stronger—they had the Hunter Exams coming up.

“Hey, Akira,” Ren said, his voice serious as he walked beside him. “I’ve been thinking about the Hunter Exams.”

Akira glanced over at Ren. “You mean the big test to become a Hunter?”

Ren nodded. “Yeah. It’s coming up in January. We’ve got about two months to get ready.”

Akira’s eyes narrowed, focusing. “How do the exams work?”

Ren took a deep breath before beginning. “It’s a big event. The exams last from the first week of January to the last week of March, and it’s split into four phases. Each one’s harder than the last.”

Akira nodded, eager to learn. “What’s the first phase?”

Ren grinned. “The first phase is a 1v1 battle. The fighters are drawn randomly from a hat, so you won’t know who you’re up against until the match starts. Only the winners move on to phase two. Losers get kicked out immediately.”

Akira’s excitement grew. “Sounds like a real test of skill.”

“Exactly. The second phase is a team dungeon. You’re paired into teams of four and sent into a dungeon created by real Hunters. If your team can’t clear it, you’re out. You’ll have to fight together to survive, so it’s a real test of teamwork and ability.” Ren paused, looking at Akira with a hint of concern. “It’s no joke. Some of the dungeons can be deadly.”

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Akira’s mind raced. “And after that?”

“The third phase is a pain resistance test,” Ren continued, his expression turning a little darker. “The candidates are subjected to intense pain—how much you can handle, how long you can last. The time you need to endure is decided by the audience’s vote, and if you can’t last that long, you’re out. This is when a lot of people break.”

Akira clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. “I can handle pain.”

Ren smiled. “I’m sure you can. You’ve already been through some rough stuff. But, this test is about how well you endure the mental strain as well. It’s not just physical.”

Akira nodded, understanding the importance. “What’s the final phase?”

Ren took a deep breath before answering. “The final phase is the Battle Royale. Only the last 50 standing candidates get their Hunter Licenses. You fight in a large arena against everyone else, and you can fight to the death or yield to avoid it. You have to survive the chaos of the battle, and when only 50 remain, you get your Hunter’s License.”

Akira’s grin grew wide at the mention of the Battle Royale. “A fight to the death, huh?” His eyes gleamed. “I can’t wait to get to that part.”

Ren gave a slight chuckle. “I figured you’d like that. But don’t underestimate it. The people you’ll face will be some of the best. You’ll need to be in peak condition.”

Akira’s mind was already racing with excitement. The Hunter Exams sounded like the perfect opportunity to test his strength and prove what he was capable of. “When do they take place again?”

“In January,” Ren replied. “That gives us two months to train. We need to get stronger, way stronger, before then.”

Akira looked at Ren with determination. “We’ve got two months. That’s plenty of time.”

Ren nodded. “We can’t waste it. Let’s train as hard as we can. We’re going to need all the skills we can get if we want to survive.”

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As the two continued walking back to town, Akira couldn’t help but feel a surge of anticipation. The Hunter Exams were fast approaching, and with his new abilities, weapons, and determination, he was more than ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Ren seemed to feel the same way, his expression focused as he thought about the next two months of training.

“We’ll start by hitting the nearby dungeons again,” Ren said. “We need to focus on improving our combat skills. You’re strong, Akira, but we need to get even stronger. If we face someone who specializes in magic or has a lot of stamina, we’ll need to be ready.”

Akira agreed. “I’ve got the strength and magic, but I need to refine them. And my mana pool is still small. I need to expand it so I can use Blazing Slash and other abilities more often.”

Ren nodded thoughtfully. “We’ll work on that. You’ve got great potential, Akira. We just need to fine-tune it.”

The two continued to brainstorm as they walked, their thoughts focused on the upcoming Hunter Exams. The next two months would be critical, and Akira knew that the time to prepare was now. They couldn’t afford to waste a single moment.

And as he looked ahead, Akira knew one thing for certain: nothing was going to stand in his way.