The first three days of the workshop passed.
As the Association President listened to the reports coming in, they felt more bewilderment than joy.
-He got another perfect score on the theory test. That’s three days in a row. Maybe because he worked as an unawakened hunter, but everything from basic knowledge to applied ability is outstanding.
-His concentration under harsh conditions is impressive, too. Everyone is exhausted from physical training, but he alone is still full of energy. It is as if he went somewhere to rest.
Even taking into account that he had knowledge from his time as an unawakened hunter, he had studied only a few days and earned perfect scores for three days straight.
That meant he was not merely bright. He had more than simple memorization skills; he had applied ability as well.
-President, this person is a genius. There is nothing to teach him in basic swordsmanship, and he won every sparring match, so we told him to train on his own……but he is creating swordsmanship.
-What? You are telling me not to talk bullshit? No, it is true. Check the CCTV. You know my eye for talent, right? He has a gift for the sword.
The weapons class had been the same.
Creating swordsmanship? The Association President wondered what this bullshit was, then reviewed the CCTV again. But it was true.
‘It doesn’t look exceptionally flashy, but…….’
Block and cut, block and thrust.
The repetition of simple movements. It was closer to a technique than swordsmanship.
But even in the eyes of someone who had once been a B-Grade Warrior, it was an exceptionally practical technique, suited to real combat.
They understood why the instructor had made such a fuss that Han Hye was creating new swordsmanship.
-When I asked why he defended first, the Spatialist said he would probably be assigned to the rear and needed to protect his surroundings. He has an eye for the bigger picture.
-Honestly, no matter how large or small his Subspace ability is, I want to train him for the front line.
After hearing the reports from the past three days, the Association President scratched the back of their head.
‘I thought I would be grateful if he could merely protect himself.’
They had only considered him future rear support for advance teams, but what they were hearing was no ordinary matter.
Moreover, the swordsmanship instructor was a hunter reputed to have a discerning eye. The Association President called their secretary.
“Seo-ung.”
“Yes, President.”
“Prepare one more elixir.”
It was already certain that Han Hye should receive an elixir. Even if there had been no such system, they would have had to give him one.
What they had originally prepared was an E-Grade elixir.
“What should we change it to? Shall I prepare a D-Grade one?”
The Association President thought for a moment.
“No, C-Grade. When we do this, we should go big.”
Of course, giving him a C-Grade elixir was not certain yet. Everything Han Hye had shown so far was perfect.
But one important thing remained.
‘The size of the Subspace.’
Considering that he had once been an unawakened hunter, it was obvious that he would adapt well inside Gates even without practical training.
The current issue was the size of the Subspace.
After all, Han Hye had caught their attention because Subspace became immensely valuable if it was above a certain size.
If the Subspace was large as well, they intended to give him a C-Grade elixir immediately.
“Seo-ung, prepare a D-Grade one as well, just in case.”
The Association President’s thinking had changed after hearing the reports for three days.
Even if the space was only the size of a backpack…….
If the talent he showed in swordsmanship was real, it seemed he could be trained in that direction instead.
The assumption was that he would become a vanguard or a rear guard.
A Subspace the size of a small backpack was not a must-have recruitment target, but it was still a clear advantage.
There were rare-class holders who used their skills for support and lived as hunters.
He would receive a base D-Grade elixir, and if the Subspace was large, a C-Grade elixir would be offered.
‘…Could he think that is not enough?’
The concern suddenly came to them. He already showed the signs of an excellent prospect, and what if his Subspace skill was outstanding, too?
Judging by his remarkable mind in the theory classes, he was not someone who could be enticed with a casual offer.
He would know the value of his own ability. In that case…….
‘Just how much should we offer him?’
It was a moment when the Association President’s worries deepened.
***
Over the past three days, I had held on to first place in every evaluation. It was not very difficult. I had prepared thoroughly from the start.
The physical training was insane, but sleeping in the Subspace let me recover quickly.
‘If I fell short on studying, I studied more inside the Subspace.’
The Subspace, where time did not pass.
It felt like using a cheat code, but I did not feel the slightest guilt. This was my ability, too. If they did not like it, they should have awakened Subspace.
‘The elixir is right in front of me.’
My results so far were satisfying.
Now, two Gate practicals remained.
The real test began now.
No matter what anyone said, a hunter’s virtue was subjugating Gates and killing monsters.
That carried the greatest weight.
But I was confident I would do well. For one thing, there was already a difference in level.
In numerical terms, every trainee was level 1.
I was level 6, and when you considered my stats, I had abilities equivalent to level 18.
On top of that, I possessed E-Grade swordsmanship. There was no way I could be worse than the other trainees.
“Mr. Han Hye. One moment, please.”
The instructor called me over in front of the gate. There was a place where the things we would take inside had been gathered.
But……there was a little too much luggage.
‘A test?’
Who was I? An unawakened hunter, commonly known as a porter. At the very least, I had plenty of Gate experience and a knack for reading the situation.
It was not obvious, but I could tell immediately. The Association was trying to confirm my ability.
“There is a lot of luggage.”
“Haha…….”
The instructor smiled awkwardly. I asked frankly.
“You are trying to verify my ability, right?”
“Who knows?”
The instructor trailed off for a moment, then nodded.
“Actually, yes. We did intend to be moderate so as not to offend you…….”
“It is fine. I am not offended.”
Honestly, I had been wondering when they would ask. It was frustrating enough to make me impatient.
From what I heard, it seemed they were worried I would be offended because of the hunter-information disclosure laws, but…….
From the beginning, I had no intention of hiding Subspace’s storage ability.
I had actually been waiting. That was how I could raise my value and receive better treatment.
‘I need to earn a lot of money to invest in equipment and buy elixirs to consume.’
What I wanted to hide were the ‘hidden items’ I had brought back, like the dragon egg and the secret manuals that had come from inside the Subspace.
Those were things I could not protect at my current strength.
It would not matter if people knew I could enter the Subspace, either. That could even be presented as an advantage.
It was especially useful when standing watch in a long Gate.
If the situation was bad and someone was injured, I alone could stand watch without fatigue.
How many hunters in the world could do that?
“Should I put everything in?”
“Pardon?”
The instructor was startled.
“Will it all fit? Every last bit?”
It seemed they had not thought all of the luggage would fit. I replied calmly.
“Yes. I tested it at home, and it can hold about one shipping container’s worth.”
“That’s insane…….”
The instructor cursed without meaning to, then hurriedly apologized.
“Oh, I am sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
Because they still looked doubtful, I put all of the luggage away for them to see. Their eyes grew wider every time I put something in; I was worried they might pop out by the end.
“H-how on earth…….”
“My Subspace skill is S-Grade.”
“S-S-Grade?”
Still shocked, the instructor recovered their senses and guided me to the Gate. When I glanced back, I saw the instructor take out their phone and hurriedly call someone.
‘That’s right. Report it quickly.’
The corner of my mouth curled up.
There was no doubt they would be talking about raising my value.
.
.
.
[Hozanna Goblin Village]
-Recommended Level: 1–10
-Entry Limit: 25
-Kill all goblins.
Because of the Gate’s entry limit, the 32 trainees were divided into two groups according to class.
Since their Gate practicals differed, the Warriors and Rogues were Group 1, while the Mages and Healers were Group 2.
I chose Group 1 for two reasons.
To begin with, I intended to keep using a sword. My talent was also for the sword. So it made sense for me to join a swordsmanship-focused group rather than a Mage group.
Scores were another consideration. I had performed well in the swordsmanship class, but I did not have a combat class.
That meant I did not receive the benefits of skills in the way other combat classes did.
The instructors would likely think my real combat ability was not particularly outstanding.
In that situation, showing outstanding combat ability would naturally earn me bonus points.
“The Awakened Goblins will be hunted by the supervisors. After that, the goblins will scatter, so you will hunt the goblins.”
This Gate practical was simple. It was a famous Gate like ‘□□ Forest’.
The dangerous Awakened ones would be handled by the supervisors. The other trainees only had to hunt goblins.
“If an emergency arises, ignite the signal flare we issued. But remember this. The supervisors are evaluators, not escorts. We cannot guarantee your survival one hundred percent.”
Of course, it was not perfectly safe.
The hunter industry was cold. Those who survived were strong. The workshop had a similar stance.
If you could not easily handle even a low-level Gate, it was judged that your future was bleak.
The trainees had even written wills last evening.
[Mr. Cheolgi, I am entering a Gate. If I die, take the security deposit for my studio apartment.]
I was no exception. I had scribbled one down without much thought.
Well, there was no chance my security deposit would go to Mr. Cheolgi.
“Anyone who wishes to give up even now may remain where they are. There is nothing shameful about it.”
The instructor looked around the group as they spoke, but of course, no one gave up.
“I will take it that all of you are participating. Your combat process and the number of goblins you hunt will count toward the evaluation.”
The practical was a goblin-hunting competition.
“Elimination complete.”
As the explanation continued, a hunter who had disappeared quickly approached. That probably meant they had dealt with the Awakened ones.
I was a little disappointed. I wanted to try fighting an Awakened one, too. But I supposed that would not be allowed.
“We will begin now.”
At the supervisor’s words, the trainees began rushing forward.
“Aaaah!”
The trainees ran off with battle cries.
Meanwhile, I was slightly late because I had been thinking about the Awakened ones.
Still, it was not a problem.
‘The cheetah is smiling.’
Thanks to being drenched in dragon’s blood, I had gained a great deal in stats. In particular, my Agility and Stamina were more than three times those of the trainees.
Once I began running at a reasonable pace, it was not difficult to overtake the people who had started before me.
“Crazy…….”
“Why are you so fast?”
I had not even gone all out, but I heard the baffled voices of trainees I had caught up to.
*
‘As expected.’
The supervisor inwardly sighed as they watched the trainees run. The key to this practical was endurance.
The goal was to hunt ‘many’ goblins scattered through the forest.
As time passed, there would be fewer goblins, and the trainees would have to move even more.
If they burned through their stamina at the beginning after already scattering out, there would be trouble later.
Goblins were weak but tenacious creatures. Breathing was important in combat, too. If you were ambushed while tired, it led to injuries.
The purpose of this practical was to observe such judgment and response.
‘I thought perhaps someone would notice, but I did not expect no one to.’
Every trainee was sprinting toward the forest at full speed. Even the Spatialist they had expected so much from was doing the same.
It could not be helped. This was an experience that could only be built through actual combat.
The supervisor spoke to those around them.
“From now on, we will follow the rear. If there are exhausted trainees, keep a close eye on them and protect them.”
They were all talents who could be of use. The supervisors quickly followed after the trainees so that no one would have to retire.
…But those concerns had nothing to do with Han Hye.
“SKREE!”
I responded to the charging goblin with Basic Swordsmanship of the Svinhood Empire. I had practiced it to the point of boredom.
‘Deflect, then thrust.’
With the sword extended, I lightly deflected the blow with a snap of my wrist, then thrust. It was exactly as Basic Swordsmanship of the Svinhood Empire taught.
SQUELCH—. The charging goblin’s neck was pierced.
Sure enough, sparring and real combat were different. Since the goblin was the height of an elementary school student, I had to adjust where I thrust.
Moreover, it had a dagger rather than a longsword, so I had to focus even while deflecting its attacks.
‘I am a little tired.’
This was already the sixth one. Slightly tired, I opened the Subspace without hesitation.
WHUMMM—
What did stamina matter? If I got a little tired, all I had to do was rest inside the Subspace, where time was endless, then come back out.
.
.
.
“First place, Mr. Han Hye. Fifteen goblins.”
That was why Han Hye was naturally in first place.