The camera lens slowly turned.
“All right, everyone. Where are we right now?”
A quiet whisper.
The enormous interior of the training hall appeared in the trembling footage.
“The Returnee Training Camp. Literally the hottest place in the Republic of Korea right now.”
Snickering laughter followed.
“I’m telling you, won’t the views explode if we film this and upload it? I’ve already got the perfect thumbnail shot.”
“Hey, keep it down. If we get caught, we’ll be expelled immediately.”
“Come ooon~ No way. Everyone secretly films this much—”
TAP.
The image shook for a moment.
“…Huh?”
A black glove was blocking the lens.
Above it,
the face of a man who slowly tilted his head as he looked down at them came into view.
“Filming in secret?”
A suit.
A Management Bureau armband.
And eyes that did not look as though they were smiling at all, despite the smile on his face.
“Did you think we would not know?”
GULP.
The sound of someone swallowing was captured in the recording.
“Put down every camera.”
The air around them turned cold all at once.
At that moment,
the Management Bureau employees waiting at the back moved simultaneously.
“If our detection equipment finds cameras, recorders, or anything similar, your eligibility to enter the camp will be revoked! Hand them over immediately!”
At the Management Bureau employee’s threat, those preparing to become NeoTubers moved in a panic.
Soon, the hidden cameras began dropping to the floor one by one.
From inside bags.
From beneath their clothes.
Even from the soles of their shoes and the glasses they were wearing.
“S-sorry.”
“Please, anything but expulsion!”
Those who had thrown down all their cameras fervently begged the Management Bureau employee for mercy.
“Wow….”
Kim Ji-eun’s mouth fell slightly open.
“They really do catch everything. You would think they might allow it for publicity.”
Beside her, Lee Ji-hoon rested his chin on his hand and watched the scene.
Then he spotted a man.
‘Haa… Shit.’
A curse formed with only the movement of the man’s lips.
Ji-hoon’s gaze shifted toward him for the briefest moment.
“I’m sorry. Please, just let me enter! I want to join a Guild too!”
“Then prove yourself with your abilities. Not with a camera like this. Do you understand?”
The man who had been begging the Management Bureau employee broke into a bright smile.
“Yes! I’ll be sure to show you!”
“Whew… Go on.”
SWISH–
The man passed through, and the detector showed nothing.
“Hmm….”
Ji-hoon quietly watched him.
“Excuse me.”
In the end, he called out and stopped the man.
“Uh, yes?”
“If you go inside and get caught, you’ll really die.”
GULP–
The man blinked.
“What do you mean…?”
“You’re wearing a mana-restriction device. You used it to hide a camera inside, right?”
The man flinched.
How did he know?
“Those people might not catch you, but if a Hunter like Baek Kang-hyeon does, there’ll be no way out. He’ll really try to cut you down on the spot.”
“COUGH, HACK, HIC–.”
“You think I’m lying, right?”
Ji-hoon’s gaze pointed toward Baek Kang-hyeon, who had placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.
“He did not become a Management Bureau Branch Director and the Republic of Korea’s number-one Hunter by using his head. He did it with his body. He’ll really come at you.”
As he spoke,
Ji-hoon lightly pressed the man’s Adam’s apple with his right hand.
He was wearing the bracelet made from Choco’s Spines.
“CHOKE, GASP, GAG….”
At that moment, the man’s breathing broke out of rhythm.
After barely managing to exhale, the man spoke with difficulty.
“Y-yes, yes, GASP, HUFF… I-I’ll do that. Th-thank you.”
“You made the right choice.”
Ji-hoon smiled and withdrew his hand.
And then the man said,
“E-excuse me! I have one more!”
He pulled out the camera hidden inside, took off the mana-restriction magic-device vest, and handed them over.
Only then did the fluctuations in the man’s mana disappear.
[It appears to be a rather high-grade magic device. Even at Hell Farm, such a thing would be difficult to find.]
Poppy was right.
The vest the man had been wearing was at least an A-rank magic device.
Considering that most of the people gathered here were between E-rank and B-rank, it was not a piece of equipment one could easily obtain.
Unless they received support from the Management Bureau, like me.
[But why did you stop him, Big Brother? It was a chance for your exploits to become known far and wide.]
“What would you do if that ended up exposing all of you?”
He still did not know where the others from Hell Farm were or how they were doing.
He did not want to create an unpredictable situation.
That was why Ji-hoon had stopped the man and persuaded(?) him.
‘That aside, I didn’t know it would be that effective.’
Ji-hoon checked the accessories on his arm and around his neck.
They were accessories from S-rank Boss Monsters.
Most people would feel intimidated by the mana they emitted alone.
Ji-hoon watched the people passing through the security checkpoint, thinking that he would prefer not to use these items during the camp if he could help it.
“Ji-hoon! You’re already through! I didn’t have anything unusual either!”
Kim Ji-eun spoke as she held up her water bottle.
“Your animal friends made it through safely too.”
“They just let me through when I said I had brought them because of my Skill.”
After all, the very purpose of this gathering included evaluating the Returnees’ capabilities.
Kim Ji-eun looked at the pile of cameras and spoke.
“To think they tried to film a broadcast even here. What is it with NeoTubers, anyway?”
“Indeed.”
The world had changed greatly over the past ten years.
“Back in my day, people just sent star balloons and things like that.”
“Pardon? What did you say, Ji-hoon?”
“Nothing. Anyway, there really are a lot of people here.”
“Aren’t you excited? What kinds of abilities do you think the others have? Eee!”
Seeing Kim Ji-eun’s genuine innocence allowed Ji-hoon to relax somewhat.
Baek Kang-hyeon, Jin Seo-yoon, and even Yoon Do-ha.
With three S-rank Hunters here, surely no incident will break out?
[Big Brother, you are raising a flag.]
“Shut up. And where did you learn that expression about raising flags?”
[I learned it from a drama yesterday.]
Now you even watch dramas?
“Those who have passed, collect your assigned location ID tags!”
After collecting their ID tags, Ji-hoon and Ji-eun entered the waiting room.
***
Soon, all the applicants had arrived in the waiting room and listened to a brief explanation.
“…That concludes the explanation of how things will proceed. Now, as explained, please form your groups!”
According to the Management Bureau employee, a number was written on the back of each location ID tag, and they were to check which group that number had been assigned to.
“Each group will consist of five people. Please check the number written on your tag and find your group.”
They were not merely sequential numbers.
The number Ji-hoon had received was 63.
At the same time, a large screen lit up before them.
It was probably some kind of magic device.
Ji-hoon looked at the screen and searched for his number.
“63… 63….”
Beneath his name, once he found it, were the two characters for Group C.
When he went to the area where Group C was gathered,
“Huh?”
he saw Kim Ji-eun, the Spirit Mage he had spoken with earlier.
“Ji-hoon!”
Seemingly delighted, Kim Ji-eun waved at Ji-hoon in greeting.
At the same time, the other group members’ gazes fixed on him.
“Hello….”
When Ji-hoon greeted them awkwardly, Kim Ji-eun stepped forward as if to lighten the mood.
“It looks like everyone’s here! Should we introduce ourselves?”
She certainly had a bright personality.
Ji-hoon felt inwardly relieved, thinking that at least they would not end up in a situation where everyone was too awkward to say a word.
Brushing back her brown bob, Kim Ji-eun introduced herself energetically.
“I’m Kim Ji-eun, and I’m twenty-one years old! I’m a Spirit Mage. I was summoned to a country inhabited by Spirits.”
One of the men who had been sitting quietly beside her asked a question.
“Spirits? That’s very unusual. What rank are you?”
“Ah, I’m E-rank!”
“PFFT!”
The man burst out laughing.
“E-rank? You’re so cute I could die.”
“Pardon?”
“No, I just didn’t expect there to be actual E-rank and F-rank kids here. You’re as cute as you look, aren’t you?”
Kim Ji-eun’s expression stiffened slightly at the way the man treated her like a child.
Although cowed, Kim Ji-eun mustered her courage and asked the man in return.
“Th-then… what about you? Could you introduce yourself?”
“Ah, my name is Kang Gi-tae. I’m twenty-five, and, well, I’m just a C-rank Enhancement-Type.”
His voice placed particular emphasis on the term 'Enhancement-Type'.
Ji-hoon looked over his ridiculous getup.
He was wearing a shirt that clung excessively to his body and an obnoxious expression that made anyone looking at him uncomfortable.
‘He’s exactly the kind of bastard who lives drunk on his own greatness.’
As though he had been waiting for the chance, Poppy began disparaging the man from Ji-hoon’s side.
[The way he speaks reminds me of those Cerberus bastards. One glance is enough to see how pitifully shallow he is. It would be best not to get close to him.]
Ji-hoon could also see the swaggering bravado in him.
Keeping an eye on Kang Gi-tae, Ji-hoon listened to the introductions of the others in turn.
They were Kim Jin-woo, an A-rank Detection-Type Hunter, and Lee Min-jae, a B-rank Defense-Type Hunter. Both had returned more than five years ago.
‘Their ranks are relatively high.’
Then, finally, it was Ji-hoon’s turn.
“I’m Lee Ji-hoon. I’m a Tamer… and I’m F-rank.”
Kim Ji-eun clapped by herself—CLAP, CLAP, CLAP.
Everyone except Ji-eun sighed when they heard he was F-rank.
Kang Gi-tae clapped—CLAP, CLAP.
“That settles it. Our A-rank Big Brother Jin-woo can be the leader, and Ms. Ji-eun and Mr. Ji-hoon? You two can cheer us on and look pretty.”
“Pardon? I-I’d like to cooperate with everyone instead of just cheering….”
Kang Gi-tae snickered at Kim Ji-eun’s reply.
“You’re a funny one. E-ranks and F-ranks should think of yourselves as having come here to play. Surely you didn’t come here expecting to gain something incredible, right, Big Brother Jin-woo?”
Kim Jin-woo nodded without saying much.
Beside him, Lee Min-jae was grumbling as though something displeased him.
“I was really looking forward to joining one of the Five Great Guilds, and now I end up in a group with an E-rank and an F-rank….”
It was obvious just from listening that he was pissed off.
[I do not like those bastards’ reactions one bit.]
“Hmm, neither do I.”
At this rate, their teamwork is screwed.
[Big Brother, should Choco bite him for you? That muscle man’s muscles are obviously just for show.]
Choco bared his teeth slightly.
Kim Ji-eun continued trying to sell them on her role.
“I can control a Water Spirit, you know? I’ll be useful as a Supporter. I can also use Skill Enhancement. Even if my rank is low, I still have a role to play.”
“Why are you overthinking it so much, huh? I’m just saying you can sit there and look pretty.”
Kang Gi-tae’s hand moved naturally toward Kim Ji-eun’s shoulder.
At that moment,
[HISSS!]
“HISSS!”
Choco growled as Ji-hoon bared his teeth.
“Wh-what?”
A baffled Kang Gi-tae took a step back.
“You weren’t good at studying in school, were you?”
“H-ha! I was an excellent student. At least in elementary school, I ranked fifth in my class….”
“Enough. Don’t you understand the test designer’s intent?”
Ji-hoon pointed at the display board.
“Why do you think they mixed the team members up like this? In real combat, you might be drafted at random. They’re asking what you’ll do when that happens.”
“I-I knew that too, you know?”
Anyone could tell that he had only just realized it. Lee Min-jae and Kim Ji-eun giggled.
Then A-rank Kim Jin-woo stepped in and added,
“Ji-hoon is right. In real combat, you never know what kind of Hunter you might end up working with. The same will probably be true even after joining a Guild.”
“GROAN….”
“For now, let us do our best. The key will be to find our individual roles and act accordingly.”
When the A-rank Hunter spoke, Kang Gi-tae clicked his tongue as if he had no choice.
“Well, if that’s what Big Brother Jin-woo says….”
Kang Gi-tae returned to his seat with a reluctant expression.
At that moment, the image on the display board changed.
“This is the first trial. The D-rank Dungeon Simulator.”
Baek Kang-hyeon, who had joined Group A, spoke while facing the display board.
“The keyword is maze. A special bonus will be awarded to the group that escapes with the highest score.”
“Ooh!”
“A maze.”
“Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?”
The Hunters had no sense of how it would work.
And among them,
“Poppy, Choco. Listen carefully to what I say.”
[Yes, Big Brother.]
[Choco’s listening.]
Ji-hoon held a strategy meeting without anyone noticing.