=========================================
SERIES: Regression of the Cursed Blacksmith
=========================================
Chapter 11 - The Hunter Exam
It was a spacious dueling arena.
As if it was a reminiscent of the Colosseum, this place had no holes or side paths to escape through.
Soon, a notification appeared before the 100 test-takers.
[ The final exam will now commence. ]
[ During the final exam, all test-takers' stats will be standardized to the same value. ]
[ However, all skills possessed by the test-takers are usable, and the exam will continue until only one survivor remains. ]
[ The entire process will be recorded, and the Infinity program, along with numerous examiners, will evaluate and score the actions of the test-takers. ]
He thought that the exam was being conducted in a truly fair and excellent manner.
Since it used virtual reality, control was easy, and casualties or accidents could be prevented from the start.
[ The final exam will now begin. ]
It was the notification to start the exam.
At that same moment, Choi Hyun ran.
[ Nimble Feet has been activated. ]
Nimble Feet got activated, drastically increasing his movement speed.
[ Hammer of Repair has been activated. ]
He then summoned a claw hammer and brought it down on the head of the person closest to him.
Crack!
It was a gruesome sound of impact.
[ Super Focus has been activated. ]
[ Deft Hands has been activated. ]
Two skills activated simultaneously, and the player, who was struck in the temple, died instantly without even a squeak.
PR/N: Temple is the middle point on the skull.
[ You have eliminated a test-taker. ]
[ Number of test-takers eliminated: 1. ]
Choi Hyun’s eyes gleamed like a predator’s.
There was no time to waste.
There were many people he had to deal with here, and much to gain.
Fwoosh!
[ Nimble Feet has been activated. ]
Choi Hyun charged fiercely toward his next target.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
All of them were One-hit kills.
Choi Hyun’s claw hammer mercilessly ended the life of anyone it touched in a single blow.
“When you’ve got nothing, there’s nothing better than a claw hammer.”
There was a common misconception people had.
That the sword was the king of all weapons.
Swords were much harder to handle than one might think.
A spear was easier, in comparison.
At least it let you maintain distance with your opponent.
In that sense, the easiest weapon for an ordinary person to handle was a blunt weapon, like a club.
Among them, a hammer with a concentrated point of impact and a short handle was the best.
And Choi Hyun had wielded a claw hammer, which was no different from a combat hammer, for a very long time.
Furthermore, when a man who had killed more monsters than he’d eaten meals during the end of the world was given the same stats as everyone else, who would be the predator here?
It was Choi Hyun.
[ Nimble Feet has been activated. ]
[ Super Focus has been activated. ]
[ Deft Hands has been activated. ]
[ You have eliminated a test-taker. ]
[ Number of test-takers eliminated: 4. ]
[ Nimble Feet has been activated. ]
[ Super Focus has been activated. ]
[ Deft Hands has been activated. ]
[ You have eliminated a test-taker. ]
[ Number of test-takers eliminated: 7. ]
[ Nimble Feet has been activated. ]
[ Super Focus has been activated. ]
[ Deft Hands has been activated. ]
[ You have eliminated a test-taker. ]
[ Number of test-takers eliminated: 11. ]
……
Every time his skills activated, the death toll rose quickly.
Infinity was busy rapidly checking on Choi Hyun’s record.
[ Examinee Choi Hyun has eliminated a cumulative total of 11 people. ]
[ Examinee Choi Hyun’s current overall score is 1st place. ]
[ Examinee Choi Hyun has eliminated a cumulative total of 15 people. ]
[ Examinee Choi Hyun’s current overall score is 1st place. ]
[ Examinee Choi Hyun has eliminated a cumulative total of 19 people. ]
[ Examinee Choi Hyun’s current overall score is 1st place. ]
……
Watching the rapidly rising death count, the supervising proctors couldn’t hide their astonishment.
“My god, what in the world…”
“Is this even possible?”
“His movements are definitely not those of a beginner.”
“Is that guy perhaps ex-military or police?”
“No? His records say he’s just turned twenty…?”
“Well, I’ll be damned…”
Just as Choi Hyun single-handedly mowed down nearly twenty percent of the participants, the very air in the dueling arena shifted.
“Is he… insane?”
“What is that?”
“Isn’t he a… a monster?”
“Ah, fuck, we’re screwed…”
Since it was a virtual reality program, there was no fear of actually dying in the people.
These were people who had already experienced the Tower of Trials, so their fear of death was less than that of an ordinary person, but fear of death was one thing, and helplessness was another.
They all felt the insurmountable wall of overwhelming skill difference.
Of course, not everyone felt that way.
Choi Kang-oh, Kim Dae-hyeok, Lee Soo-yong.
They were the exceptions.
These three were special mercenaries planted by Taesung, pro hunters active in the field, deployed for the sole purpose of eliminating Choi Hyun.
Aware of each other’s presence, they quietly exchanged glances.
None of them intended to kill Choi Hyun alone.
There had been no mention of an extra bonus for whoever killed him first.
Han Young-min was a calculating man.
A tiger uses its full strength even when hunting a single rabbit. Rather than motivating the mercenaries with bait like a bonus, he presented the risk that if they failed, no one would get paid.
That way, they wouldn’t make some pathetic mistake while competing to be the first to kill him.
Of course, in exchange for no bonus, their base pay would be increased.
So this game wasn’t every man for himself, but a 1 vs. 3 showdown between Choi Hyun and the mercenary trio.
“No matter how strong you are.”
“Facing three at once.”
“Will be anything but easy.”
It was then, just as Choi Hyun’s claw hammer logged out another participant, bringing the victim count to around thirty.
[ A swift and accurate first strike. ]
[ You have always succeeded in landing a bold and precise first strike when attacking an enemy. ]
[ Conditions have been met. ]
[ You have acquired the skill, “Preemptive Strike.” ]
The corner of Choi Hyun’s mouth lifted slightly.
He had just acquired Preemptive Strike, a skill that inflicted 100% additional damage as long as he attacked the opponent first.
“Normally, it’s a skill you can only get after landing the first strike on at least a hundred enemies.”
In Choi Hyun’s case, thanks to the experience acceleration effect of Deft Hands and Super Focus, he was able to obtain Preemptive Strike much faster than it would have normally taken.
The newly acquired Preemptive Strike began to synergize with his existing skills, producing effects beyond his expectations.
[ Super Focus has been activated. ]
[ Deft Hands has been activated. ]
[ Preemptive Strike has been activated. ]
[ You have eliminated a test-taker. ]
“Hoo.”
Exhaling a short breath, Choi Hyun swept back his sweat-drenched hair.
As expected, without having gained a single level or allocating his bonus stats, his stamina was running a bit low.
It was fine.
Looking at the number of test-takers he’d eliminated, he had built up a pretty overwhelming lead in points.
“But surviving until the very end gives the most points.”
It was at that moment.
Whoosh!
He heard a sharp, piercing sound.
Choi Hyun instinctively twisted his body away from the direction of the sound, dodging the attack.
The surprise attack was an arrow.
Shifting his gaze to find the archer, he saw Lee Soo-yong in the distance, aiming a crossbow at him.
Choi Hyun narrowed his eyes.
He could then see two other test-takers, with Lee Soo-yong as their center, slowly closing the distance to him.
“The guys from Taesung.”
Right, he had been waiting for them to make their move.
The reason Choi Hyun was certain they were Taesung’s assassins was surprisingly simple.
First, the fact that not two, but three of them had teamed up in a survival battle where only one could survive. And second, unlike ordinary Awakened, they were pressing him by naturally dividing their positions like trained professionals.
“Above all, having a ranged dealer for cover fire is a dead giveaway.”
In a survival battle where you had to be the lone survivor, even if you were to team up, placing someone capable of ranged support behind you?
That was a stupid move no normal test-taker would ever make.
That’s why he concluded the three of them were Taesung’s assassins.
And his prediction was spot on.
Then it was his time to act.
“By the way, I thought they’d use at least ten people, but only three?”
Were there more hiding somewhere else?
If the three in front of him were all they had, it would be quite baffling.
After all, this was a hundred-billion-won bet.
No matter how much harder it would've been to plant people in the second round than the first, to send a measly three?
They must be that confident.
“But that will be your downfall.”
Choi Hyun immediately ran towards them.
“He’s coming.”
“Confirmed.”
Lee Soo-yong had a bow, Choi Kang-oh had a sword, and Kim Dae-hyeok had a spear.
As Choi Hyun charged fearlessly, Choi Kang-oh and Kim Dae-hyeok immediately raised their weapons and took a defensive stance.
But contrary to their expectations, Choi Hyun threw his claw hammer before he even closed the distance.
“Hmph!”
Choi Kang-oh and Kim Dae-hyeok dodged Choi Hyun’s hammer.
At the same time, they let out a scoff.
The best he could do was throw his hammer as a diversion?
They had been a little tense after seeing his overwhelming display of power at the beginning, but they figured that he couldn’t shake off his rookie habits.
But they were mistaken.
Thwack!
They heard a gruesome sound of impact.
A groan escaped.
It was Lee Soo-yong’s.
The eyes of Choi Kang-oh and Kim Dae-hyeok widened.
The hammer was never aimed at them.
It had flown with precision and embedded itself in Lee Soo-yong’s face.
Even worse, it had struck his eye.
Was it intentional?
To think he would eliminate the support shooter first.
The only saving grace was that he had only lost an eye and hadn’t died yet.
Choi Kang-oh, the first to regain his senses, hurriedly shouted as he charged at Choi Hyun.
“Now! Kill him now!”
This wasn't the time to hesitate.
Stunned by Choi Hyun’s tactical sense, Choi Kang-oh revised his assessment.
The opponent might not have a hunter license, but there was a high probability that he was a battle-hardened expert who had plenty of experience in the field.
Therefore, now that he was without his hammer, this was their chance to kill him.
The moment he thought that.
Whoosh!
The hammer he had thrown—the one that should have been gone—was back in Choi Hyun's hand, swinging right at him.
0 Comments