Chapter 49: Promotion Exam
"Good stuff..."
Soren muttered, arriving in front of the weapon.
The weapon immediately drew his attention away from the sea of mass-produced steel surrounding it. Its shaft was carved from dark Ironwood, a dense wood that offered the hefty feel of solid timber alongside the structural resilience of tempered metal. Fixed to the tip was a leaf-shaped blade forged from Refined Cold-Iron, its edge ground to a brilliant finish that caught and held the overhead facility lights.
’Oh!’
The moment he wrapped his fingers around the grip, he knew the balance was flawless. The center of gravity rested perfectly against his palm, sitting exactly where he needed it to execute an explosive lunge.
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[Ironwood Cold-Iron Spear]
Rank: D+
Effect: High mana conductivity and 15% increased piercing power against beast-type monsters.
Price: 35,000 credits.
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’Combined with the armor, the bill is already 55,000 credits.’
Soren tightened his grip on the ironwood.
It was a staggering amount of money for someone who had been scraping by on slime cores just a day ago, but he knew he couldn’t be stingy now.
’55,000 out of 80,000,’ he calculated, his jaw tightening. ’I still have 25,000 left. After setting aside the money for Ethea and Miss Clara... I can still afford a few more things.’
Since he was going to be raiding back-to-back, he couldn’t afford a single day of downtime. He turned away from the weapons and headed toward the supply section. He needed consumables.
’I still have those advanced grade healing potions from that investment. Still, I should buy a few more just in case.’
Soren kept a mental tally as he moved through the aisles.
He spent the next half hour carefully combing through the rows of medical supplies and glass vials, eventually picking out a batch of mid-grade mana and health potions. He added several high-potency stamina stimulants, fast-acting painkillers, and a few specialized antidotes to his basket. When he finally reached the front counter and scanned his card, another 10,000 credits disappeared from his balance.
’65,000 spent. 15,000 left.’
Watching his funds drop so quickly stung, yet packing the new gear into his bag brought a reassuring sense of readiness. With ninety minutes left on the clock before his assessment started, he tracked down an empty corner in the lounge to sit and wait. He pulled out his phone and began researching.
He started with the Second Circle gates located within the city outskirts, mapping out which ones had the highest density of beast-type monsters, his new spear’s specialty.
He then shifted his focus to the Kalmira Elite Hunter Academy.
The articles described it as the city’s premier institution for young Awakened, funded by local guilds and influential families. The sophomores he would be guarding were often from privileged backgrounds, raised on better supplements and coaching than most hunters could ever dream of.
’Geniuses with high specs but zero experience,’ he thought, leaning his head back. ’A recipe for disaster if things go south.’
He couldn’t help but recall the Ironclad Gorge incident. The catalyst for that disaster had been Nick, a kid around the same age as these students. He just hoped he wouldn’t have to deal with another ticking time bomb like that during this mission.
Shaking off the grim memory, he forced his focus back to the screen.
Between his research on the Academy and the monsters, he also took a few minutes to look up the promotion exam itself. Most forums described the E-rank test as a "filter" designed to weed out those who had simply gotten lucky in First Circle gates. While others said it was easy as long as you knew your stuff.
Soren paid no attention to the online debates, shutting his eyes to run through his combat forms mentally until his name finally boomed over the lounge speakers.
"Candidate Soren, please report to Testing Hall B."
He stood up, made a quick adjustment to his new gear, and walked down the corridors. Waiting inside the hall was a middle-aged proctor holding a clipboard, watching his approach with a no-nonsense look.
"Hunter Soren? I’m Examiner Vahn," the man said. "You’re here for the E-rank promotion. I’ll keep this brief. The exam is divided into three parts. Fail one, and you’re out."
Vahn tapped his pen against the clipboard.
"Part one is the Theoretical Assessment. We need to ensure you actually know the Bureau’s field protocols and the legalities of gate clearance. It’s a verbal Q&A. Part two is Mana Measurement; we’ll verify that your mana quality and output have actually reached the Second Circle threshold."
He gestured toward a heavy, reinforced iron door at the back of the room.
"And finally, part three: Practical Combat Simulation. You will be sent into a controlled environment where we will release a wave of monsters."
Vahn’s eyes narrowed, searching for a tremor in Soren’s hands. "Understand the terms?"
Soren calmly nodded.
"Then, let’s begin."
Vahn settled into the chair across from him, pulling out a weathered tablet. His sharp eyes never left Soren’s face as he scrolled to the first question.
"First question: What is the first thing you check when entering an unfamiliar gate?"
Soren pondered for a moment before replying. "The mana density and stability. If the ambient energy is fluctuating or feels heavier than the preliminary scan suggested, the gate might be unstable or evolving."
"Correct. Second question: You encounter a corrupted mana-vein within a Second Circle gate. Are you authorized to harvest it for personal gain?"
"No," Soren replied firmly. "Corrupted veins are volatile and require professional purification. Harvesting them without a permit is a crime, as it endangers the hunter and can destabilize the entire gate environment."
"Good. The third question..."
"..."
The theoretical assessment continued in a similar fashion.
Vahn threw question after question at him: gate collapses, party disputes, monster corpse disposal protocols, and even a curveball about handling a hunter who attempted to smuggle gate materials. Soren answered each question with measured precision, drawing on both his field experience and the knowledge he gained recently through his research. That memory enhancement return also played a big role in it.
Finally, Vahn set the tablet down.
"Theoretical Assessment: complete. You’ve achieved a passing score."
Soren exhaled quietly, allowing himself a small measure of relief. One hurdle cleared.
"Now for the second part," Vahn continued, rising from his chair and motioning for Soren to follow. "Mana Measurement."
He led Soren toward a sleek, cylindrical chamber embedded in the far wall. It resembled a glass pod lined with intricate silver runes that pulsed faintly with dormant energy. A single palm-shaped indent sat at its center.
"Place your hand on the receptor and channel your mana steadily," Vahn instructed, stepping back to a monitoring console. "Don’t force it. Just let it flow naturally. The array will measure both density and total output."
Soren stepped forward and pressed his palm against the cool surface. He closed his eyes, drawing a slow breath as he reached into his core. The familiar warmth of his mana stirred, flowing down his arm and into the receptor in a steady, controlled stream.
The silver runes flared to life, glowing brighter with each passing second.
Vahn watched the console, his weathered face illuminated by the pale blue glow of the display. Numbers climbed rapidly, stabilizing after a few moments.
"Mana Quantity: 13,756 units."
Vahn let out a low hum, his eyebrows rising a fraction.
"Your capacity is... impressive," He remarked, scribbling a note. "Mana quality is stable, too. You’ve clearly been refining your core properly."
"Mm..." Soren remained silent.
"Part two cleared. Now comes the actual test." Vahn turned and strode toward the heavy iron door at the back of the room, placing his palm against a reinforced scanner. Locks disengaged with a deep, mechanical clunk, and the door groaned open to reveal a vast chamber beyond.
Soren stepped through and felt the atmosphere shift immediately.
The combat hall stretched at least forty meters across, with reinforced alloy plating covering every surface: walls, floor, and ceiling. Deep gouges and scorch marks marred the metal, silent testimony to countless battles fought within these confines.
Overhead, mana-suppression arrays hummed softly, containing whatever chaos was about to unfold. A transparent barrier separated the observation deck from the arena itself, behind which Vahn now stood, his hand resting on a control panel.
"This is a live combat simulation," Vahn’s voice echoed through hidden speakers. "There are no safety nets and no intervention unless you’re literally about to die. The monsters released will be authentic Second Circle specimens, captured alive and kept docile through suppression collars. Once those collars deactivate, they will attack with full lethal intent."
Soren reached over his shoulder and drew his newly acquired spear. The obsidian-threaded shaft felt solid in his grip, the reinforced tip catching the harsh overhead lights.
"Understood."
Vahn’s hand hovered over the controls.
"You must at least clear three waves. Each wave will be harder than the last. Survive, and you earn your promotion. Fail, and well..."
He didn’t need to finish that sentence.
A heavy mechanical whir echoed through the hall as three reinforced panels slid open along the far wall. From the darkness beyond, Soren caught the glint of multiple eyes and heard the low, guttural growls of caged beasts.
"Wave one. Begin."