---
"Your Highness, you didn't have to participate in this exam. One word from you, and the Association would have granted you a B-rank certificate."
Nathan, Jurion's personal guard, spoke carefully, almost nervously.
Jurion didn't slow his steps.
"It's fine, Nathan. I have to prove myself."
And he meant every word.
His elder brother — the First Prince — and his elder sister — the Crown Princess — had both not only taken the Hunter Exams, but aced them. Their scores were so high they still stood unmatched among the younger generation.
Their achievements placed them far ahead of Jurion in the succession race.
If he wanted even a chance to stand beside them…
He didn't just need to pass this exam.
He needed to excel.
To outperform both of them.
To show the entire Yggdrasil Empire that he was not the "third in line," but a contender.
Jurion's gaze slid toward the field, where hundreds of participants were gathered before a row of Association officials. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation; eyes sharpened as everyone waited for the exam details to be announced.
"Let's go," Jurion said calmly.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Nathan straightened his posture, following closely behind—not just as a guard, but as a fellow participant who understood exactly how high the stakes were for the prince walking beside him.
---
The Hunter Association officials stood in a tight cluster, flipping through reports and murmuring among themselves. Their expressions were sharp—too sharp for this to be a simple formality.
I waited with the rest of the participants, a hundred bodies packed into the designated staging area.
Behind the officials, an artificial gate shimmered faintly, its dark-blue surface rippling like liquid glass.
Artificial gates—gates literally manufactured by the Hunter Association's Research & Development branch.
Incredibly expensive.
Painfully unstable.
And, for the sake of exam simulations, absolutely necessary.
Currently, there were only around fifty such gates worldwide.
The crowd beyond the barricades filled almost every inch of the viewing stands—nine hundred, maybe a thousand people.
But most of them weren't thrill-seekers or reporters.
They were families.
Just like Hana.
I spotted her easily, waving excitedly from the second row, practically bouncing in her seat. I raised a hand in return before shifting my focus back to the supervisor stepping forward.
The man in the center folded the papers in his hands and addressed us.
"Welcome, everyone."
His voice carried—loud, but not harsh; strict, but honest.
"I hope you've made enough preparations and are ready to prove yourselves as hunters."
His gaze swept across the group. It lingered on some, passed over others, measured all.
"I will be your supervisor for today. If any problems arise, you may report directly to me."
He placed a hand over his chest.
"My name is Kael Bolan. I am an A-rank hunter."
A murmur passed through the crowd. A-rank supervisors weren't common for entrance exams.
Kael continued, "Your exam details are as follows."
As he spoke, other officials stepped toward us, carrying stacks of yellow wristbands with a small black HUD embedded at the top.
"These," Kael said, "are point trackers."
I received mine—lightweight, slightly warm, almost like it was already reading my mana.
"Every monster you kill will grant you points based on its rank. These points will be recorded and updated in your tracker."
He raised a hand toward the massive digital screen fixed between two towering steel columns.
"Your scores will also appear on the live leaderboard during the raid."
Whispers erupted across the field—some nervous, some eager.
Kael began listing the scoring system:
"E-rank monster: 10 points.
D-rank: 50.
C-rank: 250.
B-rank: 1,000.
And the Guardian—also B-rank: 15,000 points."
Fifteen thousand?
That alone could determine rankings.
"This gate does not contain monsters above B-rank," he continued. "So the ceiling of difficulty is B."
He paused for emphasis.
"Just like your highest possible result will be B-rank certification."
A few hopeful faces deflated.
Then he added the part everyone was waiting for.
"The boss monster for this exam will be a lightning-type beast… the Lightning Wyrm."
A ripple spread through the participants—excitement, fear, anticipation.
And for me?
I simply tightened my grip on my claws.
One day left or not…
I wasn't planning to fail.
"This gate is fully covered in surveillance," Kael continued, his tone sharpening. "So none of you better step out of line. And listen carefully—while the monsters inside won't kill you, they can leave you permanently handicapped. Only engage enemies you're confident you can handle."
A fresh wave of tension rolled through the participants.
"The bands on your wrists can also assess monster rankings. Refer to them before charging in blindly."
He clasped his hands behind his back.
"Now—prepare your bands. You will enter the gate in five minutes."
With that, he stepped aside.
The field erupted into motion.
Cloth rustled, metal clanked, mana flared.
Participants double-checked weapons, tightened straps, drew deep breaths.
The glowing HUDs on the wristbands flickered to life one by one.
I had already checked mine the moment I received it.
So instead of fussing with gear, I focused on something far more important.
My stat points.
⟦ So, which stat are you upgrading? ⟧
Aphrodite's voice echoed in my head—light, curious, and slightly teasing as always.
"At least ten points into Agility," I murmured. "Lightning-types are ridiculously fast."
⟦ Oh~? Only ten? ⟧
Her tone rose with playful disbelief.
⟦ You do realize you're fighting something literally named the Lightning Wyrm, right? ⟧
⟦ And it's a boss monster so it will be stronger than even that Minotaur.⟧
"I said 'at least.' Let me see the rest first."
I opened my status window.
Bright blue text unfolded before me, reflecting off my eyes as the world around me faded into background noise.
---------------------------------------
HOST STAT WINDOW
---------------------------------------
[ Strength: 10 ]
[ Agility: 12 ]
[ Mana: 9 ]
[ Stamina: 19 ]
( 1 Stat Point = +1 to any Stat )
[ Sex Skill: Level 1 ]
— Cannot be upgraded with stat points.
— Increases only through "experience."
[ Lust Essence: 100 / 100 ]
{ Full Refill: 3 Days }
( +50 Max Lust Essence = 10 Stat Points )
( Refill Time –1 hr = 10 Stat Points )
[ Summon Energy: 100 / 100 ]
{ Full Refill: 24 Hours }
( +100 Max Summon Energy = 10 Stat Points )
( Refill Time –1 hr = 10 Stat Points )
[ Pain Resistance: Low ]
( Upgrade Cost: 10 Stat Points )
[ Charm Aura: Level 1 ]
( Upgrade Cost: 5 Stat Points )
[ Free Stat Points: 39 ]
[ Stat Points per Level Up: 3 ]
=======================================
⟦So? How much in agility?⟧
Aphrodite's voice rang inside my head, lazy but curious.
"15 points into Agility," I muttered.
⟦Mmm, good choice.⟧
Her tone warmed with approval.
⟦And? Don't ignore stamina. You don't want to face that 12 hour torture again right? So Put some in stamina to satisfy your summons.⟧
"I know. Ten to Stamina."
⟦There we go.⟧
I rolled my eyes.
"And ten into Strength. It's too low. If I can't generate power, none of my forms matter."
⟦Hmm~ correct.⟧
"I can't use mana yet. And I'm barely managing one summon—dual summon is out of question."
Honestly, I kept hoping my Shadow Claw Doctrine would appear in the skill list…
But only system-awarded skills showed up.
Figures.
I confirmed the allocation.
---
---------------------------------------
UPDATED HOST STAT WINDOW
---------------------------------------
[ Strength: 20 ]
[ Agility: 27 ]
[ Mana: 9 ]
[ Stamina: 29 ]
[ Free Stat Points: 4 ]
=======================================
Just as the numbers settled, Kael Bolan's voice boomed across the field.
"Time's up! Everyone, gather and enter the gate!"
The massive artificial gate behind the officials pulsed with mana.
Participants straightened.
Spectators leaned forward—Hana started waving when she spotted me.
I closed my status window and took a slow breath.
Five days of preparation.
One exam ahead.
No backing out.
Time to get B-rank.
---