Hunter Academy's Battle God

It was a place with nine streams.

[Nine Dragon's Island.]

Nine Dragon's Island was an artificial island based on the 'Nine Dragon's Island Myth’.

Bixi's cave, The Cultivating River, Wind Field, Cloud Mountains… Including those, there were nine territories they had to occupy.

"So… we must get one of these to get to the top!"

Kim EunAh nodded at Amy's explanation.

Nine parties and 27 members…

Considering there were about 200 students in the 1st year, they couldn’t send many people to each territory.

"And a keepsake! The more objects we get, the more points we will receive!"

There were 30 keepsakes that were spread all across the island in the exam. Each one could get you 10 points. Considering how controlling one territory could bring you about 100 points, it was a side quest.

"Then do we have to protect the territories while taking keepsakes from others?" EunAh had a point.

That was the reason why the exam was hard.

Obtaining keepsakes became harder if you decided to maintain control of a territory, but if you chose to take keepsakes from others, controlling territory became harder.

"Right. The exam isn't over once you get control of a territory. In that sense, I'm envious of Sumire. She's going to have a huge advantage…"

Amy was envious of Sumire because of her necromancy.

The name of the exam was 'Siege'. In a Siege, the number of members became a decisive factor.

Sumire was a walking army, so she was going to have a huge advantage in the exam.

"Even if they lure away her familiar spirits, most people shouldn't be able to get close. I'm sorry for the people that will face her~"

Just like Amy said, Sumire's ability shone in Sieges.

"It would be bothersome to have her as an enemy."

EunAh and Amy talked as if there was no way they'd have to fight against Sumire. Renia was dripping cold sweat while looking at them.

'Why…?! Why are my two party members from the A class?!'

To make things worse, EunAh was one of YuSung’s party members. She was a student that the world had its eyes on.

'This is too much pressure! They're too outstanding of students!'

While Renia was looking at them nervously, Amy said, “Ah-!” while looking at Renia. "You! You're the girl that did the terror attack on the playfield! I saw the video!"

"T-terror?! Hahaha… It wasn't a terror attack! I was just celebrating your victory?!" As Renia tried to talk humbly, Amy smiled in satisfaction.

"Fufufu. Don't get too nervous. We already have the rankings decided," Amy confidently said.

Renia thought that, rather than ability, they were hiding something.

She couldn't handle her curiosity and asked, "Already decided…?"

Amy whispered in Renia's ear. "We aren't going to attack our party members… We have a secret password."

Sending messages through the Pocket during the exam wasn’t allowed, but they'd decided on a password so that they could avoid interfering with each other.

"This might be familiar to you~" Amy shook something that looked like fireworks.

"This is…"

Renia knew what Amy was holding. Rather than hunter equipment, it was more like rescue equipment.

—Flares.

It was an object that had many use cases. People used them to illuminate dark places or create smog to alert the city guards civilians were in a certain place, among many others.

"Ah! So wherever this smoke rises is somewhere a party member is?!" Renia asked while making a surprised expression on her face. 

Amy nodded. "Yes! That means there's no way we will attack other members of the same party!"

When she saw Amy speak about it so confidently, Renia thought, 'Isn't that collusion…?!'

Still, it didn't go against the rules, so it wasn't cheating. Renia didn't say anything and accepted reality.

'As long as we win, it should be okay!'

* * *

Reaper Scans

Translator - Daniel Shin

Proofreader - ilafy

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* * *

‘How did things turn out like this?’

Sumire was sweating as if she were sitting on a cushion of thorns.

"Aghh. Why can't you understand? In an exam like this, it's important to invade as soon as possible and obtain as many points as you can!"

As soon as the exam began, Ju HaJin said they should move as actively as possible.

"Ah, that's great. Since you clearly don't think at all, it's as if you'd already been disqualified. Come on, get disqualified fast~ and wait for us on the cruise." SiWoo first wanted to get a safe place and slowly gain control of a territory.

"You bastard. Are you making fun of me?"

"If you know, don't bother me. I've changed, and now I don't let things pass."

"Really? Then how have you remained so silent until now?"

It was a fight between two prideful students.

Neither of them was planning to back down. If she left things like that, it was clear that they would keep arguing.

"Uhmm…" Sumire raised her hands. Since Sumire was timid, she was bad in situations like that.

Still, Sumire had also changed, and she wouldn’t just stay silent in such situations anymore.

"Could I give my opinion…?"

As Sumire tried to voice her opinion, Ju HaJin and Lee SiWoo became interested.

"What? Your opinion…? Let's hear it."

"Sumire, tell him I'm okay with anything as long as it isn't a suicidal plan like his."

The two kept arguing, but Sumire voiced her opinion.

"Ju HaJin is among the top 30… And you, SiWoo, have shown huge achievements… but I'm one of the Sevens."

The first weapon Sumire took out was her grades as a Seven. She said it with her usual, kind face.

"Following the school's rules, wouldn't it be better if we followed my plans…? I'm placed 6th, after all."

Ju HaJin coughed at the unexpected argument. "Ehem…!"

In Gaon, what mattered were your skills, so your grades were equal to your standing. He'd ignored it because Sumire looked like a calm person, but her words had a lot of weight in Gaon.

"Huh? Ah, th-that's true…"

SiWoo also seemed surprised. Even if he'd shown huge results in the match against the UK, thanks to Laplace's fragment, Sumire's fighting capability was hard to estimate.

In terms of skill and grades, Sumire was on top of him. She silently began explaining.

"I'm a necromancer. So I can give orders to my familiar spirits… Making a strategy that takes this into consideration is important. I'm sure that you can achieve huge things alone, SiWoo, but still…! I feel like I'm more suited to giving orders… in a multi-person battle!"

Not only had she mentioned her grades; Sumire had explained why she was more suited to be the leader.

"That's why… could you leave the strategy to me?"

There was a short silence.

Ju HaJin wanted to say something, but he couldn't think of any arguments. After she began hanging out with YuSung, Sumire had reached a place no other students could approach.

'Not only that, but according to the rumors… it's almost as if she’s married to YuSung…'

There were many non-confirmed rumors regarding YuSung and Sumire's relationship. Of course, most of those were things like:

—She goes to his room in the morning and makes breakfast for him.

—She makes him a lunch box.

—During the weekend, even late at night, she goes to his house and makes dinner for him.

Things like that.

'I heard that, when YuSung went to Japan, he visited her house…'

Although Japan was close, it was still another country.

To think that he'd go somewhere that far away and visit Sumire's parents. Ju HaJin thought that was like a meeting with his girlfriend's family.

The more Ju HaJin thought about it, the more his perception of Sumire changed.

Although she looked like a calm person, she was capable of grabbing YuSung. As he thought that, he thought Sumire was probably hiding her true face behind that kind smile.

'Getting on her bad side and becoming enemies with YuSung would be dumb.'

Although everyone knew how strong YuSung was in theory, HaJin was the first person in the Academy who realized how strong he was in reality.

To HaJin, YuSung was a monster among monsters. He was someone he didn't want to become enemies with.

"Okay… I'm sure it will be better than that coward's plan. You can take care of it." HaJin said as if he were the one accepting it. He was taking care of his remaining pride. 

Sumire smiled at both of them. "Then let's do our best!"

Sumire had changed a lot from hanging out with YuSung.

"O-okay. Let's do our best, Sumire."

"Well… Even if you don't say that, this is a test, so…"

SiWoo and HaJin were the ones smiling awkwardly that time.

As expected…

Sumire had become stronger in many ways.