Chapter 22

022. Hunter Han Seong-yun (2)

After neatly organizing his equipment, he slowly experimented with the special command words for the Tower of Trials.

He thought that since he could have brought the equipment he bought with points, the command words might work as well.

However,

"Of course, this doesn't work."

Whether it was Trials, Information, Community, Shop, Inventory, or anything else, none of the command words worked, so he soon gave up.

"Well, if it had worked, it would have been even stranger."

The Inventory alone was incredibly powerful; if he could have used it, the impact would have been immense.

He put away his thoughts and immediately prepared some appropriate clothes from the wardrobe.

He didn't want to wear the clothes that were drenched in sweat and blood, emitting a strong odor.

"It's actually surprising that I could wear them this long."

It was an achievement made with the determination not to waste points unnecessarily.

He then turned on the shower and washed his entire body with hot water.

He scrubbed the dried blood from his skin and used various bath products to clean himself thoroughly.

However, even after washing for two hours, a strange fragrance lingered.

After washing, he rubbed his hair dry with a towel and looked at himself in the mirror.

The muscles that had subtly shown before were now violently revealed.

This was due to the changes in his stats and the resulting physical growth.

"Hmm, so this is how I've changed."

It was hard to feel the change without seeing it in the mirror, but now that he saw it, it felt different.

Just by looking at his appearance, he could pass for a seasoned hunter.

...In reality, it was just rapid growth from short-term battles.

"Still, it looks good."

Feeling satisfied, he changed into new clothes and lay down on the bed.

Though not expensive, the bed felt several times better than the bed in the waiting room.

To be honest, the entire process made the 500 points worth it.

"Wow, it can't get more comfortable than this."

Just by cleaning his body and lying on a soft bed, the comfort he felt was more intense than when he was in the Tower of Trials.

He wanted to lie down, sleep, and lazily spend his time eating all kinds of food.

However, his willpower didn't crumble from just this level of comfort.

Whether it was a whip or a carrot, he knew how to control himself.

"Let's start by organizing what I need."

Lying on the bed, he looked at the ceiling and slowly began to plan.

There were three main reasons he returned to Earth.

First, to relieve psychological fatigue and recharge.

Second, to get a 50% refund on the membership fee at the player-exclusive gym.

Third, to prove his qualifications as a hunter and gain an advantageous position over others.

"Actually, the third reason is the most important."

The third reason for returning to Earth was the Hunter Exam.

The qualification to enter the Gate and hunt monsters.

He returned to prove that.

For seven years, he had worked tirelessly day and night with that as his goal.

Once he passed the Hunter Exam, there would be many benefits.

"Right now, passing the Hunter Exam is almost certain."

Even those who called themselves hunters were defeated by his hands, and monsters were no different.

The question was what grade they would assign him.

In the Hunter Exam, the highest grade that can be assigned is C.

"I'm curious to see what grade I'll get..."

Another advantage of passing the Hunter Exam was the ability to sell items officially and have free access to the Gate.

If asked whether this was important enough to return to Earth, he would say yes.

"I'm not the only one summoned to the Tower of Trials."

There are players, ordinary people, and professional hunters.

With more people reaching the 5th floor, information about the Tower of Trials will soon be released.

It would be good to take the Hunter Exam in advance for when that happens.

Hunters can secure a position dozens of times better than ordinary people in terms of information and other aspects.

The basic requirement to enjoy most of these benefits is to be an official hunter.

"Many people will apply for the Hunter Exam in the future, so now is the right time."

He was sure of it.

The fact that many ordinary people survived means that many can become hunters.

"I need to take the Hunter Exam to sell items."

When ordinary people sell items, they pay high fees and risk being scammed, but hunters don't.

They pay lower fees and are rarely scammed.

Why?

"Because hunters know items better than anyone else."

So, when selling items, hunters are treated differently.

If he went as a hunter aspirant, he would likely be cheated or face high fees.

To avoid that, he needed a hunter license.

"The first step is to apply for the Hunter Exam online..."

He was wondering what to do next.

Rumble.

"Right, I need to take care of this too."

He chuckled at the sound from his stomach and got up from his seat.

Yes, the time to fill his stomach with jerky was over.

Now that his body was clean, he had no reason to hesitate to go outside.

"I was planning to eat something when I came out, so this is good."

***

Chicken, cola, pizza, hamburgers, tripe, pig's feet, and more.

There were many foods he wanted to eat in the Tower of Trials.

As a human, he naturally felt a lot of hunger, so his interest was inevitably drawn to food.

Of course, he had self-control and just filled his stomach with jerky...

But he often thought about all kinds of food while eating jerky.

However,

"There's no food I wanted more than this."

He saw the clear broth in the bowl and the pork submerged in it.

It was pork soup from a traditional restaurant near his studio apartment.

He liked it the best, even though he didn't dislike chicken or pizza.

"Rather than eating those, I'd rather have a hot bowl of soup."

He mixed the seasoning well into the broth and took a spoonful. It was heavenly.

The clear, hot broth sliding down his throat.

"Ah..."

Despite trying not to speak, a sound escaped involuntarily.

He dipped a spoonful of rice into the broth and put it in his mouth, unable to control himself.

He ate the soup without further thought, and even added two more bowls, finally feeling full.

As his body warmed up, drowsiness crept in, but he soon regained his composure, took out his wallet, and paid.

Ah, the wallet he thought was gone when he entered the Tower of Trials was found on the bed.

His smartphone was also on the floor under the bed.

The battery was a bit low, but it was usable, so he took it with him.

"Phew, I'm full."

Now that his stomach was full, his mind started to clear.

Hmm, what he needed to do now was...

"Get a refund on the gym membership."

Honestly, he had spent a lot of money on the large gym.

It would be a loss not to get it back.

But after eating and thinking about it, he didn't think it was necessary.

Ah, it wasn't that he was too proud to get the money back.

"Wouldn't it be better to use the gym title?"

Some player-exclusive gyms offer the benefit of taking the Hunter Exam quickly.

The gym he used to go to was the same.

Originally, you could take the Hunter Exam one to two days after applying.

"Then I wouldn't be able to use the time efficiently until I return to the tower."

However, if he used the fact that he went to a player-exclusive gym, the time would be significantly shortened.

If the gym manager vouched for the applicant, the tedious process could be skipped, and the practical test could start.

Of course, if he didn't perform well in the practical test, it would be problematic, but that wouldn't happen.

"Hmm, what should I do?"

Actually, he wanted to get the money back because he needed it urgently.

But now that it was revealed that items could be brought from the Tower of Trials, there was no need to worry.

After passing the Hunter Exam, he could sell the items immediately.

"Honestly, I don't want to see the gym manager, but I have no choice."

If there's something to use, it's right to use it.

Like necromancy, not using it would be a loss to him.

He couldn't waste the little time left before returning to the tower.

"I need to use every means available to prepare for the tower's trials."

Ring, ring.

With his resolve set, his actions were just as quick.

After a few rings, a low voice came from the other end of the smartphone.

- ...Yes, this is the manager of the player-exclusive gym, Baekryeon, Hwang Man-ho.

An unpleasant voice, but he smiled and spoke.

"Yes, it's me. Do you remember me, Manager?"

- Of course. I remember you well. You could have applied for a membership refund online.

The tone was annoying and subtly condescending, but it didn't matter.

"That's fine. I don't need a membership refund."

- ...Are you serious? You can't change your mind later.

"I have no intention of changing my mind. I just have one request."

- If you want to use Baekryeon Gym again, it's absolutely not possible.

"Help me take the Hunter Exam."

There was a thick silence, and the other end of the smartphone went quiet.

A reaction as if he couldn't understand what was said.

But soon, the gym manager, Hwang Man-ho, spoke with a voice full of laughter.

- Do you remember your ability score?

"..."

- You got an F in the overall ability test, a failing grade.

"I know."

- You have no unique traits or skills, so it's difficult for you to make such a request.

Though not said directly, Hwang Man-ho was essentially saying,

"Get a grip on yourself."

'Right, that's what I intended.'

Actually, his words weren't wrong.

While other players might not, he was the weakest player, lacking everything.

But that was a thing of the past.

"So, you're saying you can't help me even if I pay the membership fee?"

Responding calmly to the provocation, Hwang Man-ho answered.

- Well, if you pay, I have no reason to refuse. Is 70 million won a small amount?

It was a bit bitter to hear him mention the money he had spent at Baekryeon Gym over seven years.

It meant that he was insignificant before entering the Tower of Trials.

Though his tone was still mocking, it was as good as an acceptance.

"Then it's settled. Help me take the Hunter Exam today."

- ...Today, today. You seem to have gained a lot of confidence in a few days.

Hwang Man-ho asked, seemingly displeased.

A few days, yes, from Hwang Man-ho's perspective, he must have looked full of false confidence.

It was undeniable that his confidence had grown in just a few days.

He must have found it hard to understand how a guy who only had malice could suddenly gain skills.

But if he thought that, he wasn't wrong.

Stats, unique traits, skills, and more.

The basic abilities a hunter should have, as Hwang Man-ho said.

All of these had emerged to a degree that couldn't be compared to before after going through the Tower of Trials.

He was confident.

This wasn't arrogance or overconfidence.

It was just the confidence he should have.

So, he answered Hwang Man-ho's words without backing down.

If Han Seong-yun was a hunter aspirant with nothing before...

"Yes, I've gained confidence."

From now on, he would become the true hunter, Han Seong-yun.