Chapter 59
"Zach passes." Ben announced as he straightened from his crouched position, his hand brushing lightly against the faint crimson line on his cheek. In the blink of an eye, the wound sealed shut, his skin knitting back together as if it had never been touched.
Nobody could argue or say otherwise—Zach had landed a clean hit, one that not only drew blood from a B ranked hunter but also did so within the ti limit.
The tir on the wall stopped ticking, and all eyes imdiately darted toward it.
"Forty-five seconds," soone whispered aloud, confirming what many were thinking but were too stunned to say.
"Kindly move to the side," Ben said calmly.
Zach’s lips spread into a wide grin, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. The spikes jutting out of his body slowly retracted with a faint clicking noise, sliding back beneath his skin.
He grabbed his discarded shirt, tossed it casually over his shoulder, and walked off to stand beside Jake. Jake, however, barely reacted, his arms folded as he wore an expression that bordered on bored indifference.
’All of them are monsters in their own rights,’ Ben admitted inwardly as his gaze swept over the group. His blindfolded face gave nothing away, but inside, he was weighing each applicant carefully, surprised again and again.
Just as he prepared to call the next na, the doors at the back of the room swung open. A hush fell instantly. Every head turned.
Soone stepped through.
A man with long, jet-black hair tied neatly into a ponytail, his sharp yellow eyes scanning the room like a predator surveying prey. His expression carried a faint frown, calm yet severe.
He wore slim black pants and a tight-fitting shirt that hugged his fra like a second skin, the material pulling over well-toned muscle. At his waist hung a sheathed sword, its dark scabbard etched with faint symbols. On his chest glimred an insignia—one that every applicant recognized instantly.
A broken fang.
The mont Max’s eyes fell on the man, his stomach dropped.
’Elijah?! What the hell is he doing here? Oh... right!’ Max almost smacked his own forehead. ’This is the Hunter Association after all. Of course he would be here.’
"Elijah?" Ben muttered, his usually calm tone breaking slightly at the sight.
"Ben." Elijah inclined his head in acknowledgnt. His movents were minimal but carried authority that filled the room. Then his piercing gaze slid over the applicants one by one, weighing, asuring... until his eyes settled on Max.
Max’s shoulders stiffened. He tried to shrink into the group, praying he wouldn’t draw attention. But Elijah’s eyes lingered on him, unblinking, sharp as blades.
’So he really did co,’ Elijah thought with a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at his lips. ’I hope the master was right about him. This kid better be worth the hype.’
"What are you doing here, Elijah? Thought you were supposed to be on a mission," Ben asked, his voice tinged with genuine confusion.
"You said there were impressive applicants this ti," Elijah replied, still not removing his eyes from Max. "So I decided to co down here myself. I want to see how impressive they truly are."
Jake noticed. He noticed the way Elijah’s gaze didn’t waver from Max, how it lingered with strange intensity. His brow furrowed.
’Why is he staring at Max like that? Do they know each other? Or... is there sothing more?’ Jake wondered, suspicion creeping into his thoughts.
"You can continue the assessnt as usual. Pretend I’m not here," Elijah said flatly. And in the next instant—he vanished.
One blink. Gone.
Gasps filled the room as the applicants spun their heads. Elijah reappeared silently at the far corner of the room, leaning casually against the wall as if he had always been there.
’Shit! That was... that was insane speed! Teleportation? No—wait, no! That’s not teleportation, that’s pure speed. Speed beyond anything I’ve seen before. Crap... dude could give so hybrids a real run for their money.’ Max thought, his jaw tightening.
’Unbelievable,’ Jake thought as he narrowed his eyes. ’That’s the kind of speed I’ve only read about in old records. And yet, he’s using it so effortlessly. Just what is this guy’s limit?’
"Anyway," Ben broke the silence, his tone faintly mocking as if to hide his unease. "Ignore him. Being an A ranked hunter, I suppose he’s got too much free ti on his hands."
The applicants couldn’t help it—every single one of them looked at Elijah with awe and barely restrained reverence. His very presence radiated strength.
Max, anwhile, nearly choked on his own breath for the second ti that day.
’The fuck?! He’s an A ranked hunter?! No wonder he seed so damn fast and untouchable back then. If this is the kind of power an A rank holds... then what about S rank or, heaven forbid, X rank?!’ Max thought in shock, his heart pounding. ’Now I’m seriously curious about what rank I’ll end up with after all this.’
"Anyway. Next up is Joe. Co show us what you’ve got," Ben finally said, breaking the tension.
"Wait! ? Why ? Thought we had to co out willingly?" Joe stamred, his throat bobbing as he gulped nervously.
"Yes, that was the plan. But since everyone’s taking their sweet ti deciding, I’ll be picking opponents myself. I don’t have the luxury of wasting ti. So co on out, unless you’d rather fail here and get teleported back ho." Ben’s voice cracked like a whip, firm and absolute.
Joe froze. His hands trembled at his sides as another gulp echoed in his throat. With reluctant, shaky steps, he walked forward, his body stiff with dread.
"You ready?" Ben asked, his smile faint but sharp.
’Heck no!’ Joe scread inwardly, but the words never made it past his lips. He could only nod, his face pale.
"Good. Then co at ."
Joe didn’t waste a second. He dashed forward—or rather, ran with every ounce of strength his body could muster. It wasn’t speed like Jake’s or grace like Zach’s, but a desperate, clumsy sprint. His steps were loud, his breathing ragged, but it was all he had to give.
Ben just stood there shaking his head in disappointnt as Joe reached his position within seconds, swinging his fist forward with all the speed and strength he could muster.
The B ranked hunter barely even blinked. He simply lifted his palm and caught the incoming fist with ease, not flinching or moving an inch as if Joe’s full force was nothing more than a light tap.
Joe gritted his teeth and didn’t waste a mont. He roared out, swinging his leg upward in an uppercut-like motion aid at Ben’s chin.
Yet, once again, the hunter’s reaction was calm and unhurried. Ben released Joe’s fist and leaned backward slightly, letting the kick cut through the air harmlessly.
"ARGH!" Joe shouted, hyping himself up as though his own voice could push him beyond his limits. He charged again, aiming to slam a kick into Ben’s torso.
But Ben didn’t even bother eting the attack. He simply swiveled to the side with graceful ease, letting the strike miss entirely. Joe stumbled forward, his frustration growing by the second.
"Honestly, I don’t even know why you bothered applying," Ben said with a mocking tone, his voice steady and calm while his eyes glead with disdain. "Weaklings like you... your kind will never be accepted into the association. You don’t belong here."
The words stung more than any physical strike, and Joe’s fury boiled over. He spun around with clenched fists, aiming to smash his knuckles into Ben’s face.
But just like before, the hunter tilted his head aside, avoiding the blow with effortless precision. His hands twitched, tempted to retaliate, but he restrained himself. There was no need to strike back—dodging was enough to humiliate the young applicant.
This humiliating dance repeated itself again and again. Joe attacked with all the desperation and rage in his body, throwing punches and kicks, but Ben effortlessly avoided every single one. Seconds dragged on like hours for Joe until the tir struck the one-minute mark.
By then, Joe was a wreck. His breaths ca in heavy pants, his chest heaving as beads of sweat stread down his face. His fists trembled at his sides, clenched tightly, his teeth grinding together in helpless frustration.
’Damn it all! Even after everything... all the determination I could muster, I... I... I still lost?! So what, there’s no place for humans like in this world?
Just because I’m not a hybrid, does that an I’ll never be strong or worth anything? Shit! This is all bullshit!’ Joe thought furiously, his anger nearly drowning him. He forced himself upright, his stance stiff, but his eyes were burning with defiance even as defeat weighed heavily on him.
"You know the rules." Ben’s voice cut through the silence. "If you fail to land a single hit within one minute, you’re out. Regardless of your score in the previous assessnt... which was trash anyway." He smirked and clapped his hands together. "Bye."
At once, a brilliant white light erupted from beneath Joe’s feet, quickly consuming his entire body from the ground upward.
’ARGHHH! This is not fair! This is total bullshit! I would have been allowed to enter if not for the damn hybrids. I could have beco a hunter, lived my dream, but no! Because of them, the standards are so high no human can reach them. Hybrids ruined everything!’ Joe scread in his heart, his face twisting with rage as the light climbed to his chest, then his head.
’I swear... if I ever get the chance, I will wipe out every last hybrid. Every single one of them!’ His ntal vow echoed with venom as the light finally swallowed him whole, erasing his presence from the room.
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