‘What do we have here?’

Suho had only recently started thinking about skill doping, and yet he’d already identified someone actively using it.

The woman in front of him was definitely engaged in skill doping. All examinees had surrendered their personal items and changed into designated test attire upon entry, which meant there should be no enhanced mana waves among them.

‘Besides, every candidate here is likely a Level 1 unregistered Hunter. There’s no way a Level 1 could exude this kind of mana—unless they’re like me.’

Hunters who lost their license were banned from retaking the exam, which reinforced Suho’s certainty.

Curious, he decided to discreetly scan the others around him. Focusing his senses to detect mana was a straightforward task. As Suho concentrated, he started picking up on mana flows from several people nearby, not just the woman.

Then, a notification appeared:

[Your sensitivity to mana is exceptionally high compared to others.]
[The system is evaluating your innate talent.]
[Congratulations! You have acquired Mana Detection (B).]

He had barely focused, and yet he gained a new skill.

The skill’s effects amplified his perception, allowing him to distinguish the nuances of mana waves more precisely. Now, he could confirm the abnormal mana flow coming from the woman, as well as others nearby.

‘Looks like she’s definitely using a skill.’

With the Mana Detection skill, Suho could now distinguish between mana produced by skills and items.

Sighing inwardly, Suho thought, ‘Things really were a mess back then.’

Though there wasn’t much he could do right now. As an examinee himself, he couldn’t exactly start accusing others in the middle of a test. Plus, with multiple cheaters around, calling them out one by one would be impractical.

But he had an idea.

Suho’s gaze drifted up to the transparent observation room on the second floor, reserved for overseeing the test and preventing cheating. Inside, he spotted a familiar face watching the scene: Jung Chul-min.

‘As I thought, he came.’

Suho grinned and waved up at him. After a brief moment, Chul-min waved back. Good, this meant he’d probably come down later to say hello.

Just then, the written exam began.

***

‘He made it!’

Jung Chul-min’s excitement grew as he saw Suho’s name on the attendance list and confirmed his presence in person.

Suho was an extraordinary find, the likes of which he hadn’t encountered in years. Though it was a long shot, he genuinely hoped Suho would pass the test.

And now, Suho spotted him and even waved.

‘This guy… he’s quite entertaining.’

Jung Chul-min decided he would personally congratulate him after the exam and reinforce his intention to recruit Suho into the Association.

Once the written exam was over and the examinees moved to the practical testing area, Chul-min hurried over to Suho.

“Did the test go well?”

“Yes, I think it went alright. But what brings you here, Team Leader?”

“Supporting the event. We’re always short on personnel at the Association, so on big days like this, everyone, regardless of their department, pitches in.”

“Sounds like hard work.”

“Haha, I’m used to it by now. But given you had less than a day to prepare, it’s impressive how confident you are. I heard the questions were particularly difficult this time.”

Suho chuckled. “They were manageable. By the way, may I ask you something?”

“Sure, as long as it’s not related to the test.”

“Well, it’s somewhat relevant… I noticed there’s no skill screening here. Is there a reason for that?”

“Skill screening?”

“Yes, I noticed they did a urine test and a blood test but didn’t screen for skills.”

Chul-min looked confused, clearly unfamiliar with the concept. This was still a time before skill screening had become common practice.

However, he narrowed his eyes, lowering his voice. “Is something bothering you?”

“Well, think about it. They confiscate items and make everyone change clothes to prevent item-based cheating. But why aren’t they checking for skill-based cheating?”

For a moment, Chul-min’s eyes widened. He then leaned in closer.

“…Did you see something?”

Suho grinned, confirming his suspicions, and watched as Chul-min’s expression grew serious.

“Report them to me, and I’ll deal with it immediately,” Chul-min urged.

“Haha, I’d like to, but I can’t be certain. That’s why I brought up skill screening.”

“I understand what you’re suggesting, but… even so, we don’t have the means to implement it. The concept of skill screening is still new to us. Addressing this would require organizing a team to devise a countermeasure, which isn’t feasible right now. So please, just report anyone you suspect.”

Suho realized he’d need to provide a bit more guidance.

“It doesn’t have to be that complicated. There’s no need to assemble a team for countermeasures.”

“Hmm?”

“There’s a skill called Mana Detection, right? If you use it, you can easily identify cheaters.”

“Mana Detection?”

“Yes. Specifically, you’d use it to detect the mana output from each person. As you know from entering Gates, each player emits a unique amount of mana when using skills or items. Since everyone here is Level 1, anyone outputting more than the average can be flagged for further inspection.”

“Oh!”

Realization dawned on Chul-min, his eyes widening in understanding.

Suho added, “Of course, my mana level might be a bit higher. After all, I recently soloed a Gate…”

“Oh, I’m fully aware. Thank you! This is truly an unexpected bit of advice. And Mana Detection isn’t even that rare, so we should be able to deploy staff quickly.”

“So, you’re planning to implement it for this exam?”

“Yes, we’ll start with the practical test. By the way, Suho, with your Gate achievement and this advice, you’re already operating like a pro Hunter.”

“Haha, I’m far from that.”

“No, really. In fact, there were talks about recruiting you as a special case, but since you signed up for the exam immediately, we thought we’d respect your decision. That said, don’t worry—even if you don’t pass this time, I’ll push for a special recruitment pathway.”

Suho laughed at the idea of being a special recruit.

“No, it’s alright. I’d rather pass fair and square. Entering the Association as a regular recruit ensures no future controversies.”

Once again, admiration sparkled in Chul-min’s eyes.

“Suho, you really are….”

“Well, I’d better head to the practical test.”

“Alright, thank you. Oh, and Suho?”

“Yes?”

“Personally, I really hope you pass. I’d love for us to work together.”

Suho acknowledged his words with a smile before making his way to the practical test area.

***

While Chul-min quickly gathered monitors to prepare for Mana Detection, Suho examined the Dive Capsules scattered around the testing facility.

‘Wow, look at these ancient models. Haven’t seen them in ages.’

Dive Capsules were virtual reality devices developed collaboratively by the nation’s tech giants. Once inside, users could connect their consciousness to a virtual world—something out of a sci-fi novel.

‘People once thought VR capsules would revolutionize the world…’

But the world changed before that, much more rapidly.

Nonetheless, VR remained popular, and Dive Capsules became widely used training tools for players. Civilians, too, enjoyed them for virtual reality games.

Just then, the examiner made an unexpected announcement.

“Attention, candidates! Due to an issue with the Dive Capsules, the test will be delayed by two hours. In the meantime, please feel free to use the lounge or training areas.”

The delay was a surprise, but Suho quickly understood. The capsule issue was a pretense; he could see Chul-min coordinating efforts to catch cheaters based on his hint.

‘Looks like they’ll do a mana check right before entering the capsules. As expected, Chul-min is thorough.’

Though the practical test would be delayed, only by two hours, that was enough time for Chul-min to organize a team for cheating detection.

With time to spare, Suho decided to observe the other candidates. The introduction of Mana Detection would mean a steep drop in pass rates due to the elimination of cheaters.

‘There are 1,200 examinees in this session, right?’

Quite a turnout.

With an average pass rate below 20%, Suho remembered hearing that this cohort’s pass rate would dip below 10%. It even prompted the test to be slightly eased the following year.

‘So those who pass this time are truly the cream of the crop.’

This made it all the more worthwhile to assess his fellow candidates. If he found any promising individuals, he could recruit them into the Association, just as he planned with Kang Dae-han.

As he wandered through the training area, Suho’s eyes landed on an unexpected face.

‘Wait, that guy… no, that punk?’

Moving closer to confirm, he recognized him instantly, even by his weapon.

‘Park Yong—so he’s part of this cohort?’

The man, resting against a wall with a lazy expression, clutching his practice sword in his arms, was indeed Park Yong.

Despite his unassuming appearance, Suho knew him to be a notorious figure in the future—a criminal of the highest order, infamous for becoming a serial killer who targeted Hunters.

TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - I'd really like to see how far Leon goes and how far we can increase the number of chapters. Thanks~!

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