And then it happened.

“…Huh?”

“Haha?”

“Wahahaha!!”

Right after Suho’s unexpected headbutt, the spectators around them burst into laughter.

What had been a tense and hostile atmosphere was shattered by the simplicity of that playful headbutt.

On top of that, seeing the fierce and menacing Park Yong look so flustered added to the humor.

“Is he actually strong, or is that guy just weak?”

“Haha! A headbutt right in the nose? That’s hilarious.”

“Did you see the way he kept his hands at his waist the whole time? That was some serious class.”

“Where do you think he trained? His skills are no joke.”

“Idiot, if he’s that skilled, he’s probably some rising star from a major guild.”

“Really?”

In an instant, the heavy atmosphere transformed, and Suho became the center of attention.

The attack may have seemed silly, but anyone with real combat experience knew it was an incredible counter.

Park Yong, holding his nose, let out a scoff, clearly baffled.

Then, in an instant, his face twisted into the most deadly expression yet, radiating a murderous intent that seemed as if he could actually kill someone.

‘Wow, that’s some serious killing intent… but if this keeps going, it’s going to get dangerous.’

Realizing the intensity of the situation, Suho decided to end it here.

If he pushed Park Yong any further, things might take a turn for the worse.

Such an outcome was best avoided.

Suho spoke up, “This time, I’ll go first.”

With that, he closed the distance in an instant, using a footwork technique far faster than anything Park Yong had demonstrated.

Park Yong, startled, tried to draw his sword, but Suho simply reached out and pressed down on the end of the hilt, preventing him from drawing it.

Then, using his other hand, Suho thrust his palm upward into Park Yong’s chin.

Thwack!

He struck a little harder than necessary.

Just enough to knock him out.

And, as expected…

Thud!

Unable to withstand the force, Park Yong lost consciousness and collapsed.

At that moment, a system notification appeared.

> [You have gained significant proficiency with palm strikes.]

> [The system is evaluating your talent.]

> [Congratulations! You have acquired the skill *Palm Strike (B)*.]

Suho received a new skill—*Palm Strike*.

After dismissing the notification, he dusted his hands off and approached the examiner.

“I just knocked him out, so please handle the rest until he wakes up.”

“Huh? Oh, yes…!”

“Thanks.”

With a polite nod, Suho left the area.

This first encounter with Park Yong was sufficient for now.

***

A couple of hours later, the issues with the capsules were resolved, and the practical exam resumed.

Suho looked at the raised platform where the capsules were set up.

Alongside the usual exam proctors, several new individuals were present. They looked like capsule technicians at a glance, but Suho recognized who they really were.

‘They must be the skill evaluators.’

These evaluators had been urgently summoned at Suho’s request.

Among them was Jung Chul-min.

‘Quite the turnout for something prepared on such short notice. Chul-min must’ve had a tough time arranging this.’

Satisfied, Suho nodded as dozens of examinee numbers flashed on the screens suspended from the ceiling.

“To ensure fairness, numbers will be drawn at random. Those called must report within five minutes, or they’ll be automatically disqualified!”

Suho watched the examinees heading up to the platform one by one.

Soon, he noticed a few candidates being escorted out the back door with the skill evaluators.

They were suspected of cheating.

‘As expected, Chul-min does his job well.’

The evaluators were wearing fluorescent vests to keep their identities hidden, minimizing the chance of a disturbance from any cheating candidates.

Thanks to these precautions, the suspected cheaters were taken away quietly, ensuring that other potential cheaters remained unaware and unalarmed.

Before long, Suho’s number appeared on the display.

‘Finally, my turn.’

With light steps, Suho ascended the platform.

By chance—or perhaps by design—he was assigned to a capsule overseen by Jung Chul-min himself.

Suho acknowledged him with a silent nod.

He then went through a mana inspection, receiving an exceptionally high result, though he passed without issue since Chul-min already knew his background.

As Suho settled into the capsule, the proctor offered a warning.

“If you feel anything unusual during the dive, immediately use the emergency help call.”

“Yes.”

Suho knew the reason for the warning.

These early model dive capsules often had glitches and stability issues.

With the capsule module attached, Suho prepared to dive into the exam program.

> [Initiating Hunter Practical Exam Program.]

> [Connecting user’s consciousness.]

> [Dive progress: 5%…]

When the dive reached 100%, Suho’s vision darkened, and then his surroundings changed entirely.

A stark, grayscale landscape greeted him.

Another mechanical voice chimed in.

> [Player Ahn Suho, thank you for participating in the Hunter License Practical Exam.]

> [I am the program master, here to assist you through the practical exam.]

> [Based on the registered information, we will now begin the practical exam for the Healer class.]

There were four types of practical exams based on class.

Suho had taken the exam for the warrior class before, which involved various combat scenarios, testing how long candidates could endure and how many enemies they could defeat.

‘In that sense, the healer class…’

Suddenly, the environment around him twisted, and the sounds of screams filled the air.

“Aaagh!”

“Help me!”

“Over here! We need a heal!”

The screams were only the beginning.

The smell of burning and blood filled his nostrils, and explosions echoed sporadically.

A battlefield in chaos.

Suho looked around and muttered.

“Now I get why this part of the exam is called a trial by fire.”

For the healer exam, the focus was on showing how calm and committed a candidate could remain in the face of chaos.

In that sense, a blood-soaked battlefield was the perfect test setting.

But perhaps they’d gone too far.

For a rookie unfamiliar with such a brutal scene, the sight of a screaming patient could easily cause nausea or trauma.

‘This is why healers are so highly valued.’

Suho knelt beside a nearby patient and began to channel *Healing Light*.

“It hurts… it hurts so much…”

“Hang in there. Rescue teams will be here soon.”

Suho began in a textbook manner.

The healer exam didn’t focus on healing power or output. It was more about testing the qualifications for a Hunter license, not the healer’s level.

In other words, the key to scoring high as a healer was the willingness to protect a patient at any cost.

To put it simply, dying in defense of a patient was considered an ideal result.

Globally, a healer’s greatest virtue was "sacrifice."

‘That’s why Isabella was always going on about sacrifice.’

But Suho had no intention of dying.

‘Like hell am I getting killed by orcs.’

He was the Sword God, after all.

Him dying to lowly orcs? Ridiculous.

This test’s program even simulated pain for added realism.

‘And with my current status, I’d last much longer than most players, enduring even more blows before dying.’

He might instinctively dodge attacks, extending his suffering further.

Suho’s expression tightened just thinking about it.

It was a horrifying thought.

After finishing first aid, he looked around and found an unattended sword nearby.

‘The point of this test is to protect the patient.’

In that case, why die needlessly?

He’d just eliminate the threats to the patient.

Besides, this was a virtual environment programmed specifically for the exam.

Suho knew the monsters in this practical program were limited in number.

‘Better to fight until they stop coming than get beaten to death.’

Just then, a group of four orcs approached Suho, their eyes fixed on him with lethal intent.

‘Hmm.’

After a brief consideration, Suho tucked the sword into his belt.

There wasn’t a proper sheath, but he positioned it at his side as if there were one, then bent his body forward.

He couldn’t abandon the patient, nor could he charge ahead and leave them vulnerable.

Even if his goal was to protect them, leaving too much distance would likely result in automatic disqualification.

With that in mind, Suho readied himself.

He took a deep breath, his senses sharpening as the background noise faded.

Then, the four orcs charged at him in unison.

Alright, come closer.

Just a little more.

A little closer.

When the orcs stepped into Suho’s ideal range, he unsheathed the sword with explosive speed, swinging it wide.

Slish!

A sharp slicing sound filled the air.

Then—

Splurt!

A deep cut appeared across the orcs’ bodies, spraying blood everywhere.

And right at that moment—

> [You have gained significant proficiency with Iaido.]

> [The system is evaluating your talent.]

> [Congratulations! You have acquired the skill *Iaido (B)*.]

Suho was reunited with one of his favorite techniques.

‘As I thought.’

Even in this virtual reality, if it was Earth, no one could escape the system’s watch.

That’s why learning physical skills was possible.

To the system, Suho’s actions were real enough to be counted.

After this discovery, many players trained in virtual reality.

There, they could reset physical damage and fatigue as often as they liked.

However, it was soon discovered that training in virtual reality was less efficient.

In contrast to real-world training, where players

 could fully push their limits, the virtual environment allowed healing and resets, which slowed experience gain.

‘But that has nothing to do with me.’

This didn’t apply to Suho.

The skills he aimed to perfect weren’t new or experimental. They were the genuine, hard-won techniques he had already mastered through sacrifice.

‘I’ll hold out as long as I can.’

Suppressing a smirk, Suho raised his sword once more.