Examinees began emerging from the capsules, having completed their practical exams.

The average exam duration was about ten minutes per person. While this seemed short, the program’s adjusted virtual time made it feel like thirty minutes inside the simulation.

Of course, very few lasted the full half hour. The difficulty was calibrated to end most exams within twenty minutes.

A candidate who had entered the capsule next to Suho now stepped out.

“Eleven minutes… shorter than the last cohort,” observed Kim, the examiner, shaking his head as he noted the time.

After hours of supervising, Kim had yet to see any outstanding talents.

Before calling the next candidate, he turned to ask Park, the examiner beside him.

“How long has your candidate been in there?”

“Thirty minutes.”

“…What?”

“Just crossed the thirty-minute mark.”

Thirty minutes? Could that be possible?

Stunned, Kim approached Park’s capsule and checked the monitor.

Indeed, the candidate had been in the dive for over thirty minutes, still fighting like mad against a horde of orcs.

“Is he a warrior? He’s fighting exceptionally well.”

“No, he’s a healer.”

“…What?”

“He’s a healer. Look here.”

Park showed the candidate’s information.

It was true.

The candidate’s name, Ahn Suho, was listed as a healer on the screen.

“But… how is he fighting like that? Isn’t he supposed to be a healer? Isn’t this grounds for disqualification?”

“Not at all. He meets all the requirements, so there’s no reason to fail him.”

At that moment, Jung Chul-min, who was acting as Park’s partner examiner, spoke up.

“As a healer, his main objective is to protect his patient. Look at the screen—he hasn’t left his patient’s side, nor has he abandoned them to fight. He’s even healing them whenever he gets the chance.”

Indeed, Suho was cutting down orcs and tending to his patient when he could.

“With all conditions met, there’s no reason for disqualification. Besides, the exam program isn’t intervening, so why should we?” Jung Chul-min continued, maintaining a serious tone.

“Ah…” Kim muttered, impressed.

With a smile, Jung added, “It seems we already have the top candidate for this exam. Let’s just sit back and see what record he sets.”

Both Kim and Park nodded. After all, they’d never seen anything like this in the history of the practical exam.

***

“Kyahhh!”

Thud!

Another orc fell.

Suho had lost count of how many he’d defeated.

He didn’t mind that he wasn’t earning experience points or items from these battles.

He was gaining something far more valuable.

> [Your proficiency with Iaido has increased significantly.]

> [The system is re-evaluating your talent.]

> [Congratulations! Your Iaido skill has been upgraded to Rank A.]

> [Iaido (A): Your draw-and-slash speed and range have increased.]

His Iaido skill had leveled up.

And not just that—his Decapitation skill reached Rank A, and he acquired other skills, such as Hilt Strike, Blade Strike, and Ankle Slash, all of which were also enhanced to A rank.

‘This is an incredible opportunity.’

Suho was thrilled.

Without having to enter a Gate, he could restore his skills in this way.

Of course, he didn’t neglect his patient. While skill recovery was essential, protecting the patient remained his top priority.

After cutting down yet another wave of orcs, another notification appeared.

> [Your understanding of swordsmanship is unparalleled.]

> [The system is in awe of your mastery and fully acknowledges your unique swordsmanship.]

> [Would you like to register a new swordsmanship skill that combines basic techniques and footwork?]

> [Upon registration, the skill will receive a new grade, and you may assign it a name.]

‘Finally!’

Suho’s eyes widened at the notification.

At last, the system recognized his skills completely.

Without hesitation, Suho responded.

> [Please name your newly created swordsmanship.]

The answer had long been decided.

“Suho Sword.”

> [Confirm the name as “Suho Sword”?]

“Yes.”

> [Congratulations! The system acknowledges your supreme skill level and has created a new, unique swordsmanship skill just for you.]

> [You have created the skill “Suho Sword (S)”.]

> [Your basic swordsmanship and footwork skills have both been enhanced by 50%.]

Suho beamed as he read the notification.

Finally, he had the Suho Sword.

In his past life, it had taken him over ten years to create this technique. Now, he had obtained it in just a few days.

Though he had already been using the Suho Sword as it was ingrained in his body, there were other reasons he wanted to claim it officially as soon as possible.

> [You have achieved a remarkable feat. The system grants you a bonus of 10 stat points.]

Another notification appeared.

By achieving the Suho Sword, Suho received an additional 10 bonus stat points.

This perk was awarded only to those who developed an S-grade skill through their own talent and hard work, rather than from Gate rewards or skill books.

But the perks didn’t end there.

Another notification followed.

> [Your swordsmanship shines with a brilliance admired by all swordsmen.]

> [The system wishes for you to continue along the path of the sword and grants an additional reward.]

> [Congratulations! You have received “Sword Mastery (S)”.]

Sword Mastery.

This was another S-grade skill—a unique bonus bestowed by the system.

Reading the description, Suho’s smile grew.

Swordsmanship and physical skills could be acquired through repetition, but certain warrior and related classes had exclusive skills. With Sword Mastery, he could learn even those skills.

For a swordsman, swordsmanship was paramount, but sword Hunters couldn’t ignore the importance of skills.

And not just skills—some swords were also exclusive to specific classes, only usable by the swordsman class.

After checking the skill, Suho closed the notification.

Looking around, he noticed many orcs still surrounded him.

But he felt no concern.

Although it was just an exam program, he remembered that the number of orcs here was finite.

“Come on.”

Having achieved his goal, Suho continued to slay the orcs with renewed enthusiasm.

***

How much time had passed?

As the exam dragged on, even the other examiners gathered around Suho’s capsule.

“Exam time… three hours and two minutes?”

“So he’s been in the practical exam for over three hours?”

“Unbelievable.”

Suho had become a legend among the examiners.

At that moment, Jung Chul-min, who had been quietly monitoring the capsule, spoke up.

“It’s over.”

“Really?”

“Let’s see!”

The examiners crowded around.

But the monitor displayed a rather unusual message.

> [All the orcs prepared for the practical exam have been defeated.]

> [Please restart the program.]

Rather than ending the exam, the program master had requested a restart.

The examiners, having never seen such a notification, were dumbfounded.

“Wow…”

“He really killed all the orcs?”

“I didn’t know clearing the orcs would trigger a message like this…”

They looked toward Suho’s examiner.

“What are you going to do?”

“You’re not really going to restart the exam, are you?”

“Of course not.”

This time, Jung Chul-min answered instead of Park.

Trying to suppress his excitement, he spoke seriously.

“This situation is unprecedented in practical exam history, but if we force him to retake the exam just because he didn’t die to the orcs, that would cause a lot of problems.”

The examiners’ expressions grew serious before they all nodded.

“Right… It’s not like he cheated, and his patient is still alive.”

“With so many witnesses, of course he passes. In fact, I’d say he should be designated the top candidate for this practical exam. If he passes even the written exam with the minimum score, I believe he should graduate as the top overall candidate. Think of the publicity this would bring. So, what do you all think?”

Whether it was due to Jung Chul-min’s assertive argument or Suho’s impressive performance, not a single examiner disagreed.

This marked the birth of an unprecedented top candidate in Hunter exam history.

***

Finally, the exam was over.

Hearing from Jung Chul-min that he’d likely see excellent results, Suho left the Association.

But he hadn’t walked far when someone called out to him.

“Excuse me?”

“Yes?”

Turning, he saw a man he didn’t recognize.

Who was this?

He couldn’t recall seeing him before.

The man pulled a business card from his pocket and introduced himself.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Pyung-sik, a scout for Prime Guild.”

Ah.

So he was a guild scout.

And Prime Guild was currently the second-largest guild in the industry.

Suho could guess why they approached him.

But in situations like this, feigning ignorance was polite.

Accepting the card, Suho asked, “And?”

Park Pyung-sik politely responded.

“I’ll be direct. Prime Guild would like to recruit you, Player Ahn Suho. If you’re not already affiliated or negotiating with another guild, would you have time for a chat?”

Just as he thought.

Suho smiled internally at the scout’s offer.