CHAPTER 34: ARRIVING AT THE HUNTER ACADEMY

Damian left early in the morning and headed to the place where the bus would pick up those who had awakened their mana and managed to get a shot at joining the hunter academy.

There were a few different ways to secure a spot in the academy—natural talent, connections, and of course, money helped too.

However, the academy had one strict rule: even with all that, every student still needed to demonstrate a decent level of talent. All applicants were tested before officially being admitted.

Even those who got in through money or influence had to pass the entrance trials. If they failed, they lost their spot. That’s just how things worked.

Many powerful people had complained about it. Some wealthy hunters had even seen their own children rejected after failing the tests. But despite all the pressure, the academy’s policies never changed.

And the reasoning was simple: if it was already hard enough to fight demons while demanding strong candidates, imagine what would happen if they started wasting time and resources training just anyone? It would all fall apart.

Damian arrived at the location with his admission letter in hand. The place was still within the city, though the hunter academy itself was about 60 kilometers away, deep in the forest, far from any signs of civilization.

At the waiting area, he saw several buses lined up, each guarded by army officers. They were hunters too.

Many people were already there, all sitting on benches. Most of them looked around the same age—young, just like him. After all, the academy’s focus was to train the next generation of respected hunters.

As soon as Damian stepped into the area, several heads turned his way. Maybe it was the blond hair, maybe it was his sharp features, but everyone seemed to lock eyes on him.

It was uncomfortable at first, but Damian got over it quickly. He sat down with the others and waited.

A few minutes later, the officers near the buses started calling names, one by one.

Each person had to show their admission letter and a valid ID to board the bus. Damian had both—a forged ID with his new blond-haired photo and matching name. Leo had taken care of that with surprising speed, just like he had with the admission letter.

When the officer reached for his papers, he stared at them for a moment, and Damian felt a wave of nervousness creep in. For a second, he wondered if they had figured something out—if the letter or ID looked fake.

But after a few seconds, the officer gave him a quick nod.

"Go ahead," he said.

Damian climbed into the bus.

A few people were already inside the bus. Damian picked a seat. Most of the spots already had someone sitting, so he chose the best one available. Naturally, he ended up sitting next to a pretty woman.

She spoke to him the moment he sat down.

"Nice to meet you. I’m Beatrice," she said.

"Damian."

He wasn’t much of a talker. The woman didn’t seem to mind. She just put in her earbuds and started listening to music as they waited to depart.

Since he wasn’t by the window, Damian couldn’t really see much of the outside. So instead, he spent the time analyzing the people inside the bus.

He had no idea who among them had real talent and who didn’t—but judging by strength alone, most of them would be considered F-rank hunters, or even slightly below that.

Which meant that, at least for now, Damian was ahead of everyone else. That gave him some peace of mind. It was good to know he had the upper hand in this early stage.

The road to the hunter academy turned out to be a bit rough. At first, it was smooth—paved and easy to ride—but eventually, it became a dirt road full of bumps. They drove deep into the forest.

Most of the recruits inside the bus were scared. Everyone knew forests were a favorite spot for demons.

Even though the distance wasn’t that far, the condition of the road made the trip take longer than expected.

The hunter academy was impressive. It looked basically like a military base. As soon as they arrived, the buses stopped at the front gate, and several soldiers came out to inspect them.

Damian looked around, trying to memorize as much as he could. The academy’s entrance was heavily guarded with several soldiers, a tall wall lined with fencing, watchtowers, and even defense devices designed to keep demons away.

It was a very secure place. No demon would be able to enter, and at the same time, Damian knew it would be difficult to maintain his identity in there. It would be a real test to see if he truly had the skills to pull this off.

"Everyone off the bus," the officer shouted. "One by one, go to the gate and show your documents to the officer."

The officer waiting at the gate was clearly high-ranking—one of the people in charge of the hunter academy.

One by one, the recruits presented their IDs and admission letters. Damian passed through without any trouble.

After that, they were led by another officer to a massive gymnasium inside the academy. Everyone gathered there to hear from a few of the officers and to start the testing phase.

"Any idea what the tests are like?" Beatrice asked Damian.

Damian shook his head. "No idea. Why?"

"Because I know what they’re like. Want me to tell you?" she asked.

Damian wasn’t stupid. No one offered that kind of information for free. Even if Beatrice had taken a liking to him, she would still expect something in return later on.

And Damian had just arrived—as a spy. Owing anyone anything wasn’t an option.

Trusting in his own ability, he replied calmly, "No need to tell me, thanks."

Beatrice gave him a curious look. She had been almost certain he’d accept. After that, she didn’t say another word.

An older man, walking with a cane, stepped onto a small stage in the center of the gymnasium and addressed all the recruits.

"You’re all gathered here today for a reason," he said, his voice stern and sharp. "But know this: not all of you will remain here by the end of the day. In fact, we expect to eliminate at least 70% of you!"

A wave of surprise rippled through the crowd. Everyone had heard that the usual acceptance rate was around 50%—half passed, half didn’t. But this time? They were cutting down to only 30%?

That made everyone’s chances even slimmer.

Recruits looked around at each other, and the mood inside the gym instantly shifted. Tension filled the air. No one seemed to trust anyone anymore.

Damian stayed calm. The only way to make it through was to rely on his own skills—and he trusted those more than anything.

"Alright, let me explain how the tests will work," the man with the cane said. "Listen carefully. After all, the test has already started."

Damian focused on every word. Beatrice, who claimed to know how the test would go, was also paying close attention now.

"She must’ve been caught off guard by the higher elimination rate," Damian thought.

And she looked even more surprised when she realized that the tests had changed.

Damian couldn’t help but feel pleased for having turned down the information she’d tried to share. If he had relied on it, he might’ve started the test with the wrong expectations.