"Wait!"
Another applicant immediately shouted.
"Can you at least tell us what kind of questions are on those sheets of paper?!"
"If they're astronomy, geography, history, or math-related, there's no way we can answer them!"
"Yeah, exactly!"
Many others chimed in while nodding anxiously.
Most of them stare nervously up at Bushidora Ambitious.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't go that far."
Bushidora Ambitious said calmly.
The crowd collectively sighed in relief, finally relaxing a little.
They figured the Hunter Association wouldn't make purely knowledge-based questions, that would be far too cruel.
"But while they are not academic questions..."
Seeing the applicants' relieved expressions, Bushidora Ambitious gave a cold smile.
"Most of them are related to the work of professional hunters."
"For example, knowing how professional hunters can raise their star ranking, and what differences exist between a Single-Star and a Double-Star Hunter."
"The permissions tied to a hunter license, as well as the rules that must be followed after becoming a professional hunter, and so on..."
As Bushidora Ambitious spoke, those applicants who had just relaxed began to look bewildered, their faces filled with confusion as they stared blankly at him.
"Since you all wish to become professional hunters and obtain a hunter license, it's only natural that you should understand what a hunter must do."
Seeing their confused looks, the cold smirk on Bushidora Ambitious's face deepened.
"I'm not asking you any highly technical questions."
"These are just basic questions about the duties of a professional hunter."
"In fact, all of the answers are written in the hunter exam handbook."
"As long as you took the time to read and understand what a hunter is supposed to do and what's expected of them..."
"Then none of these questions would be difficult for you."
Although he said that, the truth was… the group of applicants exchanged uneasy looks, their expressions growing worse by the moment.
They all knew that obtaining a hunter license came with many privileges, but as for what responsibilities a professional hunter actually bore, they had never bothered to learn.
Of course, some among them truly pursued the exam out of ideals and ambition.
Those few actually felt a sense of relief upon hearing Bushidora Ambitious's words.
But such people were the minority.
Most looked troubled and scratched their heads in frustration.
Fortunately, before their anxiety could fester too long, Bushidora Ambitious continued: "Of course, since the purpose of the Hunter Association's exam is mainly to determine who has the ability and qualification to become a hunter..."
"So..."
He paused briefly, his face still expressionless as he continued: "These questions about a hunter's duties will be formally explained to you once you actually obtain your license."
"So, if you truly know nothing about the written portion, or if you only came here burning with passion just because you heard that being a professional hunter is a great profession..."
"Then you may choose to attempt one of the task-based challenges instead."
"On the sheets of paper, besides the written section, there are also task-based challenges."
"For instance, do one thousand push-ups, run ten kilometers on the spot, bark like a dog around the desert, and other such challenges."
The other applicants: so there is a way out after all! Task-based challenges exist?!
Those who really didn't understand a thing instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
Although some of the tasks sounded tough and even a little humiliating, they were still easier than answering written questions.
After all, to become a professional hunter, a bit of hardship and humiliation was a small price to pay!
Thinking this way, most of them quickly adjusted their mindset.
They rubbed their hands together eagerly, ready to dig through the desert in search of a question sheet.
"A friendly reminder."
Bushidora Ambitious added: "Some of those papers are buried quite deep. You might not even find them."
"And some task-type challenges also come with a certain level of danger, for example..."
A malicious grin finally crept across Bushidora Ambitious's face.
"Some of the tasks require the badge number of another applicant."
Huh?!
At those words, all the applicants froze.
Then, in an instant, they became alert again, eyes filled with suspicion and wariness as they glanced at those around them.
"As expected, this round won't be that simple."
Luke murmured while shaking his head as he watched the tension grow.
The conditions for passing this round were clear: find a sheet of paper in the desert, answer correctly or complete the challenge, and you pass.
It seemed simple, but upon closer thought, it was far from easy.
The knowledge-based questions were one thing, but now, after Bushidora Ambitious's explanation, even the task-based ones had become traps, some of them turning applicants into each other's prey.
This would make everyone paranoid, distrusting one another, constantly on guard to avoid becoming someone else's target.
"That means once someone digs up a sheet of paper, they'll immediately draw attention."
"And since there are only sixty papers in total, too few for the number of people here, whoever finds one first will have the first chance to pass."
"However..."
Luke looked up at the still expressionless Bushidora Ambitious.
"He never said that whoever finds the question automatically owns it."
"In other words, once a sheet of paper is discovered, it could spark a fight."
"After all, the questions that require certain knowledge are hard; few can answer them…"
"So the task-type ones will become hotly contested."
Yes, literally hotly contested.
"And everyone wants to clear the round quickly, preferably by finding an easy task."
"So once a simple one is found, fighting will inevitably break out again."
"Especially near the end, when maybe forty or fifty applicants have already passed…"
"With only ten papers left, the bloodshed from the final scramble will be even worse."
"No one who has made it this far wants to fail in the second round..."
Luke saw through the design of the exam completely.
This would be yet another brutal, bloody, and intense test.
As for Bushidora Ambitious himself, Luke could more or less guess his intentions.
This man, strictly speaking, wanted the Hunter Association to improve, to ensure that professional hunters were people of justice, truly upholding righteousness as their mission.
He genuinely possessed a strong sense of justice and integrity, but he also wanted others to live up to that same ideal.
Well, at least Bushidora Ambitious practiced what he preached.
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