>Time-Stop Activated
> 5 Seconds remaining
My breath was still ragged.
My body was sweating profusely.
The distance between my head and that damn bull's was only a span.
Luckily, time stopped, and the bull froze like a statue.
I'd been thinking about this plan for a long time.
If I had immediately activated Time-Stop when I was still 500 meters away, I feared the five seconds I had left wouldn't be enough to close the gap with the Ironhide Bull.
Without wasting any more time, I snatched the 5,000 Red Orbs from the Ironhide Bull's head and dashed through it.
>Ironhide Bull's Red Orb Snatched: 5,000 Red Orbs!
One second later, the Ironhide Bull fell to the ground.
Its thunderous roar, its menacing breath, were all lost.
The Ironhide Bull had fallen, reduced to a soulless mass of a monster, having been snatched away by me.
Suddenly, the audience watching on the screen erupted in cheers.
I caught a glimpse of Cassie's proud smile and Jason's stunned disbelief among the audience on the hologram.
I saw that most people were amazed, yet shocked, by this result.
I could even hear their confused whispers.
"What happened? Why did the Ironhide Bull suddenly fall like that?"
"He was able to defeat him without even a weapon? What the heck?!"
"I didn't even see a hint of magic or fighting technique he used? This is weird!"
I chuckled at their confusion.
Their reaction was understandable, because when I used the Time-Stop skill, even those watching stopped, so they didn't see my movements while it was active.
EVALUATION BY TRIAL COMPLETE!
D-RANK MONSTER DEFEATED!
MISSION COMPLETED!
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE PASS THE TRIAL TO BECOME A HUNTER!
Ah, the announcement sounded like a melodious song to my ears.
The audience applauded proudly at my success.
Unfortunately, Jason didn't bark as promised, even though I'd asked him to bark if I won.
The committee returned from the teleportation gate to pick me up and take me back to the town square.
"Congratulations on your success. I actually prepared a coffin for you earlier, but it seems useless," the committee member said sarcastically.
"Well, thanks for the consideration," I said with a dry smile.
"It's been decades since the monster attack, and you're the only Hunter candidate who has succeeded in becoming a Hunter this way."
"Indeed, back then, who succeeded in Evaluation by Trial?"
"Our leader, Lord Jack Kingswell."
"Oh..."
Jack Kingswell was the first hunter, an SSS-rank Hunter, and also the strongest hunter, the leader of the hunters in the world.
I heard Lord Jack possessed a Gold Orb, which is equivalent to 1,000,000,000 Red Orbs.
Now that I think about it, did the mysterious man who gave me the Soul Snatcher System want me to become more powerful than Lord Jack Kingswell by possessing 1,000,000,000,000 Red Orbs?
Maybe yes, maybe not, I don't have any clue on it.
There are still too many mysteries surrounding this System.
The important thing is, I can use it to improve my life and save my mother!
***
Starting my new life as a Hunter, I initially thought I would be participating in missions, perhaps like treasure hunts with significant orb rewards or perhaps hunting boss monsters that had taken over several ruined cities.
But it turned out not as I expected.
I had to undergo two years of Hunter training at the Hunter Academy before I could participate in missions like other Hunters.
Two years was a long time for me.
To make matters worse, I had to go through a boring learning process, listening to lectures that often made me sleepy.
"So…as Hunters, you have two main abilities: your physical and your spiritual abilities."
The tall man with a scar running down his forehead wrote on the blackboard, explaining to us, the Hunter candidates, in class.
"Your physical and spiritual abilities must go hand in hand to optimize your abilities as Hunters. But the most important thing is possession of an Orb. The purpose of Hunters hunting monsters is to obtain Orbs. With the Orbs you possess, you can use them to develop your strength, purchase hunter gear that suits you, and even purchase hunter potions that can heal you during missions."
Yes, I already knew all of that because what he said was basic knowledge for Hunter candidates.
"...but you are still undergoing this hunter academy, so you don't need to think too much about that. For those of you who you've been through this Hunter Academy for two years, you'll earn Orbs as you complete your educational activities. So, there's no need to worry."
Well, with that explanation, I was convinced I'd still have to sit through this boring class for two years.
Ah, damn!
I'm bored!
With my Orb Observation ability, I detected the Orbs he possessed.
> Estel Vaeraga
> 121,000,000 Red Orbs
Oh, with that many Red Orbs, Estel is equivalent to a B-Rank Hunter.
I heard he's a professional Hunter who was seriously injured and is recovering, so he spends his time teaching.
"Alstair, you seem to have a question." Estel suddenly pointed at me, who was lost in thought.
"Don't hesitate to ask me, Alstair. "I can teach you slowly if your brain is having trouble absorbing all my knowledge," he continued sarcastically.
Jason, who happened to be in the same class, burst out laughing at Estel's joke.
Cassie and Aveline were staring at me from a table quite far from mine.
It seemed like I was always the subject of gossip because Estel always caught me sleeping during class.
If it was like this, I had to face it head-on.
"Actually, I have a question about Orbs, Mr. Estel," I said as politely as possible, even though I felt the addition of the word "Sir" to Estel was inappropriate, as he was a man with such no respect.
"How many Orbs does a Hunter need to complete this two-year academy?" I asked.
"50,000 Red Orbs," Estel replied curtly.
"So if I study here for two years, I'll earn 50,000 Red Orbs?"
"Yes, a total of 50,000 Red Orbs in two years."
"...that means if I complete the mission and obtain 50,000 Red Orbs, I could be released from this academy in less than two years, right?"
Estel didn't answer immediately.
The Hunters also glared at me, as if I didn't appreciate the educational process.
It's not that I hate academic education.
I still enjoy the regular physical training at the Hunter Academy.
It's just that, for academic knowledge among Hunters, there's too much theory that I don't find grounded and useful when fighting monsters.
"...you don't like my lectures, Alstair?" Estel walked over to me until he was standing right next to me.
His gaze was so fierce, it looked like he wanted to beat me right there and then.
"I just wanted to ask about alternatives, Mr. Estel," I said calmly.
"Going on a mission without knowledge is suicide, Alstair. You may have defeated a D-Rank monster during the Hunter recruitment process, but the real mission is far more cruel and brutal than that. Don't be arrogant."
"I fully understand the risks of undertaking a real mission. Those monsters are indeed ferocious and aggressive."
"With that understanding… are you still considering undertaking the mission? Let me give you another plausible reason for your small brain to process, Alstair. You can't form a team because the Hunters won't trust a Hunter who hasn't graduated from the academy. If you undertake the mission alone, you'll die a foolish death, and no one will care if you die."
Estel's gaze was fixed on me, but I remained calm, unprovoked.
I knew his pride was being trampled upon by my simple question.
"No wonder your mother is in a coma…it seems she wants to die because she has a child like you."
Oh, this jerk is bringing up my mother now?
I'm not easily provoked when he taunts and belittles me.
But if he brings up my mother like this, there will be no mercy for him.
Even if he's my teacher, I think I have to teach him a lesson.
Before I could stand up to confront him, Estel challenged me.
"How about a bet, Alstair? If you're so confident you can meet the academy's standards by completing missions, then you should be able to earn 50,000 Red Orbs in just two months. If you fail, you'll be expelled from the Hunter Academy."
Estel's challenge immediately caused the Hunters in the class to erupt in an uproar.
I wasn't afraid of the challenge.
I looked back at Estel, who was staring at me with a look of reproach and ridicule.
He seemed confident that I would refuse because it was too risky.
"...what if I win?" I challenged.
Estel paused for a moment, thinking about something.
"...then I'll be the one to be expelled from the Hunter Academy."
"Deal."
>Time-Stop Activated
Time stopped.
All the Hunters in the class stopped, including Estel.
Because Estel was so close, right next to me, I was able to snatch the Red Orb in his chest.
>Estel Vauraga's Red Orb Snatched: 10,000 Red Orbs!
I took enough Red Orbs to strengthen myself later.
If I took too many, it would increase Estel's suspicions later.
Time returned to normal.
No one noticed that time had stopped for five seconds and I had successfully performed the Snatch Orb.
"A deal, you say? You agree to that deal?" Estel asked to confirm.
"Yes, I agree," I replied calmly.
"What a stupid decision… many people want to be a Hunter like you, but you're throwing away your chance with your arrogance, Alstair…"
"I just wanted to prove that I could surpass your standards in my own way, Estel. Now, get back to teaching. Let me figure out how to complete this challenge myself."
"Heh… good luck with that. Give my regards to your mother at the hospital later."
"I'll give your regards to my mother after I successfully get you out of this Hunter Academy."
Estel chuckled, still dismissive, then continued teaching.
I was bored with Estel's rambling explanations, so I looked at my tablet, researching monster locations for hunting.
From my preliminary analysis, there's a remote village about 60 km from the city center that's been overrun by Wolf monsters.
The village has been destroyed, and no humans remain there, but the Wolf Monster that controls it is only an E-rank.
I'm confident that if I face an E-rank Wolf, I can still handle it with my Snatch Orb ability.
Without hesitation, I left the classroom to prepare for the E-rank Wolf hunt in the northern village.
On the way, Estel paid no attention to me, nor did the other Hunters.
Cassie seemed to call out to me in a whisper, but I only signaled my goodbyes.
As I left the classroom, I felt someone watching me from afar.
Was it Aveline?
I wasn't entirely sure.