The second-place applicant had gathered over eight million worth of supplies, enough for eight people to pass.
Truly a remarkable and well-deserved achievement.
However…
"Over eight million in total, and that's still not first place?!"
Tonpa was astonished, his eyes once again drifting toward Luke, now even more convinced of his suspicion.
"As expected, the only one who could possibly take first place... it is him!"
He had always trusted his instinct; it was this instinct that sensed danger that had allowed him to survive the hunter exam again and again.
It was Tonpa's one and only foundation for making it this far.
So why wouldn't he believe it now?!
While Tonpa was lost in thought, the other applicants, upon hearing Bushidora Ambitious announce the second-place total, also erupted in shock.
They all shared the same thought as Tonpa: "No way, over eight million, and that's still not enough for first place?!"
"Then how much did the first place get? Ten million? Or even more?!"
"Is there really someone that strong among us?!"
The applicants whispered among themselves, but none looked more displeased than the second-place holder, applicant No. 177.
With more than eight million in supplies, he had been confident he'd secured first.
But now, someone has outdone even him?!
"Who is it?!"
Applicant No. 177's face twisted, eyes sharp as blades as he scanned the crowd.
Just then, Bushidora Ambitious prepares to announce the first-place result.
To be honest, even he was a bit surprised.
He had assumed the top applicants would have gathered no more than eight or nine million in supplies.
Even ten million, at most, for the truly exceptional ones.
But unexpectedly, the first-place total for this round was…
"First place, applicant number 404, with a total supply value of 16,720,000 Jenny."
The moment that number was announced, the entire area erupted.
Except for those few who had been with Luke at the same exit point and already knew the result, every other applicant stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
"S-sixteen million?!"
Even Tonpa himself was dumbfounded.
He had imagined Luke might have gathered a huge amount, perhaps over ten million, but never did he expect him to surpass fifteen million!
That was nearly double the amount of second place!
If even Tonpa was that shocked, then the others were even more stunned.
"Sixteen million?!"
"That's impossible for one person to gather, right?!"
"Of course not! He must've hunted other applicants for it."
"But to have hunted that many..."
"This guy's not someone to mess with!"
Groups of applicants murmured among themselves, their words filled with both shock and fear.
At that moment, every single one of them raised their alert level toward applicant No. 404 to the maximum.
To gather that much, whether or not his hands were stained with the blood of others, his sheer danger alone demanded respect.
Even the second-place applicant, number 177, withdrew his earlier aggressive glare, averting his eyes and pretending nothing had happened.
After a brief uproar, silence gradually returned.
Even Bushidora Ambitious, after his initial surprise, carried on as if nothing unusual had happened.
"Alright, next, the top ten applicants, please come up one by one to receive your reward."
From tenth place onward, the applicants stepped forward quietly to claim their rewards.
But all of them could feel it, as they held the papers they had been given, they could feel the sharp, focused gazes of the other applicants from every direction.
Those holding the clues had instantly become the clearest targets in everyone's eyes.
And just like that, the tension between those protecting clues and those preparing to steal them began to rise again.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere around the top three remained calm, well, mostly the top two.
Even so, plenty of applicants still eyed the third-place holder greedily, each thinking: "Maybe I can snatch it for myself."
Luke, on the other hand, accepted his sheet of paper from Bushidora Ambitious casually.
It contained a simple question, along with a clearly marked map showing the location tied to that question.
"So that's where it is?"
Luke glanced at the map with an understanding nod, then neatly folded the paper.
"The map's clear enough."
"Following this route, I'd be able to find it quickly."
"But still..."
A faint glint lit up in his eyes.
"I don't really have the patience to keep playing along with this exam."
"This whole hunter exam game thing, let's end it here."
Arms folded across his chest, Luke had already made up his mind.
"Alright, all the pre-test preparations are now complete."
"Lastly, one friendly reminder."
Bushidora Ambitious clasped his hands behind his back, his expression stern.
"In this vast desert, besides the many sheets of question paper I've placed, there are also creatures that naturally inhabit this land."
"When you're digging and searching, remember to avoid getting hurt by them."
"For a professional hunter, being able to respond at any time to threats that may come from nature is an important skill!"
Other applicants: "... ?"
Besides the test question itself, are there additional dangers in this desert?!
This is only the second round, does it have to be this difficult?!
Some applicants twitched and felt how tricky this round had become.
Even Tonpa's face looked a little grim as he muttered to himself.
"This year's hunter exam is the hardest one in recent years."
If even Tonpa says that, then it's been certified properly.
"Now I announce..."
Bushidora Ambitious cleared his throat. "The hunter exam, second round, officially begins!"
Clatter!
The moment he finished speaking, over a hundred applicants immediately ran off.
Of course, quite a few of them fixed their eyes on the top ten applicants, especially those who had obtained the clue locations.
"Go fight and scramble for it..."
Bushidora Ambitious watched the scene with a blank face, but inwardly he sneered.
"Those whose heads are full of only the privileges and benefits of a hunter license, with no sense of professional responsibility."
"I would rather see them all die in such a scramble!"
Bushidora Ambitious detested that behavior intensely.
But under Hunter Association rules, he could not stop them.
All he could do as an examiner was try to provoke conflict among those applicants.
If these people who only saw profit and greed would die in this round, all the better.