>Time-Stop Activated
> 5 Seconds remaining
My breath was still ragged.
My body was sweating profusely.
The distance between my head and that damn monster bull's was only a foot.
Luckily, time stopped, and the bull stood still as a statue.
I had been thinking about this plan for a long time.
If I had immediately activated Time-Stop when I was still 500 meters away from the Ironhide Bull, I feared the five seconds I had wouldn't have been enough to close the gap with the monster, which led me losing my momentum to snatch the Red Orbs.
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, time returns to normal again and the Ironhide Bull fell to the ground.
Its thunderous roar, its menacing breath, were all gone.
The Ironhide Bull had fallen, reduced to a soulless mass of a monster, having been snatched away by me.
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 it without even a weapon? What happened?"
"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, those people who were watching stopped, so they didn't see my movements while it was active.
EVALUATION BY TRIAL COMPLETE!
D RANK MONSTER DEFEATED!
MISSION COMPLETE!
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO BECOME A HUNTER!
Ah, the announcement sounded like a melodious song to my ears.
The audience applauded, proud of 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 it was useless," the committee member said sarcastically.
"Well, thanks for the consideration," I said with a dry smile.
"It's been decades since the monsters attacked, and you're the only Hunter candidate who has succeeded in becoming a Hunter this way."
"Indeed, back then, who succeeded in the 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 all Hunters in the world.
I heard Lord Jack possesses 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 Trickster System want me to become a hunter as powerful as Lord Jack Kingswell by possessing 1,000,000,000 Red Orbs?
Maybe yes, maybe not.
I don't know.
There are still too many mysteries surrounding the Trickster 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 as a Hunter, perhaps like a treasure hunts mission with significant orb rewards or perhaps hunting boss monsters mission that had taken over several ruined cities.
But it turned out not as I expected.
I had to undergo Hunter training at the Hunter Academy for two years before I could participate in missions like a Hunter.
Two years was a long time for me.
To make matters worse, I had to go through a boring learning process, such as listening to lectures that often made me sleepy.
"So...as Hunters, you have two main abilities: your physical and your spiritual."
The tall man with a scar running down his forehead wrote on the blackboard, explaining to us, the new entry hunters, 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 the 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 new entry hunters.
"...but you're still in this hunter academy, so you don't need to think too much about that. For those of you who have been in this hunter academy for two years, you'll earn Orbs along with 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.
"Theon, you seem to have a question." Estel suddenly pointed at me, who was lost in thought.
"Don't hesitate to ask me, Theon. I can teach you slowly if your brain is having trouble absorbing all my knowledge," he continued sarcastically.
Jasson, 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 him bravely.
"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 obsessed with 'respect'.
"How many Orbs does a Hunter need to complete this two-year academy?" I asked.
"1.000,000 Red Orbs," Estel replied curtly.
"So if I study here for two years, I'll earn 1,000,000 Red Orbs?"
"Yes, a total of 1,000,000 Red Orbs in two years."
"...that means if I complete the mission and obtain 1.000,000 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 dislike academic education.
I still enjoy the regular physical training at the Hunter Academy.
However, for the 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, Theon?" 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, Theon. 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 going on a mission? Let me give you another plausible reason for your small mind to process, Theon. You can't form a team because the Hunters won't trust a Hunter who hasn't graduated from the academy. If you go on a 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 on by my simple question.
"No wonder your mother is in a coma… it seems she wanted to die because she has a son 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 need to teach him a lesson.
Before I could stand up to confront him, Estel challenged me.
"How about a bet, Theon? If you're so confident you can meet the academy's standards by completing missions, then you should be able to earn 1.000,000 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 full of reproach and mockery.
He seemed certain I would refuse because it was too risky.
"...what if I win?" I challenged.
Estel paused for a moment, contemplating something.
"...then I'll be the one expelled from the Hunter Academy."
"Deal."
>Time-Stop Activated
>Five seconds remaining
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 from his chest quickly.
>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 raise suspicions against Estel later.
Time returned to normal.
No one noticed that time had stopped for five seconds, and I performed the Snatch Orb at that time.
"A deal, you say? You agree to that deal?" Estel asked to confirm.
"Yes, I agree," I replied calmly.
"What a crazy kid… so many people want to be Hunters like you, but you're throwing away your chance with your arrogance, Theon…"
"I just wanted to prove that I can 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. Say hello to your mother at the hospital for me later."
"I'll convey your hello 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 was a remote village about 60 km from the city center that was controlled by Wolf monsters.
The village was destroyed and no humans remained, but the Monster Wolf that ruled it was only an E-rank.
I was confident that if I faced an E-rank Wolf, I could 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 gave her a farewell gesture.
As I left the classroom, it seemed like someone was watching me from afar.
Was it Aveline?
I'm not entirely sure.