As Alex and Shalnark step into the main building, they’re immediately handed tags with numbers on them. Alex, hoping for the number 1337, feels a pang of disappointment when he’s given tag 777. he thinks, managing a small grin.

    One of the exam overseers, dressed sharply in a black suit, addresses them loudly, “Alex Kerber, candidate No. 777, and Shalnark, how do you pronounce that… ‘Ryusei,’ candidate No. 778, are hereby accepted into the exam. You two still have a bit of time left, but I recommend heading down now. You won’t be disappointed with what we’ve prepared—you’d better be grateful!”

    Alex and Shalnark approach what looks like an enormous hoist setup, probably intended for use in bunkers and mines. Alex grumbles inwardly.

    A few minutes later, they descend into a massive hall. Part of the space is obscured by a giant curtain.

    Alex surveys the area; nearly 800 hunter candidates are already gathered, yet the hall still looks oddly spacious, even with so many people.

    He feels a mixture of apprehension and excitement. he thinks, feeling his confidence grow as he adjusts to the chaos around him.

    A few people approach Alex and Shalnark, curious about the newcomers. Suddenly, a chill creeps over Alex as Shalnark unleashes part of his aura, immediately intimidating the onlookers, who retreat with expressions of horror as they glance at both him and Alex.

    Shalnark looks mildly surprised, though he’s not focusing on the others but rather on Alex. He mutters, “Genius… natural awakening… Does he have an ability?”

    Alex thinks, cringing internally.

    They make their way to an empty corner of the hall when Shalnark suddenly says, “If you pass the exam and learn a certain secret afterward… I might have a special offer for you if a certain situation arises. Let’s talk after the exam—I’m curious about your ability and how you managed to learn it despite lacking the basics.”

    “What do you mean?” Alex asks, trying to feign confusion.

    “Haha, don’t bother hiding it, my friend. Don’t worry—once we’re done and can talk privately, I’ll tell you more if you’re interested,” Shalnark replies, clearly not buying Alex’s act.

    Alex thinks, relieved by the extensive surveillance the Association is using to monitor candidates.

    As more people flood into the hall, Alex takes the opportunity to observe the participants, scanning the crowd. he tells himself.

    He soon recognizes familiar faces: Eirini, Patricia, Emma, and the four other remaining players from their group. They’re all looking at him with expressions of fear.

    “Oooh, are you someone dangerous? Seems like multiple people are looking at you with quite the scared expression,” Shalnark comments.

    “I know them… I guess you could call us acquaintances,” Alex replies nonchalantly. “I barely know them, but they know enough about me to know not to mess with me,” he adds, silently thinking,

    Ignoring this back-and-forth, Alex refocuses on the other candidates. Unsurprisingly, he spots Tompa lurking around, sidling up to anyone who looks weak or friendly. He’d tried to approach Alex and Shalnark earlier but backed off quickly, visibly intimidated by Shalnark. Alex acknowledges, giving credit to Tompa’s people skills.

    Alex also spots a few other familiar faces: the three Amori Brothers, Sommy, and Shishito. The Amori Brothers are three reasonably strong men with solid teamwork, a force to be reckoned with. Sommy and Shishito are side characters with decent skills and veteran status, though Alex only recognizes their names and faces, without much more detail.

    Then he spots two unexpected figures: Palm Siberia and Melody. He reminds himself to keep as far away from Palm as possible; she’s notoriously unhinged and likely knows Nen already, being Knov’s student. he reasons.

    Alex thinks, relieved.

    As time ticks down, Alex notices yet another participant arriving. He catches a glimpse of the number on the man’s badge: 1009. Alex thinks, feeling a twinge of anxiety.

    Finally, the doors to the large hall begin to close, and the massive curtains start to part. As they open fully, every light in the hall shuts off, plunging the room into darkness.

    Suddenly, bright, cheerful music fills the air, and Alex spots colorful lights illuminating the far end of the hall. A carousel, a roller coaster, and multiple other rides come into view, along with rows of wooden stalls and carnival attractions.

    “A DAMN CARNIVAL?” Alex blurts out in surprise. This carnival resembles European fairs, with plenty of food stalls, amusement rides, games, and booths where people can waste money trying to win cheap prizes. Despite the obvious scams at these places, Alex has always loved this atmosphere—the lights, the lively music, and the indulgent, overpriced fast food. As a kid, he’d loved going to the “Kirmes,” as it’s called in Germany.

    he wonders, completely thrown off by the scene.

    A group of men in black suits suddenly approach, striding toward the massive crowd of candidates. It looks like at least twenty staff members are forming a line in front of the examinees, leaving a large space open in the middle. Soon, another man, followed by three others, walks into that space.

    Alex’s eyes widen with recognition. he whispers to himself.

    “You know him, Alex?” Shalnark asks, looking genuinely curious. “You’re well-informed! Hahaha, I didn’t study up on famous hunters. Care to fill me in on him?”

    “He’s a Single-Star Jackpot Hunter,” Alex explains quietly. “Single-Star qualifications are only given to incredibly skilled hunters who’ve achieved major milestones in their field. Tsezguerra, as a Jackpot Hunter, works for wealthy clients and makes a fortune off them. He’s probably been hired by the Association or maybe just doing charity work… but he’s probably scouting for his team. And the three behind him are hunters too—his subordinates.”

    Alex wonders, watching closely.

    “Jackpot Hunter, huh? I’d rather earn my money more independently, haha,” Shalnark says with his usual cheerful attitude. “Thanks for the info, Alex. It’s always helpful to know about people who deserve respect—and by the looks of it, that guy isn’t someone to take lightly.”

    As Tsezguerra and his team arrive, he bellows, “SILENCE! I am Tsezguerra, your first examiner! Now, before we begin, there is a single rule you need to follow: disrespect me or my team, and I’ll fail you immediately!” He pauses, scanning the crowd. “Now that it looks like everyone understands their place, I’ll keep things simple. As you can see, we’ve set up a little carnival, just for you. This carnival was performing in the capital city only a few weeks ago, and we hired them for this first round so you can have some fun and easily pass the exam. Aren’t you lucky? However, you’ll notice the games have been modified slightly. How exactly? That’s for me to know and you to find out!”

    “Carnival games? How silly is that! I want to be a blacklist hunter, not play some silly games!” a rude, rather large man shouts.

    In a flash, Tsezguerra darts forward with inhuman speed, striking the man hard in the stomach and causing him to faint instantly. An assistant in a black suit quickly runs over, lifting the unconscious candidate and carrying him away.

    “Looks like one of you already failed for being too stupid to remember my first and only rule. Anyone else have a problem with my exam…?” He waits, letting the silence settle. “…Good!”

    He returns to the front of the crowd, continuing his explanation. “Each of you will be given ten silver coins. Each silver coin grants you the right to play a game or participate in a specific contest. These games challenge you in various ways—some require strength, others skill or perception. There are over fifty games available for you to play, each offering a different amount of golden coins as a reward for success. To pass this first phase of the exam, you need to win 100 golden coins. If you run out of silver coins and don’t yet have 100 golden coins, you’ll fail immediately.”

    He points to the crowd with a warning look. “Now, pay attention: trading or gifting coins will result in immediate disqualification. We have countless cameras and helpers here to report anyone breaking the rules. Also, you’re not allowed to play any single game more than three times. I wouldn’t want you all relying on just one skill or ability—that would be boring and wouldn’t make for a real test.”

    A smirk crosses his face. “Now, the food stalls, rides, and other attractions are… FREE! So you can either quickly lose all your coins and go home as a loser, or win and enjoy the carnival as a winner until the time runs out. Either way, you won’t be bored! You have exactly eight hours to complete this exam. Check the giant clock on the big tent for the time. Honestly, you shouldn’t need more than a few hours, but if you all decide to line up at the same games… well, you might just run out of time.” Sёarch* The N??elFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    “Now, we start at exactly 12:30 PM. Until then, I’ll answer intelligent questions. Ask something stupid, and I’ll disqualify you immediately.”

    A rugged man with scars on his face asks, “Can we take coins from other players by force?”

    Tsezguerra looks at him with amusement. “Not the smartest question, but I’ll answer. Violence, theft, or any deceptive acts against other players are forbidden. Get caught, and it’s game over for you. You’ll have your chance to compete directly with your fellow examinees in the near future… if you pass this round. Any other questions?”

    To Alex’s surprise, Emma raises her hand, speaking confidently. “Do we get anything if we earn more than 100 golden coins?”

    Tsezguerra chuckles. “Hah, confident, are you? I’ll remember you, lady. You look sharp—perhaps too sharp for your own good. How about this: if you manage to obtain 500 golden coins, of course without taking them from others or cheating, I’ll give you a special reward. How’s that?”

    Alex, impressed, can’t help but admire Emma’s initiative.