The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King

The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King – 5

Episode 5: The Hunter Exam (1)

Kim Jin-woo sat in his office after a long time.

‘I never thought the office would feel this comfortable.’

Because of the previous Behemoth incident, he had been harassed by journalists and politicians from yesterday until just now. The dark circles under his eyes were proof of that.

For that reason, he wanted to lean back in his chair and rest for a moment, but there was no time for that.

Knock, knock

“Come in.”

It was Kim Eun-ha. It was rare for her to visit him directly, so what could have possibly happened this time?

“What brings you here?”

“Ah, you said you would watch the footage from my recording lens, didn’t you?”

Kim Eun-ha seemed eager to show him the footage as she pulled out a USB drive. Her expression was oddly impatient, as if she had been waiting for this day. He had initially not believed what she had told him.

“Right. Bring it here.”

“…Yes!”

As Kim Eun-ha inserted the USB, the footage appeared on the wall through a beam projector. Kim Jin-woo adjusted his glasses and looked at the screen with eyes drained of energy.

Let’s go!

With Kim Eun-ha’s shout, the once-clear scenery became blurry. She had used [Family] and tore through the dimension.

Finally, when the scene stabilized, Kim Eun-ha was seen slashing her sword at Behemoth.

When Behemoth spewed fire, the sound of friction reverberated.

“You’ve improved a lot.”

“…Thank you.”

After briefly exchanging compliments, they focused on the footage.

Kim Eun-ha was pushed back by Behemoth’s power and skidded across the ground, then discussed tactics with her team members in a tense voice.

“You definitely need to increase your power. It’s good to prioritize speed, but then you won’t be able to adapt to different situations. Monsters don’t consider our situation.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

While Kim Eun-ha was attentively listening to Kim Jin-woo’s feedback,

Thud, thud—

A sound of footsteps came from the video. It echoed as if amplified.

Under the afternoon sun, a conspicuous shadow loomed.

A black cape gently fluttered in the incoming wind. Kim Eun-ha’s gaze seemed to be captivated and followed it.

A walk that looked almost leisurely.

ROAR!

Behemoth roared, as if trying to shake off its fear toward the approaching man.

Kim Eun-ha, snapping back to reality, reached out her hand toward him.

[It’s dangerous over there!]

At the same time, the man disappeared.

He had been right before her eyes but now found himself next to Behemoth’s head.

For a moment, the screen seemed to freeze.

He held no weapon; he was clearly unarmed.

However.

[Just shut up for a moment.]

RAH!!

With an attack as quick as lightning, Behemoth was driven into the ground, and the man landed gracefully atop its body.

It was a one-hit takedown. Behemoth had crumbled from just a single swing.

Kim Jin-woo paused the video.

Kim Eun-ha glanced subtly to gauge Kim Jin-woo’s reaction.

An utterly impassive expression.

“Hmm.”

With that expression, he rewound the video to watch the scene again.

Crash!

Behemoth met its instant demise.

“Hmm.”

Kim Jin-woo briefly removed his glasses and carefully cleaned the lenses.

Then, pushing his glasses back up, he rewound the scene and watched it again.

Crash!

Again, Behemoth met its instant demise.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

The same scene repeated several times. In less than a minute, Behemoth had died dozens of times.

Eventually, Kim Jin-woo rested his arms on the table and wore a serious expression.

“…Is there something wrong with my eyes?”

“No.”

“…So, you’re saying that Behemoth really died instantly from just a single punch?”

“Yes.”

Tick-tock, the second hand of the clock quietly moved.

Kim Jin-woo looked up at Kim Eun-ha.

“Does that even make sense?”

“It doesn’t. But what do you think, considering your expertise?”

“This is beyond my realm of judgment. But if I were to analyze it…”

Kim Jin-woo manipulated the video timeline.

It was the moment the man swung his attack at Behemoth.

“First of all, what we need to focus on is the sheer force. An A-rank boss was instantly killed by a single swing.”

The screen displayed the man’s fight.

It was more of a hunt than a fight. As if cutting off the prey’s breath with a single sniper shot.

“Can you kill a B-rank boss in one hit?”

“No. It’s even hard to kill a D-rank boss with one hit.”

“Exactly. Even I struggle to kill a B-rank boss with one blow. But for that man, even an A-rank boss is easy. And look at his smooth movements.”

Kim Jin-woo replayed the same section.

This time, it was the process of leaping off the ground to reach Behemoth. They had to slow it down by 30 times to barely keep up.

“At a glance, it seems like he just casually jumped. But if you look at it frame by frame, it’s different. The angle at which his knees bend and launch, precisely controlling the force to land next to the head, and even the timing to channel the force.”

Behemoth just died once again.

Kim Jin-woo paused the video briefly.

“All of these movements flow like water. This isn’t just a realm you can reach with talent alone. It’s a distribution of power that could only come from numerous battle experiences.”

Kim Jin-woo was repeatedly amazed as if getting lost in the video.

“What should we call this person? A genius? A prodigy? No, those terms are insufficient.”

For the first time seeing such a phenomenon, Kim Jin-woo seriously pondered. He couldn’t choose an apt expression among many complex words.

Soon, as the sunlight came through the window behind him, one sentence came to mind.

“He’s already complete.”

A flawless masterpiece of a sword.

How much refining and tempering would it take to develop such talent, to produce such a sharp edge?

Countless years were captured in that single swing.

Kim Eun-ha was genuinely surprised by Kim Jin-woo, who was full of praise.

“I never thought you, of all people, would go this far in praising someone.”

“…But there’s something else interesting here.”

Kim Jin-woo, engrossed in the character in the video, didn’t respond to Kim Eun-ha’s comment and continued to speak.

It was the way he looked when he was really focused. Since Kim Eun-ha had seen this a few times before, she wasn’t bothered and simply asked,

“What is it?”

“What would happen if someone like that used abilities or real weapons?”

Hearing that, Kim Eun-ha felt chills run down her spine.

Come to think of it, they had only been surprised that the man had defeated Behemoth with bare fists; they hadn’t considered that aspect.

And the answer was clear.

“…He would be even stronger.”

“Exactly. But why hasn’t such a man become known until now? A power like that couldn’t be hidden even if he tried.”

Kim Jin-woo paused for a moment and then looked at Kim Eun-ha.

“Speaking of which, you said that man left immediately after handling the situation, right?”

“Yes, if you fast-forward, that part is also in the video.”

Kim Jin-woo quickly skimmed through the video.

It was around the time when Kim Eun-ha had gotten close to him.

[… Oh no.]

The man’s expression, which had been calm even after defeating an A-rank boss, suddenly changed.

Sweat slightly formed on Kim Jin-woo’s palms, he couldn’t even imagine what would happen next.

In the next scene, the man disappeared as if shot from a bow. That was the end of the video.

“Certainly… something significant must have happened for him to leave like that.”

“Yes, I don’t know what it was, but it definitely looks like something major happened.”

Kim Jin-woo was curious about what that big event might have been, but there was something more important right now.

“Do you recognize the man’s face?”

“Yes, I think I’d be able to identify him if I see him.”

“Then if you do see him, definitely attempt to recruit him. The balance that has been delicately maintained between our guild, Mage tower, and the Association would be shattered with his presence. If our guild manages to recruit him, our influence would be undeniable.”

Suddenly, a sense of urgency filled her. What if that man joined a group other than the Dawn Guild? Then they would be the ones to suffer.

“Then, I’ll take my leave now.”

“Do you have a Hunter Exam scheduled for today?”

“Yes, I have to observe how the applicants perform, so I need to be there before it starts.”

During the Hunter Exam, team leaders could watch how applicants tackled various challenges.

“Right, it’s the season when all the academy students participate, and Shin Chang-min is also taking the test. Try to persuade him well. With our standards suddenly rising, Shin Chang-min might not catch our eye anymore.”

“Yes, understood.”

Kim Eun-ha bowed her head and left the office.

Now it was time to go to the Hunter Exam site and scout for talent.

***

I changed into casual clothes and went outside.

I had originally planned to go out as is, but Lee Seo-Yeon noona pleaded with her hands and I agreed to change just this once.

“Wow.”

I was standing in front of a test field that seemed as big as 20 soccer fields.

Around 300 people were in the vicinity, and they seemed to be applicants who would be taking the exam with me.

By the way, the Hunter Exam is held every month, and luckily, yesterday was the last day for applications.

“Hey, isn’t that Shin Chang-min?”

“Seems like it. I heard that the academy graduation is in December.”

“I heard he’s expected to be A-rank easily.”

Whispers began to circulate among the people around.

Amidst the chatter, there was a man wearing a smug expression.

“All applicants, please enter according to your sequence numbers.”

As a staff member from the building announced, the applicants lined up hurriedly.

“‘Ability Hunters’ on this side! ‘Magic Hunters’ please stand over here!”

Here, hunters are divided into two types.

‘Ability Hunters’ primarily use ‘abilities’, and ‘Magic Hunters’ use ‘magic’.

“Yes, understood.”

I took my place among the ‘Ability Hunters’ and entered the examination area.

The scenery inside was completely different from outside.

While the outside was a neat city, the interior looked like a ruined city.

I listened to an employee’s explanation at the entrance.

“As you all know, the Hunter Exam…”

The gist of the exam was to release magical beasts into the city and score based on that.

F-rank beasts were worth 1 point, E-rank beasts were worth 2 points, and so on.

The backdrop of the city was a ruined city reused from past catastrophes, and the magical beasts had their sharp teeth removed or were otherwise prepared in a way that ensured the examinees wouldn’t be killed.

While I was attentively listening, a man approached me.

“Uh, are you by any chance Lee Seo-jun?”

It was Shin Chang-min, whom I had seen earlier.

“How do you know me?”

“Most people attending the same academy as me would know you. The teachers often talk about the ‘dropout with zero magic power’. In my case, I was curious, so I even looked up your picture.”

Ah, I see.

Even though it’s been five years since I graduated, the fact that people still talk about me shows that I must have been quite a unique case.

I’d be the only person in the world with zero magical power.

“Ha, but why is the maximum grade for the Hunter Exam only A-rank? If not for that rule, S-rank would be a given.”

Come to think of it, there was one regrettable point. The Hunter Exam could only measure up to A-rank.

S-rank hunters could only be recognized after accumulating achievements.

If I were to start as an A-rank hunter for such a reason, it would significantly delay my plans.

‘Shall I show them an overwhelming display?’

From the start, I had no intention of holding back.

The highest grade measured is A-rank? Then I should perform so overwhelmingly they’d regret not giving me an S-rank.

If it’s not possible, make it possible. That’s been my principle since my days as a Demon King.

“Then, candidates will enter now.”

And I had never broken that principle even once.

So, I walked into the examination area.

Streets full of debris. Buildings looking gnawed and consumed.

Kiyaaak!

Magical beasts leapt out from between them.

Seeing this, Shin Chang-min activated his ability.

“Magic Condensation!”

Magic condensed like a glove in his hand, and Shin Chang-min burst the head of a magical beast with it.

I could have handled it myself, but I decided to give them a minute.

If I took care of everything, their hard work up to this point would go to waste, so I generously allowed them this courtesy.

In the first place, whether they moved first or not had no effect on me.

Having nothing better to do, I followed Shin Chang-min, who could be considered my junior. His ability was certainly fitting for an A-rank hunter.

“…Really now.”

Then, Shin Chang-min, seeing me, chuckled and approached.

He then blurted out,

“You’re really naive.”

“…What?”

“I thought if you were following me, you’d at least land the finishing blow. But following me, you won’t even be able to catch a single beast.”

What is he talking about? Does he misunderstand why I’m following him?

Shin Chang-min curled his lips.

“I was considering showing some respect since you’re my senior, but you’re precisely the type of person I dislike. Someone who thinks they can achieve anything with just persistence and tricks.”

Shin Chang-min shifted his gaze from me and turned his body towards an approaching magical beast.

“But you see, life doesn’t work just on persistence and tricks. You have to have talent like me. Just face reality and give up. How long will you continue to live so naively?”

I looked up at the digital clock hanging on a building.

The one minute of mercy I had given them had already passed.

“You arrogant kid.”

I crouched down and aimed at the ground.

My launched fist flew past Shin Chang-min and reached the magical beast in an instant.

I swung my fist.

Poof!

The magical beast burst into pieces.

I landed and turned to a disoriented Shin Chang-min with a small smile.

“From now on, let me show you the sky.”

(To be continued in the next episode)