The F-rank Hunter Who Turned Into a Golem Is Overpowered Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“Alright, we will now start the physical examination for Group 3.”

A group of five people lined up and entered the examination room.

Inside, there were partitions dividing the space with doctors in white coats, and each person took their turn to sit in front of a doctor.

“Hello, doctor.”

Do-jae was assigned to position 3.

He was seated in the centre.

The attending doctor responded to Do-jae’s greeting with a cheerful voice.

“Good morning. Could you please hand over your documents first?”

“Here they are.”

Do-jae handed over the documents he had brought.

Documents like the resident registration certificate and academic certificates, which were required, had already been submitted online, but for the physical examination, any specific details, career records, and qualifications had to be submitted in person.

“You have quite a bit of experience. Could you please wait a moment while I enter this into the computer?”

“Yes, understood.”

The doctor began inputting the information into the computer, combining the pre-printed documents with the ones Do-jae had brought.

In the past, there would have been complaints about doctors doing administrative work, considering it a waste of manpower, but now doctors are divided into two categories.

Hunter doctors and general doctors.

Naturally, Hunter doctors are superior to general doctors.

Hunter doctors are far superior in terms of surgical speed and accuracy compared to general doctors.

Even though they graduated from the same medical school, there is a qualitative difference.

Moreover, doctors with healing skills have reached a level where even patients who have undergone major surgery can get out of bed within a few days.

Oh, but this is a completely different concept from healers.

Healers enhance recovery abilities to enable self-healing, while doctors perform surgeries and procedures.

“Well, you do have experience, but it’s quite a unique case.”

“Haha, yes?”

The unique case mentioned by the doctor was something Do-jae was also considering.

It was about his experience as an F-rank Hunter.

Becoming an E-rank was very recent, so his experience as an F-rank was almost negligible.

“Since the Torment Squad only recruits from E-rank and above, I’m not sure if your F-rank experience will be recognized. This has never happened before.”

“Yes, F-rank is not recognized anywhere.”

“Yes, then we will proceed with the basic documents and inquire separately about the details….”

“Doctor, just a moment.”

“Yes?”

“Could you possibly perform a mana scanning?”

Do-jae mentioned the information he had learned in advance.

He had seen that a brief mana scanning could be performed at the physical examination center.

“It is possible, but… you had it done recently, didn’t you?”

“I’d like to have it done again. The application form said it could be requested by applicants.”

As mentioned in the application form, it contained various information and precautions.

Most people only fill in the blanks and move on, but Do-jae had read it thoroughly.

“Alright, we will perform the scan. But you should know that to receive a confirmed result, you will need to undergo a formal scan again.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Please wait a moment.”

The doctor got up from his seat and headed somewhere.

Since this situation wasn’t common, he went to get a scanner.

‘This time, the scanning result must be accurate.’

The previous scanning result was incomprehensible.

He thought there might be an issue with the scanner or some kind of error, but now he had a good opportunity.

Originally, a mana scanning required a period of six months, but since he was planning to join the Torment Squad, he was given a chance for a re-examination.

‘I need to be at least C-rank.’

The reason Do-jae is aiming for C-rank is not only for the treatment as a Hunter.

From C-rank onwards, you are eligible to take the exam for Torment Squad officers, and only by becoming an officer can he apply for the unit he desires.

Thus, this is also why Do-jae wants to join the Torment Squad.

‘I troubled Mr. Choi, but I really needed to know. I need to find the other half of the orb too.’

The half of the orb he saw at Choi Woo-seok’s shop.

Do-jae had a hard time figuring out where this half of the orb came from.

Although he eventually found out, he felt apologetic when leaving the shop because Mr. Choi valued trust with customers.

However, even with that information, it was incomplete. He only knew that the seller was affiliated with the Torment Squad and that the unit’s emblem was from the Torment Headquarters.

It would have been good to know what it looked like, but he was told that dozens or even hundreds of people visited daily, so faces were hard to remember.

Perhaps Mr. Choi withheld information to remain true to his principles.

Knowing Mr. Choi well, Do-jae had no choice but to turn his steps back.

Ultimately, Do-jae concluded that he should join the Torment Squad and search from within, which led him to the physical examination center.

Tap-.

“Have you been waiting long?”

The doctor placed a plastic box the size of a briefcase on the desk.

When he opened the box, it contained a monitor, a keyboard, and various tangled wires.

“Please attach these one by one. One on each palm, one on each ankle, and one on the chest here.”

Do-jae followed the doctor’s instructions and attached the sensors to the designated areas.

Fortunately, the wires were long enough that he didn’t need to remove his upper garment.

“I will start now.”

Click-.

When the doctor flipped the switch in the box, the graph on the monitor began to fluctuate up and down.

He didn’t know what the x-axis and y-axis represented, and the abbreviations used were complicated. The doctor watched the screen intently.

“Um…. It’s done. You can remove them now.”

With that, he flipped the switch back down.

Zzzz-.

A paper about 30 cm long, similar to a convenience store receipt, came out of the slot in the box.

“Haha, this is a simple scanner, so it requires some interpretation. I’ll let you know shortly.”

After a short while, the doctor compared the numbers on the monitor and the paper on the table and spoke with a broad smile.

“Wow! Is this real?”

Do-jae secretly harbored some expectations.

He had his reasons for confidence. The increased mana that came with regaining the memories sealed in his right hand was the basis for his belief.

“Even though it’s a simplified scanner, its accuracy isn’t far off from the main scanner. For now, you’ve been graded as C-rank!”

“Oh! That’s a relief. So, I can apply for the officer exam, right?”

“Yes, but this result is temporary! You must submit the final result before being officially accepted.”

“Understood.”

The remaining examinations proceeded smoothly afterward.

Do-jae had thoroughly prepared, and the doctor also kindly assisted him throughout the process, as if it was his own matter. Do-jae felt grateful to encounter such a kind person.

‘Barely passed, but at least I can take the exam. Now, I just need to pass it.’

Holding onto the remaining documents, Do-jae left the examination hall with a light step.

*****************

Two weeks later.

“Hah… I didn’t get a wink of sleep…”

With bleary eyes, Do-jae stood in front of the exam center’s main gate.

For the past two weeks, he had spent time in a study room, a place he had never visited before in his life.

These days, it was more commonly referred to as a study cafe. For someone like Do-jae, who lived in a world filled with the clashing sounds of weapons and the terrifying screams of monsters, the calm classical music in the study room felt completely foreign.

‘Even being an F-rank hunter was a blessing.’

After leaving the examination hall, he realized that he only had two weeks left until the officer exam, which surprised him.

It made sense, as the monster subjugation force wasn’t very popular, so they had created a system where people could apply easily. However, the officer exam was only held twice a year, once in the first half and once in the second half. If he missed this one, he would have to wait until the next year.

Thus, the accessibility of joining the subjugation force and the specificity of becoming an officer combined to create this situation.

“The confusion is with the laws and national history.”

The officer exam consisted of five subjects: intelligence test, situational judgment, monster subjugation theory, subjugation laws, and national history.

The intelligence test and situational judgment couldn’t be easily prepared for. While there were past papers, he was able to score reasonably well without too much trouble. Monster subjugation theory was also relatively easy. The knowledge he had accumulated during his time as a hunter came to mind naturally, and it was easy to apply to the given scenarios.

But the laws and national history were his weak points.

‘Memorization subjects have never been my thing.’

After cutting down on sleep, eating, and even bathroom breaks to study, he barely managed to pull his score up to the passing threshold.

‘The atmosphere’s pretty intense.’

A group of men and women were gathered under the wall, smoking cigarettes. Their muscular bodies looked intimidating, and anyone who saw them might mistake them for gang members. But in reality, they were hunters.

And since they were there to take the officer exam, it meant they were all at least C-rank or higher. It was funny to see such people nervously smoking together.

‘Let’s eavesdrop for a bit.’

Do-jae subtly moved closer to them, staying just far enough away not to be obvious. Judging by the atmosphere, they seemed well-prepared, and he might overhear some useful information, like potential exam questions.

“Oppa, we won’t fail, right?”

“I told you, you should’ve worked harder.”

“But you know I’m bad at memorizing stuff, right?”

“Unnie, you know that’s just an excuse, right? Our department head went out of his way to take care of us, even getting us private tutors.”

“I know, I know. But still… Can you give me a few tips? You were top of your class back in school, weren’t you?”

“Why should I? Honestly, I’d love to see you fail and get scolded by the department head… Haha…”

“Just help her. If one person fails, it’ll just cause trouble for the rest of us. It’s for the sake of the operation.”

‘Operation?’

Do-jae perked up, listening even more closely. The word piqued his curiosity.

“See? Oppa’s on my side.”

“Unnie, did you even hear what he said? He said it’d be annoying if you failed…”

“Hey, you could at least back me up a little. What if I need to use my charm for the first operation?”

“I’m staying neutral. And your voice is too loud.”

“Fine, be Mr. Neutral forever. I’ll just fail and go home.”

Do-jae moved a little closer. Their voices were getting quieter, making it harder to hear. But that was a mistake.

One of them noticed Do-jae and called out to him.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

Do-jae was about 10 meters away. For normal people, this distance wouldn’t even register as suspicious, especially in a busy street like this. But since they were all hunters, they were more aware, even at that distance.

“Oh, sorry. I was just hoping to borrow a cigarette.”

Suspicion lingered in their gazes as they eyed Do-jae. He quickly made an excuse, explaining that he was just looking for someone to bum a cigarette from, and he happened to spot them chatting, so he hesitated. Adding a slightly sheepish expression, their wariness began to fade.

“Here. Is this enough?”

“Yes! Thank you!”

He quickly grabbed the cigarette and left the area. He was curious about what they were discussing, but the exam was about to start soon anyway.

‘Don’t get distracted. Focus on the test until the very end.’

Standing at the entrance to the exam hall, Do-jae stretched out his arms.

“Aaaaah!”

After taking a deep breath, he entered the exam hall.