Reward

As Mindaugas sprinted toward the test's starting area, with Alexandre behind him, his tablet beeped. He pulled it out and narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"That guy's bounty was lifted," he muttered. "How strange." Perhaps the academy authorities had seen the carnage that had resulted from their ambush and had wanted to avoid any further student deaths. Mindaugas decided that it didn't really matter to him anymore—at this point, he was just grateful to have escaped with his life.

***

Alexandre and Mindaugas arrived with only a little more than a minute left before the test ended. No other Cats or Mice were present yet.

Thanks to the bounty being lifted, nobody else tried to attack them along the way. Mindaugas crashed to the ground in exhaustion. On the other hand, despite the cruel scars and lumpy, unset bones making strange shapes against his healed skin, Alexandre stood tall and proud, as though he could've run a whole marathon more.

He turned and saw that, though General Pantherson was absent, Omega stood alone at the announcement podium. Alexandre gave him an odd stare and began to walk toward the podium.

Omega saw him approach and gave him a crooked grin. "Congratulations, young man! Without a doubt, you're the first to qualify to join Hunter Academy—"

His voice cut off as a red-stained, razor-sharp rib bone hissed through the air directly at his left eye!

Omega was, of course, a C-Rank Huner, and he easily caught this between two fingers. At the same moment, however, he felt a hand on his shoulder from behind. Alexandre had thrown the bone as a distraction, then moved at blinding speed behind him.

Omega tilted his head lazily to the side, giving Alexandre an emotionless look. "Yes, you're very fast and clever. Now, if you're finished trying to assassinate me, would you both like to collect your rewards?"

Alexandre removed his hand.

Mindaugas had felt the blood drain from his face the moment Alexandre had pulled back his arm to throw the bone, and he breathed a sigh of relief that he wouldn't be caught in a real fight between these two. He simply approached and silently poured the contents of his bag to the ground.

Over one hundred watches fell to the ground. Mindaugas wasn't sure of the exact number. When he'd taken the watches from the student he'd frozen, he hadn't exactly taken the time to count them.

Omega pointed to a machine with a large, funnel-like opening at the top. "In there, dumbass." 

Mindaugas felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. He scooped up handful after handful of watches from the ground, pouring them into the machine. Each time, a digital counter on the front of the machine increased. By the time he was done, it read, "138." 

Omega smiled and said sarcastically, "Congratulations, Mindaugas! You've passed the exam and have earned a bonus of $108,000. The money's already been deposited into your account."

Mindaugas turned on his smartphone and opened his bank app, nodding in satisfaction. The transaction had indeed immediately taken place, and this was the most money that had ever been in his account.

In America, after the Great Wave and the huge influx of refugees, the economy and the American dollar had undergone a serious fluctuation that had resulted, despite all predictions, in major deflation. The prices of goods and services had fallen enormously and the average wage had stabilized at around $1,000 per month. To Mindaugas, the $108,000 that had just been added to his account was equivalent to nine years' salary.

Of course, as he thought about this, Mindaugas's smile faded.

He had to give almost all of it away to Alexandre, after all.

Alexandre took out his own smartphone and opened his own banking app, showing Mindaugas his account and routing numbers. He stared silently and intensely into Mindaugas's eyes, as though to say, "Screw me over, my friend, and they'll never find your body." 

Mindaugas didn't say a word either as he transferred the money at once into Alexandre's account.

He still had his life. He was still a student at Hunter Academy.

For the moment, that was all that mattered.

Only a few seconds later, a blaring alarm sounded, announcing the end of the third Hunter Academy test.