Chapter 11 : A Reason To Fight ?

The thirty days for training was now finally over. Currently every regular on the test floor was seated in a large hall. Two rankers - Hansung Yu and Lero Ro- were opposite to them, announcing the details of the next test.

"Regulars participating in this joint position test, congratulations for reaching this far! This joint test is for 26 of you, excluding those who have already passed or failed." Lero Ro announced.

"You will form two teams of 13 members each. The teams have been already decided by us."

A large screen popped up in front of them, showing how they were divided into teams.

(A/N: I almost always overlook how the art style of ToG looked back when it was first released and how much it has evolved from then onwards. )

"And as you can see, three regulars have already qualified based on their performance till now and feedback from their respective position instructor."

As expected, murmurs started coming out from the crowd of regulars.

"What? That guy already qualified when he was in a group with two Princesses of Zahard?!"

"Apparently they had a fight with each other."

"I'm telling you. This entire thing is rigged!"

Lero Ro gave a light cough, signalling the regulars to pay attention. Then he continued.

"Remember, for the next test you will be graded individually as well as a team. To be more precise, your position instructor will grade you individually and the director will grade your team. Further details regarding the test will be given by the test director." And with that, he got back to his seat, while Yu Hansung got up.

"Regulars, it's nice to meet you again. I do not wish to waste any more of your time, so I will jump into the details of the test."

"Your next test is called 'Hide-And-Seek'. And as you may have guessed, it is the same game you all might be familiar with. But you won't be battling the other team. Instead, each team will play the game with a seeker that I've already designated. The test will be conducted in a stage outside this building."

"The rules are simple. Choose someone to be 'it' from the fishermen. If that person leaves the safety zone without getting tagged by the seeker, you win. The test has a time limit of 3 hours. Both the 'it' and the seeker will wear a special badge. If the seeker touches the opponent's badge, the test stops and that team will lose. On the other hand, if you manage to touch the seeker's badge, your team will win instantly, and the one who was 'it' will receive 2000 bonus points."

Both Endorsi and Anak's faces lit up when they heard the last stipulation.

"Umm, director? So who is going to be the seeker?" Shibisu asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Oh. That will b-"

"HA HA! OF COURSE, IT WILL BE ME!!" The director was cut off by a new person who came out of nowhere, surprising everyone present.

The reactions among the people varied. Most of them were wondering who this was, while those in the scout position had a look of realisation and fear. The faces of Shibisu and Hatz went pale. Lero Ro facepalmed at the act. Hansung frowned, looking at the spilled coffee in front of him.

"Why him of all people?" Some regulars even broke down and started wailing .

"As you all might already know, my name is Quant and I am the instructor for the scout position. Don't worry though. I'll try to go easy on you." He introduced himself with a big smile.

Now, pretty much all the regulars had a look of fear in their eyes.

"They want us to play tag... WITH A RANKER?!"

"I KNEW THIS WAS ALL RIGGED!!"

Jinwoo who was watching the entire thing decided to leave, as there wasn't anything left to do. But then, he noticed there was a message from the system.

'What is it this time? Open.'

*DING*

[ You have completed the hidden quest: 'A Direct pass']

[Hidden Quest: 'A Direct Pass'

Showcase your skills and pass the position test without taking part in the final exam.]

[Accept Rewards? (Yes/No) ]

'Oh? A hidden quest? This is new. Accept Rewards.'

*DING*

[Rewards: 1 x Runestone: 'Vital Strike', 1 x Dagger: 'Reaper's Covenant' ]

[Reaper's Covenant

Rarity: C

Type: Dagger

Attack Power: +25

A dagger said to have been once used by a legendary assassin.

-Effect: Causes the debuffs 'Bleed' and 'Wither'.

-Bleed: Causes the target to lose health at the rate of 0.5% of total health per second(Stackable)

-Wither: Slows down recovery speed. ]

[Runestone: 'Vital Strike'

Break the runestone to obtain the skill 'Vital Strike']

Jinwoo didn't wait and crushed the stone then and there.

[Active Skill: Vital Strike

MP Cost: 70

Level: 1

An attack aimed at the opponent's vital points. High chance to inflict critical damage.]

'Neat. A new weapon and a new skill.'

While he was busy looking at the rewards, he accidentally bumped at someone.

"Oh! Sorry about that." But only then did he notice who it was.

"I was looking for you, turtle."

"... What is it, gator?"

Rak gained a tick mark for a second when he heard what he was called. But quickly putting it aside, he continued.

"Follow me."

And with that, he walked away. Knowing the simple and straightforward personality of Rak and having nothing better to do, Jinwoo decided to follow him as well.

_________________________________________________

<Open Field>

After walking for quite a bit, a lot longer than he was expecting, they both reached an open area quite some distance away from where the test was taking place.

"So, what's the matter, Rak? Why did you bring me here?" Jinwoo asked him, although he already had a faint idea of what it would be.

"Turtle..." Rak pointed his spear at him.

"... Fight me."

"I don't have any reason to." Jinwoo simply shrugged. "If that is all, I'll be leaving now." He turned around to leave.

"I can tell, turtle." Rak said out loud.

Jinwoo didn't stop and continued walking forward.

"That you, like me, are a hunter. Someone who hunts prey to get stronger. But you should know this already."

At this, Jinwoo stopped. But Rak continued his monologue.

"In the wild, nobody gets stronger by fighting weaklings. Only by challenging stronger prey can a hunter himself become stronger. And you, turtle, are the strongest prey I've set my eyes on after entering the tower. Now tell me. If you are a true hunter, will you run away from a challenge?"

Memories started flooding back into Jinwoo's mind. Memories from when he was nicknamed 'The weakest hunter on earth'. The times when he was literally dancing on the palm of death for a minuscule amount of wealth.

He knew that he could die anytime. He knew that he was no match for even some of the weakest monsters.

And yet he persevered.

Why?

Was it because of who he was?

Or was it because of what he was?

Jinwoo turned around, looking at Rak straight in the eyes.

"If you are a hunter, you should already know this, gator. When preparing for a hunt..." He trailed off.

"... You should be prepared to be hunted." Rak finished it.

Jinwoo smiled lightly at this.

"And yet, are you sure you want to fight me?"

[Skill Activated: 'Blood Lust']

Rak's senses suddenly flared up. While he did know that Jinwoo was dangerous, suddenly for some reason, the situation seemed to have become even more deadly.

[Fear induced. Target's stats have been reduced by 50%.]

The sheer amount of bloodlust emanating from him was like nothing he ever experienced before.

'This hunt...'

A bead of sweat rolled down his face.

'I might die if I continue this.'

But then, something happened which Jinwoo did not foresee. Something which changed the image he had of Rak from the beginning.

Rak grinned crazily. For him, the hunt just got more thrilling and dangerous.

And he was someone who enjoyed thrills.

"I knew I was right about you, Dark Turtle."

[Target resisted the effect. 'Fear' status was nullified.]

'Did he just... use that fear as further motivation to fight me?!' Jinwoo chuckled lowly. 'Looks like I've been having an incomplete image of him for this long.'

"Why are you laughing turtle?"

"It's nothing." He equipped his two daggers. "Come to think of it, we almost fought each other on the first test on this floor, didn't we?"

"Hmph. The only reason we didn't was because I found another prey to hunt. You weren't this strong back then." Rak twirled his spear and got into a fighting stance.

'So that's how he met Bam and Khun.' Jinwoo thought to himself.

Seconds passed, and yet they did not make any move. The two simply observed each other,  attempting to read and predict what their opponent's next action would be.

And then, it began.

*CLANG*

They both rushed at each other at the same time. Rak thrusted his spear forward. Jinwoo used one of his daggers to parry the thrust and slashed upwards with the other. But Rak swatted that attack away with the rear end of his spear.

Jinwoo saw an opening and thrusted his dagger at his opponent's head. But Rak tilted his head to narrowly avoid the dagger. He tried to capitalise the opening and punched him with all his might. Jinwoo used his left elbow to block the attack. However, the impact sent him skidding backwards.

With a surprising level of agility, Rak leapt high into the air and brought down the spear to smash Jinwoo, utilising its weight. But Jinwoo blocked the attack by crossing both his daggers. The impact made a small crater on the ground.

Breaking off, he kicked the gator on his gut causing Rak to land a few meters away from him.

But as soon as he landed, Rak threw the spear at Jinwoo, who narrowly avoided the attack. Not giving him any time to breathe, Rak once again rushed at Jinwoo throwing punches left and right. Jinwoo, unequipping his daggers, bobbed and weaved through the punches while returning a few of his own. The fight turned into a barehanded brawl.

Eventually, Rak broke off from the exchange and leapt towards his spear lodged on the ground. Jinwoo re-equipped his daggers at the same time.

"Looks like I underestimated you, gator. You are tougher than I thought you would be." Jinwoo commented.

"Hmph. Of course I am, turtle." Rak replied proudly. "Don't tell me this is all you can do."

He merely smiled at this. 'I wasted my shinsu on using that bloodlust earlier for nothing. Looks like I'll have to get a bit more serious.'

[Skill Activated: Sprint]

Rak's eyes widened when he saw Jinwoo rushing towards him with a huge burst of speed. He jumped back to avoid an attack aimed at his head, but the dagger grazed him lightly causing a small cut.

But Jinwoo didn't stop there.

He speed blitzed Rak with dagger strikes from seemingly all directions. Against the continuous barrage of numerous attacks, Rak could only go on the defensive. But even then, there was a limit to the number of attacks he could block or dodge.

By the time Jinwoo stopped attacking, there were numerous cuts on Rak's body. Surprisingly though, none of the attacks was too deep or lethal. Jinwoo noticed it himself, that Rak somehow managed to minimise the damage he received at the last second.

'Does he have something like animal instinct? His reaction speed was surprisingly well beyond what I expected him to have.' He was notably impressed by the gator's performance.

Rak on the other hand was visibly panting. It almost took everything he had to stand straight. While none of the wounds was too deep, there were too many of them. He was losing blood.

"Do you yield?" Jinwoo asked him, despite already knowing the answer.

Rak didn't answer. Instead, he again rushed at his opponent with his spear. But this time, Jinwoo didn't go on the offensive. He simply dodged or blocked all of his attacks casually.

"If you continue any longer, you might die you know?" He insisted.

"Did you already forget what you said yourself, turtle? Hunters should always be prepared to lose their own lives in a hunt. Besides..."

Jinwoo's eyes widened when he saw Rak's figure change. He suddenly shrank his size.

But his attack didn't stop.

By suddenly changing his size, Rak broke the tempo of the fight. Jinwoo, who wasn't fighting seriously at that point failed to stop the attack from hitting him.

*SMACK*

Rak uppercut him with all his strength. Jinwoo was sent back flying a few meters away, while Rak fell on his back due to exhaustion.

Getting up from the ground, Jinwoo spat a little bit of blood as he started walking towards the gator who was lying on the ground.

"So you held back your strength to try and get me to relax my guard huh? Not a bad tactic, gator."

Rak simply grunted and looked away.

"You aren't one to talk turtle. Did you really think I wouldn't realise that you were holding back?"

Jinwoo smiled and tossed him a health potion. Rak caught it, eyeing it suspiciously.

"Drink it. It will help you with your injuries."

He quickly chugged down the entire content of the vial. The effects were instantaneous. His injuries healed at a fast pace, although some of the wounds took a bit longer to heal. He could also feel his stamina returning. Slowly, he got up from the ground and returned to his original size.

"Next time I'll be the one winning." And with those final words, Rak began walking away towards the hall. Jinwoo simply chuckled and did the same.

That day, Rak had earned Jinwoo's respect.

_________________________________________________

Name: Sung Jinwoo

Level: 10

Class: None

Title: One Versus All

HP: 2792

MP: 431

<Stats>

Strength: 60

Vitality: 33

Agility: 50

Intelligence: 30

Sense: 30

Available Stat points : 0

<Active Skills>

Sprint(Lvl 1)

Dagger Throw(Lvl 1)

Bloodlust(Lvl 1)

Shinsu Boost(Lvl 1)

Vital Strike(Lvl 1)

<Passive Skills>

Tenacity(Lvl 1)

Dagger Arts(Lvl 1)

_________________________________________________

Quick Note:

Any ideas for a new 'turtle pronoun' for Rak to call Jinwoo?