Chapter 25

“Miss Hae-un and Miss Chae-a, please come this way.”

While chatting with Mr. Spirit Master, a woman in formal attire approached us.

Upon seeing us, she tried to suppress a smile, biting her lip as if holding back laughter.

She then attempted to speak in the calmest voice possible, pointing towards one of the rooms.

“Hmm… I wonder if she’s feeling unwell?”

If she was sick, I figured it would be best to heal her. As I gently tugged on her sleeve, she suddenly collapsed to the floor, clutching her heart while letting out an odd “Guhk” sound.

“…?”

Confused, I blinked repeatedly as Mr. Spirit Master sighed deeply. He then spoke to the fallen woman.

“Hey Minssi, stop embarrassing yourself in front of the kids and get back to work.”

“But sir, how can I resist when Hae-un is just so cute?”

“Still, you’re an adult…”

Listening to their conversation made me feel somewhat embarrassed, so I quietly took a few steps back. However, the further I moved away, the more her expression turned glum, leaving me no choice but to approach her again.

As I drew near, I noticed her mood instantly brighten. Feeling awkward, I gave her a shy smile. Then Chae-a, with a confident look, grabbed the woman’s hand.

“My sister said we should always hold an adult’s hand when going far!”

Did I really say that? I couldn’t recall, meaning I must’ve mentioned it while sleeping. Although it wasn’t necessary indoors, following Chae-a’s lead seemed like a good idea, so I also held the woman’s hand.

“I’ll depart now, sir.”

With those words, she appeared ready to ascend. To snap her back to reality, I vigorously waved my hand.

“…Ah. Sorry about that.”

Finally regaining her composure, she cleared her throat before gently taking our hands and continuing.

“I’m the exam supervisor for Hae-un and Chae-a’s test. Normally, examiners shouldn’t interact directly with candidates, but since your cases are special, we’re proceeding this way.”

True, hunter exams usually start from high school onward. Though I wondered if the association was being too lenient with me, the next part of her explanation clarified things.

“However, because these are special circumstances, even if you pass the hunter exam, there will be certain restrictions agreed upon. For example, combat-related requests or official tournaments.”

So kind of like half-price hunters?

Still, the fact that I could become a hunter like Seorin made me wag my tail happily. Watching this, the examiner couldn’t help but pull out her phone to snap a picture of my tail until…

“What are you doing?”

Mr. Spirit Master’s voice snapped her back to reality. Chuckling nervously, I followed her inside.

—

“The entire hunter exam process will be broadcasted live for guilds and companies interested in offering contracts. This isn’t personal—it’s an official decision from the association—so please stop looking at me like that, sir.”

I glanced at the two bickering ahead and then noticed Chae-a lying flat on the ground.

“What are you doing?”

When I asked, still crouched down, she replied cheerfully.

“I’m looking for ants! Chae-a loves ants so much!”

She claimed she was searching for ants on the exam floor. Curious, I scanned the area but found neither ants nor any bug-like shapes.

Puzzled, I tilted my head until Chae-a pulled my hand toward something tiny.

“Ant ant!”

A little ant crying “ant ant.”

My eyes widened in surprise.

“Wow, it’s real!”

There was an ant here all along. Still, I wondered how ants could make such loud sounds, though given the existence of hunters, I decided not to overthink it.

‘Thinking too hard about strange things leads to losing.’

Deciding to accept it calmly, I noticed the examiner approaching us with a cheerful grin.

“Hae-un, Chae-a? Please follow me…”

Just as she reached out to guide us toward the broken golem…

“Ant ant!”

The ant started wailing loudly again, startling the examiner.

“Ack! What a shock!”

Clearly, the ant making noise was unusual. Amused, I watched as the ant climbed onto Chae-a’s hand and shouted, “Antmi!”

Not understanding what it was saying, I stared blankly until Chae-a smiled brightly.

“It’s a new friend!”

Ah, so this was how she made friends. Impressed, I applauded, prompting the examiner to clear her throat and address us.

“Shall we proceed?”

With that, we nodded and moved toward the broken golem.

—

“Hae-un heals, and Chae-a creates life through drawing.”

After giving instructions, the examiner stepped back, signaling non-interference during the exam.

Looking at the shattered golem, I felt pity.

“Poor thing…”

Though technically called a golem, its animal-like appearance stirred sympathy. Gently stroking the damaged areas, I thought about healing it quickly.

“Huh?”

Without blowing, the wounds rapidly healed. Apparently, physical contact alone triggered healing, sparking curiosity for further experimentation.

“Amazing…”

Patting the now-repaired golem, I stood up. The examiner looked shocked, causing me to blink in confusion. Meanwhile, Chae-a announced her completion with a cheerful “Done!” and revealed newly created Kamangi creatures.

“Could it be because of the Kamangis?”

Recalling my own initial reaction, I chuckled. The examiner then began speaking.

“You truly live up to being the association master’s favorite students.”

“Yeah, and both the Mage Guild and Perseus support Hae-un and Chae-a. Mess with them, and you won’t have bones left.”

Though random and awkwardly delivered, I understood it was meant kindly, so I simply smiled.

Waiting for the exam to conclude, the examiner approached us, petting our heads affectionately.

“Obviously perfect scores. Good job, everyone.”

“… Thank you!”

“Chae-a wants thirty points!”

“Alright, let’s make full marks thirty then.”

“Wow, impressive.”

As I fixed Chae-a’s messy hair, a loud roar echoed nearby. Turning, I saw massive ice shards exploding across the exam room.

“Seorin must be taking her exam.”

Given this world follows Seorin’s novel universe rules, where her talents are unmatched, overwhelming others in tests was commonplace.

Impressed by Seorin’s prowess, I watched silently until Mr. Spirit Master grinned beside me.

“Since it’s done, shall we watch Seorin?”

Curious about her strength, I eagerly nodded, grabbing his hand.

“I’m leaving now, Hyun-ah.”

He mimicked the examiner’s earlier collapse, surprising me. Laughing sheepishly, he extended his hand.

“Sorry, sorry, got carried away.”

“Sir, please stop joking around.”

Their banter suggested they were close. Hoping to someday share similar camaraderie with Seorin, I took his hand.

—

Exiting the exam room, we found many people gathered outside. Hunters and civilians alike filled the space, showing it wasn’t exclusively a hunter event.

Spotting Seorin’s face projected on a large screen, I marveled.

“Wow.”

Though less impactful in novels, witnessing it firsthand was fascinating. Seeing her achieve a perfect score live filled me with admiration.

Meanwhile, Chae-a held up a piece of plastic to her face.

“Click!”

Thinking she wanted to take a photo, I handed her my phone, but she proudly refused.

“Chae-a has her own!”

Raising her transparent plastic, she mimicked clicking repeatedly.

“Maybe I should take some photos too.”

Deciding to send them later, I followed her lead. Mr. Spirit Master chuckled warmly.

“Kids, how about I treat you to something tasty? Churros, anyone?”

At this, Chae-a confidently responded.

“We were told not to follow people offering treats! Chae-a is smart, so no thank you!”

Didn’t she mean strangers? Confused, I worriedly hugged my tail, unsure how to respond.

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