"Get up, trainee."
The voice was loud. Sharp. Annoyingly smug.
Jin Hwan groaned, rolling in his bunk bed like a lazy cat, ears twitching as the loudspeaker blared again.
"All trainees report to the combat testing grounds by 0600. Latecomers will be disqualified. No exceptions. This includes F-rank rabbits."
"...Tch. They even customized the announcement for me," he muttered.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes. His hair was a wild mess of white strands, his crimson eyes still sleepy—but he got up. After all, today was the day.
The Hunter Bureau Combat Evaluation.
The facility was a large dome-shaped structure on the edge of the Bureau training zone. High-tech, reinforced, lined with mana-sensitive walls that simulated dungeon environments.
Inside, dozens of rookie trainees were already stretching, chatting, showing off skills, or nervously studying.
Most were C-rank and D-rank.
A few B-ranks stood confidently, attracting attention.
And then there was Jin Hwan, quietly entering through the side gate.
Heads turned.
"Isn't that the rabbit?""He's not even a real hunter, right?""What's he doing here?""Probably a special pass… pity entry or something."
He ignored them, walking straight to the registration console.
A screen blinked.
Name: Jin Hwan
ID: #RBT0101
System Color: GOLD (Classified)
Evaluation Track: Special Admission Trial
Status: Verified
The console beeped, then glitched slightly before continuing.
"Welcome, Golden System User."
Another voice chuckled behind him.
"A glitch that talks back. Impressive."
He turned to see a woman lounging on a bench, legs crossed, clipboard in hand.
She was beautiful—in that dangerous, untouchable way.
Long black hair, tied in a high ponytail, light armor hugging her athletic figure, and a confident smirk that made even the B-ranks tense up.
Her ID tag shimmered faintly.
Name: Han Yuri
Rank: A
Class: Sword Dancer
Role: Evaluation Officer / Combat Examiner
She looked him over like he was a toy.
"A bunny boy with no class and only two hops to his name," she teased. "Are you here to entertain us?"
Jin Hwan raised an eyebrow. "You're the examiner?"
Yuri leaned closer, mock-whispering. "Don't worry. I go easy on cute ones."
"…Please don't."
Her grin widened.
❖ Combat Evaluation Round 1: Obstacle Gauntlet
A sprawling maze-like field materialized. Moving platforms. Mana traps. Speed boosters. Simulated enemies. It looked like a deathtrap designed by a sadistic game developer.
"Goal," Yuri announced, her voice echoing across the field, "is simple."
"Reach the tower in the center before time runs out. Touch it. That's all."
"Extra points for style. You lose if you're caught, fall off the track, or freeze."
The other trainees flexed, summoned weapons, activated their abilities.
Jin Hwan?
He… stretched.
And then he smiled.
[Golden System Interface]
New Passive Activated: Rabbit's Instinct (Lv. 1)
Enhances reaction time when danger is within 10 meters.
[System Bonus: First-Time Evaluation – Hidden Stat Boost Applied.]
Agility temporarily increased by +3
Luck temporarily increased by +5
BANG!
The starting gun echoed. And everyone dashed.
Lightning users blinked forward. Fire users leaped with flames. Tanky classes barreled through traps.
Jin Hwan?
He hopped.
Lightly. Gracefully. Then again.
One trap activated midair—and he twisted, flipping mid-hop, evading it purely by reflex. The crowd gasped.
"He jumped like he saw it before it happened!""Did he just… bounce off a wall!?""That's not normal movement!"
Yuri's eyes narrowed slightly, her teasing smile now one of interest.
Jin Hwan's Hop skill didn't just push him forward. It gave him brief bursts of vertical control, like double jumps in a video game.
And with Quick Hop, he could chain them together.
Where others slowed to dodge traps or re-center themselves, Jin Hwan zipped through like a parkour expert possessed by a speed demon.
Midway through the course, a mana creature—a simulated wolf—leapt at him.
He ducked low, ears brushing the dirt, then exploded into a high arc flip.
[Passive Skill Activated: Moonlit Fur – Evasion Successful]
He landed on the wolf's head, pushed off, and launched forward like a rocket.
Time: 02:21.67
He touched the tower first.
Silence.
Then chaos.
"Wha– he beat even the B-ranks?!""Is he really an F-rank?!""That movement is… is that even human?!"
Yuri stood slowly, clapping once. Twice.
"Well now," she said, walking toward him. "That was… unexpectedly fun."
Jin Hwan was panting, slightly, but not tired. His interface popped open again.
🟨 [Golden System Interface] 🟨
System Sync: 14.75%
Title Unlocked: [First Among Foxes] — Outsmart opponents faster than your rank.
Skill Upgrade:
Hop (Lv. 2)
Quick Hop (Lv. 2)
And then another alert appeared.
Class Advancement Detected
Do you wish to begin Class Path selection?
[Yes][No]
Jin Hwan hovered over "Yes"… then stopped.
"Not yet," he whispered. "Let's see what more I can do."
He closed the interface.
Yuri appeared beside him, arms crossed.
"You just beat 27 people with better gear and flashier powers," she said softly. "That's going to put a spotlight on you."
Jin Hwan shrugged. "I prefer the shadows."
She tilted her head. "You're weird. I like that."
He blinked.
Then blushed, just slightly.
Yuri's smirk returned. "Are you always this bad at talking to women?"
"I… uh—"
"Relax, bunny boy," she teased, flicking one of his ears. "That was just Round One."