Returnee's S-Rank Management Guide

History's Strongest Audition (3)

In fact, it wasn't just the S-ranks participating in the audition who were shocked at Mimos's appearance.

Shin Ah-yeon, Lee Soo-ah, and Hwang Yeon-ji were just as surprised.

The only one who wasn't startled was Alencia, who had always been on the receiving end of Mimos's attacks.

"Wow, Mimos transformed!"

"... I played with that thing not too long ago."

Unlike the cheerful Alencia, Shin Ah-yeon spoke in a gloomy tone.

In Shin Ah-yeon's case, she neither liked nor disliked Mimos.

It was probably because the power of the Saintess and her excellent affinity for magic power overlapped.

On the other hand, Hwang Yeon-ji was chilled to the bone.

Scenes of Mimos raising its forepaw toward her from time to time flashed through her mind.

"Where in the world did he even pick up something that dangerous?"

It was so absurd, she couldn't even think of anything to say.

If Mimos could exert that much pressure against so many S-ranks, it was definitely not a weak monster.

"I think it was when he went abroad last time."

Lee Soo-ah, the only one toward whom Mimos had shown a clear fondness, was the quickest to regain her composure.

Sure, it looked rather menacing, but after all, it was an ally.

It was intimidating, but also reassuring... she decided to think of it that way.

'Anyway, that's not what matters right now.'

Shin Ah-yeon's task was clear.

From now on, she had to identify the S-rank hunters in the audition who exuded divine power.

She felt a slight heat on her back, and a golden gleam flashed in her eyes.

It was the unfamiliar yet familiar power of Estella flowing through her whole body.

The manifestation of 'authority' possessed by saints, different from magic power and demonic energy.

The power of wishes.

Shin Ah-yeon interpreted that power in a slightly different way.

She wanted to turn the power that granted the wishes of others into a form of magic.

In a way, like divine art.

It was still incomplete, but if she had a little more time,

She thought, perhaps, it might be possible.

The way she handled authority now could be said to be a prototype of that method.

As her gaze turned to the forest where the audition was unfolding—

【──!!】

Mimos's roar rang out.

"Manager Park! Is it alright if we injure it?!"

"It doesn't matter. You can go at it like you're trying to kill it. If anything dangerous happens, I'll handle it anyway."

Park Jung-woo stated that he would stop the battle himself, a battle between S-rank Hunters and a monster with power greater than that.

In the past, people might have scoffed at such nonsense, but not anymore.

'He's the monster who closed an S-rank gate by himself.'

It was Jung-woo who closed the gate on Jeju Island with a single punch.

Just the fact that he commanded such a monster proved his strength.

Furthermore, that kind of strength

Supported the fact that Jung-woo was a returnee.

BOOM!!

With a thunderous crash, the party facing Mimos scattered in all directions.

It seemed they planned to use the forest's complex terrain against it.

Monsters that large usually moved slowly, so it was a reasonable judgment.

'But.'

Jung-woo knew that was the wrong choice.

Because Mimos was anything but slow.

"What, what is this?!"

Additionally, Mimos had the ability to pass through objects, so it wasn't affected by terrain at all.

The sight of a monster charging forward, ignoring trees, rocks, and complicated terrain, flustered even the S-rank hunters.

Still, they were S-rank Hunters—on any other day, they would have handled it skillfully, but the demonic zone-like environment tripped them up.

"Damn it!!"

So, after a short fight with Mimos, the first group ended up with a poor performance.

No Hunter went down, but they hadn't inflicted any meaningful damage on Mimos either.

'There doesn't seem to be anyone suspicious in the first group.'

Park Jung-woo glanced at Shin Ah-yeon, who was hiding a little distance away.

Meeting his gaze, Shin Ah-yeon quickly shook her head.

It meant none in the first group had used divine art.

Jung-woo's judgment was correct.

The second audition would run the Hunters through two tests:

First against Mimos,

And then against Ardan.

They would have to fight twice.

The intention was to select members by observing how they handled monsters and demons from the demonic zone under duress, but it also sought to push them to their extremes.

'Moreover, if any of them have fused with a demon, they would receive less of a penalty on terrain resembling the demonic zone.'

After the first group's challenge ended, the second group's trial was about to begin.

Jung-woo watched them with a more serious look.

He sensed that there were indeed some he had a feeling about.

***

'What is all this?'

S-rank Hunter Ivanov Dmitri found the current situation puzzling.

'Why does a monster of that level obey that man? Just what is that creature?!'

Dmitri inwardly asked the demon providing him power about Mimos.

The demon, who was of considerable rank, usually responded to his questions with silence.

It only sighed at Ardan's appearance.

【I cannot use demonic energy right now. If I do, I'll be found out for sure.】

"Damn!!"

As the demon's whisper sounded, Mimos's sharp claws came crashing toward him.

It was absurd that a monster could ignore terrain and attack him.

【Don't overuse your strength. If even a hint of demonic energy leaks out, you'll be found out instantly!】

Cursing inwardly at the demon's warning, Dmitri wondered how he was supposed to hold back in this situation.

S-rank Hunters weren't fools.

If he appeared to be holding back, he would definitely attract suspicion.

'Do I really have to pass this audition? Isn't it fine if someone else gets in?'

The more Dmitri fought, the more such thoughts grew.

Originally, he hadn't wanted to come.

He had participated in the audition only at the demon's request, who bestowed him with power.

Knowledge of the other world? He'd already heard plenty from other demons, so he wasn't interested.

'Among those present here, about three factions...'

He said "about" because he could sense the demons weren't giving him all the information. And those "few unmentioned" were likely the real threats.

【Focus! Park Jung-woo is watching you!】

'Tch!'

A sharp gaze swept over Dmitri as he fought alongside other S-rank Hunters.

Park Jung-woo was watching him as if dissecting him.

'... Does he suspect?'

That was how intense the scrutiny felt.

But Dmitri was a full-fledged S-rank Hunter.

Although his skill wasn't among the best of the S-ranks, he was much stronger after becoming one with a demon.

He could, therefore, keenly feel Jung-woo's gaze.

'He knows. He definitely knows.'

After the fight with Mimos ended and the battle with Ardan began, the gaze was fixed entirely on him. No matter how he thought about it, he must have been found out.

Right at the moment when Dmitri thought Park Jung-woo might attack him—

'Hm?'

Jung-woo's gaze dropped.

And after that, he never glanced at Dmitri again.

'... So he doesn't know?'

Dmitri's suspicion remained throughout the entire audition.

He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but he was sure of one thing.

He definitely didn't pass.

That's what he thought.

And a few days later—

On the day they waited for the results after all the auditions had ended—

【Demonic Zone Raid Broadcast, Final Audition Pass: Ivanov Dmitri】

Right up until his name appeared on the list.

***

The third test: Checking the Conceptualization Technique.

This wasn't much of an exam.

All they needed was to confirm what sort of Conceptualization Technique each candidate had, and its abilities.

Unsurprisingly, there weren't any with special Conceptualization Techniques like Hwang Yeon-ji or Lee Soo-ah.

'Well, there's no way there'd be many with that kind of power.'

Still, there were a few useful ones.

As expected of S-rank Hunters, their skills were outstanding for the most part.

Especially among the more famous Hunters, for example, even Eugene Garland or Kian Rogers responded to Mimos or Ardan with poise—perhaps a little flustered, but showing considerable skill.

"How is it? Did you find the spies among the demons?"

The Hunter Association President, Gong Do-yung, asked carefully.

Shin Ah-yeon, not I, answered his question.

"There were a few. About three who were pretty obvious."

"If it's about three... do you mean there were more?"

"Yes."

Shin Ah-yeon nodded.

And there was one more, whose identity wasn't clear.

"The harder they are to find, the likelier they are to have strong power."

I marked the photos of S-rank Hunters suspected to be demon hosts with a red pen.

"Then we just eliminate all those we suspect. That's about four in total."

The Hunters that Gong Do-yung named were all S-rank, talented and known.

In fact, Kian was almost at SS-rank level, making him arguably too strong an asset.

"President."

I looked at the list for a moment, then held out two photographs to Gong Do-yung.

"What about adding these two?"

"Huh? But these are—"

"They're also suspected demon hosts."

I wasn't sure about one of them.

But there was something particularly noticeable.

'He's likely the host of a top-rank demon.'

Some might say it's dangerous, but not me.

Actually, it was an opportunity.

A chance to deal with a top-rank demon host.

They had only one, while on our side, we had ten including myself.

It wasn't even a real contest.

"Moreover, if the demons find out we can identify their hosts, it'll only get more troublesome."

"That's definitely true..."

"So, it's best to mix in a few."

I selected the two assumed hosts: one who was clearly a host—Dmitri—and another who anyone could see was a host.

"We might as well see what these two have prepared for the demonic zone broadcast event."

"Won't it be... dangerous?"

Gong Do-yung's anxious voice made me smile.

"Making sure it won't be is precisely my job."

As I said, I would keep my promise.

That those participating in this demonic zone raid broadcast would be given knowledge of the other world.

***

The Demonic Zone Raid Broadcast.

It was planned as simple entertainment, but in reality, it was a tremendously important program that could decide the world's fate.

The thing that the demons hid inside the demonic zone.

This was the one and only opportunity to reveal it to everyone.

The demons would surely know that, too.

Jin Su-hyuk was no different.

So, they might try to move whatever is in there somewhere else.

Just as all research data had been moved before attention fell on Alcatraz.

"There's nothing I can personally do about this."

"I know."

Enoch replied in a heavy tone.

And he wasn't the only one present.

There were high-ranking officials from various countries.

They were also the ones working to prevent the kind of harm that had resulted from the crisis brought about by the demons and Jin Su-hyuk.

"We need to increase external monitoring of the demonic zone and put pressure on Germany and Austria."

"No, actually, it's unlikely that Germany and Austria are deeply tied with the demons. If the upper levels get too involved, the demons themselves can't control the situation."

Chances were much higher that some organization lower down, managing Sichelmond, was involved.

"Just until the broadcast is ready, please hold the line. After that, we'll handle it ourselves."

"... Ahem, understood."

I could sense that a few were uneasy with me as a 'returnee'.

There were also suspicious stares.

But it didn't matter.

As long as we could fasten a tight leash around the demons.

'What's left is—'

To increase the number of eyes monitoring the demons.

Now all that remained for me was to set the stage.

The main event was the demonic zone raid broadcast, but for that stage to shine, the circumstances had to be right.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】