Chapter 291
There were five main ways for Hunters to grow stronger: leveling up, learning new skills, receiving mana injections, equipping high-grade artifacts, and lastly, gaining combat experience.
Of course, it was ideal to pursue all five at the same time, but if someone had to choose just one, every single person would agree without hesitation on the fourth option: Artifacts. The so-called “gear advantage.”
Even the weakest F-rank Hunter could proficiently hunt in C-rank Fissures if equipped with an S-rank artifact.
In the second-year Class A classroom at the National Hunter Academy, students were buzzing with chatter.
“Forget everything else. Just splurging on gear is the best choice. The rich keep getting richer, even among Hunters. If you have the money for S-rank suits and weapons, there’s nothing to fear.”
The upcoming “Harvest Festival” was likely what had them excited. It was a special day for the Academy’s second-year students.
At the end of the first semester every year, the second-year students participated in a provisional rank exam administered by the Hunter’s Bureau. Although they couldn’t receive official ranks since they hadn’t yet graduated, the academy held these exams annually to motivate students.
“Well, I’m definitely getting a B-rank this time. My dad gave me an A-rank artifact as a gift for the exam. If I don’t get at least a B-rank with this, I might as well kill myself,” one of the students boasted.
“Damn, look at that shiny new gear.”
Naturally, parents were deeply invested in their children’s provisional rank exams. Korean parents were famously obsessive about their children’s achievements, and before the Harvest Festival, smithies were flooded with calls from parents wanting to buy gear as gifts for their children.
Though the exam was supposed to be on an equal playing field, the reality wasn’t that ideal. Society was clearly divided between the wealthy and the poor, and the disparity in their parents’ financial ability was reflected even among Academy students.
Yoon-Hee was sitting quietly in the corner by the window. Hye-Jung approached and tapped on her desk. Startled, Yoon-Hee looked up at her.