The exam to become a hunter was a bit different from simply facing a demon.

A successful hunter needed more than just combat skills. The test was more complex than simply fighting something.

Lindy had more information about the exam, and she ended up being a great help to Damian—after all, he didn't know much about it. He was in the dark, not even sure where to start.

She decided to stay at his apartment during this time before the exam began. That way, it was easier for the two of them to talk, with the certainty that nothing they said would leak.

"Usually, people who come from an academy background don't have to take all the tests in the hunter exam. But since you never finished your training, you'll have to take every single one," Lindy explained.

Training in hunter academies taught students everything and included smaller tests, which validated parts of the hunter exam. That was great, because once they graduated, aspiring hunters didn't need to take the entire exam. Basically, they just had to do one or two things and they'd get their hunter license.

"And what's the first test?" Damian asked.

"The first test works like this: they'll give you a public location, and there, you'll have to figure out the real location of where the hunter exam actually takes place. That requires attention, discretion, and sharp senses," Lindy said.

That initial location would be given to several candidates. To obtain it, you either had to fill out a form showing interest in the hunter exam, or get it through third-party contacts.

In Damian's case, both Lindy and his demon friend Leo could easily get him that first location. It wouldn't be a problem for him.

"Unfortunately, I can't give you tips about what to look for at the location itself for two reasons: first, it changes every year, so the way to figure it out changes too. And second, if anyone finds out I helped you too much, I could lose my hunter license," Lindy said.

Because of those things, Lindy couldn't help him that much—but it was already far better than being completely lost. She also shared the other stages of the exam.

There was the part about hunting demons, showing skill not only in combat but also in tracking. Another part of the exam was done in teams, since most hunters worked together, and they wanted to see how someone performed while working with others.

All of this existed to make sure hunters would be capable of doing their jobs. After all, it was something that demanded a lot from each individual. They had to be certain that every hunter who earned a license was truly capable.

Because it was a matter of public safety. People's lives were at risk, and it was up to the hunters to act in order to make sure everyone was safe.

With all that information at hand, Damian felt more at ease about taking the test. He was confident he would pass—or at least he hoped so.

Lindy, on the other hand, was worried.

"Are you sure you really want to try? I mean, the other candidates are definitely more advanced than you."

She said that because she was only considering the power Damian had shown her, not his real power.

"Trust me. I'll do my best to complete this exam and secure a hunter ID. I need it to keep doing my work, remember?" Damian said, his voice firm and confident.

*

A few days passed after that conversation. Lindy managed to get the initial location for the test. Leo also sent it to Damian, and since it matched, it was confirmed.

Damian always wondered how the hell Leo—a demon—was able to get so much hunter information. It was as if he had a contact among hunters in high positions of society.

Anyway, the location was in another city, though still in the same country. Damian and Lindy took a plane there in the morning and arrived about forty minutes later.

During the flight, they talked a little about the exam—though they had already discussed almost everything—and then about the continent they might be heading to explore.

"You know the civilization there is pretty rudimentary, right? I'm not saying they don't have access to technology, but that's only in the larger cities. Many times you'll have to go into places that are really primitive—not to mention the danger of all the demons there."

She wanted to warn him and make sure he knew exactly what he was getting into. Lindy had already been there once—not for very long, but she had been—so she knew what it was like.

Few people had the mindset to endure staying in a place like that.

Damian, however, was calm about it. He wanted to go there for a few reasons, the main one being the demons. For him, the more demons, the better. That meant more attributes and new abilities.

"I know you're just trying to warn me, but don't worry. I understand the risks. And I won't be alone there, right?" he said.

Lindy smiled. "Yes, of course. I'll always be there to help you."

Besides her, other hunters there would help too. Everyone supported each other precisely because the place was so dangerous. It was that—or die in a cruel way.

Anyway, as soon as they arrived in the city where the first test would take place, Lindy went to the hotel, leaving Damian on his own.

"I can't go with you," she said. "Remember what I told you about helping too much and risking my hunter ID? Well, going with you would count as that."

Damian understood her side and didn't feel sad or frustrated about it. He was fine with the situation.

"No problem. I'll message you when I pass the test," he said.

The confidence he had was surprising. Many people didn't even make it through the first test, but he was certain he would.

The location where the test would take place was in the city center, inside a complex of stores and shopping malls. Lots of people visited the place during the day.

Most of those people were just normal folks, people with no mana in their bodies. Some hunters went there too, of course, often with their auras hidden to make sure no one would know who they were.

Damian drove there in the car Lindy had rented for them. He parked in the mall's parking lot.

It cost about fifteen dollars an hour. Lindy was paying for everything, so Damian wasn't the least bit worried about the price.

Anyway, once he got there and stopped in the middle of the mall's corridors, Damian was lost.

Crowds of people walked in every direction, enjoying their day off—it was a Saturday.

"Where do I even start?" he thought. "This test really is tough."

Without any clue about what to look for, Damian was stuck. What exactly was he supposed to find?

Writings on the walls? Other hunters organizing the exam? Other participants?

In the end, the first thing Damian did was head into a costume shop inside the mall.

It was a simple store, but it had a decent variety of costumes. He wasn't there to get a full outfit, just one piece: an eyepatch.

"Just the eyepatch, sir? Are you sure you don't want the whole costume?" the clerk asked.

"Yes, just that," Damian said.

He paid and left the store with his eyepatch. As soon as he stepped outside, he put it on.

It wasn't ideal—Damian had wanted to buy sunglasses that would cover his eyes completely—but for the moment, it would be enough.

By covering one of his eyes, he could use his Demon Eye ability without anyone noticing. That would be simply incredible to have during the test.

With that ability, Damian was able to spot things others couldn't. It would definitely come in handy.

Once he activated it, he could see the people who had mana in their bodies and those who didn't. On top of that, he could also tell who had a high amount of mana and who didn't.

Just from that information, he was already able to notice some interesting things: people with weak mana were participants in the exam, like him, while those with strong mana were either outside hunters or hunters organizing the test.

Damian didn't do anything at first and just kept walking through the mall corridors. Until he noticed something peculiar.

One of the store clerks had a particularly strong aura. That was suspicious.

"Could he be one of the exam organizers?" Damian thought.

It made sense—after all, a powerful hunter wouldn't normally be working as a clerk in a mall store.

Another detail that supported his theory was that, despite the strong aura, it was being hidden. Damian could only see it because of his ability, Demon Eye.

He decided to investigate. Damian walked into the store to talk to the clerk and see if he could get any information.

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