Chapter 77 Survival Game

"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen! I am Max Berger." A host opened the program on television, witnessed not only by the residents of the 7th Nation but by the entire population of the eastern continent.

"Welcome, one and all, to the most thrilling and exciting event this side of the world! Today, we will witness the determination and strength of around a thousand brave souls as they compete for a chance to join the esteemed Columbus Elite Hunter Academy."

He was standing in front of a large crowd made up of people. The atmosphere was electric with excitement. Everyone seemed excited to watch the contestants fight for survival.

"We will broadcast this event live, so stay tuned. Also, I hope you all are ready for an unforgettable experience!"

The audience cheered loudly.

"We will follow them as they enter some pocket dimension full of mysteries and unknown dangers. A place filled with both peril and potential glory, where only the strongest and bravest will make it to the end." Max continued.

"It is sure to be a wild ride, filled with thrills and chills, as we watch these brave adventurers take on the unknown."

The lights dimmed as the screen displayed a countdown clock. Then suddenly, the screen turned black, followed by a white noise. It took a few seconds before the sound started to play.

The screen went blank again, but now there was a red circle at the center. The image began to move slowly as if it was rotating. As it rotated, the view changed from different angles until finally; the scene became clear. There were several hundred people gathered in front of an enormous gate that looked like a giant door. Some were holding weapons, while others carried bags or backpacks.

"But before that, today I am honored to have the esteemed teacher of CEHA joining us here,"

A man in his 30's stepped out from behind him. "Hello, everyone! Thank you for having me!" He had an Asian face and blue hair.

"Please give a warm welcome to Mr. Kim Yejun!"

There was applause and cheering, and he bowed to the audience.

***

Comments from everyone who was watching the broadcast live were varied. Some were excited, some were nervous, and some were just plain happy.

Anonymous Deer: "Oh my god, oh my god.... Kim Yejun-nim.... Ah... he's so handsome, I love him....."

Anonymous Horse: "I think I'm going crazy..."

Anonymous Mouse: "I've never seen such beautiful eyes."

Anonymous Cat: "Why is everyone so horny?"

Anonymous Mouse: "Shut up! Who are you? I'm gonna come to you and rip your mouth."

Anonymous Pig: "I want to marry him!"

Anonymous Rabbit: "I don't care what he does, as long as I get to see his face every day."

Anonymous Cat: "Where is the bloody battle? I don't want to see a beautiful man! Nyaa..."

***

"Okay, Mr. Kim. This year's selection test is a very big and phenomenal event. There were many new things, one of which was the Yunatea residents who also participated on the test, and one thing that was quite controversial was the removal of the safety net for the participants. Do you have any comments on this?" Max asked.

"Yes. First, I would like to thank everyone who worked hard on preparing this event. I know it has been a lot of work, but it shows how much passion each of you have for this academy and for the future of the Hunter here." Kim answered with a friendly smile.

Kim had a spotless and handsome face. His hair was tied around his left shoulder. It was no secret that he was the most popular teacher because of his good looks in CEHA. Even people outside the Academy also idolize him a lot.

"For the past few decades, we have had a close and mutually beneficial relationship with Yunatea. Our success in making remarkable progress would not have been possible without this alliance. As such, we would like to extend an invitation to races that may not have adequate access to certain resources and information, to join us in furthering our accomplishments." Kim continued. "However, there were still those who disagreed with this idea."

"Okay, I've heard some about this, but I want to hear it from you directly." Max asked.

"Those who opposed this proposal argued against allowing outsiders to participate. They feared that the test would be disadvantageous to individuals who had already endured difficult circumstances. Hence, we aim to groom better Hunter of the New World aspirants for the future by encouraging them to accept more difficult tasks, thus helping them to reach their fullest potential."

"That's a very good point, Mr. Kim." Max nodded. "And, what about the second point?"

"The rationale behind our revocation of the safety net rule was to guarantee that only those able to grapple with and persist through the fiercest circumstances of their lives could pass the exam. Being a Hunter is no easy feat; it is a profession that teeters on the brink of peril and can place one's very life in jeopardy. Thus, we desire to ensure that all participants give their all. We are confident that this will bolster them, fostering greater strength and fortitude as Hunters." Kim said calmly.

"Thank you for your words of encouragement. I am sure that CEHA will do its best to make sure that they select the right candidates," Max replied. "However, does it have to be this early that they have to face a battle between life and death? And are these regulations in line with the military? I mean, isn't it too cruel?"

"Well, I understand you feel that way, but I would like to remind you that we did not remove the safety net completely." Kim replied.

"You didn't remove the safety net completely?" Max asked. "Oh really? Could it be that we're in for a surprise? Dare I divulge a morsel of information?" Max said and turned to the camera. "Are you guys curious? Of course you are!"

The audience cheered loudly.

***

Anonymous rhino: "This is stupid. There will be many victims who fall with the implementation of a rule like this. After all, allowing Yunatea's residents to join will also make our exclusive technology useless."

Anonymous Cat: "Your words are true, but no one knows what we will encounter in the future if this step is not taken. We need Hunters who are stronger and able to accept higher challenges."

Anonymous Mouse: "Oh my god... Kim Yejun-nim..."

Anonymous Horse: "I think I'm going crazy… Kim Oppa…."

Anonymous Cat: "Shut up, you horny bastard! Nyaa..."

***

"Magic detection." Nathan immediately activated his detection skill as soon as he put his feet on the ground.

He opened his eyes and immediately looked all around. "A wild jungle."

Linda, Muramoto, and the others soon appeared, standing not far from him.

Nathan took out a silver greatsword and threw it at Linda.

The inventory feature was a very expensive item. It also depended on how big the dimensions of the inventory were. In a case like Linda having to keep a greatsword that big, it would be even more difficult for her. That's why Nathan deliberately kept it for her.

"Thanks, Oppa." Linda said, smiling at Nathan.

The place they were standing this time was a wilderness area full of trees and bushes. There was a slight breeze blowing. The air was heavy with humidity.

Nathan felt like he was in a different world. He looked around and saw large tree roots sticking out of the ground. They looked like snakes that were trying to swallow up their surroundings. A strange feeling came over him.

"It seems like we're in an ancient forest." Nathan muttered under his breath.

The ground was covered with leaves that were so thick that it was almost impossible to walk through them.

They all walked over to Nathan, immediately alerted by facing all around.

"Geen." Nathan muttered under his breath, then followed by the screams of a bird flying around him.

"Scree... screee...."

Geen immediately soared into the sky through the leaves and branches of trees of extraordinary size.

The digital map of the pocket dimension immediately appeared before Nathan in the 3D interface.

"This dimension is really wide, I don't know how wide, but it's definitely many times that of normal dungeons below level 50." Nathan said." Geen map coverage was only within 30 km areas, and that alone was not enough to cover the entire dungeon. But, I guess it's a good thing that we are having this map."

"So, where are we now?" Muramoto asked.

"We are in the middle of the ancient forest." Nathan replied. "The map shows the general location of our current position, and the next step will be to find a safe place for us to make a camp and prepare our strategy to face the challenges that we might encounter."

[The 1st challenge started]

[Survival Game]

[...]

They see a system notification in front of them.

"How can this notification sync with our system?" Muramoto asked with confusion.

At the same time, they noticed that the Hunter Device they had used before seemed to have changed shape. It had a wider shape and attached more tightly to their wrists.

"It's not just the device that has changed, but the experience of this system has also changed." Nathan explained.

"I can see that..." Muramoto said. "I wonder what kind of technology CEHA has developed. It seems that this device works very well with the pocket dimension where we are. This place was probably an artificial pocket dimension that only someone with extremely high affinity with spatial magic could create."

***

"So, this is a survival game????" Max stood and waved his arm widely. "Are you ready everyone???"