Chapter 35: Results

"Kael! Can you hear me?"

The voice sounded distant, and Kael struggled to understand what was happening. He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt heavy. His chest hurt, his head was spinning, and every breath reminded him of the punch that had sent him flying across the training arena.

He tried to move his arm, but someone beside him immediately stopped him.

"Don’t move too quickly," the person warned. "You’ve been unconscious for several minutes."

Kael finally managed to open his eyes. A white ceiling came into view, and when he turned his head slightly, he realized he was lying on a medical bed. A small monitor stood beside him while a nurse checked the readings on its screen. Marcus Vale was standing near the foot of the bed with his arms crossed.

Kael stared at Marcus for several seconds before remembering what had happened.

"You hit hard," Kael muttered.

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "That’s what you want to say after waking up?"

Kael looked at him tiredly. "What else am I supposed to say?"

"How about asking why you’re still alive?" Marcus asked.

Kael slowly turned his head toward him. "Should I be worried?"

Marcus stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. "You’re a strange fellow."

The nurse finished checking the monitor and turned toward Marcus.

"His readings are stable," the nurse reported. "He has bruising around his chest and face, but there doesn’t appear to be any serious internal injury. He needs rest, though. No training for the rest of the day."

Marcus nodded. "Understood."

The nurse left them alone, allowing Kael to rest without anyone else disturbing him.

Kael tried to sit up, but pain spread across his chest, forcing him to stop and lean back against the pillow. Marcus noticed what he was doing and shook his head.

"I told you not to move too quickly," Marcus reminded him.

Kael looked at him with an annoyed expression. "You could have mentioned that before punching me into next week."

"You were the one who kept getting up," Marcus replied.

Kael opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. Marcus wasn’t wrong. Even when his body had been begging him to stop, he had continued standing up and trying to fight.

Marcus pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down.

"How are you feeling?" Marcus asked.

"Like I got hit by a truck," Kael answered.

Marcus chuckled. "Good. Your sense of humor still works."

"Unfortunately, the rest of me doesn’t," Kael replied.

Marcus laughed briefly, but his expression soon became serious.

"Listen, Kael. I owe you an explanation."

Kael turned toward him. "About the punch?"

"Yes," Marcus admitted. "I used more strength than I intended. I was trying to test your reaction, but I misjudged how much punishment your body could take."

Kael looked at the ceiling while considering his words.

"So you accidentally knocked me unconscious?" Kael asked.

"That’s one way to put it," Marcus replied.

"That’s a terrible way to test someone," Kael complained.

Marcus rubbed his forehead. "I know. I shouldn’t have let the assessment go that far. I’ll take responsibility for your medical expenses."

Kael immediately turned back toward him. "Really?"

"Yes," Marcus confirmed.

"Then I forgive you," Kael replied without hesitation.

Marcus stared at him in disbelief. "You didn’t even hesitate."

Kael adjusted himself against the pillow before answering. "My chest hurts. I’m not going to waste energy arguing about free medical treatment."

Marcus laughed. "Fair enough."

He leaned back in his chair, but his expression soon changed again.

"There’s something else we need to discuss," Marcus said. "Your performance during the assessment was unusual."

Kael became more alert despite the pain in his body. "Unusual how?"

Marcus studied him for a moment before explaining what he had noticed.

"At first, you could barely react to my attacks. You had no proper stance, your weapon handling was terrible, and you kept leaving openings that even a beginner should know to avoid. Yet your physical ability improved whenever you became angry."

Kael remained quiet as Marcus continued.

"That wasn’t the only thing," Marcus added. "Your appraisal stone produced an extraordinary reading before settling at F-rank. I don’t know whether those two things are connected, but I’m not going to ignore them."

Kael swallowed as he remembered what had happened during the fight. The Family Man System had activated Family Bond Resonance, improving his focus and movement precision. However, he couldn’t explain that to Marcus because the system was his secret, and he intended to keep it that way.

"I don’t know why the stone reacted like that," Kael answered. "I’ve never awakened before, and I haven’t received any special training."

Marcus watched his face carefully. "You really don’t know?"

"No," Kael replied.

It wasn’t a lie. Kael genuinely didn’t understand why the appraisal stone had reacted so strangely, and he had no explanation to offer.

Marcus finally nodded. "All right. I won’t force you to give me an answer you don’t have. But I’ll be keeping an eye on your progress."

Kael wasn’t sure whether that was good news. Having a senior instructor pay attention to him could be helpful, but it could also make it harder to keep his unusual circumstances hidden.

He decided to change the subject.

"So, did I pass the assessment?" Kael asked.

Marcus looked at him. "What do you think?"

Kael sighed. "I suppose that’s a no."

"You showed unusual physical strength for a beginner, but your combat ability is nowhere near sufficient for field assignments," Marcus explained. "You don’t know how to use your weapon, your defense is poor, and you have almost no experience dealing with an opponent who knows what he’s doing."

Kael nodded. "You’re not wrong."

"However, I won’t dismiss your application," Marcus continued. "Your preliminary registration is complete, and your final evaluation can continue after you’ve completed the required beginner training."

Kael looked at him with renewed interest. "So I can still become a hunter?"

"Yes," Marcus answered. "But don’t mistake that for permission to enter a dungeon."

Marcus leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Until you complete your assessment and receive your official license, you shouldn’t accept hunting assignments," Marcus explained. "Even after that, you’ll need proper instruction before entering dangerous areas."

Kael nodded. He had hoped the assessment would go better, but at least he hadn’t lost his chance to become a hunter.

"How long will the training take?" Kael asked.

"That depends on you," Marcus replied. "You might learn the basics in a few weeks, but becoming a capable hunter takes much longer. Some people spend years training before they’re ready for serious missions."

Kael thought about the exercises he had been doing at home. Squats, wall push-ups, marching in place, and a few other simple movements had helped improve his physical condition, but they were nothing compared to proper combat training.

Compared with Marcus, he might as well have been a complete beginner.

"Can I register for the beginner program now?" Kael asked.

Marcus smiled. "That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said today."

He stood up and walked toward the door.

"Rest here for another hour," Marcus instructed. "I’ll have someone bring you the application for the beginner program. You can review it before leaving."

Kael watched him reach for the door handle before calling out to him.