Tok! Tok! Tok!
It was still quite early for a visitor to come. But the knocking on the door was loud and rough, disrupting the quiet morning. The mother and her two children were enjoying a simple meal before going about their day. The mother left her food to see who it was.
"Oh my God, Bailey! Are you deaf?! How hard do I have to knock before you open this door?!"
A woman in luxurious clothing stood there with two men in black suits behind her, glaring sharply at the mother.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," was all the mother could say.
That wealthy woman always came every month to collect the rent and electricity payment whenever the mother was even a little late. Theodore narrowed his eyes as he watched, worried his mother didn't have enough money after buying the cake last week.
"Ma'am, please wait just a bit longer. I'll deliver the money soon!" the mother pleaded.
"Hah?! How many times have you been late with your payments?! You even made me come here personally! Do you want to be evicted?!" The woman's glare grew sharper, leaving the mother powerless and trembling as she begged softly.
Theodore couldn't stand watching that. Allita looked terrified, frozen in fear, while their mother was cornered, unable to do anything but plead. Theodore stepped toward the door, standing in front of his mother, and glared at the woman.
"Give us just two more days! I swear we'll pay the money by then!" Theodore shouted bravely, as if he truly had a plan to get the money in that short time.
"Oh? You're not lying, are you?" the woman asked arrogantly.
"Of course not. You can evict us if I don't bring the money!" Theodore replied sharply.
"Fine. This time only! But don't expect any leniency next time!" The woman delivered her threat, then left with her two guards.
"Theo! What did you just say?!" his mother exclaimed in shock.
"Oh no, Brother! How can you get that much money so quickly?" Allita scolded, joining in. She already looked resigned, believing they'd soon have to leave the house—or worse, stop going to school, since they hadn't paid their school fees for months.
"Mom, it's fine. Please trust me," Theodore said gently, holding her arms. His gaze was calm yet mature, filled with determination.
"But how?" she asked, confused.
"The point is—I'll get the money," he said, keeping his plan secret.
"Don't tell me you're going to take the Hunter Exam again!!!" Allita guessed loudly. She clearly knew how many times he had failed before. Theodore only winked at her.
"I'm off to school! Don't worry, Mom!" he said, quickly escaping the situation. "Allita, hurry up! You'll be late!" he added.
On the way to school, he smiled faintly, feeling the warmth of his mother's love. He never thought that living in poverty could feel this comforting.
At school, everything went as usual—he silently endured the punches of three troublemakers who loved using him as a punching bag. Once again, he got injured, making Wisley panic and Shiny—whom he still ignored—look worried. He ended up in the nurse's office, but instead of resting, he used the time to train secretly.
After school, Theodore disappeared—unlike usual when he walked home with Wisley. His chubby friend even searched everywhere for him. Meanwhile, Theodore walked calmly, humming softly, completely unbothered despite being bullied. He took off his school uniform, leaving only a white shirt, put it in his bag, and put on a black jacket.
He took a bus toward his destination. Two hours later, the bus stopped, and he got off, handing the driver a few bills. After walking a bit further, he arrived at a tall, magnificent building with a wide yard full of parked vehicles and people moving around with weapons and combat gear—some even looked panicked.
"Okay, I'll succeed this time," Theodore said to himself, stepping into the grand building labeled Black Hunter. Inside was a registration area for new applicants to take the hunter exam. To become a hunter, he had to pass this test.
He registered and waited in line. By the time he was called in, it was already late afternoon. The room he entered was wide and empty, with only a round table in the middle—and a glowing crystal stone on top.
"An assessment crystal?" Theodore muttered quietly. He hadn't expected to see one again after thousands of years. He didn't think such an ancient relic would still exist in this era—it was usually used to identify elemental affinity in five-year-old children.
"Participant number 34, Theodore—please place your hand on the crystal so we can determine if you're qualified to become a hunter!" a voice spoke through a microphone in the corner.
Theodore obeyed, placing his hand on the crystal. It immediately glowed bright blue, displaying the symbol of ice.
"Congratulations! Participant Theodore possesses the Ice Element!" the voice echoed loudly.
"Next, please proceed to the qualification test by engaging in combat with one of our hunters. If you can land three hits, you'll pass the exam!"
Right after the announcement, the room transformed—the table sank into the floor, revealing a new arena beneath. A tall, muscular man with dyed yellow hair appeared.
"Ice element, huh? That's pretty cool!" the man said cheerfully. "Oh, you already know your element? Have you taken the test before?" he asked. Theodore only nodded. He hadn't truly awakened his ice powers yet—but he didn't need to explain.
"Alright, kid! If you can hit me three times, you pass!" the man said, his tone playful yet challenging.
Theodore narrowed his eyes, smiling faintly. "Please go easy on me," he replied before launching his attack.
The man easily dodged at first, while Theodore kept trying to land a hit. Finally, his first punch connected—right in the man's face—but Theodore was thrown back, hitting the ground hard and spitting blood.
He wiped his mouth, glaring fiercely, and charged again with renewed strength.
"I'm sure you can do better than that," the man taunted, throwing Theodore against the wall.
"Damn it… he can read my moves," Theodore muttered, spitting more blood on the floor. Then he smirked, raising his fingers—suddenly, large, sharp ice spikes formed and shot toward his opponent.
"Oh, that's good! Looks like you've trained!" the man shouted, shattering the ice with his bare fists. But Theodore moved fast, almost flying through the air, releasing a freezing aura that began to encase his opponent.
"This ice—!" the man exclaimed, struggling to break free. Before he could, Theodore dashed forward and landed a solid punch to his face.
The man laughed loudly, wiping blood from his lips. "Master! This kid passed! He's amazing!"
"That's incredible, kid! You look like a trained fighter!" he said, patting Theodore's shoulder warmly. "I'm Darwin. I hope we can fight again someday."
"Nice to meet you, Hunter Darwin. I'm Theodore," he replied, shaking his hand firmly.
"See you around, Hunter Theo!" Darwin said, returning to his quarters. Theodore exited the room and was immediately greeted by an attendant.
"Hunter Theodore, please follow me to receive your hunter card."
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