Monster Hunter Predator

The moment Elder Raizo's projection disappeared, the entire room fell into chaos. Excited voices overlapped, disbelief and admiration filling the air.

"Wasn't that Elder Raizo?" someone shouted.

"No doubt! A level 8 elite of the MHU. I never thought we'd see him in an entrance exam!"

Orin stood off to the side, leaning against the cold metallic wall, watching the scene unfold. His sharp eyes scanned the crowd, taking in every detail. Not a single person stood alone—everyone instinctively formed small groups. Alliances, false friendships, people clinging to others out of fear. Orin scoffed internally. They act like a team now, but when survival is on the line, let's see how many truly stand together.

A voice cut through the noise. "Everyone, let's stop wasting time on unnecessary things. We have a map to clear and decisions to make."

The speaker was a neatly dressed hunter, his posture confident.

"Bastard!" Someone immediately shouted back. "How dare you call Elder Raizo an 'unnecessary thing'? Do you have a death wish?"

Others joined in. "You must be some keyboard warrior who thinks intelligence matters here!"

Just as the argument threatened to escalate, another voice spoke up, calm but firm. "Everyone, relax. He didn't mean it that way."

A young woman with short dark hair stepped forward, arms crossed. "His name is Rael. He's the only level 3 hunter in this base."

A brief silence followed before a few scoffs broke it. "Overrated. Intelligence doesn't matter in a fight. You need strength to survive, not a smart mouth."

Rael smiled, unfazed. "Thank you, Lisa." He turned back to the crowd. "Regardless of your opinions, we have a mission to complete. There are 23 other bases running the same test. We need to be the first to clear the map if we want to prove ourselves to the Monster Hunter Union."

His voice carried energy, but not everyone cared.

"This is about kills, not teamwork," someone muttered before storming off. A large chunk of the hunters followed suit, eager to hunt monsters on their own.

Rael sighed a moment of silence but quickly recovered. "Alright, for those of you still here, listen up. There are seventy rooms in this base, each assigned to a hunter. Your access code is in the MHU section of your ID watch. That's also where your digital badge is stored. If the test results prove the MHU underestimated your rank, your badge will be updated. Now, follow me." out of 70 novice hunters, only 23 were cooperative.

Orin checked his watch as the group walked deeper into the base. A new section had appeared, labeled Hunter Status. It displayed his information:

Name: Orin

Rank: Level 2 Hunter

Badge: 2-Star Bronze

Abilities: Physical combat specialization

Achievements: None recorded

He clicked on his messages.

Room Assignment 17 code: 08664

As they reached the residential quarters, hunters split off to find their rooms. Orin entered his code and stepped inside.

The room was spacious, the design sleek and modern. White walls, smooth metallic surfaces, and high-tech installations. A large screen sat against one wall, a communication device beside it. The wardrobe hummed softly, recognizing its new occupant. A weapon storage unit was embedded into the opposite wall.

Opening the wardrobe, he found several outfits—each made from reinforced materials, lightweight yet incredibly durable. He swapped his worn-out hoodie and jeans for something more fitting: black combat pants reinforced with flexible armor plating, a slim-fitting T-shirt made of high-resistance fibers, and a short-sleeved tactical jacket that felt both lightweight and sturdy. His shoes were white, made with shock-absorption technology for high-speed movement.

Turning to the weapon storage, he scanned through the selection—blades, maces, daggers, and more. His attention locked onto a pair of gloves. Black metal, intricate engravings running along their surface. He inspected them.

Weapon: Titan Gauntlets

Rank: Level 3

Weight: 1000kg each

He reached for one, straining as he lifted it a few inches before letting go. Not yet.

With a sigh, he turned to the screen, watching notifications roll in.

Hunter 34 eliminated from test ground. Injuries sustained. Extraction complete.

Hunter 56 eliminated from test ground. Critical condition. Emergency evacuation initiated.

The feed continued updating.

Orin clicked his tongue. Weaklings. Losing to mindless monsters? Pathetic.

His communicator lit up.

Incoming Transmission: Rael

"Everyone, meet at the Hunter's Fortress training grounds in two hours."

Orin didn't wait. He left immediately.

The training grounds were impressive and empty. State-of-the-art equipment filled the space—adjustable weightlifting stations, high-speed tracks designed for enhanced movement training, combat dummies reinforced with level 3 materials.

He tested the punching machines. Not strong enough. Let's not break things.

Then his eyes landed on something else, a gravity training station.

Built for high-speed flight training, the station simulated gravitational pressure. It wasn't dangerous. But Prolonged exposure could crush bones, rupture organs. But Orin wasn't worried. His body recovered too quickly for that to matter.

Next to the station was something even more interesting. A black suit.

At first glance, it looked like a sleek bodysuit, its surface shimmering like liquid metal. But when he tried to lift it—

Nothing. It didn't budge an inch.

He frowned and spotted a remote beside it. Picking it up, he pressed a button. A number appeared on the small screen:

50,000kg

"What the hell?"

He adjusted the weight down. The minimum setting was still 1,000kg.

Shrugging off his new outfit, he changed into the suit. It clung to him perfectly, molding to his body. His muscles flexed, pressing against the fabric. Then the weight hit.

His entire body felt like it was being crushed. While very step was a struggle, his limbs barely responding. He clenched his teeth. This is perfect!!

Pain tore through his muscles as he moved, the weight threatening to rip him apart But he grinned as if the suit was trying to break him but too bad for it, because He wasn't that easy to break.

Behind a screen, an old man in a green robe sat, his hair standing on end like green fire. His sharp green eyes scanned the multiple screens displaying various battle scenes—23 in total.

A young woman sat in front of an advanced computer, her fingers moving rapidly over the controls. Her short black hair was tied up in a ponytail as she monitored the examination.

"Are there any potential stars this year?" the old man asked.

The woman switched the display, showing the 23 most outstanding hunters from each base.

The old man scanned them without any reaction. "I received news that there's a special case here. Why don't I see him on the screen?"

The woman's eyes lit up. "Oh, you mean the boy with no energy core?" She switched the display again, bringing up his profile.

Name: Orin

Age: 18

Rank: 2

Energy Core: Unavailable

Physical Condition: Solid

Potential: Limited

Other traits: (null).

The old man sighed as he read the information. "An earthling dared to apply for the hunter examination? That's nothing but a death wish. Even if his body is strong, he'll still die easily against innate hunters."

The woman nodded. "His strength is impressive. He could destroy a body with one hit, but against someone with an energy core, he'd die before he could even strike."

Before she could continue, a voice echoed through the room.

"Uncle, I didn't expect you to be here too!"

The old man turned his head, snapping out of his thoughts. A beautiful young girl entered the room, her light blue hair flowing past her shoulders, diamond-like eyes shining. She was escorted by a bodyguard with no badge.