What the Hell Are You? - 3

Why the hell did I suddenly pull out my shield? Simple. I was luring Jeong Yuhyeon into tying himself down right there. With no one else requesting an evaluation at the moment, I figured it was the perfect opportunity. The guy who had been strutting around like he was Gold-rank had to take a Silver exam—how humiliating that must have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠felt. If I brought out my shield, Jeong Yuhyeon, desperate to return to his original position, especially after getting thoroughly beaten in our recent spar, would naturally focus on the fact that I had "drawn my shield." He'd assume there was some hidden intent behind it and try to neutralize the shield, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠binding himself to it and wasting his concentration in the process.

"He probably thought he was perfectly countering my plan without realizing a thing."

I'd seen plenty of people like him before. And they all shared the same fatal flaw—they believed they knew everything. In reality, I was the one wagging the tail and inviting them to bite. As a result, Jeong Yuhyeon failed to escape Bronze today. For someone supposedly Gold-rank, he felt pathetically weak. Even less impressive than Lee Hyunwoo.

"No desperation. Still thinking he's above me—that's why he'll never amount to anything."

Clicking my tongue, I returned to my spot only to find Kim Suhyun staring at me. Her gaze was... how should I put it? A little... intense.

"Suhyun?"

"Yes, Examiner."

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

It was overwhelming. Genuinely overwhelming. I'd never seen someone's eyes sparkle quite that much.

"You're amazing."

"Huh?"

"Examiner, you really are incredible."

The sudden flood of praise caught me off guard. Kim Suhyun wouldn't say something like that with bad intentions, so she had to be speaking from the heart.

"I get it now. Pulling out the shield was to keep that senior from leaving, right?"

"Huh? Wait, you figured it out?"

"Yes. It seemed strange for you to use a shield, so I thought about it and came to that conclusion. You made Jeong Yuhyeon focus only on the shield while hiding your real intentions."

She figured all that out from just watching once? That wasn't normal...

Ah, right. Kim Suhyun's trait was that of a "genius" trapped in an inferiority complex. She might be Bronze now, drowning in self-doubt, but that didn't mean she was below average. If anything, her potential was higher than anyone else's. Awakening as the Red Witch meant she already possessed extraordinary talent—it was just being blocked by her own inferiority complex.

"That's how you kept him believing he was still superior, then crushed him afterward."

"Yeah... You're right. Jeong Yuhyeon probably only just realized it himself. But Suhyun, I didn't expect you to catch on so quickly. Honestly, I think you're the amazing one here."

At my words, Kim Suhyun frantically waved both hands. "No!" she seemed to say, as if begging me not to joke like that.

"H-how could I possibly be more amazing than you, Examiner? I only figured it out because I was watching from the sidelines. If I'd been in that position myself..."

"No, Suhyun. You really are an incredible person."

I stepped forward and placed my hands on her shoulders. I needed to make her understand this clearly. She was an extraordinary person with her own unique value. She needed to stand taller.

"Suhyun. You said it yourself, didn't you? That I was an amazing person."

"Yes."

Kim Suhyun answered without the slightest hesitation. I smiled and continued.

"Well, this amazing person thinks you're incredibly amazing too."

"B-but I'm..."

"If you're not amazing, then my judgment is wrong. And if my judgment is wrong, then I'm not amazing either."

She jolted in surprise at my teasing remark. "What?!" The way I'd twisted it to put myself down had clearly flustered her.

"Suhyun. You told me about your situation last time."

"I did."

"Have faith in yourself. Don't look at others—look at you. Just you."

Kim Suhyun lowered her head. As expected, it wasn't something she could do right away. She'd grown up under everyone's expectations and scrutiny since she was little. Shaking off that burden wouldn't be easy.

"Even Kang Minsung avoids saying certain things for fear of burdening her, but Suhyun might interpret his silence as disappointment. That's why she needs to build her self-esteem even more."

Instead of the Red Witch, another genius needed to bloom in this world. Not someone who would slaughter five hundred thousand people, but someone who would protect five hundred thousand—five million—people.

"Not everyone shines from the very beginning. We're all the same. We get compared to others, feel small, and doubt ourselves. I was like that. So were others. You're no different."

Even Lee Hyunwoo was still Bronze. No one started out shining. Well... except maybe Irina, that crazy blonde.

"Your value isn't something others give you. It's something you find yourself. Don't compare yourself to someone and say 'I can't do it.' Compare, acknowledge where you are now, and think 'I want to become someone like that too.' That's how you move forward, one step at a time."

"...The desire to become someone like that."

"Yeah. Suhyun, nothing gets done just by sitting down. You can rest for a bit, but then you have to stand back up."

So let's keep taking the exam, even if we fall, break, and fail to pass. Let's keep challenging ourselves without giving up and surpass the smaller version of ourselves from the past. As I spoke, I tried to instill a renewed sense of determination in Kim Suhyun...

...What the hell was that now?

Today's commute home was just as unpleasant as usual. Something new had been added to Kim Suhyun's traits. After Rage came Admiration. At least this one was positive. What kind of effect would these "seeds" have later? The fact that Kim Suhyun had the original "Red Witch" setting made it even more nerve-wracking. It would be truly hollow if the person I'd worked so hard to save turned into a villain again. I knew her tragic story now, and she had a family that loved her dearly. I didn't want Kim Suhyun, her family, or the future citizens of Seoul to end up unhappy.

"The problem is, Kim Suhyun isn't the only issue. That's what makes it even more depressing."

Today's Silver-rank examinees had been just two people: Lee Hyunwoo and Jeong Yuhyeon. The day before, dozens had shown up. For the numbers to drop this drastically overnight was beyond disappointing—it was devastating. My superior must have given me a serious scolding. And the reason was none other than me, so I couldn't even complain.

"This is really going to be a problem."

It was a problem for me, and if we thought about the future, it would become a problem for Lee Hyunwoo and Kim Suhyun too. Not to mention all the promising talents I might be missing. If Lee Hyunwoo could become a big name quickly, things might improve. If someone like him kept challenging me, others would surely grow curious and come looking.

"Of course, that alone won't be enough. Do you have any idea how long the wait times are?"

I spent the entire walk home thinking. Searching for the perfect solution to turn this situation around. But nothing came to mind.

"Let's organize this. Students have no reason to take the Silver exam from an examiner who doesn't let them pass easily. The other staff members are lenient, after all. There's no merit in being evaluated by me right now."

What mattered most was giving them a reason to come to me. There had to be some benefit worth the difficulty and hardship. And simply getting them to visit once wasn't enough. They needed to keep coming back, consistently, to keep the rotation going.

"...No matter how much I think about it, I can't find a way."

I'd considered using the Sweet After Bitter trait at first, but there was a major issue. Sweet After Bitter required them to be forcibly stuck in the Silver exam. Even if they stacked the trait, it wouldn't activate unless I actually passed them. And if I did promote someone, there was no telling what kind of penalty the Silver Gatekeeper trait might impose.

So for now, I'd decided to hold off on using Sweet After Bitter on anyone except Lee Hyunwoo. I'd probably activate it again when Kim Suhyun took her exam next week, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠though.

"Maybe I should spread some rumors about my spar with Jeong Yuhyeon?"

If I did that, skilled students who might be hiding in the Academy could take interest. If they came to me for a spar, or got demoted on purpose and returned, some of them might even spread positive word. That the exam had been too easy before. That it was supposed to be this difficult. That at least you wouldn't die at the Academy, so it was better to struggle here.

It was nothing more than wishful thinking. There wasn't even the slightest guarantee it would work. How was I supposed to fill this empty evaluation hall with students again...

Thud—

"Ah. I'm sorry."

I must have been too lost in thought, because I bumped into someone's shoulder as they passed by. It wasn't a light collision, and it was clearly my fault, so I quickly apologized.

"...Found you."

Huh? Found what...?

The moment I saw her through the Third Eye, my mind went completely blank. It was too sudden. And I couldn't believe this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was really happening. I only came back to my senses after someone passing behind me bumped into me.

"Aigoo, I'm sorry."

The person bowed their head in apology and continued on their way. All around us were ordinary people wrapping up their ordinary days. This wasn't a dream. Only then did my frozen thoughts begin to move again.

The identity of the woman standing before me—Hyun Sujin—was...

Elder!