Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: So You Want to Be a Fixer (2)
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The Fixer exam.
As the name implied, it was a test to screen for those worthy of becoming a Fixer.
Think about it. In a single year, only about 300 people earned the title of Fixer.
But the number of aspiring Fixers who applied for the exam was in the hundreds of thousands!
Naturally, the difficulty of the exam to weed out so many people was beyond brutal.
Stamina, reflexes, teamwork, social skills, luck…
A single failing in any one area meant immediate disqualification!
The exam was so demanding that some people would challenge it for over a decade.
Of course, it was still a state-sanctioned exam. It was rare for anyone to die or be seriously injured.
But perhaps because the competition was so fierce, unintentional—or intentional—accidents happened from time to time.
Some people would attempt the exam with a casual, “let’s just give it a try” attitude.
Quite a few of them ended up with trauma or lasting effects that made them give up on the path of a Fixer for good.
Thus, another nickname for the Fixer exam was the graveyard for the half-talented!
That was why Alice and David were so surprised by Raven’s suggestion.
“T-take the Fixer exam? Uh… so suddenly?!”
“Yeah. You heard me right.”
“A week seems like far too little time to prepare…”
“What's there to prepare for? As long as you're in good shape, that's all that matters. It's no big deal, this Fixer exam.”
But Raven replied nonchalantly to the two, who couldn't hide their bewilderment.
Was that the confidence of someone who had already passed? Honestly, he looked a little smug from the sidelines.
However, I also thought that, with their skills, the two were more than capable of passing the Fixer exam.
Alice couldn't use magic, but she had outstanding physical abilities and her swordsmanship was at a formidable level.
And David had the sturdy body characteristic of a beastman and could use the simple magic he had developed himself.
Unless a veteran like Raven showed up at the exam site and unfairly knocked them out.
Their chances of passing were probably over ninety percent, right? Though I couldn't be certain, since there were so many variables.
“Why are you two so surprised when you're already stronger than most third-rate Fixers? You think you'd fail an exam that even people like that passed?”
“...!”
He had a point. These two were talented enough to easily defeat your average Fixer.
As if agreeing with Raven, I crossed my arms and nodded while still in his hand.
Then, what had I done to displease him this time?
Raven, who was holding me in one hand, suddenly tossed me onto the plush sofa.
I was used to flying thanks to my psychokinesis, but I never expected to be thrown like this.
Fortunately, Alice caught me gently in a soft embrace before I hit the sofa, so I was fine.
But being thrown like a piece of luggage hurt my feelings a little.
Just you wait. I’m going to squeeze toothpaste into his mouth while he sleeps.
“But being a better fighter doesn’t guarantee you’ll pass the exam, right? Other people have probably been preparing for months.”
“That’s right. I’ve heard it requires a wide range of skills, to the point where even a Metahuman martial arts champion can be easily eliminated.”
While I was inwardly sharpening my blade for petty revenge.
Alice, holding me in her arms, and David, surfing the web on his laptop, still looked puzzled.
The Fixer exam, as heard through the media and rumors, was absolute pandemonium.
Some would secretly bring poison, others would form teams inside, and some would even bribe the examiners to gain an advantage.
It seemed there were many who wouldn't hesitate to commit such dishonest acts to pass.
On top of that, the Fixer exam was held only twice a year, once in January and once in July.
So, to seize this opportunity, the most skilled applicants would surely come with their blades sharpened.
In contrast, these two had just been told to go take the exam a week before it started.
Their bodies, knowledge, partners to team up with… the difference in preparation would be immense.
Hmm, looking at it this way, I could kind of understand why they were anxious.
But despite their reactions, Raven’s resolve was as firm as an iron plate.
He furrowed his brow slightly, as if to ask what all the fuss was about, and continued speaking.
“Haa… you two. Why are you so scared? Since when did you care about things like that?”
“Well, it’s just so sudden…”
“It’s good for both of you to have a Fixer license anyway, right? Alice, you’re not going to work as an assistant at the agency forever. And David, with a license, you won't have to worry about your identity.”
Perhaps because Raven’s words were so perfectly rational.
The atmosphere in the agency grew quiet, as if doused with cold water.
It seemed Alice and David were finding it difficult to come up with a reply.
When you thought about it, he was absolutely right.
Alice had given up on becoming a police officer, so her future career path was to be a Fixer.
In that case, the Fixer exam was a gateway she would have to pass through eventually.
After all, only after obtaining the license could she present herself as a Fixer.
Even if she failed the exam, she could consider it a good experience, and if she passed, all the better.
And David was the mastermind behind the Nemesis terror incident.
With his identity erased, he was, for all intents and purposes, a non-person in Nighthaven.
No matter that he had done it for Reine, he was still a criminal who had caused chaos.
In other words, even if the police had given up their pursuit, he was still officially a wanted man.
But if he obtained a Fixer license, he could use it as a form of identification.
Considering the future, taking the Fixer exam was a very wise choice to solve his problems.
“Still…”
“You’re not wrong, but…”
However, even after hearing such valid reasons, Alice and David showed a somewhat hesitant reaction.
No matter how I thought about it, taking the exam had only upsides and no downsides. Why?
Looking at Alice's slightly darkened expression, I could guess the reason.
She was probably thinking about a future where everyone in the agency would part ways and live their own lives.
It was an unavoidable fate that where there are meetings, there will one day be partings.
But she was content with everyone being together at the agency like this.
Perhaps the thought that this relationship would one day end stirred up complex emotions.
‘It’s like wishing your favorite movie or show would never end, I guess. But what can you do? You have to graduate eventually.’
I couldn't quite relate to the feeling.
After all, changes in relationships were bound to happen sooner or later.
When it came to human relationships, I was the type to accept change rather than cling to what couldn't be stopped.
Because I knew the end was coming. It also made the process feel more precious.
Still… I didn't quite like this gloomy atmosphere.
With that thought, I raised my arms high from Alice's embrace, making my presence known.
It was a gesture meant to ask Raven to look this way.
“What is it? You have something to say?”
“...!”
“Huh? You want to take the Fixer exam too? Hmm… That's just not possible. Compared to these kids who are built tough to the bone, you're pretty flimsy. You'd probably struggle from the first task and get eliminated, you know? It'd be a waste of the application fee, you rascal.”
“...”
“What are you looking at? Staring at me won’t change a thing.”
I know. I know.
Without my psychokinesis, my pure hardware was on par with an average adult male at best.
There was no way I could pass the Fixer exam, where superhuman freaks of nature participated. I was just asking.
But even knowing that, hearing him say it so smugly. I felt a surge of indignation.
Eliminated on the first task? A waste of the application fee? Then I’ll just pay for it with my own money.
I glared at the snickering Raven.
Then, I gently shook Alice's forearm and pointed a finger at myself.
After pondering my meaning for a moment, Alice’s eyes widened in understanding.
She seemed to have never expected that I would declare my intention to join the Fixer exam.
“Oh, huh? Yuria? Don’t tell me… you want to take the Fixer exam too?”
“...!”
“That… seems too dangerous…”
“Hey, give it up. You’ll really get hurt. The Fixers will be controlling the site, so you won’t get seriously injured, but do you want to be lying in a hospital bed groaning while these guys are eating meat to celebrate passing the exam? Besides, hospital food tastes awful.”
“...!!”
I’m really going to do it. It’s my money if I fail, so what does it matter?
I shook my head from side to side, as if refusing everyone's attempts to dissuade me.
Of course, I had no intention of ever using my psychokinesis. I wasn’t even hoping to pass the final stage.
My goal was simply to achieve a decent score, enough to make Raven see me in a new light.
And experiencing the Fixer exam, which I had only seen in the original story, for myself didn't seem like a bad experience either.
What if I actually managed to pass?
It could be a fantastic solution to my current identity problem.
The Fixer exam didn't care much about a person's past.
Other than preventing current Fixers from taking the test again, there weren't really any restrictions on who could apply.
No, wait, this is actually a great idea. Becoming a Fixer would be awesome.
‘Just you wait. I'll squeeze out every bit of my knowledge from the original story and completely overturn that assessment.’
I secretly gritted my teeth, sharpening my resolve like a blade.
There was one week left until the Fixer exam.
I had to make every second of that time count.