Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: The One Who Wants to be a Fixer (6)
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After the announcement marking the end of the first test.
The eliminated candidates were quickly escorted out of the testing site by the staff.
And those who remained were exactly 100 Fixer exam candidates.
Just by looking at their hair colors, it was a vibrant mix, and their races and appearances were incredibly diverse.
Perhaps it was because they were the ones who had confidently passed the first stage of the Fixer exam.
Though their absolute number had decreased, the density of their presence had grown even thicker than before.
They might end up losing their chance in vain, just like the candidates who had just left.
This instinctual sense of crisis must have sharpened their focus.
“Hmm, the faces of you survivors look like those of heroes who have overcome adversity. Much better than before. I hope you'll carry this momentum and safely advance to the final test.”
Did Mira Valentia also notice the atmosphere overflowing with the candidates' passion?
Wearing her sunglasses, she spoke with a faint smile gracing her lips.
Mira then glanced down at the watch on her wrist to check the time.
As if her part was now over, she shouted to the candidates in a loud voice.
“Before we begin the second test, we will have new team assignments! Check the file sent to your watches right now!”
“On our watches…?”
“Ooh, something came through!”
*Tap, tap.*
As soon as Mira finished speaking, the sound of candidates tapping something diligently followed.
It was the act of tapping the watches on their wrists twice with their palms.
A light projected from the watches then drew a palm-sized UI above their wrists.
Surprisingly, the UI floating in mid-air offered a slight resistance when pressed with a finger.
It was a so-called touchable hologram, an object that seemed like the pinnacle of future technology.
Just how far had technology advanced for such a wondrous device to be commercialized?
Even in a world where augmented humans and clones were common, this truly made it feel like the future.
“Team assignments, you say? Don't tell me…”
Alice, who had been guarding the seat next to me, frowned and hurriedly checked her watch.
What had been sent to everyone's watches was likely the new team assignments for the second test.
Did she have some kind of ominous premonition? It probably wasn't a big deal anyway.
I watched Alice nonchalantly before leisurely opening my watch's screen to check the notice.
The team written there for me was the White Team, matching my hair color. Yep, I knew it.
“Um, what color are you all? I'm Blue.”
“I'm Red.”
“Oh, I'm Red, too!”
“...”
“Yuria…?”
“White… I see.”
Listening to the rest of the group, the breakdown was as follows.
Alice and Rurika were Red, the Red Team. David was Blue, the Blue Team.
And I was neither Red nor Blue, but White. The White Team. Our group had been completely scattered.
Naturally, this was to some extent the intention of the exam organizers.
No matter how much they advocated for using any means necessary within the rules.
If people who knew each other formed groups, they would have an excessive advantage over those who didn't.
Thus, this measure was to keep in check candidates who relied too heavily on the help of others.
If the exam were run this way, it would be common for incompetent people to stumble into becoming Fixers.
*'In any case, I feel like I've already achieved my goal by passing the first test, so I don't really care.'*
It didn't matter much to me.
I didn't have high hopes of passing the Fixer exam in the end.
I just wanted to knock Raven down a peg for looking down on me so much.
Since I had already passed the first stage of the Fixer exam without even using my psychokinesis.
I had already succeeded in landing a punch on Raven, who had underestimated me.
How was it? A punch without Yuria's psychokinesis? Pretty spicy, huh?
But did Alice, my self-proclaimed guardian, think differently?
She looked at me with an expression of deep concern and said.
“Yuria… are you okay? Even if you're alone…”
“...!”
“Still, there are active Fixers acting as staff. As long as she doesn't overdo it, she probably won't get seriously hurt. There's no need to worry so much…”
“Nwaaah! But I'm still worried! To think I have to leave Yuria alone in such a dangerous place!”
Well... if you really think about it, it is dangerous.
More than half of the Fixer exam candidates are Metahumans.
Those trying to adapt to Earth and become Fixers are bound to be highly ambitious.
Because of that, even with active Fixers watching with their eyes wide open.
There were quite a few cases of people not hesitating to attack others or set traps.
If a frail-looking girl were to be dropped alone in such a harsh place…
Yeah, if I were in Alice's shoes, I'd be incredibly worried too. Honestly, how could you just let her go?
“...”
But it's an expensive exam, so withdrawing isn't really an option, is it?
So, I gave Alice a hug as if to tell her not to worry too much.
Then, I looked at her with determination and struck a fighting pose, as if asking her to believe in me.
It was my way of saying I'd do my best not to get hurt and that we should both try our best.
Did my heartfelt intention get through to her?
Alice, who had been frowning in thought for a moment, reluctantly replied as if she understood.
Her expression was like that of a parent leaving a child home alone.
“Umm…. Okay. But you absolutely cannot overdo it! Got it? You can withdraw anytime!”
“...”
“My, my... what a lovely relationship. Are you two perhaps sisters?”
“It's a relationship... similar to that of sisters.”
I listened to the conversation between David and Rurika nearby and quietly broke into a cold sweat.
*If I get hurt, Alice is going to be furious.*
I wonder how much time passed after that conversation more or less concluded.
Several buses arrived at the slightly chaotic testing site, one after another, as if in a line.
A red bus, a blue bus, and a white bus.
It seemed the colors represented the three divided teams.
“Everyone! Board the bus corresponding to your assigned team color! We will depart for the second testing site immediately!”
The journey to the second testing site would take about two hours.
It was just around lunchtime, so it seemed a meal would be provided on the way.
Hmm, I'm not a big fan of eating on buses…
But I can't tackle the next test on an empty stomach. I guess I have no choice.
As I felt a slight sense of disappointment and secretly prayed for a delicious meal.
Alice, having composed herself, looked at me and David and said.
“Let's definitely see each other later, Yuria! You too, David!”
“Yes, I hope you pass.”
“...!”
“What a wonderful friendship. It's truly moving…”
After saying our goodbyes, we each headed toward our respective buses.
Now that we were on different teams, we wouldn't see each other for the rest of the day. I secretly committed the sight of their departing backs to memory.
The bus I boarded under the staff's guidance was a super-luxurious one that could hold about ten people.
Since there were about three buses like this, transporting everyone didn't seem to be a problem.
The seats were all individual, separated from each other. The interior was so lavish it was hard to tell if it was a bus or a train.
“Whoa… this is…!”
“It's a top-of-the-line premium bus! The Fixer Association is really something else…!”
Leaning back, the plushness I felt was almost like a high-end bed!
It was the kind of seat where you could take a nap and wake up without feeling stiff at all.
I took a suitable seat. Not at the very front or the very back, but in the middle.
It was a kind of survival strategy to avoid drawing attention as much as possible.
But perhaps such an action was largely meaningless.
As I sat in my seat, staring blankly out the window.
The person in the next seat suddenly spoke to me.
“Oh, you're... the kid who was sitting near the clearing earlier, playing with the squirrels, right?”
“...?”
The voice that came out of nowhere belonged to an unfamiliar woman.
It was a remarkably beautiful voice, almost tickling the ears. If you heard it while sleeping, you'd probably drift off peacefully.
*Seriously, who's talking to me all of a sudden?*
*Don't they know how awkward it is when someone tries to act familiar during an exam? I can't even answer.*
With such thoughts in my head, I slowly turned around with a look of displeasure.
And I could only blink blankly at the sight of the rather familiar woman there.
The reason was simple.
Someone who absolutely shouldn't be here was before me, perfectly calm.
*'...No way. This can't be real.'*
She was a modest-looking woman with dark navy hair tied back in a single braid.
She wore unremarkable horn-rimmed glasses, and her impeccably pure makeup stood out.
At a glance, she looked like a completely ordinary human woman.
She had no characteristics to suggest she was a Metahuman, nor did she look particularly strong.
She had no presence at all and gave off a strong impression of being better suited as a librarian than a Fixer.
But beyond the perfectly clear, distortion-free lenses of her glasses were her red eyes.
And the bat-shaped tattoo faintly covered by makeup below her ear hinted at her true identity.
“Hmm…? A cute face. Big sis might be a little smitten.”
“...!”
The woman was the world-renowned criminal known as one of the Seven Sins, the vampire Vespera.
Her prestige and skill were such that even Raven would have to concede to her—a walking disaster.