Chapter 129
Chapter 129
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: The Fixer Exam, Is This Really Okay? (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Tempest, the mayor of Nighthaven, was an old man with a resolute expression.
The term ‘man of iron’ seemed to suit him better than any other description.
His face was etched with a solemnity that suggested not a single drop of blood would spill even if pricked by a needle.
From a distance, he appeared to be in his late 170s in height.
His stark white hair and the muscles peeking out from beneath his suit were reminiscent of a white tiger.
But considering that enhanced humans and metahumans could easily surpass two meters in height…
At first glance, his physical form didn't seem particularly impressive for someone so famous.
However, that was a truly foolish thought.
His current appearance was merely the result of magical disguise.
Beneath that somewhat ordinary exterior slept a monster capable of parting the seas.
‘…He’s on a different level of existence. Just being in the same space sends shivers down my spine.’
Tempest probably had no intention of seriously intimidating us.
Why would he care about a bunch of kids who were nothing more than fledglings by his standards?
This pressure was likely just a casual greeting.
But perhaps because he was a being who stood at the pinnacle of all life from birth…
That alone was enough to make my tongue go dry and my body feel unsteady, as if I might keel over.
If I hadn't had the experience of fighting one of the Seven Extremes, I might have collapsed to the floor in tears.
Still, Tempest seemed to notice that the examinees, though intimidated, were somehow enduring it.
He lightly stroked his white beard, then grinned wide enough to show his teeth.
“Hmm… I see. The second trial was a phantom duel, wasn't it? Filtering people based on mental fortitude certainly seems to have worked; you’re all standing tall. You’ve got the right spirit… hmm?”
Not a single person had fallen; they all stood proudly, withstanding the pressure.
Was he pleased by this fact? The Dragon Mayor looked satisfied.
I should commit each of them to memory.
As his gaze swept over the crowd, it momentarily paused near me.
Judging by the direction of his eyes… was his target Vespera, standing beside me?
The moment I registered this, a chilling sensation, like being stabbed with a spear, struck my heart.
Despite the warm heating in the gymnasium, a cold sweat trickled down my spine.
It seemed he had immediately recognized her, even in her disguise.
Otherwise, there was no way he would be staring so intently in our direction with such sharp eyes.
‘Right, there’s no way a big shot like the Dragon Mayor wouldn't recognize Vespera. Yes, that's it! If you know who she is, get rid of her! You can beat her!’
This was good news for me.
Even if the Dragon Mayor was far from his prime, he was still one of the strongest beings in the world.
He was a monster who could certainly defeat someone like Vespera, even if it meant taking some damage.
If he took the initiative, I wouldn't need to figure out Vespera's intentions myself.
Whatever scheme she was plotting would be meaningless in the face of overwhelming power.
It might be a bit selfish, but as long as Alice and David were safe, that was all that mattered to me.
But even though he had clearly noticed, the Dragon Mayor seemed to have no intention of provoking Vespera.
He casually averted his gaze as if nothing had happened.
Huh, what… is he really just going to let her be?
Of course, it would be troublesome to expose Vespera’s identity in a place like this, but…
Regardless of my complex feelings, he continued speaking to the examinees.
“Well, well, we can’t have the future's rising stars so intimidated! You’ve all got a long road ahead of you… Alright, I’m feeling generous! Any of you with the guts to step forward and throw a punch at me right now, I’ll consider you to have passed the third trial!”
Tempest's subsequent declaration was nothing short of shocking.
Not landing an effective blow, but just throwing a punch would be enough to pass the third trial?
When you thought about it, it seemed incredibly simple.
The atmosphere among the examinees, who had been cowed by the Dragon Mayor's presence, began to heat up.
“Is he for real…? Just for throwing a punch…”
“It’s… it’s worth a shot, right?! If we’re the ones doing the hitting…”
The details of the third trial were still unknown.
But if they could pass just by closing their eyes and throwing a punch, it seemed worth a try.
Besides, the Dragon Mayor had a reputation for being a man of considerable character among Fixers.
Perhaps that’s why their psychological resistance wasn't that strong.
But their reactions had little to do with me.
What I needed to watch now was Vespera's reaction to this offer.
I didn't think she would step forward, given her desire to remain inconspicuous, but…
If she did, I needed to be mentally prepared.
‘She doesn’t seem… particularly interested. That’s a relief. I was worried I might have to step up to the Dragon Mayor too. Looks like that won’t be necessary.’
I let out a small sigh of relief at the sight of Vespera, who remained perfectly composed even after exchanging a heavy gaze with the mayor.
If Vespera had decided she didn't want to take the third trial and just stepped forward to throw a punch, I, who needed to dig up information on her, would have been in a difficult position.
If things continued like this, I wouldn't have to worry about that.
“Al-alright! I-I’ll give it a shot…!”
“Wait, me too!”
“I can’t miss an opportunity like this!”
As I was calming myself down, feeling relieved…
The examinees, now accustomed to Tempest's pressure, began to step forward one by one, declaring they would try.
The pass rates for the first and second trials had been notoriously low.
They must have decided that a guaranteed pass was more appealing than risking failure in the third trial.
But that fervent atmosphere vanished in an instant, like a bubble popping, after the first challenger stepped up.
The examinee who had confidently strode forward fainted before he could even get within punching distance.
“Ugh… Gack…”
“Th-that guy… he fainted!”
“The Dragon’s pressure is enough to make you lose consciousness…!”
“Phew… Thank goodness I wasn’t first…”
I mean, the pressure was strong enough to give you goosebumps even from several steps away.
How much stronger would it get if you were close enough to touch him?
It was a miscalculation by the examinee who had taken the offer to pass the third trial too lightly.
At this rate, it would be better to just take the third trial…
Learning their lesson from the sacrifice of one, the examinees backed away from Tempest.
“It’s always so much fun teasing the hot-blooded examinees at every exam. A shame, though. I only managed to hook one this time…”
Khahahat!
Tempest let out a malicious-sounding laugh as he watched the thoroughly frightened examinees.
Challenging only what you can handle is something a Fixer must calculate.
He likely felt that if they couldn't withstand his true pressure and fainted, then so be it.
If someone had actually managed to throw a punch, he probably would have passed them on the spot.
Tempest might look strict, but he was a surprisingly flexible type.
After the boisterous commotion had more or less died down…
Tempest eased his pressure and spoke to the examinees, who were now focused on him.
“Alright. I will now explain the third trial. Open your ears and listen well. The details will be sent to your watches later, but… it’s always your loss if you miss the right moment.”
The examinees swallowed hard, their eyes fixed on the Dragon Mayor.
Was it tension, or was it anticipation for the third trial?
And finally, the name of the carefully guarded third trial was revealed from the mayor’s lips.
“The third trial is a Color War, held here on Reverse Mountain with a 24-hour time limit!”
“T-twenty-four hours…?!”
“And a war means…!”
The third trial was a Color War.
The division of those who passed the first trial into three colors—White, Blue, and Red—was for this very purpose.
Tempest chuckled as if the examinees’ heated reactions were highly entertaining.
“That’s right. It’s a survival competition!”
At his bold declaration, the atmosphere in the room grew as hot as a potato fresh from the oven.
Their reaction wasn't surprising.
The treasure hunt of the first trial and the phantom duel of the second…
For the truly skilled, those trials had been rather dull.
Survival meant fighting other examinees to claim victory.
This was where the real test of skill began!
*
The third trial of the Fixer Exam: the Color War.
The details sent to our watches were as follows.
Participants consisted of 153 members in the White Team (one having been disqualified by Tempest).
The Red Team had 194 members, and the Blue Team had 178, for a total of 525 examinees.
The stage was the entirety of Reverse Mountain, spanning several kilometers in diameter.
The perimeter was guarded by meter-high barbed wire fences and Fixers.
Escaping to the outside or, conversely, calling for outside help was impossible.
There were only two conditions for passing.
First, protect the mark issued by the proctors for 24 hours.
And second, secure one mark of your target color.
The White Team had to hunt the Blue Team's marks, the Blue Team hunted the Red Team's marks.
And the Red Team hunted the White Team's marks… something like that.
It was easiest to think of it like rock-paper-scissors or a game of tag.
‘It seems simple on the surface… but it’s a mentally taxing trial in many ways. For one, the Red Team has the most members, but their target, the White Team, is the smallest, which is a problem.’
As this was a survival-style competition, attacking others without hesitation was perfectly fine.
However, intentionally taking a life would result in a very severe penalty.
Most people at this level were durable enough not to die even from a serious sword wound.
This was more of a strong warning to refrain from finishing off an incapacitated opponent.
Still, if things got too rough, accidental deaths could happen.
That couldn't be helped. The staff weren't parents there to wipe their bottoms.
They couldn't prevent someone from dying in a ditch after recklessly jumping into a situation beyond their skill level.
“Don’t you worry about any strange fellows running wild! Proctors like me are here to suppress such situations! Just let me see you try! I’ll give you a scolding so thorough your guts will come flying out of your mouth! Khahahahat!”
And we had none other than Tempest, a Single-Digit Fixer, here.
We probably didn't have to worry about shameless individuals hunting other examinees for sport.
An examinee at the level of taking the Fixer exam would be blown away by a mere sneeze from Tempest.
What kind of fool would go around deliberately killing people? Not even Vespera would do that.
After a brief explanation of the trial, he must have decided they were ready.
Tempest looked over the examinees and spoke in a confident voice.
“Alright. The third trial will begin at 5 PM! It’s about 4 PM now… hmm, I’ll give you one hour to scatter across Reverse Mountain! And for your information, your watches will be monitoring what you’re doing for the full 24 hours, so be careful about ambushing other examinees!”
“Ugh… surveillance…”
“Tch, I don’t like that part.”
The White Team examinees received their standard issue supplies and began to leave the gymnasium one by one.
The supplies included dried food and water to last half a day, a survival kit, a map, a blanket, and a compass.
They were all items that would be helpful for survival.
The half-day ration probably meant we were expected to find our own food. Though I imagine many would just go hungry.
Hah, so it’s really starting now.
As I shouldered my backpack with a slight sense of trepidation…
Vespera, her own pack slung casually over one shoulder, naturally took my hand.
“Mmm~ Shall we get going, then? I may not look it, but I’m great at camping, you know? Just trust your big sis!”
“…”
You’ve wandered all over the world, so of course you would be.
I left the gymnasium with her, the atmosphere feeling more like we were heading out for a picnic, her spirits seeming a bit high.
Wait, now that I think about it, I might run into Alice or David.
If I meet them while I’m with Vespera… what do I do?
A sudden chill ran down my spine at the thought of what might actually happen.
But whether she knew or not, Vespera just gazed serenely at the distant scenery.
One hour remained until the start of the third trial.
Time was incredibly short.