Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: The Color War
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The third stage of the Fixer Exam, the Color War, seemed incredibly simple at first glance.
All you had to do was protect your own mark for twenty-four hours while obtaining one mark of your target color to pass.
The rules were quite intuitive, with little room for interpretation or situational variables.
However, this challenge demanded a more complex psychological game from the examinees than one might think.
The reason was simple: the three teams were interlocked like a game of rock-paper-scissors.
Think about it. To pass, the White Team needed a Blue Team mark.
The Blue Team needed a Red Team mark, and the Red Team needed a White Team mark.
In other words, even if the White Team held a hundred Red Team marks, they were meaningless without a Blue Team mark.
Therefore, fighting those who targeted you was an unnecessary battle with no gain.
This was especially true since the examinees had to survive for twenty-four hours, scattered throughout a vast forest.
How could one acquire the target mark with precision while minimizing useless energy expenditure?
It was no exaggeration to say that the Color War evaluated various factors beyond pure combat prowess.
‘That’s why teaming up with examinees of the same color is… an easy trap to fall into. Looked at another way, examinees of the same color are competitors with the same goal.’
It was a simple principle. Suppose ten examinees from the White Team banded together and managed to defeat five members of the Blue Team to get their marks.
But what if there was only an hour left?
Naturally, they would turn on each other, fighting to claim the marks and secure their own success.
Just as a large animal is strong, it must eat a lot to avoid starvation.
Of course, the story would be different if the ten of them easily obtained ten or more marks.
But by this stage, most of the remaining examinees were skilled individuals who couldn't be taken lightly.
Acquiring a mark without taking any damage was a difficult feat.
‘But what if you have a mark from your own team, the White Team? You could offer a trade to escape a crisis. In a survival situation where exhaustion is fatal, avoiding a fight while achieving your goal is the best possible outcome.’
Thus, the Color War in the original story was a mud-slinging fight rampant with betrayal and schemes.
In the beginning, examinees of the same color would gather to form large, seemingly safe groups.
But they would waste precious time avoiding fights, burdened by the fear of elimination.
When night fell in the middle of the test, some would use the darkness to launch surprise attacks, stealing marks and supplies.
Others would betray seemingly weaker allies to snatch their marks for trade.
By the time morning arrived in the final phase, the large groups would have easily collapsed due to betrayal.
The exam site would transform into a chaotic free-for-all, with everyone desperately trying to secure a mark and survive.
It might seem like a team competition, but in reality, it was a ruthless individual battle where you could trust no one but yourself.
In a way, it was a challenge where pure skill mattered more than anything.
‘Especially since there are quite a few monsters in this exam who are stronger than active Fixers. It’s a pretty tough situation for anyone with mediocre skills. And I’m just a weakling who doesn’t even measure up to that.’
For the record, my solution to the third test, which I’d planned for a week, was this:
Somehow hide and endure for twenty-four hours, then find Alice near the end and ask her for a single Blue Team mark.
Alice was on the Red Team, which needed to get White Team marks. But she wasn't the type to hide.
So, by the end, she would have surely acquired the White Team mark she needed to pass.
And if she wasn't hiding, she would have inevitably been attacked by the Blue Team…
My request was simple: just ask her to spare a tiny byproduct from that process.
I admit it’s a bit cheap, but what can you do?
By the third test, there was no one I could beat on my own without psychokinesis.
No matter how I looked at it, piggybacking off Alice was the least draining and easiest method.
Besides, by the final stage, such tricks wouldn't work anyway, and I’d probably be eliminated later on.
I should be allowed to use a little shortcut in the middle, right?
‘…I imagined a future where I’d pass just like that. But I never thought it would turn out this way.’
Of course, the plan I had so meticulously crafted down to the hour was already in shambles.
Not only did I end up with an absurd companion named Vespera…
It seemed this woman had given no thought whatsoever to the third test!
“Wow, a Giving Tree! How long has it been? Reminds me of my childhood… Hey, kiddo, the sap from this is super sweet. Want to try some?”
“…”
“No? Ah… now that I think about it, my cat threw up blood when I fed it some once. Oh well. It’s a pain to cut the stem anyway.”
Threw up blood? And you were just about to feed that to me?
I stared at Vespera in bewilderment as she made such a terrifyingly nonchalant comment.
Other examinees were probably looking for a good place to spend the day right now.
Or moving about, trying to cooperate with other examinees.
But Vespera, perhaps because she was so confident in her skills…
…looked as calm and composed as if she were on a casual stroll in her backyard.
Meanwhile, I was desperate to find a prime spot and roll out a mat.
‘Because of her, my original plan to rely on Alice has become difficult… And I’d rather not run into other examinees indiscriminately.’
I trotted along behind the aimlessly walking Vespera, then made up my mind.
I dashed forward, planting myself in her path to stop her.
She tilted her head, puzzled by my sudden action.
But I took her hand as if to say, *follow me*, and led her toward a spot I had already thought of.
A place people wouldn't easily find, yet from which one could quickly sense any nearby activity.
Nearby, there was a prime spot, cleverly hidden by a peculiar arrangement of trees, that met these conditions.
‘It should be around here… Ah, found it!’
It was a shelter formed by trees from another world.
Like a cave, it was shielded from the cold wind, so it wasn't too chilly.
There were no visible insects, and it seemed like laying down a blanket would be enough to sleep comfortably.
This was more than enough space for the two of us.
Most importantly, the entrance was exquisitely concealed by roots and branches.
You wouldn't even know there was a space inside unless you pressed firmly against it.
If Echo hadn't told me about it after hacking the Reverse Mountain survey results, I could have wandered around here dozens of times without ever noticing it.
Perhaps she could tell as much just by glancing around.
Vespera let me lead her inside without protest, her eyes blinking in surprise.
“Oh my, what a place. It doesn't look man-made… I guess this is one of nature’s mysteries.”
“…!”
“Hmm, to find a place like this right away. You’ve got some interesting tricks up your sleeve, kiddo. You’re not just a pretty face, are you?”
Well, it was less my doing and more Echo’s discovery.
Still, Echo wouldn't have been usable if I hadn't been feeding it energy.
In a way, you could say it was my talent, as its master.
So I gave a slight nod in response to Vespera's words, as if to say thank you, and dropped the bag from my shoulder onto the ground.
I glanced at the watch on my wrist. The time was 4:53 PM.
Only seven minutes remained until the start of the Color War.
To think there was such a prime spot just a stone's throw from the gymnasium.
I bet no one else would have even imagined it.
‘Haa… I have to stay with this person until 5 PM tomorrow… I just hope nothing terrible happens…’
How was I supposed to get a Blue Team mark? What if I ran into Alice or David?
My mind grew cluttered with such worries and concerns.
But the Tesseract inside my clothes and Echo hidden deep in my pocket helped me shake off some of that anxiety.
I had a last resort I could use at the very last moment.
Even though I was deeply uncomfortable, I could keep my wits about me next to Vespera.
But whether she knew my feelings or not…
Vespera, who had also set down her luggage, glanced my way and spoke in a tone that seemed to ask what I was so worried about.
“Kiddo, are you scared you’ll be eliminated? Don’t be so tense. Big sis will definitely get you something blue, okay? Let’s make it to the next test together, alright?”
“…”
*You’re* the main source of my anxiety.
Suppressing the urge to get angry, I forced a calm expression and nodded.
I had no idea how she would react if I seriously upset her.
Getting swept up in emotion and causing a conflict was not a wise decision.
So it was better to be docile and not get on her bad side.
With my life on the line, my reason calmly reined in my emotions.
[ The 3rd Stage of the Fixer Exam - The Color War has begun.
Time Remaining: 23:59:48 … ]
As we occupied the shelter and quietly monitored the situation outside…
My watch vibrated lightly, announcing the start of the Color War.
The watch also had a function to send an alert to nearby staff members.
So if you were too injured or wanted to forfeit, you could send a signal at any time.
They had even brought in a big shot like Tempest as an examiner for this test.
It was likely part of an effort to reduce the number of examinees who died or were seriously injured.
Of course, that didn't really concern me.
I had no intention of forfeiting until I understood Vespera’s motives.
And if I backed out now, it would be like unleashing an unbridled Vespera.
I had to stick it out until the very end.
“Well then… there are still too many eyes on us. Shall we make our move quietly at night…? It would be a pain if we attracted a commotion.”
“…!”
“Hm? You want to come too, kiddo? Sure, why not. Let’s go on a fun night stroll together.”
While all sorts of commotions erupted outside, we lazed around in our shelter for a long time.
We had dried food from our bags for dinner.
Then, as the time neared 11 PM, we finally emerged from our hiding spot.
A scream-filled night stroll with Vespera.
It was the beginning of terrifying violence against the examinees.