Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: The Fixer Exam, Is This Really Okay? (7)
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5 PM on the second day of the Fixer exam.
The loud alarm blaring from my wrist announced the end of the third assignment, the Color War.
At the very last moment, exactly 121 people had met the passing conditions.
Considering there were precisely 525 examinees when the test began.
The pass rate was 23%, less than half of the theoretical maximum.
Well, a good number of people had given up, unable to endure the dangerous environment of Reverse Mountain.
The problem was that when someone withdrew, their mark became unusable.
This led to a greater-than-expected shortage of marks, causing internal strife and the collapse of groups.
The logic of survival of the fittest became more important than group politics.
As a result, those who lacked the minimum skill to protect themselves were eliminated in droves.
One way or another, becoming a Fixer was no easy feat.
It's no wonder they're revered worldwide as icons of trust and security.
‘If the people who failed saw me passing just by breathing… they'd probably explode with frustration.’
Of course, having already obtained the blue team's mark, I had naturally passed.
Thanks to Vespera, I didn't even have to worry about wild animals approaching.
It wouldn't be wrong to say I passed the third assignment in a flash, just by blinking.
Regardless of the process, I had proudly passed the third assignment, known as the Wailing Wall.
I could already vividly picture Raven's surprised face when he heard the news.
But even thinking of that future, I couldn't feel any joy right now.
News that unsettled me in many ways was weighing heavily on my heart.
“Whew, it's finally over. I was bored to death. Hehe, if this cute little baby wasn't by my side, I might have just given up. Shall we get going?”
“…”
Vespera, having casually gathered her belongings from the shelter, glanced back and asked.
Seeing her subtly asking for an affirmative, I gave a light smile and a gentle nod.
Even though I was wearing a mask, she could probably see right through me.
Who knows what would happen if I were to frown here.
I felt like I was on a precariously swaying tightrope.
‘This is troublesome. It would have been best for me if she had withdrawn…’
The source of my discomfort was none other than Vespera, who was still an examinee.
I was sure she would withdraw after meeting with Tempest alone yesterday.
But here she was, still an examinee, right beside me…
From what I'd heard, I understood that the place and situation weren't ideal.
But that's that, and this is this. The fact that she was still here was extremely problematic.
The content of her conversation with Tempest was especially enough to throw my mind into chaos.
‘From what I've heard, Vespera has a clear purpose in the fourth assignment. If that's the case… I don't want to admit it, but I have a suspicion.’
If there are no variables that change the content of the Fixer exam from now on.
The remaining stages are the interview, the fourth assignment, and the final assignment—only three in total.
The interview is a simple process to check if the examinees have any serious issues.
So, in effect, there are only two assignments left.
‘The fourth assignment is to secure at least one fairy, a creature from another world that requires special management.’
The fourth assignment was a test of luck.
Fairies are tricky beings that don't reveal themselves unless they find someone on their wavelength.
Securing a fairy without help required a corresponding amount of luck and qualification.
All in all, it was a fitting assignment for the Fixer exam.
After all, a Fixer's qualifications aren't just about skill; luck is also considered a vital asset.
And fairies are a special metahuman race that wields magic with a unique structure, different from conventional magic.
To protect and manage this species, the Association created a special artificial aerial facility: the Sky Garden.
Access to this place is even more restricted than Reverse Mountain, so it's clear the Association must have gone to great lengths to hold this part of the Fixer exam there.
The problem is that a special item, unknown even to the Fixer Association, is hidden in this Sky Garden.
Its name alone is ominous: the World Tree Seed.
Once planted, it was the seed of a monstrous tree that would take root deep within the planet and devour all its energy.
‘A very, very dangerous item that some pure-hearted fairy found and secretly hid. A nuclear bomb that could wipe out a city would be hundreds of times safer.’
Huh? Why didn't I think of something so ridiculously dangerous sooner?
I couldn't help it. It wasn't supposed to appear now, but at least a year later.
It's an item that only emerges after the Metahuman Liberation Army has completely fallen!
It wasn't something someone like me could recklessly handle.
But what if Vespera knows about it and has infiltrated the Fixer exam in disguise to obtain the World Tree Seed?
It would make sense why she went to the trouble of taking the exam.
The World Tree Seed is at least that valuable…
And she probably couldn't yet determine whether the Association knew about it or not.
‘If her goal really is the World Tree Seed… I have to stop her, no matter what. Even if it means destroying the seed with my own hands!’
I don't know how she found out about it…
But if it's true, I must somehow prevent Vespera from obtaining the World Tree Seed.
If the World Tree Seed falls into someone's hands, the world's destruction is practically guaranteed.
Forget Invaders; the Earth itself would be on the verge of annihilation.
I either have to secure the World Tree Seed first and destroy it.
Or I have to render the seed she obtains useless!
And so, as I headed with Vespera to the meeting point for successful candidates transmitted to our watches, I secretly steeled my resolve.
“So… your name is Yuria.”
“...!”
And a few hours later.
I was having a private meeting with Tempest, the Dragon Mayor, close enough to reach out and touch him.
…How did it come to this?
***
On Earth, there are regions where humans typically cannot survive.
These places, often called wastelands, include deserts and polar regions.
However, there are also man-made wastelands, created by toxic substances or radioactive contamination.
At the heart of the war between humanity and the metahumans, there was a restricted zone for this very reason.
Its name was none other than the Mana Wasteland.
It was an area where the land had been contaminated by mana due to an excessive clash of powerful magics.
Humans without mana would lose consciousness within minutes.
It was an extreme region where even most metahumans would quickly fall ill.
Yet, in such a place, stood a castle that seemed to have been carved from a mountain.
Calderac.
This castle, named after a conqueror from another world, served as the general headquarters of the Metahuman Liberation Army.
It was also a remarkable war fortress built with advanced design.
Its sheer size was immense, capable of housing tens of thousands of metahumans.
Its spires, piercing the sky, were a symbol of the Metahuman Liberation Army's pride.
“Raise your heads.”
At the very peak of Calderac, in a hall where only the chosen could enter.
A deep, solemn male voice echoed from the highest throne within.
Seated on the throne was a white-haired man with his face wrapped in bandages.
The shape of his face was hidden, but his body was massive, well over two meters tall.
Just by sitting there, he exuded the natural aura of a ruler that could bring others to their knees.
His identity was the Supreme Commander of the Metahuman Liberation Army.
He was a being at the pinnacle of the metahumans, leading a powerful army of hundreds of thousands.
“Yes, sir!”
And as soon as he spoke, those below the throne raised their heads and replied.
They were the Seven Extremes, the top executives leading each division of the Metahuman Liberation Army.
Each one was powerful enough to reduce a city to ashes in an instant.
Yet, they couldn't even dare to meet the Supreme Commander's gaze.
A perfect hierarchy seemed to exist between them.
“I won't waste words. Secure the World Tree, even if it means dying at the hands of the dragon. With it, our grand design will take another step forward.”
“As you command.”
“Kuhaha! You can count on us!”
The Supreme Commander did not speak at length.
He simply ordered them to bring what was needed.
His loyal subordinates, the Seven Extremes, replied that they would do so without any questions or arguments.
Their eyes were those of fanatics, prepared to offer even their lives to the dragon.
The war had already begun, without anyone knowing.
***
Crowley Fixer Agency.
The building, usually bustling with a warm atmosphere, was strangely quiet today.
With the TV off for being too distracting, a man lay sprawled on the sofa, muttering to himself.
“Tsk, still no word… Does that mean she passed the third assignment? No way, that kid…”
His voice was laced with a sense of doubt.
Of course, she was a kid with sharp senses, so she could handle any situation.
But she also had a knack for being surprisingly clueless at times.
He couldn't help but worry, even if he didn't want to.
So the man fiddled with his terminal at roughly five-minute intervals.
Then, as if his patience had run out, he finally made a call.
“Hey, it's me. Jin Crowley. Long time no see. Say… you're one of the Fixer exam staff, right? Can I ask you for a favor?”
To an outsider, he looked like the very definition of a doting fool.