Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 186. Grasping the Examiner's Intent
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"No."
[Who is the most useless person in the team?]
"No one, I said."
[Who is the most useless person in the team?]
"I said no one."
[Who is the most useless person in the team?]
A sigh escapes me naturally.
There are certain types of people I basically can't stand.
Selfish types like Kim Wanwoo who only think about themselves are bad enough, but what I hate just as much are those who sow discord between others.
They're the worst.
I stare at the text, lost in thought.
[Who is the most useless person in the team?]
The most useless person in the team.
I couldn't even fathom the intent behind asking such a question in the first place.
A company is a place where even efforts to foster harmony among people fall short of keeping things running—yet here they were deliberately stirring up trouble with a question like this?
...
I recall the purpose of the test and my own experiences.
At first, I'd thought this was part of the Containment Team's exam.
...
I move on without answering the question.
[Who is the most useless person in the team?]
I ignore the voice from the sky and keep walking.
No manual, no gun.
But that wasn't a reason I couldn't solve the problem.
This was exactly as far as this test was meant to go.
*
...
Yoo Daon stares blankly at the text in front of her.
[The most useless person.]
The most useless person.
Who should she pick?
What a vicious question.
Even Yoo Daon thought so—it was that tough.
Who should she name?
Names start swirling in her mind.
First, Kim Jaeheon.
No need to even think about it.
If he was useless, then everyone in the world was useless.
She cleanly erases his name from her mind and continues thinking.
Jang Chaeyeon.
Fluttering white hair floats into her thoughts.
What an enviable person.
She had the strength Yoo Daon lacked, and a straightforwardness Yoo Daon could never match.
The man might not find Jang Chaeyeon the most comfortable person, but even so, to him, Jang Chaeyeon was someone who could affirm him completely.
Of course, Yoo Daon could affirm him too.
But her affirmation and Jang Chaeyeon's were different.
So Jang Chaeyeon couldn't disappear—not if it was for his sake.
Next person.
She erases Jang Chaeyeon's presence from her mind and presses on.
Song Arin.
Sharp eyes under purple hair come to mind.
Prickly on the outside, but actually fragile and easily hurt.
Lately, the way she fawned over the man seemed like it stemmed from her worries about him, which was getting on Yoo Daon's nerves.
Worrying isn't good for you, they say—so she'd better resolve it soon and stop causing him concern.
Or would it help him if she disappeared?
...No.
Yoo Daon shakes her head.
It wasn't right, and if she vanished, the man might suffer.
That wouldn't do.
Yoo Daon erases Song Arin from her mind.
Next...
She keeps thinking.
Herself.
How much help could someone named Yoo Daon really be?
What had she even done?
Caused him trouble linked to the hospital.
A powerless fool who had no choice but to step forward and fight.
The epitome of uselessness.
"Yoo Daon."
Her deliberation was brief.
-Rumble!
Thunder crashes, and the sky seems to collapse,
...Huh?
A bright light flashes, drawing her gaze forward.
A white-haired woman and a purple-haired one stand before her.
"So you're the one who—"
"You're way too chatty—"
Jang Chaeyeon and Song Arin, mid-argument with irritation, turn to stare at Yoo Daon.
...Who'd you pick?
Jang Chaeyeon looks at Yoo Daon.
...Do I have to say?
Of course she could.
Even if those two had picked Yoo Daon herself, she wouldn't have minded much.
It wasn't her business if they called her incompetent.
But she couldn't tolerate them telling the man she was incompetent.
...Fine.
Surprisingly, Jang Chaeyeon backed off first.
Yoo Daon nods and turns her gaze to Song Arin.
She's staring at the floor, as if she couldn't care less.
"But when's Jaeheon due—"
[Those present here are the ones who each received one vote.]
A mechanical voice echoes.
[One person remains who hasn't cast their vote yet. Depending on the number of votes that person casts, you will each receive corresponding 'training.']
[The room you are in now is the 'One Vote Room.']
[The person who receives one more vote here will move to the 'Two Votes Room.']
...
Song Arin falls silent, and Jang Chaeyeon tilts her head.
Training based on the number of votes.
Yoo Daon racks her brain and keeps thinking.
She'd received one vote.
Jang Chaeyeon and Song Arin had each gotten one too.
That meant the people here had either pointed at each other or at themselves.
And.
...
Yoo Daon's body stiffens with a jolt.
The most crucial voter was still out there.
Just one vote, but if it landed on her, it would be a death sentence.
She looks up at the other two.
Were they thinking the same? Their faces are rigid as they stare at each other.
An awkward silence flows.
*
[Who is the most useless person in the team?]
Ugh, shut up already.
I ignore the persistent voice and keep walking.
Ruins, and the same building pattern.
...
Five minutes ago, the collapsed building I'd passed comes back into view.
All other buildings reduced to unrecognizable rubble, this one alone stands tall.
Not even surprising anymore.
I head toward the building.
As I step into the ruined structure, darkness greets me—no sunlight penetrates at all.
[Who is the most useless person in the team?]
The voice still echoes from outside.
I ponder as I move deeper inside.
They call it safety training, but it fits a job aptitude test perfectly.
Safe, yet with unsettling questions, and still a job aptitude evaluation.
One word pops into my head.
Tailored test.
What is a job aptitude test?
Taken literally, it's evaluating if you truly fit the job's aptitude.
What aptitude did I need last year?
Paperwork, payroll.
I recall the earlier texts.
Me, Yoo Daon, Jang Chaeyeon, and Song Arin.
No Park Yeen or Team Leader.
Meaning those two didn't come here or choose anyone.
In hindsight, that's odd.
Especially Team Leader.
We'd entered together, so why hadn't he answered this?
Probably because he never came here to begin with.
-Clatter!
I step over debris, pass the broken elevator, and climb the stairs.
[Who is the most useless person in the team?]
So this question was only for us four.
I think back to the previous one.
In retrospect, it sowed discord.
A dark hallway appears.
I walk through it.
The mechanical question still drones from outside.
On the flip side, it could be probing individual loyalty.
How much can you sacrifice for each other? How essential is someone? Who do you deem useless?
An answer could strengthen bonds.
I stand before a door.
A faint light seeps from it.
A familiar voice murmurs from behind—indistinct, but conversational.
[Name: Exam]
[Age: Created 30 years ago]
[Talent: Exam]
[Background: One common mistake people make is thinking you must answer the question to pass the test.]
[Weakness: Ends automatically after the test.]
I get the examiner's intent now.
-Bang!
...Huh?
...
What the.
Lights blaze on in the room welcoming me,
and three people freeze.
Yoo Daon, Jang Chaeyeon, and Song Arin stare at me.
The three looking my way widen their eyes.
"Jaeheon, how did you get here..."
"You found us."
Yoo Daon, muttering, widens her eyes.
Not "how," though.
She asks something unexpected instead.
"Did you... answer it by any chance?"
Anxiety floods her face.
Yoo Daon watches me tensely,
Jang Chaeyeon glances expressionlessly,
and Song Arin stares at the floor, avoiding my eyes.
"Nope."
"Th-then..."
Yoo Daon stammers.
But my answer was already set.
"Me."
-Rumble!
Faint thunder rumbles outside,
[100% match. Moving to the next question.]
"Wh-what?"
Yoo Daon blinks and looks at me.
"But we can't do without you, Jaeheon."
"I don't think so."
I speak while listening to the thunder.
Maybe because I'm inside, the earlier texts are gone.
"Anyone who picks someone else as useless is the truly useless one."
The moment you weigh others negatively, your own value drops.
Better to pick myself.
Soon, a new question fills the room.
[With four of you gathered, if you leave one behind, who will it be?]
The three look at me.
"I-I'll stay."
...Do whatever.
"Me too."
Yoo Daon raises her hand, and the other two nod calmly.
"It's fine."
No need for more of this test.
I don't know why these questions exist or what they mean.
"Chaeyeon."
"Yeah."
The Management Bureau's test might be like this. Or maybe a ploy to sever our bonds.
Field work means constantly losing people.
[Coordinate Rip: 3 uses]
Of course, someone like me might miss some grand purpose.
But if that purpose comes from pitting us against each other like this, we can do without it.
"Let's smash it."
"Yeah."
Jang Chaeyeon nods at my words.
No questions like what, why, or how—as usual.
The world unfolds like graph paper.
Visible distortions in space.
-Krunch!
Jang Chaeyeon reaches out, clenches her fist,
and the air begins to tear.
[Coordinate Rip: 2 uses]
She reaches out and clenches again.
-Krraaack!
The void rips open.
Soon, the room where we'd taken the test appears.
"Let's go."
No safety training score appeared, and no personnel shift.
*
I tap the keyboard in the office.
Ever since Jang Chaeyeon and Yoo Daon started doing their jobs properly, efficiency has shot up.
Sometimes work even wraps up before quitting time—a real treat.
Maybe everything boils down to having enough people.
"Isn't it getting chilly, Jaeheon?"
"Yeah, it is."
I agree with Team Leader and glance out the window.
He said he took a standard data review test.
Looks like my hypothesis was right.
News flows from the radio Team Leader left on.
[What is art? An art exhibit claiming to provide the perfect answer is coming to town.]
"Gonna need a coat starting tomorrow."
"Probably."
[Entitled 'Unknown,' this self-proclaimed anonymous artist's works have everyone buzzing with excitement.]
"Come to think of it, does Daon get over colds right away?"
"Yes! I recover super fast!"
"That's enviable."
"If you get sick, Jaeheon, I'll nurse you!"
Jang Chaeyeon cuts in as Yoo Daon speaks.
"Someone who's never been sick doesn't know how to nurse. I'll do it."
...I can nurse too!
"Stop fighting."
[The 'Unknown' exhibit arriving soon—stay tuned!]
The radio voice echoes through the crisp air.