The children, seeing Yoo Seowoo's head lightly tapped regardless of the situation, and possibly thinking it was a simple reprimand, allowed me to hide why I was truly upset. With the children's attention seemingly diverted from Seowoo and me, I looked around with a frown, noting Seowoo's lack of caution.
His casual demeanor now, in contrast to his previously secretive approach, irked me as he spoke recklessly in front of others, earning him a cold glare. Despite the nearly contemptuous look, Seowoo only responded with a refreshing laugh, as if pleased.
"What about lunch, then?"
"Starve."
"What?"
"Kidding. We could buy something nearby."
"Is there anywhere to eat?"
"There must be a convenience store or something."
"Going to power through with ramen?"
"If you don't like it, starve."
"Kang Sihyun, seriously."
"Hmm, I want pizza."
The trivial conversation continued. The spacious lounge lacked beds but had ample sofas, allowing each kid to rest comfortably. They exchanged a few nonsensical banter before dozing off. It seemed everyone was a bit too tired for another night of boisterous fun.
And Sihyun was no exception.
***
Knock, knock.
"......"
Knock, knock, knock.
The successive knocking faintly registered in my hearing, becoming clearer as I woke up. As the sound sharpened, I realized it wasn't a figment of my imagination and managed to tell the visitor to come in, still groggy.
Looking around, I saw the kids still deep in sleep. It was when I reached for my phone to check the time.
"You're awake. The test starts in 30 minutes, so I came to inform you to get ready."
Ihae entered the room, his expression seemingly more haggard than before. I was about to nod off again when the mention of "30 minutes later" jolted me awake.
30 minutes later?
It felt like it was just before 11 when we had fallen asleep, but now it was 3 o'clock?
Disbelieving, I checked the time.
3:02
Ihae's words were accurate.
"...Huh."
I had slept for four hours.
This was no nap; it was a full sleep. Still dumbfounded, Ihae, who seemed to have brought something during his brief absence, placed a box of energy drinks on the desk.
"You look tired, but these should help with the test. Have you eaten?"
"Ah... seems I missed that."
"I'll prepare some sandwiches. We can delay the test by about 10 minutes."
His willingness to accommodate, whether due to my disheveled state or sympathy for the still-sleeping kids, was evident. Suspicious of his continued generosity, I decided to accept the gesture and opened the box of energy drinks.
"Thank you. I'll drink it well."
"You're welcome."
As I opened a bottle, hesitancy flickered through my mind. My blue eyes darted between the energy drink and Ihae.
...Was this some kind of Hades' pomegranate seed scenario?
Hesitant, wondering if drinking this would somehow bind me to the association, Ihae cleared my doubts.
"It's not laced with anything strange. It's safe to drink."
"Okay."
"Drinking this doesn't mean we'll force you to join the association."
"...Okay."
Though not entirely convinced, I took a gulp. The drink's unpleasant taste washed down my throat as Ihae watched. He promised to return with sandwiches and left the lounge. Despite being new to him, his dedication was clear.
In other words, they were desperate for manpower and talent.
Ihae's face, grown even more tired in just four hours, hinted at the association's current plight. Evidently overworked, there was no way I'd lean towards joining.
I simply offered a sympathetic look and headed to freshen up. After splashing cold water on my face to wake up fully, I turned to the kids.
It was time for Ihae to do his job, and for me to start mine.
"Wake up."
"......"
"It's 3 o'clock, get up."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Using an empty PET bottle to bang on the table, I noisily woke the kids. As they groggily sat up, I herded them towards the bathroom one by one, handing them energy drinks, and informed them the test had been delayed by 10 minutes and we'd have sandwiches for lunch.
"We slept for four hours?"
Everyone seemed surprised by the revelation, similar to everyday life. I nodded, showing them the time on my phone.
"Could these sofas be drug beds?"
After repeatedly checking his phone and watch in disbelief, Haewoon humorously suggested a wild theory. Dismissing it as mere fatigue, we were interrupted by the door opening.
Ihae had returned.
Whether from a convenience store or not, he unpacked eight sandwiches with a familiar logo from a black bag. The manager's position wasn't low, nor were the kids' ranks, but Ihae's willingness to take care of us warranted a sincere thank you as we accepted the sandwiches. Even if the gesture held ulterior motives, it saved us from hunger before the test, making the gratitude genuine.
"If you're done, I'll lead you to the test waiting room."
"Will you be guiding us again?"
"Yes."
"Aren't you overworking yourself because of us?"
"This is my break, so it's fine."
"Really?"
No matter how you looked at it, it didn't seem like a situation where one could rest. With a curious look at Ihaeun, who had an unusual standard for rest, he opened the door to the waiting room as he arrived.
"The test measures grades from E to A. Anything beyond that is evaluated based on performance. How the test proceeds will be explained inside. Ah, please take a seat over there."
Fingers that seemed about to break pointed towards chairs in the waiting room. Ihaeun, with a black document bag in hand, stood in front of the children. It felt as if they had come to attend a lecture.
"First, I should explain that the test is conducted in virtual reality, not in actual combat."
"Virtual reality?"
"Yes. Because losing Awakened Individuals during actual tests would be too costly, the test is carried out in a virtual world using a virtual reality system. There are separate virtual spaces for different levels of difficulty."
Ihaeun continued his explanation with his characteristic calm and neat voice.
The test was a simple task of defeating Irregulars ranging from Containment Level to Warning Level, Sub-Hazard Level, and Hazard Level in four different virtual realities.
"After each wave of a grade, health and mana are automatically restored. However, please note that your mental strength will not recover, so take the test with caution."
Ihaeun monotonously cautioned and added that grades are assessed based on the number of Irregulars defeated and the level of virtual reality entered.
In summary, to achieve a high grade, don't die and defeat all the Irregulars.
A monster wave survival test format.
It wasn't hard to understand, so they nodded as Ihaeun asked if there were any questions. Haewoon raised his hand excitedly.
"Is the test conducted one at a time?"
"Two at a time. It takes about 3 hours for each, so it will take about 12 hours for all of you. Of course, you might finish earlier."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted towards me again. Avoiding his expectant look, I narrowed my eyes slightly.
Even without such hopeful glances, I planned to achieve the highest score possible in this quest.
If it had been me from the past, I would have shied away from attention, but that was no longer an option.
I had to solidify my footing in Korea. So that when people see my face and hear my name, they would trust and flee at a single warning from me.
I wanted to avoid a repeat of the despair experienced in Gula.
"Who goes first for the test?"
"By alphabetical order of your names. Among you, Sihyun will be first."
That expectant look again. Watching Ihaeun with a weary gaze, I settled into a comfortable position.
What does it matter if I go first?
After all, waiting for my turn wouldn't give me a chance to see others' results. Since the association wouldn't share the evaluation progress like they did during the Supreme Court evaluation, I would have to 'wait' quietly in the waiting room until it was my turn. Considering that, it was better to finish early and rest easy.
"Ah, it's 40 minutes now. Then, Haewoon and Sihyun, please follow me."
Ihaeun checked his wristwatch and announced the move. As we walked, Haewoon bid farewell to the others, and I suddenly stopped.
"By the way, does the auxiliary class proceed in the same way?"
"Ah..."
After blurting out my sudden thought, Ihaeun sighed deeply, his brows slightly furrowed before rubbing his eyelids and exhaling tiredly.
"I forgot to explain the auxiliary class. Sorry, I was preoccupied."
He apologized with a bow and continued the forgotten explanation.
"For the auxiliary class, there is a 'Helper' in the virtual reality. As long as there is an auxiliary class, it will move with you, enhancing you with buffs or healing, depending on the support, in a flexible AI."
"Ah, so I just need to give buffs to that helper?"
"Yes. Direct participation in combat is also fine. The judges will assess how the tester applies skills, how much the Helper has grown, and whether skill use was appropriate."
The more I heard, the more cumbersome the test seemed to be. In other fantasy novels, just by placing a hand on some strange device, it flashes light and an S grade appears, but fiction is fiction, it seems. Even if a device breaks, they still consider the unmeasurable grade as the highest and treat them with the highest respect.
Unlike those novels, here, they evaluate and grade each one, making me feel sorry for the judges. Considering it takes an average of 3 hours per test, I wouldn't be able to do it.
Feeling an odd sense of empathy for the faceless judges, I followed Ihaeun to the designated area.
He led us to capsule rooms and explained that for fairness, he couldn't enter. As the door closed behind him, leaving me and Haewoon alone, he wished us the best of luck.
With the door shut, I looked at Haewoon, who smiled brightly.
But there was a scheme behind that smile.
When Haewoon smiles too brightly or his eyes shine too much, showcasing his unique cute appearance, it usually means he has a dark plan. After a year of knowing him, I sent a distrustful look his way, which he responded to with giggles and a suggestion.
"How about we make a bet?"
"A bet?"
"Yeah! Let's see who comes out first! What do you think?"
"What's at stake?"
"Hmm, a wish?"
It wasn't a bad idea.
"Okay."
With no reason to refuse, I agreed, and the mischievously smiling boy entered the capsule. He waved his hand from underneath as the device closed. Watching him, I entered the capsule a beat later.
A bet for a wish.
The corners of my mouth lifted slightly as I closed my eyes in the closing capsule.
The thought of losing didn't cross my mind at all.
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