I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad-Chapter 128: The Fixer Exam: Is This Really Okay? (3)

The mayor of Nightheaven, Tempest, was an elderly man with a firm and resolute appearance.

The term "iron man" seemed to fit him better than any other description.

His face carried an air of solemnity that suggested no blood would spill even if you pricked it with a needle.

From a distance, his height seemed to be in the late 170s.

With his snow-white hair and muscles that peeked out from under his suit, he looked like a white tiger.

However, considering that enhanced humans or non-humans could easily surpass 2 meters,

at first glance, his physical body didn't seem as impressive as his fame suggested.

But that was truly a foolish thought.

His appearance was merely the result of magic that disguised his true form.

Hidden beneath the seemingly ordinary facade was a beast that could split the ocean itself.

‘...The level of life itself is on a different scale. Just being in the same space makes me shiver uncontrollably.’

Tempest probably had no intention of truly intimidating anyone.

To him, these kids were mere children, so why would he care about them?

Thus, this overwhelming aura was likely just a casual greeting.

Still, perhaps because he was born at the pinnacle of all living creatures,

just that alone made my throat dry and my body lean forward.

Had I not faced the Seven Evils, I might have collapsed in tears right there.

But Tempest, noticing that the examinees were somehow enduring despite their intimidation,

casually stroked his white beard and smiled, showing his teeth, before speaking.

“Hmmm... So, the second task was an illusion battle, right? I see. It seems that the people who can stand their ground are the ones who are mentally stable. Feeling good, huh...?”

No one had fallen and everyone stood their ground, enduring the pressure.

Perhaps that fact pleased him, as the Dragon Mayor seemed satisfied.

He probably wanted to memorize the faces of everyone.

As he looked around, his gaze suddenly stopped near me.

Following his line of sight, it seemed like he was focusing on Vespera, who was standing next to me.

The moment I understood this, a chilling sensation struck my heart like a stab.

Even though the gym was warm and heated, cold sweat trickled down my spine.

He must have recognized her, the one hiding her true identity.

Otherwise, there was no reason for him to stare so sharply in this direction.

‘Well, of course, a big shot like the Dragon Mayor wouldn’t miss someone like Vespera. If he figured it out, hurry up and deal with it! You could defeat her!’

This was good news for me.

Even though Tempest was past his prime, he was still one of the strongest in the world.

He could easily defeat someone like Vespera with minimal effort.

If he took action, I wouldn’t have to worry about figuring out her plans.

No matter what her schemes were, they would be meaningless in the face of overwhelming strength.

It would be selfish, but as long as Alice and David were safe, that would be enough for me.

But despite clearly realizing it, Tempest didn’t seem like he intended to directly provoke Vespera.

He casually averted his gaze as if it was nothing.

Huh, really? He’s just leaving it alone?

Of course, revealing her identity here would be difficult, but...

Despite my conflicted feelings, he continued speaking to the examinees.

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“What's this, the future hopefuls are all shrinking like this? You’ve got a long way to go... Alright, good! Anyone here who has the guts to come up and throw a punch at me will automatically pass the third task!”

Tempest’s words were absolutely shocking.

Throwing a punch wouldn’t get you anywhere, but apparently, you could pass the third task with just that?

Perhaps because it seemed so simple at first,

the atmosphere among the examinees, who had been intimidated by his presence, began to boil.

“Really...? Just throwing a punch...?”

“Isn’t it worth trying?! If we hit first...”

Even though the third task hadn’t been explained yet,

it seemed like they were willing to try it if it meant passing.

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Besides, Tempest was a highly respected figure among fixers,

so they probably didn’t feel as much psychological resistance toward him.

However, I wasn’t concerned with the reaction of the other examinees.

What I needed to focus on was Vespera’s reaction to this announcement.

I doubted she’d want to stand out, but if she did...

I had to prepare myself for that possibility.

‘She doesn’t seem interested... that’s a relief. I was afraid I might ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ have to face Tempest myself. I don’t think that’s going to happen.’

I felt a little relieved as I saw that Vespera remained calm, despite making eye contact with Tempest.

If Vespera had suddenly decided to take the stage and throw a punch,

I would have been in trouble, trying to gather information on her.

It seemed like I didn’t have to worry about that for now.

“Alright! I’ll give it a try...!”

“Wait, I’ll try too!”

“We can’t miss this opportunity!”

Just as I felt relieved and tried to calm down,

the examinees, now used to Tempest’s presence, started stepping forward, eager to give it a shot.

Perhaps because the first and second tasks had such terrible pass rates,

the opportunity to secure a definite pass in the third task was too tempting to ignore.

However, that excited atmosphere disappeared as soon as the first volunteer stepped forward,

only to collapse before they even got close enough to land a punch.

“Ugh... Cough...!”

“Th-That guy... he fainted!”

“Is the pressure from the dragon so strong that they can’t even keep their senses...!”

“Phew, phew... At least it wasn’t the first one...”

Even from a few steps away, the pressure was enough to send shivers down their spines.

What would happen if they got any closer?

It was a rookie mistake to think passing the third task was that easy.

If they had just accepted the third task challenge...

The examinees, realizing this with the sacrifice of one person, stepped away from Tempest.

“It’s always fun to mess with enthusiastic examinees. What a shame, though. I only caught one this time...”

Kha-ha-ha!

Laughing in a malicious manner, Tempest watched the panicked examinees.

A fixer had to calculate what they could handle.

Tempest made it clear that if they fainted from his pressure, it was just a natural outcome.

If someone had thrown a punch, he would have passed them immediately.

Though Tempest appeared strict, he was actually quite lenient in many ways.

After the brief commotion subsided,

Tempest calmed down his overwhelming presence and turned his attention to the examinees.

“Alright. Now I’ll explain the third task. Open your ears and listen well. Of course, the details will be transmitted via the watch later, but... it’s always a loss if you miss the right timing.”

The examinees swallowed nervously, looking at the Dragon Mayor.

Was it the tension or the anticipation for the third task?

Finally, Tempest revealed the name of the third task, which had been kept secret.

“The third task is a 24-hour Color War here in Reverse Mountain!”

“24 hours...?!”

“And the war is...!”

The third task was a Color War.

The participants from the first task were divided into three teams—white, blue, and red—specifically for this task.

Tempest chuckled as he watched the heated reactions from the examinees.

“Yep. It’s a survival competition!”

With his confident declaration, the atmosphere in the room heated up like freshly baked potatoes.

This wasn’t surprising,

given that the treasure hunt of the first task and the illusion battle of the second were quite dull for real experts.

Survival meant fighting against other examinees for victory.

This was the real test of skill from now on!

***

The third task, the Color War.

According to the detailed briefing delivered through the watches, it went as follows:

Participants: 153 from the White team, 194 from the Red team, and 178 from the Blue team, for a total of 525 examinees.

The battlefield: Reverse Mountain, which spans several kilometers in diameter.

There were fences with several meters of barbed wire, and fixers stood guard.

It was impossible to escape or request help from outside.

The task’s victory conditions were simple:

First, protect the marker given by the examiner for 24 hours.

Second, secure the marker of your target color.

The White team targets the Blue team’s marker, the Blue team targets the Red team’s,

and the Red team targets the White team’s... It was like a giant game of rock-paper-scissors.

‘At first glance, it seems simple... but it’s a tricky task. The Red team has the most people, so the White team being outnumbered already makes things tough.’

Since this was a survival competition, attacking others without hesitation was allowed.

However, intentionally taking someone’s life would result in severe penalties.

As most of the participants were physically tough,

getting injured by a knife wouldn’t kill them, but a strong warning was given to avoid killing incapacitated opponents.

Still, accidents could happen, and people might die, but that was just part of the risk.

The staff wouldn’t hold their hands through it.

“Don’t worry about those crazy ones who might act out! I’m here to keep things under control! Just try to show up in front of me, and I’ll deal with you so harshly, your intestines will be hanging out! Kha-ha-ha!”

And, of course, with a single number fixer like Tempest present,

there was no need to worry about unscrupulous participants hunting others.

Fixer-level participants would be blown away with just a sneeze from Tempest.

No one would dare to kill intentionally, not even Vespera.

After a brief explanation of the task, Tempest looked over the examinees, confident, and said:

“Alright. The third task starts at 5 PM! Since it’s about 4 PM now, I’ll give you an hour to scatter around Reverse Mountain. Remember, the watches will track everything you do for 24 hours. Be careful not to attack other examinees!”

“Hmmm... It’s surveillance...”

“Tsk, I don’t like this part.”

The White team received their basic supplies and left the gym.

They were given survival kits with enough dry food and water for half a day, as well as maps, blankets, and compasses.

These items would help them survive.

Perhaps the half-day’s worth of food meant they were expected to find more on their own. Many might end up hungry.

Hah, so it really begins now.

I felt a bit nervous as I slung my backpack over my shoulder.

Vespera, casually draping her hand over my shoulder, gently tugged at my hand.

“Hmm~ Shall we go then? Even though I look like this, I’m really good at camping! Just trust me!”

“....”

Having traveled the world, I wasn’t concerned.

With her slightly heightened tension, we left the gym, as if going on a picnic.

Oh, come to think of it, I might run into Alice or David.

What would happen if I met them with Vespera?

A chill ran down my spine as I thought about the future, unsure if it would really happen.

But perhaps because Vespera knew what I was thinking, she casually looked at the distant view, unbothered.

With just an hour left until the third task began,

time was running out.