No matter how often I look at it, that damned question mark never goes away.
Why did it show up here, of all places? At first, it clearly asked for 10. Once I hit that, it gave me a massive reward. So I was excited for the next milestone—maybe 50 or 100. But it’s just question marks.
Yesterday, I got the notification: “Your waiting period for the required total is over.”
I’d gone “Finally!” who knows how many times.
Just meeting the 10-person requirement gave me a huge reward. So how big would the next one be? I hurriedly activated the Third Eye, and… got this.
That old saying about high expectations leading to betrayal is dead-on.
Still, I find the will to live again. Why? Because it’s 6:00 PM—closing time. From the moment I clocked in, I’ve been waiting for this.
Yes, the Silver-rank evaluations are super important. But given the choice, I’ll skip them in a heartbeat. Work is still work—doesn’t matter if it’s tough or easy, I’d rather go home.
‘So far, everything’s going smoothly enough, just as planned.’
I’m not dragging the entire Academy into the “Special Evaluations” at once. First, I’m focusing on re-evaluating the Silvers.
The problem is the conflict in my own mind.
I want to keep them stuck in Bronze for as long as possible. I also know I have to let them go eventually. Those two impulses keep clashing.
Anyway, I absolutely want to keep Lee Hyunwoo and Kim Suhyeon around. Thanks to the “No Pain, No Gain” trait, it benefits everyone if they stay longer.
But it’s different for the others.
They don’t have “No Pain, No Gain.” And the Academy does need its Silver ranks back. Holding them all in Bronze indefinitely might do more harm than good.
‘No matter how much I Gatekeep, eventually some have to go back to their rightful level.’
I already made my decision: I’ll only let through those who are truly ready. I’m worried about the penalty, but I can’t keep stalling forever.
My justification for all this is basically sound. I’m giving Silvers a sense of urgency, pushing them to work harder. Once they reclaim Silver, they’ll have grown enough to possibly aim for Gold. Then even the Gold tier might feel the pressure—mission accomplished.
But for that to happen, at least someone has to succeed in rejoining Silver. Whether because they have real skill, high potential, or have shown consistent effort, someone needs to break out of Bronze and surpass the Gatekeeper.
‘Even though it’s a shame… I guess I’ll have to let go of the ones who no longer need to stay.’
Some of them only made it to Silver and then got complacent, never pushing further until it cost them their lives. I want to extend their lifespans, at least a little, and that’s my top priority. My own growth is just piggybacking on that goal.
…At least that’s the rational explanation, but I still feel sad about it. Letting them go means fewer motivated participants who keep showing up. The ones who break under pressure right away? They exist, sure. If only they remain, my growth will stall too.
We have less than a year until the prophesied catastrophe. Hopefully, by the time it hits, they and I are both ready.
That sounded like Kim Suhyeon. I looked up to see her standing by the Academy’s main gate.
She was with a group of people whose every gesture screamed “professional bodyguard.”
“Suhy—er, going home, Ms. Kim Suhyeon?”
If I used casual speech here, those bodyguards might glare holes in me. So I switched to polite language, and her eyes went wide.
She must’ve wondered why I suddenly changed how I spoke. I’d better give some kind of excuse.
“I see you have bodyguards with you.”
They probably don’t know about the arrangement with Kang Minseong. He dotes on his granddaughter, so if they see a random young man speaking informally to her, their reaction might not be friendly.
“Yes, even though I said it wasn’t necessary, Grandfather insisted…”
“That must be tiring for them.”
I greeted them with a little bow, but got no response.
Sharp suits with not a crease, sunglasses giving off a chilling vibe. It’s the same typical bodyguard look, even in a world full of rampaging monsters and villains.
At least they weren’t blocking me. That’s good.
Who knew that being associated with Irina, of all people, would come in handy?
“Umm, Examiner, do you, by chance, have plans for dinner?”
“Dinner? Not really. I was probably just going to eat at home.”
“O-oh, I see! So, if it’s alright… maybe we could eat together?”
Wait. Since when was Kim Suhyeon this forward?
TN: Since you made her deal with her insecurities duhh.. hahaha.
I glanced at the bodyguards. They were trying to act nonchalant, but they couldn’t hide their shock. Clearly, this was a first.
‘Refusing would probably just create more problems, right?’
She must have mustered serious courage to invite me like that. For someone as shy as her, that’s huge. The fact she managed to do it is great in itself.
On top of that, there’s nothing wrong with two adults sharing a meal. If she were a minor, I’d have immediate cause for alarm. But we’re both adults—no problems here.
“Sure, let’s do it. Honestly, I was just worrying about what to eat tonight.”
“R-really? Then let’s go! You can ride in this car!”
Hey, hey, Suhyeon, slow down. Why’re you opening the door for me like a chauffeur? Now the bodyguards are startled, trying to do it themselves.
Also, wow, the inside of this car is easily a hundred times nicer than my apartment. Then again, it belongs to Kang Minseong’s family, who are all massive heavyweights. So yeah, it makes sense.
I wish Suhyeon would say something else. She asked me to have dinner, told me to get in the car, but now she’s just quietly sitting there. This is awkward.
Perhaps she picked up on my inner wish: “Um… do you have any preference for what to eat?”
“I’m good with anything. If you have somewhere in mind, let’s go there. I’m sure I won’t dislike it.”
“Really? But what if you end up not liking it…?”
“Never. I can eat anything.”
From veggies to fish to meat. It’s all fine. I learned in my old life—and here again—that refusing food is nonsense. Life’s a fight to eat; who can afford to be picky?
We rode along, watching the cityscape pass outside the window. I remembered it from riding buses and subways. Then, it had felt bleak, lonely. Now, traveling in a car worth a fortune, everything seemed beautiful. Maybe this is why people get obsessed with fancy cars.
‘Though personally, I’d rather just have three decent meals a day like a normal person.’
In any case, the city looked gorgeous.
At nightfall, brilliant lights lit the sky. People enjoying the sweet relief of finishing work—some alone, some together, each spending their evening. Maybe a shooting star overhead would add a dash of romance…
Why was that “shooting star” not falling from the sky, but instead heading straight for us?
A thunderous explosion and a burst of flame enveloped the entire area.
“Woohoo. Direct hit.”
A raging fireball slammed into the car, causing it to lurch and crash into a building. The one-eyed woman who’d unleashed the magic clapped the big, dark man on the back.
“We don’t have long. Superhumans will be here soon.”
“Relax. We already have unexpected guests, but it works in our favor.”
She held out a hand, and the big man handed her a massive axe.
“Let’s finish up and scram, before the crazy ones arrive.”
At that, the big man signaled with a gesture. Out of the shadows came a bunch of villains, stepping into the open.
A subordinate scanning the area frowned slightly.
“It seems most of them survived.”
“Looks that way. Didn’t you cast that spell properly?”
“The car’s sturdier than expected, and those bodyguards aren’t normal humans.”
Sure enough, the vehicle—expected to be a burning wreck—remained largely intact, with bodyguards in front and back quickly forming a defensive line.
“They’re probably around B-rank. At least one is A-rank, maybe.”
“So what? Fighting them will slow us down.”
“I’ll keep them busy; you handle the target.”
“Might take a while, though.”
“Then be prepared to miss your drama.”
He joked about watching the rerun. The one-eyed woman snickered, nudging him with her axe.
“Should I slice them up?”
Gripping a wickedly sharp axe, the one-eyed woman dashed ahead.
If anyone asked why she was doing this, she’d say: “Why does there need to be a reason? I’m doing it because I feel like it.”
That’s the guiding principle for a villain. Nothing restrains their impulses.
If they want to cause mayhem, they do it. If they want to kill, they kill.
And tonight, her chosen target was that man stepping out of the wrecked car: Baek Seojin.