novelraw Chapter 5 : Chapter 5
Chapter 5 : Chapter 5
Chapter 5: The Final Exam (2)
‘If it doesn't disappear…… I'm screwed. Crushing Pain, of all things.’
That was the reason I was chewing my lip, trying to soothe my impatience.
“All members of Group 16, please rise from your seats.”
The test proctor who entered the waiting room announced in a monotonous tone.
A total of 30 people stood up in unison and followed him.
“What kind of test will it be?”
“I don’t know, I heard last time they made the examinees spar with each other.”
The kids who had gotten to know each other in the waiting room whispered quietly.
Unlike the kids who were curious about the test content, I wasn’t particularly concerned.
Because I already knew from the tutorial I had repeated countless times while playing the game before coming to this world.
‘Gate Response Proficiency Test.’
In the world of [Heroes Zero], Gate Breaks often occur.
A phenomenon where a gate suddenly opens and monsters pop out, like in the subway a few days ago.
And superhumans took on the role of subjugating the monsters coming out of the gates and protecting people, and the world began to call them ‘heroes.’
This test was to reenact the first steps of those heroes.
The test proctor who led the examinees entered a large room and then stopped in front of a round orb.
The proctor turned to the examinees and opened his mouth.
“This is the entrance exam location. You will be taking the test here.”
At the proctor’s words, the place became briefly noisy.
Because it was practically an empty room with nothing around.
“If you touch this orb, you will be transported to a virtual city. There are 200 virtual citizens in the city, and you each need to rescue 10 of them.”
The examinees each showed a bewildered reaction.
Rescue citizens? How are we supposed to rescue them?
As if enjoying the reaction, the proctor gave a slight smile.
“We will now check the test location.”
With those words, the proctor touched the orb, and a light emanating from it painted the surroundings, and soon, a different world unfolded.
The buildings that were soon revealed were so clear and vivid, as if they actually existed.
In between, virtual citizens were strolling leisurely on the roads.
“Wow, they’re people. They look real.”
“Hey, hey, isn’t that girl pretty?”
“So what if she’s pretty.”
While the examinees were each voicing their impressions and questions, an artificial voice echoed from the orb.
[Welcome, Group 16, to the test space. The purpose of this evaluation is to gauge the on-site response capabilities of the examinees…….]
If the game setting was correct, this place must be a special space where the boundary between reality and illusion has collapsed as a virtual magic system is overlaid on a real space.
Just as the test guidance was continuing with a mechanical voice, a ddiring- sound was heard, and a familiar window popped up in my vision.
[Tactical Manual]
-Final Exam: Citizen Rescue Course
[Goal]
-Let’s rescue a total of 10 citizens.
‘That ‘Let’s try’ tone feels like it’s mocking me.’
A mission to rescue citizens in a situation where monsters appear.
On top of that, there are a total of 200 citizens and 30 examinees, basically a zero-sum structure.
‘Even if you have the ability to save, if you're slow, it's over.’
For this test, not only combat power but also reflexes and situational judgment were important.
The examinees, who had by now grasped the situation, began to eye each other.
Even the guys who had been chatting as if they were old friends just a moment ago were now wary of each other.
There are no comrades in an individual competition.
You have to outperform the person next to you to pass.
“I’m going east. Just try and follow me.”
“East? Then if I go in the same direction, I’ll be the one passing, right?”
As a bespectacled kid in the same group made a threat, a candidate wearing a hood retorted.
While a war of nerves was starting naturally like this.
“Hey, but don't you think there are no particularly strong guys in our group?”
“Right. It’s doable.”
There were also kids who still maintained a strong friendship.
They were glancing around, making their own assessments.
“We’ve already got one out of the way.”
“Hey, hey, he’ll hear you.”
The guys were busy snickering while looking in my direction.
At that level, aren't they worried he won't hear, rather than worried he will?
“The test will begin as soon as the siren sounds. Please prepare yourselves sufficiently.”
At that moment of brewing tension, the proctor's voice was heard.
In response, the examinees began to scatter throughout the city.
Because they could move freely until it started.
Most of them gathered in places where many citizens were walking around.
I, too, roughly found a spot.
This was a tutorial I had done to death in the game.
In truth, the starting position wasn't that important.
“The test will last for 1 hour. Make full use of your abilities to overcome the danger.”
Biiiiii- Biiiiii-
-Attack warning. Attack warning.
With an ear-splitting alarm, a message announcing an emergency blared out.
***
The alarm sound naturally made my shoulders shrink.
The kids all watched the situation with tension.
Soon, monsters would pour out, and the city would become a mess.
But.
“……Huh?”
“What?”
It was strange. Because the city was still peaceful.
The citizens, startled by the alarm, began to run around, but no monsters appeared.
Just as everyone was standing blankly at the incomprehensible sight.
“Even the great Zero makes mistakes. Isn't this a total freebie?”
Someone muttered in an excited voice.
With his blond hair flying, he began to run toward the citizens like a bullet. The name tag with ‘453’ written on it glinted in the light.
‘Monsters aren’t spawning because of a system error! Nice!’
Number 453, who was confident in his speed, smiled quietly and moved forward.
Number 453 had a reason to be confident.
Because he reached the citizens in an instant.
The other examinees who were still assessing the situation started to follow, letting out sounds of ‘Aat-’ from all around.
“Columbus is entering~!”
Like the Italian pioneer who took the first step on the new continent, Number 453 approached the first citizen with a triumphant expression.
“P-please save me.”
As he got closer, the citizen grabbed his pant leg in a hurry with a fearful expression.
“Ah, of course I’ll save you. In my arms-.”
Jjeok-!
Number 453, who was spreading his arms, was struck in the side with his smiling expression still intact and was sent flying far away.
“Kkeok-.”
Number 453, who had been embedded in the wall and then popped out, barely controlled his trembling body and looked around.
“A m…… monster?”
It definitely wasn't there just a moment ago? Where did it suddenly come from.
Kul-leok-
A violent cough erupted, and a bloodstain was etched on the floor where he lay.
It was clear proof that the impact he received did not just end in illusion.
At the same time, what he saw in his blurring vision were round portals being drawn in various places in the air.
“W-what!”
“It’s a monster! Damn it!”
The scene became a pandemonium in an instant.
The moment the examinees approached the citizens, monsters were being summoned.
Like a prepared trap.
Number 453, lying on his back, looked up at his side.
A One-Eyed Orc was staring at him, holding a club.
“You son of a-.”
Kwang-!
[Examinee 453 eliminated. Initiating emergency treatment protocol.]
***
Shortly after the siren rang, a message saying that Number 453 had been eliminated popped up on my smartwatch.
And as if that were the signal, monsters began to pour out from all over the place.
The moment the examinees approached the citizens, monsters appeared from the air and the ground everywhere.
The first trick of this test.
‘If you approach a citizen, a monster is immediately summoned.’
In other words, the citizen is both a rescue target and a switch that summons monsters.
This was the core of this test.
It wasn't for nothing that the proctor had said, ‘you just need to rescue 10 citizens,’ with a slight smile.
The type and strength of the monsters were completely random.
There were cases where many low-level monsters appeared, and cases where a strong monster popped out.
The city instantly became a pandemonium of pained groans and screams.
“There’s a Minotaur too! Dodge!”
“Damn it! This is too much!”
In the middle of the mess caused by fighting the monsters, I ran with a calm heart toward the citizens who had taken refuge inside a building.
There is a trick to this test.
To be precise, it would be more like a ‘hidden truth.’
If you approach a citizen, a monster is summoned.
In a situation like this, one can’t help but think as follows.
‘I have to kill the monster that appears while protecting the citizen from getting hurt.’
That is true. Because if you kill the monster, the citizen is considered rescued.
However, there is a loophole here.
“Kyaaaak!”
As I went up to the second floor of the building, a citizen was screaming in the corner of an empty room.
Next to her, the form of a monster began to take shape in the air.
It was a Sahagin, with webbed hands and skin covered in scales, in the shape of a biped.
And not just one, but three of them.
I immediately ran toward the citizen and lifted her in my arms.
The one among the Sahagins that seemed to be the leader glared with a ferocious face and roared in the direction of me and the citizen.
A threatening roar. But that was none of my business.
“P-please save me!”
“Yes, I’ll save you.”
“Pardon? W-whoa-!”
I jumped through the window without hesitation.
A cool breeze brushed against my cheek.
It felt just like riding the Gyro Drop.
The sound of the citizen's ear-splitting scream tickled my ear.
“Kiek-?”
I could also hear the bewildered voices of the Sahagins from behind.
I could see them sticking their heads out of the window.
But there was no need to wait for their reaction.
After landing on the ground, I ran without resting.
“…….”
Seu-seu-seut-
Once I passed a certain point, the citizen in my arms disappeared, and only a small card remained in my hand.
The Sahagin that had been screeching by the window also disappeared without a trace.
As if it had never existed in the first place.
Ddiring-
[Ryu Jinwoo (456) - Rescued: 1/10]
The test progress status informed me that I had succeeded in rescuing a citizen.
This is the ‘hidden truth’ of this test.
If you get 100m away from the monster and are judged to be no longer a threat, the monster and the citizen disappear, and it is counted as a rescue.
In other words, there is no need to fight a bloody battle.
***
“Aargh! Help me!”
“Stop! No!”
After that, the city was soon filled with screams and shouts.
Citizens waiting for rescue, monsters trying to kill the citizens, and the examinees standing in their way.
And with such a city as a background, I am still running. With a citizen in my arms.
Seu-seut-
When I reached a certain point, the citizen turned into a small card and was placed in my hand.
After that, I continued to search for buildings where citizens were trapped.
Other examinees usually hesitate to go inside buildings.
Because in a confined space, it becomes difficult to fight monsters while being careful not to let the citizen get hurt.
But to me, it was no different from a honey pot.
Because if I took the citizen and jumped out of the window, I could easily shake off the monster’s pursuit.
The result of taking the test while sucking up the honey like that.
[Ryu Jinwoo (456) - Rescued: 8/10]
Before I knew it, only two people were left until I passed.
Eight cards were securely tucked in my pocket.
Although I had approached the passing line relatively early, it was still too early to be relieved.
Because I didn't know what variables might arise before I gathered all 10 people.
‘It’s been sticking to me for a while now.’
And now, one variable was approaching me.