Chapter 110. The First Night (1)
[The winning district of sector 13 is...]
The hostess, wearing a headset, made a mock drumroll sound with her lips.
“Do you think it’s us?”
“I’m not sure.”
To heighten the tension, the hostess had deliberately withheld the sponsorship results for the final stage. It had to be either the ROK district or the CN district.
“I’m getting nervous,” said Yeon Bo-Ra beside him, swallowing hard.
Just as Eun-Ho turned to nod, the hostess started announcing the winning district.
[Huh?]
[It’s not a tie!]
[58,000 to 57,500 points! Victory goes to the ROK district!]
“What?! Only a five-hundred point difference?!”
“Wait, so if it weren’t for that man earlier, we would’ve lost...”
[Round of applause for Subject Lee Eun-Ho’s incredible judgment!]
[The ROK district receives an additional 1,000 Welfare Point sponsorship! That brings to a total of 58,000 Welfare Points!]
The moment Eun-Ho stepped on the board of the grand match, the game had shifted. That single, well-timed move allowed the sponsorship boost.
[With just a 500-point difference, Subject Lee Eun-Ho’s decision proves to be the winning call!]
[Ah, how unfortunate for district CN! You ended up boosting your rival’s score!]
At the hostess’s commentary, all eyes turned toward Eun-Ho and his group.
“Uh, Eun-Ho... I think they are looking this way,” whispered Ji-Eun.
“Yeah, it seems like it,” Eun-Ho replied.
He had already noticed the hostile stares from the Chinese team. Men and women, dressed in somewhere between suits and martial robes, were outright staring daggers.
So they are blaming us for stealing their win, Eun-Ho thought.
Even though Wei’s ability had been revealed to the public, ROK ultimately still won in the end. If Eun-Ho was in their position, he would have been just as bitter, so he let it slide.
A total of thirty people glaring...
He counted them silently, assessing their combat power as he did.
[Congratulations!]
[ROK district snatches first place by the slimmest margin!]
The hostess, her ponytail whipping like a spinning top, shouted with glee. Then, fireworks burst overhead, scattering light across the sky.
Bang! Puff!
“Is that our country?” someone asked.
The shape glittering above them was unmistakably the Korean Peninsula. Perhaps it was meant to boost their morale. Eun-Ho let out a faint, incredulous laugh at the sight, which was so familiar yet strangely out of place.
Meanwhile, the beaming host continued.
[ROK district! You earned such high marks with that provocative performance! I especially enjoyed the crude insults!]
[Now then, let’s take a look at the results!]
It was hard to tell whether that was praise or mockery. With a dramatic sweep of her arm, the hostess gestured toward the air.
Pop!
A scroll appeared in front of them, rolling open from top to bottom like an imperial decree.
[Talent Show Results]
1. ROK - 58,000 points
2. CN - 57,500 points
3. IT - 52,000 points
...
50. CZE - 50 points
There were fifty teams in total, including the one that botched their sword dance after missing a step.
[Then let’s begin the calculation!]
Snap!
The hostess flicked her fingers. A low hum rose and a burst of light appeared. The gemstones beneath their feet rattled softly, flaring to life with brilliant light. From every facet, every carefully cut surface, streams of radiance burst forth like living fire.
[All right! Now, we’ll be awarding Training Pointstraining points to all new recruits!]
[Training PointsTraining points will be distributed according to your talent show rankings!]
“Training PointsTraining points?” Bo-Ra asked, frowning.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” the Swear-Master muttered.
Wait a second. Something about the way she said that feels off.
“Was this training?” Eun-Ho muttered.
[The Brain from the Bureau of Investigation asks if you really thought the initiation ceremony was the end.]
[The Newbie from the Bureau of Corporate Relations laughs, saying they thought the same during their year.]
[A number of observers express excitement to see the new recruits perform at the training camp!]
Following the observers’ comments, the hostess gave more announcements.
[Today, tomorrow, and the day after, we’ll have three days of new-employee training!]
[It’s too short, right? I know, I know! I wish it could last longer too!]
[But the senior departments are dying to get their hands on you rookies!]
Eun-Ho exhaled a quiet sigh.
Training, all of a sudden?
There were countless questions he wanted to ask, but he decided to stay quiet for now.
[Shall we announce the points from the bottom up?]
[For the team in 50th place, each member will receive one point. 49th place gets two points, 48th gets three points, and so on.]
[It goes up by one point per rank. Everyone following so far?]
That meant 47th place would get four points, 46th place five points, and so on. Each rank higher meant one extra point.
So I guess the first place would get fifty points then, Eun-Ho thought.
[But! The top three will receive bonus points!]
[Let’s call it a ranking incentive.]
I guess I was wrong, Eun-Ho thought dryly.
The idea of splitting prizes like Olympic medals was almost funny, but he wasn’t about to refuse extra rewards.
[Third place gets fifty points! Second place gets an impressive sixty points!]
[And the grand winner gets seventy points!]
Several foreign participants raised their voices in protest, brimming with frustration.
“What?! A ten-point jump?”
“Doesn’t that make the gap way too big between top and bottom?”
However, the hostess only smiled brightly, unfazed.
[If you’re unhappy about it, you can always aim for first place tomorrow. Does that sound fair?]
The complaints died instantly.
[Then, please check your Training Pointstraining points now!]
The blonde hostess lifted her arm high, her ponytail swinging behind her like a ribbon, and stretched out her hand as if presenting a marvelous gift.
“Check my Training Pointstraining points,” Eun-Ho muttered.
Then came the message.
[You have a total of seventy-seven Training Pointstraining points!]
“Seventy-seven?” Eun-Ho echoed.
Didn’t she just say seventy?
He looked up instinctively, and their eyes met. The hostess winked playfully.
[Oh, right! The district representative of the winning district receives bonus points, remember?]
[District representatives will receive extra assignments, but if they succeed, they will also be rewarded with special incentives! So please do your best!]
So this is the special incentive? I guess it was a 10% bonus afterall... Nothing special about it, Eun-Ho thought without much enthusiasm.
It didn’t excite him mainly because he tried questioning the system quietly, but no matter what he asked, the answer was the same.
“Can these points be used to buy items?” he asked.
[Unable to answer.]
“Can I use them to raise skill levels or stats?”
[Unable to answer.]
The Training Pointstraining points seemed completely useless. Whether he had seventy or seventy-seven made no difference.
“Then what are we even supposed to do with them?” Eun-Ho finally asked, frustration slipping into his voice.
This time, the reply didn’t come from the system, but from the air itself.
[Our adorable district representative seems to be full of questions!]
[Then it’s only polite that I give you the answer right away, isn’t it?]
The hostess’ tone brimmed with mischief. Her smile teasing, eyes glinting playfully as if she were in on a private joke. Every word came with a flick of the hand, a little flourish that made her seem like a magician at a carnival.
[But before that!]
Snap!
She flicked her fingers again.
[Congratulations!]
[All Subjects’ Eyes’ have now been upgraded to Level 2!]
“Eyes? But it’s up in the sky!”
“What the hell does Level 2 even mean?!”
To everyone else, the announcement came out of nowhere. To Eun-Ho, it was just another reminder of something he knew all too well.
Soon, a shimmer formed above each person’s head. Soft ripples gathered in the air, swirling like dew drops flowing into one. Most people saw faint, pale light that condensed, then vanished. However, Eun-Ho knew what came next.
I’ve seen it countless times...
He didn’t need to look to know what would happen. The light would keep gathering, thickening, until it solidified into a translucent sphere—a perfect orb.
That would become the Eye that recorded every breath, every movement, just like the one hovering beside him.
A few participants even screamed.
“Aaaah!”
“It’s the same Eye from the memory trial!”
“Wait! Are we seriously stuck with this thing following us around again?!”
“Holy crap, it better not follow us into the bathroom!”
They were taking it better than Eun-Ho had expected. Maybe it helped that they’d seen the thing once before.
Ding!
While panic and chatter rippled through the crowd, the next announcement cut through. One that actually mattered.
[Congratulations!]
[Your rank has been updated following successful completion of the initiation ceremony!]
Rank? Eun-Ho blinked.
He had gone from a Restructuring Target, to Candidate, then to Selector. Now it was changing again.
[Several observers send their congratulations to you on your official start!]
[The Crow from the Bureau of Management shouts that they should celebrate with a duel!]
[Several observers shake their heads, calling it a terrible idea.]
[Please check your status screen.]
Eun-Ho did as per the instruction.
[Lee Eun-Ho]
- Affiliation: Sector 13, ROK-SEO-107 District
- Rank: Employee (Probationary)
- Stats: Stamina (30), Strength (23), Intelligence (15), Judgment (17), Agility (17) Endurance (33), Resistance (100)
- Traits: Rebel
- Skills: Acceleration(Lv. 6), Petrify(Lv. 12), Basic Swordsmanship(Lv. 4), Blade Wind(Lv. 1), Leadership(Lv. 2), Revive (Lv. -), Severing Muscle and Dislocating Bone(Lv. 1)
Finally, it appeared like something that resembled a real job title. Though, of course, even that came with a caveat.
“Are you kidding me? Probationary?”
“Wait! Oppa, what’s the difference between a regular employee and a probationary one?”
“Well...” Eun-Ho rubbed his chin. “Probation’s like a trial period before you’re considered full-time.”
Swear-Master grumbled. The security guard and the cleaning lady made faces too.
“Oh, come on. Now what? Are we actually getting paid for this or what?”
“Ha! That’s a good one, Young Man.”
“Wait, wait... So we have to earn money here too? Lord help us.”
[The Prince from the Bureau of Investigation asks what the starting salary for new hires is these days.]
[The Newbie from the Bureau of Corporate Relations shakes their head, saying it hasn’t changed in a hundred years.]
[The Crow from the Bureau of Management says not to worry because if one performs well, their pay will skyrocket.]
Eun-Ho frowned. So they really do pay us?
[Congratulations!]
The hostess started to clap.
[Your probation period lasts until the end of training! Once training concludes, the probation tag will be removed immediately!]
[So there’s no need to worry about being just probationary!]
[However!]
The hostess’ eyes sparkled as she drew out the moment, her voice practically dancing with excitement.
[Your performance during training will determine your employment status!]
[The top hundred recruits will become permanent employees, while the rest will be temporary hires!]
[Isn’t that exciting?]
She clapped her hands together with infectious glee, like an emcee announcing a game show.
Shit, Eun-Ho thought.
For the past ten years, he had chased the one thing he wanted above all else—permanent employment. Who would’ve imagined that he’d be forced to compete for that very promise here?
“What the hell! Weren’t we supposed to get some peace after the restructuring?”
“What do they expect from us, anyway?” another demanded.
Clearly, he wasn’t the only one who felt dumbstruck. Sighs of disbelief, exasperation, and a creeping anxiety broke out all around.
“What’s the difference between permanent and temporary hire?” someone asked.
Yet the hostess’ headset might as well have had selective noise-canceling, as she responded only to the questions she chose.
[Ah! That’s an important question!]
[Obviously the contract length is different, and the pay is different.]
[There are other differences too, but I can’t go into those right now.]
“Shit, they actually do pay?” Swear-Master muttered incredulously.
The hostess gave a curt shrug.
[Time’s nearly up, so we’ll wrap this up!]
Then, at once, everyone’s floating Eyes vanished.
[Next up is the long-awaited first-place talent-show reward!]
“There’s another first-place reward?”
“Wasn’t that the Training Pointstraining points?”
[It’s the right to choose your accommodation!]
“Accomodation?!”
[There are four dormitories at the new-employee training center!]
[Selection will proceed in order of talent-show ranking!]
Housing decided by performance was somewhat based on pure luck. If sleeping arrangements were determined by score, it was likely other perks would be allocated the same way.
“Fuck... I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Swear-Master muttered.
“... You too?”
They steeled themselves and listened.
[Pride of the training center, we present the lodgings!]
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop...
When the hostess finished speaking, bright, crisp images presented before their eyes. Everyone watching blinked wide at the sight.
[There are eleven lodgings in total.]
[Each one is a unique landmark of the training center!]
[Subject Lee Eun-Ho, please choose your Day 1 lodging!]
Surprised, he suppressed his panic and studied the eleven pieces carefully, left to right.
[Crimson Serenity]
A painting that shimmered with an uncanny hue, as if melted flame had been blended with clouds.
[Golden Cough]
A painting that looked as if gold had been ground to dust and generously sprinkled until the surface glittered.
[Watery Yoke]
A painting with a bluish, lake-like canvas that shone quietly, as if containing a still, luminous pond.
[Moonlit Nap]
A painting with a deep indigo field splashed with a spray of snowy light.
[Silvery Blade]
A painting with a white-painted panel that appeared to have been rasped with a sharp carving knife to form jagged, blade-like lines.
[Ashen Concealment]
A painting with a heavy, matte grey work conveying a firm, smooth texture and so on.
“Wow... They’re all beautiful,” Eun-Ho muttered.
“But this won’t help me choose, Hyungnim! They’re just pictures, so what should we judge them by?” Jae-Hyuk asked.
They were artworks that no ordinary human hand could have produced. Asking them to pick one felt more like entering a fine-art auction than choosing a bunk.
“I don’t want Ashen Concealment. I bet it’s all dust and gloom.”
“Same here! It’s too dull and creepy.”
“I don’t like Watery Yoke. Doesn’t yoke mean a burden?”
“Oh yeah. That’s true.”
All they had to go on were the titles and the color schemes. They were supposed to deduce something meaningful from that.
“Is this some gacha system or what?”
“Damn it, just pick whatever. They’re all the same anyway,” Swear-Master said, and a few others nodded in agreement.
However, if every lodging were truly identical, it wouldn’t be a reward worthy of a first-place team.
There has to be a hint, Eun-Ho thought.
He leaned in and stared, examining each of the eleven works with careful intensity.
“Isn’t choosing by title a little too simple? What if it’s a trap?” someone argued.
A few more voices rose, throwing out objections without offering any real alternatives. The debate circled uselessly for a while.
“Eun-Ho, why don’t we just take a vote?” Ji-Eun suggested.
“A vote?” he asked.
“Yes. It’s random anyway. If we end up with a bad one, I’d feel awful if everyone blamed you for it.”
He shook his head gently at her well-meaning proposal. “I’ve already chosen.”
“What?” Ji-Eun blinked.
“B-but, Hyungnim! Noonim is right! What if the name sounds nice but the place turns out horrible?” Jae-Hyuk blurted, panicked.
“It’s fine,” Eun-Ho said calmly, giving Jae-Hyuk’s shoulder a reassuring pat.
Then he lifted his gaze to the rest of the team, meeting their eyes one by one, as if to ask for their trust.
“Serenity, Yoke, Nap, Blade... The names matter, but that’s not why I picked it,” Eun-Ho said.
“Then why?”
Eun-Ho stepped closer to the display, inspecting the paintings again, this time from the side.
“They’re thin, but if you look carefully...” He traced the air with his hand. “They’re not all single canvases.”
“Huh?”
“Some of these are one layer, but others are stacked several layers thick. They’re all different.”
A quiet murmur spread. The realization clicked a moment later. Eun-Ho assumed the number of layers meant how many people each one could hold.
“Huh?”
“Hey, he’s right! Come look at this!”
“Wait, when did he even notice that?”
If any of these lodgings were open to everyone, it couldn’t possibly count as a first-place exclusive reward. In other words, the thinner ones were most likely designed for fewer occupants.
“I think the single-layer one’s the best,” Eun-Ho said.
“Oh...”
“That actually makes sense.”
Relief rippled through the group as the logic settled in. Eun-Ho watched them quietly, then said in his usual even tone, “We’ll take Crimson Serenity.”
At that moment, a pillar of light burst from the chosen frame.
[Selection confirmed for the ROK District!]
Fwoosh!
At once, the world around them began to melt, swirl, and blend. Colors bled together like paint dissolving in water. Everything warped and twisted until they transferred to their accommodation.
Fwoosh—!
[Transferring to Crimson Serenity.]
[Please brace for impact!]