After the first task officially ended, the eliminated applicants swiftly left the exam site under the supervision of the staff.

    Now, exactly 100 fixer exam candidates remained.

    A glance around revealed a colorful array of hair colors, species, and appearances.

    But perhaps because these were the ones who had confidently passed the first task, the sheer density of their presence had intensified rather than diminished.

    There was an unspoken, instinctual urgency—an awareness that, just like those who had just walked away in defeat, they too could lose their chance in an instant.

    That looming sense of crisis likely tightened their focus.

    “Hmm, the faces of those who survived resemble warriors who have overcome hardship. Much better than before. I hope you maintain that energy and push through to the final task.”

    Mira Valentia must have sensed the change in the atmosphere.

    With her sunglasses on, she smirked slightly as she spoke.

    Then, after glancing at her wristwatch to check the time, she raised her voice and addressed us all.

    “Before we begin the second task, there will be a new team assignment! Check your watches immediately for the transmitted file!”

    “On our watches...?”

    “Oh! I got something!”

    Tap tap.

    The moment Mira finished speaking, a chorus of tapping sounds echoed as applicants checked their watches.

    With two light taps, a holographic UI projected above their wrists.

    Surprisingly, the floating UI gave a slight resistance when touched—

    It was an interactive hologram, a marvel of futuristic technology.

    Despite living in a world where enhanced humans and clones were common, moments like these still made the advanced technology of this era feel surreal.

    “Team assignments... don’t tell me—”

    Alice, who had been standing right beside me, furrowed her brows and urgently checked her watch.

    The transmitted file likely contained the new team assignments for the second task.

    Maybe she had a bad feeling about it.

    Not that it was a big deal, honestly.

    While Alice was panicking, I casually opened my watch and checked my notification.

    As expected, my assigned team was White Team—just like my hair color.

    Yup, saw that coming.

    “What colors did you all get?”

    “I’m Blue.” (David)

    “I’m Red.” (Lisa)

    “Oh my, I’m Red too!”

    “....”

    “Yuria, what about you?”

    “White.”

    Summarizing the results:

    Alice and Lisa were Red Team.

    David was Blue Team.

    And I was White Team—completely separate from the others.

    It was clear this wasn’t just a coincidence.

    The exam organizers must have deliberately scattered groups to prevent excessive cooperation.

    Even though fixers were expected to use any means necessary within the rules, forming groups with people you knew gave an unfair advantage.

    This was likely a measure to curb applicants who relied too much on outside help.

    Without such precautions, unqualified individuals might slip through and become fixers.

    ‘Well, I already accomplished what I wanted by passing the first task, so I don’t really care.’

    I wasn’t aiming to become a fixer anyway.

    I just wanted to knock Raven down a peg.

    I had already landed my metaphorical punch by passing the first task without using telekinesis.

    How’s that, Raven? Yuria’s fist, even without telekinesis, still stings, doesn’t it?

    But Alice, my self-appointed guardian, clearly didn’t see it that way.

    She looked at me with deep concern.

    “Yuria... are you going to be okay? Being alone and all...”

    “...!”

    “Well, there are professional fixers supervising the exam, so as long as you don’t push yourself too hard, you should be fine....” (David)

    “Nnnngh! But I still don’t like it! I can’t believe I have to leave Yuria all alone in such a dangerous place!” (Alice)

    Well... technically, she wasn’t wrong.

    More than half of the fixer exam candidates were non-human species.

    Those who had adapted to life on Earth and aimed to become fixers were naturally ambitious.

    Even under the watchful eyes of professional fixers, some wouldn’t hesitate to attack or trap others.

    In such a ruthless environment, a frail-looking girl being left on her own...

    Yeah, I had to admit—if I were in Alice’s shoes, I’d be worried too.

    How could she not be?

    “....”

    But considering how expensive this exam was, quitting just because of a little risk would feel like a waste.

    So, to reassure Alice, I gave her a quick hug.

    Then, looking her in the eyes, I struck a confident fighting pose.

    It was my way of saying, Don’t worry, I’ll be careful! Let’s both do our best!

    Did my heartfelt determination reach her?

    Alice hesitated, her face scrunched in worry, before reluctantly nodding.

    Her expression looked just like a parent reluctantly leaving their child home alone for the first time.

    “Mm... Alright. But promise me—don’t push yourself! You can give up anytime if it’s too dangerous, okay?”

    “....”

    “Oh my, what a heartwarming relationship. Are you two sisters?”

    “It’s... something like that.”

    Hearing David and Lisa casually discuss our relationship made me break into a cold sweat.

    If I got hurt, Alice would definitely be furious.

    As our conversation wrapped up, the exam site suddenly grew noisy.

    Several large buses arrived, pulling up one after another.

    A red bus, a blue bus, and a white bus.

    It was obvious that these colors represented the three assigned teams.

    “Applicants! Board the bus that matches your assigned team color! We will now move to the second exam site!”

    The second exam site was about two hours away.

    Since it was midday, lunch would be provided during the trip.

    Not that I particularly liked eating on a bus...

    But skipping a meal before an important task wasn’t ideal either.

    As I silently hoped for something at least halfway decent, Alice turned to me and David.

    “We’ll meet again later, Yuria! You too, David!”

    “Yes, I hope you both succeed.”

    “...!”

    “Such a touching friendship. It’s enough to bring tears to my eyes....”

    With those final words, we each headed toward our respective buses.

    Since we wouldn’t be seeing each other for the rest of the day, I made sure to take a good look at their departing figures, committing them to memory.

    Under the guidance of the exam staff, I boarded the bus assigned to the White Team.

    It was an ultra-luxury vehicle, large enough to comfortably seat around ten people.

    Since there were three of these buses, transporting all the applicants wouldn’t be an issue.

    Each seat was separate—a single, spacious chair.

    The interior was so lavish that it felt more like a high-end train than a bus.

    “Whoa... this is...!”

    “A top-tier premium bus! The Fixer Association really goes all out...!”

    The moment I leaned back, I felt an unbelievable softness—it was almost like sinking into a high-end mattress.

    Even if I slept the entire ride, I wouldn’t wake up feeling stiff.

    I picked a seat somewhere in the middle—neither too conspicuous at the front nor too isolated at the back.

    A survival strategy, of sorts.

    But perhaps my efforts to stay under the radar were pointless.

    As I stared blankly out the window, lost in thought, someone suddenly spoke to me.

    “Hey, you... You’re the one who was playing with that squirrel back at the clearing, right?”

    “...?”

    A voice—soft, almost ticklish, like a gentle whisper at the edge of my ear.

    It was the kind of voice that could lull someone to sleep.

    Wait, who just spoke to me?

    Does this person realize how annoying it is to get chummy with someone in the middle of an exam?

    I slowly turned around, already bracing myself for irritation—

    And then I froze, blinking in disbelief.

    Because sitting next to me, speaking as casually as if she belonged here, was someone who absolutely should not be here.

    ‘...You’ve got to be kidding me. This can’t be real.’

    A woman with deep navy blue hair, neatly braided.

    A pair of unassuming, thin-rimmed glasses resting on her face.

    Her makeup was light and natural, giving her a clean, bookish look.

    At a glance, she appeared completely ordinary—just a regular human woman.

    She had no standout features, no intimidating aura.

    If anything, she looked more suited to working as a librarian than taking the fixer exam.

    But there were two details that shattered that illusion entirely.

    The first was her eyes—crimson red, eerily clear through the distortion-free lenses of her glasses.

    The second was the faint tattoo beneath her ear, partially obscured by makeup—a bat-shaped mark.

    I knew exactly who she was.

    “Hmm... What a cute face. I might just fall for you.”

    “...!”

    She was Vespera, a world-class criminal known as one of the Seven Sins.

    A walking disaster so powerful that even Raven had to bow his head before her.