Tempest, the Mayor of NightHaven, was an old man with a stern and resolute expression.

    The term "iron man" suited him better than any other descriptor.

    His face held a solemnity so intense that it seemed a needle wouldn''t draw a drop of blood.

    From a distance, his height appeared to be around the high 170 cm range.

    His white hair and the muscles peeking out from his suit resembled a white tiger.

    However, considering that enhanced humans and non-humans could easily exceed 2 meters in height,

    At a glance, his physical stature didn’t seem all that impressive compared to his fame.

    But that was a foolish assumption.

    His appearance was merely a result of magic-based camouflage.

    Beneath that seemingly ordinary exterior lay a monster capable of splitting the sea.

    ''...His presence as a living being is on a different level. Just sharing the same space with him makes me shiver.''

    Tempest probably had no intention of applying real pressure.

    From his perspective, why would the presence of mere "kids" be worth his attention?

    This intimidating aura was likely just a casual greeting.

    However, because he was a creature at the top of all life forms,

    Even that light presence made my mouth dry and my body lean forward precariously.

    Had I not previously faced the Seven Sins, I might have collapsed to the floor in tears.

    Noticing that the candidates, while visibly uneasy, were still standing strong,

    Tempest lightly stroked his white beard, then grinned widely enough to show his teeth.

    "Hmm... I see. The second task was the Fantasy Duel, right? Evaluating people based on mental strength does seem to have filtered out the weak. Everyone looks to be in decent shape... Hmm?"

    No one had collapsed. They all stood firm against his overwhelming presence.

    Perhaps that fact pleased him. The Dragon Mayor seemed genuinely satisfied.

    It was as if he wanted to memorize each face, his eyes scanning the room.

    But then his gaze stopped near me for a moment.

    Judging by the direction... Was he looking at Vespera, who stood beside me?

    The moment I realized this, a sharp, piercing dread struck my heart.

    Despite the warmth of the gymnasium, cold sweat trickled down my back.

    It seemed he had immediately seen through her disguise.

    There was no other reason for him to stare so intently with such a sharp look.

    ''Of course! A powerhouse like the Dragon Mayor wouldn’t fail to recognize Vespera. Yes, that’s it! If you’ve figured it out, get rid of her! You could win, right?''

    To me, this was excellent news.

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

    He was a monster who could defeat Vespera, albeit with some difficulty.

    If he took action, I wouldn’t have to figure out her motives myself.

    No matter what schemes she had, they’d be meaningless before such overwhelming force.

    It might sound selfish, but as long as Alice and David were safe, that was enough for me.

    However, despite likely recognizing her, the Dragon Mayor made no move to provoke Vespera.

    Instead, he casually shifted his gaze as if nothing was wrong.

    Huh... He’s really just going to leave her alone?

    Sure, confronting Vespera’s true identity here would be problematic, but...

    No matter how conflicted I felt, he continued speaking to the candidates.

    "Come on, come on! You can’t let the future’s hopefuls be so intimidated! You’ve got a long road ahead.... Alright, here’s the deal! Anyone who comes up and throws a punch at me right now, I’ll consider them as passing the third task!"

    Tempest’s words were nothing short of shocking.

    Not landing a solid hit—just throwing a punch would count as passing the third task?

    It seemed so simple that the previously intimidated candidates began to buzz with excitement.

    "Really...? Just throw a punch...?"

    "Isn’t this doable?! As long as we’re the ones attacking..."

    Though the details of the third task hadn’t been revealed yet,

    The candidates seemed to think it was worth trying if all they had to do was throw a punch.

    Besides, Tempest had a reputation as a highly respectable Fixer.

    That might be why they didn’t feel too much psychological resistance.

    But how others reacted didn’t matter much to me.

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

    She didn’t seem likely to draw attention to herself by stepping forward...

    But if she did, I needed to be mentally prepared.

    ''She doesn’t look interested... That’s a relief. I was worried I’d have to go up to the Dragon Mayor myself. Glad that’s not happening.''

    Seeing Vespera remain calm even under Tempest’s intense gaze, I felt a bit more at ease.

    If she had rushed forward to avoid the third task, I would’ve been in a tough spot, needing to gather information on her.

    It seemed I didn’t need to worry about that, at least for now.

    "I-I’ll go...!"

    "Wait, me too!"

    "I can''t miss this chance!"

    Just as I thought things were calming down, the candidates who had adapted to Tempest’s pressure began to step forward.

    After the brutal pass rates of the first and second tasks,

    They must have decided that a guaranteed pass was more appealing than a potentially difficult third task.

    But the enthusiasm quickly evaporated after the first challenger stepped up.

    The bold candidate didn’t even get close enough to throw a punch before fainting.

    "Ugh... kuh..."

    "He... he passed out!"

    "The pressure of a dragon is so intense it can knock you out...!"

    "Phew... Glad I wasn’t the first one..."

    Even from several paces away, the pressure was enough to make the skin crawl.

    Getting close enough to touch him must have been suffocating.

    The candidate’s mistake was thinking it would be easy to pass the third task.

    Realizing this, the candidates backed away from Tempest as if they’d just seen a sacrificial lamb.

    "Every exam, it’s always fun to tease the spirited candidates. But how disappointing... Only caught one this time?"

    Ku-hahaha!

    Tempest grinned with a mischievous smile as he looked at the terrified candidates.

    Calculating risks and only taking on what they could handle was part of being a Fixer.

    Perhaps his intent was to show them real pressure, and if they couldn’t handle it and fainted, so be it.

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

    Despite his strict exterior, Tempest had a surprisingly flexible nature.

    After the chaotic scene settled down,

    Tempest withdrew his intimidating aura and spoke to the attentive candidates.

    "Alright then. Let me explain the third task. Listen closely. Of course, the details will be sent to your watches, but remember—those who hesitate always lose out."

    The candidates swallowed hard as they stared at the Dragon Mayor.

    Was it from nervousness, or perhaps excitement for the third task?

    Finally, the long-hidden name of the third task was revealed.

    "The third task will be held here in Reverse Mountain with a 24-hour time limit—Color War!"

    "T-Twenty-four hours...?!"

    "And a war, you say...!"

    The third task, Color War, was the reason why the candidates were divided into the White, Blue, and Red teams after passing the first task.

    Seeing the heated reactions, Tempest chuckled as if anticipating great fun.

    "Yes. It’s a survival competition!"

    His bold declaration instantly ignited the atmosphere, making it as hot as a freshly baked potato.

    Such a reaction wasn’t surprising.

    The treasure hunt in the first task and the Fantasy Duel in the second task...

    For the truly skilled candidates, those were rather mundane challenges.

    But survival meant fighting against other candidates to secure victory.

    This marked the start of the real battle of skills!

    ***

    The third task of the Fixer exam, Color War, was detailed as follows through the watch:

    The participants consisted of 153 candidates from the White Team (after one had fainted earlier),

    194 from the Red Team, and 178 from the Blue Team—a total of 525 candidates.

    The battleground was the entirety of Reverse Mountain, spanning several kilometers in diameter.

    The perimeter was secured with high fences and Fixers on guard,

    Making it impossible to escape or call for help from the outside.

    The task had only two conditions for passing:

    Keep the mark given by the examiner safe for the full 24 hours.

    Secure at least one mark of your target color.

    The White Team needed to acquire Blue Team marks, The Blue Team needed Red Team marks, And the Red Team needed White Team marks.

    It was essentially a game of rock-paper-scissors or tag.

    ''It looks simple on the surface, but it’s a headache in many ways. The Red Team has the most people, but their target, the White Team, has the fewest, which is a problem.''

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

    However, intentionally attempting to kill someone came with severe penalties.

    Most candidates were physically robust enough that even severe injuries wouldn’t be fatal.

    The rule was a strong warning not to finish off a disabled opponent.

    Still, accidents could happen if things got too violent.

    But there wasn’t much that could be done about that. The staff weren’t there to babysit anyone.

    If someone recklessly got themselves killed, it wasn’t their responsibility to prevent it.

    "Don’t worry about troublemakers! That’s why you’ve got examiners like me! If I see anything, I’ll discipline them so hard their guts will pop out of their mouths! Ku-hahaha!"

    With a Single Number Fixer like Tempest present,

    There was little chance of cowardly candidates hunting others on purpose.

    For anyone taking the Fixer exam, even a sneeze from Tempest could knock them out.

    Surely, not even someone as bold as Vespera would go on a killing spree.

    After a bit more explanation, it seemed Tempest decided preparations were complete.

    He looked around at the candidates and spoke in a confident voice.

    "Good. The third task will start at 5 p.m.! It’s about 4 p.m. now, so... hmm, I’ll give you an hour to spread out around Reverse Mountain! By the way, your watches will monitor your actions 24/7, so be mindful of any shady behavior!"

    "Uh... surveillance, huh..."

    "Tsk, not exactly thrilled about that."

    The White Team candidates collected the supplies provided and began to leave the gymnasium.

    The supplies included dried food and water to last half a day, a survival kit, a map, a blanket, and a compass.

    All were useful for survival.

    The limited food supply likely meant they were expected to find more on their own—though many might end up starving.

    Haah, so it was finally starting.

    As I slung my backpack over my shoulder with a bit of a nervous feeling,

    Vespera, who had draped her arm casually over one shoulder, naturally pulled my hand.

    "Alright~ Shall we get going? Believe it or not, I’m great at camping! Just trust your big sis!"

    "...."

    Considering she wandered all over the world, of course she would be.

    Trying to match her slightly high spirits, I left the gymnasium with her, as if we were heading out on a picnic.

    Wait, now that I thought about it, I might run into Alice or David.

    What if that happened while I was with Vespera...?

    Just thinking about it made a chill run down my spine.

    But if she had any clue, Vespera didn’t show it—her expression remained calm as she gazed off into the distance.

    There was only an hour left until the start of the third task.

    Time was running short.