At first glance, the third task of the Fixer exam, Color War, seemed incredibly simple.

    All you had to do was protect your mark for 24 hours and obtain a mark of your target color to pass.

    The rules were straightforward, with no room for misinterpretation or hidden variables.

    However, this task demanded a much more complex psychological game from the candidates.

    The reason was none other than the rock-paper-scissors-like relationship among the three teams.

    Think about it. To pass, the White Team needed Blue Team marks.

    The Blue Team needed Red Team marks, and the Red Team needed White Team marks.

    In other words, even if the White Team collected a hundred Red Team marks, they were meaningless without a Blue Team mark.

    This meant that fighting those targeting you was an unnecessary and unprofitable battle.

    Especially since the candidates had to survive in a vast forest for 24 hours,

    It was crucial to minimize unnecessary energy expenditure while accurately targeting their objective to obtain marks.

    Color War was not just about combat; it evaluated multiple aspects of a candidate’s abilities.

    ''So, teaming up with candidates of the same color... is an easy trap to fall into. The truth is, those with the same color marks are also your competitors.''

    It was a simple logic. Suppose ten White Team candidates banded together to defeat five Blue Team members and obtain their marks.

    But if only an hour remained until the end, what would happen then?

    Naturally, they would turn on each other, fighting to secure the mark needed to pass.

    Like a large animal needing to eat more to avoid starvation, a large group could become a liability.

    Of course, if the group secured more than ten marks, it would be a different story.

    By this stage, most surviving candidates had exceptional skills.

    Obtaining marks without any losses would not be easy.

    ''But if you already had a White Team mark, you could negotiate to avoid danger. Avoiding fights and achieving the goal in a survival scenario where conserving energy is critical—nothing could be better.''

    Thus, in the original story, Color War was a muddy battlefield filled with betrayal and schemes.

    Early on, candidates would gather with those of the same color, forming large groups for safety.

    However, wary of being eliminated, they would waste time avoiding fights.

    By the time night fell, they would exploit the darkness to steal marks and supplies or betray weaker members.

    By morning, betrayal would tear apart large groups,

    And the test site would transform into a chaotic battlefield where everyone desperately tried to secure marks and survive.

    While it might appear to be a team battle, in reality, it was a brutal free-for-all where trust was a luxury.

    In a way, it was a task where pure skill was the most critical factor.

    ''Especially since this exam includes monsters stronger than active Fixers. For those with only middling skills, this would be an exceptionally tough challenge. I’m not even close to that level.''

    My plan, which I had thought over for a week, was this:

    I would hide for 24 hours, then find Alice at the end and ask her to give me a Blue Team mark.

    Since Alice was part of the Red Team, which needed White Team marks, and wasn’t the type to hide,

    By the end, she would likely have secured a White Team mark to pass.

    And since she wasn’t the type to avoid conflict, she probably had faced off against the Blue Team...

    My plan was to ask her to spare just one of the leftover marks from that battle.

    I admit it was a bit sneaky, but what could I do?

    By the time you reached the third task, winning without telekinesis was nearly impossible.

    It seemed like the most efficient and easiest way was to stick close to Alice.

    Anyway, in the final exam stages, shortcuts like this wouldn’t work, so I’d probably get eliminated later.

    Wasn’t a little trick like this okay in the mid-game?

    ''...I had imagined a future where I’d pass like that. I didn’t expect things to turn out like this.''

    Of course, the plan I had painstakingly crafted down to the hour was already ruined.

    Not only did I end up with the absurd travel companion of Vespera...

    But she didn’t seem to have any concrete plan for the third task!

    "Wow, it’s been ages since I’ve seen a sap tree. It reminds me of my childhood.... Baby, the sap from this tree is incredibly sweet. Want to try some?"

    "...."

    "No? Ah, come to think of it, when I gave it to my cat, it coughed up blood. Well, that’s fine. It’d be a hassle to cut the stem anyway."

    Coughing up blood? Were you really about to feed me that?

    I looked at Vespera in disbelief as she casually said such terrifying things.

    While other candidates were searching for a good spot to spend the day,

    Or moving around to collaborate with others,

    Vespera, brimming with confidence in her skills,

    Behaved as if she were on a casual outing to the hills.

    All I wanted was to find a good spot and lay out a mat to rest.

    ''Because of her, my original plan to rely on Alice is ruined... I’d rather avoid bumping into other candidates.''

    I followed behind Vespera, making up my mind.

    Then, I quickly ran ahead and stopped in front of her, blocking her path.

    She tilted her head, puzzled by my sudden action.

    But I grabbed her hand and led her to a place I had prepared earlier.

    A hidden spot where few people would come, yet you could still monitor the surroundings.

    In this area, there was a prime location, cleverly concealed by the trees.

    ''It should be around here... Ah, found it!''

    It was a shelter formed by the trees of this world.

    Like a cave, it was well-insulated from the cold wind, keeping it relatively warm.

    There were no visible bugs, and with just a blanket, it seemed you could comfortably sleep there.

    It was more than enough space for both me and Vespera.

    The entrance to the hideout was cleverly concealed by roots and branches.

    Unless you pressed against it with your hand, you wouldn’t realize there was a space inside.

    If Echo hadn’t hacked and shared the results of her investigation of Reverse Mountain,

    I could have walked past this spot dozens of times without noticing.

    Perhaps Vespera also recognized this immediately with just a quick glance.

    She let herself be led inside, blinking in surprise as if genuinely impressed.

    "Oh my, there’s a space like this here. It doesn’t look man-made... must be one of nature’s wonders."

    "...!"

    "Hmm, finding a place like this right away. You’ve got quite the talent, baby. You''re not just a cute face, huh?"

    Well, it wasn’t really me—Echo had provided all the information.

    But since I had been the one to feed Echo energy, allowing her to function,

    Maybe it wasn’t entirely wrong to say it was my own skill.

    So I nodded lightly in gratitude to Vespera’s words and dropped my bag to the ground.

    When I glanced at my watch, it was 4:53 p.m.

    There were only seven minutes left until the start of the Color War.

    Who would have thought such a prime spot existed so close to the gymnasium?

    Others probably couldn’t even imagine it.

    ''Haah... I really have to stay here with her until 5 p.m. tomorrow... I just hope nothing bad happens.''

    How would I get a Blue Team mark? What if I ran into Alice or David?

    My head swirled with worries and concerns.

    But those anxieties were somewhat eased by the Tesseract hidden in my clothes and Echo, buried deep in my pocket.

    Having a last-resort option I could use at the final, critical moment helped.

    Even though my mind felt uneasy, I could at least keep my sanity while staying next to Vespera.

    Whether she knew my feelings or not,

    Vespera, who had also set her things down, glanced at me and spoke with a casual, reassuring tone.

    "Are you scared you might fail, baby? Don’t worry. Big sis will definitely get you a blue one. Let’s make sure we move on to the next task together, okay?"

    "...."

    You’re the main source of my anxiety.

    I suppressed the urge to retort and forced a calm expression, nodding slowly.

    I had no idea what might happen if I upset her.

    It was unwise to clash with her out of emotion, no matter how much I wanted to.

    For now, keeping her in a good mood was the safest strategy.

    With my life potentially on the line, reason helped me maintain control over my emotions.

    ***

    [Fixer Exam Third Task - Color War has started.

    Remaining Time: 23:59:48...]

    While we quietly observed the surroundings from our hideout,

    The watch vibrated lightly, signaling the start of the third task.

    For reference, the watch had a feature to alert nearby staff,

    Allowing candidates to call for help if their injuries were severe or if they wanted to forfeit.

    Considering that Tempest, a heavyweight among heavyweights, had been brought in as the examiner,

    This was likely an effort to minimize deaths or serious injuries among the candidates.

    Of course, none of that mattered to me.

    I had no intention of forfeiting until I understood Vespera’s motives.

    Leaving now would only unleash her unchecked, which was a dangerous scenario.

    I had to remain until the very end.

    "Well then... There are still too many eyes watching. Let''s move quietly at night. It would be a problem if we drew unnecessary attention."

    "...!"

    "Huh? You want to come too, baby? Sure, let’s have a fun night walk together."

    While chaos stirred outside, we lazed around the hideout for quite some time.

    After having a simple dinner with the dried food from our bags,

    We finally left the shelter around 11 p.m.

    A night stroll filled with screams, alongside Vespera.

    It was the beginning of a terrifying spree of violence against the other candidates.