Chapter 10: Chapter 10

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Chapter 10: Selection (5)

[Target: Lee Eunho. Age: 29. A typical subordinate-class human. He barely made a living, burdened by a physical disability.]

“Did you bring the Investigation Bureau report?”

“I did, but…”

The man handing over the report had a faint tremor in his hand.

Although he followed orders and retrieved the document, he was certain his superior wouldn’t be satisfied with such a flimsy report.

[Intelligence: Above Average. Strength: Below Average. Charisma: Average.]

— Rustle.

As Harona skimmed through the paper, her eyebrows arched upward.

The higher her thin brows rose, the colder the sensation running down the man’s spine.

“Overall evaluation: Average, with no special notes?”

This report was compiled by dispatched agents of the Investigation Bureau before the Administrative Bureau entered District 13.

In other words, whether the report was sloppy or not, it wasn’t his responsibility to bear the blame.

After all, it was created hastily by temporary staff, not regular employees.

“Choi Seung! Is this all you’ve got?!”

However, not all outcomes align with logic or fairness.

When faced with his superior’s yelling, Seung bowed his head in apology, despite not being at fault.

“I think the investigation wasn’t thorough enough. There’s just so much population to cover…”

“Speak sense! Are you seriously telling me his strength is below average?”

Harona shouted, pointing at someone on the screen.

A man surrounded by monstrous creatures twice his size.

Overall rating: Average.

A perfectly ordinary evaluation for the target, Lee Eunho.

— Screech!

— Shriek!

Nine gleaming beaks lunged at Lee Eunho in an instant.

Yet, instead of dodging or blocking, he kicked off the ground and muttered a single word.

“Accelerate.”

— Slash!

What seemed like multiple simultaneous attacks landed on the creatures’ wings in the blink of an eye.

When the man landed, panting heavily with a sharp, blue sword in hand, the monsters had already fallen from the sky to the ground.

— Shriek!

Their screams of agony echoed loudly.

“Are you saying the average in District 13 is that high? That’s absurd.”

It was absurd, of course.

Seung wasn’t particularly experienced with restructuring missions, but it was rare to see someone adapt so well on their first day.

Sure, there were those who had trained in combat for years, but such cases were typically flagged by the Investigation Bureau and reported with multiple highlights.

“The Investigation Bureau’s work is as sloppy as ever. Absolutely unreliable.”

“In District 13, especially in the area where Lee Eunho resides, there may have been no opportunity to display potential. And that…”

“Accelerate.”

For some reason, Lee Eunho evaded clumsily charging monsters for a while before suddenly rushing at them with overwhelming speed.

— Thud!

In a flash, his blade pierced through dark feathers, spraying crimson blood everywhere.

“My suspicions were correct, Harona.”

“Already unlocked…”

Harona muttered, unable to take her eyes off the screen.

“It appears to be speed augmentation.”

Tap. Tap-tap.

Harona absentmindedly tapped her desk, lost in thought.

“He used himself as bait to lure the monsters to the ground. Even with skills, taking them down one by one would have been disadvantageous.”

Seung nodded.

If he had fought them one at a time, he might have been overwhelmed by incoming birds during skill cooldowns.

“In an instant, he assessed their strengths and weaknesses and flipped the board.”

His capabilities were undeniable.

But…

“Just yesterday, he was an ordinary human. How is he fighting like this immediately after unlocking his ability?”

Or was there something the Investigation Bureau had no choice but to overlook?

Perhaps, as rumors among staff suggested…

“Could his temporal axis have been tampered with?”

“Ridiculous.”

Harona sneered at her subordinate’s speculative comment.

“At first, he was clumsy—with both gripping and wielding the sword.”

“Pardon? But how did he…”

“Each step, each strike—he improved. His learning ability is extraordinary.”

“So he learned while fighting.”

Indeed, the same ability can yield vastly different results depending on one’s learning and application.

Hand the same sword to two people, and one might merely slaughter livestock, while the other might overthrow tyrants and rule the world.

“That’s the most fascinating part.”

Harona licked her lips and snapped her fingers.

— Ding!

[Mission complete.]

On the screen, Lee Eunho, drenched in sticky, metallic-smelling blood, slumped to the ground.

He shook his head, seemingly dazed.

[Project Selection: Midpoint evaluation in progress.]

[Combining mission performance for a ‘Midpoint Evaluation’ grade.]

[Restructuring target Lee Eunho. Calculating evaluation score…]

[The Midpoint Evaluation grade is…]

Even contract workers are evaluated.

“Why care about evaluations if you’ll leave after a few years?” some might ask.

But that’s naive.

Performance reviews determine bonuses.

And while rare, opportunities for permanent positions go to those with high evaluations.

So I always did my best and achieved solid results.

The problem was that those results often didn’t reflect in my evaluations.

Which is to say…

[Target Lee Eunho. Evaluation grade: S.]

[Congratulations!]

‘Huh?’

That’s a first for me. S?

‘Am I being recognized? Here?’

S.

An elusive grade, typically given to only one or two people per team.

In companies that assess purely on merit, it’s achievable.

But most don’t.

Usually, you have to catch the team leader’s eye and ride the so-called “line” just to have a shot.

[Mission rewards.]

[Mission reward: 1 point awarded.]

[Additional incentives calculated based on evaluation grade.]

[Grade S: 2 additional points and 1,000 welfare points awarded.]

Incentives?

Not only did I get 2 extra points, but I also received welfare points of unknown use.

‘I don’t know what’s going on, but with the bonus, I now have 3 points. This is enough to…’

I could finally execute the plan I’d been devising throughout the mission.

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“Jieun.”

“Yes, Eunho?”

“Do you mind if I ask what grade you received?”

"Oh, I got an A."

An A likely means being in the top tier.

"What about Jaehyuk?"

"I received a B."

A B is average—a grade given for doing just enough work and achieving adequate results.

Is the evaluation based on contributions?

When I remained silent, lost in thought, Jaehyuk glanced at me nervously and lowered his head.

"To be honest, I think I received a better grade than I deserve. All I did was hide behind you and shout…."

Jaehyuk muttered with a crestfallen look.

It seemed he felt guilty for being too scared to do anything but hide.

Should I comfort him?

I glanced at Jieun, but she didn’t seem to have heard.

This is something Jieun would be good at.

Unlike Jieun, I’m not kind enough to say, "No, you did great!" while patting him on the shoulder.

Instead…

"Jaehyuk, could you help me with something?"

"Huh? Y-Yes?"

I could give him something to do.

Something that would make him feel like he was needed in this group.

"Here."

I pointed to the gruesome remains of bird carcasses.

The two of them followed my finger and stared wide-eyed.

"W-What are you planning to do with these?"

"The beaks are quite sharp. They're also sturdy. I think they could work as weapons."

When we fought earlier, I noticed that the birds' beaks were sharp and tapered toward the tip.

The lack of a proper handle was an issue, but I already had a temporary solution in mind.

"You want to use the beaks as weapons?"

"Yeah. Can you pull them out?"

Jaehyuk’s strength was 16—far above my own 11.

He should be able to manage it with ease.

The real concern was whether Jaehyuk, with his seemingly weak stomach, could bring himself to dismantle the carcasses.

"It was impossible for us. Probably because we lack the strength."

"..."

"You're the only one who can do it. Will you help?"

After hesitating for a moment with a conflicted expression, Jaehyuk nodded firmly, his resolve set.

"Yes, I’ll do it, hyung!"

"Just three will be enough."

"No, hyung! I’ll pull out all ten!"

"Huh? That’s not really necessary…"

"Use them all, hyung!"

It’s a bit much, but…

At least one piece of the plan was coming together.

"Next, we’ll need sticks."

"Sticks?"

I was about to ask Jieun for help finding the next materials when…

[Mission completed. Synchronization rate slightly increased.]

[Low-tier shop, “Portable Stall for New Recruits,” unlocked.]

"A shop…?"

—Flash!—

As I murmured the words, a semi-transparent stall appeared around everyone.

It surrounded me in a circular formation, shaped somewhat like a donut.

There’s a lot of stuff here…

"What’s going on?"

"He just said it’s a shop… Whoa, what? What is this?"

—Flash!—

While everyone else was exclaiming "shop" and looking around, I quickly began scanning the items on display.

A chipped sword, a suit of armor made from woven wood, some unidentifiable roots, and…

"Potions?"

▣ Diluted Fatigue Recovery Potion

A fatigue recovery potion brewed from herbs.

Diluted with water to increase volume. It has a mild effect, enough to relieve everyday fatigue.

Welfare Points: 300

"What? A single fatigue recovery potion costs 300 welfare points? What kind of scam is this?"

"Welfare points… Oh, that’s what we got after our evaluation grades."

Welfare points were awarded after the evaluations were announced, and they could apparently be used as currency in this shop.

"What the…? I only have 50 points. How am I supposed to buy anything?"

"Wait, what are welfare points even for?!"

Some people got 50 points, and others none at all.

I received 1,000 points, which was probably a lot.

The potion is tempting, but what I need right now is…

I picked up a long spear that looked like it would snap at any moment and a cracked round shield.

When I picked up the spear, a translucent description appeared.

▣ Worm-Eaten Spear

A spear made by an apprentice blacksmith as practice.

A worm-eaten wooden shaft with a metal tip attached. It’ll likely break after a few uses.

Welfare Points: 400

What am I even supposed to do with this?

As absurd as the spear was, the shield beside it was even worse.

▣ Crude Wooden Shield

A round shield made by crudely carving wood and edging it with metal.

It has poor durability and might shatter if dropped, so handle with care.

Welfare Points: 300

Everything was like this.

It was hard to tell whether the shop wanted us to buy the items or not.

Eventually, even those who initially examined the items with enthusiasm grew bored and left, muttering complaints.

It doesn’t have to be great—just something I can make use of.

Something that could be combined or modified.

As if rummaging through a clearance rack at a bargain store, I kept picking up and putting down items.

Before long, Jieun and Jaehyuk, having also given up on the shop, came over to me.

"These welfare points are pretty useless. It’s all junk; there’s nothing worth buying. Right, Jaehyuk?"

"Uh, y-yes, noona. Actually, I can’t even afford the junk…"

Jieun’s offhand comment made Jaehyuk droop again.

From Jieun’s perspective, the grades of A and B probably meant we received similar rewards.

"H-Huh? How many points did you get?"

"200 points… What about you, noona?"

"Um, I got 500…"

"I see…"

Scratching his head awkwardly, Jaehyuk added,

"All the 200-point items are pretty useless. Like broken swords…"

"Broken…?"

"That’s it!"

"Huh? Hyung, what’s it?"

Ignoring Jaehyuk’s bewildered expression, I continued searching for a few more minutes.

And then I found it.

Something useful.

Or more precisely…

Something only I can make use of.

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