Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, Thursday had arrived.

    Had the ocean brought in a warm breeze from beyond the horizon?

    For winter, the weather was surprisingly mild, warm enough that a light coat was more than sufficient.

    Walking along the coastal promenade on a day like this would have made for an excellent change of pace.

    As I gazed up at the cloudless blue sky, I found myself thinking about it.

    ...No, wait.

    Was I seriously thinking about taking a walk right now?

    At such a critical moment? This wasn’t the time to be daydreaming.

    Maybe, without realizing it, I was feeling a little nervous.

    I had made an impulsive decision without thinking of the consequences, and now I was dealing with the aftermath.

    ‘Will I really be able to do this? I did prepare... but I’m still kind of worried.’

    This place was about a two-hour drive from the city center, located in a remote area far from urban life.

    For various reasons, development here had stalled, leaving the area completely barren.

    No skyscrapers, no apartment complexes—not even any noteworthy buildings.

    Just an endless stretch of road cutting through an empty landscape.

    It was so abandoned that even the underworld had no interest in coming here.

    A true neglected district, ignored and forgotten by the world.

    But today, the normally silent Hideout was exceptionally lively.

    Because this was where this year''s Fixer Exam was being held.

    People.

    People everywhere.

    No matter where I looked, it was just crowds upon crowds of people.

    Even with a rough estimate, there were easily over a few hundred candidates gathered here.

    And considering this was only one of several testing groups, I couldn’t even begin to guess how many people were taking the Fixer Exam in the entire city.

    I wasn’t particularly fond of crowds, so I couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed.

    But Alice—with her naturally pink hair and gal-like energy—didn’t seem bothered at all.

    Shading her eyes from the sun with one hand, she blinked in pure awe.

    “Wow... There are so many people here. And they’re all aspiring Fixers?”

    “Fixer has been the #1 most popular career choice among teenagers for years now. Plus, as long as you can afford the high entry fee, anyone can take the exam. It’s only natural for so many people to show up.”

    David, scanning the crowd, nodded knowingly as he explained.

    Becoming a Fixer was extremely difficult, but if you succeeded, the wealth and prestige were unmatched.

    If you had confidence in your skills, pursuing a career as a Fixer was a hundred times better than settling for private mercenary work.

    And as we’d seen with Raven, Fixers were often given a considerable amount of legal freedom.

    That level of special privilege was another major selling point.

    Of course, if you abused that power too much, the Association Inspectors would come knocking, and you could lose your license.

    It was all about knowing when to push and when to back off.

    “I see quite a few skilled fighters,” Raven muttered, surveying the crowd. “It wasn’t like this when I took the exam.”

    “Oh?” David tilted his head. “How was it back then?”

    “Hmm... Most of them were third-rate nobodies. Occasionally, you’d find someone decent, but that was about it. But this? This looks a lot more competitive. Should be fun.”

    “...That’s not fun at all!”

    Alice groaned dramatically and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a sudden hug.

    Her soft, overwhelming presence smothered the back of my head.

    ...Suffocating.

    But I understood how she felt.

    The number of people who could pass the Fixer Exam was limited.

    If the competition was stronger, that meant a lower chance of success.

    ‘Not that Alice should be the one complaining...’

    If we were talking objective skill, it was actually her competitors who were screwed.

    Sure, we had monsters like Raven and Greg around, making Alice seem relatively normal, but...

    The truth was, Alice was strong enough to fight on par with Triple Number Fixers.

    Triple Number Fixers—those ranked in the three-digit range—were among the top 10% of all active Fixers.

    Which meant Alice wasn’t just above average—she was practically a natural disaster in human form.

    The ones who should be panicking right now were the candidates who had just lost their seat in the competition.

    Seemingly realizing this irony, Raven let out an amused sigh, shaking his head.

    “...Seriously. If someone overheard you, they’d think you were trying to mess with them.”

    “....”

    From my perspective, Alice was a total hypocrite for complaining.

    Still nestled in her embrace, I silently nodded in agreement with Raven’s words.

    If only I had a body as sturdy as hers, I wouldn’t have to rely on telekinesis so much.

    But with my frail, underdeveloped physique, all I could do was envy her strength.

    “All examinees, please wear your wristwatches!”

    “Current time: 8:50 AM! All examinees, please put on the wristwatches that were provided to you in advance! Anyone without a wristwatch at exactly 9:00 AM will be disqualified!

    All non-examinees, please vacate the area immediately! I repeat, all examinees...!”

    How long had we been standing around chatting?

    Exam staff were now walking through the area, raising their voices to ensure everyone heard.

    Up until now, the waiting period had been about gathering examinees, but now...

    The real test was about to begin.

    For Raven, who wasn’t taking the exam, it was time to leave.

    The wristwatch in question was an electronic device that had arrived via express delivery on the same day we registered.

    With Alice’s help, I had paid the fee and signed up for the test, and the watch had been delivered to me as part of the process.

    It was pre-loaded with our personal information and had built-in location tracking to prevent any examinees from going missing.

    ...Wait.

    If there were hundreds of thousands of examinees worldwide, did that mean they provided one of these to every single one of them?!

    No wonder the exam fee was so expensive.

    “I’m heading out. Call me when it’s over.”

    “I’ll see you later!”

    “Thanks for dropping us off.”

    “...!”

    As I strapped the watch onto my wrist, I waved enthusiastically at Raven, who was about to leave.

    Since the Fixer Exam could last anywhere from two to four days, I wouldn’t be seeing him for a while.

    Not that I minded. I’d have the house all to myself for a few days. Perfect.

    Raven returned our farewell with a lazy wave, but then, with a playful smirk, he turned to me and added:

    “Oh yeah, Yuria’s definitely going to drop out early, so if she gets eliminated, you guys call me instead.”

    “....”

    “That’s too much, Jin...” Alice pouted.

    “Keheheh. Alright, I’m off. Good luck, losers.”

    That bastard.

    Even as he left, he just had to throw in one last insult.

    My determination to prove him wrong was burning hotter than ever.

    I was going to walk out of this test with results that would wipe that smug grin off his face.

    9:00 AM — Exam Start

    As the clock ticked down, the once rowdy atmosphere of the open field began to settle.

    A palpable tension filled the air, like a ticking time bomb counting down to detonation.

    Yet...

    One minute passed. Then two.

    Nothing happened.

    The exam should’ve started by now.

    Could this be part of the first task? A test to see who would notice the change first?

    While the gathered examinees exchanged confused glances, trying to figure out what was happening...

    A sharp sound suddenly pierced the eerie silence.

    Vrrrrrrrrr—!!

    “Hm? That sound....”

    “...A car?”

    A loud engine roar echoed from the road.

    A sports car was speeding toward us at an alarming velocity, kicking up a storm of dust in its wake.

    It was moving so recklessly that it seemed like it wouldn’t stop for anything in its path.

    Yet, just as it seemed about to rush past, the car let out a violent screech, tires skidding across the asphalt as it came to an abrupt halt.

    A late-arriving examinee?

    Naturally, all eyes turned toward the vehicle.

    As the car door swung open, a woman stepped out—

    A slender beauty in a tailored suit, her long legs extending gracefully as she exited.

    Even with just her presence, she seemed to dominate the space around her.

    With a single motion, she removed her sunglasses, hooking them onto her breast pocket as she spoke:

    “I’m a little late. My apologies, gentlemen. It’s my first time in this area, so I was a bit delayed. I’ll make sure to formally apologize for any inconvenience.”

    “T-That woman...!”

    “That’s Mira Valentia! She’s that celebrity gourmet Fixer from TV!”

    The moment she removed her sunglasses, her identity became instantly recognizable.

    Mira Valentia.

    Fixer Rank: 328.

    Her specialty? Acquiring rare ingredients from other worlds.

    Some of the exotic creatures she hunted were so dangerous that even guns couldn’t take them down.

    She was an acknowledged and respected Fixer—one with both uniqueness and skill.

    But why was someone like her here at the exam site?

    Actually, there was only one obvious reason.

    “For those who recognize me, that’s right. But for those who don’t, allow me to introduce myself.”

    “My name is Mira Valentia. I work as a gourmet Fixer, and I have the honor of being the proctor for your first exam task. Looking forward to working with you, examinees.”

    The first task’s proctor—Mira Valentia.

    The moment her imposing presence settled in, the nervous examinees gulped audibly.

    Leaning casually against her sports car, she gave a playful smile before delivering a shocking announcement.

    “Alright, then. Let’s start the first task.

    The name of this task is—"

    ‘Treasure Hunt.’

    "Somewhere in Hideout, I’ve hidden a treasure. Find it and bring it to me.

    Only the first 100 to succeed will move on.”

    ...What?!

    The blunt and direct nature of the announcement left everyone stunned.