I Became the Cute One in the Troubleshooter Squad-Chapter 125: There’s Emotion in the Fixer Exam (8)

The examiner for the second task, Peacekeeper, was an enormous muscle-bound man, almost overwhelming in size.

His broad shoulders, neck as thick as a tree trunk, and forearms that looked like they were carrying thick clubs—he appeared less human and more like a gorilla in the shape of a human.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

Even his pristine white tuxedo seemed to be a bit too small, with the buttons straining in protest. The thick, bushy beard and the slicked-back black hair that looked waxed gave off the impression that he had a greasy vibe, even though he hadn’t eaten greasy food—just looking at him made me feel like I’d bitten into a raw stick of butter.

‘He’s not from another race... He’s human. The way he came down from the ceiling wasn’t magic, but some kind of equipment.’

The strange method he used to descend from the ceiling seemed to be linked to an unidentified belt around his waist.

It seemed like some sort of advanced technology or artifact that allowed him to walk through the air with a special ability.

Anyway, Peacekeeper walked down from the air, making his way to the floor and then folded his arms, clearly emphasizing his muscles, and immediately began his self-introduction.

"Hahaha! Since you're all aspiring fixers, I’m sure you already know my name, but let me introduce myself just the same! My name is Peacekeeper! I’m ranked 987th among fixers, a Triple Number fixer... a specialist in VIP protection! Hahaha! I look forward to working with you!"

Peacekeeper emphasized his ranking of "987th," flexing his chest muscles with an accentuated grunt, showing off his pride in his own rank.

It seemed like he was quite proud of his fixer ranking.

His attitude, assuming the examinees already knew his name, made him feel overly self-important.

It was a little overwhelming. Perhaps he had some kind of 'prince complex.'

Objectively speaking, though, it was an impressive rank.

Being a Triple Number fixer meant he was within the top 1,000 fixers.

For someone to even become a fixer, it took considerable skill, so it made sense he would take pride in it.

"Hmm... Ugly. Probably doesn't taste good since there's no fat..."

"..."

But, perhaps because Vespera, one of the most dangerous people in the world, was sitting right next to me,

Peacekeeper’s boasts, as he grinned and showed off his gleaming white teeth, felt utterly ridiculous.

So what if he’s a Triple Number fixer?

If Vespera pointed a finger and said "die," he’d be gone in an instant, standing there, lifeless.

It was hard to figure out how to react, like a cat hissing at a tiger.

‘The examiner for the second task of the White Team is him. Could this be a variable...?’

As expected, Peacekeeper didn’t appear in the original work.

Alice going to the Red Team and David going to the Blue Team was already established in the original.

There was no need to worry about what happened in the White Team, since nothing was likely to happen there.

Nevertheless, the content of the second task was the same for every team,

So it was a relief that the examiner, though unfamiliar, didn’t present any major issues.

But strangely, Peacekeeper's presence felt oddly familiar.

It was as if I had seen someone very similar just recently.

It felt like someone I’d been close to not too long ago.

‘Ah, he’s kind of like Victor. But, everything about him is a lower-tier version.’

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

Yeah. Now that I think about it, there were similarities between Peacekeeper and Victor.

The body full of muscles, the loudness, the chaotic energy.

He was tall, and the style was similar, so if you blurred your focus, you might have thought they were the same, except for the color.

But looking more closely, Peacekeeper was definitely a tier below Victor in every way.

Victor was not only muscular but also a handsome blonde, enthusiastic and optimistic about everything, while Peacekeeper, though dressed up, had little effect, and seemed obsessed with his rank.

Moreover, Victor was an upper-tier Double Number fixer with formidable skills,

While Peacekeeper was barely hanging onto the bottom of the Triple Number fixers.

Comparing the two was almost an insult to Victor.

Vespera, having briefly looked at him, seemed to lose interest and turned her gaze away.

Keeping up the appearance of acting calm was exhausting. She really wasn’t much help.

"Hmm! Well... Looks like there are some really impressive candidates here. Since you passed the first task, I can safely say you all have enough skill and qualifications to be here!"

Peacekeeper scanned the area with satisfaction, and his smile grew wide as his muscles twitched and rippled under his clothes.

It was so exaggerated that the muscles seemed to jolt with every move.

Then, he suddenly stopped and glanced over in our direction, his eyebrows furrowing slightly in confusion.

Could it be that he caught me comparing him to Victor in my head, making negative comments?

Feeling guilty, I subtly hid behind Vespera, as if to avoid his gaze.

Peacekeeper tilted his head, then turned back to speak to the examinees.

"Well then, it seems like everyone is ready, so let’s not waste any time and begin the second task right away! This task is..."

"Ooh, it’s finally starting!"

"Wait, we have to do the task here at Reverse Mountain?"

The White Team examinees reacted with nervous energy.

It seemed like they were losing their minds trying to figure out what the second task could possibly be.

Of course, this event took place in a special location that was not open to the public, adding to the ridiculousness of the situation.

Naturally, their tension and anticipation were growing with every passing second.

However, the examinees were left confused and blinking in bewilderment.

Peacekeeper’s next words were so difficult to understand that it threw them off completely.

"Illusory duel!"

"I-Illusory?"

"What does that even mean...?"

"Ex-examiner, could you explain this in detail?"

The examinees, caught in confusion, immediately began asking for clarification.

The term "illusory duel" seemed to make no sense to them, mixing "illusion" and "duel" into one phrase.

They had no idea what to make of it.

I didn’t panic, as I already had an idea of what it was.

Heh heh, the overwhelming superiority of knowing the answer and taking the test!

I felt so good that I wanted to brag a little about it.

As I closed my eyes to calm my emotions in that confident mood,

Vespera, who had been calmly checking the contents sent to her watch, turned to me and spoke.

"To defeat the enemies that appear while wearing the bracelet... It feels ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) like there’s something hidden behind this task. What do you think, kid?"

"...?"

"Mm? Why ‘kid’? Well, you didn’t tell me your name, so what else should I call you? Do you mind being called ‘kid’?"

"..."

Well, call me whatever you want.

I shrugged, turning my face away, nodding slowly as if to say it was fine.

I’m not the type to object anyway. At this point, whether it’s ‘kid’ or anything else, I didn’t care.

So, you think there’s something hidden behind this, huh?

That’s not wrong. This is a task to evaluate the examinees, and it likely hides a trap.

The "illusory duel." The task was as follows:

After wearing the illusory bracelet developed by a mind mage from the association,

You would fight enemies that didn’t exist—an easy test in theory.

‘But the problem is... the enemies that appear in the illusion are the worst possible creatures imaginable.’

The enemies created in the illusion were entities formed from trauma, regrets, and shocking memories,

Things designed to mentally corner a person.

Of course, since they weren’t real, if you stay mentally strong, it would be easy to shake them off.

But if you’re suddenly faced with them without explanation, it’s not as simple as just being mentally strong.

‘So, while it’s called a duel... it’s essentially a mental strength test. As long as you push away the illusions with strong will, you pass. If you lose to the illusion and faint, you’re disqualified.’

No matter how strong your physical abilities are, if your mental strength is weak and you can’t use it, it’s pointless.

This was a meaningful task for the fixer exam, which is supposed to evaluate problem-solvers.

But the thing that worries me is...

I have no idea what my weakest mental weakness could be.

After all, since I’m aware that the enemies aren’t real but illusions,

I think I’d be able to push through whatever pops up, even if I have to force myself to do it.

But what could possibly be my worst enemy? I can’t even imagine what that would be.

I’m not really afraid of anything. Maybe a monster under the bed? But there’s no bed here.

‘Anyway, I’m not going to let my guard down. Let’s go in with a strong mind. There’s no way I’ll die from this.’

With that thought, I tightened my resolve and nodded as if agreeing with Vespera, who seemed slightly suspicious.

"Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to help you out, kid. Your face... Well, the mask is really to my liking, so I want to look at it as long as I can."

"..."

I really want to get away from this as soon as possible.

I suppressed my discomfort as best I could and nodded casually, trying to appear grateful.

It seemed like this person had no intention of letting me go.

If an opportunity comes to shake her off, I’ll grab it without hesitation!

As I mentally planned my escape while maintaining my expression,

It seemed the preparations for the second task were finally complete.

The examinees began putting on the illusory bracelets in order as they entered the gym.

"Ugh, Aaaah!"

"Ahh! No, noooo!"

"Ugh... go, go away!"

The screams of the examinees who had put on the illusory bracelets filled the air.

It seemed like they were facing the worst possible illusions they could imagine.

They were likely going through horrifying experiences in real time, maybe surrounded by giant insects.

Some were swinging swords or casting wide-area spells,

But since many of the staff were current fixers, the effects didn’t spill over into the outside world.

Vespera, calmly observing the situation as it unfolded,

Glanced at the people collapsing and foaming at the mouth, then lightly made her assessment.

"Hmm, the pass rate seems to be about three out of ten? This seems like it has a decent level of difficulty."

"...!"

"Don’t push yourself too hard, kid. Well... you don’t look mentally weak."

Who would’ve thought that I’d be getting advice from the worst criminal in the world?

I gave a small tap on her hand as if to thank her,

Then, when it was my turn, I took a deep breath and walked toward the center of the gym.

As I walked, I found Peacekeeper and the examinees who had mocked me earlier standing there.

What a coincidence. It seems like, despite being chosen randomly, we ended up in the same order.

"Well... this little girl is doing the second task? If you’re scared, feel free to quit."

"Heh, shouldn’t you be sucking on your mom’s milk?"

"She probably won’t pass. It’s ridiculous that she even got through the first task..."

The evaluations were so harsh.

But I understood. From the outside, with my mask, I probably seemed like just a small, powerless human.

For those who took pride in being fixers, I must have seemed out of place.

"..."

It was a good thing to think however they wanted.

After all, once the results came out, they’d figure it out on their own.

I quickly extended my hand toward Peacekeeper, signaling for him to continue the task.

He hesitated for a moment but then handed me the illusory bracelet.

As soon as I put it on, the world around me seemed to plunge into darkness...

And before I knew it, I was standing among countless corpses under a blood-red sky.