16 – TDG 16

I ​waited ​for ​the ​assistant to finish ​speaking ​before ​raising ​my ​hand high.

“What are the ​factors ​for point deductions?”

“Deductions ​occur if you ​perform ​actions ​that ​violate ​the ​code of conduct ​or ​if ​a hostage dies. ​If the candidate dies, ​the test ​ends immediately.”

The ​”actions violating ​the code ​of ​conduct” ​were simple.

It meant ​that inflating ​the damage—like destroying 7 ​things when 3 would ​suffice—was forbidden.

For a low-level ​Esper, going ​all ​out would be fine, but if ​Han Ji-hyuk did that, ​as ​you ​know, ​half ​of Seoul would ​be erased. ​Even ​during his first ​awakening, ​if he had been left ​unchecked, blowing ​away ​an entire street ​would ​have ​been ​a ​piece of ​cake.

For ​a high-tier ​offensive Esper like him, maintaining composure was ​the top priority. ​It was essential ​to have the sense ​to assess ​the situation coolly ​and ​use power in ​the right place ​at the ​right ​time during ​a ​crisis. The ​assistant ​was likely ​looking ​for ​exactly that.

“We will ​begin ​the first ​rehearsal. ​Esper ​Han ​Ji-hyuk, please step forward.”

Han Ji-hyuk moved toward the testing area with the assistant.

I planned to head to the monitor room to watch his performance.

“Ji-hyuk, do your best.”

When I gave him a thumbs-up and a wave, he sent back a light, eye-curving smile.

He’s in good condition. I think it’ll go well. Honestly, I don’t think there’s any way Ji-hyuk would fail this test. I just hope that through this exam, he finds the most ideal answer for controlling his power.

The monitor room was exactly as the name suggested—a space filled with dozens of monitors. They captured every part of the training center to minimize blind spots.

Following the instruction to start, I saw Han Ji-hyuk approach the entrance. Agile movements. He slipped into the building like a shadow. Bang! The moment a gunshot rang out, I was sucked into the screen, focused intensely.

Beeeee—! A sharp siren wailed. It was the signal indicating the termination of the test.

“Ah…”

I let out a groan, gripping the edge of the screen.

He had progressed smoothly up to the third floor, but the fourth-floor boss was no joke. The enemy carried out a suicide bombing, and although Han Ji-hyuk quickly suppressed the aftermath, the hostages nearby were ultimately slaughtered.

“Impressive. Usually, many fail on the first or second floor… To reach the fourth floor on the first attempt is, dare I say, world-class.”

The instructor gave a mid-term evaluation in a rather excited tone. He didn’t seem to be flattering him; the eyes grading the performance were shining with genuine interest.

It was rare for such praise to come from people who were desperate to find a candidate’s weaknesses. World-class. What a great ring to it. I suppressed the corners of my mouth from curling up and asked back, pretending to be surprised.

“I-is it really that good?”

“Esper Han Ji-hyuk remained calm and his control didn’t waver, even in a situation where the terrorists’ behavior was realistically reflected and unexpected variables occurred repeatedly. That is not an easy feat for a novice Esper. However, I don’t know why he let his guard down at the very end.”

“Let his guard down?”

“Yes. If he hadn’t been careless, he would have achieved a perfect clear.”

After the instructor left, Han Ji-hyuk exited the building. I quickly left the monitor room and ran toward him.

“Ji-hyuk, good job. The instructor said if you do one more rehearsal tomorrow…”

Ji-hyuk shook his head decisively.

“I don’t need any more. I’ll take the official evaluation right away.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

No matter how I looked at him, his face didn’t look like that of someone who had simply been “careless” as the instructor said.

Had he found the ‘answer’ I mentioned? The answer would only be inside him.

When I arrived at the training center Read on Read BL Novelsthe next unauthorized copyday, yesterday’s instructor [Read on Read BL Novels]greeted us, looking exactly as he had the day before.

“Are you ready?”

He explained that today’s evaluation would be of a different difficulty level than yesterday’s, but Ji-hyuk reacted as if it didn’t matter.

‘What incredible confidence. That kid…’

Seeing Han Ji-hyuk stand at the start line with a calm gaze, a surge of certainty rose in a corner of my heart.

Today, he would pass the aptitude evaluation and leave the dormitory.

— Starting the simulated evaluation for Terror Prevention Simulation Chapter 7.

I put on the headset and focused my eyes on the screen.

Han Ji-hyuk began to move.

While seizing control of the building was important, saving the hostages was the top priority, making initial infiltration essential. Just like yesterday, the way he quickly approached the building and skillfully slid through a broken window reminded me of a scene from a movie.

While I was fully immersed, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind. Was it the instructor? I turned around casually, only to be startled by a familiar face.

“Esper Song Hyun-ho?”

“Did I disturb you?”

Why is this man here? I hurriedly took off my headset and stood up.

“No, not at all. W-what brings you here?”

“I came after receiving a call from Head of Department Kim Yoo-hwan. I didn’t know you’d be here.”

Head of Department Kim Yoo-hwan? Why on earth did he call an S-rank Esper to the training center?

“Did an incident happen?”

“No.”

That was a stupid question. If an incident had happened, he would have gone to the scene, not here.

“…This is surprising. You’re not exactly the type of rank to personally attend a rookie Esper’s aptitude evaluation.”

He candidly revealed his purpose.

“I didn’t come here to volunteer. I was curious about Esper Han Ji-hyuk as well.”

The smile vanished, and a vivid fighting spirit flickered in his seriously shining eyes. Uh oh… I have a bad feeling about this…

“Don’t tell me… the fourth-floor boss…?”

He gave a short nod, as if I had guessed correctly.

Holy crap, seriously? Cold sweat erupted from my back like a fountain in my bewilderment.

This is insane. Isn’t this too much? Song Hyun-ho, a ten-year veteran who has been through everything from land wars to aerial combat, is reincarnating as the fourth-floor boss? How is Han Ji-hyuk, who has only just entered the PvP training phase, supposed to beat that monster?

Perhaps reading the sense of injustice on my face, Song Hyun-ho quickly made an excuse.

“I didn’t see the records you offered to give for Esper Han Ji-hyuk. It’s the same for both of us; neither of us has information on the other.”

Damn it, so that’s why he said there would be a change in difficulty.

I thought it just meant the number of enemy Espers would increase or the formation would change.

How can they stab someone in the back like this?

“Even so…”

You bastard, Head of Department Kim Yoo-hwan, are you joking? Are you trying to make sure our Ji-hyuk never leaves the dormitory for the rest of his life?

“The Head of Department told me to convey that as long as the target score is met, the aptitude evaluation will be passed regardless of the result.”

What is this man? Does he have mind-reading powers…?

Pass as long as the score is met, regardless of victory or defeat? Dammit, I get it now. I see what he’s planning.

He’s using Song Hyun-ho to put the finishing touch on Han Ji-hyuk’s stat profile.

And Song Hyun-ho agreed to the proposal because, as he said, he was curious about Ji-hyuk’s abilities.

Compared to other countries, Korea is quite lacking in the number of S-rank Espers. With small land and a small population, what else could they do? That’s why they’ve been powerless at summits like the G11, so imagine how happy they are that an awakened with infinite potential has suddenly rolled in. In a world where the national total power ranking can shift with the addition of just one useful S-rank, this is the reality.

The records from this aptitude evaluation would be perfect for external propaganda.

‘He spent an hour grilling me like a rat, asking what I’d do if the kid caused an accident… while he himself was preparing a much bigger accident?’

If you don’t like it, become a Head of Department yourself. I felt as if Kim Yoo-hwan’s sarcastic voice was echoing in my ears as a hallucination.

I pressed my hand to my forehead and let out a boiling sigh inwardly.

“……”

What can I do? When the higher-ups say jump, you jump.

Let’s think positively. No matter how great combat AI technology is, it can’t match human improvisation. When deployed in terror operations, one must fight against other Espers. Especially the Black Moon bastards—they are masters of close-quarters combat. If you underestimate those who have honed their skills specifically to kill other Espers just because their rank is lower, even an S-rank will die without mercy.

From that perspective, regardless of the record, stolen contentit’s not stolen contenta bad thing for Ji-hyuk to clash with Song Hyun-ho.

Unlike a lightweight like Im Seong-joon, he is one of the top experts in the country, recognized even abroad, so just one fight will increase Ji-hyuk’s experience.

Real combat experience isn’t something easily obtained.

Just… please, go easy on him…

“But why did you come to the monitor room?”

The location is opposite the testing ground, so he must have taken a long detour. Wouldn’t it have been better to go straight there?

As if he had been waiting for that question, Song Hyun-ho nodded deeply.

“Guide Seo Joo-won.”

I instinctively straightened my posture at the strange tension spreading through the air.

“Yes.”

“I’ll need you to be my hostage.”

…Excuse me?

My god. What sin did I commit in my past life to suffer such a calamity?

“Um… could you just put me down? I can walk.”

“It’s faster to go like this.”

Song Hyun-ho flatly rejected my pitiful request with his characteristic gentle smile.

He’s right. He’s a hundred percent right. Even if I died and came back to life, I could never run faster than Esper Song Hyun-ho’s legs.

But what about my social dignity?

As soon as we left the monitor room, Song Hyun-ho said he was short on time and, with a quick “excuse me,” scooped me up in his arms.

It’s a good thing no one was around; if anyone had seen me flailing about unsightly and screaming, I wouldn’t have been able to hold my head up for three generations.

“Hostage A. If you’re embarrassed, shall I cover your eyes?”

Unlike me, who was dying of embarrassment, Song Hyun-ho’s tone was overflowing with amusement.

“……”

This man is serious.

He is genuinely enjoying the role of the villain boss…

Not content with being the final boss of the fourth floor, Song Hyun-ho had told me his plan to take me as a hostage.

“Actually, I read the rehearsal evaluation report from yesterday. In my opinion, he didn’t give it his all. I got a strong feeling he was testing how far his best went. And then, he made a mistake within a small margin of error on the fourth floor.”

Dammit, he was right. I was caught off guard by his sharp observation. As expected, experience and reputation do not lie. To pinpoint Ji-hyuk’s behavior, which even I found ambiguous, just by looking at the evaluation report.

“So you’re saying if you kidnap me, Han Ji-hyuk will go all out?”

“Exactly.”

“I’m just a mere Guide, though?”

“Oh dear. Please do not underestimate yourself so much.”

Now what on earth is he talking about?