Chapter 116

Slipping down.

On the way down, it rattled intermittently, almost pulling the trigger to an unnecessary dispute, but upon reaching the destination, the sliding door opened smoothly without the usual scratching noise.

What appeared directly in front was a long, straight corridor.

Aside from the dim lighting that made it seem like some outdated incandescent bulbs, I could clearly see the exit on the opposite side and felt the presence of several people, which didn’t seem too frightening.

However, upon seeing this terrain, my mind couldn’t help but entertain the ominous thought that if the elevator power was cut off and the way was blocked, the people inside would be in quite a predicament—perhaps I had been overly marinated in past incidents and sudden battles.

Even with a sturdy shield in place, my recent experience with breaking through a narrow corridor made me more sensitive to the discomfort of such situations.

… Surely, the entrances that other humans used aren’t like this, right?

“What’s the problem?”

“Not particularly…?”

Though I wasn’t an executive, it felt inappropriate to ask the competent intermediary of the black market why it was so poorly maintained, so I mumbled instead.

Perhaps sensing my unease, Sir Léonard kindly clarified.

“…Understand that the corridor is cramped. The market isn’t generous enough to over-invest in a hideout that will be used only once and then closed.”

“… If that’s the case.”

With an awkward cough, my group, led by him, readily accepted this explanation.

Now that I thought about it more, there were certainly people who had been kicked out at the entrance or had turned back at the last moment. They wouldn’t be likely to reuse a location that was exposed, both in terms of its specific location and the entry method.

Although the black market coexists as a gray force in corporate and societal undercurrents, being too conspicuous offered plenty of justification for getting beaten up.

Thud… Thud…

Following behind my group through the corridor felt akin to entering a coliseum as a gladiator or slave.

As I got closer, the murmuring grew exponentially louder, suggesting we had arrived a bit late… Imagining how much of a spectacle it would be at the front caused me great distress.

“Shit!! When will that test supervisor show up?!”

“Hey, where’s the restroom? …What do you mean by going to that corner?”

“Ughhhh… so many people, my head hurts… why do I have to be in this mess…!”

If all the participants gathered here were like monkeys in a zoo, I figured there was no room to worry about that side of things.

“… Ugh.”

Stepping out into the open plaza, I found a chaotic scene—were we waiting too long, or was this disorder completely uncharacteristic of a test venue? Either way, there were plenty of people actively contributing to the confusion.

Frustrated adults running low on patience, a young man standing in a rather difficult situation after receiving confusing guidance while reaching a physiological limit, and a group of four socially withdrawn individuals on the brink of a breakdown because despite the available space, the sheer number of people made them uncomfortable.

Lastly, there were the staff members busily running around to placate and calm them down.

Considering the individuals involved, that was just the tip of the iceberg—when groups observing the situation are factored in along with those buried in their devices with no interest in speaking, the current plaza scene was fully composed.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen something like this. If there weren’t such events, no one would come out… Ah, look over there. Aren’t those the Cipher Psyco team? They say they resonate some brainwaves, and they all seem to wear similar outfits even though it’s not a uniform.”

“……Over there are the Gemini Node siblings. I remember seeing them on camera when we worked together before.”

“…Oh, I see.”

Marina and Kên shared information about our rivals whenever they spotted familiar faces or acquaintances among the crowd.

… It seemed they presumed I would know naturally, as they didn’t provide any additional details, which wasn’t very helpful.

S-sorry. I’m the type who’s only strong in practice, lacking even basic industry knowledge, let alone theory.

I’ll do better later…!

We had just joined the plaza, chatting or not.

Nevertheless, to take control of such a chaotic scene, someone with compelling charisma—someone capable of authority and skills to suppress these unruly ones—had to be sent in….

I couldn’t help but wonder why this so-called researcher was tied to such an irrelevant situation; could this be a part of a larger expectation?

If so, I must adjust my assessment of the black market. They weren’t mere scoundrels skimming off commissions, but actual competent ones deserving of their credits.

Thud!!

Naturally.

Leaving our group behind, Sir Léonard boldly took the first step up the stairs, instantly capturing everyone’s attention as he ascended to a makeshift podium—a bare concrete rise with just a microphone on it.

“……”

Clearly displeased with the cumbersome role he had to perform, his masked face twisted into a distressed expression.

Other participants, even among the uniquely eccentric personalities, showed signs of discomfort at his unmatched strangeness. But having become somewhat familiar with him over just a short journey together, I could discern a hint of his subtle agony.

At least, after venting his frustrations earlier, his voice was sufficiently warmed up. After lightly tapping the microphone with the edge of his glove to check the sound quality, he began to speak.

“…To cut to the chase, the market prepared this test merely on request; we are not involved in the actual contract with the clients afterward. So, don’t ask me about any financial matters—those are irrelevant…”

“……”

“While you’re at it, since he said he would just get to the point, isn’t that simply saying not to bother him more than necessary?” I barely managed to swallow the critique that threatened to escape my lips.

People around me seemed to share similar thoughts, but no one dared to confront the seemingly extraordinary human-machine hybrid, leaving the plaza still and quiet.

At least on the surface.

“Good. The rules are simple. You have all been assigned numbers in the order you entered here. Check that through your IDs. As soon as the ‘assignment’ is delivered, we’ll start the test. When I call your number, the assigned Connard—no, bring along everyone, whether they’re teammates or caregivers, and take part in the test together.”

“If successful, it ends; clear the way, and the next team can take the test. And… you also have the option to forfeit. However, for fairness in evaluation, repeated participation is not allowed, so choose your spots wisely!”

“……That’s all.”

That was an exceedingly inadequate explanation.

While Léonard might have been relieved to rush through part of the presentation, from the participants’ perspective, we were only given a bare outline of the process, with no specifics on test content or evaluation criteria.

Eventually, as he blithely tossed around terms like ‘fair evaluation,’ the murmurs from the bystanders began to swell once more.

It might be that once the assignments or whatever it was arrived, everyone would start equally confused, ensuring fairness somewhat, but renowned as it was, at least this much clarity should have been necessary to address lingering queries.

“Well… Mr. Ghostly Head of the Market. You should at least tell us how the grading will be done for the test, right? Is it you who evaluates? Or do you need to submit cyber engineering exam scores or something?”

“…Hmph!”

In response to that completely reasonable question, his silently raised index finger pointed upwards.

I wondered if there was some kind of answer written on the ceiling, but as I followed his finger, I noticed that what I thought was a wall was oddly shiny.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a structure with translucent glass; a skybox similar to what you might find in a dome stadium finally caught my attention.

This… is almost a spectacle in itself.

“Up there. The esteemed client is watching directly, so there’s no need for complaints. They’ll select the best loser themselves.”

Some were nodding, having caught onto this, while others, caught off guard for not paying attention above, jumped in surprise.

Well, ultimately, considering this entire hassle was just a competition for earning jobs,

Complaining about the choices of someone who would directly select based on their preferences was a futile protest.

– Excuse me for a moment. –

“Huh?”

Just as I was deeply consumed by doubts about whether someone without any expertise, a hacker with no qualifications or public exam scores, truly belonged here,

Zero suddenly stepped forward.

Swoooosh——.

Boom!!!

“What?!”

“Ahhh!!”

Something came crashing down, tearing through the air.

The dust that erupted enveloped the entire plaza like a bomb had exploded, and screams and curses erupted all over in response to the sudden chaos.

Thanks to Zero blocking the explosion cleanly, I didn’t get a speck of dirt on me. Long live the carebot.

Initially, I thought the dark, blocky silhouette that briefly appeared indicated some budget-saving failure, hinting at a potential elevator safety accident.

But once the dusty cloud cleared, objects vastly different from what I imagined became visible.

Regardless of how high it had fallen, it bore evidence of accumulating dirt, yet there were no signs of damage—its solidity remained intact.

As if boasting that the inside was just as fine, brightly lit internal diodes shone proudly.

Even though an enormous mass had just crashed down beside him, Léonard casually brushed off his overcoat, and the people who had retreated now seemed to recognize the test content, their faces wearing expressions of intrigue… or shock.

… So, what the hell is that?!

“That’s… a Data Vault, isn’t it? That’s a minimum…”

“Labyrinth-grade vault. It’s the client’s minimum requirement. Now, number one, quickly step forward.”