Chapter 41. Aptitude Test (5)

The title came out of nowhere, and Eun-Ho found himself muttering the word under his breath, “Pathfinder?”

Just then, Ji-Eun, who had only just caught her breath, came over and asked, “Eun-Ho! You got your reward, right?”

“Yeah. Two points and five hundred Welfare Points. What about you?”

“Same here. Honestly, I wish you’d gotten more, considering everything you did.”

Eun-Ho gave a sheepish laugh, and Ji-Eun pouted slightly in response. The disappointment on her face was so sincere that he almost felt guilty. That was because, in truth, he had gained something more. He got a reward for every life he helped twist away from its destined path.

[Congratulations!]

[Number of actual survivors have significantly exceeded simulation predictions.]

[Additional trait-exclusive rewards have been awarded due to your trait, Rebel.]

[Resistance stat has been increased (+71).]

Seventy-one?

Eun-Ho thought.

Fifty-one people from Namsan, plus twenty-one more from the other group made seventy-two in total. That number minus himself gave seventy-one.

He’d received compensation for every single one of them. Besides, that wasn’t all.

And I got the strange title as well.

[Would you like to check the effects of the title, Pathfinder?]

The message had been floating in front of him for a while now. Eun-Ho wondered what this title could mean.

Curious, he excused himself from Ji-Eun and walked off to a quiet corner, away from the rest of the crowd. Once he was alone, he gave the command.

“Check.”

Then, the system softly recited the effects.

[Pathfinder]

- Increases movement speed when forging a path at the front.

- Gains defense when entering enemy territory first.

- Increases buff effects based on the number of followers.

He couldn’t really picture it yet, but that was fine.

So the more people follow me, the stronger the effects? Guess I’ll just try it and see.

He turned back toward the groups of survivors, clustered in small packs. People who had once faced each other as enemies now stood side by side.

“That’s exactly what I said!” The cleaning lady was patting Ye-Ji’s shoulder, enthusiastically agreeing with whatever she’d just said. “I was so happy about that armor!”

“And then

poof

, it’s just gone. Seriously?”

They were talking about the armor and helmet that vanished as soon as the trial ended. Even the security guard next to them clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed by the loss.

However, then he said, “But hey, we’re alive. If it weren’t for that young man, we’d all be...”

He trailed off, shuddering. Armor wasn’t worth more than their lives.

“I didn’t know everyone was here,” said Eun-Ho as he approached them.

The cleaning lady spotted Eun-Ho approaching and hurried over, grabbing his hand. “There you are! We were just talking about you! Did we say thank you yet?”

“You did. More than ten times.”

“Did we? Well, even a hundred times wouldn’t be enough!”

The security guard chimed in, too. “I still don’t know how we’re supposed to repay you!”

Even the usually calm and composed Ye-Ji was trembling, as if reliving a nightmare. She kept bowing her head, thanking him over and over. Her eyes shimmered with genuine gratitude.

“If it weren’t for you, Eun-Ho, we’d be dead for sure. Either beaten to death or deleted outright.”

Seeing that, Eun-Ho found himself asking something before he could stop, “You’re thankful, right?”

“

Huh?

W-what?”

“You’re not sure how to repay me, right?” Eun-Ho asked again.

“W-well... That’s true,” the cleaning lady stammered, wide-eyed and caught off guard by the sudden question.

Ye-Ji just shrugged, totally unfazed. “You want my sword?”

“Sorry?”

“Here you go.”

Ye-Ji smoothly handed over her only weapon, a sleek, steel-blue blade as if it were a pen.

Wasn’t she super uptight before?

She had undeniably changed. Maybe it was the situation that shaped her or it was him. Perhaps, this was who she had been all along, hidden beneath the surface, waiting for the pressure to bring her to light.

In the end, the reason didn’t matter.

“The sword’s fine,” Eun-Ho said. “But instead, would you come follow me for a bit?”

What he needed right now was not a weapon, but people who could help test the power of the Pathfinder title.

***

“Hyungnim! We’re almost there!”

“What exactly are we supposed to do when we get there?” Ye-Ji asked with a fist clenched, her face lit up with determination.

However, Eun-Ho replied simply, “You don’t have to do anything.”

“

Huh?

”

He had already tested the effects of the title.

[Pathfinder]

- Increases movement speed when forging a path at the front.

- Gains defense when entering enemy territory first.

- Increases buff effects based on the number of followers.

True to the system’s intuitive design, both the requirements and the buff values were precise and easy to verify.

[Followers: 9]

[Movement speed has been increased by +0.9]

[Defense has been increased by +0.9]

First, the effect only kicked in if there were at least five people following him. Second, the movement speed boost scaled linearly with the number of people. Third, the same rule applied with the defense bonus.

He’d added one person at a time during testing, so the results were accurate. As much as he’d like to test with ten people, he was still one person short.

“Hey, where’s the foul-mouth guy?”

“I don’t know,” Ye-Ji answered. “I saw him after the tunnel trial, but then he disappeared.”

With him around, that would’ve made ten, making a perfect test group.

“Why? Did he cause trouble again?” Eun-Ho asked mostly out of curiosity, but Ye-Ji visibly recoiled at the mention.

“No, not really.”

“

Hmph

. Maybe he got lost,” she said it casually, but her head craned as she looked around, clearly a bit worried.

As Eun-Ho wondered where the guy had vanished to right when they needed him, something white and fluttering suddenly flashed past his eyes.

Whoosh!

Wait a second.

Then, a white funeral robe billowed in the wind. Their bowl-cut heads were so precise, as if carved with a blade. Ice crystals had already regrown along their shins, glittering cold and sharp.

They were the twins, agents from the Bureau of Investigation, known as Saetani.

“Monster!”

“Liar!”

“How’d they even know where to find us?” Eun-Ho asked.

“We can see you!”

“Yeah! From up there!”

Clearly, these two clearly had nothing better to do. Their big assignment at the Namsan Tower office was watching who went in and out of the mountain like bored surveillance drones.

“What are you doing?”

“Are you on a walk?”

“That’s none of your business,” Eun-Ho replied.

“Why not?”

“We’re allies now!”

It had only been one day since Eun-Ho outwitted them and stole their Entrance Exam proposal. Were they not even slightly nervous around him? They flitted around his head, chattering nonstop.

They’re just like flies.

Small, persistent, and annoyingly hyper.

“

Shoo

. I don’t have any time to waste,” Eun-Ho said.

“Running?”

“Working out?”

The way their white robes fluttered as they zipped back and forth was reminiscent of butterflies in flight.

“We are!”

“Faster than you!”

Eun-Ho watched them fluttering around, and that was when the system chimed in.

[Followers: 11]

[Movement speed has been increased by +1.1]

[Defense has been increased by +1.1]

Apparently, the system didn’t interpret followers as strictly people physically walking behind him. Even though the twins were darting ahead or circling around him, the count stayed the same.

“Oh.”

Without realizing it, Eun-Ho had let out a small sound of realization. His mind was already racing with ways this could be used.

“What?”

“Why?”

The twins buzzed around him excitedly, but he simply shook his head.

“Never mi—” He said, but didn’t finish the words.

A few steps away, Sol-Ah was giving him that look. He was not imagining it. She was definitely staring at him like he’d gone mad.

“

Um...

Mister...?”

“It’s nothing. I’m just talking to myself.”

“Oh, okay.”

Don’t respond. Let’s just ignore them.

That was Eun-Ho’s decision. He kept walking in silence, but one of the twins had other plans: perch right on top of his head like a bird.

To make it worse, the little ghost even bent over upside down, dangling its in front of his eyes.

“

Haaaa.

Don’t you two have jobs to do?”

“We’re done!”

“It’s break time!”

Done? Right. These two were originally deployed by the company to conduct an initial environmental survey of Earth.

They were field agents—a sort of scouting unit deployed before the full restructuring process began.

“So the project’s finished?” Eun-Ho asked.

“Yup!”

“That’s right!”

Now that he thought about it, the protective barrier around Namsan Tower seemed a bit thinner. Most likely, the observation deck office had completed its role.

Which means, the next trial location isn’t here.

It made sense. This place was far too cramped for the Aptitude Test’s final trial, especially now that so many people had survived. That left only one thing to do.

It’s time to get ready to move.

“Then go play somewhere else,” Eun-Ho muttered, swatting at the ghostly pests.

“

Tch!

”

“You’re so rude!”

Brushing off the buzzing Ghosts like flies, he turned and called out to the others, “Everyone, pack up your things.”

“

Huh?

Now?”

“Yes. Right now.”

There hadn’t been any trial updates or system announcements yet. Ji-Eun tilted her head, puzzled, but she didn’t argue.

“Sol-Ah, Yeo-Jin, let’s go grab our stuff,” Ji-Eun said.

“Okay, Unni.”

They headed back into the tower to get the backpacks they had hidden inside.

Just as the group began to scatter and organize, a loud, familiar voice rang out from below. “Damn it! You all came up here already?! I’ve been looking all over for you guys!”

The foul-mouthed guy came jogging, out of breath. His sentence ended in that awkward halfway tone, somewhere between casual and polite.

“You just made it up here?” Eun-Ho asked dryly.

“Come over here for a second. Please,” the guy said, trying to sound polite again.

Either he’d gotten lost, or he'd been off doing something shady he didn’t want anyone to know about.

Eun-Ho narrowed his eyes and asked accusingly, “Where were you? Obviously, you didn’t have business in the woods—”

Clang! Clatter! Rattle!

The guy dropped what looked like a mountain of gear onto the ground. These were stuff he definitely hadn’t had with him earlier.

Eun-Ho had asked the wrong question. He should’ve asked what the hell was all that?

“What is all this stuff?” Eun-Ho asked.

“

Um...

”

“Wait a second...”

Eun-Ho could already guess where it had come from, yet kept staring in silence. The guy scratched his head.

“You remember that guy in the tunnel? I took all of his stuff,” said the foul-mouthed guy.

He was talking about the one who kicked the foul-mouthed man, crushed the wall-climber’s head, and left behind that absurdly heavy mace.

***

“That guy kept bragging about having a stash of weapons like he was hot shit.” As the foul-mouth muttered, he began unpacking his haul. There was one spear, an iron sword, and a single shield. “I brought it all, but it doesn't look like much,

huh?

”

He tried to sound nonchalant, but his eyes kept darting toward Eun-Ho like a puppy hoping for praise.

“The spear’s a little worn, but not bad. The sword and shield are whatever,” explained the foul-mouthed guy.

“Wait a second. That guy had a shield, and he didn’t even use it?” Eun-Ho asked.

“Guess he didn’t need to. He just smashed everything with that mace. Though, yeah, it didn’t do him much good in the end.”

True enough, even with a shield, it wouldn’t have helped. No defense stood a chance against a sword that could freeze movement mid-charge and slice right through.

“Wait, you’re giving this stuff away? Just like that?” Eun-Ho asked.

The foul-mouth guy didn’t exactly strike Eun-Ho as the generous type. If anything, he’d expect the guy to hoard the gear like a dragon sitting on treasure. After all, back when Eun-Ho got his first gift from that anonymous observer, this guy had practically foamed at the mouth with jealousy.

Eun-Ho narrowed his eyes and the guy fidgeted, mumbling, “You saved me, remember?”

Now he looked like a scolded pup tucking its tail between its legs.

“

Hmm

.”

It probably wasn’t even the first time Eun-Ho had saved his life. The guy had probably gone through hell while they were separated.

“I just wanted to say t-thanks!” he practically barked it out, his expression shouting “Shut up, I’m embarrassed!”

“I won’t say no.”

Eun-Ho reached down and picked up one item—the one he needed most right now.

[Wooden Shield]

- A basic wooden shield that is sturdy enough to block most standard attacks.

- Increases Defense by 10 when equipped.

“A shield?”

“Yeah. I’ve been thinking I could use one.”

The other weapons didn’t seem better than his current sword anyway. The foul-mouth lit up like he had been waiting for this. Eyes gleaming, he lunged for the iron sword.

“Then I’ll take the—”

“No.” Eun-Ho turned to someone else. “Let’s give that one to him.”

“What?”

“He doesn’t have a weapon.”

Shhhk.

Before the guy’s hand could reach it, Eun-Ho smoothly slid the sword away. His fingers trembled from the loss.

Shaking with regret, he shifted toward the next prize.

“Then I’ll take the spear—”

“Nope.”

“That goes to the lady. She doesn’t have a weapon either.”

The foul-mouthed guy remained silent.

Shhhk.

The spear was redirected out of reach just as his hand closed in. Now he was really shaking. His fingertips quivered, his wide eyes trembling like an earthquake had hit his soul.

Eun-Ho could not help but add, “The spear’s longer, so it’ll be easier for her to handle. She’s not exactly graceful with close-range weapons.”

“What?! Then what about me?!” the foul-mouthed guy asked.

Thud! Thud!

He beat his chest in protest, practically howling in outrage. Eun-Ho briefly considered whether he had teased him too much. Therefore, he turned and called out to someone climbing up with a pack slung over his shoulder.

“Jae-Hyuk.”

“Yes, Hyungnim?”

“What’s your Strength stat at?”

“Right now? It’s 21, Hyungnim!”

It was just as Eun-Ho had expected. He knew Jae-Hyuk would’ve met the requirements. The new weapon he’d picked up, the Flanged Mace, came with one critical limitation of requiring Strength of 20 or higher.

The next moment, Eun-Ho summoned it and handed it over to Jae-Hyuk.

“Here. You use it.”

“Wha—? Seriously?!” Jae-Hyuk seemed surprised.

“Give me your sword in exchange.”

“What?! The sword that you made yourself?” the foul-mouthed guy said with excitement.

It’s better to put it to good use than let it rot away.

Then, he thought about the system messages he received earlier.

[You do not meet the minimum stat requirement for Flanged Mace.]

[You’ve developed the status effect, Muscle Soreness, due to overexertion.]

There was no way he could pour all his rewards into pumping up his Strength just to wield that mace. Besides, his skillset was sword-focused anyway, meaning he probably wouldn’t even get proper use out of it.

“But, this isn’t right! You know it’d be more efficient if

you

used a good weapon, Hyungnim!”

“I can’t use it anyway. I don’t meet the stat requirements.”

“But you can just raise your stats!” Jae-Hyuk kept stubbornly refusing the mace, even though the discussion had long since ended.

Therefore, Eun-Ho had to tell him flat out, “You’re not really the type for precision swordplay.”

“

Huh?

”

“You just brute-force stab everything.”

“

Ugh!

How’d you know that?”

Maybe it worked out up until now, but it wouldn’t keep working forever.

“Think of it as an investment.”

“But still—”

“You’ll be better equipped to defend me if you’re stronger, right?” With that, Eun-Ho shoved the mace into his hands. “Quick. Take it. I swear, if I hold onto it any longer, I’ll get Muscle Soreness again.”

“Wait, what?”

“Hurry up.”

Jae-Hyuk looked between Eun-Ho and the mace like a kid being handed something sacred. Then, with both hands, he carefully took it like it was a national treasure.

“T-then I’ll just borrow it and give it back later! I’ll have it until you’re strong enough to use it yourself!”

“Well... I’m pretty sure I won’t need it back.”

“

Haaaa.

I haven’t even paid back my life debt and now you’re giving me this?!” Eyes glistening, Jae-Hyuk straightened up like he had just received a medal in the military and declared with solemn pride, “I’ll stand at the front and block every enemy!”

“Well... If you could do that, that’d be great.”

Then, the foul-mouthed guy jumped in too. “M-me too! I’ll use mine well! Sir!”

“You better.”

The foul-mouthed guy eagerly swung his new sword a few times. He slashed wildly through the empty air with no technique, just pure joy. Eun-Ho didn’t expect them to be

this

thrilled.

Honestly, they seemed so touched, it caught him off guard. However, it wasn’t exactly a bad thing.

“Thanks, Young Man!”

“I don’t know if I’ve still got it in me at my age, but I’ll make good use of it!”

Even the security guard and the cleaning lady seemed genuinely happy.

“

Eek!

The blade’s really sharp!”

“Goodness! Be careful, Mr. Song!”

They are happy with their gifts, right?

Watching the two of them handle the weapons like priceless, dangerous antiques made him feel a little uneasy. After all, they wouldn’t have Eun-Ho around next time.

“What would we have done without this young man?”

“Seriously, we owe you everything.”

“

Haha

...”

Just then, with the crackle of a returning signal, the next trial was announced.

[Attention all survivors in the Yongsan District.]

[The second trial, Mock Battle, will begin shortly.]

Ding!

Then, just as expected, the follow-up message appeared.

[To facilitate optimal arena setup, we will be conducting a short survey.]

“A survey?”

“What is this now?”

Given the timing, there was really only one thing it could be, probably asking what kind of mock battle format they wanted.

Huh? Wait a second.

He couldn’t believe what he saw.

[Question. You’re about to be buried alive! Where would you prefer to be buried?]

[1. City]

[2. Mountain]

[3. Ocean]

Huh? What the hell?