Chapter 131: The Exam

The short outing ended, and another busy time passed.

Amidst the flower pots that had taken over his desk, Ho-cheol checked the time on the small desk clock and began to pack his things.

He opened his small briefcase and checked everything: a cramming note for memorization, an official exam watch, and a computer-use marker pen.

Confirming they were all in order, he packed them.

His preparations for the license written exam were perfect.

As he opened the front door to leave, an unexpected person was waiting for him.

“What is this?”

“Heard you were going to take an exam.”

Se-ah was leaning against the hallway wall with her arms crossed.

Next to her, Gom-gom-i was also standing askew in the same pose.

Ho-cheol, who had been staring at Gom-gom-i, narrowed his eyes.

“The design… no, something’s a little different?”

“You noticed!”

For some reason, the menacing aura she had been exuding with a deep frown on her face vanished as if it had never been there, and she exclaimed with a bright smile.

“I knew you’d be able to tell.”

Gom-gom-i uncrossed its arms and struck various poses as if showing off.

“No. 1 is on summer vacation right now, and this is No. 2! All the other specs are the same, but the thread used for the fur is a different brand! The thickness and length are the same, but this product……”

Sensing the explanation might get long, Ho-cheol raised a hand to cut her off.

Never mind that.

“Gom-gom-i. I’m not trying to be discriminatory, but it’s still a teddy bear, right? Is it going on vacation?”

“I sent it to the dry cleaner. It got a little dirty recently.”

“Ah. In that sense.”

After the extremely trivial chitchat ended, Se-ah lightly pushed off the wall she had been leaning on and approached Ho-cheol.

She stuck her hand in her pocket.

On her palm, when she pulled it out, was a long piece of yeot.

“Here.”

“Telling me to go eat yeot?”

“I went out of my way to be thoughtful, and that’s the kind of expression I get.”

Ho-cheol chuckled at her pouting lips, as if to appeal that she was sulking.

“Just kidding. Thanks.”

“So, do you think you can pass the exam?”

“I took a mock test, and I usually scored above the passing line.”

Since it was graded on a curve, the passing score varied each year, but at this rate, he was well within the safe zone based on the standards of the past few years.

“What are you taking today?”

“Trait Operation License within a City.”

Frankly, Ho-cheol found the current situation quite ridiculous.

He had used his Trait for over a decade without such a license.

Yet here he was, getting a license and what not.

“Aha. The most basic of the basics.”

Se-ah nodded.

Trait Operation License within a City.

This so-called ‘Do-teuk-myeon’ was a license that anyone engaged in a profession using Traits, including heroes, had to obtain.

In the first place, some advanced certificates and licenses required the ‘Do-teuk-myeon’ as a minimum qualification.

“But the competition must be insane this time of year.”

It wasn't an exam taken only by aspiring heroes.

Jobs that allowed the use of Traits within the city.

For those with simple strength-enhancing Augmentation-type Traits, this license alone could increase their value tenfold.

Human-sized heavy machinery.

It was only natural for their value to jump.

In all sorts of other fields in society, there were countless ways for the awakened to make money using their Traits, which was why this license attracted a huge number of applicants every year.

No, if you looked closely, there weren't that many aspiring heroes.

The academy students, for instance, took the exam within the academy.

“Well, do your best.”

Se-ah’s ‘do your best’ wasn’t just about passing the exam.

She knew it also involved dealing with the illegal cheating that was tacitly spread in some exams.

She lightly smacked the area of Ho-cheol’s tailbone with her palm.

She grinned mischievously, making a threat that wasn't quite a threat.

“Ah. If you fail and rumors spread, you know it’ll tarnish the union’s reputation, right? The support funds you were getting, I’ll cut them in half.”

It was a warning made in jest by Se-ah, as if teasing, but Ho-cheol’s reaction was quite intense.

He widened his eyes in surprise, his mouth agape.

Se-ah flinched at his unusually strong reaction.

Perhaps feeling awkward, she avoided his gaze and gently rubbed the floor with the tip of her foot.

“Well, I mean. If that seems too harsh, I can just cut it by about 30 percent……. Ah, no. I’m kidding. Why are you being so serious? Making a person feel awkward……”

“……Support funds came out? This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

When Ho-cheol asked back, looking as if he had no idea, this time it was Se-ah who looked perplexed.

“What?”

It had been months since he joined the union; how much support money had been issued in his name?

“I was worried the Association would skim it off if I sent it directly to your bank account. I definitely told them to set it aside as cash for operational expenses and deliver it……”

“Who did you give it to?”

Se-ah slowly blinked her eyes.

Then she whispered the truth.

“To So-hee.”

“Damn it.”

Ho-cheol chuckled and flicked her on the forehead.

“Ow!”

Looking at Se-ah clutching her forehead, he shook his head.

“Anyway, I haven’t received a single penny in the union’s name. Thanks for the yeot. I’ll enjoy it. Well then, I’m off.”

Chatting with her about such nonsense was fun, but if he played around any longer, he might be late for the exam.

Ho-cheol waved his hand and left Se-ah behind.

And when he was about halfway down the stairs.

Se-ah’s shout echoed from the hallway behind him.

Following that, perhaps because it was on speakerphone, So-hee’s slightly aggrieved rebuttal could be heard.

Ho-cheol, who had stopped to listen to their conversation, muttered, dumbfounded for a moment.

“What’s this about planning to give it to me when I’m all grown up.”

But somehow, that sounded like a plausible reason.

He laughed in disbelief and headed to the exam site.

The exam site was in a city quite far from the academy.

Thanks to that, Ho-cheol, who had transferred between all sorts of public transportation from trains to buses to get there, was already half-exhausted.

Was having your own car this convenient?

It was a summer that made him miss Bboong-bboong-i all over again.

The exam was held in a school that had been rented out entirely, as it was empty for the vacation.

Arriving at the school, Ho-cheol checked the large notice and seating chart posted in front of the gate and entered a classroom.

The room was bustling with about 50 people.

The total number of examinees today was 500.

Of these, only the top 100 would pass.

From there, another filter in the second practical exam would leave 50.

In the third interview, 10 would finally pass and get their hands on the license.

It might seem like too few passes for an exam held only twice a year, but it couldn't be helped.

The problem was that there were too many applicants in the first place.

The odds were abysmal, but it could be a life-changing opportunity, so the number of applicants increased every year.

Ho-cheol checked the exam numbers on each desk and sat in his seat.

There was still some time until the exam started, so he took out his memorization note from his bag.

As he was scanning through his mock test error note.

A voice came from the front.

“Hey.”

A voice clearly calling him.

But Ho-cheol ignored it, engrossed in reading his note.

He was called several more times, but Ho-cheol continued to ignore him to the end.

Finally, the voice sighed and changed its approach.

“You’re not going to pass just by staring at that all day.”

Only then did Ho-cheol put down his note and look at the man who had spoken to him.

He looked a little older than Ho-cheol, but he was a young man nonetheless.

“What do you mean by that?”

He grinned at Ho-cheol.

“Not a note you can get just anywhere like that.”

He took out a palm-sized piece of paper from inside his clothes and waved it lightly.

“With this sure-pass cheat sheet, passing is pretty much guaranteed.”

“A cheat sheet, huh. In the end, isn’t it no different from my own summary note?”

The man scoffed.

“It’s not an absolute evaluation, but a relative one. Of course, there are a few ridiculously hard killer questions to prevent a flood of perfect scores, but everyone gets those wrong anyway. The actual 100 passers are decided among those who get all the other multiple-choice questions right. And this is that.”

He tapped the paper with his other hand.

Ho-cheol frowned and asked back.

“You’re saying it’s a guaranteed exam question?”

“That’s right. I’ll take just 4.5 million. It was originally 5 million, but one of the customers got hit by a car on the way here, so there’s an open spot. You’re really lucky.”

Ho-cheol glanced around for a moment.

He wasn’t exactly whispering.

For content like this, there should have been a reaction from those around, but.

It was too peaceful.

“Is it a Trait? Erasing your voice?”

“To be precise, I create a thin film around me that extremely reduces the sound waves of my voice going outside of it.”

This was a license to use Traits in the city.

Naturally, you weren't supposed to use Traits without this license.

Was this what it felt like to find someone driving their own car to the DMV to get their driver’s license?

Ho-cheol put down the note he was holding and tapped the table with his fingertips.

“But wouldn’t it be a problem if I were to tattle to the proctor? It’s cheating.”

“Ah, that could happen. But what if I just say this and this note is actually just a simple summary note? It’ll just end as a little trick to get on a competitor’s nerves.”

Meaning, he could just deny it and that would be the end of it.

In reality, Traits related to the human mind, like memory reading, couldn't be used for such minor suspicions.

And they couldn't just confiscate it either.

Most importantly.

“It doesn’t matter at all if you insist. We, you see, are the ones who will be in trouble.”

He put a particular emphasis on the word ‘we.’

It meant this wasn’t a one-man business, but was connected to something bigger.

Judging by the fact that he didn't forget to threaten him, he seemed to have some pretty solid backing.

After thinking for a moment, Ho-cheol waved his hand.

“I’m good.”

Above all, the look in the eyes of the guy selling the cheat sheet.

In his past villain days, he had seen humans with those eyes many times.

It was the look of someone preying on a sucker, not a customer.

It was just Ho-cheol’s guess, but that cheat sheet was probably fake.

He’d probably just hand over some mock test solutions and be done with it.

And the sucker couldn’t complain or protest.

From the moment they bought it, they were an accomplice.

If they didn't want to be permanently disqualified from future exams, they had to keep their mouths shut.

Even if they risked it and complained or raised an issue, from then on, their backers would take care of it.

“Well now, a diligent friend. It’s no use regretting it later, you hear?”

At that moment, the front door slid open—drreureuk—and the exam proctor entered.

He recited the details of the written exam that would be held today, as per the manual.

There were a total of 3 subjects for the exam.

Each exam would last 110 minutes, with a 20-minute break in between.

“I will distribute the test papers. Please clear everything from your desks except for your watch and writing utensils. Cheating will result in immediate expulsion.”

Saying so, the proctor handed out the test papers.

“The exam begins now.”

With his declaration, the sound of papers turning and pens scratching began.

For the first 30 minutes, Ho-cheol also focused diligently on the exam questions.

Even if he had found cheating, he had to pass the exam regardless.

Ah, damn it. I just memorized this.

Was it 1731?

Or 1713?

As he was scratching the back of his head and solving the problem, a strange sound reached his ears.

Tick― Tick― Tick―

A sharp but faint sound, like a pen being flicked.

It was so quiet that even Ho-cheol had to focus to barely hear it.

It was a sound so small that the proctor, a regular person, and of course, the other examinees, couldn't easily hear it.

At first, he thought it was just someone with anxiety, but the sound had a clear, regular rhythm.

And most importantly, every time it flicked, several examinees simultaneously solved a problem quickly.

Ho-cheol narrowed his eyes.

Hearing all that and immediately reacting to write down the answer was a feat that even Ho-cheol couldn't perform.

And he realized that all the examinees receiving this signal were wearing thick, horn-rimmed glasses.

It seemed the glasses recognized the signal and relayed it to them as another signal.

The methods could be varied.

It was enough for the part of the glasses touching the skin on the inside to give an electrical signal.

It seemed they were sharing answers through this signal.

Since it was a code they shared among themselves, he couldn't immediately understand its contents.

It wasn't Morse code.

They probably made up their own system.

From then on, Ho-cheol focused half of his attention on the problems, and the other half on their signals.

And towards the end of the exam, he began to vaguely read the pattern.

If it was circumstantial evidence, this alone was enough.

But if he was going to end it with just this, the dean wouldn't have sent him in the first place.

The ending he wanted would be a much cleaner resolution than this.

Most importantly, Ho-cheol agreed with that sentiment.

That's why Ho-cheol waited, aiming for a better opportunity.

Before long, the first exam was over.

A 20-minute break.

Ho-cheol got up from his seat.

As he left the classroom, he quickly checked the desks of the examinees who had been exchanging signals.

The pens are rolling on their desks.

They were all using the same brand of pen.

That's it.

Other special tools could be caught in a search of belongings or discovered later.

To exchange signals, there was nothing better than a pen that wouldn't arouse suspicion no matter who used it.

Ho-cheol’s hand, faster than anyone’s eye, stole one of those pens.

And during the second exam time.

About 50 minutes passed, and they started their operation again.

Tick tick―

While they were flicking the back of their pens and exchanging signals.

Tick tick tick―

Ho-cheol also joined in, making the exact same, very small sound.

When he sent a wrong answer, the examinee who had been sending the correct signal sent a correction signal in a panic.

And then sent the answer again.

But Ho-cheol, having even figured out the correction signal, had nothing to hold him back.

He sent another correction signal, and then shared another wrong answer.

Eat some yeot.

And so, the 110-minute exam ended.

The proctor collected the test papers and left.

At the same time, from here and there, several people roughly stood up, knocking over their chairs.

Among them was the man who had tried to sell Ho-cheol the cheat sheet from the seat right in front of him.

He turned around, his lips twitching.

“Care to step outside for a moment?”

“Gladly.”

Ho-cheol immediately stood up.

In fact, he had been waiting for those very words.

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