“Are you going to let Eun-Ho keep doing track and field?”

“He’s good at it, and he likes it. What’s the problem?”

“Well... It’s just too difficult. And he’s smart, doing well in his studies too, you know.”

When he was young, Eun-Ho had seen his parents fight. Although, to be precise, it was less of a fight and more of his mother’s one-sided lecture. It seemed his mother had always wanted him to focus on studying. Like most parents, she probably wished for her son to live a stable, comfortable life.

“I still think it’d be nice if he became something like a lawyer or a doctor,” mom had said.

“Forget it,” his father had grumbled. “Those jobs are all hard in their own way.”

Eun-Ho wondered what his parents would say when they saw his new title.

[You have unlocked the trait, Swordsman.]

Though... Technically speaking, I’m not a lawyer but a slayer, Eun-Ho thought.

[Congratulations!]

[The swordsman-exclusive skill, Sword Aura(Lv. 1), has been unlocked.]

“What?! A swordsman-exclusive skill?” he muttered, frowning.

Now that he thought about it, each trait seemed to come with a set of unique skills, just like the Rebel trait had before. As he wondered aloud, the system responded.

[Would you like to check the Swordsman skill tree?]

“Check,” he said quickly.

[Opening Skill Tree.]

With a sharp flash, a new translucent window appeared at eye level.

[Swordsman Skill Tree]

At the top was the clear, straightforward title.

[Sword Aura]

- Sword Force

- Sword Thread

- Sword Mirage

...

[?], [?], [?], [?], [?] ...

At the very top sat the newly unlocked Sword Force, and below it, branches of various sword techniques spread out, like the roots of a tree or a tournament bracket.

What would happen if I pressed this?

Pop!

As soon as he tapped the [Sword Aura] box, a small new window appeared.

[Sword Aura(Lv. 1)]

- Infuses a weapon with intangible energy, increasing sharpness and attack power by (10)%

- Proficiency: 0%

Eun-Ho understood immediately. This was the list of sword techniques he had learned or could learn. The question marks on the lower branches likely meant those skills would only unlock once he mastered the ones above.

Sword Thread and Sword Mirage, huh?

He was curious about the others, but for now, he set his sights on the Sword Force. After all, it was a technique whose nature and power he could at least comprehend.

“Unlock Sword Force,” he said.

However, an unexpected message greeted him.

[Would you like to spend 5 Points to unlock the skill Sword Force?]

[You have insufficient points.]

“Wait, it costs points?” he muttered.

Well, it made sense. It’d be absurd if anyone could use such skills just by unlocking a trait. Still, he didn’t have enough rewards. He’d saved the one point he got from yesterday’s relay, but he was still four short. For now, he decided to put it off.

It won’t take long anyway.

***

“Then... Stay safe!”

“We’ll see you soon...!”

The Skeleton Soldiers clattered their jaws as they offered a final salute, some even pulling off a rather awkward but earnest bow. Watching them grow stronger and more articulate, Eun-Ho was filled with a strange sense of pride.

“See you!” Eun-Ho said. “Keep training hard.”

Fwoosh—!

[Return complete.]

Eun-Ho sent back the Skeleton Soldiers to the Training Institute. There was no reason to keep them here, as they grew stronger on their own, and even brought back their hunting spoils to him. Besides, if anyone from the Future Research Center caught sight of them, it would just cause unnecessary trouble. Still, he was a bit worried his training voucher would be revoked after completing the beginner swordsmanship course.

However, thanks to the lenient assistant instructor, he was spared the hassle.

“For now... We will not retrieve it,” said the assistant instructor.

“Oh? You could’ve just swapped it for the next course,” Eun-Ho said.

“You’re still as shameless as ever, I see.”

Well, I guess I did use that audit pass in all sorts of ways, he thought.

The assistant instructor had said he’d look into any leftover audit passes, so Eun-Ho decided to wait and see.

After following the map, he looked up to find himself before a massive auditorium that could seat a hundred thousand people. Even the entrance hallway stretched as long as the walls of a luxury villa in Seoul.

“I’m back!” said Eun-Ho.

“It’s huge!”

“No kidding! How many seats are there?”

“Easily tens of thousands!”

The space was like a vast rectangular hall, the floor lined with dark gray mats. The ceiling was not too high, fitted with rail lights reminiscent of a concert hall. In every corner and along the ceiling’s center, large mechanical Eyes gleamed like cameras, tracking every move. The thorough surveillance sent a chill down his spine.

[Attention, all staff and trainees!]

[At 1:00 PM sharp, the evaluation results and awards ceremony for Sector 13’s new recruit training will begin!]

[Please take your seats promptly!]

At the far end of the hall, a familiar woman stepped onto the stage.

“Hey, she looks different today, doesn’t she?” someone muttered.

“Yeah, maybe some bigwig’s coming or something.”

Just as the older ones had said, Sarah appeared noticeably more formal today. Instead of her usual combat outfit, she wore a modest dress. While her hair was still tied up high, she had traded her oversized headset for a single earpiece mic.

[Why is everyone sitting in the back? Come on, move forward. Move forward!]

[Quickly! We don’t have all day!]

That grating, overconfident tone of hers hadn’t changed one bit.

“Mr. Lee Eun-Ho!”

As everyone shuffled to find seats, familiar faces began to appear one by one. Most were Korean, but there were also a few survivors from the Silvery Blade incident.

“Over here. There’s an empty seat,” said Saito, pointing with his usual scowling expression.

“Oppa! Why are you only looking at Uncle? You got something to say?”

“... I wasn’t looking at him,” Wei said flatly. “You wouldn’t get it anyway, kid.”

“Hey! I’m not a kid anymore!”

The boy bickered with little Yul while sneaking glances at Eun-Ho all the same.

“Were you able to collect all two thousand points?” another voice asked nearby.

“Barely. I got the sponsorship, but after fees, it wasn’t much. I feel like I’ll have just enough to qualify.”

“That’s cutting it close. What if they suddenly raise the quota?”

“Don’t even joke about that. The rules here are trash anyway...”

His surroundings whispered about their own narrow victories and desperate point tallies. Everyone, with their own stories and scars, took their seats.

Creak—! Squeak!

The sound of chairs scraping filled the air. Then, Sarah’s bright, almost too-cheerful voice boomed across the hall.

[Alright, everyone! You’ve been waiting for this moment!]

[At last! It’s time to announce the evaluation results for the entire new employee training, including the Siege Warfare!]

[Drumroll, please!]

“Evaluation results?” Ji-Eun asked quietly. “So that’s different from the Training Points, right?”

“Looks like it,” Eun-Ho said with a nod.

If the evaluation were just about points, there’d be no need to announce it separately.

[Please check your result windows now!]

With a quiet breath, Eun-Ho opened the window, his heart pounding with an anticipation he couldn’t hide.

Fwoosh!

A golden frame flared into existence, shining brilliantly.

[Result Window]

- Unmatched martial prowess!

- Cunning that shook the entire academy!

- Charisma that transcended rank and reason!

- Your overall evaluation is Supreme.

Power, cunning, and charm, huh...

Eun-Ho couldn’t tell if that message was supposed to be a compliment or a jab. Still, what came after it made him smile in satisfaction.

[You have earned 3 Points and 4,000 Welfare Points.]

Nice! Three points in one go. Just one more point to go, he thought.

“Is high-mid a good rating?” someone nearby asked.

“Probably, yeah,” another replied.

Most of the surviving recruits had received evaluations between Low-Mid and High-Mid average.

Among them, Bo-Ra and Ji-Eun were rated Mid-High, which was a fair recognition of their impressive feats during the siege. Eun-Ho nodded, thinking that was well-deserved, when Sarah suddenly spoke again.

[Hmm... It looks like we have someone rated Supreme.]

Her tone carried neither surprise nor admiration, just a peculiar tone that hovered between the two.

[Lee Eun-Ho and his dirty tricks—oh, my mistake. His quick thinking paid off?]

The playful rise at the end of her words dripped with teasing sarcasm. Eun-Ho turned his gaze toward the stage. Sarah, catching it, quickly averted her eyes and carried on as if nothing had happened.

[Anyway! Next, we’ll be announcing the Outstanding Employee Awards for this training session!]

[Normally, this part is handled by the hostess along with a statement from the Chairman himself!]

She drew a quick breath, as though even she was nervous this time.

[This year, though, seems to be full of surprises!]

[Everyone, please direct your attention to the stage!]

Her expression tightened with tension as she dramatically stretched her arm toward the center of the stage.

[The Chairman will now deliver his message!]

Snap!

With a flick of her fingers, a sheet of brilliant white fabric unfurled from the ceiling. A massive screen-like veil rippled across the stage, and from within it appeared a calm, dignified old man. His snow-white hair had a fedora perched neatly on top.

“Dear new recruits, it’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

That must be the Chairman, Eun-Ho thought.

“Meeting the young sprouts who will carry our company’s future is always a joy, haha. And from what I hear, this year’s Outstanding Employee is particularly exceptional.”

His tone was gentle, his smile the kind that made his eyes disappear into fine creases. At a glance, he seemed like an unassuming grandfather, the kind one would find sipping coffee at a McConald’s in Jongno, or a retired businessman spending his twilight years in quiet luxury.

“What the hell? That’s the Chairman? I was expecting some final-boss type,” Swear-Master muttered.

Ye-Ji nodded in agreement. “Right? He looks kind of wholesome.”

However, no one among them actually believed the old man was as kind as he appeared. After all, no one with a sound mind could possibly run a company like this.

“... and through this process, one recruit has demonstrated outstanding results,

and thus has been selected as an Outstanding Employee.” Then, after a brief pause, he announced the Outstanding Employee. “Congratulations, Subject Lee Eun-Ho. By unanimous decision of the executive board, you have been chosen as this session’s Outstanding Employee.”

Eun-Ho smirked faintly. If this company considered him outstanding, then clearly, he wasn’t any more sane than they were.

The rail lights mounted along the ceiling began to shift, their beams converging all onto him.

“Congratulations, Eun-Ho!”

“Not sure what you’ll get, but congrats anyway!”

The spotlight burned down on him once again, and a bitter taste rose in his mouth. He had too many problems stacked in front of him to bask in the glow of recognition.

“As always, the same reward applies! The Department Selection Ticket for the Outstanding Employee has been sent to you.”

The Department Selection Ticket? So the survivors get assigned to different departments now?

He recalled the departments he’d heard mentioned before: the Management Bureau, Investigation Bureau, Corporate Relations, Sales, and Audit. All those titles that used to hang in front of the observers’ names.

As he mulled it over, a small white paper crane fluttered through the air.

Flap.

Then, it landed gently in his palm.

Swish.

Ding!

[You have acquired the Department Selection Ticket.]

Thump!

Something small slipped from his hand and toppled sideways, revealing its curious form.

[Department Selection Ticket(Single Use)]

- Write the name of the department you wish to join and submit it. Then, you will be assigned accordingly.

“... Huh?”

What is this, a blank check or something?

Still dazed by the absurd reward, Eun-Ho tucked the slip safely into his inventory, trying to organize his thoughts.

Just then, the Chairman smiled, eyes gleaming with quiet amusement. “I’m already curious to see which department Mr. Lee Eun-Ho will choose.”

So am I, Eun-Ho thought dryly. Which ones can I even choose, and which one should I choose?

“As for the rest of you, once this session concludes, you will be divided into permanent and temporary employees. But don’t be too disheartened if you end up as temporary staff. There are certain joys that only they can experience, after all.”

The kind of joy only temporary workers can experience... Eun-Ho thought.

The Chairman ended with that ominous remark, then lifted his fedora slightly in farewell. “It’s not fitting for an old man to talk for too long. With that, I hope we’ll all continue together for a long time to come... I’ll take my leave.”

His face wore the gentlest, warmest smile imaginable.

“Welcome to the company!”

***

[Applause, everyone! Louder! Come on!]

The Chairman’s image faded from the screen, replaced by Sarah’s overly energetic grin.

[That concludes the Outstanding Employee Award Ceremony!]

[Now then. It’s time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for!]

[Let’s announce the promotions to permanent full-time positions!]

A sound of swallowed breath echoed through the hall, followed by another of quiet despair.

[Please check the list of promoted employees now!]

Flutter!

The giant screen rolled up and then dropped down again, flashing a new display.

Swoosh—!

100. Dmitri (RUS)

“Huh? M-me?” someone stammered from the back.

Line after line began to appear, names scrolling upward one by one.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

[Permanent Full-Time Employee]

1. Lee Eun-Ho (ROK)

2. Kim Ji-Eun (ROK)

3. Choi Jae-Hyuk (ROK)

4. Yeon Bo-Ra (ROK)

5. Wei (CN)

...

100. Dmitri (RUS)

The list had names of hundred survivors, each name carved into light.

[Congratulations!]

[You have been promoted to Permanent Full-Time Employee.]

[According to company policy, you will soon be assigned to a department. Please follow the HR team’s guidance for further instructions.]

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Fireworks burst above the stage, showering the hall in gold and silver sparks.

[Congratulations to you all, but as I mentioned earlier, nothing comes free!]

At once, yellow sheets of paper materialized in front of everyone, hovering at eye level.

“This is...”

“An invoice?”

It seemed like a utility bill, the kind printed on cheap yellow paper.

Ding!

[A bill has arrived.]

“Oh my Lord... Even at the end of the world, we still gotta pay taxes?”

Groans and sighs rippled through the hall.

[Point calculation in progress!]

With that, the last accounting of the new recruits began.