Chapter 10: Evaluation

[Subject: ‘Lee Eun-ho.’ Age: Twenty-nine, an ordinary human of the subjugated class. Apparently, he has a leg disability and has been barely scraping by.]

[Did you bring the investigation report?]

[I did bring it, but…….]

The man’s hand trembled slightly as he handed over the report.

He had followed orders to retrieve it, but was certain his superior would not be satisfied with such a report.

[Intelligence: Medium-High, Combat Ability: Medium-Low, Charisma: Medium-Medium.]

— Flutter.

Harona’s eyebrows rose as she skimmed the paper.

The thinner her eyebrows lifted, the colder the shiver that ran down the man’s spine who was watching.

[Overall evaluation: Medium-Medium, with no notable findings?]

That report was compiled by the Investigation Bureau’s dispatched agents before the Administration Bureau expanded into District 13.

In other words, whether the data was lacking or not, it wasn’t the fault of the Administration Bureau member who belonged to that department.

Since they sent temporary agents instead of official staff, the investigation was conducted hastily and therefore bound to be insufficient.

[Victory! Is that all?!]

However, it seemed not all retribution followed strict cause and effect.

Seeing his superior narrow his eyes and shout, Seung bowed his head, even though it wasn’t his fault.

[I think the investigation wasn’t done properly. There’s just too large a population……]

[Don’t talk nonsense! You’re saying his combat ability is below average?]

Harona shouted and pointed at someone on the screen.

A man surrounded by monsters twice his size.

Overall evaluation: Medium-Medium.

That was the very definition of average, the subject Lee Eun-ho.

— Kkiruuuuuk!

— Kkiyaaaaaaak!

Nine gleaming beaks struck at Eun-ho’s face.

But instead of dodging or blocking with his arms, he leapt off the ground and muttered a single word.

‘Acceleration!’

— Screech!

A rapid barrage of multiple attacks hit the tips of his wings in what seemed like a single move.

As the man landed panting, gripping his azure longsword tightly, the monsters were already grounded and lost their flight.

— Kkiyaaaaaaak!

The monsters’ screams of pain echoed.

[The average in District 13 is that high? Does that make sense?]

It didn’t make sense, naturally.

Seung wasn’t exactly experienced in structural adjustments, but it was rare to see someone adapt that quickly on their first mission.

Of course, some people have trained their combat ability for a long time.

But in such cases, the Investigation Bureau would notify the Administration Bureau in advance—with several highlighted warnings.

[Those Investigation Bureau guys and their sloppy work…… I told you we can’t trust them.]

[Especially in District 13, where the subject Lee Eun-ho belongs, he probably never had a chance to unleash his potential. And on top of that……]

‘Acceleration!’

For some reason, Eun-ho dodged the waddling monsters and then charged forward again at incredible speed.

— Phuak!

He quickly drew the blade buried between black feathers, and dark red blood spurted out.

[My prediction was correct, Lady Harona.]

[Already ‘Unlocked’……]

Harona muttered without taking her eyes off the screen.

[It looks like a speed enhancement system.]

Tap. Tap.

Harona drummed her fingers on the desk, lost in thought.

[He used himself as bait to lure the monsters to the ground. Even if he uses skills, facing them one by one would be disadvantageous.]

Seung nodded.

If he had fought each one steadily, he might have been caught off guard by a bird flying in during the cooldown.

[He instantly assessed the strength and weakness of each and changed the battlefield.]

It was undeniably an impressive ability.

But……

[He must have been an ordinary human just yesterday. How can he fight like that the moment his ability unlocks?]

Or perhaps there was a reason the Investigation Bureau overlooked it.

For example, a rumor circulating among employees……

[Could it be that he’s twisted the time axis of life itself?]

[Nonsense.]

Harona scoffed at the rookie subordinate’s remark.

[At first, the author was clumsy. Holding the sword, swinging it.]

[Huh? Then how……]

[Each step, each strike was different. His learning ability is incredible.]

[So he learned while fighting.]

Even similar abilities can vary drastically depending on learning speed and application.

Given the same sword, some only manage to slaughter livestock, while others behead the powerful and dominate the world.

[That’s the most interesting part.]

Harona clicked her fingers with a pleased smile.

— Ding!

[Mission complete.]

On the screen, Lee Eun-ho collapsed, drenched in sticky, metallic-smelling blood.

He shook his head repeatedly, as if dizzy.

[Project Selection, mid-term review commencing.]

[Aggregating mission evaluations to assign a ‘Mid-Term Evaluation’ grade.]

[Structural adjustment candidate ‘Lee Eun-ho.’ Aggregating evaluation score.]

[Mid-term evaluation result is……]

Even contract workers get evaluated.

Some might ask, ‘Why care about evaluation if you’re leaving after a few years?’ but that’s naïve.

Bonuses are determined based on personnel evaluations.

And though rare, good evaluations can lead to regular employment.

That’s why I always worked hard and gave my best.

The problem was that my results never translated into good evaluations.

So what I mean is.

[Subject ‘Lee Eun-ho,’ Evaluation grade S.]

[Congratulations!]

‘Huh?’

It was the first time I’d ever received that grade. S.

‘Does this mean I’m acknowledged? Here?’

S.

Usually, only one or two people per team get that grade.

In companies that strictly judge by performance, it’s fine, but most are not like that.

Because so few receive it, you usually have to catch the manager’s eye and ride a certain ‘line’ to even have a chance.

“Mission reward.”

[You have acquired 1 point as a mission reward.]

[Incentives according to evaluation grade will be added.]

[Evaluation grade S, additional 2 points and 1,000 welfare points have been awarded.]

Incentives, huh.

Not only did I get 2 extra points, but also some welfare points with an unknown purpose.

‘I don’t know what happened, but with the extra rewards, that’s a total of 3 points. This should be enough……’

I could now proceed with the plan I had been thinking about throughout the mission.

“Jieun.”

“Yes, Eun-ho.”

“May I ask what grade you got?”

“I got an A, apparently.”

An A probably meant she was in the upper ranks.

“And Jaehyuk?”

“I got a B.”

B was middle-of-the-road. The grade you get when you work decently and produce adequate results.

‘So they evaluated based on contribution.’

I stayed quiet, lost in thought, and Jaehyuk glanced at me, lowering his head.

“I got a better grade than I expected. I just hid behind you yelling……”

Jaehyuk muttered with a dejected face.

Was he worried he had been useless, frozen with fear and hiding?

‘Should I comfort him?’

I glanced at Jieun, but she seemed not to hear.

‘This kind of thing is her forte.’

I’m not as kind as Jieun, and I’m not confident to pat someone on the back saying, ‘No, you did great!’

Instead.

“Jaehyuk, could you help me?”

“Y-Yes?”

I could make use of him.

Make him feel like he was needed in this group.

“This.”

The mangled corpses of birds.

The two followed my finger, eyes widening.

“W-What are you planning to do with these?”

“The beaks are pretty sharp. Also quite sturdy. Looks like they could be used as weapons.”

The birds’ beaks got sharper toward the tip, as I confirmed while fighting.

The only problem was the lack of a proper handle, but I had an improvised plan.

“Beaks as weapons?”

“Yeah. Can you pull them out?”

Jaehyuk’s strength was 16, much higher than my 11, so it should be easy for him.

The question was whether Jaehyuk, who was braver on the surface but actually timid, could disassemble the corpses.

“It’s too hard for us. Probably because our strength is too low.”

“……”

“You’re the only one who can do this. Will you help?”

Jaehyuk hesitated, eyes wavering, but then seemed to steel himself and answered resolutely.

“Yes! Got it, boss!”

“Just three, please.”

“No way, boss! I’ll pull out all ten!”

“Huh? That’s more than we need.”

“Boss, you use them all!”

‘A bit excessive, but…….’

At least one was ready.

“I need sticks.”

“Sticks?”

Just as I was about to ask Jieun for the next item.

[Due to mission completion, synchronization rate slightly increased.]

[Lower-grade shop, ‘Mobile Stall for New Candidates’ has been unlocked.]

“A shop……?”

— Paat!

As I muttered, a translucent stall appeared over the people’s bodies.

It surrounded me in a circle.

Like a donut.

‘There are a lot of items……’

“What’s wrong?”

“That person just said it’s a shop……. Huh? What’s this?”

— Paat!

As everyone excitedly called it a shop, they quickly scanned the stall.

A chipped sword. Armor made by weaving wood. An unidentifiable wooden root. And……

“Potions?”

▣ Diluted Blood Fatigue Recovery Potion

A fatigue recovery potion made by boiling herbs.

Diluted with water to increase volume. Not very effective, but will recover ordinary fatigue.

300 welfare points

“Huh? 300 welfare points for just one potion? What’s this?”

“Welfare points? That must be what was given earlier……”

The ‘welfare points’ granted after evaluation were the currency used in this shop.

“What the…… I only have 50 points. How can I buy anything?”

“Wait, what are welfare points anyway?”

Some had only 50 points, others none at all.

I had 1,000 points.

That was probably a lot.

‘Potions are good, but what I need now is……’

A spear that looked about to break from age. A cracked one-handed shield.

When I picked up the spear, a translucent image of it appeared.

▣ Worm-Eaten Spear

A spear made by an apprentice blacksmith as a test.

A worm-eaten wooden shaft attached to an iron tip. Likely to break after one or two swings.

400 welfare points

What am I supposed to do with this?

It was absurd enough, but the shield beside it was even worse.

▣ Clumsy Wooden Shield

A circular shield made by trimming wood and reinforcing with iron.

Poorly made and weak. Cracked, so careful not to drop it or it may break.

300 welfare points

Everything was like that.

Whether they wanted us to sell them or not was unclear.

So at first, people who eagerly examined the items began to grumble and lose interest.

‘Even if it’s nothing special, as long as it can be used somehow.’

If there were anything combinable.

Like rummaging through a mountain of clearance items at a supermarket, I repeatedly picked up and put down one item after another.

Jieun and Jaehyuk seemed to have given up shopping and came over.

“Welfare points are pretty useless. It’s just junk and nothing worth buying. Right, Jaehyuk?”

“Y-Yeah, sis? Actually, I can’t even buy junk……”

Jieun’s casual remark made Jaehyuk slump again.

From her perspective, since she got an A and he a B, their rewards must have been similar.

“Uh, uh? How many points did you get?”

“200 points… I got. And you, sis?”

“Well, I got 500 points……”

“Is that so……?”

Jaehyuk awkwardly scratched his head and added.

“200 points only gets you worthless stuff. Like broken swords……”

‘Broken……’

“That’s it!”

“Huh? Boss, what’s that about?”

Ignoring Jaehyuk’s confused expression, I searched a few more minutes and found it.

Found it.

Something usable.

Or more accurately……

‘Something usable only by me.’