Chapter 7

"Let's see… Ah, it was simple to calculate the points for Miss Oh Minyoung. You will receive 35 Survival Points."

Kojiro's was leaning on the wall as his eyes were closed for some peace.

"….Survival Points?"

"You haven't done anything during the first mission, so out of the possible 100, you get 0. No need to mention the second mission either – 0 out of the possible 150. In the third mission, you couldn't even find enough coins for your passage, so also 0. However…. Just now, you have been judged to have struggled bitterly for your own survival, so 35 points were added to your tally. That is all."

"Where are we supposed to use these points, then?"

"You'll find out once you get there."

The woman, Oh Minyoung, glared at Han for a long, long time. She then wordlessly stepped through the warp gate and disappeared from the view. The next person was the young man who had followed Oh Minyoung up to the roof.

"You have 0 points."

Han's evaluation was short.

"You've done nothing. Literally, nothing. I can't even see one category where you might have earned a point or two."

The young man was clearly embarrassed as he stepped through the gate.

And so, the entry procedure carried on.

Yun Seora received 317 points. Shin Sang-Ah, 116. Hyun Sangmin, 302. Yi Sung-Jin, 114. As for Yi Seol-Ah, she could only receive 46 for the things she had done in the assembly hall. As people stepped through the gate and disappeared one by one, Seol's turn eventually arrived. Han began groaning out as soon as seeing Seol's face.

Kojiro soon listened to Seol's feats with a small hum of acknowledgment.

Soon though Han stared at Kojiro, "Now you were highly interesting."

"In any case, here is your points tally. During the first mission, 400 bonus points added after successfully chasing away the Gaekgwi and injuring it from the assembly hall. While you didn't exactly empty out the other convenience store you still procured food at least what you wanted. So, 50 bonus points. Another 50 points for helping Miss Yun Seora out during the assembly hall.

"That makes 500 for the first mission."

"For the second mission, the basic score is 150. 150 bonus points for the second fastest clear in history. Another extra 400 points for evading every trap and not destroying them unlike a certain someone who has caused unneeded property damage. Han's gaze at Jihu was filled with annoyance. Total of 700 points."

"For the third mission, the base points on offer are 150. 300 extra points for killing the Gaekgwi alone. 100 extra points for helping the others when the Gaekgwi came. An extra 200 points for leaving more coins for the others and only taking what you needed. Total of 750 points. When calculated together, 1950 points. While that would be your normal score, your invitation is special as you received no special items to help you. Only a random useless item that was forcefully given as to not break the rules. Due to the nature of your invitation you also have a x10 multiplier on par with the gold mark."

"Your total is 19500 points"

"My role ends here."

Kojiro nodded before walking silently over to the portal. Just before he entered though he gave a little high five with the maid. Han looked at him with respect as he gave a nod.

"I wish you best of luck in the Neutral Zone."

….Han politely bowing his head, his hand placed on his chest.

As soon as Kojiro entered the warp gate, he arrived inside a small room. Eight people who entered before him were waiting there.

The blonde maid walked by in a formal manner forward while smiling. Once they were in, she let out a big sigh of relief and walked past everyone. She opened the exit door and pointed towards the passage beyond it, before walking first in light, airy steps.

The passageway was made up of marble. It was long and dark like a tunnel. The group simply followed the maid while remaining completely clueless as to where they were headed off to. But, when they spotted light from a distance, a certain sense of excitement began filling them up.

The maid arrived at the exit of the passage first and her steps came to a halt. She then softly opened her mouth.

—Korea, Area 1, cleared.

An unexpectedly clean and beautiful voice came out of her mouth.

Kojiro smiled "Oh finally your voice comes out. Quite an elegant voice too. 10 points from me."

The maid looked back before smiling as she flipped the bird again.

Kojiro sat down in his seat as his brain let out a small shock as a screen appeared in front of him.

[Synchronisation will now begin]

All of a sudden he could understand everyone. How useful.

—Europe, Area 2, cleared.

—Germany, Area 3, cleared.

—North America, Area 4, cleared.

—Asia, Area 5, cleared.

—Africa, Area 6, failed.

—China, Area 7, cleared.

—South America, Area 8, failed.

—Oceania, Area 9, failed.

Kojiro drowned out the useless information until Cinzia had started spouting out useful information.

"Now that we're here, we might as well get the awards ceremony done and dusted too. If there's someone deserving of punishment, then there should be others deserving of rewards…."

Cinzia let off a lengthy groan and reached into her inner coat pocket.

"From now, if I call out your name, stand up. Area 5, Tong Chai?"

A thin man wearing a white turban stood up.

"You already meet the requirements. If you want, you can enter Paradise right away."

"I choose to remain."

"Then, take this."

Cinzia threw something at Tong Chai. He easily snatched it off the air and asked her, full of curiosity.

"What's this?"

"What, a member of the assassination squad is asking for info?"

An unreadable smile formed on Tong Chai's face as he sat back down.

"If you're really curious, then ask your maid standing behind me later. Area 2, Salvatore Leorda."

This time, a man with a buzz-cut stood up.

Cinzia didn't bother to say anything and simply threw something at his way. The unexpectedly-youthful man caught it, bowed slightly, and sat back down on his seat.

"Area 7, Hao Win."

One of the identically-kitted Chinese men, a man with good physique and looking somewhere around in the mid-thirties, stood up.

"Seeing how you carry yourself, I can easily guess where you're from. So, will you be staying?"

"That is a foolish question. I will be staying, of course."

The man named Hao Win smiled refreshingly.

"Okay. And then…. Area 2, Odelette Delphine."

"I'm also staying."

The girl answered right away. She quickly caught the thrown item that drew a long arc in the air. She checked it and then, promptly raised her hand up high again.

"Excuse me for a second!"

"Mm?"

"I think you gave me the wrong one because it says No.3 on the plate."

"Nope. I know full well that you earned 7500 points."

Shocked and impressed gasps came from the various parts of the audience. Most of the crowd here stared at the girl with the white hairband with disbelieving eyes.

"If I deduct the 1000 Survival points you got as your starting bonus, then your original points tally is 6500. And your Silver Mark got you a Mark of Survival with the 5 times multiplier. So, you earned 1300 points during the Tutorial. Am I right?"

"Y, yes, you are right…."

"How regretful. That amount would have been enough to get you to the top of the rankings. But this time, it's only enough for the second place."

Though you would have stuck in third place no matter what rankings change in between second and first.

"Area 1 Sasaki Kojiro? Or Kojiro Sasaki?"

Kojiro spoke out "In Japan you would usually refer by the family name but considering I don't care about formalities, just call me by given name, Kojiro. I'll also be staying."

A key was thrown at him engraved with the numeral II as he waited until Jihu got his key as his results were announced.

Everyone stared. Odelette Delphine whispered to him. "Pardon me for asking, but if he got first then what did you get?"

Kojiro thought for a bit until the number arrived in his head. "19500 points."

The doors opened as Kojiro left only to watch in amusement as the maid who he had sort of become friends with gave the other maid two middle fingers. He chuckled to himself in amusement until the rejected maid had found him.

"Is there anything I can do for you miss?"

"I'm called Agnes. If it's okay with you, I'd like the honour of guiding you around this facility."

Kojiro looked at the maid friend who gave him a thumbs up before leaving with Jihu.

He nodded before following Agnes.