Testing Grounds (1)

“I can't just let this go unreported. Someone else might end up feeling as offended as I did.”

“N-no! I won't look down on people so carelessly again! I mean it!” Popo answered desperately.

“So you're asking me not to report you?”

“Please...”

“Popo. You wronged me, didn't you?”

“Y-yes, I did.”

“Can you spit on someone and call it settled just by saying sorry? An apology means nothing if it's only words.”

“Then what should I...”

Only an amateur would make a direct demand here. A true expert...

“Think carefully about what you can do.”

...led the other party to the answer.

The trembling teddy bear's ears perked up. Then it spoke.

“I-I'm just an insignificant examiner at the very bottom. Um... your name was...?”

“Kim Minwoo.”

“... Yes. Someone as impressive as you, Mr. Minwoo, someone capable of sponsoring a Class Change Ticket... I have nothing worthy of giving you.”

“You have nothing. Which means someone else might. Why not ask them, then?”

“W-well...”

“Ah, forget it. What am I even doing? Hey! Is anyone there?”

“W-wait!”

With tears welling in its eyes, Popo grabbed his hand in both paws.

“I-I'll try asking a senior colleague! We're close, so I'm sure she'll hear me out!”

“Good. You know I'm not doing this because I covet some measly compensation, right?”

“O-of course! You don't have to tell me! You're using this opportunity to teach me a stern lesson!”

Right. That was all the teddy bear needed to believe for now.

“U-um, Ms. Seo Yerim?”

“Yes?”

“C-could you wait a moment? I think I need to go see my senior...”

“... Go ahead.”

Popo's figure blurred in an instant. Seo Yerim glanced at me and said,

“Ruthless. Absolutely ruthless.”

“Why would you say that? I practically saved that poor teddy bear from retirement.”

“That's exactly why I'm calling you ruthless.”

“How unfair. I'm doing all this for our Earth.”

“...?”

“I need to get stronger to clear gates and protect the planet properly.”

“Oh, is that so.”

“Yes, that's exactly it.”

Since I'd tagged along into this place anyway, shouldn't I squeeze something out of it before leaving?

Popo got to avoid retirement, and I got an unexpected bonus. A win-win for both of us. There was nothing ruthless about it.

* * *

Standing before the door, Popo gulped. Inside was a being Popo scarcely dared look up at.

The angel Ziphael.

Angels were higher beings everyone dreamed of becoming. It was an exalted state attainable only after earning recognition for countless years of meritorious service. And Ziphael wasn't even a low-ranking angel.

She was an intermediate angel, no less.

For Popo, who had only just become a full-fledged evaluator, she was someone it was difficult even to speak to.

The only reason Popo could muster the courage was that Ziphael had once worked alongside it as an examiner.

About a thousand years ago, when Popo was a trainee evaluator and Ziphael a thoroughly seasoned top-ranking evaluator, it had been lucky enough to join her team and receive her training.

Back then, Popo's appearance had earned it plenty of affection from Ziphael.

That hadn't changed. Even now, Ziphael would occasionally summon Popo and hug it tight like a treasured stuffed toy.

'I-I'm not actually a toy, though...'

Popo was a member of the great, self-aware teddy bear race, certainly not some ordinary stuffed toy.

In any case, that connection had provided a way out of the immediate crisis.

'I-I have to convince her.'

Only then could Popo escape this dreadful predicament for good.

Popo knocked cautiously.

“Who is it?”

“I-it's Popo. May I come in?”

BANG!

The door flew open. Ziphael immediately sprang out and scooped Popo into her arms, beaming.

“Popo! Isn't this the first time you've come to visit me on your own?”

“Ack! C-can't bweathe!”

“Oh, sorry. I was just so happy to see you.”

Despite her sheepish smile, Ziphael didn't loosen her embrace in the slightest. Then she tilted her head and asked,

“Popo, is something wrong? Why do you look so miserable? Has one of the evaluators been bullying you? Shall I teach them a lesson?”

“N-no. It's not that.”

“Then what's wrong? Tell me. Come on.”

“W-well...”

Popo haltingly explained what had happened. Ziphael listened, humming acknowledgment, then chuckled and tapped its nose with a finger.

“The trouble with our little Popo is that you're much too naive.”

“Huh?”

“Think about it. If he were such an impressive human, wouldn't he have taken a ‘test’ already?”

“I-I suppose so.”

“And you would have recognized that at a glance. But did you?”

“Th-there was no sign he'd taken a test. Th-that's why I thought he was nobody special, and I just...”

“Isn't that strange, then?”

“I-it is, now that I think about it...”

Popo's great senior was right. A human that impressive would surely have taken a test by now.

Why hadn't he? However Popo looked at it, there was no benefit to not taking one.

Then... could it be that he couldn't?

'Does that mean he isn't such an impressive human after all?'

Popo's eyes grew huge with this tremendous revelation!

“Hmm. It is curious. He hasn't taken a test, yet he came here with a companion. And he sponsored her Class Change Ticket?”

“Yes. She definitely said he'd sponsored her.”

“Let me see the paperwork.”

“H-here it is.”

[Subject of ‘Reassessment’]

[Seo Yerim]

[Race: Human]

[Observed Dimension: Sector 10/Earth]

[Level: 411]

“... Sector 10? Isn't that where the lowest-tier dimensions are clustered?”

“Yes, that's right. That's why I was so surprised. There shouldn't be many ways to earn Achievement Points there... So I thought he must be someone incredibly impressive.”

Ziphael sank into thought.

'Then is the man with her a human from a higher dimension?'

Humans lived across many dimensions. Earning Achievement Points would be easier in a higher dimension, so there was nothing strange about a human sponsoring a Class Change Ticket.

Someone traveling through the various dimensional sectors might encounter an interesting individual and strike up a connection.

What puzzled her, however, was that someone who roamed dimensions freely and casually sponsored treasures of that caliber had never even taken a test. A human capable of all that would certainly be very successful.

'It doesn't make sense. Could he be a human from “that side”?'

Curiosity blossomed within Ziphael.

“So you'd like me to help?”

“W-well, he doesn't seem to be anyone that impressive... Now that I think about it, perhaps there's no need...”

Watching Popo fidget with its fingers, Ziphael chuckled.

“No. If that human starts making a fuss, it could still cause trouble for our little Popo. Come along with me.”

“Y-yes!”

“Paw.”

Popo reflexively held out a paw. Taking it, Ziphael vanished.

* * *

A female angel suddenly appeared, holding the teddy bear's paw.

An angel. Literally.

One look told me she must be someone important. Popo had certainly brought back a proper senior colleague.

Then the angel began staring intently at me.

Just then, Popo waved its free paw wildly and spoke.

“You! How dare you deceive a member of the teddy bear race! You're not even anyone that impressive!”

“What did I lie about?”

“Huh? I mean, uh, well... What did you lie about?”

At that moment, the angel, who had been narrowing her eyes, suddenly broke into a bright smile.

“A pleasure to meet you. My name is Ziphael. I'm Popo's senior colleague.”

“I'm Kim Minwoo. Are you really an angel?”

“Yes. Do you happen to live on the same planet as that woman?”

“I do.”

“May I ask your level?”

“151.”

“Hmm...”

Then Ziphael smiled.

“I hear my junior colleague was rude to you. As his senior, allow me to apologize on his behalf.”

“Just in words?”

“You don't seem to have taken a test yet. Would you like to?”

A test?

“What do I get out of it?”

“For one, you'll receive rewards that vary according to the difficulty.”

“Is it the kind that puts my life at risk?”

“You won't die. There are no lasting side effects, either. But... if you fail, you won't be able to try again. Think of it as a one-time ticket.”

“So if I succeed, I can keep going?”

“If you wish?”

“I'm in.”

She said I wouldn't die or suffer any lasting side effects. Wouldn't I be an idiot to turn that down?

It wasn't that I didn't want to gain a few more levels first and attempt it with an advantage.

'But I might never get to come back here.'

The Class Change Ticket had been discounted, and when it was used, I'd been brought along for the ride.

What if I tried to enter at full price? That would mean spending 23,000 Achievement Points. This might be a stroke of luck I'd never have again.

So I would do it now.

Just then, Popo piped up.

“Z-Ziphael! How are you going to assign a test to a human who doesn't even have a certificate?”

“It's fine. I have a spare.”

“B-but! That's incredibly valuable...”

“Shh. Popo, what did I tell you to do while I'm working?”

“Keep my mouth tightly shut... Mm!”

Popo held its breath and clamped its mouth shut. The movement was reflexive. From the look of it, the result of years of conditioning.

“Good, good. What a good little Popo. Now get back to your work too, all right?”

Popo nodded.

Then Ziphael approached.

“Shall we go? To the Testing Grounds.”

I took the hand she offered with a smile.

In an instant, Kim Minwoo and Ziphael vanished.

“...”

“...”

The teddy bear and the woman left behind stared at each other. Then Popo spoke.

“Sh-shall we begin your reassessment, then?”

“... Go ahead.”

In the awkward atmosphere, Popo began moving hesitantly.

* * *

[Entering the Testing Grounds.]

Once again, an empty white space appeared.

“Here you go.”

Ziphael handed me a plaque made of diamond.

[Diamond Sponsorship Certificate]

[Grade: Special]

[A sponsorship certificate that seems to grant special eligibility to its holder.]

[Effect 1. Possession allows you to take tests in the ‘Testing Grounds.’]

[Effect 2. Tests are available up to ‘Diamond.’]

Kim Minwoo tilted his head after reading the description.

“How are the tiers divided?”

“Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze. Those are the classifications.”

“So this is a good one?”

“It's expensive.”

It was expensive, and she was just handing it over? To the guy who had pressured her junior colleague, no less?

At first, I'd wondered whether she was making me take a test to screw me over for bullying her junior, but that didn't seem to be the case at all. Hadn't Popo said it was incredibly valuable, too?

“Have you fallen for me, by any chance?”

“Pardon?”

Ziphael tilted her head, then her eyes curved into smiling crescents.

“You're an amusing man. Are you curious about my reasons?”

“Yes.”

“I wanted to put in an early claim.”

“A claim?”

Ziphael smiled.

“Simply put, I think very highly of your potential.”

“Based on what?”

“Oh, various things? In any case, Mr. Kim Minwoo, you only need to remember one thing: that I, Ziphael, gave you substantial support.”

“Is that really all you want?”

“Yes. I'm not greedy for anything more. Put in a good word for me later.”

“... With whom?”

“Oh, you don't know yet?”

“...?”

“Then I'm sure you'll find out when the time comes. I'm rather uncomfortable mentioning it myself. Good luck with your test.”

Ziphael waved and vanished.

'What was that about?'

From what the angel had said, it sounded as if someone was watching me. Someone even an angel felt uncomfortable mentioning.

'Surely it isn't an Outer God or something.'

Outer Gods and angels being on friendly terms? I couldn't quite picture it.

Could it be another angel? One ranked higher than Ziphael, for instance. That would explain her attitude.

'Either way, she wants a foot in the door.'

If that was her stance, it could only benefit me. There was no downside. Why object when she was giving things away? The sensible response was to snatch up everything she offered.

“But how do I activate this?”

At that very moment, messages appeared.

[Verifying eligibility...]

[You possess a Diamond Sponsorship Certificate.]

[Current level: 151.]

[You are within the level 100–200 range.]

[You have no previous test attempts.]

[Beginning the Beginner-stage test.]

[Please select a difficulty.]

[Stage 1, Bronze]

[Stage 2, Silver]

[Stage 3, Gold]

[Stage 4, Platinum]

[Stage 5, Diamond]

〈Tip 1. Your first selected difficulty will be fixed as your maximum difficulty.〉

〈Tip 2. If you fail after selecting a difficulty, that difficulty will never become available again.〉

〈Tip 3. Once you select a difficulty, tests will continue at that same difficulty until you fail.〉

〈Example. Pass the Gold Beginner test. -〉 Proceed to the Gold Trainee test〉

I read through the details slowly.

'I think I've got the gist.'

The first choice set a firm ceiling. If I failed, I'd have no choice but to take progressively lower-quality tests.

'So that's why Diamond is so valuable.'

It set you on the fast track right from the start. No wonder it was precious.

Naturally, I chose Diamond difficulty.

[The ‘Beginner, Diamond’ difficulty test is beginning!]

[We wish you good luck!]

Then the scenery before my eyes began to change.