Chapter 10. The Door Test

Soon after Shibisu and Serena passed through the Shinsoo veil, the Pre-test ended and all Regulars that remained were led to a spacious plaza.

A cute-looking girl in a gold-black outfit with yellow hair bound into pigtails stood in front of everyone as she cheerfully announced: "Those of you who passed the test, make a line! The next test will be on a first come, first served basis!"

"Hi, I'm the test guide, Yellowy. The test will be conducted one team after another. For the remaining teams, please wait and follow the guide robot's instructions."

Following that, the many teams present slowly formed a very long line.

With many Regulars pushing each other to be the first to take the test, most still avoided bumping into Isaac and Khun, and Isaac's team ended up somewhere in the middle of the queue.

Once the queue was in place, Yellowy announced: "Well, the test will begin. The first team may enter now."

After the first team entered the testing room, silence descended among Isaac's group of three for a good while.

Staying outside, they had no way to know what the next test was about.

Minute after minute passed.

At one point, Khun sighed, "Sigh... Too bad we hadn't taken an earlier spot. Waiting is so boring."

Isaac replied, "... Well, it's always better to not be the first. It can give us a chance to observe the others and perhaps figure out some clues before the test. That's why I wanted us to be somewhere in the middle."

"I suppose so. But just what kind of clues can we gain while standing in line?" Khun said, not looking fully convinced.

Isaac said nothing.

After a while, upon noticing Isaac and Bam curiously looking around, Khun broke the silence again and asked, "What's so interesting, Isaac?"

Isaac looked back at Khun. He slightly smiled and replied, "Well, it's my first time on a floating ship, just that. There's some interesting tech here. And the architecture is interesting too."

"Ah, I see… And what about you, Bam? Is it also your first time on a ship?" Khun then asked Bam, who appeared even more excited.

Bam turned from Isaac to Khun, gently smiled and said, "That too... But… It's just that I've never been in such a bright place."

'He's never been… in a bright place?' Khun looked at Bam again. What?

"Um, guys…" Bam then muttered as he looked up toward a window on the roof.

"Yes?" Khun asked.

"That blue thing… is that what's called the 'Sky'?" Bam asked.

Khun looked at him weirdly. "... Yeah. Why are you asking about obvious things? It's like you've never seen the sky before."

"Oh! So it is the sky!" Bam exclaimed excitedly.

"What?" Khun wore dumbfounded expressions at this reaction.

[What? What is that kid smoking? Had he really never seen the sky before?]

"Haha." Isaac laughed after hearing Mordred's comment.

Meanwhile, Bam continued in high spirits: "I know that if you keep going up into the sky, you can get to the bright stars!"

"What?" Khun looked at Bam. "What are you talking about, Bam? Stars are just a legend."

As Bam's expression dimmed down, Khun glanced at Isaac for his reaction, then looked toward the window and continued, "Even if you go up, the only thing you'll reach is this floor's roof. That blue sky was created by Shinsoo, and the bright thing at night is just a light ball."

Bam: "..."

Isaac thought to himself, 'So it's a fake sky… No wonder there is no sun here and instead seven light orbs. Well, it's good enough for me. If you reach the top, I don't see how you wouldn't be able to make your way outside anyway.'

Khun continued, "I heard there are stars in the outside world… but they don't exist, at least not here in the Tower."

"Oh… I-I see…" Bam looked down as his visage turned somewhat disappointed.

Khun glanced at Isaac again as he secretly observed his reaction.

"""Aaaaaarhhhhh!"""

Suddenly, a miserable combined shout could be heard, coming from where the test took place.

"?!"

"Hm?"

Everyone in the area quietened down as they looked toward the door in front.

"What… What was that sound?" Khun asked.

[This sounded… like the screams of the dying,] Mordred bluntly commented.

At the same time, the Guide Yellowy smiled and pointed with her hand toward the door, announcing, "Next team, please."

Finally, the Regulars started reacting.

"Wha… What? What was that scream?!"

"Are they… dead?"

"W-what is this test?"

"Is this test… perhaps… super dangerous?"

Meanwhile Isaac glanced at the door and quietly muttered, "About ten minutes."

"What?"

When Khun quietly asked, Isaac faintly smiled at him and lightly replied, "Nothing. It's just… about ten minutes passed since the first team entered. And then the scream happened."

"I see," Khun muttered half-heartedly as he watched another team enter the room.

Isaac continued, "Time is kind of the only thing that we can keep track of in this test, so I guess it would be good to set up a timer."

"Hm, sure. It won't hurt... Pocket Visible Mode," Khun casually started a timer while secretly appraising Isaac.

…

"This team finished after five minutes and thirty seconds. And they didn't scream," Khun quietly commented while looking at his Pocket's timer.

"So far only four out of ten teams didn't scream," Isaac added.

"If only the soundless teams passed, then the pass rate is pretty low," Khun murmured.

"One thing is clear though," Isaac said. As Khun looked at him, he quietly voiced out what they both began suspecting, "All the teams that didn't scream finished the test at around five minutes, but those that screamed took way more than five minutes, most often even over ten minutes."

"That seems to be the case…" Khun murmured.

Recalling how things happened in the manhwa, Isaac continued, "But we should probably also include the time during which the administrator initially explains the rules of the test, so we have to subtract up to 30 seconds. And then the administrator might also hold a short conversation with the Regulars afterward, extending the test time, so let's subtract 30 to 45 seconds. This would mean without a doubt that the teams that didn't scream all took less than 5 minutes to complete the test."

"That's true." Khun nodded as he looked at Isaac with an expression of admiration.

In their situation, the time that the teams took to finish their tests and the screams was the only things they could take note of.

And Isaac noticed it immediately. His reasoning and deduction skills were outstanding.

No other sounds came out from within, but the screams that seemed to be let out on purpose, so it was a clear clue for those outside. A clue that no matter what they had to do inside, they needed to finish the test within 5 minutes!

…

At one point, the team in front of them finished their test and it was time for Isaac's team to enter.

Isaac told Khun, "I think you saw this too. The previous team overheard our conversation…"

Khun nodded at this with a knowing expression and finished: "...Yes. And they finished within five minutes without a scream, confirming our theory. Well, let's go crack this test!"

[Yeah, let's go, Master! I'm excited!]

…

Isaac, Khun and Bam entered the testing room together when the door opened before them.

After entering the room and once the doors closed behind them, the first thing they noticed was that it was eerily pitch black, except for 12 glowing red doors and a person sitting at the center in front of a decorated paper screen.

Isaac raised his eyebrows as he looked at the person who seemed to be the test administrator. 'Right. I remember this person from the manhwa. She's quite pretty... But wasn't it actually a dude?'

[This person should be even stronger than the Pikachu guy...]

"Nice to meet you Regulars. My name is Yu Han Sung, your next test administrator," Han Sung introduced himself with a bow and charming and placid smile, speaking in a voice that definitely belonged to a guy.

"Nice to meet you." Bam politely bowed back.

"Hello." Isaac also cupped his fists, reflecting the administrator's gesture.

Meanwhile, Khun silently looked at Han Sung blankly as if wondering whether the administrator was a male or a female.

Han Sung maintained a placid expression as he continued, "I'm usually just… the Test Director on Evanhkell's Floor. But this time I will be directly in charge of the test."

'Just the Test Director?' Isaac thought to himself, raising his eyebrows in mild amusement.

He originally ignored it when reading the manhwa, but it was clear that this guy was here just to observe the Regulars during the test, and probably especially to observe him and Bam - the Irregulars.

Without a change in expression, Han Sung continued, "This time the test is simple. Do you see all these doors behind me? Within ten minutes… find the real door and open it."

"Ah, within ten minutes? Not within five?" Bam asked bluntly with a confused face.

At this question, Yu Han Sung's expression remained unchanged and he continued speaking: "You have ten minutes. There are 12 doors in total. And among them, find the 'real door' that will take you outside."

"Find the real door? Amongst all of those?" Khun parroted, faintly raising his eyebrows at the test administrator.

"Yes, if you find the real door and open it… you will pass this test. However, if you don't find the door in ten minutes and give up… you'll fail. And if you open the wrong door within ten minutes… You will… die."

"D-die, you said?!" Bam stuttered in fright.

"Then... What is the secret to finding the real door?" Khun asked.

"There aren't… any more hints," the administrator added slowly as he smiled in a mysterious manner.

"What? Aah, what is this test?" Bam panicked.

[Eh, what the hell is this bullshit test?!]

"Well, then… the test begins." Yu Hang Sun made a break sign with his hands, signaling that he'll no longer speak.

The test started.

Both Bam and Mordred panicked.

On the other hand, Khun and Isaac were calm and simply deep in thought.

Mordred saw this, then said, [... Oi, Master, do I get it right? Since there are no hints… We just have to open any door within five minutes, right?]

Isaac was a bit stunned when he heard Mordred immediately figure out the answer. Truly, being simple-minded was sometimes a blessing.