I Activated Cheat Mode in a Bizarre Game

The bull collapsed, and a brief silence followed.

The Group 8 applicants, relieved that their trap and coordinated attack had worked, still didn’t let down their guard and continued navigating the maze.
That’s when a quest completion window popped up in front of my eyes.
[Quest Complete.]
[You have received a reward.]

A fluttering ticket descended from thin air.
On it were the words [Stat Selection Ticket], with blank boxes next to Strength, Agility, and Intelligence.
As if waiting for me to check one.

“…I’ll deal with this later.”
I slipped the ticket into my pocket and looked at the four of them.
Park Sunja…

Watching their backs—especially Park Soyoung’s—I felt sure.
I was convinced she was my protection target, Park Sunja.
Despite the name, her appearance looked far too young—but out of all the applicants, she was the only female whose identity was unclear.

Then why did she hide her name to get in here?
Two possibilities came to mind. The first was the obvious one—she was a spy.
Whether for Baekho or some other faction, a spy would have every reason to use a fake name.

The other was… maybe she really had changed her name.
Given her real name, I wouldn’t blame her.
In any case, I kept my suspicion in check and continued trailing them.

My quest was complete. But their “practical test” wasn’t over yet.
Before they finished exploring the maze, I had to appear before them again—as their field proctor.
I stepped slowly out from the hallway corner I’d been hiding in.
Step, step.

At the sound of my footsteps, all four of them flinched and turned toward me almost simultaneously.
But this time, things were different. They didn’t charge in recklessly or take an aggressive stance like before.
Instead, they moved with surprising speed and composure.

With each fight, they seemed to grow more adept at positioning and coordination.
Shun and Hanbit immediately widened the distance between us, securing escape routes down the side corridors.
Their eyes were fixed on the sword strapped to my waist and hand.

Bora pulled out another talisman, but didn’t throw it—she simply stared at me, sharply, # Nоvеlight # as if probing for an opening.
Park Soyoung stood slightly behind the others, maintaining caution while quickly scanning the surrounding terrain.
They’d clearly changed tactics—not rushing to attack, but preparing to escape while keeping me in check.

“…Proctor. What’s the deal with that monster?”
Bora asked without lowering her guard.
Her voice was calm, but laced with tension—ready to act at a moment’s notice.

Internally impressed by how much they’d changed, I shrugged and answered.
“I don’t know anything about that monster, to be honest. It must have been dangerous, but you all handled it well. I’m sure it’ll be reflected positively in your evaluation. But the test isn’t over yet. Please continue.”
Technically, as someone playing the role of a monster, I wasn’t supposed to speak to them.

But this was too strange to ignore.
A real monster appearing during a practical test—no matter how I thought about it, something was off.
For a brief moment, we remained in a tense standoff, studying one another.

But we couldn’t stand there forever. I slowly began walking toward them.
At my movement, the applicants of Group 8 exchanged glances.
They no longer saw me as just some rookie proctor.

Their responses were completely different now.
“Now!”
TATADAK!

With Hanbit’s shout, the four moved in unison, retreating in perfect sync.
They were fleeing.
But this time, it was clearly a tactical retreat—keeping me suppressed while making their escape.

Shun quickly ducked down, scooping up a few hard-looking pebbles from the ground and hurling them at me.
Swish—!
It didn’t seem like a direct attack so much as a distraction—a way to split my focus.

They were fast, but I could dodge them just fine.
At the same time, Hanbit pulled a small orb-shaped item from his pocket and tossed it at the floor.
PAANG—!

A blinding flash exploded, enough to momentarily blind me.
I instinctively shut my eyes and raised an arm to shield my face.
“Soldier!”

Bora shouted without missing a beat.
The talismans in her hand fluttered into the air, binding together in midair to form the shape of a life-sized paper soldier.
Its movements were unbelievably swift for something made of paper. It charged at me, brandishing a pointed talisman spear.

And amidst all the chaos, Park Soyoung calmly examined the nearby walls—and soon spotted a faintly glowing emergency exit panel.
“I found it! Over here!”
At her shout, Shun, Hanbit, and Bora simultaneously launched suppressive actions and sprinted toward the emergency exit Park Soyoung had found.

Their teamwork and decision-making were nearly perfect.
I dodged the incoming pebbles with a simple twist of my body.
The blinding light faded quickly, and my vision returned.

The charging paper soldier? One light punch shattered it into a cloud of fluttering paper scraps.
“Wha—! My talismans!”
Bora shrieked in dismay as she ran.

None of their attacks or interference had posed any real threat to me.
I calmly brushed aside everything they threw at me, and prepared to chase after them as they fled.
As the “monster” I was playing—I was going to push them harder.

But I stopped.
“…Hmm.”
I replayed their actions just now in my head.

Swift situational judgment, effective suppression using each of their skills, securing an escape route, and locating the exit.
Even though it didn’t work on me, their response and teamwork were far beyond what you'd expect from new applicants.
There was nothing in their behavior worth criticizing.

…Let’s let them go.
I quietly lowered the sword-shaped shock weapon.
As a proctor, their actions had passed with flying colors.

Besides, my real mission was to identify the spy and protect Park Sunja.
I watched the four of them retreat into the emergency exit.
Left behind in the maze was nothing but the shredded remains of the paper soldier—and me.

***
“Hmm.”
I stepped out of the maze through the same emergency exit Group 8 had used.

Just as I did, the leader of Team 6 approached, glancing toward the direction the applicants had exited.
“Mr. Kim Minjun. How were the Group 8 applicants? Any movements that gave you pause…?”
I could sense from his final words that he was probing for signs of the spy.

“Yes, sir. The applicants in Group 8 were exceptional. Their teamwork was strong, and their situational awareness was beyond standard applicant level.”
“…I thought so.”
I started by praising their abilities—then hesitated for a moment.

Park Soyoung—no, Park Sunja.
The odds were still high that she was a spy.
But should I report that now?

Why had the quest told me to protect her? If she were just a regular spy like Choi, the quest wouldn’t have appeared.
Maybe… she was one of this “game’s” key players—someone tied to something bigger than I knew.
After a short internal debate, I decided to keep my suspicions to myself.

Instead, I chose to report the unexpected incident.
“But, sir. There was an anomaly. A real monster appeared during the test. A huge creature shaped like a bull.”
The Team 6 leader’s eyes widened slightly.

“What? A real monster…? So, what happened?”
“Group 8 worked together and—amazingly—managed to subdue it on their own.”
“They did, huh… Well, if it’s Group 8, I suppose they’re more than capable…”

I didn’t mention the part where they’d ambushed me earlier.
The Team 6 leader looked surprised at first but then nodded in understanding.
“Looks like Group 8 will all pass the practical. I’d better check on the other groups. Who knows, maybe a monster showed up there too.”

“Yes, sir.”
He walked off briskly in another direction.
I watched him go, exhaling a quiet sigh of relief. The urgent fire had been put out, for now.

He was worried, but there was no need to panic about the other mazes.
No red dots were showing up on my map.
I returned the protective gear and the sword-shaped shock weapon I’d used while playing the “monster.”

Once I changed back into my clean black uniform, I looked like a regular proctor again.
After catching my breath, I went to find the Group 8 applicants I’d supervised.
I approached them slowly. All four turned their gaze to me at once when they heard my footsteps.

In their eyes was a mix of caution, a hint of fear, and curiosity.
Bora’s stare in particular—she was the one who’d called me a “weird proctor” back in the maze—was especially sharp.
I stood in front of them, wearing the softest expression I could manage, and spoke.

“Group 8, you’ve all worked hard.”
I offered a light bow.
“I’m Kim Minjun from Exploration Team 15. I was assigned to monitor and evaluate your group during this practical test. This is the first time we’ve been able to speak properly.”

At my polite introduction, they exchanged awkward glances—then hesitantly began to introduce themselves.
Their voices still carried a cautious edge.
“…I’m Hanbit.”

Hanbit spoke shortly, with a slightly stiff posture.
His formal speech sounded a bit awkward.
He stared at me intently, as if still trying to analyze me.

“I’m Bora, an exorcist. That talisman earlier… what did you do to it?”
Bora stared at me meaningfully.
She was clearly still curious about why her talisman hadn’t worked.

“Shun.”
The Japanese candidate said the least of all.
He simply stated his name and fell silent again. But his gaze was the sharpest of anyone—still analyzing me intensely.

“…I’m Park Soyoung. Thank you for your work, Proctor.”
Lastly, Park Soyoung spoke politely.
She didn’t meet my eyes, lowering her head slightly.

She, too, was still wary of me.
We exchanged brief introductions, but the tension and awkwardness between us didn’t fade.
They were still on guard around me.

“The results will be announced soon. I hope all of you receive good news.”
As I said this, I passed by—and whispered just loud enough for Park Soyoung to hear:
“Park Sunja.”

I focused all my attention on her.
Her eyes widened. I could hear her inhale sharply.
That reaction was enough.

Gotcha.
She hadn’t reacted like someone hearing a name for the first time.