Iseul's brothers were at school, but she had skipped her morning classes to continue preparing for her Tinker registration.
Iseul leaned back in her chair and turned her full attention to finishing her signature design.
She designed five three-dimensional doors, with two doors unlike the others. One of the two was wide open, and the other was cracked open with a hand clenched tightly on the door and swirling clouds in the sky, with a shadow of a tall figure leaking through the crack.
Iseul didn't really understand why she drew this particular design, but the moment the visualization came, she fell into a deep trance.
She carefully concentrated, pouring every ounce of mental energy and her infinita force into the block of alloy.
It glowed faintly under her touch, pulses of purple energy rippling through it as her gift fused with her precise design, embedding her intent, her energy, and her unique imprint into the metal.
She meticulously traced the final lines of the signature with her mind, feeling the alloy respond like liquid under the stream of her consciousness, solidifying her essence within it.
Every swirl, every subtle curve had to be perfect, for this was the mark that would make her creations officially hers and unforgeable to anyone else.
It wasn't until after she finished that she noticed she had woken up from her drunken-like state.
Once she completed the last bit of preparation, Iseul leaned back, letting herself breathe for a moment before opening her practical study module for the Tinker exam.
The virtual environment loaded, displaying all the tools, raw materials, and mechanisms she would need to simulate her practical creation.
She carefully studied the instructions, memorizing and analyzing each step, imagining her motions, her processes, and her mental flow as she would execute them in reality.
The practical virtual exam had a 48% success rate, so Iseul was a bit nervous, but not too much.
The project for the exam wasn't too complex, as she had experience with building Loadon systems and crafting trinkets. It was just that when setting up and crafting the mental network, it could be a bit complex, tedious, and quite draining.
Iseul studied for another two hours, painstakingly repeating sections she wasn't confident in, mentally rehearsing her procedures, and adjusting her approach whenever she sensed a flaw or inefficiency.
She knew that the more prepared she was, the less chance there would be for mistakes during the real practical assessment.
Finally, feeling confident, she logged in to begin her exam.
Her heart pounded as she focused entirely on the creation process, executing every movement and mental instruction with precision.
She monitored her mental energy levels carefully, regulating her infinita force to avoid burnout while ensuring that the alloy responded exactly as intended.
When she finished the multiple-choice and explanation portion of the exam, she was surprised to see her results almost immediately: a 97.8%.
She blinked at the screen, hardly believing it, before reading the email from the bureau confirming her success.
Relief and excitement rushed through her chest simultaneously.
Within 45 minutes, she had completed what most candidates took hours to finish.
Without hesitation, she submitted her forms, bank information, and materials, paying 5,000 credits to officially register, followed by a priority delivery fee of 800 credits to ensure the materials and her alloy reached the bureau securely.
Watching her bank account shrink as she authorized the transfers made her chest ache slightly, but she whispered to herself repeatedly, almost in a trance: "It's worth it."
Every credit, every effort, it's all worth it in the end.
Not content to leave anything to chance, Iseul decided to prepare further for her practical exam.
She purchased two additional sets of materials, wanting to practice and ensure flawless execution before submitting her real assessment.
Each hour spent in her virtual study environment cost 150 credits, plus a 75-credit non-refundable deposit, but if you didn't use all your time in the study, it saved on there and didn't expire until used. It was a pretty good deal, even though it hurt to spend such amounts, but the practice time proved invaluable.
The exercises went smoothly; her mental palace remained stable, and her confidence grew with each simulated creation.
After two successful runs without incident, Iseul finally felt ready.
She logged into the official practical exam interface, following every instruction with meticulous care.
She moved through each stage deliberately, monitoring the alloy's responses and her mental input.
The clock ran, but her focus never wavered.
She completed her creation in under thirty minutes—a time that would have been shorter if she hadn't spent extra effort double-checking every step to prevent mistakes like she had experienced with Loadon.
When the creation was complete, she submitted it, exhaling deeply.
Her hands shook slightly as she logged out.
Iseul didn't even notice she had been holding her breath for the final stretch.
All she could do now was wait, her heart still racing with anticipation, hoping the administration bureau would accept her work and recognize her Creator signature.
Finally, she sent her alloy imbued with her signature aura and design through the highest-grade secure delivery service, paying 1,200 credits for guaranteed, reliable transport that would arrive within the hour.
Iseul slumped back in her chair for a moment, closing her eyes as a wave of exhaustion hit.
Her body ached from staying tense for hours, but a faint smile touched her lips as she allowed herself to feel accomplishment.
Standing up, she stretched slowly, cracking her numb legs and letting her body regain some circulation.
She grabbed a change of clothes, feeling every sore muscle protesting her sudden movement, and headed straight to the shower, letting the hot water wash away the fatigue, the stress, and the tension of the long, grueling night.
As the steam filled the small bathroom, Iseul let her mind drift briefly.
She allowed herself a small, quiet smile, thinking of her alloy, her completed signature, and the fact that she was one step closer to protecting her brothers and solidifying her path as a licensed Creator.
It was a small victory in a life full of uncertainty, but in this moment, she allowed herself to feel pride.
Now, after an intense morning of study and practical practice, she was getting ready to leave for her afternoon lessons.
Before she could even grab breakfast, her holo-device buzzed with a group message from Hae-won and Joon-Seok.
Joon-Seok: Don't forget what we talked about.
Hae-won: Yeah, we have a lot to discuss.
Iseul nodded, typing quickly:
Iseul: "Okay. Come over for dinner. It's not safe to wander these days, and I need to make sure my brothers get back okay."
Within seconds, confirmations popped up:
Joon seok: be there around 7.
Closing her comm message tab Satisfied iseul grabbed her bag and headed to the rooftop.
"Good morning" she called out greeting loadon when reaching outside on the rooftop.
"Good morning Creator. I hope you are well" he greeted back His voice carried from the inside of his room.
"Yes, I'm well, As I hope you are too. but I am about to head out to school" she answered lightly, doing her normal routine checks.
"Yes, I am well. shall I stay here or join you?" Loadon Asked with curiosity laced in his voice.
"Nope just stay here safely. I'll be back in a few hours tops." her words came out more rush than she intended.
Loadon "….. I understand I will stay here" he gave his reply after a moment of silence.
Iseul instantly feel guilty.
She didn't want him to feel like he didn't have any free will or couldn't leave.
It's just not exactly the smartest or safest idea to have him wondering around even if his form has changed she just couldn't risk it those soon she will be able to place her creator signature on him.
"Hrkm" iseul cleared her throat feeling a bit awkward Shuffling in place, not knowing exactly where to look.
"Okay… well Loadon, please look after the house while i'm absent," she said casually before getting ready to head out.
"Also Remember this carefully 'no signature no adventure' okay?"
"Yes, Creator, have a good day," he peeked his head out of his open room door, waving innocently optics closely watching her disappear into the distance.
Iseul waved back, climbing down from the rooftop and locking up before leaving.
Soon, she made her way to the hoverbus stop.