[The tragedy of Malia and the people responsible for it]
The headline of the article was simple, and yet, the moment I saw it, I felt a sinking feeling as I reached for the paper and quietly opened it.
The paper crackled between my fingers.
Within the silent room, it was the only sound that I heard.
"....."
The Guild Master didn't say a single word as he watched me read. He simply sat there with his legs crossed, and though my eyes were on the article, I could feel his gaze resting on the side of my face the entire time.
I didn't pay much attention to him and just skimmed through all the unnecessary parts of the paper, getting to the key points.
The more I read, the more my heart sank.
"...This is quite troublesome, isn't it?"
I put the paper down and looked up to see the Guild Master smiling at me.
However, I could tell that the smile wasn't a warm one as I pressed my lips together.
It was a perfectly shaped smile. A business-like smile. The corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly, while the corners of his eyes crinkled just enough to complete the expression.
And that was exactly what was wrong with it.
It was a smile that had been put on. It was the type of smile that made it hard to determine his true intentions.
'But I should've seen this coming.'
In short, I was one of the people being targeted by the article. It went into detail about how I'd been present in Malia, only to suddenly disappear when everything went to hell, leaving everyone else behind. There was plenty of speculation. Some believed I'd run away. Others thought I was dead. Then there were the more outrageous theories claiming that I was the Butcher.
What nonsense...
"Don't mind the crazy theories about you being the Butcher. The identity of the one behind the Butcher has already been revealed. I also more or less have an understanding of what has happened. Soran has filled me in on the situation."
The Guild Master's voice remained soft.
His legs crossed as he leaned back against the chair.
"It's been revealed that the cause behind the'Butcher' incident was the strange knife later found in the Butcher's possession. It appears to be a powerful anomalous object that consumes the mind of whoever wields it, granting them immense power."
"...Oh."
I tried to feign ignorance, but the Guild Master seemed to have seen through the entire situation.
"I take it the knife originally belonged to you, and that everything you've done was part of infiltrating the people behind the Team Leader's kidnapping. From what I've been told, you've managed to stir up quite a mess."
"....."
I neither denied nor confirmed.
"Ah, take it as some ramblings from an old man. I'm just making speculations. They could be totally false."
The Guild Master chuckled, but the chuckle only made the back of my neck tingle as he shifted his attention back to the newspaper.
He had checked every corner of this room before saying a single word to me. At the time, I'd assumed it was just him scanning the place out of curiosity. Now, a small part of me couldn't help but wonder if it was just to make sure that no one else would hear this conversation.
For some reason, that thought didn't comfort me at all.
'Is he...?'
Interlocking his fingers, the Guild Master leaned forward.
"Everything is beside the point. What truly matters is the fact that you're now under the scrutiny of the entire world. It might be true that you may have gone elsewhere to resolve the entire situation, but..."
He stopped, his body leaning closer.
"Unless you explicitly explain what you've done, there's no way for us to create a good explanation for your disappearance. Perhaps you were looking for the main culprit behind the knife, but where is he?"
The Guild Master's gaze became even more pressing.
"There's nothing."
Despite his calm tone, the very air seemed to be tenser than ever.
It was strange.
He hadn't raised his voice. He hadn't moved from his seat. And yet, the room felt smaller than it had a minute ago, the walls just a little closer, the air pressing down against my shoulders like a sort of hand.
"There's nothing that can sustain your disappearance, and that's the problem. The entire world has witnessed the events that occurred in Malia. They know that you weren't there, and who took care of the matters. And that is the problem."
The Guild Master repeated, his tone finally showing signs of change.
"You're not someone who can fail. You told me that you'd never fail. And yet..." His tone lowered even further, making it hard for me to keep a straight face as I nearly lowered my gaze to look away from the Guild Master, afraid to see it.
"...You've failed."
I had trouble swallowing now.
"That's the problem. You who should never fail... failed."
Failed.
Right, I did'fail' in the eye of the public.
This much was true.
But...
"Haa."
I found myself almost scoffing at the words. Just barely, I managed to hold myself back, making it seem as though I was letting out a long breath.
Right...
'He's always been like this.'
I was quite well aware of the Guild Master's personality and priority. It was for this reason that I found this situation to be somewhat amusing. Even though he had figured out everything that had happened, he wasn't bothered at all by it.
Not by the knife. Not by the organisation. Not even by the fact that I could've died out there.
None of it mattered to him.
There was only one thing that he valued, and that was my worth.
He wasn't angry that I had nearly died.
He was troubled that my value had dropped.
"These next few days will be very important to clear your image. With this stain on your reputation, the'invincible' image that we've created will crumble before the public's eyes, and you will no longer interest people as you did in the past. You'll be seen as competent, but nothing like in the past. Given the situation, do you think it's possible to restore your value back to what it was?"
"...It'll be difficult."
I answered calmly, yet again surprising myself with how calm the words flowing out of my mouth were. It was good, though. This was better than me just suddenly laughing at him and saying something crazy.
With this newfound calmness, I continued, "There's always been a relatively negative opinion of me on the internet. Even if you do somehow manage to find a good excuse for my absence, the negative voices will continue to remain. If you ask me, the best option would be to remain silent and silence everyone through actions."
"Actions?"
The Guild Master raised his brow.
Just as his lips opened again, I spoke.
"...I am good at what I do."
The room fell silent, and the Guild Master blinked slowly.
He seemed surprised by my words.
Or to be more precise, my arrogance.
But was this truly arrogance?
"The results speak for themselves."
The world thought I had failed, but had I truly failed?
Was what I had achieved considered a failure? Was Soran's presence a result of my failure? Was Rowan's sister's presence a result of my failure?
...Was the doctor's death a result of my failure?
No...
It wasn't that.
"I'm not just good."
I paused, staring straight at the Guild Master.
"I'm very fucking good at what I do."
To the point where I struggled to believe there was anyone at my level.
"....."
"What the public perceives as my worth is not even a fraction of my true worth. You of all people should be aware of this."
So why...?
"Why are you doubting me?"
Me who is worth so much.
"....."
I licked my lips, my gaze never leaving the Guild Master's. His expression was impassive, and I was having a hard time trying to make sense of it. But he didn't show anything.
There was nothing I could pick up from his gaze.
Just two dark eyes quietly weighing me, the way a merchant weighs goods upon a scale.
He seemed to be calculating.
Deciding what to make of my words.
And it was the silence that followed that felt the most stifling. Neither he nor I said a single word as we just stared at each other.
One second.
Five seconds.
Ten.
The silence stretched and stretched, coiling itself around my throat, and just as it started to become even more suffocating, a sudden chime interrupted us.
Trrr! Trrr⎯!
Finally pulling his gaze away from me, the Guild Master reached for his pocket, where he pulled out his phone. And as his eyes fell on the message that appeared, for the first time since seeing him today, his expression changed.
I didn't know what was written on that screen, but I didn't need to.
Watching a man whose face hadn't so much as twitched through this entire conversation change expression now...
I had the sudden urge to smile.
'Right, it should be about time.'
The Guild Master looked at me, his eyes blinking slowly as if trying to determine if I had anything to do with the situation.
All I offered him back was a blank look.
And eventually, his lips parted.
"Kyle..."
His words echoed quietly in the room.
"...He's been found."
-x-X-x-
"The Guild Master left as soon as he heard the news about Kyle. Because of everything surrounding me, I was forced to remain at the hospital. Even if I hadn't been, though, I had no interest in going to greet Kyle.
After all, I'd known about the event from the very beginning. I was the one who had allowed it to happen.
Falling back onto the bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling.
'Since Kyle and I have decided to work together, there's no longer a need for me to keep him chained with me. I'm also not worried about him backstabbing me since I can still control him.'
Initially, I'd considered claiming that I'd rescued Kyle from the same lab where I'd saved Soran and Rowan's sister. In the end, however, the biggest problem was that the general public believed Kyle had been lost in the Land Beneath.
If he suddenly showed up out of nowhere, people would naturally start asking questions. I couldn't exactly say, "I just happened to find him while casually strolling through the laboratory of an organization that experiments on people."
That'd be a whole new problem.
This was for the best.
Kyle was a public figure after all. And nobody knew that Soran had been kidnapped.
"Haa."
Scratching the side of my head, I leaned back, ready to get some rest. Just as I turned, however, a knock echoed from the door. Before I even had the chance to respond, it slowly opened on its own.
Alright, fuck it.
Just tear the door already!
What even is the point of a door if everyone just barges in without my permission?
I turned to the side, catching sight of disheveled locks of blonde hair as a pair of green eyes immediately locked onto me. Her face was flushed, and with both hands resting on her knees, she struggled to catch her breath as her lips opened and closed several times.
It seemed like she had rushed to get to me.
Eventually⎯
"K-kyle!"
She found her voice again as she looked at me.
"They've found him. They've... found⎯"
"I know."
I calmly cut her off as Zoey abruptly stopped.
"The Guild Master was just here with me. He's already explained the situation to me. As far as I'm aware, they'll be bringing him here soon. From what I've heard, he's still conscious but a little malnourished. He'll be fine, though."
"Ah... I see."
Finally, Zoey seemed to have calmed down as she managed to recover herself from the fluster. Not without suddenly adding, "So, I... I thought that you'd like to know, but I guess you know. I should've seen it coming. Right. But..."
Lifting her head, our eyes met again.
"You are quite calm."
"...Am I?"
"Yeah."
I'd thought about feigning surprise when Zoey first arrived, already having guessed the reason for her visit, but the moment I saw her, I gave up on the idea. I wasn't really in the mood to put on an act.
Instead, I simply looked away from her and stared at the ceiling.
"From the start, I knew that he was fine."
"....."
There was no reply after that.
I found the silence to help with my headache, but of course, that silence wasn't going to last for a very long time as Zoey's voice reached my ears once more. This time, however, her voice was a lot softer than before.
"You know... about everything that I said before, I⎯"
"Let me stop you right there."
I raised my hand to stop her from speaking.
Already guessing what she was trying to say, I saved myself from worsening my own headache.
"You're probably trying to apologise to me, right?"
I didn't even need to look at her expression to guess what she was trying to do. It wasn't even her tone that gave her away. That much, I could already guess based on previous patterns that she had displayed.
The silence that followed pretty much confirmed my guesses.
I sighed.
'What do I do with her?'
At the rate things were going, she was probably going to apologise every time we met or something happened.
I planned on making sure that wouldn't happen.
It'd be pretty annoying if she apologized every time she saw me. Just thinking about it made me... er, wait?
I blinked slowly.
Wouldn't that actually be pretty funny?
Thinking about her lowering herself every time we crossed paths, muttering,'I am deeply sorry about everything that I've done...'
Keke.
"Apolo⎯Ehm."
I cleared my throat.
Darn intrusive thoughts.
"I get it. You feel sorry about the way that you treated me and the words that you previously said. You're probably thinking that I'm not as selfish as I made myself out to be after rescuing Rowan's sister, and all of that, right?"
"....."
Zoey didn't speak once more.
This further confirmed my guesses.
"You're probably thinking that I might actually not be such a bad guy and that maybe I'm so anti-social that I struggle to express myself and all of that. Maybe that was the true reason behind my actions or lack of reaction based on Kyle's supposed death."
There were many mysteries that existed in this world. There were so many that I struggled to keep up with all of them. But of all those mysteries, the ones that I was most curious about were regarding Zoey, and the ones that were supposed to belong to the games that I had once worked on.
To what extent were they like the game characters I'd once worked on? I already knew they weren't exactly the same, but even then, I knew them well enough to have a rough idea of what they were thinking and how they would act.
It was for this reason that it wasn't hard for me to guess what she was thinking.
Even in the games, she was like this.
She⎯
"Eh? What...?"
"Hm?"
"Wait, what are you...?"
"Eh?"
I blinked my eyes, turning my head to look at Zoey as she gave me a strange look.
With her finger covering the top of her lips, she resisted before speaking, "I wasn't really... coming here to apologise or anything like that. To be honest, I was here to talk about something else, and while I did have thoughts about apologising, it wasn't really what I was trying to say. I..."
Zoey scratched the side of her face, her lips pursing together as the tip of her ears turned red.
My toes suddenly curled.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...
"But, you know... ehm, you can take it as me trying to apologise? I mean, yeah... You did cover what I was trying to say."
Fanning herself, Zoey stood up.
Her face appeared to be getting redder by the second.
My toes curled even further.
"Err... Okay, so I'll take my leave, haha."
She looked everywhere but at me.
I couldn't look at her either. Oh, that lamp was there before?
"I'm... I'm going. I hope... er, you recover well."
With a laugh, Zoey moved outside the room, leaving the entire place in a state of utter silence.
Just moments prior, I had wanted for nothing but the silence, but at this current moment, I wished nothing but for the silence to fade as I brought the covers up to cover my face. But just as I did, a face peeked from the side of the door as she stuck her tongue out.
"⎯⎯!"
So I was right!
I hastily sat up, but just as I did, the door opened. Zoey's expression shifted into one of surprise as several figures walked in. Among them, one immediately caught my attention.
He looked pale, and his clothes were a mess, but I recognized him instantly. He stopped in place, and our gazes met.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment as neither of us moved.
Until⎯
"I'm back."
Kyle's voice reached my ears as he stepped forward and wrapped me in a hug, a warm smile spreading across his face.
At first, I was caught off guard, but as I felt his embrace, I eventually found myself smiling as well, returning the hug.
As I did, I caught sight of all the other faces in the room.
See?
I looked particularly in Zoey's direction.
I'm not such a bad guy.
All is good.
End of Volume [2] ⎯ The Butcher.
I promised more romance, and it should've been present given the outlines I had, but in the end, I pushed it back a little since it didn't fit the theme that I was looking for. Especially given everything that was happening to Seth.
It'll come, but at the right pace.
There was a lot of preparation done for the upcoming one. Hopefully, it'll be the craziest one yet.
Ah, but.
The start will be quite slow.
It's time for Seth to take a rest from all the action.
-x-X-x-
Volume [3] ⎯ The Judge
-x-X-x-
Things were looking up for the Severed Stars Guild.
News of Kyle's return caused quite a stir across the main island. While it wasn't earth-shattering, it was enough to draw the attention of several Guilds, especially considering the Severed Stars Guild's performance at the previous Congress.
However, if there was one thing dominating the world's attention, it was a single name.
[Seth Thorne].
He was the star of the Congress, and the man dubbed the'Mad Crown'.
He had gained a fair amount of fame during the Malovia incident, but it was at the Congress that he truly exploded in popularity. That was the moment the entire world's attention turned toward him.
And now⎯
That very same attention was trying to tear him down.
News-Post ⎯ [Seth Thorne... Did he truly run away? What happened in Malia? Where was he?]
DailySpot ⎯ [A myth built on luck?]
Many of the posts were little more than engagement bait designed to farm clicks, but they did exactly what they were meant to.
They caught the bait.
Before long, the overall sentiment across the internet began to shift, and a massive wave of hate was directed toward him.
⎯Lol, I knew he was a fake from the start. Guy got lucky.
⎯His luck finally ran out LMAO.
⎯You can say that his luck is part of his skills.
⎯That's cringe.
Of course, where there was hate, there was also support. But none of it was yet enough to be alarming.
After all, success had always attracted criticism.
*
Severed Stars Guild.
Following the Guild's recent success, it moved to expand by purchasing the entire building it had previously been renting. The upper floors were designated to the Hoarding Department, which remained the Guild's largest department, while the lower floors were assigned to the other departments, with the lowest floors assigned to the Containment Department.
At the moment, the Containment Department's main lobby was packed with people.
All eyes were locked towards a certain figure.
"As the name of our sector implies, we're responsible for containing and studying anomalous entities and items. But where do these entities and items come from?"
The slide changed, now displaying a black vortex hovering in the air.
"That's right, Gates!"
Bang, Bang—!
"....!?"
Two loud bangs echoed in the air, startling the few people sitting in the main lobby as colorful confetti fell down from above.
Following the confetti were two stoic faces as everyone's attention fell on them.
No, wait...
Looking closely, the new recruits could see that the tips of both of their seniors' ears had turned completely red.
"Ehm, ehm."
Standing before them, the Section Chief cleared his throat. His face was as haggard as ever, his stubble even more pronounced than before. His dark circles were worse still, so prominent that some of the new recruits almost mistook him for some wandering anomaly.
"Give it up for your two seniors."
Even his tone was dry.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Nevertheless, the room erupted into applause as the new recruits clapped for Zoey and Clara, their eyes shining with admiration. Though they weren't as famous as Seth, they were still Rankers without question. Everyone present had seen them during the Congress, and they were people the recruits undoubtedly looked up to.
Jordan was one such person.
As the top recruit across all the academies, he had chosen to join the Severed Stars Guild because of them, and of course, the Mad Crown. They were the people he admired the most, and their underdog performance had ignited a fire within his heart.
'They're also incredibly young. This Guild's prospect is incredibly high.'
In a way, he was investing in the Guild. He was investing in its potential, just as many of the other recruits who had joined were.
"Alright, next up..."
The Section Chief continued.
The slide changed, and over the next hour, the new recruits were introduced to the Containment Department and its responsibilities. For Academy graduates, most of it was already common knowledge, but with the Guild's newfound fame, everyone paid close attention to what was being said.
"In the following moments, we will have a starting trial."
The Section Chief clapped once, his tired voice following right after.
"It's nothing serious. Just a small trial that every new recruit must take. We've changed things up quite a bit compared to the past. Well, it's best if I just let you all try for yourself."
All the new recruits stared at each other in confusion.
Changed things up quite a bit? What could he mean?
Jordan stood up from his seat.
'I'm not quite sure what the new trial is, but I'm confident I can do well.'
Another figure stood up beside him. She was tall, with soft brown hair and deep eyes. Alongside every other recruit, she was dressed in a clean dark gray suit that perfectly accentuated her body proportions. She stood out immediately. Not just because of her appearance, but because of the aura she carried.
Jordan recognised her rather quickly.
'So she's also decided to come here. Looks like this year is going to be an interesting one.'
The corner of Jordan's lips pulled slightly.
Rachel Saint.
Alongside him, she was one of the Guild's most sought-after recruits. She had likely received just as many offers as he had, and judging by the incentives he'd been offered himself, he knew she must have turned down quite a few to end up here.
'Really interesting.'
"Alright, everyone. Please follow Clara from behind. She'll lead you to the VR department."
"Wait, what?"
"Did he just say VR department?"
"What did he say? Why are we going to the VR department? Is the VR that he's talking about different from the VR that I know?"
Confusion spread among the new recruits. Jordan was no exception. He looked toward the Section Chief, expecting an explanation. Contrary to his and everyone else's expectations, however, the Section Chief never elaborated.
Clara continued, and the recruits were escorted to one of the lower floors. Since the elevators had limited capacity, they were forced to wait. While waiting, Jordan's attention drifted to Rachel, who had somehow already made her way over to Zoey.
The two seemed to be hitting it off quite well, and as Jordan moved closer a bit, he tried to listen in on their conversation.
'Actually, you're one of my inspirations. I chose this Guild because of you as well.'
'Thanks, but that won't get you any extra points.'
'Haha, I'm not here for that. I'm just trying to get to know you better, senior. I also want to get along with the other seniors. Where are they?'
'Well... most of them are busy doing their own stuff. You'll see them later.'
'And what about senior Thorne?'
For the briefest of moments, Jordan thought he saw Zoey's expression change. It happened so quickly that he almost convinced himself he'd imagined it, but her next words made him blink several times.
Zoey leaned closer to Rachel.
'Since I like you a bit, I'll just be real with you. This is probably not a good time to meet him. My best advice for you is to stay as far away from him as possible. I repeat, do not get close to him.'
Eh?
Huh?
Both Jordan and Rachel wore confused expressions, but before either of them could ask her to elaborate, the elevator arrived, and Zoey stepped inside. Rachel tried to press for an answer on the way down, but Zoey remained silent.
When the elevator doors finally slid open, they were greeted by the sight of a massive hall packed wall to wall with rows upon rows of VR capsules.
"They really weren't joking..."
Jordan muttered whilst staring ahead.
His reaction was no different from that of the others, who openly displayed their surprise and shock. The moment lasted only a few seconds, however, before everyone's attention shifted to the other side of the room.
Towards the corner where numerous large monitors were set up.
In an instant, every sound in the room vanished as all eyes turned toward the man standing behind the monitors. Though much of his figure was obscured by the screens, no one failed to recognize his silhouette.
And as if sensing their presence, the figure turned.
It was as if the very air had been sucked out of the room.
Even Jordan, who had gone through countless mock gate raids and faced simulated anomalies, felt his breath catch the moment their gazes met.
His features could be described as conventionally handsome, with messy dark hair falling over a pale face. Dressed in a slightly oversized blazer over a simple shirt, he gave off a somewhat sloppy impression, much like the Section Chief. Yet none of that mattered the moment their eyes met his.
They were just... hollow.
Seemingly devoid of any light.
'Are those the eyes of a human?'
It was almost as though there was no soul behind those eyes. That empty, emotionless gaze made it difficult for everyone in the room to breathe.
'Wow, this is no joke.'
Beads of sweat traced down the side of Jordan's face as he stared in Seth's direction.
He had seen many things in his life, and even met other rankers, but this presence was seriously no joke.
The Mad Crow was seriously no joke.
'He looks a bit more tame than I expected, but he might be holding himself back.'
The image before them was vastly different from the one shown during the Congress. Then again, remembering Seth's actions back then, perhaps this was for the best.
"Okay."
Though quiet, Seth's voice reached every corner of the room as he tore his gaze away from them. Turning his attention back to the monitors before him, he parted his lips to give further instructions when—
Creaaaaak!
A loud creak suddenly echoed through the room.
Instantly, every head snapped upward, their gazes locking onto the large light fixture hanging directly above Seth.
"Oh, shit."
Rather than looking surprised, Zoey suddenly covered her face.
In that split second, everyone watched as the light fixture tore free from the ceiling. Then, as though some invisible force had grabbed it, it twisted unnaturally in midair before hurtling straight toward Seth.
"Ah!"
"⎯⎯!"
Screams of surprise followed.
BANG!
The light fixture crashed down onto the spot where Seth had been standing, and the rows of monitors exploded into shards. Glass scattered across the floor as sparks burst into the air, leaving everyone's eyes wide with shock.
What...?
What in the world just happened?
"Change of plans."
Before anyone could process what had happened, a familiar voice reached their ears.
Everyone turned at once. Several startled yelps rang out as they found Seth standing calmly beside them, as though he had been there the entire time. His gaze remained fixed on the fallen light fixture in the distance, his lips pursing ever so slightly.
"...Your trial will be held inside of a ga⎯"
"No, you!"
His voice was suddenly cut off by Zoey, who took several steps back while pointing at him with a look of dread.
"We discussed this! Don't get close⎯"
Creeeaaaaak!
Zoey's eyes widened.
-x-X-x-
"....."
For the briefest of moments, nobody spoke. All eyes were fixed in the direction of the lamp, the silence stretching throughout the entire area.
Just what in the...?
One lamp falling was dubious, but two?
It was pretty clear to Jordan and everyone else that something was up.
"Haa."
Breaking the silence, a long, weary sigh echoed through the room.
Every head turned toward its source. Zoey stood off to the side with a hand covering her face, staring at Seth with the look of someone who didn't know what to do with the situation.
She looked exasperated.
'Is something happening?'
Jordan alternated his gaze between Seth and Zoey. He didn't quite understand what was going on. Was he the one responsible for this? Is it possible that he...?
"First things first."
Zoey's voice reached them once more.
"For everyone present, please step back. Get as far away from that jin—him as possible."
The confusion only grew as everyone began to voice their confusion in whispers. Despite this, they all followed along with her words and stepped back. As they did, Zoey addressed Seth directly.
"This isn't going to work out. Just... take a break. In fact, don't come back. You're not needed. You can do your own thing."
"...Are you sure?"
Seth replied after a brief moment of silence. It was impossible for the recruits to tell what he was thinking. His expression remained completely blank, and to make matters worse, none of them dared meet his eyes.
Something about them felt unsettling.
"I'm sure. Just go."
Zoey dismissed him with a wave of her hand. Seth gave a small nod in response before turning around and making his way toward the elevators.
All eyes followed his retreating figure until he disappeared from sight, leaving a heavy silence hanging over the room. The recruits' confusion only deepened as several of them turned toward Zoey, silently expecting an explanation.
Was their senior trying to kill them?
What in the world was going on?
Feeling the numerous gazes directed her way, Zoey sighed as she began to explain the situation to them.
"I know you're all confused, so let me give you a quick explanation of what's going on. Right now, Seth is suffering from the side effects of an anomalous item he used. I don't know exactly what the item he used was, but the side effect essentially curses him with bad luck. For the past few days, everyone has been keeping their distance from him because of it. We thought things had gotten better today, but... apparently not. For now, we'll continue with what we originally planned. You'll just have to wait a little while."
Zoey's words shed clarity on the situation.
Everyone present was well aware that some anomalous items came with severe side effects. It was common knowledge, and after Zoey's explanation, they finally understood what had just happened.
'So that's what was going on.'
Jordan nodded in understanding, his gaze drifting toward the fallen light fixture. A cleanup crew quickly arrived to clear away the shattered glass and twisted metal. Before long, everyone returned to what they had been doing.
Yet as Jordan continued to watch the wreckage, he couldn't help but notice something.
"That..."
He pointed at the wire connected to the lamp.
"...Isn't that too clean?"
Right...
If it had snapped, the cut shouldn't have been so clean. It was almost as if it had been cut by someone.
Jordan blinked several times, his head turning back to the elevators.
Surely...?
*
Clank! Clank!
Chairs overturned.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Footsteps rushed away.
BANG!
People fell.
"Move! Move!"
"Hey! Don't push! Kahg! He looked at me!"
"J-jinx!"
People screamed.
Chaos unfolded throughout the Guild wherever I walked. I took in the scene with a single glance, but my expression never changed. Without reacting, I calmly made my way toward my office.
It didn't take long for me to reach my office. Pulling out my key, I unlocked the door and stepped inside, revealing a surprisingly spacious room. Since I hadn't wanted anything extravagant, the office was modestly furnished. Large windows lined one side of the room, though the blinds were drawn, shutting out the light from outside.
In one corner of the room stood a large mirror, with a painting propped up beside it. On the opposite side sat a large wooden desk furnished with only the essentials.
A monitor, a PC, a fax machine, and a handful of other necessities.
Clank!
Closing the door behind me, I slowly swept my gaze across the room, scanning every nook and cranny. For the briefest of moments, the atmosphere grew tense as I stood there in silence, waiting.
Then—
"K-kek!"
A smile spread across my face as a dark figure materialized before me. Its shadowy features writhed and shifted until the space where its face should've been split into a smile, the background of the office visible from the gap formed. Though it couldn't laugh, I could almost hear its laughter.
Raising my hand, I gave the Realmwalker a high-five.
Slap!
"Kekeke...! This side-effect is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me! Kuek!"
Not only did people actively stay away from me, but I could also use it as an excuse to skimp out on Guild duties that I was assigned to.
What more could a person who hated interacting with people ask for?
I couldn't quite control when the bad luck would hit, but what I could control was making it seem like I had been hit by bad luck.
Of course, I still greeted the juniors, but keeping up my mysterious persona was exhausting. If I hadn't spent the past few days brainwashing myself into acting mysterious, I probably would've burst out laughing at the sight of that lamp almost flattening them.
'Yes, that's not good.'
I looked back at the Realmwalker. It was sprawled across my chair, hands resting on its stomach as it leaned back, slapping the chair while its'twisted mouth' opened and closed slightly.
"Keke."
Who did it get that from?
Turning to look at the mirror, I realized that I was dancing.
Back slightly arched. Lips puckered. Left hand forward, right hand back. Then the opposite. Right hand forward, left hand back.
I guess I was that happy, eh?
"Well, it can't be—"
My words came to an abrupt halt as my eyes landed on the mirror. I felt my smile fade almost instantly.
Blinking several times, I hastily looked down at myself. There's no way...?
Only after making absolutely sure I wasn't actually twerking like the version of myself in the mirror did I slowly raise my head. Glowering at my reflection, I pointed an accusing finger at it.
"I told you not to do that!"
Recently, the mirror anomaly had started taking liberties with people's reflections, making them pull strange expressions and strike ridiculous poses. The changes were usually subtle enough to leave people questioning whether they'd really seen them.
At the same time, she somehow knew exactly who to target, and, more importantly, how to avoid getting caught.
But that wasn't the problem.
"I told you that I'm off-limits! You can copy others, but you can't...! No, stop. Don't strip."
I hurried over to the mirror, only for a head to suddenly pop out of the painting beside it, staring intently at the mirror as well. It wasn't the childish Mirelle, but the adult version as she stared deeply at the mirror with eyes wide open, trying her best to imprint the scene into her very core.
"Get inside."
Reaching for her head, I shoved her back into the painting before grabbing the mirror's cover and hurriedly throwing it over the glass, just as my reflection started pulling down its pants.
"Haa... Haa."
It felt as though I'd just run a marathon. Hands planted on my knees, I bent over and sucked in one breath after another.
"Why?"
Mirelle's voice reached me a moment later. Raising my head, I saw her staring at me with a droopy look.
"Why'd you stop me? I was only looking. Do you hate me that much?"
"No, I don't."
"You must really hate me, right?"
"I said I don't."
"Ha, see? You hate me. I hate you too!"
Mirelle's head slowly popped back out of the painting, and I found myself sucking in another deep breath. As the days passed, she'd somehow turned into a full-blown pessimist. The slightest word or gesture was enough to send her spiraling into another bout of depression.
And to make matters worse——
Squeak! Squeak!
"Ugh."
I covered my face, not even bothering to look in the direction of the angry clown. What was I even supposed to do here? She got depressed at anything said by anyone.
And...
"Wait, isn't she in her teen form? Why do you even care?"
The clown liked children. It didn't—
BANG!
My head snapped toward the desk as the Realmwalker slammed its hand against the table. The smile had vanished from its face. With an uncharacteristically serious expression, it pointed straight at me, joined by Mr. Jingles, who was doing the exact same thing.
'Ah, fuck.'
The Realmwalker was back to stirring shit.
Ever since I'd turned it into a meat shield, it had grown pettier by the day. It would help me when I asked, but it didn't forget my actions. Now, it jumped at every opportunity to stir up trouble.
Just like it was doing now.
Without waiting for me to say a single word, it hopped onto the desk before launching itself straight at me.
"Hey! Hey!"
Our hands locked together, and I barely managed to keep myself from toppling over. But as if that wasn't bad enough, Mr. Jingles charged in next, making my eyes widen in alarm.
"No, wait...!"
It grabbed me from behind.
"Stop it!"
I hurriedly tried to unsummon them all, but just as I was about to, a figure appeared in the corner of the room.
At the same time, our eyes interlocked as I hastily shook my head.
Don't do it...!
A twisted smile greeted me back.
Skiiiii—
"Arghhhh!!"
-x-X-x-
"...There's something that I need to speak with you all about."
An important meeting was currently taking place within the Containment Department. It was a gathering of the department's Squad Leaders, with Zoey presiding over the meeting. Sitting at the head of the table, she presided over the meeting.
It wasn't unusual for the Squad Leaders to gather together like this.
There were always matters that the Squad Leaders needed to discuss and arrange. With the arrival of the new recruits in particular, it was only natural for them to gather and decide where each recruit would be assigned.
More specifically, which teams they'd be joining.
At this very moment, an unusual atmosphere hung over the room as Zoey interlocked her fingers and stared at each of the Squad Leaders in turn. Rowan, Clara, Kyle, Catherine... every single Squad Leader was present.
All besides one.
And this time, it was by choice.
Unlike the rest, he was told a different meeting time.
"I believe... Seth is faking it."
"——!"
"....!"
The eyes of several widened at the revelation.
"Faking? What could..."
"I believe that the side effects that he is.. no, was experiencing have long passed, and he's taking advantage of the situation to get out of his duties."
"....."
The room fell silent, all eyes still focused on Zoey.
Her words were hard to process.
The Jin-No, Seth was really faking his side effects. But why would he do that? There was really no benefit to it. Especially since recruiting good players was beneficial to each other's teams. The better the team, the more points they'd gain.
But as everyone thought it deeply, they all suddenly realized...
'Yes, it might be possible.'
'If it's him...'
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Heads turned in a certain direction.
Instantly, Kyle's brow twitched. Feeling the numerous gazes directed at him, he forced a smile.
"I..."
His lip twitched the moment he opened his mouth.
Was Seth faking it?
Yes! Yes!
Kyle wanted to slam his hand over the table and tell everyone present. That bastard was really faking it!
Unlike the others, Kyle was actually connected with Seth. He knew all about Seth's actions from the Realmwalker and the others. To make matters even worse, Seth was very much aware of what was going on and very likely watching the entire conversation through him.
'Ah, I should make them stop.'
"Kyle, I understand that Seth is your friend. Someone who you think of as a brother."
No, not this guy.
This guy is crazy.
"...But he's not here right now. You can come clean. Is he faking it? Consider this your safe space."
Safe space my ass!
Kyle wanted to cry, but the only thing he could do was force himself to smile.
In the end—
Fuck it.
"Yes, he's totally fak—"
Clank!
The door opened abruptly as a figure emerged right after. All heads turned, with Zoey and several others standing up in shock.
"Hm?"
Seth looked around the room, looking completely stunned.
"What's this? I thought the meeting was supposed to start later. Why is everyone here? Am I missing something?"
He pretended to check his watch.
There was nothing on his wrist.
"Am I late?"
Kyle was the only one to notice as he hurriedly swallowed his saliva.
"That..."
Kyle opened his mouth to speak, but the moment he locked eyes with Seth, he lowered his head.
"Seth."
Zoey's voice resounded, grabbing Seth's attention. Still sitting in her seat, she stared Seth straight in the face.
"You're faking it, aren't you? You're—"
Crack!
Zoey's words came to an abrupt halt as a large crack materialized on the decks out of nowhere, startling the Squad Leaders.
Seth's expression similarly changed.
"This!"
He clenched his teeth.
"I knew it, I shouldn't have come here. I—"
"Come clean, Seth. You—"
BANG!
The table shattered in half.
"You better sto—"
"Hueep!"
Thump!
Catherine's chair broke, causing her to fall on the floor.
"You—"
BANG!
The lights above flickered before twisting and falling in Catherine's direction.
"What!? Why? Akh!"
Just barely, she managed to move to the side and dodge the lights.
Zoey's face turned grave.
"This is definitely on purpose. You—"
Crack!
This time, it was the projector.
It started with the bolts on the left, forcing the projector to tilt before the remaining bolts suddenly fell. The projector shot toward Catherine, her eyes widening as she watched the massive block of metal fly straight at her.
"Heek! What?!"
She didn't think twice before rolling on the ground again.
BANG!
By the time the projector fell, her hair and clothes were a mess. With heavy breaths, she was just about to say something when Zoey's voice echoed once more.
Catherine's eyes widened in desperation as she looked at her sister.
"No, stop speaking!"
"Are you trying to—"
Swoosh!
It was the ceiling tile this time.
After barely dodging the first one, the second one fell, and Catherine's face paled.
"No! Stop! Stop!"
"That's—"
Swoosh!
"Hiek!"
"This is—
Swooosh!
"Stop!!"
The words finally reached Zoey, who finally stopped speaking, her eyes narrowing as she watched every tile fall towards the haggard-looking Catherine. It was only then that the tiles stopped falling.
"Wow."
Seth's surprised voice followed right after as he looked at Catherine.
"Maybe you're right."
Seth turned back to look at Zoey.
"...Maybe I am cured. Seems like she's even more unlucky than me."
You're full of shit. Was what Zoey's eyes seemed to say.
But fearing that something worse might happen to Catherine, she held herself back. Keeping her mouth shut, she let out a long sigh before turning her attention toward the others.
Seeing the expressions on their faces, she could only wave a hand toward Seth, silently dismissing him from the meeting.
Go, just go.
"Ah, but—"
Just go!
Zoey glared at Seth, who took a moment to look at everyone present. Lowering his head, he turned around and left the room.
It was only then that the meeting finally regained some semblance of calm. The aftermath of the events had left the entire room in utter chaos.
Amidst the silence, Catherine's angry voice suddenly rang out.
"That ba-guy! He did it on purpose. He—"
Bang!
"Hieeek!"
***
Images of Catherine's pale face and haggard expression surfaced in my mind.
"Keuk."
Each time they did, I felt my shoulders tremble.
"Keke."
These side effects...
I was having too much fun with them. I could pretty much use the excuse to get out of anything that I wanted.
Long meeting that was going to last hours with others rambling nonsense?
No problem!
Boring recruit program?
No problem!
Award ceremony?
No problem!
Too many reporters?
No problem!
"Kuek!"
This was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me. I was in such a good mood that even my constant headaches felt like nothing. I felt like I was floating.
'Ah, what a wonderful turn of events.'
Clank!
Closing the door to my office, I headed toward my desk with a satisfied smile. Along the way, I let out a few quiet cackles as I thought back to what had happened earlier.
But just as I reached my desk, something caught my attention.
The moment I caught sight of it, I froze.
"Oh..."
My heart sank as I reached for it.
And the moment I did, a notification appeared before my very eyes.
"Kek."
A cackle followed.
But this time, it wasn't from me.
"Looks like the side effects are still active, after all."
-x-X-x-
Ding—!
It was the familiar sound of the notification.
After which, a window appeared before my very eyes. My heart sank at the sight of the window.
'What now?'
Nothing ever good happened from these notifications.
[Main Quest Activated]
Difficulty: N/A
Reward: 1,000,000 SP
Objective: Develop your first gate!
Location: N/A
Description: You've finally met the requirements to create your own Gate. With the experience you've gained, you are now capable of completing one on your own! Use everything you have learned to create a Gate. The minimum acceptable result is a 3-star grade. Anything below that will not be accepted.
Time Limit: 1 month!
"Eh...?"
But surprisingly, it was a quest that I had already received before.
"Wait, why is it showing me this again?"
I was well aware of this quest. It was something I'd been slowly working on, with several ideas already having come to mind. I'd even attempted it once before, only for Cedrick's interference to bring everything to a halt halfway through.
'I remember that I was given partial rewards for the Gate Anchoring quest, with the time being extended. It seems like the'system' is in a hurry for me to develop this gate.'
Now...
This was an interesting piece of information.
Why was the system in such a hurry to get me to develop a gate?
There was still about a month until the deadline of the quest. Did something change?
'Is it because I've interacted with the other'users'? Is that the way it is?'
I sat down in my chair, resting my chin in my hand as I mulled over the situation. The more I thought about it, the more I felt as though I was on the verge of grasping something. It felt as though the answer was right at the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn't quite put it into words.
"Ugh."
But regardless of how hard I tried to think, I couldn't quite get the answer out. There were several hypotheses in my mind, but none of them really made sense when I thought through them deeply.
'More information.'
I needed more information.
Thinking thus far, I shifted my attention back towards the item that rested on my desk.
It was an item that I was quite familiar with.
One... that I thought I wouldn't see again.
"Should I feel thankful?"
I fiddled with the blank mask before my eyes. Feeling the mask's cool, polished surface beneath my fingers, I turned it over and stared at the spot where my face would fit.
It felt a little different from the previous mask that I had.
I couldn't quite tell what the difference was, but I wasn't too bothered by it. I could just test it and find out.
I was about to do exactly that when my phone suddenly vibrated.
Trrr—
The moment I checked my phone, all thoughts about trying the mask stopped as I pursed my lips together.
"...It looks like he's given me another chance."
The Guild Master that was.
The message was clear and simple:'What do you need?'
There wasn't much that was said, but those four simple words told me enough. The Guild Master was very likely going to resolve the situation surrounding me while, at the same time, providing me with the necessary items I'd need to reach the Fifth Order.
This was one of my greatest priorities, and even though I was apprehensive about owing the Guild Master too much, I was at a point where I felt that I had no choice but to take on such debt.
Thankfully, this wasn't going to be a big debt.
"I already have all the necessary essence."
I'd gotten them from the Mist Quest a while back. I could even choose the attribute of the essence I wanted. I hadn't chosen one yet, since I wasn't sure whether I could remove the attribute afterward, or, if I could, which anomaly I should use it on.
"Right, which one should I go with?"
I looked ahead of me.
As if sensing what I was about to do, Mirelle's head popped out of the painting. The cloth covering the mirror fluttered, while the TV screen in front of me flickered and the shadow beneath my feet began to wiggle.
"Alright, relax."
I pressed my hand down whilst thinking about the situation deeply.
The Conductor was out of the question. The requirements to upgrade it were enormous, and I simply couldn't afford them in my current state. Not only that, but I had a feeling that upgrading it would make the Conductor even harder for me to control.
The Conductor was the only easy choice, though.
I had trouble choosing between the other four. Each of their skills was incredibly useful, and if I upgraded them with [Trait Transfer], I could gain their new skill as well.
"Ah, this is difficult."
I rubbed the back of my head. All of them were incredibly useful in their own way.
Mirelle with her warding skill, Mr. Jingles with its brainwashing skill, the mirror with its illusion skills, and the Realmwalker with its meat—ehm, its physical skills.
The back of my head was tingling for some reason.
"No, wait."
I suddenly recalled something.
"Right..."
I looked down to see the shadow wiggling beneath me.
"You're not quite at the stage where you need essence."
The Realmwalker was still a
"Okay, let's start with you then."
I didn't waste a single second.
Taking out all the shards I had with me, I gathered the [Conceptualization] shards together and removed their attributes.
Each time I removed an attribute, a cloud of mist would float out from the shard, which the Realmwalker would promptly absorb under the envious gazes of all the other anomalies present.
Every now and then, Mirelle's voice would reach me.
"Right, I should've known. He really hates me. Why? I was so good..."
Conceptualization: 10/40.
"I must be the problem."
Conceptualization: 20/40.
"Just kill me."
Conceptualization: 30/40.
"I might be dead, but I feel dead inside."
With the last fragment in my hand, I paused.
The Realmwalker looked slightly different from before. Its presence felt noticeably stronger, and I could practically sense it squirming with energy.
This was a sight that I hadn't seen in a while, and holding onto the final fragment, I took a breath before pressing [Yes].
Conceptualization: 40/40.
"...?!"
The change came quickly.
The shadow beneath me wiggled as the Realmwalker emerged from it, a dark fog slowly spilling from its body and covering the entire room.
Its body visibly thickened as the lights above flickered.
Flick! Flick!
Its long arms contracted slightly, gaining a greater bulk, while its legs stretched further and its back arched into a subtle, menacing hunch.
The dark veil that covered its body began to thicken, with its presence flickering in and out of my vision.
What sort of...
But that wasn't the most noticeable change.
Instead, it was the change in the Realmwalker's color that drew my attention. Its body deepened into a black so intense that it seemed to draw all the light from the room, swallowing everything around it in shadow. In an instant, all light seemed to vanish from my vision, leaving me engulfed in complete darkness.
I was blind.
Completely blind.
Thankfully, the transformation didn't last long.
It took several minutes, and during those moments, the light gradually returned to my very eyes as the Realmwalker stood before me.
And then—
"....."
Silence.
The changes finally came to a stop, the Realmwalker flickering in and out of existence just before my very eyes, leaving me at a complete loss.
Curious, I checked its profile.
My breath paused the moment I did.
─────
[Description]
Once a Realmwalker, the Voidwalker had evolved through the assimilation of Conceptualization fragments. Its shadowy form had grown stronger and more resilient, now capable of completely absorbing light into its body. Beyond mere survival, the Voidwalker had gained the extraordinary ability to ignore the physical world.
Loyalty: 41--> 64 [+23] (....)
Skills:
[Body Morphosis]
: Skill enables the Voidwalker to alter its body in any way possible.
[Shadow Walking]
: Skill enables the Voidwalker to walk in the shadows and the other realm unobstructed.
[Conceptual Evasion]
: The Voidwalker can temporarily detach itself from physical reality, allowing attacks, barriers, and environmental effects to pass through its body.
Conceptualization: 0/80.
Essence [Conceptualization]: 0/10
─────
Oh...
Staring at the window in front of me, I carefully studied the new changes. The more I read, the faster my heart began to beat.
This...
'It's fucking good, isn't it?'
The new skill especially caught my attention. It looked incredibly useful, and alongside [Trait Transfer], I couldn't help but imagine the possibilities.
'I'm sure there's a limit to the skill, but if I can use it once or even twice, that's more than enough to save my life multiple times.'
In other words, it made me somewhat immune to physical attacks. But that wasn't the only use for the skill. If it allowed me to ignore the physical world, then it could also be used to infiltrate places that would otherwise be hard to.
The more I looked at the skill, the more pleased I felt.
Looking at the Realm... No, Voidwalker, I felt incredibly pleased.
It looked even stronger than before. I was certain that its physical capabilities had improved as well.
I was sure that it would be able to tank a few more attacks.
'Let me try the new skill.'
Approaching the Voidwalker, I slapped it in the head.
Smack!
"....Eh?"
But contrary to what I'd expected, my attack landed cleanly against the side of its face, causing the entire room to freeze.
"I..."
I looked at my hand, the sting still lingering over its surface.
That... it felt strangely good.
But that wasn't the issue. Lifting my head, I met the Realmwalker's... ugh, Voidwalker's gaze as I coughed and covered my lips with my fist.
"...I was trying to test your new skill. I thought you'd dodge it, but I didn't expect you not to react. Plus, I'm sure you didn't feel anything. I can feel that you're a lot stronger than before, you—Ha!"
Already expecting the Voidwalker to lunge at me, I brought both hands up to meet it head-on. But just as I expected it to latch onto me, its entire body phased straight through mine.
It felt almost like a cold wind had blown past me, a dark mist-like substance slipping through my body before the Voidwalker's form emerged behind me.
I just barely turned my head when—
Smack!
I felt the sting on my right cheek.
The Voidwalker's middle parted into a grin as it pointed at me, its other arm clutching its belly as it leaned back.
"Ke..."
Ke?
All the anger subsided as I stared at the Voidwalker.
'Wait, it can speak?'
"Ke... Ke..."
No, it doesn't seem like it can just yet, but it can make sounds now.
That...
'Thinking about it, it's not surprising. The Voidwalker has been getting smarter with every upgrade. It isn't surprising that it can make sounds now. Perhaps by the time I upgrade it again, it'll be able to speak.
Thinking about the Voidwalker speaking, I suddenly didn't want to upgrade it anymore. The Voidwalker was already a pain when it didn't speak. Imagine if it could speak?
"Hell no."
Yeah, just the thought of it made me want to puke.
'In that case, I should consider upgrading one of the other three. Mirelle, the mirror, or Mr. Jingles.'
The decision wasn't hard to make. Taking into consideration Mirelle's recent personality shift, along with the fact that I still needed to explore the mirror's abilities further, I decided to upgrade Mr. Jingles.
'I'm also dealing with humans lately, and with the Gates mainly handling humans, I think this is the most appropriate choice.'
Making up my mind, I didn't waste any time.
Mr. Jingles belonged to the [Illusionist Decree], so I texted the Guild Master, asking him to hand me any [Illusionist Decree] fragments he had. I also selected the [Illusionist Decree] as the attribute for the essence.
The requirement for Mr. Jingles to upgrade was;
Illusionist: 0/80.
Essence [Illusionist]: 0/10
Having already collected all the essence, I didn't waste any time and began removing the attribute from each one.
Mr. Jingles didn't waste any time either. The lights across the entire room flickered in and out as the essence that faded into the air was directly sucked into the monitor before my very eyes.
Essence [Illusionist]: 1/10
Essence [Illusionist]: 3/10
Essence [Illusionist]: 5/10
Essence [Illusionist]: 7/10
Essence [Illusionist]: 10/10
Once it had absorbed all of the essence, I retrieved all of the [Illusionist] fragments I had and removed their attributes. Since I didn't have all of the fragments with me, I could only get it to about one-quarter of the way there, but I wasn't too worried.
Illusionist: 23/80.
"Wait a bit, I'll get the delivery soon. I'll upgrade you then."
Checking my phone and seeing that the Guild Master had seen it, I reached for the drawer beside me and retrieved a particular book. With Mr. Jingles taken care of, it was time to focus on myself.
"I have the essence, and I'll soon get the fragments. All that's left is for me to select a proper reagent."
Since entering this world, I had never really paid much attention to the technicalities of how Nodes and Orders worked. I had a general idea, but all I truly focused on was collecting fragments and getting stronger.
Nobody had taught me either, since nobody was aware that I had actually developed my Nodes.
At least, not until recently.
'I can't do that anymore.'
I couldn't afford to remain indifferent to the technicalities anymore. I'd reached a point where I needed to understand exactly what was happening inside my head, especially since the path ahead was only going to become more difficult.
"They say the Fifth Order is the point where someone truly joins the ranks of the elite. I can't afford to be negligent."
Especially since this involved the unlocking of the first'Advanced Node.'
Unlike Basic and Intermediate Nodes, Advanced Nodes required Essence to be found. Unlike fragments, which allowed a person to locate Basic and Intermediate Nodes, Essence was necessary because Advanced Nodes were buried much deeper within the lattice.
The deeper the Node, the more energy was required to find it. At first, this could be compensated for by adding more fragments, but I'd reached a point where I needed something stronger.
In this case, Essence.
But that wasn't all.
"Null Larynx, Silence Stone, Muted Cord..."
I read through each possible reagent listed in the book in front of me, whilst scratching the back of my head.
This was the part that was stumping me.
Unlike Basic and Intermediate Nodes, Advanced Nodes were much harder to take control of. This was where reagents came in, allowing one to seep through the outer layer of the Node and gradually take control of it.
They were usually made from parts collected from the bodies of certain anomalies, with each part suited to a specific Decree.
But this was where the problem lay.
"There's nothing for the Shepard Decree."
There was a long list of reagents, but none that I knew would be useful to me.
"Ugh."
I scratched the back of my head, my head aching considerably.
This truly did feel like a massive headache.
"What should I choose? Don't tell me that I have to look one for myself?"
"Pick this one."
A long, slender finger pressed against the book. As I looked down, a certain reagent appeared before my eyes.
"Knitting Marrow?"
I looked back to see the smiling Conductor.
How did...
"This is safe for you to take. It's not the perfect reagent, but since you're only trying to reach the Fifth Order, it should be enough."
"What do you mean?"
"For your first Advanced Node, this is more than enough. It might not be completely compatible with you, but that won't be an issue until the Sixth Order. By then, you'll have no choice but to choose one that's compatible with you."
"Why is that?"
The Conductor's smile widened.
I could already feel my blood pressure shoot up. I raised my hand to stop it from speaking further.
"Okay, I get it. I'll experience it myself later."
Seeing the Conductor's smile twist further up, I really did feel my blood pressure shoot up, but I held myself back and focused my attention back on the book.
'Knitting Marrow...'
Honestly, I didn't know much. I wasn't sure if this was the right decision or not, but considering the Conductor's goal, I had a feeling this was probably the best choice for me.
'...Anything to stop these headaches.'
Reaching for my head, I texted the Guild Master.
[I want this too]
"Haaa."
Tossing my phone onto the table, I leaned back.
"Alright, it's done."
All I had to do was wait for the material to come. It wouldn't take long.
"...I hope it gets here faster."
These headaches...
I really couldn't stand them anymore.
It felt as though I was going crazy.
No...
I'm already crazy.
-x-X-x-
The Guild Master wasn't perfect.
He had his flaws.
But if there was one thing I couldn't complain about, it was the man's efficiency. He truly knew how to get things done quickly.
It took no more than ten minutes for all the items to show up in my office.
It was done with such speed that I couldn't help but marvel at his efficiency.
"Then again, me getting stronger is for his benefit too."
He wasn't doing this out of the kindness of his heart. But since it benefits me as well, who was I to complain?
Taking the box and placing it on my desk, I sorted through all the items inside. All the fragments were present, along with a small brown box.
'That's probably the reagent.'
I didn't touch it just yet.
There was something else I needed to take care of first.
"Isn't that right?"
My monitor flickered in agreement.
Smiling, I reached for the first fragment and pressed [Yes] the moment a notification window appeared. A familiar scene unfolded as the lights above flickered alongside the monitor, the attribute vanishing directly into it.
Illusionist: 24/80.
Illusionist: 40/80.
Illusionist: 60/80.
Illusionist: 80/80.
The instant all the fragments were collected, a change began to occur.
The lights and monitors stopped flickering at once. A strange and eerie atmosphere settled over the room, but it lasted only a few seconds before...
BANG!
The monitor in front of me exploded.
"——!"
I was startled, but this was merely the start.
BANG! BANG!
After the monitor, the lights above me shattered. In an instant, the room was plunged into darkness, the sudden silence making the darkness feel even heavier. I quickly took out my phone to get some light, but the moment I did, even that shattered, the faint glow disappearing before it could properly illuminate the room.
"No, not my phone!!"
I didn't even get to mourn my phone before the silence around me grew thicker.
Thick enough to make my chest feel heavy.
For the next few seconds, silence followed.
Until──
Flick!
The screen before me flickered to life, the numerous cracks revealing the twisted form of what was now my desktop screen.
Then──
Ta! Ta! Ta! Ta! Ta~
A melody came from the screen as fragmented pieces of a cartoon appeared across it. In the cartoon, I saw several houses alongside a certain clown who stared at me with its wide red lips, waving its hand.
It continued to smile, waving at me.
It didn't blink.
I stood where I was, taking in the sight.
Until...
Flick!
Everything went dark, and a notification appeared before my eyes.
─────
Ranked Anomalous Entity - Sir. Jingles
[Description]
: Once a stolen cartoon left to rot in reruns, Mr. Jingles has shed the role drawn for him. He is no longer a character performing for an audience. He is the one who decides what the audience does.
Loyalty: 58--> 63 [+5] (....)
Skills:
[Mr. Jingles Says~]
Any command prefaced by his name compels obedience. The depth of the compulsion is determined by how many of his anchors the target has registered.
[Anchors]
Usage of physical objects to infiltrate the mind of anyone who sees them. Each object noticed by a target pries their mind further open. Requires time to set up.
[Signal Intrusion]
: Mr. Jingles may manifest through any screen and interface with
electrical systems, suppressing cameras and communications for a
short duration.
[Happy fun world~]
: Mr. Jingles now has his own little world! Anyone who sees it can be dragged inside. Be careful not to stare for too long.
Illusionist: 0/160
Essence [Illusionist]: 0/20
─────
"...."
I had no words.
Staring at Mr. Jingles—No, Sir. Jingles's new panel, I really had no words.
"Happy fun world...'
I thought about the video I'd just seen, recalling the time I'd spent at the orphanage. Reading through the list, I felt something stir within me. Just as I was about to investigate further, however, the screen flickered back to life, and the scattered face of the clown appeared before my eyes.
My heart skipped a beat at the sight, and just as I was about to say something, something reached out from the screen and pulled me inside.
"——!"
I didn't even have the chance to react.
Before I knew it, color returned to my vision. Everything was vibrant, tinged with a faint yellow hue as I dropped to the ground. The texture beneath me felt exactly like real ground, yet everything around me had been transformed into a cartoon.
When I looked up, I was greeted by the sight of a small two-story house, a street, vibrant green grass, and the sun above, pulsing in and out. Everything around me was cartoonish in nature, and when I looked around, I spotted the clown.
It stood by the window, staring at me from the other side, its horn squeaking softly.
I swallowed, turning away from the clown and looking in the opposite direction.
The moment I did, my heart paused.
A large square appeared before me. Its surface was riddled with cracks, but through the other side, I could see my chair and the wall behind it. The room was dark, but I could still make out the details thanks to the light coming from the screen.
"Ah..."
I didn't even know when, but I took a step forward before I knew it.
I walked closer and closer to the screen until I reached out through it, my hand seemingly enlarging as it emerged from the screen. I moved it left and right, having no trouble at all controlling it. I was even able to grab the box and pull it back through the screen.
"So it's like another world?"
I looked at the items in my grasp. The moment they entered, they had all become cartoonish. From the fragments to the wooden box, everything had been transformed.
"...And I can pull things from the real world into this world?"
Tap. Tap.
Feeling several taps on my shoulder, I looked back to see Sir Jingles standing behind me. In his hand, I saw him holding a CD.
"This is...?"
At first I was confused.
But I understood right after.
"This contains the world, doesn't it? If I gave this to someone, I can see their screen and pull them in?"
Squeak! Squeak!
Sir. Jingles blew the clown horn twice.
All I could do was stare at the CD in amazement. This was amazing, wasn't it? I could already imagine the countless things I'd be able to do with this new skill. It almost made me want to try it right away.
But I held back.
There was a more pressing matter at hand.
"Alright, since you're done, it's time to focus on myself."
Looking back at the box in my hand, I placed everything on the ground. Another advantage of this place was that I didn't have to worry about causing any sort of chaos and attracting the attention of others while reaching the Fifth Order.
Reaching for the fragments and pulling out the essence that I had, I drew a deep breath.
"Alright."
Time for me to reach the Fifth Order.