[Inetermediate Node : Anamnesis]
Upon touching an anomaly, the user glimpses fragments of their forgotten past. The deeper the connection to the past, the greater their power.
‖—[10%]—————‖
"I'm sorry, but I don't think this will work out."
"...Huh?"
The woman's face slowly crumpled.
"I've thought about it a lot. I want to focus my entire attention on music. As a result, I won't be able to spend as much time with you. This will, as a result, cause you to resent me, and you'll probably eventually tell me to stop and pay more attention to you and our daughter. You know I can't do that, and I can already see that we're starting to hate each other. It's best to stop it before it becomes too toxic for our daughter."
The silence that ensued shortly after felt like it dragged on for hours. The woman just stared at the man before her.
Eventually, words left her lips.
"Wha... What? What are you... saying?"
"I want to be perfect."
"But you—"
"Not to you."
The man cut the woman off, his eyes flickering with something between desire and obsession.
"I want my music to be perfect."
The woman took a deep breath, trying her best to maintain her composure.
But it quickly crumbled a few moments later.
"You want to make your music perfect, but in order to do that, you have to abandon your own family? The woman who sacrificed five years of her life raising a child and helping you pursue your dream for music, even though you make no money, and all your shows are empty? Are you saying that I'm the problem?"
The man didn't even hesitate.
"Yes, that's exactly it."
"...You're a monster."
‖——[30%]————‖
"I am here for a reason."
A reflection stared.
Wet hair stuck to the forehead as the water ran in the sink.
His complexion was pale.
His cheeks were sunken.
...And his frame was thin.
"I gave up everything, my wife, my daughter, a thriving career, even my health. But if fading into memory is the price of being remembered, then so be it. I'd rather be broken and remembered than whole and forgotten."
The man slowly turned around, stumbling out of the bathroom.
A muffled tune echoed as he stepped out. It was soft, melodic, and strangely comforting.
"....."
He turned his head slowly, eyes drawn to the narrow gap in the curtain, just wide enough to catch a glimpse of the bright lights spilling over the band as they played.
The music carried on for the next minute before stopping.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
A thunderous round of applause ensued.
It was extremely loud.
So loud that for a moment, he almost couldn't hear a thing.
But amidst the applause, his gaze remained fixed on the band playing.
He shook his head soon after.
Not good enough.
"Hey!"
A voice suddenly called out for him.
A large man pointed at a box on the ground.
"Stop slacking! Carry this away!"
‖———[60%]———‖
"What do I have besides music?"
A voice echoed within the confines of a small room.
A man and a piano.
Pieces of paper were scattered throughout.
"I've already given up my life. My wife. My daughter. My happiness. My everything. What is my worth now that I've thrown it all away?"
The voice continued to whisper in the air as the man stared at his own reflection within the piano.
Sweat dripped to the floor as the keys stained red beneath his trembling fingers.
Through his heavily rising chest, the man continued to stare at his own reflection.
"Have I thrown it all away?"
Slowly, his head began to turn.
His gaze eventually fell on one of the papers on the ground.
Praise.
Acclaim.
Recognition.
He received it all.
But...
"It's not enough."
He stared at his hands. They were entirely soaked in blood, with blisters all over. He slowly clenched his hand and tried to feel the pain.
But, nothing.
He didn't feel a single thing.
"More..."
To Tok—
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
Clank!
A figure came in shortly after.
"Sir."
They looked unbothered by the mess that was before them. Almost as if they had grown used to it.
"The audience has arrived. The band has already warmed up. The show will begin in ten minutes."
"....."
The man remained seated, indifferent to the words.
"I've also brought the stuff that you've asked of me. Are you sure that you don't want a tailor to fix your suit? If you wi—"
"No."
Raising his hand, the man went on to grab a small black box from his assistant.
"...This isn't for the suit."
"It's not?"
"It's not."
"...."
Silence followed.
But in the end, the assistant left.
Not another word was exchanged between the two.
"What do I have besides music?"
The man repeated, slowly.
His gaze fell on his own reflection.
"I've already given up my life. My wife. My daughter. My happiness. My everything. What is my worth now that I've thrown it all away? Have I thrown it all away?"
He paused and turned his attention towards the box in his hand.
Slowly, he opened it.
The moment he did, his gaze fell on the small needle and the embroidery thread.
His breathing quickened.
"...No, I haven't."
He still had...
"My voice."
His hand trembled as he brought the needle to his lips.
A sharp pain pierced.
Blood spilled.
His hand continued moving.
Gradually, he began sewing his lips shut.
But it wasn't over.
He still had...
"My sight."
He brought his hand towards his eyelids.
A sharp pain pierced.
Blood spilled.
His vision turned black.
He had lost both voice and vision.
Tik, Tik—!
The needle dropped right after as he gradually stood up.
All sound seemed to heighten in that moment. From the soft tick of the needle to the gentle click of the clock.
The same was true for his touch.
He could vividly feel each droplet streaking down his skin. Be it blood and sweat.
He felt it all.
‖————[80%]——‖
'What do I have besides music?'
A man stood before a stage. The bright lights pressed down on him in all directions.
Blood streaked down from his eyes and mouth.
All eyes were focused on him. Clear looks of horror marred their features as they looked at him. Even his assistant looked the same, but it was also the very same assistant who had helped him towards the stage.
He didn't care.
He stood at the center, basking in the lights before slowly bringing his baton up.
At this moment, he felt at the center of the world.
For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath, and in the silence, he soon heard the quiet draw of everyone's breath.
'I've already given up my life. My wife. My daughter. My happiness. My sight. My voice. My everything. What is my worth now that I've thrown it all away? Have I thrown it all away?'
The answer was yes.
And now...
'All I have left is music.'
His baton slowly moved down.
'That is my worth.'
He slashed the baton down.
Wam—!
The music flared to life.
‖——————[100%]‖
I opened my eyes.
Light flared into them.
Eyes looked at me from all directions.
I took a deep breath.
This...
-x-X-x-
Silence.
The world was completely still.
It all seemed to slow down in that moment.
Obsession. Desire. Madness. Perfection.
Perfection wasn't made up of a single aspect. It was something made out of many aspects. This was something that I had come to learn from the memories.
It wasn't a hard concept to grasp.
But to reach perfection, one had to sacrifice what they desired most.
Perfection could only be achieved by those who gave it their all.
Passion wasn't enough.
Passion was merely something that equated to a strong interest in something. With passion came praise and cheers.
'You're so passionate!'
'Amazing!'
'Oh, you found your passion? Awesome! Chase your passion! Go for it!'
Passion was good.
But was passion enough? Was passion enough to reach perfection?
No.
It wasn't.
One needed to be obsessed to reach perfection.
But obsession wasn't looked upon highly by the world. It was frowned upon. It was a sign of craziness. It was a sign of the inability to be satisfied.
Obsession was the path that led to perfection.
Desire was what kept someone in the path.
And Madness...
That.
That was what kept one obsessed.
Obsession. Desire. Madness.
They were the vicious cycle of perfection.
The Conductor's vicious cycle.
It was a strange thought. One that I struggled to grasp myself. But at the same time, it was a dangerous thought. The moment I caught a glimpse of the result that came with perfection, I felt my heart race.
Perfection...
I wanted to reach it too.
I thought I had reached it, but I was wrong.
I had yet to reach perfection.
But...
Reaching perfection wasn't easy. The Conductor had tried, but ultimately failed. In the end, he had never been able to achieve his dream. The reason why the Conductor sought perfection wasn't as simple as his obsession with it.
He sought perfection to leave a mark.
To be remembered.
To...
Not be forgotten.
It was this sudden understanding of the conductor that drove me deeper into my immersion.
My previously trembling fingers had stopped trembling.
My breath had evened out.
...And the silence around me no longer felt unsettling.
It felt like peace.
Blinking slowly, I looked around. The lights were no longer as bright. The Conductor wasn't as scary, and the world... It seemed so strangely empty.
But within the emptiness, a figure remained in my vision.
Swoosh!
His baton fell down.
Dang!
A single note filtered through the air.
It was soft, yet loud.
"....."
My chest rose. My third node trembled, and I felt a strange power starting to seep out from my body. It was a power that I couldn't control, but was very familiar with it.
"H-hooo..."
I loosened up my wrist.
Dang, dang—!
My fingers glided across the keys. They danced and painted each key with a new note.
I could feel the weight on my node starting to increase with each key that I pressed. Something was coming out of my body, but I didn't know what it was.
I just basked in this feeling.
This sensation.
Perfection was a vicious cycle.
Obsession. Desire. Madness.
I focused entirely on the notes in front of me. I made sure to press the key with the same exact pressure, and even forgot to breathe. Sweat dripped down, and my vision blurred, but I ignored it.
I wanted to reach the end.
My back unknowingly hunched over the keyboard.
'More. More. More...'
Dang— Dang!
Each note was different.
It carried its own pitch and lasted in the air differently.
Dang!
But this wasn't enough.
Faster!
Harder!
Smoother!
I continued to press the keys. This time, I started to slow down. I was halfway through. This was the slowest part before the second part.
The most maddening part.
Dang———!
I started to slow down.
The node in my mind stopped churning as much.
I didn't know what was happening to the world outside. I was so focused on playing that I had drowned everything out.
By the time I stopped, the world was bathed in silence.
"....."
Slowly, I raised my head.
I looked towards the conductor.
He was staring at me, his face hardened.
I blinked slowly and looked behind him.
Red.
That was all I saw.
A scene of carnage.
My breath caught.
My anxiety rose.
But amidst it all...
I found myself smiling.
"Hehehe."
A laugh escaped my lips.
One that echoed quietly within the theater.
One...
That made my very own hair raise.
"....I'll begin again."
Dang!
The piece continued.
***
A deep sense of suffocation had taken hold of the theater. Nobody said a word as all eyes were fixed on the Jester, its body pressed closely to the piano as its hand glided across the keys, a gentle yet incredibly haunting tune flowing out of the piano.
Its eyes glowed a strong red hue, and while nobody could see its expression, one could see the madness in its movements.
It was sickening.
"H-ha... W-what is this?"
"I... can't hold on any longer."
"H-help."
What came with his music was a terrifying power. One that seemed to be on par with the conductor's, if not even higher.
"It's rising. It's rising..."
The Section Chief's gaze was fixed on the device in his hands, his face growing paler by the second. The meter was rising rapidly. Faster than ever before, and he could see the threshold starting to reach the rank.
'No, no...'
Panic started to set in across the entire theater.
The faces of the other groups had paled considerably, with some even passing out on the ground. The deaths... They had long lost count.
In spite of the Menders from every group working together to keep everyone alive, the madness of the music had transmitted right to them.
Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da Dang—
The Section Chief stopped holding back.
He moved forward and pressed his hand over the Team Leader while mumbling, "This might hurt, but you must resist."
The node in his mind churned, and the dome that covered their surroundings thickened and expanded even further. He wasn't done. The next node churned. The moment it did, a second shield began to form. Layering right over their original shield.
His face twitched under the strain, but he had to hold on.
He had to resist.
"Get two Menders over here. Heal her quickly!"
As the Section Chief spoke, two people hurriedly arrived before the Team Leader as they pressed their hands over her pale and trembling body.
This wasn't all.
The Section Chief turned his attention towards Kyle.
"Ready?"
"Yes..."
The Section Chief placed his hand over Kyle's body. His node churned further, and Kyle's body shook violently.
"Get another Mender here."
Time started to slow down.
The notes started to slow down in the air, and for just the briefest moments, the situation calmed down.
But it wasn't for long.
The Section Chief had only managed to buy them a single minute.
Tik, Tik—!
The scale continued to go up.
The energy within the gate increased further.
The Jester's eyes shone even redder, and his back hunched further.
Wam! Wam!
His hands slammed against the keyboard.
Droplets of red spilled from his hands.
And yet, the Jester basked in the red, its every movement growing more and more sickening.
Desperate.
Obsessed.
...P-perfect.
WAAAAM—!
The sound thundered throughout.
"Hold on! Keep holding on! It's almost over!"
The Section Chief screamed.
Cra Crack!
But cracks had already formed across the first dome.
WAAAAAM—!
Crash!
It soon shattered.
The Section Chief's face paled. The Team Leader's eyes rolled back, and she passed out. And yet, the shield remained. The Section Chief's node churned even further, his body slowly starting to tremble.
WAAAAM—!
The notes screamed once more.
The Jester had stood up.
Cracks started to form on the second shield.
The Jester raised its hands once more.
The scale tipped further up.
'No, no—!'
WAAAAM!
Its hands slammed down once more, the dome shattering and the faces of many paling, some passing out, with others dying directly.
Blood streaked down the Section Chief's mouth as he looked at Kyle.
He was the last line of defense.
He couldn't allow him to fall.
He—
"Eh?"
The Section Chief stopped.
It was in that moment that he realized something.
"....."
The theater was quiet.
Not a single note echoed, and as he slowly lifted his head, the Section Chief's gaze fell on the Jester.
It sat by the piano, both hands on the keys.
Its head dropped slightly by the keys, and as its red eyes shone, the Section Chief looked at the pocket watch.
- Rank.
In that moment, all eyes were fixed on the Jester.
Be it the conductor or the audience.
All eyes were on the Jester.
It basked beneath the lights, its bells softly dangling before its head.
And slowly, the Jester raised its hand.
Dang!
The last note played.
In Obsession, it sought perfection.
In Desire, it followed perfection.
In Madness, it reached perfection.
Swoosh!
The curtains fell.
The Cycle of Perfection.
Such was the name of the piece.
-x-X-x-
The curtain drew.
Flick! Flick!
The lights began to fade.
What followed was a tense and unsettling silence.
Everyone sat in their seat, eyes fixed on the stage. Ready to react at any given moment to the unexpected.
The gate...
It had increased a rank.
Everyone in that moment understood the meaning behind such a revelation.
The tensions were at an all-time high. Be it the Section Chief, Hermes, or the Section Chiefs of the other Guilds.
Everyone was tense.
But...
The unexpected never came.
Shortly after the silence that followed, the darkness in their vision faded, replaced by a bright light as they basked in the glow of the sun.
"Wha..."
"Are... are we out?"
"What just...?"
The confusion merely lasted a few seconds.
Click! Click! Click!
Immediately, they were engulfed in bright lights as the reporters rushed in their direction from all sides.
"Can you tell us about the gate? What are the casualties?"
"...What happened? Is this the end of the gate? Is it possible that you've all managed to clear an ranked gate?"
"How do you feel after coming out?"
"Over here! Over here!"
It was a mess. There was hardly any semblance of order, and given how everyone was exhausted and barely keeping on their feet, they found themselves unable to react in time.
Thankfully, the bureau had expected such a situation to occur.
Shortly after the chaos began, men in black began to appear. They hurriedly pushed the reporters aside and created a path for the members to leave.
"Hey! Wait—!"
"Don't push!"
"I still have a question! Just one!"
"Will the island standing rise now that they've cleared an ranked gate without the help from the central island? Is there truly a difference between the two?"
A sudden question caused a few to pause.
However, before they even had the time to answer, they were pushed forward.
In the end, those from each respective Guild entered their own bus, which quickly sped off amidst the crowd. At the same time, those who needed medical attention were quickly brought to the Guild using a faster vehicle.
There were a lot of people who had been injured, some more seriously than others, while the death count was also large. It had all been livestreamed to the world, and so most were aware of the number of casualties.
It was unfortunate that a lot of the bodies couldn't be brought back.
"....."
A tense silence lingered in the bus as everyone sat down in silence.
The Section Chief sat at the front, his hair damp from the sweat and his expression complicated.
He looked at the fragments in his hand. It was completely transparent, and with just one look, he could tell that the purity was extremely high. Most likely the purest he had ever seen in his life.
But that wasn't all.
On his other hand, he held a small crystal bottle. Within it was a pure liquid.
'Essence.'
And quite an abundant amount.
Outside of fragments, there were other things that the gate offered. It was Essence. An extremely pure liquid that could only be found from
Without essence, it was practically impossible to advance to the Fifth Order.
It was also why most people were stuck in the Fifth Order. In order for one to collect Essence, they needed to have a high clear rate in the gate, alongside collecting the right Essence.
Just like fragments, Essences had attributes.
Looking at the essence in his hand and seeing its lack of color, the Section Chief frowned. This was the first time he had ever seen something like this.
'Maybe it's because it's extremely pure. I'll go and check the attribute later.'
In all honesty, he was exhausted.
He could feel his eyelids starting to droop.
But despite all of this, he maintained his composure as he looked behind him. Everyone had practically passed out. His gaze hovered over to Clara for a brief moment before he shook his head.
It was a mistake bringing her.
Despite how great she usually was, today she was more of a burden than anything else.
Of course, this was due to the unfortunate situation.
But... looking at her, the Section Chief understood that she needed a long leave of absence before returning.
Her trauma had only gotten worse.
"...Hm?"
Suddenly, the bus came to a sudden stop.
The Section Chief raised his head and looked to his right. A small house amid the greenery greeted his sight, and his heart sank.
'The time has come, I guess.'
He quietly stood up from his seat as the bus doors opened.
Without waking up the others, he walked up towards the house while fixing his clothes.
Eventually, he rang the doorbell as a woman appeared shortly after.
Her face was red, and her makeup was completely smudged across her face.
The Section Chief lowered his head.
"I am sorry. I tried my best, but in the end, I wasn't competent enough to save your son. You have my sincerest apology."
In this business, indifference was a must.
One mustn't get attached to anyone, as anyone could die at any given moment.
But as the Section Chief, this was the least he could do.
Even if he himself felt nothing.
***
"Cough...! Cough!"
I was in pieces. My mind churned with something unknown as my fingers shook. There seemed to be more than two hands in front of me, and I could hardly determine which one was my real one.
No, but that didn't matter...
'I-I... did it.'
I had somehow managed to pass the trial.
I felt exhausted, but at the same time, extremely relieved. This had been one of the things that had been pressing in my mind for as long as I could remember.
Every day, I'd constantly feel the pressure and stress from the quest weighing down on me.
But now...?
Done.
I was finally done.
"Hmm."
Groaning, my eyes squinted as my head wobbled forward.
I was completely drained, just barely keeping myself from passing out. There was still something that I needed to do, and as my head wobbled forward again, a voice echoed in the background.
"...That was impressive."
I froze upon hearing the voice.
But soon, turning my head, my gaze fell on the distant conductor.
It stood beneath the lights of the stage, its gaze directed at me. I couldn't tell its emotion, but I could tell that its praise was real.
I smiled beneath the mask.
"I... tried my best."
"It was good."
The conductor wasn't shy with its praise. At this very moment, the conductor wasn't the same creepy anomaly that I knew.
No, it was something else.
It was...
An artist.
The human version of itself that thoroughly enjoyed music.
I was curious to know how it had ended up as an anomaly, but I couldn't for the life of me formulate proper thoughts. My eyelids continued to droop as I took a couple of unsteady breaths.
Eventually, my eyelids closed and darkness took over my consciousness.
"Congratulations."
But before I could completely pass out, the conductor's voice reached my ears once more.
"You've won the bet. My soul is now yours."
-x-X-x-
Number of people that had entered: 237
Number of casualties: 102
Number of serious injuries: 115
———●
Almost the entire world tuned in to watch the broadcast.
In that moment, all eyes fell on the Conductor and the Jester. While none of them could sense the 'threat' that came with the music, they all witnessed how devastating the two of them were.
Shivers ran down the spines of those watching.
In that moment, the image of the two was seared in the minds of the world.
As a result, an official classification was assigned to the two.
Melas: VILE - 2013 [The Jester]
Thrall: VILE - 779 [The Conductor]
The two had officially been listed and ranked in the Guild Database. If either of the two were to be spotted again, the BAU would directly cooperate with the nearby Guilds to talk them down.
Many argued that the rankings weren't high enough, with some even chiming in for the Jester to be ranked higher, but the bureau remained indifferent to the protests.
The rankings were based on the direct energy emission detected coming from the two anomalies.
While the Jester had reached a higher peak, the conductor had been more consistent.
Both were under close review.
For now, the possibility of either being a Kermite-Class was out of the question.
While the two were dangerous, neither was world-level dangerous.
***
"...Hmm."
A commotion shook me out of the darkness.
By the time my eyelids opened, a familiar light greeted me from above. I took a couple of seconds to understand where I was as I sat up in my chair and looked at the office.
'I'm back.'
My mind was groggy, and my body ached in all areas.
But...
"I'm healed."
I looked at my hands and fingers. There was no sign of any wear. I distinctly remembered bleeding a lot back then.
'This is good. At least I won't have to explain myself to the others if I go out.'
I had already imagined the annoyance that my fingers would cause. Even if I did bandage them all up, they'd stand out even more.
"Umkh."
Holding onto my head, my head pounded.
For a moment, the pain seemed to take over my entire body. But it didn't last for very long as I quickly recovered.
"Right..."
I had to take my medicine.
I was just about to reach for the ones I had saved up when I stopped.
"No, I don't need those anymore."
I had now reached the Third Order. I could afford the better version of the medicine.
'At least with those, I should be able to be fine for a while.'
Thinking about it, I was about to call forth the shop when I stopped.
I looked in the direction of the door where the commotion from before grew even louder. I rubbed the back of my hair before standing up.
"I suppose everyone is back."
Walking towards the door, I pulled it open and looked outside.
As expected, the Section Chief and the others had just returned, greeted by a storm of cheers from those who had remained in the Guild. Their arrival was hailed as a hero's triumph, voices rising in celebration.
And yet, not a single one of the celebrated figures looked the least bit happy. Their faces were grim, eyes heavy with gloom that no amount of praise could wash away.
Kyle was no different.
'I guess this makes sense. Even though most are told not to care about others in this industry, some still involuntarily form attachments.'
It would be a lie to say that I hadn't formed some of my own.
However, I still maintained a fair distance from everyone besides Kyle.
This was a form of protection for myself.
Reading the atmosphere, I turned back and entered my room again. As I did, I felt a certain gaze on my back, but the moment I turned around, I saw that nobody was looking at me. I frowned for a moment before ignoring it.
Clank—
Closing the door behind me, I leaned back on the frame.
I stood in silence for a brief moment until a notification rang before my very eyes.
Ding!
[The Conductor Trial]
[Quest Completed]
"Looks like the rewards are finally starting to arrive."
And here I was, wondering if I was going to receive them. Looked like my wait was finally over.
[Calculating rewards...]
[Rewards calculated]
Ding—!
: [Basic Node: Containment Vessel Activated!]
Something warm pierced my first node.
My body shuddered for a moment. Only a brief moment, but the moment it stopped, I felt a certain connection that hadn't been there before.
I smiled then as a figure slowly began to form before my very eyes.
Eventually, I smiled as I looked up.
"Welcome to the team."
My music slave.
***
"Take a rest. I know many of you have things you want to say and do, but I suggest you clear your minds first. Right now, none of you is in the proper state to think clearly. Speak to me once you've gathered yourselves."
The Section Chief parted after saying a few words. He headed straight to his office, closing the door behind him.
Clank!
A heavy silence settled as he moved towards his chair and sat down.
His mind was heavy.
Having visited several houses in order to apologize, he also felt exhausted.
It was just a pity that those in his position never rested.
One look at his phone, and he could see the numerous messages and calls on it. He didn't even bother opening them as he directly turned off his phone and retrieved the fragments and essence from his pocket.
He placed them on the table and looked at them curiously.
'I've asked the others, and they all appear to have gotten these strange, transparent fragments. Is the transparency due to the purity, or is there something that I'm missing...?'
The Section Chief turned the fragments over in his hands, studying them for several long seconds before reaching for his drawer. From within, he retrieved a narrow tube, just large enough to hold a single shard. Without hesitation, he slid one inside.
Click!
With the press of a single button, the tube churned.
The panel at the front changed a couple of times before eventually coming to a stop. The Section Chief immediately looked at the result.
"Huh?"
His face changed the moment he did.
[N/A]
"What...?"
Covering his face with his hand, he pressed the button again.
The tube churned.
And a result soon appeared.
But...
[N/A]
It was the same.
"That... How does this make any sense?"
No, it didn't make sense at all. All fragments contained attributes, regardless of how pure they were. There had never been a case in the past where fragments didn't contain an attribute.
How was this possible?
"Is it the machine?"
The Section Chief swapped the fragment with another.
The tube churned.
And a result showed up shortly after.
[Hunter]
A heavy silence settled onto the room shortly after as the Section Chief conducted a similar test a couple of more times.
And yet—
[Sonorous]
[Mender]
[Elemental]
He'd receive a different answer each time. It became clear to him rather quickly.
[N/A]
The machine wasn't broken.
Instead...
"This."
The fragments in his hands didn't have an attribute.
This right here...
It was a massive discovery.
-x-X-x-
"...As promised, I will now serve you."
The Conductor stood before me, bowing slightly, its lips stretching as it spoke.
I nodded silently before crossing my arms and leaning back on my chair. There were a lot of things that I wanted to ask it, but before any of that, I needed to check its profile as I turned on my laptop and opened up the app.
─────
▪ Basic Node: Containment Vessel
▪ Basic Node: Trait Transfer
▪ Intermediate Node: Anamnesis
▶ Dreamwalker (Conceptualization)
- [Body Morphosis]
▶ Mirelle (Warden)
- [Innocent Giggle]
▶ Mr. Jingles (Illusionist)
- [?????]
▶ The Conductor (Sonorous)
- [?????]
─────
"....."
As expected, there was no label for the conductor's skill. I was still too weak to see it. Not only that, but staring at the Conductor in front of me, I could see that its presence was a lot less overwhelming than it was in the past.
"Has your power decreased because of me?"
"...Momentarily, yes."
Momentarily...
"I suppose that if I get stronger, you'll also get stronger?"
"Correct."
Hearing the Conductor's confirmation, I nodded slowly before continuing to lean back on the chair while musing over the situation.
It was amidst such a situation that I finally took notice of something.
"Huh?"
I sat up while looking at the laptop.
"Innocent Giggle?"
The instant I spoke the skill's name aloud, I froze. My expression shifted sharply as my gaze snapped toward the distant painting, where a familiar head slowly emerged.
"....?"
She cocked her head while staring at me. At the same time, she extended her hand, the meaning behind her actions obvious, 'Chips. Give them to me.'
I could only laugh bitterly at the sight of her.
'Well, I guess now that I've reached the Third Order, it only makes sense that I can see her skill.'
When I reached the Fourth Order, I was most likely going to see Mr. Jingles's skill tab.
'Talking about Mr. Jingles, now that I've increased in strength, I should be able to use its skill again, right?'
I looked towards the box on the right side of the room, and to my surprise, it had now filled back with clown outfits. From the wig to the shoes. I could see multiple sets of each.
"Nice."
My hand clenched tightly in celebration.
This was certainly going to be useful.
'The good thing about the hypnosis is that it lasts for quite some time.'
Even after some time had passed since I'd put myself under, the skill remained active. It wouldn't last forever, but given its duration, it was still more than worthwhile. In case a similar scenario occurred, I planned on saving up one set of clothes to hypnotize myself.
The main issue still was Mirelle's skill.
I didn't really know how to feel about it. I thought about potentially using [Trait Transfer] on the skill and felt my face burn.
Surely I wouldn't start giggling while using it, right?
"At least the skill is useful."
It could negate the effect of an anomaly for a brief moment of time.
"Hmm."
Suddenly, the Conductor began to move.
I lifted my head to see the Conductor move before Mirelle, who shrank back a little. She then looked at me.
"H... help."
I ignored her plight and just looked at the Conductor. What was it trying to do?
Flick!
My phone suddenly flickered, and a clown appeared.
Its eyes faced the direction of the Conductor.
'What is this pervert doing?'
I looked at the clown.
As if also sensing the clown, the conductor turned its attention towards it. The screen flickered back to black, but with a single wave of the Conductor's hand, the screen flickered back on, and Mr. Jingles appeared in it, looking somewhat panicked.
"Hmm."
The Conductor's face squinted further.
As if not enough, it suddenly turned its head to face the corner of the room where a certain shadow appeared.
The moment the Conductor's gaze fell on the shadow, it trembled.
'What sort of situation is this?'
Taking a look at everyone, it was clear that they were all intimidated by the Conductor's presence.
But it made sense. The Conductor was an ranked anomaly. Even though its strength was suppressed, it was still stronger than the others.
Eventually, the shadow began to rise up from the ground as the Dreamwalker appeared.
It didn't even look my way.
'I guess it's still somewhat annoyed by me.'
I looked at its loyalty points: 57. It was neither horrible nor bad, but it had been higher. The deaths it had sustained in the Hourglass Gate were the biggest contributor to its fall.
Still, that was besides the point.
Looking at everyone present and then the Conductor, I was curious to see what it was planning on doing.
And soon—
The Conductor turned its attention towards me.
Although its eyes were closed, I could feel a certain something in its expression as I felt my skin rise for a second.
Wait...
I had a sudden bad feeling.
"Cello."
The Conductor pointed at the Dreamwalker.
"Vocals."
The Conductor pointed at Mirelle.
"Electrics."
The Conductor pointed at Mr. Jingles.
"And..."
The Conductor then pointed at me.
"Piano."
I opened my mouth, but found the words leaving my body as Mirelle, Mr. Jingles, and even the Dreamwalker all looked at me while secretly shaking their heads, stopping at the exact moment the Conductor looked at them.
I swallowed silently while turning my attention towards the Conductor as it moved closer to me, pressing its hand on the table.
"You've got the makings of a great band. With your piano and my conducting skill, we can create something incredible."
Leaning its body closer to me, the Conductor's lips stretched further.
Its voice whispered shortly after.
"...We'll be able to create something even grander than what we've just created. Something that can take over the entire world. We'll create an even more perfect piece. Something that will be remembered for years to come. Not bad, right?"
A tense silence followed right after as I looked at the Conductor.
From the corner of my eye, I could see the others all looking at me.
I bit my lips.
I imagined the grand scenario that the Conductor had created.
A large stage.
Thousands of people.
Mirelle standing by the microphone. The clown controlling the lights and electronics. The Dreamwalker moving the Cello. The Conductor at the center, and... me at the piano.
I could see it all.
My heart raced at the scenario as the Conductor's voice whispered in the air once more, its voice filled with temptation.
"What do you say...? I can help you achieve such a dream. Give me the order, and I'll do it."
Taking a deep breath, I looked at the Conductor.
The stares coming from the others grew even more intense.
But I paid them no mind.
I continued to imagine the scenario.
Thousands, if not millions, all tuning in to watch me. All eventually killing themselves as we played.
Blood spilling everywhere...
Mirelle giggling at the sight. Guilds putting me on a hitlist.
Chaos all over the world.
I smiled then as I looked at the Conductor.
"Absolutely not. Never. Not a chance. Don't even bring it up again."
The Conductor's smile froze, and six hands shot in the air at the same time.
"....!?"
"....!!"
"....!"
─────
Mirelle :
Loyalty : 72--> 81 [+9]
Dreamwalker :
Loyalty : 57--> 63 [+6]
Mr. Jingles :
Loyalty : 50--> 55 [+5]
─────
My lips twitched at the sight.
How fickle..
-x-X-x-
Vrrr—!
A bulky machine connected by thick metal wires gave off a low, steady vibration, the sound resonating faintly through the floor and walls of a white room. Within the room, several men in lab coats and notepads stood while observing the machine.
The Section Chief stood close to the machine, his brows furrowed tightly as his foot tapped impatiently against the ground.
"How long? It's been running for over an hour. Why is it taking so long?"
The Section Chief's tone carried hints of annoyance as he crossed his arms in front of him.
"But sir..."
One of the men couldn't help but look at the Section Chief.
"What?"
"That's..." Swallowing slightly, the man hesitated before answering. "The machine has only been running for a minute. It hasn't been anywhere near an hour."
"....."
Standing in silence, the Section Chief turned his wrist and looked at the time.
"Is that so...? Felt like an hour," He mumbled while turning his attention towards the man in white. "Whatever. Get it done quickly. This result is extremely important."
There were many portable machines that could measure the purity and attributes of a fragment. They were usually extremely accurate and took little to no time to determine the attribute and purity of a fragment.
However, while they were somewhat accurate and quick, they were not as precise as the bulky machine before him.
The machine before him was a sensor designed to measure a fragment's purity and attribute with pinpoint precision, tracking even the smallest decimal. If the small machine had a large margin of error, this machine didn't.
It was also why the Section Chief chose to come here.
He needed to test it again to make sure.
'An attributeless fragment? I've never heard of something like this happening before. Is it even usable? What will happen if I were to somehow inject an attribute inside?'
The Section Chief's breathing began to grow heavier by the second.
By now, he was certain that the other Guilds had also detected something with the fragments.
They were all probably testing them and thinking the same thing.
'Not only are the fragments incredibly pure, but if it's possible that we'll be able to inject an attribute inside, then this might be a massive game changer. But what brought the sudden change? How is it possible that the fragments have no attribute?'
A thought suddenly occurred to the Section Chief.
That...
An image appeared in his mind. It was that of a certain Jester seated behind a piano, its hands gliding across the keys of the piano.
Could it be...?
'It certainly can't be the conductor since it's already been proven that it gives out fragments of the sonorous attribute. In that case...'
Ding! Ding! Ding—!
"....!?"
The Section Chief's head snapped towards the bulky machine as one of the men in white walked up to the monitors and checked the data.
Shortly after, their expression changed, and the Section Chief's heart tightened at the sight.
As expected...
'Looks like things will get quite hectic soon.'
***
A day had passed since the gate closed.
Even now, the world buzzed with talk of everything that had happened. News channels replayed the story endlessly, and every website I visited displayed clips and highlights from the broadcast.
But if there was one thing that bothered me out of all of this...
——————
[The Jester Fanclub]
Members : 32,882
—XOXOXO! Look at this image! Isn't it so dashing!
—I know I'm not supposed to feel this way, but the way it played was so fascinating! I've already saved the music to my phone. I heard that some people have already begun to spread the music on Utify. It's starting to trend there.
—Jester! Jester!
—Omfg! I have the picture framed in my room. It's so fucking cool! A pity that they only classified the Jester as a Melas Class. Deserved more, honestly.
—Ya'll are fucking sick for this. How can you like an anomaly that killed so many people?
—Sybau.
——————
"....."
I covered my forehead while staring at the interaction of the people in the server.
How did this make any sense?
People were actually creating a fan club for an anomaly?
As I scrolled through the comments, I was surprised to find a fan club dedicated to the Conductor. It had even more members than mine. That's when I noticed there were numerous fan clubs for other anomalies as well.
"This..."
I really didn't know how to feel about this.
I wasn't even surprised by the fact that something like this had occurred. Be it this world or my previous world. People always tended to celebrate sick and twisted things. At one point, it became a trend to support a certain serial killer.
"...But I guess this part makes sense."
I looked at the music charts.
════════════════════════════
║ 97 ║ Dance of Death ║ N/A ║
════════════════════════════
Dance of Death, ranked 97...
They had changed the name and hadn't included the name of the artist, but it was clear from the moment that I played the music that it was the same exact one that I had played in the trial.
'This is ridiculous.'
Just thinking about how much money I was losing out on this was giving me a headache.
"No, whatever... I'll just focus on creating games."
Thinking about the games, my heart raced. Now that I had the Conductor with me, I could elevate my games to another level. It had become extremely clear that the recording was no longer cutting it.
I needed an upgrade, and what better upgrade than the artist itself?
"Yeah, I think it's about time that I start to think about creating my next game."
It had been a while since the Guild had provided me with the resources and VR equipment. I needed to show them some progress soon, otherwise they'd think I was wasting time.
'I've got my music. I've got my equipment. I've got my studio. The only thing I'm missing is some employees who can work with me.'
"The ones I worked with in my previous game were pretty good. I should contact them and see if they're willing to work with me on my VR game. From what I know, they seem to know more about me on the Virtual Reality system. They might help me out a bit."
I didn't waste any time.
Taking out my phone, I quickly typed out a message to them.
I mentioned working together with them again and potentially hiring them full-time.
Once I was done sending the message, I quickly sent it.
"Done. Next, I should check out how my games are—"
A certain commotion drew me out of my thoughts.
"Hm?"
It seemed to be coming from the main hall. Curious, I walked over and pushed the door open. That was when I found myself looking at a blonde man in sunglasses, his bright smile contrasting sharply with the icy stares of nearly everyone in the room.
Unbothered, he continued to walk before finally spotting the ones he was looking for.
His steps moved faster.
Eventually, he stopped before Zoey and Kyle as he slowly removed his sunglasses.
"You two..."
A large smile marred his features as he looked at two of them while waving some papers.
"Pack up your stuff. You're moving to the main island with me."
-x-X-x-
The commotion was loud.
It drew the attention of everyone present.
Along with the commotion, however, was a strange tension that spread throughout as Hermes stopped before a certain cubicle and removed his sunglasses.
"...It's been a while, you two."
He waved a couple of papers in his hand before tossing them on the desk.
"You can start packing your things. I've secured positions for both of you in the Arithmus Guild. One of the best you can get into, just a notch below the big five."
Immediately, the place fell silent.
Several eyes widened at the sight of the papers.
It had to be noted that while most King Grade Guilds were all extremely powerful, there were still levels to them. The absolute best of all the King-Grade Guilds were known as the big five, and they were all located on the central island.
On the other hand, there existed the Oak Circle, which ranked the next twenty best Guilds.
The Arithmus was one such Guild.
"...I've talked to the Guild Master there, and if the two of you can perform well in the new Guild, you'll be able to get promoted to one of the big five. Oh, and should I mention that your salaries will also be boosted? Naturally, the Guild will also be compensated for this."
As he said those words, Hermed turned his attention towards the distance where a certain figure suddenly walked in, his expression unusually calm.
"Section Chief."
Hermes bowed slightly.
"I was just talking with Kyle and Zoey about the offer. As you know, this is legal practice within the circle, and I hope you're not here to stop it."
"I'm not."
The Section Chief replied calmly.
"If you wish to scout them, then you're free to do so. However, I would've liked it if you didn't do it so openly."
The Section Chief's gaze fell on the numerous people who had gathered.
Hermes smiled then.
"That wasn't an accident."
He looked around.
"I made sure all of you saw this so that, one day in the future, if you somehow become as capable as the two of them, I can come to you with the same offer. Having once been a part of this Guild, I have special ties to it. I want to make sure all my juniors succeed."
Herme's words immediately drew a commotion.
The Section Chief's calm expression started to crumble, his brows furrowing tightly.
This...
"Oh, right."
Hermes once again set his attention towards the Section Chief.
"I was previously talking about Guild compensation. Here's the official offer from the Arithmus Guild."
Hermes handed a couple of papers to the Section Chief.
"Fifty-five million each."
"....!?"
"...!!"
The place fell silent again, the eyes of several widening in shock at the sum presented by Hermes.
"The Guild is willing to pay that much for the two of them. That would be 110 million in total. Amongst the transfer prices, while it won't place them near the top, it still places them quite high. I dare say that their value will remain like this or even lower if they remain here. I'm also aware of how the Guild is in need of funds. Think carefully about the offer. This isn't an offer that you will get often."
Taking a look around and seeing the effect his words had on those nearby, a satisfied smile crossed Hermes's face as he slid his sunglasses back on.
He looked at both the shocked Kyle and Zoey before tossing a couple of papers on their desk.
"This is the offer for the two of you. Think carefully about it before coming back to me with your answer."
Shortly after that, Hermes turned around and proceeded to make his way out of the department.
Nobody chased after him.
All eyes seemed fixed on the Section Chief, Kyle, and Zoey.
This...
Without a doubt, this offer was going to make the headlines.
***
'One, two, three...'
I looked at my fingers and started counting.
'...four, five.'
I stopped before looking back at the main area. From the sickly pale look on Kyle's face to the subtle trembling of Zoey's lips. The man came, created a storm, and left right after.
But above all...
'Fifty-five million each... That's a ridiculous amount of money.'
I wasn't all too familiar with how transfers worked amongst the Guild. However, from what I had managed to figure out, most members had a contract that ran for several years. If a Guild wanted to poach someone, it needed to make an offer to the Guild that held the member's contract.
Once a fee was agreed upon between the two Guilds, alongside the member, the transfer would occur.
There was a dedicated web page for this type of stuff.
And as expected...
[Official!] — Arithmus has made an official bid of 110 million for two key members of Queen Grade Guild, Severed Stars!
The news instantly spread.
I could already see several dozen comments appear at the same time.
●———————●
—Who? Why would they want them?
—Anybody got stats on them?
—...I actually know both of them. They're extremely underrated. If you look at their advanced stats, they're actually ranking among the top 1% in the world for those of the Fourth Order. They also appear to be nearing the Fifth Order.
—Welcome to Arithmus!
—Watch the two of them flop.
—I'm sorry, but of all the people you could've chosen to buy, you chose these two from some random island? What about Charles Malerc? He may be a bit more expensive, but he's more proven than they.
●———————●
The comments were ruthless. It was quite obvious that a lot of them came from fans of rival Guilds, but there were a lot of them.
They overwhelmed the entire place.
Especially since the Arithmus Guild appeared to be a very popular Guild.
'I didn't know things were like this with Guilds. Thank god I'm a relatively unknown person. No, wait...'
I suddenly thought about my recent performances and felt my face twitch.
Right...
Given my performance, it wouldn't be strange if some Guilds had started to pay attention to me. I would've previously liked it, given that I'd be paid good money, but after seeing all of the comments, I wasn't so sure anymore.
This felt like a lot of attention that I didn't need.
I didn't like attention.
'No, it's more like I don't like people.'
Yes, this was it.
"Zoey, Kyle."
Grabbing my attention was the Section Chief, his voice gently traveling throughout as he looked at Zoey and Kyle.
He held the documents that Hermes had given him moments prior.
"I'll be handing the documents to the Guild Leader. As key pieces of the Guild, we don't want the two of you to leave. However, we will also not stop you if you wish to leave. We'd like to have a discussion privately with the two of you later; however, if the two of you wish to leave, please let us know. We'll arrange for the transfer immediately."
This was all that he wanted to say.
Shortly after that, he turned around and left, leaving the entire room in a tense silence.
Eventually, all eyes fell on Kyle and Zoey as the two blankly stared at the papers before them.
"So...?"
I mumbled, staring at the two of them.
"What will you choose?"
-x-X-x-
The sun shone bright in Malovia.
A nice breeze wafted through.
"Hmm."
Hermes sat by a metal chair, calmly enjoying a cup of coffee.
'It's been a while since I've been to this place. The coffee tastes just as bad as I remembered.'
He looked at the sign above the cafe.
[Sweet Coffee]
It was the place he used to frequent in his younger days. It was also the Section Chief's favorite place.
Hermes was feeling great today.
Recalling the expressions of everyone present as he handed over the official offer, he couldn't help but smile.
'...If the two of them end up doing good in the Guild, it'll reflect well on me as well. This is a win-win.'
He was also not worried about the Guild's feelings or the way some of his juniors looked at him.
The amount of money that had been offered was no small amount.
It would certainly help them find suitable replacements.
"And if they end up being good replacements, in the future, I'll offer them even more money."
They'd serve as a good feeder Guild.
Thinking about it, Hermes chuckled as he took another sip of his coffee. His face scruched up a moment later, but then, noticing something, he looked up.
A figure stood on the opposite end of the table.
Two clear dimples forming in his cheeks.
Hermes placed the cup down and looked at the young man in front of him curiously.
"You are...?"
His gaze eventually fell on the uniform he was wearing, and it all suddenly made sense.
"Right. You're someone from the Guild."
He smiled while extending his hand over the seat.
"Have a seat. While I don't recognize you, it doesn't matter. Since I used to be a part of the Guild, anyone from here is my junior. Have a seat and order yourself some coffee. It's on me."
"Thank you."
The young man wasn't reserved.
Sitting down, he ordered himself an espresso.
The sight made Hermes smile.
"I guess you're not reserved. I like that."
The dimples on the young man's face became more pronounced.
"Thank you."
The coffee arrived shortly after. The young man stared at it without touching it, watching as the fumes coming from the middle of it drifted in the air.
Hermes watched everything curiously before eventually breaking the silence.
"So...? What are you here for? I'm sure you're not just here to have some coffee with me."
"Oh, no."
The young man put up an embarrassed look before taking out several papers and handing them over.
"This is my current resume. I just wanted you to see it."
"Hm?"
Hermes's flickered before he reached forward to grab the resume. He looked at the name.
Myles Holms...
He gave it a quick skim before putting it back down.
"Not bad."
He genuinely praised. The statistics and everything were praiseworthy.
However....
"Not yet good enough. Our Guild is looking for something better. You'll need to grow a little bit more in order to satisfy our standards."
"...Oh."
Myles looked a little sad by the feedback, the dimples on his face fading slightly.
Hermes slid the paper over the table.
"Still, this is not bad stuff. You've at least caught my interest. I'll keep an eye on you, and if you do end up standing up in the future, I'll present you with an offer as well."
Hermes expected Myles to look happy after his words.
But on the contrary, he looked even more disappointed. This made him frown.
"What's wrong? Is there something that you don't like about my words?"
"Hm? Oh...!"
Quickly snapping out of it, Myles shook his head.
"No, no. Not at all."
"Then...?"
"Then, ehm..."
Biting his lips, Myles looked back at Hermes. Eventually, he came clean.
"While I do appreciate your words, I don't think it'll be possible for me to stand out in the future."
"Hm?"
What was he talking about?
With the statistics he had just shown him, he'd stand out in most places. What could he—
"There's someone in the Guild who is currently performing much better than me. With him here, it'll be impossible for me to do well."
"What?"
Hermes stopped being relaxed, his body leaning closer to the table.
"Tell me more about this."
"Rather than tell you..."
Myles reached for his phone and tapped on the screen several times before handing it to Hermes.
"Here."
Grabbing the phone, Hermes looked at the statistics presented on it.
'Let's see what he's talking about. Surely it ca—'
His thoughts caught in his mind as he looked at the phone. He had to blink a couple of times to make sure that he wasn't seeing things, and as his lips parted, he turned his attention towards Myles.
"This... Is this true?"
"Yes."
Myles lowered his head, nodding slightly.
"It's true."
"....."
A deep silence followed right after as Hermes stared at the phone. Placing it down, he stood up shortly after.
"I've got some things to do. It was nice chatting with you. I'll make sure to keep an eye on you. Keep up the good work."
"Thank you, senior!"
Myles stood up and bowed.
He remained like that until Hermes was completely gone. It was only in that moment that his face completely frosted, and his innocent facade crumbled.
In its place was an extremely cold expression.
Taking his phone back and staring at the statistics, he eventually turned his phone off.
"...He should be gone after this, right?"
***
"Hmm."
I blankly stared at the ceiling above me. There were a lot of things that I needed to think about, but the most important thing at the moment was the new medicine.
The episodes were starting to occur more and more often, and the Second Order medicine was no longer helping me as much as it used to.
"Let's see."
I opened up the Third Order shop.
The moment I did, my heart nearly leaped out of my chest.
"This..."
The prices... They were absurd.
"An item costs around 300,000SP?"
Wasn't that like 3,000,000$? Ridiculous!
And that was amongst the cheapest items that were present in the Third Order shop. Looking at my own balance, I felt like crap. Let alone the Third Order shop, even the Second Order shop was too expensive for me.
Thankfully, I wasn't here for the items.
I was here for the medicine.
And soon, I found it.
———
(Recommended) [Advanced Lumenol]
: Halts the spread of Fractures for a week, providing immediate relief and preventing new Cognate Shard growth. Even has the chance of slowly recovering from fractures on Node. Process may be slow and painful.
Consumable.
Price : 2500 SP
———
Looking at the price, I nearly had a heart attack.
However, the moment I read the description, all resentment and anger passed away.
"Chance of slowly healing fractures on Node? Not just stopping them...?"
My heart raced before I knew it. My breathing grew heavier at the same time.
This...
This was exactly what I needed.
This was—
Trrr! Trrr—!
Jolting me out of my thoughts was a sudden ring. Confused, I took out my phone.
But...
"Hm?"
It wasn't ringing.
Then...?
"....!"
My expression changed as I took out another phone. An old flip phone.
Seeing it vibrate in my hand, for just a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
Oh, shit...
-x-X-x-
Trr—! Trr!
The phone buzzed against the desk, the sound rattling far louder than it should have in the silence of my room.
I stared at it. The screen glowed faintly in the dark, illuminating the words:
[Unknown Caller]
My throat tightened.
I stopped breathing for a moment, staring at the phone as the hair on my arm slowly rose.
'It's that thing again.'
This was the second time that the phone rang.
Second of three.
I was supposed to receive three calls. I recalled what had happened in the previous call and closed my eyes.
'...I previously guessed that the person on the other end of the phone was potentially trapped inside the cult that I'm supposed to find. Whether this is true or not, I don't know. However, given how the system operates in a manner where most quests are linked, I believe this to be the case.'
Thinking about the cult, I knew that they were aware of my existence.
It was also for this reason that I always stayed at the Guild and hardly went out. This was the safest place for me to be in.
But I also knew that the deadline for the quest was fast approaching.
Trr—! Trr!
Hearing the phone ring again, I took a deep breath and reached for the drawer, taking out a pen and paper.
'I'll take note of everything that is said.'
Trr—! Trr!
The phone rang for the third time.
I took another breath, trying my best to calm myself.
My hand hovered over the phone, my fingers trembling slightly.
But then—
Click.
I answered.
The line connected, and the temperature of the room dropped.
—.....
At first, there was nothing.
No sound, no breath, not even the faint static I had come to expect. Only silence. A silence so still it made the room feel emptier than before.
And then—
—...I moved.
The voice.
It was quieter than last time, almost in a whisper. However, on close attention, I could hear the strain in the voice.
—I...
My chest grew heavier.
I started to feel out of breath.
—I don't know if that was smart. But I couldn't stay there. I had to get out. I'm... I'm in a corridor now.
The surroundings started to change.
The walls of the office suddenly started to compress together.
—The walls... the same. Concrete. Rough... Cold. They press in close, narrower than before. The ground... is wet. I can hear droplets coming from above.
Drip! Drip—!
I looked up.
Droplets of water suddenly started to drip from above.
—I can't see far. There are lights here, but they don't stay steady.
Flick! Flick!
The lights above me started to morph.
They grew dimmer and started to flicker.
Alongside the flickering, my shadow started to flicker.
—I think... they're fluorescent. But they don't hum like they should. They flicker like... like they're gasping.
Flick. Flick!
The table in front of me faded, and before I knew it, I was standing.
A long corridor stretched before me.
—....
The line grew quiet for a moment as my feet started to move on their own.
I felt a certain sense of weakness as I walked. Taking a single step forward made me feel drained.
Eventually, I stopped.
My head turned.
—I see a... marking carved into the wall.
A symbol appeared on the wall.
—They look... haaa... weird. I can't describe it. The markings appear to be faded.
My hand reached onto the wall, feeling its coarse yet moist texture.
—They twist inward, but they're jagged, uneven... broken in places, as if someone carved them in a... hurry.
My hand continued to trace over the markings.
Slowly, I started to feel something. An image appeared in my mind.
—They don't look like patterns. I can't tell. Something like...
Eyes.
—They look like eyes. Yes... eyes. Eyes that never close. That never look away.
I suddenly forgot how to breathe.
Looking around me, it suddenly felt as though several dozen eyes were staring down at me from all directions, plastered on every wall of the corridor.
The temperature dropped further.
—I...
My breathing grew rougher as my feet moved on their own.
—Leave... I need to leave before it's too late. Haa...!
Ba... Thump! Ba... Thump!
A loud drumming echoed in my mind.
The walls around me started to enclose
—I think they... move. The... eyes. They're moving!
The eyes all over the walls started to move.
I started to feel even weaker.
—I need to hurry. I need to leave this place... W-where is the exit? Where is the exit?
The voice grew more desperate.
I felt the sense of desperation vividly in my chest.
I, too, started to feel the same way.
—It smells...
Suddenly, my nose scrunched up.
A certain smell started to linger in the surroundings
—It smells like iron. Like rust...
No, not quite...
—Or maybe not rust. There's another smell... present. Rotten? H-haa... W-where the hell am... I? I... want to go home.
The voice grew more desperate.
I felt that desperation, each step taking me deeper into the corridor. The eyes continued to follow me wherever I went.
And soon—
—....!?
I heard it.
The loud sound of a step.
In that moment, my entire body froze as a cold chill swept over my body.
—Haa... Haa... Haa...
The breathing in my ear grew heavier and heavier.
Before I knew it, my breathing started to sync with the one on the phone as I slowly turned my head.
And then—
Du. Du!
The phone came to a sudden end.
"Huh!?"
Almost as if everything had been my imagination, I found myself back in my own room, sitting on my chair, dazedly staring at the wall in front of me.
If not for the fact that my entire body was soaked in sweat, and the log present on the flip phone in front of me, I would've truly believed it was all fake.
But it wasn't.
It was all vivid in my mind, and I didn't spare a single second to think about the situation before taking the pen and paper and writing everything down.
From the smells to the visuals, including the weird eye symbols.
I noted everything down.
That was until I reached the last part.
I thought about the moment when I felt the figure behind me. Who was that? Did they get the person on the phone?
Even now, I felt a cold chill just thinking about it.
"No, that's not what's most important."
I looked at the notes in front of me, trying my best to calm my trembling hand. I compared them to the ones that I had made during the first call and summarized everything in my mind.
'If we go on the assumption that this is a clue to the location of the headquarters of the cult branch in Malovia island, then I can narrow down the scope quite a bit since it's on this island. So, if we take that assumption into account, and look at the notes, I can determine that the location of the hideout is somewhere underground.'
"So, somewhere underground in this island..."
I leaned back on the chair while staring at the notes. While the scope of the search had been narrowed, this was still far too vague.
Thankfully, this wasn't the only clue.
"Smell of rust and rotten. Wet too..."
I took in all the information in my mind and grabbed hold of a map.
"For it to be wet, maybe the hideout is within the sewage system?"
I thought for a moment before frowning and leaning back. This felt like a plausible conclusion. However, it was still too vague.
"...I also don't know if I'll smell such a strong scent of iron from the sewage system. This might be below some sort of iron factory? Or something of the sort?"
I began to search for several things on the browser.
Eventually, I received multiple results.
"There are about five metal factories on the island. All of them are located on the outskirts. In that sense, maybe I should go and check them out when I have time."
Still, this still felt like I was on a wild goose chase.
"The information is still vague. I'll need to do more research before deciding."
I then thought about the eye symbol that was on the wall.
Pursing my lips, I grabbed the pen and started to scribble the eye on the paper. Tapping the paper several times, I dropped the pen and took out my phone.
"Let's see if there's something in the Guild Registry."
Since I was now a Squad Leader, I had a clearance grade of (I). This meant that I could access the database that most regular members couldn't.
And as I began to search for the eye, something popped up eventually.
And...
It was almost identical.
"...I don't feel so good about this."
I felt a sinking feeling while staring at the symbol.
One that wasn't very good.
-x-X-x-
"Millwall Steel Production."
A single name appeared in my research.
Studying the symbol in the logo and comparing it to the one I glimpsed during the call, I noticed an almost uncanny resemblance.
"...It's without a doubt the same. The issue is whether it means the same thing."
I thought back to the numerous eyes that stared around me from all directions.
'Now, why would such a symbol be inscribed all over a corridor?'
Was what I was seeing truly what was being described on the call? ...Or was that just my own imagination playing tricks on me?
Though it felt as if I had been transported into that strange corridor, even taking the place of the person on the phone, the truth was that I had never left my office. It was all essentially in my mind.
However—
"Let's just go on the assumption that it's this symbol."
I was also running on the assumption that the person on the call was inside the cult. There was still no proof of that.
In fact, there was a high chance that I was wrong.
Even so, this was a risk that I was willing to take.
"Let's see."
I started to research the company.
"So they're a rather big company that runs mainly in Malovia Island? Not only that, but they've got four plants on the island?"
The information regarding the company was quite interesting. They were a multi-billion-dollar corporation that had only been established for twenty years. While Malovia Island wasn't exactly very big, it still housed five million people.
It was rich in ores and coal.
Essentially, it was the perfect place for steel production. Exploiting this, Millwall grew their company to what they were now. From the articles written, they appeared to be trying to expand their business outside of the island.
"Hmm."
There didn't seem to be anything strange with the company at a glance.
"Of course, that's how it usually works with stuff like this."
As if the company would look suspicious...
That'd make my life way easier.
"Still, it says that they have four plants."
I checked the map, and soon groaned.
"They're all pretty far."
They were all located in Zone 9, which was on the outskirts of the very island. Practically near the edge.
I had yet to be there, but from what I had heard, it was the worst zone within the city. It was filled with factories and terrible areas.
"In short, a zone that I should avoid unless I work there."
I groaned while thinking about it.
Although I didn't want to go, I knew that I'd have to go there eventually.
"For now, I should take some time to study this place. There's no guarantee that it's the place that I'm looking for, but there's no way the symbol is a coincidence."
Tapping onto the paper in front of me, I circled a couple of points.
"Tackling this mission should be on my priority list right now. Thankfully, I still have time. About three months. I won't rush things. No, it's more like, I can't afford to rush this."
The mission was a Fourth Order one.
This wasn't something that I could take on lightly.
'With the addition of the Conductor, I'd like to think that my strength has increased significantly. However, there's no guarantee that that is the case. After all, the Conductor got slightly nerfed due to my low Order.'
But this was fine.
I could increase my Order slowly.
"Right, there's also the black market. I need to find a way to go there."
I had asked Kyle, but he was quite useless. The only one who had some sort of idea about the black market was the Team Leader.
But—
Just thinking about the dinner that might come with me trying to ask her about the black market...
"I already feel like puking."
My stomach churned.
Holding onto it, I leaned back on the chair.
"Hmm. It's not like there aren't any other options."
There was the Section Chief, Rowan, and even Zoey. There were quite a few people whom I could probably ask.
'Maybe not the Section Chief, but maybe Zoey and Rowan are worth a shot.'
Well, I was in no hurry.
Or more like...
"I am poor."
I didn't have any money at the moment. Everything I had was pretty much gone.
"I still have around 60,000, but that's barely enough. With the cost of the medicine, it'll all be gone in just a week. Well... If I buy it all at once, which I might do."
I ruffled my hair in annoyance.
What I had to do next was pretty much clear to me.
"I need to start developing my new game. The Virtual Reality one."
From there, the plan was to steadily gather money while searching for the black market's location. At the same time, I needed to prepare for the next major quest. No, all of this was preparation for the quest.
That quest...
"I'm sure of it."
I was going to be the first major turning point of my journey in this world.
Whatever was waiting for me after the quest, I had a feeling that it was going to be big.
Big enough to overturn everything that I had been doing.
This was why I couldn't rush it. I needed to be extremely careful and plan my next course of action carefully.
"That being said, I should probably rest for now."
I put the pen and paper away. The same was for the laptop. I had experienced quite a lot over the past few days. It wasn't good for me to obsess over the situation. Rather... I'd probably collapse before I'd find a solution.
"I've got time."
Mumbling quietly to myself, I walked up to the door and yawned.
"...Not much, but I've got time."
***
"How are you faring...?"
Walking into a small room, the Section Chief's attention turned to the young girl sitting by a metal table, her head lowered. Despite the Section Chief's words, she didn't say a single thing and remained quiet.
Just one look at her disheveled appearance was enough to tell about her current condition.
Staring at her, the Section Chief sighed and sat opposite her.
At the same time, he tossed a couple of papers on the table.
"Just so you know, I don't blame you for what happened at the gate. It was my fault for sending you in when you're not completely healed."
Despite his words, Clara remained silent.
The Section Chief sighed again while staring at the papers in front of him.
They were essentially reports from the Guild Therapists, all of them repeating the same conclusion: "Long-term rehabilitation required. Potential retirement to be considered."
As if...
There was no way the Section Chief could agree to this.
Clara was the main star of their department. She was also extremely loyal, which was why Hermes didn't try to poach her. He knew from the start it would've been a wasted effort.
He couldn't afford to lose a talent like her.
But the situation was tricky.
'It's terrible timing, really. I thought that she would've been fine to go out after what had happened, but who would've thought that the source of her trauma would return? This really makes things difficult for me.'
The rehabilitation time was about half a year to a year. That was too long.
He couldn't afford to have her gone for so long.
Drumming his fingers over the metal table, he looked at Clara.
The moment he did, his face turned strange. A sudden thought struck his mind, and he nearly wanted to slap himself for having it. As the Section Chief, he had eyes and ears everywhere. Naturally, he was aware of a lot of things.
And because of that, he was well aware of Rowan's situation.
Thinking thus far, his expression turned even stranger.
He was certainly not going to like it.
But—
'I mean, it's also technically his job.'