There was something knocking on my head all morning. From the moment I woke up to the moment I entered the team's section... then it stopped—
As if it was all my imagination.
"Good morning, team leader."
The team leader was already there when I walked in, smoking that same weird smelly cigarette. The smell wasn't bad. It was just unusual … like ground herbs or something.
"Good morning, kid." He turned to face me, then gave such a side smile. "Seems that you've got out of luck yesterday?"
"Yes. Unfortunately. " I put my bag on the side table while doing my best to get past the feeling of forgetfulness. As if I had forgotten something very important and I didn't even have a clue about what it was.
"Failed to contain the situation?"
"Yeah, the assigned team failed."
"Nothing new." He didn't seem surprised at all. "I'm glad that you came out fine."
...
I didn't respond to that... as if the knot in my heart made me speechless.
I'm glad that you came out fine...
Did I even wait for anyone to tell me that? Or I lost my hope a long time ago?
"Can I ask a question?"
"You have lots of questions, kid."
He didn't make it an obvious 'No.', so I continued.
"Does the company have any item to decide if something is human or not?"
"As long as I can remember, team A's leader has an item of that kind. A necklace to be specific... no records of any other thing."
So, can I borrow it? Or there's no hope?
"Still, if you got into three or more Vessels and came out with gems of a containment rate above 70%, you'll have the chance to make your own item... it doesn't always give the result intended, but it gives something at least."
"Understood. Thank you."
I got my tablet out and opened the database to check how many Vessels I entered.
What I found there?
Zero.
I inhaled, fenced in my fury, keeping it contained.
They didn't even record the two I entered! as if they weren't acknowledged! How could they do such a thing?
"They don't record it unless you entered it with a formal team."
The team leader made a comment, maybe after he saw my shocked expression.
"Is there anything I can do to have the items without going into these protocols?"
"This is something you must figure out on your own."
"Right..." I couldn't just make the team leader answer every question I have.
"Did your watch work?"
"My watch— oh, yes. It's fine."
That specific question made me realize what was the thing I forgot... and that realization was enough to cover my body with cold sweat.
The System—
I forgot to check it after!
And as if it just needed me to think about it, it appeared again.
Three panels, three different topics.
[Forest house Mission:
•State: success.
•Rewards: a memory, 30 S.P. points.
•Any further information: the forest house is empty now, waiting for his owner to come back.]
The mission's panel hadn't any special information, or any helpful one... what I shall even do with the fact that the house is waiting?
The second wasn't any better either.
[◇Personal information: ■■■■■■_■■■_■■■■
◇Access to the items shop: allowed.
◇specialization: Access isn't allowed.
◇S.P.: 30.]
It's quite different from the one I saw yesterday but still unhelpful. Except that shop thing.
The third was the smallest... and the most summarized one.
[Would you like to invest in your specialization with S.P.?]
I quickly repeated 'no' in my mind until it changed.
[Would you like to spend your S.P. in the item shop?]
That was a shock since I didn't think that the S.P.s would help in that.
I thought 'yes'. Then all three panels vanished, and the new one showed itself.
[With your current S.P.s, you can buy:
◇black hat: can make your hair look different. It may stay in your head in case of overuse. (30 S.P.)
◇smart alert: will inform you if something bad gonna happen in the next 10 minutes, two times only. It may decide 'bad thing' differently. (30 S.P.)
◇Random item: you may get something good, You may have nothing as well. (30 S.P.)]
With thirty seconds of thinking, I picked the last. The other two were typically useless.
Something new appeared within twenty seconds after.
[Random item: magic ring!
It could hide any part of your body.
Use alert: using it for more than three hours could cause dire consequences.
Rank: C.
Original S.P. needed: 500.]
A silver ring fell in front of me. It didn't seem special nor eye-catching, so I wore it. After that I thought about making my hand disappear, then it did disappear.
I was still feeling it and could touch and move things normally but no trace of it was there... and while I was doing that, I did recognize what kind of nonsense I've done so I took the ring off and put it in my belt's pocket.
Ha—
"Don't keep up with this craziness, Nathan. Stay awake."
Stay awake, stay awake, stay awake.
Don't let these things and its peculiarity draw you in. You're leaving in a month, nothing will change that.
"Nathan." The team leader called me out. "You have a mission, since Johan won't come today."
"Yes, what shall I do?"
"Go to the department's main office and get the records of the last month. They won't give it unless someone goes and gets it himself... Harboring hatred to the last moment."
That last sentence made me curious but I kept it to myself.
"Okay." I stood up, then remembered that I didn't even know where to go. "Where was that office?"
"8th floor, section 4."
"Understood."
When I'm on my way, a question came to my mind: How could I gain more S.P.s? Were there any specific conditions or tasks to gain it?
The answer took me out of guard by appearing in front of me.
[To gain more S.P.s you should finish more missions]
"Do I have the right to reject missions or I'll find myself there like last time?"
[You have the right to reject.
Last time it was a Penalty of failure]
Nice.
That was good news... extremely good news.
Agh—
I can't keep up with this.
"Okay, is there any item in the shop which allows the user to know if a thing is a human or not?"
[Sun glasses: could make you 'see' if someone is human or not. Using too long could cause blindness.]
"How much do I need for that?"
[1000 S.P.s]
How funny—
The last mission gave me thirty. Giving up on that curiosity is the easiest option.
Although I wouldn't know how to treat Hero then, that's better than being involved in crazy things.
'Hero, again'
Thinking of that boy was enough to make my body cold.
Ding—
The elevator doors slid open on the eighth floor. I stepped out, glancing around to see whether the people there were normal or hiding behind strange masks… Relief washed over me when I saw their bare faces.
The idea of dealing with demons and animal heads' people made my stomach churned.
"Here is Nathan from Team E. I came for the records."
I made a notice when I reached the office. No one gave me any kind of attention, despite that they've heard me.
Ah—
That was how our team was treated here.
How pitiful.
"I need the records, where can I find them?"
I repeated myself while trying hard not to show bored expression, but I failed.
This time also, they heard me, but none made a move.
So I made the move.
"I wonder if I must report it to the HR or something now." I hummed, pretending that I'm thinking about it seriously. "You may think: 'Really? Are these records that big of a deal for you to call the HR?'. One try must be enough to see, don't you think?"
Somehow, all of their attention was on me this time. All of the eight people there gave me dismissive looks, as if I were rambling about things far beyond my level.
"As if the HR team has time for someone like you? What do you want to say? They made me wait and treated me as nothing?"
Laughters fill the air after.
"Because of what?" I asked, looking at them one by one before landing on the team leader. "What can make any human being treat another one this way, Classes? Position? Status?"
A dry small laugh came out of my mouth.
"Same department, different teams... what gives you the right to stand above the others?"
"Keep talking and you'll have a hard time in this company, along with your team, young man."
"You must get used to it. Being in that team won't do you any favor."
"Don't make it a big deal and wait till someone gives you those records eventually."
...
"Am— So, putting it in other words... you're threatening me? And not even considering giving me the records you must have sent by yourself through the emails long ago?"
I took my phone out of my pocket then continued.
"Here it is. I've sent the HR department a voice recording of what we've talked about just now... oh, let me add a post script: I just needed to do the report of that B Vessel but I can't even get anything to start with."
The last sentence was completely off topic, but who cares.
If the HR or the company itself considered me as someone worth investing in, then they would do something about this… Maybe out of fear that I could leave soon, or out of fear that I would do something crazy in response... each would do, since I've already made a plan in case of being dismissed.
"...Nice try."
"Yeah, figuring things out early is good."
It was obvious that they thought I'm being irresponsible, which was true. Hence, I only gave them a smile before leaving without the records.
Two hours later, the news of what I've done the last day in the Vessel was all over the place, aside with some crazy rumors about forcing my opinion on that green-demon woman from HR and being the main reason eight people were punished for breaching the company's ethical guidelines.
The records, though, had been sent to my team leader within two hours, with a sincere apologies and a notice that the records would be sent on a daily basis.