"Ah, thank god I'm finally alone."
I've always known myself to be pretty weird.
When I'm around people, my attitude becomes one that people won't approach. That's what it seemed to me. But when I'm alone, I love myself, who I am, and what I do.
Reading books.
Eating nonstop.
Being myself.
When I don't have to hide, when I'm not tense, when I allow myself to do whatever I want, that's when I love myself the best.
"I guess even illusions look down on the weak."
That was my first thought while gazing at the crowd made from illusions. I suspected that they were bodies made up of special particles and it was confirmed by a mechanical voice when I asked.
'This must be Sir Deus' ability as well.'
It seems like there was more to it than meets the eye. I've never seen or read about this kind of spatial dimension ability.
Either way, I just have to beat this test.
"Where, oh, where shall I begin?"
A sly grin crept into my lips. My muscles, especially the ones that have been tensed since earlier because of the crowd, suddenly relaxed. I dropped my guard as my confidence shot up over the skies.
'ONE SEAT IS MINE.'
That was the only thought in my head as I formulated a plan in my head.
* * *
Half an hour passed and out of the five hundred applicants, three-hundred and four were accepted. The three hundred were separated into three teams.
First, the office workers on the first floor.
Second, the field workers on the second floor.
Third, the special ops on the third floor.
The other four who were not part of those three hundred were still trapped in the test space. They were the best of the best. While some of the four were already done, the others were still fighting the enemies.
"My god..."
"Holy shit..."
"Are they even human?"
Everyone could tell the difference.
It was not because they couldn't get rid of them faster than anybody who was already done. It was just that they chose to prolong the enemies' suffering as if punishing them altogether.
Fear. Envy. Respect.
Each group that was staying on their respective floors felt these sudden waves of emotions while looking at the four screens in front of them. These half-transparent screens showed the four people trapped in the test space.
* * *
On Polly's side.
"Hahahaha! Die you fucking shitheads!"
People gulped when they heard this.
"Who the hell is that kid?"
"Crazy!"
One of the screens showed a hysterically laughing teenager with fluttering pink hair.
It was Polly.
Thin, pink threads surrounded her like a barrier, and the beings surrounding that barrier were clutching their heads as if they were experiencing a severe migraine. They couldn't take their eyes away from the laughing teenager as people suffered around her.
Some people told the others, "She wasn't like this earlier but one of the enemies slashed her cheek and it bled. After that, she went screaming like a banshee before annihilating the enemies!"
Because of this, everyone made a mental note to avoid her, and Polly, who had no idea people were watching her fight, unintentionally acquired the title 'Psycho of the Crescent Moon' from that moment onwards.
* * *
On Kaven's side.
"You reminded me of my bullies. I didn't get a chance to take revenge on them so thank you for allowing me to take it out on you."
Some pointed their shaking hands on the screen.
"Look at that!"
"Scary!"
Next to Polly was Kaven's screen.
The bodies of those who were watching him were filled with goosebumps as they stare at a screen piled with blood and bodies. In those mountains of corpses sat Kaven, with legs crossed and a sly smile on his face. His hands are clasped together like a villain in a low budget movie and his words, though spoken with a polite tone, sounded so vicious that it was scary.
Kaven would've fainted in shock if he knew people saw this side of him but thankfully, he didn't find out until much later. He just continued to sit there with a satisfied smile which looked very absolutely villainous to others.
What he thought was just a silly little revenge was horrific scenery that made people gulp in silence.
People were united in their thoughts, "He's worse than the pink-haired kid."
* * *
In the third screen next to Kaven.
FWOOOOSH!
"Ahhhhhhhh!"
Some people looked at the screen because of the sudden noise.
"Where is that?!"
"Over there!"
While some people became wary or gulped in fear, others were sweating despite the finely temperate room.
The loudest screen was responsible for this mood.
Those who paid attention to this screen were looking at a child, about twelve or ten years old by the looks of it, that was floating mid-air while the rest of the test space burned under him. His enemies were engulfed in black flames that were hot enough to make people assume that it was taken straight from hell. They were screaming for him to stop but he just stood there, coldly looking down like a devil.
"He's on another level. I've never seen black flames before," says one person who passed.
The other person agreed, "They call it Devil Flames, but I thought it became extinct?"
But of course, it wasn't extinct. The screen in front of them showed the proof of the forgotten existence. It showed the people screaming as their flesh melted in the fire.
The heat was so torturous to watch as if the people watching were burning as well.
But the flames that they felt were not hot, but cold as ice.
* * *
On the last screen.
"Kreeeeek!"
They saw a weird creature.
"What is it now?!"
"I… don't know… but…!"
The last group of people, who were neither wary, gulping, or sweating, were shivering as they stare at the last screen out of the four.
A woman who looked the eldest compared to the three was sitting in a beautiful chair made of tree roots. In her left hand was a slightly ripe apple, and in her other hand was a vine connected to the other vines behind her.
Out of all the screens, this was the only one with non-human enemies.
Behind her, wrapped in those vines were monsters that looked like scorpions but were way bigger than normal.
"Krieeeeek!"
They were screaming in pain as the vines squeezed the life out of them, but the woman was acting like she couldn't hear anything.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
She was just there, sitting gracefully as blood exploded one by one from behind her like little fireworks in the background.
One of the random people saw her lips moving and asked no one in particular, "What is she saying?"
"The plant says they're too noisy," answered someone who can lipread.
The people's mouths hung open, speechless at the breathtaking yet fearsome power of nature, but more than so was because of this woman who was smiling like there was nothing wrong with killing a creature so cruelly.
A mechanical voice interrupted everyone.
< Test is over. Congratulations to those who passed. >
BAAAAAAANG!
The four screens exploded, surprising the watchers. They then stood up more properly, muscles tensed after hearing the next command.
< A guide will be given to everyone regarding the laws of the company. In celebration of this opening, a party will be held at the end of this week. Please prepare moderately. >
SHWAAA!
An invitation for every member appeared out of thin air.
It was on Wednesday night.
There were still more than 48 hours before the party, but everyone can already feel the pressure of seeing these monsters personally.
They know factions are bound to exist between these four.
The question was, who will they choose to join under?
* * *
< Test is over. Congratulations to those who passed. >
WHOOOOOOOSH!
The familiar sensation of being warped into another space, like the one I felt before the test, enveloped me again. Drowsy, I closed my eyes and let my body be teleported to where I was being led.
"Sharp-eyes! You're here! I freaking knew you could do it!"
"Loud as ever, I see."
I was hoping to sound joyful but again, my voice failed me. Polly approached me with a bleeding cheek. Only she could approach someone like me who people would avoid.
I tried to smile politely to welcome her but she suddenly stopped.
"Hey, are you sneering at me right now?"
"…No."
I immediately frowned.
'My muscles are so tense again, I can't even smile properly.'
I looked around me to see other people apart from Polly and me inside the empty floor. They were two I wasn't familiar with.
One was a kid younger than Polly, his glossy black hair shinned like a raven in the night, and he was wearing some strange vintage clothes. He was just there in the corner, staring outside the window.
'Sheesh! Talk about introvert vibes.'
The other one was a green-haired woman wearing a fluttering white dress with some suspicious violet stains on it. She was holding a plant with both hands as she sat on the floor, gracefully adjusting the pot on her laps.
'And that one looks like she had other issues than the introvert-looking kid. Particularly on her head.'
Hmm. I'm still not used to Polly acting all-friendly to me and now there are two others?
What do I do? Should I greet them? But what would I even say? How should I greet them? They don't seem to be the type that wants to be greeted though?
I wanted to interact with them but hesitated.
Polly, naturally, did not miss this reaction.
"Don't bother. I tried talking to them earlier. Do you know what they did, sharp-eyes?"
"…No. I just arrived here, how would I know?"
For me, this wasn't meant to sound sarcastic since I just said something obvious but that's how Polly took it. She wasn't mad, no, she wasn't even bothered. She thought that I was answering her with my raw and not filtered words.
She liked it.
"...?"
'Why is she looking so happy?'
Of course, she had the wrong idea. I thought about many politely-as-possible responses in a split second and gave her the most filtered response I could construct.
This was the slightly longer version of, 'Obviously, no.' because I remembered the failure that happened when I shortened my response too much.
Polly started speaking.
"I was the third to arrive here. When I approached the seaweed-head over there and asked how was the test, do you know what she said to me?"
"I-"
"She told me, 'The plant says you should sew your mouth shut.' Can you believe that?! How obnoxious!"
"Uhm-"
"And that blackie-bastard ain't any better! He flat out ignored me!"
Social Talk, Lesson 101, learned.
Don't answer when people rant, they can't hear you. Just let them finish.
"Blah blah blah. And then blah blah blah. So I blah blah blah."
A few moments later...
After the last wave of curses, she finally stopped. The other two heard her ranting but still didn't pay her any attention.
'And I thought I was being weird for answering her earlier! knew it! Ignoring a stranger is normal.'
Unfortunately, I found out about this fact after I knew Polly's name. This means that we're no longer strangers. Which means I can't ignore her.
"Haaaaa."
"Why are you sighing? Hah! You're amazed at my talent in making nicknames, right? I know I'm awesome!"
Yeah, did you also know you're too loud---Haaaaa. The fact that they didn't attack you even after saying those nicknames out loud was even more amazing, Polly.
'Never mind. Let's just go along with this.'
"Your talent is pretty… something."
I said with a smile.
She rolled her eyes at me.
"Will you stop sneering at me?"
'Damn it.'
I stopped mid-sentence because I don't know how to praise someone!
"You're having a hard time telling me I'm awesome, right? Ah, you're being shy again."
"Mm."
Whatever. I don't care anymore.
"Hey, you're turning to a prick again!"
How would I know?! This is so complicated!
I didn't know what to say so I just shut my mouth. I heard Polly mumbling about how she's stuck in a room with a cruel woman, a kid ignores everything, and a guy who is either very shy or a prick who doesn't give a shit.
Of course, I ignored her again.
I was wondering about the same thing.
'Why do I have to be stuck here too? With them, no, with real-life people? This is suffocating!'
Thankfully, I didn't suffer for too long.
BLAM!
Suddenly, the door opened.
All of us naturally looked at the source of this. It was Sir Deus, the old guy who we saw earlier before the test. He was looking at us with those crescent eyes and a friendly smile on his lips.
"Ho-ho-ho! So, these people are the four of six phases? I wonder how you'll do on the real test?"
'What?'
No one was able to ignore him. This man, Sir Deus, said those words with a look that says he was enjoying everything. I felt uneasy, and I wasn't the only one.
"The plant is confused."
"Excuse me?"
"…?"
"What? Feces? Ha! Sharp-eyes, he just lowkey told us we're shits!"
And then we looked at Polly who seemed to be the only one looking in the wrong direction.