The soft voice of Jean asking a question was barely heard over the loud shouts of the people fighting close by.
The miniature war kept waging on between some of the remaining people with high constitution. The fight wasn't as meaningless as it was before. At this point, the fight was actually a fight over whoever gets the spoils of victory.
At this point in time, there were two sides. The righteous that guarded the others and the ones that wished to inflict harm. The latter were the ones that started the fight in the first place, while the former was the group which fought on self defense.
The purpose was confusing until this moment when one of the latter group went for an unconscious girl, stripping her of her clothing.
The act was caught by many of the others and they quickly fought the person away.
Just as this happened, most of the people there stopped in their tracks, staring in front of them. Something attracted their attention.
The others that weren't attracted by this took the opportunity to land free hits, raging an even more awkward war, where everyone's attention was mostly lost and their eyes blank.
Jean and Ajax who have long stepped far away from the confusing fight started exploring the dark lot with their bare feet.
Jean was always watching the floor in front of her, avoiding stepping on any rocks.
When they were sufficiently far away from the fight, they walked to one of the exploration groups which stood in their spots.
It was around this time when in front of everyone, a thin blue square appeared.
Ajax finally responded to Jean's question once his Job was selected. "I have no idea."
He sighed and inspected what appeared.
[Job Selected!
You are a Criminal.]
Jean's eyes seemed to light up as she yelped. "Look, Ajax. Look!"
She seemed to be pointing at something in front of her, but nothing was there.
Ajax put on a smile and shook his head. "I can't see what you're talking about. If I could, I wouldn't need you to tell me to look."
Jean furrowed her brows for a moment, then her eyes lit up as she realized something. "I'll just tell you; it says, 'Job Selected!' then it says, 'You are a detective'! Isn't that amazing? I'm a detective!"
Ajax mustered all of his facial muscles' capabilities as he remained smiling. "That's awesome!"
Jean turned her head to the side. "Don't make fun of me."
Ajax chuckled and comforted her, "There is nothing strange with wanting to be a detective. I'd say it's, in fact, very cool and impressive. I know this one friend before we came here… He was able to figure out the most complicated and confusing mysteries I created. Too bad he isn't able to figure out this mystery and conundrum we're in right now."
With that, Ajax sighed and looked very disappointed.
The neon blue square stayed hovering to his right as he glanced at it and Jean a few times in a somewhat tense manner during his act of rubbing his temples.
Jean pursed her lips and looked at Ajax for a few seconds. She put her index finger and thumb on her chin as she contemplated. 'Weren't we kidnapped? Then what is this thing in front of me that says I'm a detective? How did it come to exist? I don't see any immediate danger in this...screen. It resembles a computer screen greatly.'
With the "training" she received from her father which was mostly just games in his eyes, she learned to connect many seemingly different points and form conclusions. These conclusions were always completely bold.
"We're in another world!"
Ajax immediately shut down her conclusion, with an inward sigh of relief that she didn't push on asking about his 'Job'. "No way."
Jean puffed up her cheeks and crossed her arms. "Oh yeah? How come?"
Ajax chuckled and corrected himself. "It's not possible to travel to other worlds. Of course, I don't have much understanding of this field so it could quite possibly be under wraps and surely exist with the help of some sort of machine. Well, now that I think of it, it's not too bad of an assumption."
Then he stuck his thumb up to Jean and then sighed, shaking his head. "But we have to focus on other things right now. How do we get food and water?"
Jean clearly was happy with the sign of approval from Ajax. "Maybe we can get it from following these roles? Or should I say Jobs?"
As Ajax seemed confused on how she arrived on this conclusion, she continued. "Let's say we're not in another world. Now if we're in a place like this, there's only two reasons which are pretty much the same: We were kidnapped by a group of people with sadistic desires or we were brought here by researches who wish to test technology.
These are pretty much the same as both kidnapped us and obviously want us to follow the 'Jobs'. After all, we couldn't even choose what 'Job' we get."
As they contemplated this for quite a bit, exchanging a few points with each other, they heard a shout from ahead of the group they were following behind. "There's an exit!"
Both of their ears perked up in their state of being lost in thoughts.
An exit?
This didn't match any of their assumptions.
'Maybe she's right about us being in another world?'
A slight commotion broke out as the two followed the group hurrying ahead.
One person near the back of the group fell behind intentionally as he looked at Jean and Ajax. "I saw you guys talking."
Jean and Ajax shared eye contact as they saw they were equally confused.
The person with recessed eye pockets, a thick nose, and bronze tanned skin chuckled as he apologized. "My name is Jordan."
Jean and Ajax simultaneously shared their names.
While scurrying to catch up with the rest of the group, Jean pulled her white shirt down and nodded.
Ajax similarly nodded with a sincere smile. "Nice to meet you."
The exchange was somewhat awkward, so to clear that air, Jordan cleared his throat. "So, what do you guys think?"
For some reason, Jean seemed uninterested in speaking as she kept silent, looking straight ahead.
Ajax, who was usually very expressive with his body language, had to minimize the unnecessary movement as they were walking so quickly. "About what's going on?"
He paused and chuckled as if recalling something after seeing Jordan nod. "Personally, I'm not very sure, but I'd say we were kidnapped. Jean here, though, says we might be in another world."
The silent Jean looked away, somewhat embarrassed. Ajax laughed seeing this.
Jordan raised his eyebrows. "That is a possibility!"
Jean showed approval as she smiled smugly. "Of course it is."
They chatted about the subject quite a bit as they walked for quite a while.
Seeing the three talking, another person looked behind as he excitedly asked, "Hey, what Jobs do you guys have?"
Jean and Ajax hesitated for a moment.
Jordan quickly intercepted, "Don't mind Billy here. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
Billy, who just asked the question, looked angrily at Jordan for a moment. As he caught up with the group that slowed down, he turned to walk backwards. He looked at Jean and Ajax. "Of course you have to!"
Seeing no response, he rolled his eyes, silently muttering, "Boring people."
Jordan chuckled as he suddenly looked ahead, above the heads of the others as he was tall enough. "Oh, we're here!"
Jean took large breaths as she looked on ahead with Ajax who seemed minimally stressed by the long brisk walk.
They were brought to another wall and in between two pillars was an enormous stone double door at least 5 times their height. It was decorated with impressively carved marks that drew out flowers with sharp ends.
Everyone silently exhaled at the grandeur of the door.
Ajax looked to his sides as he saw everyone fully taking in the attractive carvings. With awe, he said, "A parking lot for giants and now a door for giants…"
A few people expressed their agreements as Jordan glanced at Ajax, slightly nodding.
With aching stomachs, a few at the front of the group quickly went on to open the door without any hesitation after hearing that comment.
Everyone behind silently watched and discussed what could be on the other side.
"A huge forest?"
"An ocean that stops us from going anywhere?"
"Maybe an abandoned city in ruins after a radioactive blast?"
"Haha, imagine we can't open the door at all."
"Hey, don't jinx it!"
The door took some effort to creak open with many slamming into it. As it creaked open a large road with buildings on its sides welcomed them. Cloudy skies and gray moonlight with more dust in the air.
It was clear they were, as one person said, in a city's ruins.
The road continued on for very long into a highway that went above the ground, intersecting with other roads.
It seemed to be even worse outside than back where they were.
Then, something caught one of their eyes. It was some sort of blue force field in the distance. All they saw was some transparent large blue bubble wrapping the parking lot they were in.
Jean noticed the same thing and couldn't help but ask, "What is that?"
Ajax shrugged his shoulders and Jordan had his eyes glued on the bubble. "An advanced electric fence?"
Everyone was very uncomfortable standing next to each other with the clothes that could easily reveal their bodies, so they quickly spread apart to the point of some suddenly deciding to walk towards the edge of the bubble.
The curiosity of humans was a deadly trait, yet a trait that allowed them to survive as they simply adapted to different ways of pursuing that curiosity.
Soon, only a few remained while walking to the bubble as some turned back.
The few figures became very distant as they came very close to they'll bubble. Ajax watched the reaction of everyone become more and more uncomfortable to the point of some wishing to return back which most did.
He also saw others watching like him and waited.
Soon they passed through the bubble perfectly intact.
Ajax titled his head and looked at Jean to his side which was constantly adjusting her t-shirt. "It's a light show?"
Suddenly something leaped out from the top of a building. It seemed to another person.
Seeing the person, most people shouted in concern, but that person didn't hesitate in the slightest. They flew down towards one of the people who walked through and landed on them, softening the landing for them somewhat, but crushing the person underneath.
Then that person that jumped groaned as they bit into the person's skin, ripping it out with their teeth.
Shouts of concern turned into shouts of pure horror as many watched intensely, subconsciously stepping back in fear.
Ajax widened his eyes as a smile sneakily crept on his face when everybody was distracted. 'Interesting.'