{Mercenary Exempt?! What the law doesn't want you to know.}
{Mercenary Expedition Gone Wrong: 30 dead, 57 injured.}
{Why Mercenaries are a plague, and what should be done about them.}
Eron scrolled through countless articles. This very moment he used his phone more than before. Light reflecting off his eyes, information swirled through his brain.
After his encounter with a strange individual, he regained his determination to continue forth. Struggling so hard for so many years, and he was going to let one thing stop him? How pathetic! When he heard about the Mercenaries he believed it to be similar to what he had been doing. A simple way to continue making money. So before the tests or whatever occurred he decided to do some research to make a good impression.
It was horrid. Death, injuries that could cripple a person, abuse of power, the endless drama and hatred that seemed to surround the career. Killing, thievery, the high mortality rate, the horrid reality to those who first join. Nothing good came from being a Mercenary, that was the message that was being said everywhere.
The joining rate of the Mercenaries was dwindling every year. Either through the death of beginners or the tightening restriction on entry requirements. Just about everything was negative. His initial excitement was gone now. After all how could he be excited after reading all of that? When you can barely find anything positive, is that not a bad sign?
Becoming a Mercenary? How could he have been so foolish? He nearly signed his death warrant!
Turning his phone off he sat on his old creaky bed. Now that his excitement was calmed with a cold bucket of reality, he needed to think of something. Bills continued to be a problem. Without a method to pay them his future would look quite bleak. Despite his constant job looking he never was able to find a source of steady income and he wasn't sure he would be able to now.
Stress slowly began to build up and he violently exhaled. There was no point in letting his thoughts simmer. It was time to do the one thing he knew how to!
He had time, around a week specifically. He needed to find a steady job, and without the OJA taking up the majority of his time he could spend more looking for one! Wasting away the hours was detrimental. Now he would double—no—triple his efforts! Every waking moment will be spent towards searching for a way to make money!
Cleaning up himself in the mirror he double-checked his appearance. Everything looked good, so it was time to act!
Opening the door he felt the cold air touch his nose first. With determination brimming in his eyes he stepped forth!
*****
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Put me on the list for the supervisors."
"You'd have to be-"
"I'm aware."
"Ah alright then, enter your identification on the panel in front of you."
Beeep~
"Oh! I didn't realize someone of your caliber would visit all the way out here."
"I have my own circumstances."
"I'm sure they would be ecstatic to hear! Is there anything you wish to request?"
"Anonymity."
"Oh. . . I can do that. But that would mean you can't actually be in person."
"I intend to watch through the cameras."
"Then if you don't mind me asking. . . ?"
"I hope to find someone, if I do I will ask them a few questions, otherwise I will leave quietly."
"I understand, I'll make the arrangements."
"Thank you."
"You are aware of the date?"
"Of course, just make sure I'm on the list."
"Certainly sir. It will all be done."
They nodded and left the building without another word. A coworker approached and asked, "Who was that?"
"Someone who shouldn't even be on Umbra-1A, there's no reason a Mercenary like him should be even in this backwards planet."
"That doesn't answer my question!"
"An ex A-ranked Mercenary."
"A rank?! But there's less than thousand of them! What the hell is one doing here?"
"Didn't you hear me? It's an 'ex A-ranked'."
"Are they retired?"
"I don't know! We don't have the qualifications to know that!"
"Then how do you know he's an ex A-ranker?"
"Because he holds the requirements to oversee our whole operation! I don't know why he just wants to be a supervisor."
"How long is he staying?"
"Apparently just for the testing."
"Damn! That's a shame. If we could get some attention here maybe our funding could be improved."
"Even if it was you wouldn't get a raise."
"Oh screw you!"