'They're good. Really good.'
Seeing them in action live confirmed my previous thoughts. Blue Daisy was a group filled with talented girls.
From the way Joana calmly assessed the situation and how seamlessly the girls followed her orders, they were a group far above average in this tier. Without a doubt, they weren't just a group created based on visuals.
They were the real deal.
"Good job girls. There's not much I have to criticize you a lot on. Almost every one of you was perfect with a couple of exceptions."
Dean didn't need to elaborate as the girls in question knew already whom he was referring to as evidenced by the slight turn of their heads.
"Olivia… I really don't know what to do with you. This isn't the first time you pulled this kind of stunt."
Not the first time?
"I don't really understand what goes through your mind, but please stop taking things lightly. I get that you're way stronger than the monsters you were up against, but because your posture wasn't correct, you were pushed back further than you should have been pushed. Sloppy."
Dean let out a visible sigh while covering his forehead with his palm. His eyes drifted toward Sarah.
"…And you. I can't really say you've performed badly since you've followed all the instructions carefully, but as we've discussed before, you need to switch your sword or improve your body."
He tapped onto the screen which shifted and images of the fights replayed. I carefully looked at the monitor. That's interesting...
"I'll go into more detail later since you guys are in the middle of a dive, but looking back at the eye test, Sarah, your eyes move faster than your body wishes to move. I can clearly see that your choices aren't wrong, but it's your body that can't keep up with your movements," pondering for a second, Dean added. "If this doesn't improve, I think we might need to cut down on how much candy you eat."
Oh wow. I think this was the first time I've seen someone this terrified in my life. Staring at the monitor and seeing Sarah's entire face paling, one might think she had just seen her life flash before her eyes.
Yet, all that happened was Dean telling her he might cut down on how much candy she could eat if her situation didn't improve.
Did she really love candy that much?
"Alright, I think that's enough of me for now. Collect all the cores and rest for a bit. Since we aren't going for time, make sure you're well rested."
Click—!
Dean turned off the coms after that and sighed, tiredly slumping on one of the chairs behind him.
"Haaa… I can finally rest too."
He looks really tired.
"Were you busy these past few days?"
"These past few days? Pftt. As if. It's been like this since I've started. I haven't slept more than four hours each day for at least a year."
"Uh?"
At least a year?
That… wasn't that practically unsustainable? I heard that an adult needed at least 7 hours of sleep to function properly… for him to only sleep four… I shuddered at the bleak future that lay ahead of me.
"Don't look so scared. You'll get used to it after a month. Don't worry. Save for the occasional hallucinations, there's no real side effect."
"…"
Should I just go ahead and quit?
Quitting two jobs on the first day… that would be a new record, wouldn't it?
"You're not thinking of quitting, are you?"
"I'm contemplating it."
"Don't. I need you. If you actually leave, I might be forced to sleep three hours a day."
"It's that bad?"
"That bad."
Seeing how serious he was, I could only reluctantly nod. While I did not actually intend to quit, I was becoming more aware of how burdensome the path I chose was.
"We'll be starting back in a couple of minutes, if you want to go to the bathroom or take a quick coffee break, I suggest you do so now. In fact, why don't you go and get me one as well? I think I might just fall asleep if I don't get some coffee."
"Sure."
I stood up and rubbed my eyes. Having only slept for a few hours, I too needed some coffee.
"Alright, I'll wait for you here. If you don't make it in time, I'll have to start without you. Make sure you're on time."
"I'll try."
"Don't try, do it."
I spread my arms in exasperation.
"Alright, I'll do it."
"At it."
Closing the door behind me, I sighed before heading to the nearest coffee vendor. Because it was my first time here, it took me several minutes to find the place. In the end, I did manage to find it, but there was a problem…
"Aish. This… why does everyone want coffee at this hour?"
The line.
There were at least ten people ahead of me. Checking the time and seeing that two minutes had already elapsed, I started to turn around and return, but not before suddenly pausing.
'Hmmm, isn't that?'
I couldn't miss it even if I wanted to. A man with striking ginger-colored hair and a well-groomed thick mustache stood in line, his disheveled appearance accentuated by a slightly protruding belly and a gray suit. Currently, he was glaring at his phone with an expression that didn't betray his irritation.
Director Lawrence.
He looked exactly the same as when I researched him.
'As expected, he really is here.'
Should I just go?
I checked the time and saw that there were only a few minutes to spare.
He'll get mad if I arrive late, but…
I grit my teeth. Fuck it, it doesn't matter if I get in trouble. If I can get this opportunity, I'm sure he'll forgive me one way or another. I couldn't let such an opportunity go to waste, especially not after hearing what was said in my visions. If they were true, then this was a golden opportunity for the girls.
"This fucking bullshit. Why aren't they answering my texts? Are they playing hard to get?"
As I approached him, I could hear him swear, and I became slightly hesitant. He wouldn't curse at me if I approached him now, would he?
"These arrogant pricks. Just because they're Tier 5 doesn't mean that they can treat us like shit. The amount of money that we're giving them is already far more than what they make with a regular stream, and yet they still don't take us seriously. Arrogant bastar—"
"Excuse me."
"I'm not being loud. If you don't like it, deal with it."
"Are you Director Lawrence by any chance?"
"What in the…"
My words seemed to have caught him off-guard and his mouth quickly shut. I took the opportunity to quickly speak.
"So it is you. I'm a big fan. Dungeon Seekers truly is the platform of the future."
"Is that so?"
Director Lawrence's mood seemed to improve at my compliments as his face relaxed.
"I didn't expect there to be people who'd recognize me. Our platform isn't that big."
"Yet."
I added while smiling.
"Director, I can see that there's a huge potential in what you're working on. Honestly, I've never seen such a convenient platform to watch Dungeon clips exclusively. All other places are a mess. What you've done will definitely set a standard for the future."
"Hahah, I'm glad you think so."
The Director bashfully scratched the back of his head. My compliments seemed to have alleviated his bad mood.
I think it's time.
Pursing my lips, I retrieved one of the business cards Dean had given him and presented it to him.
"In light of what I just said, I'm currently managing a group. Blue Daisy. They may only be a Tier 1 group, but I believe they have tremendous potential to grow."
Words started to flow out of my mouth as I tried my best to advertise them. From what I had seen during the dive and the information that I received beforehand, I started to lay out everything for him.
"The girls may not have had any success just yet, but I really think it's because they haven't been exposed to a proper audience just yet. Not only do they have the looks, but they're also very skilled."
I showcased brief clips of the girls as I talked. Having spent a better part of my time analyzing the girls, I wasn't as lost as I was back in Knight's Crest. Their advantages, what stood out about them, and their personalities.
I was flawlessly telling him about all their good points. Even I was surprised by myself.
"This is a bit unexpected."
It was good that the Director's mood was better as he listened to everything that I had to say, and judging from his facial expression, he seemed somewhat interested.
"Blue Daisy, right? They do seem like a promising group. Especially that young girl. Just her cuteness can attract a lot of viewers."
"Yes, I totally agree. Not just her, all the girls look really nice."
"You're from Emblem of the Sun, right? The same Guild that manages Darkness Overload?"
"Yes. Them."
If there was one reason why Emblem of the Sun could be considered a large guild was primarily due to Darkness Overload—their only Tier 5 group.
"Hmmm... Maybe instead of them, I could try for them..."
Director Lawrence seemed to fall into thought and I held my breath in. Suddenly, my back was soaked in sweat as I anxiously awaited his response. If he answered positively, then I'd finally be able to turn the girls's fate around.
Feeling his gaze on me, I straightened my back and waited for his answer. Soon, his mouth parted open and my mouth went dry. What was his answer going to be? Will he agree?
I felt butterflies in my stomach.
"I thi—"
But just as his mouth parted open, the world around me darkened.
'Uh? What's going on?'
"I guess you're right. I still feel that it's a pity though."
What? Another vision? I was just about to close in on the deal, why now of all times?
"Guild Master, now that I look at it, even though you say it's a pity, do you really think you would've been able to clear the dungeon?"
"…No."
Eh?
My mind blanked, and my ears pricked up as I strained to hear the words that were being exchanged.
"Even though I did say that it's a pity, I know full well that it would've been impossible for my team to clear that dungeon. It would've been without a doubt a great opportunity if it was with my previous group. The same couldn't be said for the group I got assigned to at Emblem of the Sun."
"Why is that?"
Time seemed to have stretched all of a sudden.
I felt everything around me stop as I awaited the crucial response. An intangible sensation coursed through me as if my non-existent heart was pounding within my chest, intensifying the suspense to an unbearable level.
I then felt my mouth pry open, as the words I awaited fell from my mouth.
"…Because a red-ranked boss monster appeared."
Boom. In a sudden burst, it felt as if an explosion reverberated within the depths of my mind. The world around me froze, caught in a suspended moment of stillness. Everything before my very eyes disintegrated into fragments, crumbling away into nothingness.
"Hello?"
I saw Director Lawrence before my eyes. Glancing around, I was back in front of the cafe.
"As I was saying, I think the girls look rather promising. I like their visuals and their skills. However, as you probably know, I'm not the guy who makes the decisions. I'll have to contact the higher-ups to make this work, and that's not the most important thing. Just their skills are not enough. I need something from them that can make them stand out. You sh—"
"Can you excuse me for a moment?"
"Yes?"
"Something suddenly came up. I have to apologize to you in advance. Please take my card. I have to go."
I bowed as much as I could before turning around and leaving. With each step I took, the faster I became, and before I knew it, I was running back at full speed.
"Damn it."
My breath grew haggard with each breath, and my legs felt like lead. Every single second felt like an eternity as I rushed toward the watch room with all my might.
I... fucked up.
I had been far too excited with the prospect of possibly knowing the future that I neglected to realize that I only received a part of what I was supposed to see. I had been too hasty.
Greedy.
…and that might ultimately cost all of us.
"Fuck."