Click! Click! Click!
My vision was suddenly blinded and engulfed by a barrage of relentless white flashes, their brilliance overwhelming as they danced before my eyes. Accompanying this dazzling spectacle were faint yet unmistakable clicks, echoing the rhythmic cadence of camera shutters in the air.
'Uh? What's going on? Am I hallucinating?'
That seemed to be the case as I found myself inside what seemed to be an auditorium.
It was vast, teeming with a multitude of individuals who occupied every available space, filling it to the very brim.
I could feel every gaze fall on me, and I felt flustered. Never before in my life had I been subjected to such intense scrutiny.
'This is definitely a hallucination.'
I reassured myself.
Why would I even be in this kind of situation in the first place? I wasn't anyone outstanding.
'...Did I pass out? Did I perhaps train too hard?'
Yeah.
That was most likely the answer.
Wasn't the first time something like this happened.
Uh?
My attention was suddenly drawn toward the banner set by the side of the auditorium.
[Guild Master Inauguration.]
The words were meticulously etched in exquisite golden hues, radiating an aura of authority. Adorned behind these words was a striking emblem—an unfurled hawk with its talons prominently displayed, showcasing its razor-sharp claws.
'Isn't that?'
I immediately recognized that symbol. How could I not when it belonged to one of the guilds I applied to a week ago?
Knowing that I was most likely going to fail again, I applied to several jobs with some large guilds.
But that was beside the point.
In a sudden and inexplicable manner, as if guided by an external force, my body began to move with a purpose, drawing towards the heart of the stage where a series of sofas that sat atop a gray carpet was set up.
Click! Click! Click!
The intensity of the flashes and the relentless sound of shutters escalated as my body, in a calm and methodical manner, proceeded toward one of the sofas. Each step I took seemed purposeful and deliberate as if telling me, 'I belong here'.
Reaching the podium, my head slowly turned towards the audience, and at that moment, the sheer magnitude of the crowd struck me with full force.
There had to be at least a thousand people present.
"Thank you all for gathering here."
Uh? That sounds an awful lot like my voice.
As expected, this was really a hallucination.
But... despite it being a hallucination, why could I feel all my senses working?
To my surprise, all my senses seemed to operate seamlessly, as if the fabric of my imagination had been intricately intertwined with the vivid sensations of sight, smell, hearing, touch, and even taste.
It made me question whether this truly was a hallucination or something else entirely. The thought of it being something else made me feel horrified.
"The honor is ours. Thank you for coming Guild Master."
A soothing voice. One that would make you feel at ease upon hearing. Turning my head, I suddenly realized there was a man sitting on one of the sofas next to me.
Just from the voice alone, I thought it belonged to a man in his late fifties, but I was surprised to see that it was someone who looked no older than thirty. Black hair that was cut in a bob cut, sharp glasses that highlighted their deep blue eyes, and a nice gray suit.
What should I say?
Never judge someone by their voice.
"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Donovan."
The words flowed smoothly as my mouth opened on its own.
"Shall we get the inauguration started?"
"Let's do that."
"Great."
Taking out a stack of papers, Mr. Donovan looked through them for a brief moment. Then, his gaze shifted towards the audience, specifically focusing on the first row, where a group of individuals sat, each holding small notepads in their hands.
"Shall we start with the question first?"
"Well..."
My eyes glided effortlessly across the rows of individuals in the first row, and a subtle, enigmatic smile graced my lips.
"Looking at how eagerly everyone is looking at me, I feel like you're trying to peer through every secret of mine. If not for the fact that seventy percent of the auditorium is filled with men, I'd feel honored."
"Hahaha."
A wave of soft laughter erupted through the audience. In just one sentence, the entire atmosphere changed.
Was this what people called charisma?
"Well, we certainly won't go easy on you."
Mr. Donovan joked back, to which my smile turned bitter. At least, on the surface. I could tell that it was all but an act.
"Do go easy though."
"We'll see about that."
Mr. Donovan smiled before turning his attention toward one of the people on the first row.
Her short black hair framed her face elegantly, drawing attention to her features. Beneath her right eye, a subtle mole added a touch of allure, and her thin lips, painted in a deep shade of red, exuded a sense of intimacy.
Immediately after Mr Donovan's gaze fell on her she stood up from her seat and turned her gaze to me.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Guild Master. I'm Elizabeth Smith from Vanity Daily."
"Nice to meet you Elizabeth."
"Thank you, Guild Master, there's a few questions that I wanted to ask."
The conversation flowed rather smoothly as if it was rehearsed beforehand. Since I couldn't control this body, I could only listen to what they were saying.
"Everyone here knows about the journey you took to get to where you are now. From how you failed your aptitude test five times in a row and had to give up on your dreams, forcing you to pursue a different career path to how you managed to successfully initiate the careers of the behemoths of today."
Hm? Failed aptitude test five times? That sounded an awful lot like me.
"Despite your repeated failures, you somehow struggled from the very bottom and climbed to become one of the most powerful Guild Masters on Earth. My questions are, how were you able to reach your position, and how hard was life at Emblem of the Sun during your starting years?"
Emblem of the Sun?
I remember that name.
This particular guild was among the options I had considered for employment, yet ultimately decided against. It was primarily due to its comparatively smaller scale.
Compared to Knight's Crest, the guild that I chose, it was a little lacking.
Furthermore, Knight's Crest operated in the same region as where I lived. Emblem of the Sun on the other hand was quite far from where I was.
"As you may be aware, my journey didn't have a smooth beginning. Contrary to what everyone knows, Emblem of the Sun wasn't my initial Guild of choice. Initially, I actually started at Knights' Crest."
Uh?
"That's surprising to hear Guild Master. How come there's not much knowledge regarding your time at Knight's Crest? For someone as accomplished as you, I'd imagine you'd have at least done something there."
"That's because I didn't even last a single day over there."
Surprised looks appeared on the faces of every one of the attendees present. If I could've I would've also looked the same as them.
Not for the same reason as them, but because I felt that the details of this story coincided too much with my life.
As expected, this really was a hallucination.
"You were fired on the first day? How is that possible?"
The reporter's expression didn't seem to falter despite the words that were said. Clearly, she seemed to have already had an idea on the matter.
"Well, as you may know, since I failed my aptitude test, I had to change my career path. As I've always liked this industry, and spent a lot of time preparing for my aptitude test, I decided to remain here and take a managerial job in one of the guilds. Knight's Crest being the primary choice for me..."
So?
"During my first day of work, I thought everything would flow smoothly, and that this would be my new lease on life..."
But?
"I was late on my very first day of work. Not just by a few minutes, but by a couple of hours. Turns out the fuse blew and my phone didn't charge during the night, stopping the alarm from going off. You can imagine what sort of first impression I left during my first day."
Oh, wow.
Just how unlucky could someone be for something like this to happen? I wouldn't even know what to do if something like this were to happen to me.
"I didn't even bother explaining why I was late as I knew I'd leave an even worse impression. It turns out it didn't matter since I was fired not long after."
I felt my head slowly rise to stare at the audience. A small smile soon tugged the corner of my lips.
"It was that very small mistake of mine that led me to Emblem of the Sun. If not for that, I wouldn't be the man that I am today, and for that... that... that..."
What's going on?
Unexpectedly, a sudden stillness engulfed the surroundings, and everything around me froze as the world gradually started to lose color.
"...that... that... that..."
Simultaneously, the words that were once flowing from my mouth began echoing endlessly in an infinite loop.
The world before my eyes began to crumble, instilling a sense of panic as my breath caught in my throat, making it difficult to breathe. Meanwhile, an intense throbbing weighed heavily upon my head.
"Liam, are you listening to me?"
A heavy tap on my shoulder shook me out of it.
'Who?'
"Ah, it's you..."
It was Elbert. Leaning against the side of the building, he took a drag of his cigarette. A plume of smoke rose in the air.
'When did I get here?'
Last I recall...
"I was worried for a second there. You blanked out on me for a second."
"Did I?"
'Just a second?'
"Uh, uh."
Elbert took another drag of his cigarette before his head lowered and his gaze fell on my right hand. That was when I noticed it too and quietly brought my hand toward my mouth.
*Puff*
A plume of smoke drifted in the air.
As the final remnants of my cigarette dwindled away, my head started to clear, alleviating the fog that had clouded my mind.
'Was I daydreaming?'
"Since you've failed your test again, are you going to carry on with your plans of becoming a manager? While it's a pity you can't be a Star Chaser, I heard that a good manager gets paid quite a lot of money."
"..."
I didn't answer immediately. My mind was clouded by other things. Pursing my lips and staring emptily at the cigarette in my hand, I thought back at the hallucination I just had.
Just what in the world was that?
Why did it feel so real, and why did it feel so intimate with me? For some reason, I felt a certain connection to the man in the hallucination that I couldn't quite shake away.
Just who was that man, and why did his story sound so eerily similar to mine?
Did failing for the fifth time have that much of an effect on me?
I sighed and flicked the cigarette away.
"Yeah. Looks like it."