It was just another boring Monday morning. The sparse rays of sunlight that found their way through the narrow gaps in the blinds did little to wake me as I slept deeply in bed. However, my serene peace didn't last long, as the cursed sound of my alarm began its daily ritual of ruining a good dream.
"Ding..."
"Ding..."
"Ding..."
I woke up startled, still half groggy, fumbling until my hand finally found the phone. Grumbling, I rolled out of bed and began my usual morning routine, preparing for another workday.
I took a warm shower, made a quick breakfast, got dressed, and in less than half an hour, I was all set to leave.
As I descended the stairs to the car, a strange feeling washed over me: the day was going to be interesting. I had no idea why, since everything seemed the same as always, but I couldn't shake the feeling. Maybe someone brought pizza to the office?
The traffic, as usual, was terrible. Living in a big city had its disadvantages. I spent most of the commute just stuck in the endless lines of morning rush hour. I had considered biking or maybe even running to work, but that would mean showering and changing there, which seemed simply too bothersome.
When I finally entered the parking lot, I got out of the car, grabbed my bag, and made my way to the corporate office where I've been working for two years. The building was a massive glass monstrosity with many floors, but it didn't stand out from the surrounding scenery, as it was surrounded by similar structures.
Upon entering, I was greeted by the receptionist, Abigail. She is a middle-aged woman who always wears large earrings and overdoes her makeup, probably more than an entire high school room of girls would need in a week. If I had to describe her simply, I'd say she's a mom stuck in an eternal midlife crisis. The reception is just a few meters from the elevators, so greeting her in the morning had become an automatic part of every employee's routine.
"Good morning, Alexander! Did you have a good weekend?" she asked, with more energy than I could process so early.
"The same as always. And yours?" I replied politely, already anticipating what would come next.
"Oh, it was great! You know, Noah and I tried..." she began, diving into a long explanation with so many details that it gave me déjà-vu from last week, when we had practically the same conversation.
After a conversation that went on far too long about irrelevant things, the arrival of the elevator was my salvation. I quickly entered, escaping as it ascended to the 14th floor.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, I was greeted by a calm and empty office space. It seemed I was one of the first to arrive today, I thought as I walked to my desk. I turned on the computer and began reviewing the emails that had arrived over the weekend.
I've been working at this office for just over two years. My job is what many would call boring, but somehow, I find it relaxing. I dive into spreadsheets, financial reports, and other tasks without issue. I'm in the finance department, and if I had to describe myself, I'd say I'm really good at what I do.
Mostly, I work with investments, and my official title is business analyst. I have a natural talent for picking the right stocks and avoiding the bad ones. I've always had a good instinct for these things.
The office slowly started filling up as people came out of the elevator. After the morning greetings and polite exchanges, the noise began to fade as everyone started focusing on what they needed to do. No pizza, I noted internally with a healthy dose of disappointment.
After finishing the more urgent tasks, I began to feel a bit tired, clearly from not having slept enough. Most people already knew I wasn't one for small talk, so they left me alone. Exactly how I wanted it.
I've always been a calm, cautious, and somewhat withdrawn person. Solitude has always been my preferred companion, so I always chose activities that didn't require interaction with others. When my dad tried to get me out of my room, forcing me to do some sport, I chose archery because I could do it alone.
Overall, I'm happy with my life. I have a well-paying job, a good family, a nice apartment, great colleagues, and, if I were to say so myself, my future looks bright. I'm not an extraordinary person, just another face in the crowd. And, in a way, I like it that way. Standing out brings unnecessary attention, and I prefer to avoid that.
When I finished my thoughts, my boss, Lucas, approached with a big smile on his face.
"Hey, buddy! The others and I are heading out for lunch, do you want to join?" he asked cheerfully.
"Yeah, sure, sounds good," I replied timidly.
I liked Lucas. He was the kind of guy people would call a natural leader. Excellent social skills, he knew how to read people and made you feel comfortable around him. He was one of the few people I would call a friend.
Following Lucas was a guy named Xavier. Big and taciturn would be the first impression, but he was actually a big softie. Apparently, he had taken care of Lucas while growing up, something like a butler or something like that.
What I knew was that Lucas's family was very wealthy. It was almost a miracle that he hadn't become a spoiled brat instead of the man he was today. He was popular in the office in every sense, especially with a certain clientele.
His good looks, imposing height, and overall charm certainly helped when it came to the women in the office. His hair always seemed perfect, his suit was always perfectly tailored, and what looked like an eternal, relaxed smile adorned his face.
We got along mainly because of his ability to keep a conversation going longer than a few sentences, even with me. The fact that I wasn't the type to cause trouble in the office but just delivered reliable results made our relationship easier for both sides.
And that's exactly why I agreed to go to lunch. Because with Lucas around, I knew it wouldn't be completely awkward.
I got up and went to the elevator with Lucas and Xavier, talking along the way about work and the meeting we'd have after lunch break.
On the way, I spotted Abigail with Noah, her husband, entering the same elevator we were in. The space got cramped quickly, as three other people were already in the elevator waiting to go down.
One of those three was Beatrice. She worked in the human resources department, which shared the space with mine. Beatrice was a year younger than me, slim, blonde, and frankly, everything I'd call "my type."
I knew this was probably because she was one of the few women my age I interacted with regularly. Two people of the opposite sex with whom I had a close connection. That was one of the reasons I never acted on emotion. Among others, of course. I wasn't really the romantic type, and my previous experience with romance hadn't exactly worked out. Well, I thought, her cheating on me with my best friend counts as "not working out," right?
So, I waved at her and said a shy "good morning," even though it was noon. I could barely contain the embarrassment, but thankfully, she seemed to take it as a bad joke.
I was perfectly aware that Beatrice barely saw me as a friend, with no romantic interest. Lucas, on the other hand, was clearly her focus. Not that I could blame her. Lucas was a great guy, no matter how you looked at it, and I simply couldn't convince myself not to like him, despite him being, unintentionally, the one-sided rival in love.
As for me, I was the kind of person who could be described as fairly average in terms of appearance. Not too fat, not too skinny, short brown hair, brown eyes, and a face that couldn't be considered either good-looking or ugly.
The only thing going for me was my above-average physique, mostly from still practicing archery for fun in my free time, even having a training field at my parents' house. This, along with my gym membership (and actually going), helped me maintain a healthy lifestyle, which started back when I still dreamed of being an athlete.
"Tring~~!
The sound of the elevator doors closing quickly brought me back to reality as we began descending toward the ground level. As my thoughts started to wander about what I would have for lunch, my train of thought was interrupted once again.
"Ding~~"
A sound, strangely similar to the elevator's, filled my head, while, simultaneously, words began appearing before my eyes, but not physically. It was as if they were in my mind. I barely managed to decipher them before I passed out.
"93rd Universe initiation confirmed. Introduction and tutorial sequence starting."
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1604 Words
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This is the first chapter of a saga where the protagonist is a selfish villain. Yes, he will kill innocent people, rape arrogant milfs, steal items from wizards, commit crimes among other things. (Not recommended for minors.) (High quality lemons.)