The room, still buzzing with the residual energy of Ray's unexpected display, felt charged with a tension that hadn't been there before. Ray, however, felt anything but triumphant. Anger simmered beneath his skin, a burning coal threatening to erupt.
His previous outburst, a testament to the wrath he was holding within, felt strangely liberating.
Eccentrics or not, they've taken it too far!
"What was that?" he demanded, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and fury. "What did you do to me?"
Kyra, her playful demeanor replaced with a serious expression, placed a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Ray. It's nothing to worry about."
"Nothing to worry about?" Ray scoffed, pulling away from her touch. "You just… you just… made me do that! Whatever it was you made me do! I had no control!"
Zorain, his eyebrows furrowed, spoke calmly. "Ray, we merely… tested your… resilience. Your ability to adapt to unexpected situations."
"Tested me?" Ray scoffed again. "You call that testing? It felt like you… I don't know… tricked me into something! And why would you want to test a porter? I am unawakened, with no strength...are...you...are you using me..for your own entertainment?" Ray questioned, his voice dripping with low and dangerous suspicion.
"How did you guys even do that? Aren't y'all porters as well?" Ray questioned, the lines on his forehead creasing as he began wondering just how the hell he ended up in this situation.
And where the hell did that bastard Eric go!
Kael, who had been observing the exchange with an unsettling intensity, finally spoke. "It was necessary," he said, his voice a low growl. "You need to learn to… to rely on your instincts. To think on your feet."
"Bullshit!" Ray's voice rose. "What about my consent? What about my choice? Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Okay, that's enough, Ray," Zorain spoke, his voice shattering the palpable tension that threatened to envelop the room.
Kael let out a low growl, his eyes meeting Ray with an unspoken challenge.
The room fell silent. Kyra exchanged a glance with Zorain, then with Kael. It was clear that they had not anticipated this level of resistance from Ray.
Finally, Kyra sighed. "We understand your concerns, Ray. We should have explained things better. We… we didn't mean to frighten you."
Zorain, ever the diplomat, added, "We apologize for the abruptness of the… the exercise. We should have prepared you better."
Kael, to Ray's surprise, remained silent, his gaze fixed on the floor.
Ray, despite his anger, felt a flicker of doubt. Their apologies, though reluctant, seemed sincere. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Look," he said, his voice calmer now, "I… I don't understand any of this. What are you? What is this place?"
Kyra hesitated, then said, "We can't tell you everything right now, Ray. You have to earn our trust. But for now, I guess we can unanimously agree, that you are officially one of us now." Kyra said, her voice cool and collected, as she glanced at Zorain and Kael for approval.
Zorain nodded, while Kael just snorted. It seemed Ray was already having friction with his new "team members."
Ray felt a surge of frustration. "Trust? After you practically experimented on me without my consent?"
Zorain, sensing the escalating tension, decided to change the subject. "Come," he said, gesturing towards a door hidden behind a heavy tapestry. "We have prepared a room for you."
The door led to a small, cozy bedroom. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating a comfortable bed draped with a soft, indigo quilt. A small nightstand beside the bed held a single, antique silver lamp. But what truly caught Ray's eye was the neatly folded clothes on his bed – a sleek small watch, laid comfortably on the red and black clothes.
"Is this what Eric said we should expect on our beds?" Ray questioned, seemingly to himself.
"Yes, when you have been accepted to the AA, you naturally get this watch," Zorain spoke, gesturing to his hand where he wore a watch, the design and color matching the ones on Ray's bed.
"You should get changed, and equip your watch, you should also try and access its features in your free time," Zorain continued.
Intrigued, Ray picked up the watch. It felt surprisingly light, almost weightless, on his wrist. As he slipped it on, a series of intricate symbols appeared on the watch face, glowing softly in the dim light.
Curiosity piqued, Ray pressed his finger against the watch face.
A small notification appeared, showing the watch was verifying his identity.
He didn't wait long though, before a holographic screen flickered to life, displaying a sleek, minimalist interface. Ray was taken aback, turning to face Zorain, who had a smug smile on his face.
Reigning in his shock, Ray scrolled through the various options, his eyes widening with disbelief.
The watch, he realized, was far more than just a timepiece. It was a sophisticated piece of technology, a miniature computer on his wrist. He could access information, communicate with others, even control certain devices remotely.
But the most intriguing feature was the "Agency" app.
He tapped on the app icon, and a new screen appeared, displaying a wealth of information. There were forums for discussions, training modules, and even a marketplace where… individuals could buy and sell unique items.
It seemed his ID had already been registered into the AA's database, as Ray thought he would need to manually do these things himself.
Trying to satisfy his curiosity, he scrolled through the available activities, his mind racing.
He could access meditation guides to help him improve his focus, learn combat techniques, even participate in virtual training simulations.
But as he delved deeper into the app, he discovered a frustrating limitation. Many of the features, including the training simulations and the marketplace, were locked.
He found a section labeled "User Information." His name, Ray, was displayed, along with a unique identification number: P017. The "P" prefix, he realized with a sinking feeling, likely stood for "Porter." He was just a… well, porter, a novice, with limited access to the full range of benefits.
Going with that knowledge, it seemed that miners had the prefix 'M' attached to their numbers, while the Awakened had the prefix ''A".
Clicking his tongue in frustration, he scrolled further down the page and found his daily schedule. To his surprise, a mission was scheduled for the following morning. The details were vague: "Peak F-Rank dungeon raid, commencing tomorrow morning- Awakends, miners, and newly recruited porters slotted as follows-
A662
A996
A521
A1111
A882
.......
M5555
M6651
M6721
M2300
M1222
.......
P053
P069
P053
P017
P162
P222
......
Further instructions will be provided upon arrival."
A long list unraveled as soon as Ray clicked the expand button on the mission.
He looked at Kyra, his eyes filled with apprehension. "What is this mission? What am I supposed to do?"
Kyra, who had let herself into his room, spoke, "Just… be prepared. You're a new recruit – this is your chance to learn the ropes – at the designated time, your watch will glow showing you the direction to take, to meet your team in their designated spot." She managed to say in one breath.
Ray, feeling increasingly uneasy, decided to press on further.
"So… how exactly do I prepare for this raid?" he asked, the question seeming to hang in the air before Kyra responded once more.
"You will get your novice equipment when you meet with your team tomorrow – just hold onto your questions for now. Everything would make sense to you when you head officially to your first mission." Kyra spoke, dragging Zorain from Ray's room, before shutting the door behind her.
"Sigh"
Ray's breath echoed around the room-The room was small, rectangular, with a single window overlooking what appeared to be a lush, overgrown garden. The air was thick with the scent of dust and something faintly floral, perhaps lilies.
The floor was a dark, polished wood, cool beneath his bare feet. The furniture, though simple, exuded an air of understated elegance. The bed, draped in a soft, indigo quilt, was a welcome sight after the tense encounter with his…roomates, his gaze, sweeping through the bed and finally on his clothes.
The sleek red and black uniform,.was a sleek ensemble of a black, form-fitting shirt and a pair of matching pants. The fabric felt surprisingly comfortable against his skin, a blend of high-tech materials that seemed to breathe.
The red accents, a bold stripe down the side of the pants and a stylized emblem on the chest with the bold words written bodly with the same colour,
'P017'