There were so many things I wanted to do, yet I had so little time. I was swamped.
"Boss, I’ve completed my part. I think it’s ready for testing."
"....I’m not done yet. I need more time. Also, it seems like we will need this software, but it’s quite pricey. Do you think we can afford it?"
"Boss?"
The mornings were all about the game.
From the moment I was allowed to enter the Gate, my team and I got ready to work. There was so much to do and so little time.
’If not for the fact that I need to do this in order to unlock the new feature of the system...’
I could only bite the bullet and continue working.
"Do we really have to test out the new game?"
"...I think we can wait."
"Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. What do you say, Squad Leader?"
"No."
The afternoon was spent on squad building and game testing. I had my squad enter the capsules and run the games over and over again. On a good note, their progress was quite good. They were no longer as scared as they had been and could go through each scenario without issue, but they were still not strong enough.
If my goal was to aim for the top, then they were still not good enough for that.
They were still lacking compared to the other teams in the Guild.
If I had to put a ranking on our team, we were probably the sixth or seventh best of twelve teams. This wasn’t bad, but it was far from ideal.
’Thankfully, Ariel is here.’
She was the difference maker.
In terms of strength, she wasn’t stronger than Kyle or Zoey. She was just a little bit shy of the ’Fifth Order’, but it wasn’t her Order that set her apart from the others. On paper, she was supposed to be the most useless member on the team, given her Decree, ’Whisperer’.
It was a brainwashing type of Decree.
One that only worked on humans.
Nevertheless, it was that very same ’useless’ Decree that made me believe in the idea of reaching the top with this team. If utilized properly, alongside the capabilities of every member, although slim, I was of the belief that we could receive a very high ranking.
’I’m also glad that she’s been behaving.’
The original Ariel that I knew was a total psychopath. One that was far worse than the rat or anyone else that I had met.
She was crazy enough to make me shiver at the thought.
’...I’m happy that she’s not like this, but I’m also worried.’
I looked at the monitor in front of me, where several windows displayed the situation inside each member’s capsule. I could see Joanna, Mia, Nora, Niel, Sarah, Min, and Ariel.
They were all doing well.
...All with the exception of Ariel.
She was struggling, but I didn’t expect much considering that she thrived in group settings.
The reason why I was paying so much attention to her was because of her expression.
It was so indifferent. So unlike the Ariel that I knew.
’For her to turn like this, I don’t know what the Guild Master did. Did he brainwash her? Threaten her? Just what in the world did he do to her to turn her like that?’
Whenever I thought about the Guild Master, I would get a strange feeling.
On one hand, I felt a strange sense of admiration for him. He was both incredibly skilled and decisive.
On the other hand...
I felt wary.
I never knew what he was thinking, nor what sort of methods he used.
Could he also turn me like that if he wished?
’No, I don’t think so. He would’ve done so by now if he really wanted to.’
Pressing my lips together, I sighed and looked away from the monitors. Leaning back on my chair, I looked at Ryan, Noah, and Joseph as they analyzed all of the data and inputted everything on their laptops.
"Right."
I also got to work.
"...Let’s just focus on this now. I don’t have much time left."
***
The days passed like this.
Besides, when I needed to go to sleep, I stayed most of the time inside the Gate. I even neglected going to the gym, something that I had been rather consistent with. But it couldn’t be helped.
I simply had too much work.
At the same time, the squad showed up daily, testing the Game daily. I did everything I could to make the game more difficult for them. I wasn’t just using them to test the game. I wanted to train them too.
The progress was obvious.
And soon, the day for the ranking announcement arrived.
To Tok—!
Hearing the sound of someone knocking, I turned my head.
The door opened not long after, Kyle appearing as he looked around before settling his gaze over to me.
"Are you ready?"
"Almost."
I adjusted my tie while looking at myself in the mirror.
Honestly, I hated wearing suits.
They were incredibly stuffy and just not comfortable.
But...
"You almost look like a completely different person."
"...I guess."
The results of my consistent training were starting to show. My shoulders had broadened noticeably, and my chest had grown more defined as well. It fit well with the dark suit that I wore.
"Hmm."
Standing next to me and staring at the mirror, Kyle pinched his chin. He didn’t look too bad himself. Unlike me, however, he wore a gray suit, while his brown hair was neatly parted to the side. He was always one who maintained his image, so there was nothing to say about his looks.
"The more I look at you, the more I’m starting to feel like you’re not you."
"What nonsense are you saying?"
"No, really."
Kyle continued to look at the mirror.
"You were much skinnier before, and while your eyes are still dead, they’re much better than before. It finally looks like you’re catching up on yourself. There’s still some work to do, but you could probably be a model if you tried. Well..."
He stopped the moment he noticed the expression on my face.
"...I was just saying."
"Not interested."
Model.
Not interested.
"Kyle, Seth."
Just then, another figure came in.
Turning around, a pair of emerald eyes greeted my vision. With her hair cascading down her shoulders, Zoey entered the room. She looked at the two of us before pausing.
She then nodded.
"Hmm, not bad."
"Right?"
"...Not perfect, but it’s not bad at all. He has potential."
"Right? Right...?"
What are you, a dog?
Seeing Kyle nod at Zoey’s every word, I started to get annoyed. But still, looking at Zoey, I couldn’t help but secretly praise her myself. I half-expected her to wear some sort of nice dress, but contrary to my expectations, she wore a blue suit. One specifically designed for women, as it nicely highlighted her curves.
A few loose locks framed her blonde hair, and her lips looked rosier than usual, accentuated by the light makeup she’d put on.
Added to her face, and I suddenly realized why she had so many followers.
"Hmmmmm."
Zoey’s eyes narrowed as she looked at me.
Her gaze felt rather uncomfortable, and when I was about to say something, she simply shook her head and took out her phone.
"Let’s go. There’s not much time to waste. We’ll be late at this rate."
I sighed in relief, feeling her gaze a little too burdensome.
That heavy gaze lingered even after we left, as she would occasionally glance at me, open her mouth as if to say something, then stop herself.
Damn it!
If you want to say something, just say it!
The gaze carried until we entered the main area, where several black cars lined up, waiting for us. I paused the moment I took notice of another pair of emeralds, my expression nearly crumbling as our eyes met.
"Hi~"
I was soon greeted by a bubbly smile as she waved her hand at me.
So fake...
Thankfully, it looked like she would at least keep her pretense in public. Still, I could tell from her eyes that she disliked me quite a bit.
"Hello."
I also kept the pretense and entered the car.
Fortunately, it looked like we had been divided into different groups. I entered the car alongside Kyle, Zoey, Clara, and even Rowan.
I sat next to Rowan and Kyle while Clara and Zoey sat opposite us.
"You were invited?"
"...Not quite."
Rowan shook his head, momentarily looking in Zoey’s direction before looking at me.
"I wasn’t invited to the event like you guys, but I can still attend as a representative of the Guild. In some way, you can think of me as your—"
"Okay, I’m sorry. I can’t stop myself."
Finally unable to hold herself back, Zoey, who sat opposite me, reached forward and reached for my hair.
I momentarily froze, a nice scent reaching my nostrils.
Shortly after, she took her hands off my hair and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms and nodding in satisfaction.
"Much better. What?"
As if finally taking note of the weird stare directed at her, Zoey looked around before looking back at me.
Then, as if not satisfied with something, she once again reached forward and grabbed my face, pulling it closer while messing with my hair.
"...Now that I look at it again, I think this part can be changed too."
Totally oblivious to the stares she was receiving, Zoey continued to mess with my hair while reassuring me.
"Don’t worry. I do this for a living."
That’s not the problem...