Nick kept going to the marketplace and asking people for several days.
By now, many people were already telling him that they knew nothing before he could even ask his questions.
Constantly getting rejected by everyone didn't feel great, but Nick knew that he had to keep at it.
There had to be some weak Specters somewhere in the city.
Of course, the Inspectors also kept ridiculing Nick.
Yet, Nick never truly reacted to the ridicule.
He just kept on asking around and searching.
Ten days after Nick had started searching, some small things started to change.
The people had assumed a more neutral stance instead of directly telling Nick to go away.
On top of that, the Inspectors actually stopped making fun of Nick.
The reason for that was that the Inspectors were actually a bit impressed by Nick's grit.
Not many people could continue doing something after getting shut down by literally everyone around them.
Another two days later, one of the Inspectors actually stopped in front of Nick.
It was a middle-aged man with black hair and a goatee.
His build could be described as athletic. He wasn't thin, but he also wasn't fat.
"Nick, right?" the Inspector asked.
Nick just furrowed his brows and walked past the Inspector.
"Hey, wait a minute! I'm not here to ridicule you," the Inspector shouted.
Nick turned around and looked at the Inspector with a raised eyebrow.
"I've heard from my people that you have been searching for a Specter for about two weeks," the Inspector said. "They are talking quite a lot about you. Near the beginning, it was mostly jokes and ridicule, but by now, quite a few of them actually admire your tenacity."
Nick just nodded. "Thanks. Is there anything else?"
The eyebrows of the Inspector rose, but the next second, he just chuckled a bit in amusement. "So curt and off-putting. Well, you are from the Dregs, after all."
Nick didn't like the condescending tone of the Inspector and just turned around to walk away.
The Inspector just chuckled a bit.
"Want a job?"
Nick stopped walking, and his brows furrowed as he turned back to look at the Inspector. "A job?"
"Yes, as an Inspector," the Inspector said. "Even though you don't know the nuances of finding clues of Specters, your tenacity and grit are commendable."
"Teaching someone how to do something isn't difficult. Teaching them how to gain tenacity and grit is."
"I'm offering you a position as an Inspector in my team," the man said. "Interested?"
Naturally, Nick was interested.
Sure, he had already signed a contract with Wyntor Melfion, but his relationship with Wyntor was strictly business.
"I already have an attuned Zephyx Synchronizer. Is there a way for me to become a Zephyx Extractor in the future?" Nick asked.
The Inspector's eyes rose, and he looked at Nick again.
Only now did the Inspector take conscious note of Nick's formidable muscles.
He had heard that Nick was a new Zephyx Extractor, but after looking more closely at the business Nick was in, the Inspector could just shake his head.
There were only two people in there, and one of them was Nick.
They didn't even have a Specter.
In essence, Nick wasn't even an official Zephyx Extractor at this point. After all, he hadn't extracted even one unit of Zephyx.
There were several people in the Dregs with attuned Zephyx Synchronizers. There were not many, but there were definitely over ten.
It wasn't unusual for someone to come into contact with a Specter.
Yet, none of these people could become actual Zephyx Extractors.
It took way more than just that.
So, the Inspector hadn't considered Nick special.
But after meeting Nick face to face, the Inspector realized that Nick actually didn't seem weak.
He had tenacity, a strong body, guts, and willpower.
He could actually become a Zephyx Extractor.
Sadly…
The Inspector could only sigh. "While it happens occasionally, Inspectors don't often become Extractors, and the few ones that do don't have attuned Synchronizers."
"I can't make the decision on that, but based on my personal experience, I would say the chances are very low."
"Sorry."
Nick furrowed his brows and looked at the ground.
Even though Nick had just essentially heard that he wouldn't become a Zephyx Extractor, he was still a bit tempted to accept the offer.
What was Nick's goal in life?
Right now, Nick only wanted to have a nice future.
He didn't want to worry about money.
He didn't want to constantly be on guard because somebody might break into his house to kill him.
Nick just wanted an easier and more colorful life.
Nick knew that an Inspector didn't come close to an Extractor in terms of payment and status, but it was a solid job, at least.
That was something that no one living in the Dregs could claim to have.
While the lowest-ranking Inspectors didn't live in the Inner City, they definitely could live in the actual Outer City.
Normal houses.
Normal food.
Normal work.
It was already a major step up from living in the Dregs.
And yet…
"I'm sorry," Nick said with a sigh. "I can't accept."
"Can you tell me why?" the Inspector asked.
"I don't exactly know why," Nick answered. "I only know that I want to give life my best shot."
"I actually want to see if I can capture a Specter and become a real Zephyx Extractor."
"If I don't try, I will forever regret it."
"And if I fail, I can still accept, right? It's not like this is only a one-time offer," Nick explained.
The Inspector sighed. "No, it isn't. Naturally, if you want the position, just tell any of the local Inspectors."
Nick nodded. "Then, thank you for the offer and for understanding. I'm genuinely sorry that I can't accept at this moment."
The Inspector nodded. "No problem," he said.
"Then, have a good one," Nick said as he turned around to walk away.
As the Inspector watched Nick turn around, he seemed to struggle with something.
It was like an inner conflict was currently taking place in the Inspector's mind.
For a while, the Inspector just looked at Nick.
When he saw Nick walk up to a person he had already asked twice in the last ten days, the Inspector sighed again.
"Nick, come over here," he said, waving Nick over.
Nick stopped and looked back at the Inspector.
After a bit, Nick turned around and walked up to the Inspector.
"Yes?" he asked.
The Inspector scratched the side of his head with a bitter smile.
"How important is this to you?" the Inspector asked.
Nick furrowed his brows. "Pretty important. It's my life, you know?"
"How good are you in dark places?" the Inspector asked.
Nick looked to the side.
The Nightmare, one of the five level nine Specters, was omnipresent, and whenever anyone entered a dark place, the Nightmare would start to poison their minds with doubt, hatred, anger, and all manners of negative emotions.
Everyone avoided the dark.
"It's difficult to resist," Nick answered.
"Can you survive for an hour without any major trauma?" the Inspector asked.
Nick furrowed his brows again.
He didn't answer for a while.
"Not sure."
The Inspector looked at Nick with concern for a couple of seconds.
But then, he sighed.
"I know where you can find a Specter."
"And it shouldn't be that powerful."