Chapter 8: New Recruits
Chapter 8: New Recruits
A large group of people made their way down from the mountaintop, navigating through the thick trees, their feet crunching on the fallen leaves and twigs underfoot. The descent was steep in some places, requiring careful footing and a steady pace. The group moved slowly, taking in the natural beauty around them as they descended toward the base of the mountain.
The mountain was covered with an abundance of trees, creating a lush green landscape that stretched as far as the eye could see. The trees ranged in size, with tall evergreens dominating the upper reaches of the mountain and smaller deciduous trees populating the lower slopes. The leaves rustled softly in the gentle breeze, creating a soothing sound that filled the air.
Leading the group was a young girl with a beautiful face and silver hair that shone in the morning rays of the sun. Two figures of men could be seen walking beside the young woman.
"Where is this hideout of yours?" Suddenly, a bored voice was heard coming from the right side of the girl.
"Hideout?" Frida asked in confusion.
"The place you are taking me to. How long until we reach there?" Raven asked nonchalantly.
"Oh… Once we reach the road, it'll take 30 minutes by car."
"Car?" Raven thought, not saying it out loud.
"Haaaaaa phuuuuuu." With a tired groan, he released a long exhale, the sound filled with the weight of the day's activities.
"Once I get the information on the recent activities and knowledge about this world, I'll be on my merry way," Raven thought to himself.
The only reason he agreed to follow Frida was to increase his knowledge of the world and how people function in this society, and there was one more reason: he was really hungry. He was planning on eating the corpse of hyenas, but luckily he encountered these guys. Now he can eat a proper meal. Not that he knows what kind of food they eat. What can go wrong? They are also human. If they could eat it, he can too, right?
"There are our vehicles. Now, it'll only take half an hour, and we'll reach the association building," Frida looked at the cars and then at Raven.
The group reached their cars which were parked on the side of the road near the base of the mountains.
"You sit with Max. I'll be sitting in the front one," Frida said to Raven, opening her car door.
"No, I'll be sitting with you. I want to ask something," Raven walked to Frida."
"Umm, leader, will it be okay? We know nothing about this guy. What if he tries to harm you? It would be better if he sits with us in the minibus," Max whispered in Frida's ear.
"And what can you do if he decides to attack us?" Frida questioned in a soft tone.
"Face it, Max. He is stronger than us. Maybe we could win if we attack him altogether, but we'll receive more damage than dealing with those hyenas."
"Of course," Frida smiled at Raven and made room for him.
The driver accelerated onto the road and drove directly towards the association. After covering some distance, Frida glanced at Raven expectantly, but Raven continued to stare at the interior of the car as if it was entirely new to him.
"Umm, so what do you want to talk about, Mr.?" Frida asked.
"Raven."
"Yes?"
"My name. My name is Raven," Raven said, now looking at the azure eyes of the girl.
"Of course. So, Raven, what do you want to talk about?"
"Nothing. I just didn't want to sit in a container filled with a bunch of sweating men, but this space…ahh… this space smells like jasmine. Perhaps it's coming from you," Raven said with a charming smile.
"Huh?" Frida looked as speechless as a fish out of water. Her look at him was as if he were a strange object she had never seen before. She was confused if he was flirting or mocking her team.
"We are here, ma'am," the driver pulled Frida back to reality.
"Yes, oh okay, thanks," Frida thanked the driver and stepped out of the car followed by Raven.
When Raven stepped out of the car, his jaw dropped open like a trapdoor. In front of him was a huge tower that he had never seen before. It's not like Raven hadn't seen towers before, but they were old and full of monsters. But this tower in front of him was different.
The 20-floor building with a glass exterior presented a striking and modern appearance that immediately caught his eye. The glass façade created a reflective surface that shimmered in the sunlight as if the building was a mirror reflecting the sky and surroundings. The glass walls were sleek and smooth, creating a seamless look that extended from the ground up to the building's pinnacle.
The lower floors had large glass windows that allowed a clear view of the bustling street outside, while also letting in natural light that illuminated the interior spaces. The entrance was marked by a revolving glass door, giving a glimpse of the grandeur that lay beyond. The lobby area was spacious and open, with high ceilings and polished stone floors that complemented the sleek glass walls.
"What happened?" Frida asked, looking at Raven.
"Nothing. This tower is beautiful. Do you own this?" Raven asked, shifting his gaze from the building to Frida.
"Own me? No, I wish. But I'm just a worker here. This place gives me the comfort of home. Well, not this place, but the man in it gives me a reason to live after I lost everything," she looked at him with a far-off expression.
Raven recognized that look on Frida's face. He had seen countless of those in his previous life, being the reason for some of them. He left Frida in her world and started walking towards the entrance of the building.
"Hey, where do you think you are going, kid? Can't you see the line for recruits is over there?" the guard at the entrance stopped Raven, putting his hand on Raven's shoulder.
Raven looked at the guard squeezing his shoulder tight and simply punched him in the gut, sending the guard flying into the building.
Smash!
The sound of breaking glass filled the air as the door gave way, leaving a trail of destruction in its path. The loud noise attracted the attention of everyone present near the entrance door. Frida was thrown out of her thoughts by the sound, and she quickly ran towards Raven.
"What happened here?" she looked at the knocked-out guard with injuries and glass stuck in his body and then looked at Raven who just shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn't do anything. He grabbed my shoulder, I just pushed him a little bit," Raven said indifferently.
"You call it little?" Frida cried out.
"Hire stronger guards. They are meant to keep this tower safe, right? How can they do that if they can't handle a soft push?" he remarked, gesturing towards the group of guards who were currently aiding their colleague who had been struck by him.
"And also, remind them to improve their attitude. A wrong tone can easily provoke someone and they might get pinched in the face."
The guards present looked at him with eyes as sharp as knives
"What is all this ruckus about?" A voice rang out from inside the building.
All eyes were drawn to the voice emanating from the other end of the entrance, as a man with rough facial hair and a wide physique emerged from inside the building.
"President," the guards bowed a little, while Frida stood in attention and saluted.
"How many times do I have to say that you don't have to do that, Frida?" Khan said, making his way toward the crowd.
"But I do like the slight bowing. It gives an authentic Japanese feel. Keep doing it. I may increase your salary. Ahaha."
"Ahem… coming back. What's going on here? Why is the door broken?"
Raven observed the man, noting the deference paid to him by the others. He knew that the man was someone important and powerful, and also a great specimen to compare his strength. His silver eyes gave off a muted glow.
{User Info}
[Name: Khan]
[Age: 31]
[Level: 3(3400/4000 exp)]
[Mana: 300/300]
[Health:300/300]
[Strength: 25]
[Agility: 20]
[Stamina: 18]
[Intelligence: 25]
[Defense: 18]
[Ability(s)] [Update (Intuition)]