Recruitment Part 1

Looking down at Hollia from above, I started to wonder how exactly I was going to track down the Anomaly in such a massive and crowded city. I parked the Airblade on the top of one of the many buildings in the sprawling expanse below.

Consulting the glasses for some help, I opened up a three-dimensional map of the city to narrow down my initial search area. After analyzing the map, I marked off the area where the Anomaly had originally been detected.

The method I used to find the Anomaly was by tracking mana discrepancies through satellite sensors. Nanik told me the specific way the discrepancy occurs, and I then created an algorithm to identify these discrepancies. How in the world did Nanik get his hands on satellites for himself? It's stuff like this that makes me wonder how much of a big shot he is...

I don't have a single clue as to how to find the anomalies after they appear, and Nanik didn't help in the slightest. All he said was, "You'll know when you see them." What does that even mean? That guy really gets on my nerves! Isn't this something important?

In the heart of the vibrant metropolis, skyscrapers pierced the sky, their sleek glass facades reflecting the constant movement below. A web of bustling streets was alive, with the rhythm of hurried footsteps and the symphony of honking horns. Some landmarks stood as testaments to the city's rich history, whilst modern architectural marvels seamlessly blended the past with the present.

Amidst the towering structures, people from all walks of life navigated the urban labyrinth. Sidewalks teemed with a diverse tapestry of individuals, each immersed in their own narratives. Street vendors offered an array of global cuisines, creating a tantalizing aroma that mingled with the city's energy.

Skyscrapers gave way to small parks, providing a touch of greenery amid the concrete jungle. The city's pulse quickens with the ebb and flow of commuters utilizing a well-connected public transportation system. Subways rumble beneath the surface, weaving a complex network that binds neighborhoods together.

 "This is so annoying, how am I even meant to find them…?" Tokei grumbled as she made her way to the location where the Anomaly first appeared.

Slowly making her way through the streets of the city and the crowds of citizens, Tokei made her way toward the estimated location of the Anomaly. She haphazardly wandered about for a few moments, as she wasn't well-versed with the routes within Hollia. She did, however, notice that as she went further from the heart of the city, it became more and more decrepit, as though the city itself had regressed to an earlier, less lavish time.

She eventually came upon an open park on the city's outskirts, with weeds abundant throughout the uneven and neglected cobblestone paths. The sparsely planted trees stood forlornly, their branches like skeletons with sickly brown leaves. This park, once likely full of lush greenery and foliage, now hung like a wilted flower.

I tapped on the side of the frame of my glasses to reassess the approximate location of the Anomaly appearance. However, before I could do so, I spotted a peculiar man standing alone nearby. He appeared to be middle-aged, wearing a black vest with a yellow-black striped tie. He was gazing around with a dullness to his emerald green eyes, seemingly looking for something.

The man eventually made contact with my gaze, and his uninterested expression immediately perked up. He partitioned his dirtied-blonde hair that peered through his half-top hat, struck up an unusually enthusiastic smile, and strode towards my direction.

He stopped right in front of me and extended his hands forward. He exclaimed, "Hello, madam! You are the hundredth person I have seen today, and I am giving out my autobiography for free to every hundredth person I encounter." 

"Every hundredth? There's practically no one around here…", I remarked with a hint of skepticism, completely ignoring his friendly gesture tome.

Completely unfazed by her looks of suspicion, the man replied, shrugging, "Well, I walk the city quite often - what can I say?"

Ignoring the man's quip, I instead adjusted the sides of my glasses while glancing in his direction. 'I wonder if using the Developer's Eye would help me find out if he's an Anomaly…'

Focusing, a slight tingling sensation suffused my eyes. The park around me seemed to dissolve. The trees, the brushes, and even the mysterious stranger himself - gone. In their places, cascades of blue text appeared, enveloping my periphery. The only thing that did not change from my view was me, who looked the same as always.

While everything around me was made of a calming deep blue sea of code, there was a single gleaming orange bundle of code that stood out from its surroundings. Deactivating the Developer's Eye, I felt a slight headache. In front of me, the man returned to normal, yet the sight of his orange code lingered in my mind. 'I've never seen a person with orange-colored code in my life... In fact, I've never seen orange code, period.'

'So does this mean I already found him? Well, that was easier than expected…' I discreetly activated my glasses and fed [Neuro] the command to do a background check on the man in front of me, to which the AI belted out its usual response, "Of course Ma'am."

Attempting to stall some more time for [Neuro] to gather information regarding this man, Tokei inquired further about this 'business' of his. "Do you do this often?"

He replied, "Do what exactly?" with a hint of confusion laced in his voice.

'What's taking [Neuro] so long…?' Suddenly, Pages of information started to explode onto the lenses of her glasses.

Wait… so you're telling me that this dude standing in front of me was an actor in the movie *Galactic Battle* and played the character Banakin Groundswimmer???? Why do I have the feeling that this is some kind of rip-off? The corners of my mouth twitched slightly. 'Why the heck does Nanik need someone like this?! I mean, look at him. It's obvious he's a jobless bum who's probably in debt.'

Unable to audibly sigh, I hold in my frustration and look at some of his background.

Name: Farthington Redsworth

Pathway: Martial Artist

Career: Actor

What? He's a Martial Artist? What's next, am I gonna see pigs fly? He's an actor who worked in a major film production? Nah, no way. This guy seems like he'd be working for exposure, not a paycheck. Nonetheless, I still have a mission to do…

"Do you sell your book like this often," I said, repeating my question from earlier.

Farthington smirked. "It's not selling if I'm giving it out for free, now is it? I mean, free publicity… but I do indeed sell my book - it's good to have word of mouth. If I give it away for free, other people may want a copy."

"Do I have to do anything to get the book?" I probed.

Farthington seemed to get very excited at her mentioning that. 

"Yes! You have to sign a contract to get the book."

Tokei frowned. 'This guy… is clearly a fraud.'

 "Is there a reason?" She continued, with her face deadpan.

"Why, of course. We can't just have people taking the book and then selling copies of it, can we?"

'This is something that can be solved simply by having the legal office take care of it. He must think I'm gullible if he's giving out such poor excuses…'

Already having concluded that he was the Anomaly, I figured that this wasn't the best place to talk about recruiting him. 'Even though I don't see a reason why he should get recruited...'

 Swiftly gliding her hands horizontally, a string of code was sent in Farthington's direction, discreetly attaching itself to him like a tick. "I think I'll pass on the book."

The piece of code that had latched itself onto Farthington's section of code. The target's reality data would transmit relative information about the target's approximate whereabouts back to the receiver. This would allow the user to observe their targets within certain distance parameters. 

And that very Data Lag laid dormant unbeknownst to Farthington, who appeared to be getting more and more antsy by the minute. "Are you sure…? It's free!" He insisted.

Alarmed by his persistence, Tokei stammered to reject him.

 "I-I think I'm fine."

'Since it wouldn't hurt to know more about him, I might as well ask some questions.' "Say, how long have you lived here?" She asked, putting extra emphasis on the 'lived' part.

Farthington looked slightly flustered at this random yet innocuous question.

"That's a good question…uhm, I've been around here for about three years."

After asking a few more relatively harmless questions, Tokei bid him farewell. 'Time to conduct a successful recruitment... hopefully.'