Chương 1: A bunch of opportunistic fools
It was so early in the morning that even the rooster had yet to wake, yet a group of people had already gathered near the giant cave. Numerous large tents had been set up around it. This group consists of coordinators and operators who work for various Coo/Op companies, the kind that handle odd jobs and commissions from finding lost cats and escort missions to fighting on the frontlines against monsters. Each company is recognizable by the badge they carry, and their rank by the necklace they wear.
Grade 1 members, the lowest rank, wear a yellow stone necklace. This grade is typically filled with newly licensed coordinators and operators just starting out.
Grade 2 members wear a dark blue stone necklace. This rank usually includes experienced coordinators and operators familiar with the basic protocols of how Coo/Op companies work.
Grade 3 members wear a dark red stone necklace, signifying exceptional skill in their roles. They often work for well-known Coo/Op companies.
Grade 4 members wear a silvery stone necklace. At this level, their expertise is unquestionable, clients know what they're getting when they hire someone of this rank.
Grade 5 members, the highest rank, wear a black stone necklace with a white dot at the center. This rank is bestowed only upon those who have proven their worth to both the government and the Coo/Op overseer.
There are also people without necklaces, those gathered to take the licensing exam to get license to became coordinators or operators, a process conducted by the government and the Coo/Op overseer every two years. Some of them look excited, while others appear nervous.
Among the crowd, a man stands looking tired, holding a hot coffee he just made. Around his neck hangs a dark blue stone necklace, marking him as a Grade 2 Operator, his name is Arca as written in his name tag. wearing a long-sleeve navy blue Daily Service Uniform with a vest over it, his black hair covered with conductor cap with same color as his outfit, a six-shooter with a large caliber on his hip, a dagger, and a small tactical shield on his left arm. His eyes are twitching slightly from the strong black coffee he just drank. his black eye scanning the area.
"Testing the channel! Mister, do you copy?" a girl's voice says cheerfully into Arca's ear through the earpiece.
"Yeah, yeah, I hear you, loud and clear, Mia" Arca sighs, "You don't need to scream."
"Oh, come on! Where's your spirit Mister ?"
"My spirit's still in my bed, I forgot to bring it along," Arca yawns. "And why do I need to be here again?"
"Really? Have you even been listening? Do I need to remind you again? We're searching for a new member to join our Coo/op company. Since the new terms and policy were just published, all Coo/op companies need more than two members to be registered as a company. With just you and me in ours, we've already gotten a warning from the government."
Arca looked at the badge on his arm, a black cat hugging a ball of stars with the text below it: SideCatServices.
"What a hassle," he sighed, sipping his coffee. "I just want to go back to bed."
"If you go back to bed now, our company will be forced to close, Mister," Mia yelled.
"Okay, okay, ugh," Arca groaned, sipping his coffee again. "Just send me the file of the coordinator and operator candidates who applied for today's Coo/op license exam."
"That's the spirit! I'll send it to your device, Mister," she said happily.
A flood of files poured rapidly into Arca's phone, but the loading bar refused to move. Just seeing it made him want to close the app and go home.
"I'll keep watch on the Coo/op exam broadcast now, find us good member will you ?"
Suddenly, an announcement rang out from a nearby speaker. The voice belonged to a female member of the Coo/op overseer team.
"For all Examinee taking the Coo/op test, please gather at your designated locations."
The Examinee began to assemble, and it was clear this year's turnout was huge—there is hundreds participants.
"Good morning, everyone," the announcer continued. "Welcome to the field test for the Coo/op Licensing Exam. The rules remain the same as in previous years. You will be grouped based on your registration, but don't worry if you didn't register with a group. We will assign you to one randomly using our app. Coordinators will be paired with one or more Operators, depending on how many you indicated you could manage during registration."
"Your task is simple: venture into the woods or the cave, eliminate monsters and RA-iling corrupted wildlife, and collect their gems. If you discover something valuable, you can report it to us for extra points. At the end of the day, all of you must return here to report your findings. The results of the test will be announced one day after its completion."
"Are there any questions?"
"If there are no questions, you may all check your apps and gather with your designated groups."
The people in the field began to gather, forming small clusters with their groups.
Arca took a sip of his coffee. For some reason, it tasted more bitter than usual—perhaps because of how cheerful and enthusiastic the newcomers looked, eagerly interacting with each other.
"What a bunch of opportunistic fools," he muttered.
"Oh, come on, Mister," Mia said, her voice teasing as she listened in on Arca's comm. "You used to look like that too, you know. And that's the reason I joined your company in the first place," she continued with a playful tone.
Arca fell silent for a moment.
"Yeah, and I—"
A voice rang out from a nearby speaker, cutting him off.
"Announcement to all examinees: the exam begins now. Good luck."
The operator examinees quickly moved to their groups, their coordinators remaining in the tents provided by the government to guide them via comms. Only the field coordinators followed their operators directly into the field.
"Don't just stand there, Mister," Mia chimed in. "Don't you want to see the new generation of Coo/Op?"
Arca sat on the ground, leaning against the cave wall.
"No," he replied bluntly. "I'm not that excited."
He tossed his plastic cup toward the trash can, but it bounced off the rim. With a sigh, he stood up, grabbed the cup, and threw it in properly.
"And it just started," he added, brushing himself off. "So nothing's happened yet. Relax." He sat back in his corner, his eye feel heavy. "that cofee clearly not working, i gonna take a power nap a bit, wake me up when something happen will you" ask Arca to mia in comm.
"Mister, hey!" Mia pouted. "Ugh, we'll never get new members if you act like this," she added, but Bayu had already fallen asleep. "Fine then," she sighed, turning her attention back to the broadcast, keeping a vigilant eye out for anything important.
Meanwhile, other Coo/op companies had sent their recon members to scout for potential recruits. Some roamed around the tents, observing how the Coordinators managed their field Operators.
"Enemy at six—"
"I recommend we—"
"Fall back immediately!"
"Team, get back and recover!"
The tent was filled with chatter. Every Coordinator seemed busy guiding their Operators in the field. Some exchanges were tense, while others had a more relaxed tone. Regardless, it was clear that all the examinees were doing their best, determined to earn enough points to pass the exam.