The sun shone brightly, its rays filtering through the woods. The banter between Coordinators and their Operators grew more intense with each passing moment.
"So noisy," Arca muttered, raising his cap to shield his eyes as he glanced at the sky. "Is it noon already?" He checked his watch to confirm. "09:25? I thought it was already 12 or so," he said with a yawn.
"Mia, are you there?" he asked over the comm.
"Oh, you're finally awake. How was the nap, huh?" she replied, her voice tinged with a pout.
"Come on, Mia, don't be mad, okay? You know I was tired," Arca said as he adjusted his leaning position.
"Any updates from the exam?"
Mia exhaled audibly. "Nothing out of the ordinary. The exam's proceeding as usual, but there are a few examinees who've caught everyone's attention. I'll send you the data."
Moments later, Arca's phone buzzed with a list of names and scores:
Alya, Doan, Kain, Lien, Lintang
Mia continued, "Alya's group just took down a Risk Level 5 Ra-Iling. You know, it usually takes multiple Grade 2 or 3 Exterminator Operators to handle one of those. Doan managed to fend off multiple mutants while cornered by himself. And Kain, Lien, and Lintang are putting on a spectacle with their Iling abilities."
Arca examined the pictures accompanying the data. Each top scorer had distinct non-human features: Alya had horns, Doan had scales on his cheeks, Kain had four eyes, and Lintang had fox ears.
"They're all Dhalang?" Arca asked.
"Yeah," Mia confirmed, "and it looks like their Iling abilities are amazing too."
"Figures," Arca muttered.
"Do you think any of them would be interested in joining us?" Mia teased.
Arca chuckled. "No way. I'm sure the big Coo/op companies already have their eyes on them."
"Aw, come on, mister. A bunny can dream about leaping to the moon," Mia joked.
Arca stood up, adjusted his cap, and grabbed his tactical shield.
"Going for a walk, mister?" Mia asked.
"As much as I hate it," Arca replied, "laying around isn't going to get us any new members, right?" He smiled to himself and yawned. "Besides, I already took a power nap."
"That's the spirit, mister!" Mia sounded excited. "Find us a good member, will you?"
"I'll make sure to do that," Arca said, yawning again. "Can you keep an eye on the broadcast for me?"
"Okay, mister. Mia out," she replied, ending the communication.
"Well, I guess I better start walking," Arca muttered to himself.
He wandered from tent to tent, listening to the chatter among the examinees and occasionally glancing at their monitors. Some were busy gathering materials, while others were hunting monsters.
On the tables, he noticed several business cards from various companies scattered around. It was customary during exams for companies to leave their cards on examinees' tables. Since they were preoccupied, companies couldn't directly approach them. Instead, they slid their business cards onto the tables as a signal of interest, inviting the examinees for potential interviews later.
This practice also served as a subtle power play. A high-profile company card, like one from
Arca walked to a table, slid his business card across it, then moved to another table. He glanced at the monitor briefly before sliding another card.
"Do I really need to do this?" he muttered, already regretting his decision to walk. "Reviewing them before handing out the cards is such a hassle."
He stopped for a moment, rubbing his temple. "Maybe I should just hand out cards to everyone here? They say, 'The bigger the net, the bigger the catch,' right?"
But then he sighed deeply. "No, I promised Mia I'd find good members," he reminded himself.
His black eyes locked onto a table where a large group of people had gathered. Curious, he walked toward the crowd to investigate. At the center of the commotion was a Coordinator managing ten Operators at once, sipping tea from a delicate cup while wearing a fancy dress.
She worked efficiently, with two extra monitors and a hovering drone assisting her in keeping track of all her Operators. Arca noticed that the ten Operators wore identical uniforms.
"A pre-made group?" he muttered. "They seem really coordinated."
Then he noticed the insignia on her necklace—a four-petal white lotus.
"Ah, that explains it" he thought, noticing several big-name companies had already left their business cards on her table.
"Well, I guess I'll go somewhere else," he said, deciding not to bother.
As he moved through the crowd, he accidentally bumped into a tall woman almost twice as tall as him.
"Oh, sorry, ma'am. I didn't see you there," he apologized, stepping back.
The woman looked at him, clearly unamused. Before Arca could say anything more, a man in a formal uniform grabbed him by the collar.
"Watch where you're going, punk!" the man snarled angrily.
"I'll be careful next time," Arca said, trying to diffuse the situation.
"How about I help you remember?" the man growled, raising a fist with brass knuckles ready to strike.
"Shit," Arca exclaimed, quickly raising his shield.
Clang!
The man's fist slammed into Arca's shield, the impact ringing out loudly. Arca countered with a sharp kick to the man's midsection, forcing him to lose his grip and stumble backward, though the force launched Arca a few steps away as well.
Arca landed on his feet, brushing himself off, but the man didn't look happy.
"Oh, you've done it now," the man growled, fixing his brass knuckles.
"Hey, I don't want any trouble," Arca said, adjusting his cap and taking a defensive stance. "I'm sorry, okay?"
"You think 'sorry' is enough, punk?" the man spat, his anger boiling over.
He rushed at Arca with swift, powerful movements. Arca managed to block and dodge most of the blows while moving backward, but the tight space inside the tent made it hard to maneuver. He knocked into a table, scattering items, before realizing he needed more room. With small jumps, he lured the man outside.
The tall woman in the fancy dress ducked under the tent's entrance, following them with an air of curiosity.
Outside, the man showed no signs of fatigue, his strikes still fast and relentless. A small crowd began to gather—some cheering, others watching with concern. Arca weaved and dodged the flurry of punches, but then his foot caught on uneven ground.
"Shit," he hissed, stumbling.
The man saw his chance. With a grin, he shifted into a powerful stance.
"Eat this!" he roared, throwing a punch with all his might.
Arca raised his shield just in time, bracing it with both hands to absorb the blow.
Clang!
The impact sent Arca flying several meters, landing hard on the ground. He groaned, trying to stand as he searched for his cap, but it had been knocked away in the commotion.
"You're still standing? Not bad for a Grade 2," the man said, cracking his knuckles with a menacing grin.
Arca straightened up, his knees wobbling slightly, he try to shake the pain with smile. The sight only seemed to fuel the man's rage further as he moved in closer.
You need help?
"Shut up. I can handle this on my own," Arca muttered under his breath.
Suit yourself
The man was nearly upon him when the tall woman finally spoke, her voice soft but commanding.
"I think that's enough, Boros."
The man froze instantly, standing straight as if a switch had been flipped.
"Yes, ma'am," he said obediently, stepping back.
The tall woman approached Arca, bending gracefully to pick up his cap from the ground. She stood, her towering figure making Arca tilt his head to look up at her. Her six eyes—two main ones warm and smiling, with the lower pairs observing intently—focused on him as she extended the cap.
"You fought well," she said gently.
Arca took the cap and placed it back on his head, offering a small, tired grin.
"Arca"
The woman's lips curved into a subtle smile.
"long time no see."
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