Breakfast wasn’t bad.

  Yes, Luca had paid for both meals — but his 'food points' weren’t sparse, and the conversation made up for it.

  Mars knew a lot. It wasn’t just about people — other recruits, agents, specialists from Delta-M, L, and N — but also about missions, Mysteries.

  He spoke of his own supervisor, Minerva, whom Luca had recently met, and two of his coworkers at the same level (though he didn’t give their names), about a 'prick' called Lorenzo (whom Luca knew of but had never met), and advised him to ignore any message from 'Norseway'... and then sprinkled some wisdom about a cruise ship filled with zombies, an underwater temple, and what Luca was almost sure was a joke about a car and an endless route.

  The talk stretched across almost all the free time Luca still had before the meeting, but he couldn’t cut Mars off when many of the things the man said were about Mysteries Luca had never heard of before. Besides, something soon became clear: this man wasn’t a simple Agent. Luca was sure that Mars was stronger than he had appeared at first contact, and perhaps even beyond a Specialist.

  Sitting across from him, Luca felt as though he’d tripped over a rock only to discover something akin to a Tom Bombadil hiding behind it. Except this version came with sharper teeth, and rather than being under a rock, he had been perched atop a tree, watching below for something Luca couldn’t quite pin down.

  He didn’t know anything about Mars beyond what the man chose to reveal — which wasn’t much. Or perhaps nothing at all. Mars spoke of everyone and their mother, yet never of himself.

  … But then, this said something about him, didn’t it?

  So, at his current moment, it was better for Luca to have a good relationship with his senior.

  “See you around, Mars,” Luca said as they parted ways, still gripping the substance of their talk.

  “See you around, Mithras,” Mars replied, flashing one last smirk before disappearing into the crowd like smoke let loose on the wind.

  The path to Michael’s office had become familiar to him, even though he had been in Pendulum for less than ten days. Reaching the Main Building, he nodded at the receptionist — absently noticing that her fingernails were black that day; he didn’t know if they were painted or not, but considering the current atmosphere, the color could be taken as a statement.

  Mars had (almost) carelessly mentioned that more than twenty-two people had not returned through all the levels, and ten were still ‘pending.’ Pendulum had not suffered such a loss since decades ago — something about 1982? — but beyond that, many of the dead had been known to their coworkers, their supervisors.

  Perhaps it was this grieving air that made the corridors empty, the normal volume of noise faded to a distant whisper. Only his footsteps echoed between the walls. He felt like a living being crossing through a dead place.

  As the door finally came into view, Luca hurried, reaching it with a slight shortness of breath. Perhaps he should allocate his two points straight to Endurance.

  Michael was seated behind his desk, his black leather jacket hanging from his chair but his sunglasses on. He had his sleeves rolled up, revealing a series of dark ink tattoos swirling over his wrist. For some reason, Luca felt they looked… angry. Which wasn’t something he thought simple patterns could show.

  “Sit,” Michael said, gesturing to the chair across from him. His voice sounded quite tired — as if he hadn’t been able to sleep for the last few weeks instead of just a day.

  Luca obeyed, settling into the chair and folding his hands in his lap. He didn’t speak, waiting for Michael to begin, and used that time to take a closer look at the office. It couldn’t be helped. Even though he hadn’t come there many times, he was sure there hadn’t been a puppy wooden collection on the table before. They had unpolished lines and scratch marks, but there was a good amount of care put into them.

  Were they Michael’s or…?

  After a moment, the man leaned back and reached into a drawer, searching for something. He pulled out papers, a stress ball, and even a strange-looking puzzle before taking out a small wooden box. It was like the dogs, having a rustic finish, but when he set it on the desk, closer to Luca’s side than his, and opened it, the interior was padded with red velvet.

  Curiosity gnawed at Luca as he saw a disc, no larger than a fingernail, with a single ‘P’ etched on its surface, lying inside.

  His fingers twitched.

  “Your Agent badge. And one of your privileges from now on,” Michael said, pushing the box toward Luca. “Well done.”

  “Thank you,” he said with a nod. The golden mark glinted under the light as Luca picked it up, wondering what he was supposed to do with it.

  Michael’s lips twitched faintly — not quite a smirk, but close enough. “Touch it with your bracelet,” he instructed.

  Luca did as he was told, bringing the disc against the silver band on his wrist. To his surprise, it disappeared with a flicker of light, and the bracelet grew warmer, its surface undulating. But this lasted only a second. Soon it settled back, and the only evidence that something had happened was the new message:

  [DELTA-M TRAINING ROOM HAS BEEN UNLOCKED.]

  ‘Surprised’ didn’t begin to cover how he felt at that moment. He swallowed hard, playing along as expected. “…We have a training room?” he murmured, fascinated. To think he would get this upgrade so soon. Morrigan had gotten it, of course, but after getting the claws.

  “I imagined you would need it for your latest Perk,” Michael gave him a smirk. “‘Acid,’ huh? Offensive perks like this one are rare. The last time someone got something similar was a Delta-L agent —it was Fire Breath, I think.” His eyes drifted for a moment. “Now, you’ll figure out the details about it later. For now, we have more pressing matters to discuss. We haven’t talked about the report, after all.” Even behind his sunglasses, it seemed like he was raising an eyebrow.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  The report, right.

  “I… didn’t submit it,” he admitted, embarrassment creeping into his voice. After getting out of the Mystery, his state had been so bad that he didn’t even remember how he managed to reach the building, or even his bed. Hopefully, he had managed to arrive on his own feet, without making any scene that could bite his ass later. “Should I…?” He glanced around, realizing belatedly that he hadn’t brought the tablet either, so technically there was no way to give it to him without returning to the apartment.

  “Don’t bother,” Michael waved his hand as if it didn’t matter. “We can talk now.”

  Luca barely avoided frowning. It made sense to go straight to that, but… He’d been hoping to bring up the health insurance for his brother. Perhaps after this. Michael had said that, after all. There was no need to grow impatient, right?

  “Let me be clear. You found a hidden exit — no, don’t say anything. I’ve got three similar testimonies that said that without your input, no one would have thought about that, let alone achieved it. And you did it without triggering any Death Rules nor Omen Rules, in a situation that would’ve left even seasoned Agents, even Specialists, struggling to think straight.”

  For a moment, Luca felt the weight of Michael’s gaze on him — an almost tangible cold that threatened to swallow him whole.

  Sometimes he forgot. The people in front of him — they weren’t what they seemed anymore.

  “This is no small feat, Mithras.”

  A shiver ran down his spine.

  “Some are calling it beginner’s luck.” It was obvious from the tone of his voice what the man thought about this. “Others of us are not so blind nor arrogant against the fact that you led three others, including a more experienced rookie, out of their graves. With no manual, almost zero experience, and without offensive skills.”

  Alright. Now he was feeling embarrassed besides a bit fearful.

  “I – I followed what I gained from my last mission, your advice, and what I learned around here.” He swallowed, repressing the urge to back off. “Surely – surely it wasn’t that impressive?” Downplaying his efforts might seem counterproductive when he needed to stand out for his brother’s sake. But the last thing he wanted was to become someone who attracted the scrutiny that warranted an in-depth (under-skin) analysis.

  Michael’s lips thinned, and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “You’d think that.” He said, slowly, the pressure still there. “But I’m sure you have already heard about how many we lost just yesterday. Six of the ten from Delta were from our squadron.”

  Luca’s heart throbbed. “So many?”

  “There has been talk of a curse,” he muttered, gesturing as if saying ‘what can you do?’ but there was nothing casual in his voice. “Now, let’s agree to have a disagreement about your skills. Facts speak for themselves. This, however, isn’t something I’m telling you to get cocky and then killed for reckless behavior.” He pushed his sunglasses up slightly. “It’s a warning.”

  The words from Mars came to his mind at that moment, and he straightened his shoulders, nodding.

  “As an Agent, you’ll start receiving individual tasks. Given your performance and personal record, your level won’t offer you much protection. Those missions must be approved by the Manager and the senior agent in charge of you — me.” He paused for a moment. “I won’t babysit you. My approach may come off as hands-off, but I’m sure you understand that Pendulum isn’t the place to be coddled. However, I’ll offer advice on occasion. Things… aren’t as clear as I’d like them to be here.”

  “Understood,” Luca nodded at him. Solo missions. They were issued directly from the research teams. High-risk, high-reward. Perfect for him. Morrigan, Lorenzo, and Nabu — the ones about whom he had read more — had gone through a lot of them, so he had a lot of knowledge that he expected would help him soar. They were a not-to-be-missed opportunity to get his debt solved quicker than ever.

  “The details will come straight to your bracelet once approved. But you’ll have the final say. Keep in mind, though, you’ll still be participating in mandatory missions once per fortnight. You’ll have more control in the 'Work' section. Make sure to balance accordingly. You wouldn’t be the last one to get into a frenzy and then die for something insignificant.”

  “Understood. Thank you.”

  Michael studied him for a moment, letting the silence pass. And then he nodded. “Good. One more thing: Tiberius has backed off for now.” He looked like he wanted to say something else but settled for a quiet sigh instead.

  For now, he said. Even so, Luca felt a knot inside him loosening. That was one less thing to worry about.

  “Now,” Michael said, his tone shifting, “about that health insurance matter.”

  Luca straightened his shoulders and maintained eye contact with Michael's glasses. “My brother,” he said quickly. “I want him under Pendulum’s care. Your doctors here are excellent, but I’d prefer to keep him at his current hospital. His doctor and nurse know his case inside and out.”

  Michael considered this, his fingers drumming lightly on the desk. “Our doctors are among the best,” he acknowledged finally. “And your request isn’t unreasonable. However…” He paused, leveling Luca with a piercing stare. “If you want this resolved quickly, you’ll need to shut up those bastards whispering about luck and whatnot.”

  Luca’s jaw tightened. “I’ll take another mission.” I’ll do whatever it takes.

  “Oh?” The man smiled faintly. “So even with the security mechanism still down, you’re willing to dive back in?”

  Ah, that’s right. To him, the matter wasn’t so important when he knew how to get out in other ways — well, at least in those last cases. What if he got the Mystery about the zombie-infested cruise ship? He knew about the undead-infested town and even the one about the foggy island with mutants, but not that one. So yes. The lack of a security mechanism would impact him depending on what Mystery it was.

  But he wanted to say yes — to assure himself and Michael.

  He really wanted to say yes.

  However, until his brother’s care was secured, he couldn’t afford unnecessary risks. Once that was taken care of… well, survival might not matter as much anymore. He’d cross that bridge later, after hitting his face against the column.

  “Don’t worry,” Michael chuckled dryly, interrupting his thoughts. “Miranda would have my head if I threw you to the pit without a rope. You still have two days left of rest. I’m sure you’ll find something to do.”

  Luca stood, his mind already racing ahead. “Thank you, Michael.” Before leaving, he pulled a Chocolate & Almond bar from his pocket and placed it next to the wooden puppy collection on Michael’s desk.

  “Don’t thank me yet,” Michael replied, his tone dry as he picked up the snack. “Just don’t die out there. Delta-M is counting on you to win the prize at the end of the month.”

  Then it hit him. That competition. “What’s the prize?”

  “A three-day stay at the company’s hot springs. Haven’t been there in two years, so I’m counting on you.” Michael smirked. “No pressure.”

  Something told Luca that failing to secure the prize for them would make his life significantly harder.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  A day at the spa didn’t sound bad after a long month. And the cash bonus shouldn’t be little, right?