Death Leveling Chapter 29

[ … words ]

Meanwhile somewhere in the Im City:

Landing next to someone’s doorstep without sound or even enough time to blink, a special unit was moving—visiting person after person, investigating one after another without any clear direction because of all the abnormalities stacking up.

“Hi—you would be Camus, right?—we’re here to collect some information regarding your recent activity.” “Hi… yes, that would be me.”

“Hi, and you are…” “That is correct…” after each visit—if you could call it something that benevolent—the investigators would cross off names from a hefty list of individuals.

“Could you tell us what you did on this date?” “Uhh…” this one’s without an alibi and he’s slightly fishy—do we take him? I glanced at my colleague with a mildly suspicious expression.

“T— take me? Can we please be reasonable here?” muttered an abnormal with no System.

[MANA AURA ACTIVATED]

[ANALYSIS ACTIVATED]

[ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ACTIVATED]

“Take,” I whispered just loudly enough for a wild predator to notice—a word so quiet hardly any human being would overhear.

The abnormal immediately turned around as my colleague teleported behind him, cuffing him in under half a second—not enough time to spare for any real reaction.

“Just calm down—this is only a preliminary investigation, we’re not here to throw you into jail or anything along those lines, got it?” the man cuffing the abnormal whispered.

Quietly, I giggled—I found their anxiety quite hilarious each time—my favorite part of the job, no doubt—I thought to myself as a mischievous grin faintly popped up.

Walking in a dark alley that hasn’t been maintained in years, my colleague asked, almost sarcastically, “that makes 13 irregulars so far—lots are still off on missions—doesn’t sound like we’ll have any free time anytime soon, does it?”

As we stepped, a raven loudly screeched; neither of us flinched at the eardrum-busting sound.

“We’re new recruits… I don’t get it— shouldn’t Kross assign someone more experienced instead? Like…” I exclaimed in annoyance and exhaustion.

Following the same tired voice, I added, “we’ve been busting our asses off all day without any clear direction—do any of the people we got seem actually suspicious to you?”

He peeped at me, silent for a couple moments, “hey! I’m getting paid, I honestly couldn’t care even if this investigation goes nowhere”; I huffed at his words, perplexed by his attitude.

“I don’t get people like you…” I replied whilst my stare moved from viewing him, to the ground.

“Like me?” he mumbled, almost insulted at my words.

Then continued…

“What do you mean like me? Is this because of my skin color?”

I stopped in my tracks.

“Are you stupid? I’m referring to people that are Players only for money, fucking obviously, man.”

He immediately chuckled, “I was only joking, don’t worry.”

With only city sounds embracing the atmosphere, we walked for a minute or two without exchanging a single word—no doubt because of his awkward, put-me-on-the-spot wit.

“And…” his tone got surrounded by grief…

“I had ambition as well, you know?—it got taken away from me, that’s all.”

“Hmm…” I instinctually replied, waiting for him to add something else.

“My teammates got killed and— well, I didn’t handle it like I should’ve— ah, when I say it like this, it sounds so wrong… I don’t really know how I should’ve handled it, but whatever…”

He took a deep breath, then continued his monologue…

“I knew I didn’t want to live my life on eggshells, so I got a job inside the walls— a safe life, you know?”

When he puts it like this, it makes me feel slightly guilty for even questioning him like that—he has his reasons and I’m sure everyone else does as well.

Yet again, in silence we walked—I didn’t feel inclined to answer him, as much as his words changed my perspective quite a significant amount.

“So, what about you?—ambitious as an investigator or what?”

Hearing him, immediately I tenderly licked my lips and stopped.

“I’m actually looking to investigate a specific case…”

“Oh? What’s that about…” he voiced while glancing back at me from behind; I could see a good load of curiosity molding his expression.

“You know how common murder is outside proper cities, right?”

He tilted his head and then answered, “yes, what about it?”

Slowly, I started treading my steps again, “well, everyone here knows the name of this person— or phenomenon, I couldn’t tell you honestly…”

His expression changed instantly, he knew exactly whom I was referring to here—who wouldn’t know that name?—only an imbecile, perhaps.

Before I could say the name, he went and said it himself…

“Black Death, right?”

Felt shivers upon this line.

“Yeah…”

“You’re crazy to even think about investigating it—you know there’s absolutely no point in it… right…?”

“Hah… obviously, but I still want to do it.”

He looked away from me, then replied, “I guess, who wouldn’t want to get him— or them— or whatever.”

“Yeahhhh… I mean, they’re the cause of most orphans in this continent.”

He wiggled his head to all sides, “suppose so.”

“It does make you wonder though, right?” I added.

“C’mon—they genocide poor towns and only leave children and babies, all for no apparent reason—absolutely every person in the Im City would pay anything to get a go at them— or it,” his voice was concise and clear, a calm in a topic that would devastate most people.

“I see now though… so that’s where your ambition comes from,” he attached as his final line—we were at the bureau of investigation, ready to step in for the last time of the day.

Yellow crystals were embedded all over the building—they were glowing strongly, giving the already-massive palace an even more intimidating appearance.

Each time you’d step into the place, you’d be blasted with a hint of unwilling anxiety that would make your skin crawl and hair stand up.

“Regardless, thank you for the conversation, Zuri,” I uttered to my colleague.

“You as well, as usual. See you tomorrow then, Boro.”

Zuri proceeded to take out a cigarette coated in red—the only brand around here.

We parted ways—another empty day of investigating, with no real lead or results.

Tomorrow is a new day though, and as they say, tomorrow is an undisclosed mystery.