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A single desk, gleaming chrome, stood against the far wall.

Behind it, a masked assistant tapped away at a screen, their expression hidden.

I wasn\'t so excited to meet the big boss, I know that Jaxon Cain has handled the majority of his operations running the mercenary corps from the back of his head.

Approaching the desk, I addressed the assistant.

"Evening, uh... I\'ve been called up by the big boss... for a meeting?"

She stopped typing and looked up. "I don\'t think we\'re expecting any newbies during this hour. But I\'ll check with the Big Boss first."

As she picked up a phone dialing Jaxonn Cain, I activated perceptive mind to see who this person was.

[Special Passive: Perceptive Mind [Grade 3] Has Been Activated!]

FWANG!

[Status Window Of Mary]

[Age: 28]

[>Strength: 55, >Durability: 155, >Speed: 82, >Mana: C+, >Elemental Attribute: Wind]

[Current Thoughts: "He sounds young and he looks young... Did Mr. Cain offer an internship to him?"]

Mary? Hmm... that name didn\'t ring a bell.Another minor character to fill in the gaps, I figured.I had thousands of characters written for this novel – but I knew it was impossible to remember them all.

So I assume A.T. likely pulled her from my character list, which made sense.Still, one thing was for certain: she had to be Mr. Cain\'s personal secretary.

As she hung up the phone, she stood and retrieved a card from under the desk.

"Mr. Cain\'s expecting you, newbie. His office is on the very top floor."

She paused, handing me the card.

"This has access to most of this building\'s facilities including, training rooms, the cafeteria, and lounge rooms. Standard stuff."

I took the card with a nod."Also, the elevator is down that hallway." She gestured towards the corridor.I bowed respectfully and made a quick exit.

***

[Eldoria, Mercenary Headquarters, Floor: 1-A - Cafeteria]

In the main cafeteria of the headquarters, Vanessa and Christian devoured their usual pre-mission meals.

nom...nom...nom...

"Food here is always the best!"

Christian grinned, shovelling chicken risotto into his mouth, etiquette be damned. Vanessa, equally engrossed in her own meal, agreed.

"Absolutely."

"Mm-ph…so, when\'s the mission start?"

Christian mumbled through a mouthful of food, eyes fixed on the exit.

"Soon, I hope. We\'re getting a replacement after…well, you know."

Vanessa took a delicate bite of strawberry cake, savouring the sweet and sour flavours only the Mercenary Corps cafeteria could replicate.

"True... maybe we should treat the newbie right."

"Umu... wait...you should tell yourself that!" Vanessa finished the last of her cake.

"Wherever you walk, trouble follows."

"Wuh... Can\'t tell if you\'re joking," Christian mumbled changing the subject. "I\'m hitting the training room. You in?"

"Haah... sure, whatever." Vanessa sighed.

The duo stood, pulling their masks back on before exiting the cafeteria and headed towards the elevator.

"Hey, maybe we should-"

"...!"

Their conversation was abruptly cut short as they collided with someone unfamiliar at the elevator.

Vanessa and Christian jerked to a halt.

The stranger stood facing them, blocking the Elevator.

Both Christian and Vanessa observed his appearance.

He had a different variation of the mask that Jaxon Usually hands out which is odd.

It didn\'t have the same pattern that looked like theirs so they couldn\'t help but wonder if he was a false mercenary.

The stranger stood facing them, blocking the entrance. Both observed his appearance closely.

His mask was different from the standard Jaxon-issued ones, lacking the familiar pattern. Was he a fake mercenary?

If he was then they\'d have no choice but to take action.

But the robe said otherwise, as Vanessa looked at his hair – not the usual military buzzcut, but longer, bangs partially obscuring the masked eyes, with a messy middle part sweeping back.

He carried two weapons at his hips: a cutlass-style sword on the left and a gun on the right.

She had assumed that he was either someone fresh out of the academy or just slightly older than them.

Christian leaned close to Vanessa.

"Hey... I don\'t sense anything from this guy..."

"Me too," she whispered back, her voice tight.

The atmosphere hung heavy as the masked figure stared back at them.

There was something... off about his presence, this person was different to the other mercenaries they knew.

tap...

"...!"

A ripple of unease passed between Vanessa and Christian.

They were used to reading opponents through their mana, sensing their intentions.

But this man was a blank slate, his movements were impossible to predict.

If he attacked, they\'d have no warning.

The thought flashed through their minds, then – in the blink of an eye – He was suddenly in front of them.

"You two, are my seniors correct?"

He stood before them, several feet away, exuding an aura of complete calm.

This formal address left Vanessa and Christian exchanging confused glances.

khum...

Vanessa cleared her throat. "Are you the new recruit Mr. Cain mentioned?"

"Yes. I\'ll be in your care."

The masked figure\'s tone was formal, almost stilted.

haah...

Vanessa released a pent-up breath.

No way the Syndicate could have someone like this... this unreadable person inside the building.

It was unusual for Jaxon Cain to hire someone on the spot, given his overwhelming workload.

And Vanessa couldn\'t shake the feeling of a swordsman carrying a gun.

If he was truly skilled, wouldn\'t aura-infused slashes be far more potent than bullets?

haha...

"Finally..." Christian let out a relieved chuckle. He seemed ready to bounce with excitement.

Vanessa\'s attention, however, remained on the newcomer\'s odd weapon choice.

A swordsman with a gun...it didn\'t add up.

But then, another thought took hold: What does he look like? Curiosity burned in her.

She had a habit of wanting to see the faces behind the masks, and this stranger was no exception.

"You\'re new, right?!" Christian\'s excitement bubbled over. "I\'m CA25B, and this is VE4B!"

He gestured dramatically towards Vanessa.

"I don\'t have a code name yet," the masked figure replied respectfully, "but you can call me Junior for now."

Vanessa chimed in, "Well, Junior, it\'s good to see a fresh face around here. And since you\'re with us...there\'s a special initiation."

Rel in his mask tilted his head in confusion, "What is this initiation?"

Rel tilted his head within the confines of his mask.

"What kind of initiation?"

Vanessa\'s eyes, visible behind her own mask, shined mischievously.

"The newbie takes off their mask and shows their face to the group."

"Really?"

"Yes, really!" Her voice held a sly, playful lilt.

Rel knew nothing good ever came from Vanessa\'s games."

Ah, apologies, senior..." he began, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "but honestly, I\'m not comfortable showing my face..."

He hoped that would be the end of it.

Instead, Vanessa inched closer, leaning towards him with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Aw, you can\'t show me?"

He could practically see the puppy dog eyes behind her mask, and her \'chest\' was uncomfortably close.

A blush crept up Rel\'s cheeks as he abruptly stepped back.

"I\'m sorry, maybe another time."

Vanessa pouted dramatically, then lunged forward again. "Are you sure?!"

"Yes."

"Are you really, really, really sure?!"

"Very sure."

haah...

Defeated, Vanessa slouched forward and pressed the elevator button with a sigh.

Rel watched her carefully, and then...

"Hehe..." A mischievous giggle escaped her lips.

"...?"

"Okay, fine...I guess I\'ll see for myself!"

With a burst of speed, she whirled around and lunged for Rel\'s mask.

He reacted instantly, stepping back. Vanessa, caught off guard, stumbled.

Snap!

With a quick twist, Rel caught her wrist, pulling her close.

Their faces were inches apart.

"What are you doing?"

Rel\'s brow furrowed beneath his mask.

A blush crept up Vanessa\'s cheeks.

"Uh...oh...um... nothing! I was just... just testing your reaction time! Yes, reaction time."

Her voice faltered, betraying her flustered state.

Rel wasn\'t convinced, but he forced himself to ignore her odd reaction.

"Um... can you let me go now?" Vanessa averted her eyes, his grip still tight on her wrist.

"Oh, right. Sorry." He immediately released her, creating distance between them.

pfft...kekeke

Christian erupted in laughter, witnessing the entire scene before him.

"Wow! I\'ve never seen her like this, Junior! How did you do it?"

Rel turned towards Christian, confusion evident in his voice.

"I just caught her... what\'s so funny?"

Christian chuckled.

"I don\'t think even you fully grasp what just happened, and that\'s what makes it so hilarious!"

Vanessa\'s brow furrowed. A coin appeared in her hand.

flick!

And with a flick of her wrist, the coin soared above Christian, reaching its peak directly over his head.

VAH!

Mana surged into the coin, and with a snap of her fingers, it plummeted downwards, the force of gravity magnified tenfold.

Christian yelped as the coin smashed into his skull, driving him to the ground.

"AHHH!!!"

___________

Authors Notes:

- Christian and Vanessa\'s work personalities are completely different to how they act at mercenaries headquarters.

Vanessa is serious when it comes to work, but she\'s more relaxed and rather playful when she isn\'t working.

Christian\'s personality remains the same, he\'s still very energetic but he can be serious when the situation is needed.

- Any object or thing imbued with Vanessa\'s mana can be used to activate her special attribute of gravity.