Chapter 336: A Good Cry
Every year during the graduation season at Evernight Academy, once the
celebratory pyrotechnics fade into ashen smoke, two distinct categories of
students remain.
There are those clutching their official recruitment letters, posing for Talking
Manga frames at the central bulletin board with smiles that statistically
register as genuine.
And then, there are those like Eric.
He stood before the notice board, staring at the dense thicket of job listings
with eyes that had lost their focal depth, his hands shoved deep into his
pockets because he had zero directives for them.
"Still stuck in the logic-loop?"
Modi's voice drifted from the shade of a nearby pillar.
He was currently gnawing on a blade of grass he'd scavenged from the courtyard,
leaning lazily against the stone as his gaze performed a bored sweep of the
passing crowd. He looked like a low-tier street-hustler who had spent the entire
afternoon loitering, but Eric had known him for three years. He knew that
beneath that shell of " Thunder-God lethargy," Modi was more serious than
anyone—he just preferred to archive his sincerity where no one could audit it.
"I've settled on a direction," Eric stated. "I wish to serve the Empire."
"Direction is not a plan, Eric." Modi spat out the grass-stalk and tilted his
head to examine him. "Localizing the target and formulating the extraction route
are two very different operations."
Eric went silent. The remark felt like a sharp jab, but the logic was flawless.
"And your parameters?" Eric countered, throwing the query back at him.
Modi gave a casual shrug, his tone as light as a summer breeze. "Me? I'm
initiating the Adventurer protocol, obviously."
Eric turned his head to look at him. "An adventurer?"
"Mmh."
"Just that?"
"Define 'just that.' The Vocation of Adventurer represents absolute liberty and
a high-density of unpredicted futures. Rather than guarding a cubicle in a
logistics center, I'd rather step into the mud and reach for the stars. You know
my profile—I have zero motivation for a life where I can see the terminal point
from the starting line."
That was Modi. He never masked his intent, nor did he attempt to trade
persuasion for agreement. If he stated a directive was absolute, it was
absolute; whether others approved of his logic was a discarded variable.
"When did you finalize that decision?" Eric asked.
"The first cycle of enrollment. I sat in the back of the lecture hall, looking
at the rows of perfectly aligned chairs, and realized: 'Standardized Labor' is
not my win-condition."
Eric contemplated the response but offered no verbal feedback. They had shared
the same classroom for three years, yet their paths were diverging at a
ninety-degree angle. The irony was quite fascinating.
Just then, a commotion rippled through the crowd at the notice board.
It wasn't a "Grand Event," but the atmosphere in the sector shifted instantly. A
Vampire in the crisp, tailored tunic of the State Army was approaching. He
looked like a new recruit to the administrative division, rummaging through a
dossier for a long duration before finally pinning a fresh parchment to the
board.
His movements were efficient. He smoothed the paper until even the corners were
perfectly anchored, performed a quick visual audit, and departed without
uttering a single syllable.
The State Army.
The fact that an official from the capital had personally manifested to post a
recruitment notice caused a spike in the students' chatter-levels.
Modi nudged his chin toward the board. "Eric. Audit the new data."
Eric squeezed through the press of bodies, drawing close to the fresh ink. His
eyes scanned from the header to the terminal line and back again.
[EVERNIGHT TRANSIT HUB: PHASE ONE RECRUITMENT]
- Positions: Transit Registrar, Visitor Liaison, Commercial District Mediator,
Information Consolidation Unit...
- Target Demographic: Evernight Academy Graduates and Registered Citizens.
- Requirements: Absolute Loyalty, Foundational Mana-Sensing, High-Tier
Patriotism...
His gaze locked onto the words: Transit Hub.
Rumors of that coordinate had been circulating through the Empire for cycles.
The singular artery connecting the Multiverse. A cross-planar megastructure
authorized by the Sovereign and overseen by Skele-Greed and his Adjunct.
The combination of those variables was enough to make any Imperial subject's
heart rate accelerate.
"This is the one," Eric whispered.
He turned around. Modi was already standing beside him, having audited the
notice in seconds. He was silent for a long duration before speaking.
"Wait, Eric. Recalculate your logic."
Modi's voice lacked its usual levity; he was speaking with "Peak-Sincerity."
"The Transit Hub is designated as a Priority Project, yes, but it is currently a
'Beta-Test' coordinate. It is not officially integrated. If you enter now as a
trial-unit and the Sovereign pulls the funding or the project hits a terminal
failure..."
"By the time you extract back to the job market, your 'New Graduate' buff will
have expired. You'll be an unranked unit with a failed history. This sector
could become a negative asset on your resume. Do you comprehend the risk?"
Eric nodded. He knew Modi wasn't "pouring cold water" on him. These were
legitimate tactical concerns. The Empire had terminated pilot programs before.
He processed the risk-assessment, but he didn't hesitate.
"You are correct, Modi. It is a gamble."
"Then re-verify your choice."
"Finalized."
Eric looked Modi in the eye. The look wasn't one of impulsive heat, but a cold,
calculated certainty.
"Modi, you are entering the Adventurer Vocation. Has anyone audited the
mortality rate of that profession compared to a standard citizen for you?"
Modi offered zero verbal response.
"Yet, your resolve remains anchored," Eric continued. "Because it is your
'Path'."
"Exactly. And this is mine. You always state that 'Opportunity is a fleeting
buff.' The variable has manifested before me. I have zero reason to bypass it."
Modi watched him, silent for a long heartbeat, then let out a sharp sigh.
"And if you lose the gamble?"
Eric's expression hit a momentary "Null-Value." For less than half a second, the
screen of his mind was blank.
He remembered the terror of his first day as an Imperial Resident. He remembered
the pride in his parents' eyes when he was accepted into the Academy. He
remembered the thousand nights he had sacrificed sleep to master the logic of
Mana.
Then, he smiled.
"If I lose... I shall have a good cry."
Modi blinked, then erupted into a roar of laughter. The volume was statistically
excessive, drawing the attention of every unit in the sector, but Modi ignored
the feedback.
He reached out and slapped the back of Eric's head—a strike delivered with
significantly more force than usual. It was a gesture reserved only for those
who shared a soul-resonance.
"Fine. Proceed with the deployment. Do not let your logic fail."
"I shall not."
Eric turned and marched toward the registration desk.
He did not look back.
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