23 / 03 / 2019 - Daito, Prefecture Osaka, Japan.
10 AM, Monday, Akane's Room.
ItsRedMapples : Hello, you there? [10:12]
The notification popping out in the corner of the screen, imprinted in his retina, hands above the keyboard, temporarily stopped, hanging in place, and then,
Moving one of the hanging hands to the mouse on the right, gripping it lightly, and guiding the cursor to the notification of the chat request.
Silent for a while, his gaze is thoughtful, then, straightening his body away from the comfy backrest, he lowers his gaze, typing a reply.
Miserables : Miss Takahashi? [10:14]
It's not even long before he rested his fingers above the keyboard, and the replies came instantly, 'In a hurry, aren't we?' raising his eyebrows.
Reading the content of the message, he didn't have to reply for a moment; a possibility had bloomed in his mind before this, but then again, he drooped his eyes.
ItsRedMapples : Yes, it's me, the actual profile cannot be faked after all (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵). [10:14]
'Is this a method of deceit to make me relax? Or is the other side that expressive?'
Again, without prior knowledge on both sides, how could she determine that this behaviour could gain a favour from him? Still, he let out a breath.
'Hmmmm, am I reading too much into this? Whatever then, enjoy it if you want, and if you don't, then you don't have to.'
He already had his own lesson: sometimes knowledge is dangerous and, in the end, becomes a burden if not accompanied by wisdom to match it; he cannot be too rigid for his own sake.
'I'm too paranoid now, if it goes on like this, maybe I couldn't even take a step forward later.'
Yeah, this kind of thing should be enjoyed. Biting his lower lip, he let his tense shoulders fall into the backrest once again, and instead, his little feet pushed the chair forward.
And as she said, he did not rush to reply,
'Let's take a look at her profile to make sure.'
Eyes moving upward to the corner of the simple conversation room, hovering over it, and he clicked the profile picture, thus the window changed.
A barrage of information is displayed in front of his eyes, minimalist but with a clear point of view for the first-time visitor to notice this profile, not over, yet not simple.
First, his eyes caught sight of the profile picture of fallen red leaves, and brown eyes in a mix of gold amidst them, 'Hmmmmmm,' humming as he inspected past this.
The other is a "Reputation" which is as high as 2560.
"It's quite high, she's probably very active?" for him to conclude, the next thing he would do is look at either "Posts" or "Activity".
"Posts" is 17, crossing his hands, 'It's low, but that means each post has a high rep on its own,' and not kidding, it is quite high; lifting his eyelids, he should probably look for more.
But…
"It's not good to ignore her for too long, what a rude thing of me." Again, his mind spontaneously assumes many things; his control-freak habit is resurfacing.
Letting out a sigh, either of weariness or lamentation towards his habit, he will just take a quick look one last time before going back to the chat window.
"Hmmm, Elite User? Also, LEVEL-5? And a high reputation, it appears that she doesn't display her official faction tag?"
Each faction has an official tag to mark its own, suggesting presence and power, which very much broadens his knowledge of the organisations that exist in this world.
There's a time, when he looks at the "Social Section", he meets a user from "Starry Sky Observatory", which is completely foreign, but regardless, piques his interest.
Sitting absentmindedly for a few seconds as he remembered the event of two days ago, he shook his head, realising that it's been 10:20 and he has been in a stupor.
Feeling a bit of urgency, he takes one last glance at "Activity" before closing the window; she seems to have posted something at the "Exchange Section" as her last activity.
[Alert: Class 2 - Request! Information About the Hideouts of "Spawn Cords" in Osaka!]
Normal as if he had seen nothing, his face plain, he is back in the chat room, and his hands moved to the keyboard to type as usual,
Miserables : All right, miss, how should we conduct the transaction — the clearer the better after all. [10:21]
Pausing for a moment, he lowers his head, thinking of something, but then proceeds to type it anyway; there's no loss in this, right? He is free to do what he wants,
Miserables : Also, I don't quite like pretense or being roundabout about it, so I will state it clearly: let's be efficient, state each of our demands, and the like. [10:21]
At this moment, he is still lying lazily with his eyes open, slumped on the backrest, pressing his head, while the light falls on his body, bringing along the usual chill.
'If she disagrees with this, then I'll just turn it down, since… mouth and hands can always say other things after all, what you type will probably differ from what you had in mind.'
Still, knowing the deceit that will be involved along the way, he brought this to the table, and he is true to his words; he is tired of pretense or fighting with wit.
'It is comfortable.'
In a sense, being what he wants and what it is, is not so bad after all. Sometimes, people like being held by the nose and follow along in their rules like a dog.
Smiling, while bathing in the light of the dim room, eyes half-lidded, awaiting the response, he seems to have attained enlightenment from this short dialogue.
No response for a while, then after a few minutes,
ItsRedMapples : (⊙⊙)(⊙⊙) [10:23]
ItsRedMapples : Ahhhhh, Miserables-san!! We are truly at the same frequency after all! I can feel it even before I chat with you (╥﹏╥)(╥﹏╥) [10:23]
ItsRedMapples : You don't know, right? Sometimes bureaucracy can be very tiring, and as a field agent, it is often hard to confront such people who can only talk indirectly or implicitly (｡ᵕ ◞ _◟) [10:24]
ItsRedMapples : So… very much, I appreciate this very much; as rough people like us don't need to beat around the bush like that, right? [10:24]
The other side is still typing, and for Akane, his face stalled like an unresponsive computer, smile frozen, twitching slightly.
Though he is the one who started this, he is the one most baffled by the unexpected response of a social animal.
'What a strange turn of events.' Until finally, his eyebrows drooped, but anyhow, not done yet, one more is coming.
ItsRedMapples : I'm very glad you know, to meet you huhuhuh (,,>﹏<,,)(,,>﹏<,,) [10:24]
Up until now, he can't even discern whether the other side is playing with him or not, but anyway, he somehow wants to let himself be carried away, as it is interesting in itself; the corner of his mouth upturned,
Miserables : Yeah, all right then. How would you conduct the transaction here? And if it's okay, I would also like to know about some information later… [10:24]
The replies came in quickly after he had finished typing; again, not even a minute passed, as sometimes he wonders,
'Do they have no other job to do? Or does she watch this too closely?'
Well, it's not his problem at all, a small smirk plastered on his face.
Nevertheless, if she is, as she said, a field agent who often meets various people like this and goes by it until now, then she cannot be underestimated after all.
Although the two may or may not form a bond through this fragile connection of sympathy based on their weariness over slithery words, at least, there is a common ground to make.
ItsRedMapples : Umu2, also, before this, thank you very much for the help before, Miserables-san! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) [10:25]
ItsRedMapples : Don't mind that person named Amakusa, he is known for being an arrogant scumbag after all, even in Heaven Gate; I extend my apologies for the rude behaviour itself (ᵕ—ᴗ—)(ᵕ—ᴗ—) [10:25]
ItsRedMapples : Anyway, back to the topic, after two days, you must have studied the Dark Network, right? I'll just make an exclusive request later, and it will be approved by the Moderator here ( •̀ - •́ ) [10:25]
ItsRedMapples : After that, you could take the job as the broker, and the Adjudicator could review the information itself for the truth while you negotiate the payment with me (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝) [10:25]
ItsRedMapples : [Alert: Class-1 - Exclusive Request! Information Regarding the Location of "Spawn Cords" in Osaka], It's approved, please check it, Miserables-san!
A barrage of messages passed in just a matter of one minute; again, even if it's the first time, he unknowingly treats this as the usual antics of the opposite side.
He just ignored the mention of that bastard, as he is not interested in the slightest.
Clicking his tongue, 'I'm the first one to start here,' so why should he complain? Ignoring the last message for a moment, he spent some time on his usual rant.
Rolling his eyes — well, what she said is true though, as this is also the biggest reason why he thought that the Dark Network is a giant organisation and why many people used it.
And again, 'Adjudicator, heh.'
Well, to be told, they are a formal title held by some people in this forum; their work is so simple, but it has become the biggest assurance for all on this site.
'That is to investigate and verify the reliability of the transactions.'
His eyes flashed with incomprehension as he gazed at the chat screen, reminded of what he saw the other day,
'Adjudicator, LEVEL-8. Moderator LEVEL-8, and then Manager LEVEL-9 — three of them, and how many more are there at the depth of this?'
His doubt will surely be voiced by others, but also, how can they remain neutral and keep their greed at bay amid everything, every exchange and transaction?
'Torrent of information, becoming a huge main forum that oversees various exchanges, though I doubt a very high-level exchange one, but for the smaller and medium level, this is maybe their only reliance.'
Which is why he is puzzled; if they amass all of this for themselves, intercept it or sell it to others, the profit could be astronomical! But that's what a simpleton would think, right?
'The key is reliability and neutrality itself.'
Crossing his hands and pushing the rotating chair for a bit as he is thinking, his lips curved. By giving away all of this, and creating a safe exchange assurance.
That's why they managed to become a giant that is simply overlooked for its risk and labelled for their neutrality, which is the most important asset for them — to blind their own eyes to anything.
Then again, back to the "Tags" itself, that's what he can see even at LEVEL-1; their authority and power are surely high-reaching even below there.
Anyway, tilting his head slightly as his hands hang on the edge of the desk, "Let's start then," stopping the chair, his hands moved to the keyboard.
For this, he opens up the "Broker Request" message of hers, to which appears a pop-up window screen in a simple form, neat — he likes these simple things.
It is efficient and flexible; you can type it out by text, audio, photos, document, or even other kinds of things — considerate, considerate — yet what is valued the most is the assurance itself after all.
Out of the mouse, he pushes his body forwards, leaning, and takes out a notebook from the drawer. 'For now, let's give it 3,' lowering his head to search over some locations.
After deciding what he wants to share, he just types it out and fills in the form of address, no more, no less. Then again, 'it surely is like farming in a video game.'
While typing, his mind is still working on other things; from two days ago, rampant as it is, they seem no longer to want to be concealed in their actions at all, doing it in broad daylight.
But…
'Spawn Cords, heh? I wonder, what's the difference between the normal hideout and Spawn Cords?'
Pausing slightly, he is thinking of the connection — what's the difference, yeah? He tilted his head in confusion for a moment and then slowly closed his eyes. He traced back some patterns he had discovered.
Huge activity (by Ayato), disgusting taste (by Irina), ominous aura (by Irina), huge underground cavity (by Ayato), strange inhuman movement (by Ayato), bloody and faint sour or musky smell, etc.
There aren't many noticeable factors at a glance, as he relied on Irina's perception most of the time; then again, the memory of the first time he went to the warehouse resurfaced.
'Why?' is his question, as he instinctively frowns. Everything goes too smoothly; he knows, partly because spatial and temporal information itself are indispensable, but…
Some of these locations seem to have been left after they were done with their task, since there's pretty much no activity on the surface level. A strange guess — so what were they for, actually?
As he is a bit interested, something then flashed in his mind, 'Wait.' Left apart? Empty? Does the warehouse contain the said "Spawn Cords"? If yes, then there seems to be a matching pattern!
He opened his eyes, using
'Should I confirm it?' Then, resuming his hands, he rewrote the information for a bit as a test; he included two locations of what he suspects are Spawn Cords and one normal hideout.
An apartment at the edge of the pier, a parking lot beneath an abandoned mall, and a house near the riverside.
Finishing it, what is done is done, and then clicking "Submit", he fully let his body fall to the backrest once again, awaiting the approval of the said Adjudicator.
While waiting, both sides are silent as if in tacit understanding, just awaiting the result to come, and as he gazes at the screen motionless with hands on his lap, a message pops up.
MolasG2 (Adjudicator): [Information Approved] It is reliable and confirmed by our agent; two of them are Spawn Cords, while the other is just a normal hideout location of fanatics. [10:42]
It's a bit long, but the result is out, and though the guess is confirmed, he can't be happy because he doesn't know the reason for it; but then again, his eyes lower, 'A fanatic?'
Also, he raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at the participant list in the room — there is no one called "MolasG2," invisible, or coming and going? Well, whatever, a mysterious fellow.
Pushing his body, he moved his hands from his lap and continued to type; regardless, he could know the reason from either her or by searching again.
Miserables : How is it then? [10:43]
ItsRedMapples : Wow, right! As expected of Miserables-san, then what do you want for this? (｡· v ·｡)?
Paused, thinking of the payment, there is another thing he wants to ask, and whether he gets an answer is another matter, but still he messaged it out as he did earlier,
Miserables : Before this, forgive me for asking, why don't you try to take the offer at the "Exchange Section" yourself, since it seems that some brokers also sell the latest information about this so-called "Spawn Cords"? [10:44]
After this, there are no replies for a while, but he expects it, so he watches calmly, and then the other party is typing and then falls silent in repetition after a while.
Like confused about what to type, yet again, the answer still comes after all.
ItsRedMapples : If I have to tell you the truth, I have reached out to them, and some of the others have already done so too (¬_¬") [10:46]
ItsRedMapples : But the thing is, they offer a sky-high price for this as they would maximise their own profit "( – ⌓ – ) [10:46]
ItsRedMapples : You know, Osaka is like a hotbed right now (╥﹏╥), that every agent is busy, and the broker would sell at a high price for the latest information (╥﹏╥)(╥﹏╥) [10:46]
ItsRedMapples : It's why exclusive info on Osaka is sparse now, but it doesn't mean that we don't want to pay a high price or will offer you cheap, Miserables-san, it's just that we want a reasonable price, that's it… (ᵕ—ᴗ—) (っ- ‸ - ς) [10:46]
Then she goes silent, which is as expected, 'Feeling guilty inside? She probably knows I'm a newcomer and is still trying to benefit from me, but…'
He appreciates the honesty if it's the truth, and even if it's not, he would go along with it probably, "Why? Oh, why?" The reason is simple: a monopoly of information, it is.
There are many things he could list, but the point is there after all. It is a pressure on all parties that he may face later, as he doesn't want to garner any attention.
Selling this to Heaven Gate can be called a form of protection while also being beneficial from it, 'I'm a nobody here, and I don't want to doubt any means that will come.'
What if he goes cursed when he walks and then gets hit by a car? What if, when he walks, he stumbles and then gets hit by a car? Or worse, what if he is struck by lightning and then gets hit by a car?
His body shivers as the list of possibilities grows longer and longer; in short, he doesn't want to discount any means that exist on this Extraordinary side of the world.
The Adjudicator itself has frightened him that it can discern the "truth" of information, to which he doesn't know how it works and how this discerning can be so simple.
'Gamble all day, then!' Well, whatever — two, no three locations only, it's not a bad bet at all! If he's right, he will get a max win, and if not, he will simply be a loser after all!
And yeah, his eyes fully gleaming in red as excitement flared up, his hands quickly moved above the keyboard in an afterimage,
Miserables : … [10:48]
Miserables : Sure thing, Takahashi-san, it's all okay (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) [10:48]
Miserables : Happy Cooperation then! (,,>ヮ<,,) [10:48]