"Ah, another raid on the outskirts... This is the 3rd time this month," said the young man with black hair and a scarred face to the male employee that is wearing a white suit.
"Yeah, kid, and also, we found something there that one of the Wings wants us to retrieve, so please bear with it, alright." said the employee
The young man with a gray suit and black tie is seemingly frustrated by the amount of work he's been getting. His name is Yotsuyu Kagami, a fixer in The City. He became a fixer at the age of 13 and climbed his way into the ranks of Grade 1 Fixer in 5 years.
"I was told that a higher grade means I can choose what commissions or contracts I'll take and when I could take them," said Kagami with a disappointed look on his face.
"That's how life is for the higher-grade fixers kid, especially with those abilities like yours." said the Hana Fixer again with a slightly sympathetic look.
As soon as Kagami heads to the front door of the building, the Hana Fixer tthrowsa box high quality jerky and ssays"My treat ,kid, would be a damn shame if someone of your caliber die out there" as he gives his farewell to the kid. A quick nod while Kagami turned back as he headed to the door.
"I want to take a break after this commission and somewhat settle down," Kagami said as walking to his luxurious apartment in a skyrise building.
Then the day passed by, and Kagami, seemingly well-rested headed off to the borders of District 18 (R-Corp) to the outskirts.
"Are you going to go out again, Mr. Yotsuyu?" said the R-Corp Fixer guarding the borders to the outskirts of District 18. "This is like the 3rd time this month, you sure they aren't exploiting you?" said with a slight concern.
"Yeah, this time it is a retrieval mission rather than suppress and extract, thankfully, " Kagami said, seemingly still tired. "Pay is pretty good though, but what I can do if I don't even have time to spend it, and even if I reject this the Hana Assoc. is going to pester me about this and the paperwork is annoying to deal with" he followed up.
"Alright then I'll open the gates now," said the R-Corp Fixer yawning while opening the gates to the outskirts.
"I'll be sure to grab some scraps in the outskirts if they're valuable enough," Kagami said to the R-Corp fixer.
"Save some for me too and Gerard," said the R-Corp Fixer referring to the Hana Fixer.
He heads off to the Giant Gates separating The City and the vicious and unpredictable nature of the Outskirts the R-Corp Fixer stares at the Horizon seeing his figure disappear towards the barren lands as he closes the gates while giving the young Fixer a silent farewell.
"So this Dimensional Paradox Inversion Module is what I'm after" as he looks at the files given to him by the Hana Assoc. employee. He wonders how it works as he makes his way along the Locomotive Tracks to stop and camp outside.
" It's still a 2-day trek to the location and I still have the Jerky that Mr. Gerard should last me about 5 days if I eat it sparingly" he mumbled to himself.
"The Contract says that if others are trying to claim the DPIM, you are allowed to kill on your own volition with the permission of the Hana Assoc." he was re-reading the contract so the terms didn't bite back.
As he set up camp on the steep slopes of the mountains he heard some creatures scurrying around his location trying to observe his movements. The creatures are four-legged with long claws, hardened shells enveloping their body, and fangs protruding from their gaping mouths akin to a wolf.
Unfortunately, as soon as they made their move to their about-to-be prey a figure suddenly came up behind without making a sound, but as soon as the creatures were able to react the figure already skewered 3 of its kind using an Umbrella. The remaining creatures attempted to lunge at the figure only to get impaled again.
"These Scavengers again," said the figure revealed to be Kagami who still had those creatures impaled on his weapon as he stared at their impaled corpse.
He cleaned his umbrella of blood before setting up his camp for the night.
"I'll set cloaking field and rest for today" yawning as he finishes setting up his camp and later on drifts into slumber.
A Day Passed by...
He soon arrived at the location and was surprised as he saw researchers tampering with the DPIM guarded by armed Fixers, most of them heavily armed. He soon started scouting the perimeter looking for the most efficient way to take out the Fixers and Researchers.
"I better get a week off from this" Kagami said with a frustrated tone.
"Hmmm... 5 on the east 4 on the west and south and 6 on the North, they seem experienced but should be manageable without using E.G.O or Shin," said Kagami while thinking up a plan to finish the commission as fast as possible.
Thus he began his assault, First, he took on the West Area gripping his signature X-Corp Alloy-based Umbrella as he covertly avoided them and silently took them out one by one, impaling the 2 Fixers and slashing the other's necks. But what he didn't account for was the vital sensors which immediately alerted the other Fixers to stop him from getting to the researchers.
"Damn Vital Sensors" Kagami muttered as he tore through the facility and the remaining Fixers and who got in his way till he reached the Center of the facility where the device is located.
"Fucking Hell!!! why is there a Grade 1 Raiding us out here." said the Panicking Researcher, "We can't let the other wings have this, it's too valuable for us we can even start our Corporation if we manage to figure out how to operate it properly." replied by the Senior Researcher. "Someone must've tattled on us," said the Panicking Researcher.
They grabbed the device and ran as fast as they could towards the exit but only to be met by the blood-drenched Fixer with a hole in his chest, then a figure behind it stood.
"Hand it over, no compromise," Kagami said with a cold voice staring down at the researchers intending to end them after handing the device over.
The Senior Researcher ran back to his fellow researchers while tampering with the devices. Kagami then followed and killed the other researchers and as he made his way to impale the last researcher he stood with the device but unfortunately for the researcher, he was already pierced through the heart by Kagami.
"Finally, it's over..." Kagami muttered to himself uncaringly, he soon noticed the Device becoming unstable. He tried to store it in his pocket storage but to no avail the storage was rejecting it, and he had no choice but to run away as the impending danger struck his intuition. He stepped back and opened his Umbrella covering himself from the supposed explosion from the device only to be pulled into the source of it. He tried to resist but only to be pulled even stronger till he made contact with what formed to be a violet sphere which began absorbing the researchers and equipment in the room.
"I can't get away!" Kagami thought to himself as he gritted his teeth and planted his Umbrella on the ground. He was trying to resist but the sphere changed color to golden sphere and pulled him even stronger until he was consumed by it. Eventually, after the sphere reached its threshold it stopped and the device fell to the ground heavily damaged till it eventually disintegrated into dust.
"Shame, can't believe this is how I die, I haven't even spent all my earnings from my contracts and commissions" Kagami seemingly stared into the blank space as he was regretting to splurge before closing his eyes to meet his eventual end. A few moments later he soon woke up and found himself lying in the grass, trees were everywhere and the lush environment which he met was strange.
He checked his equipment to notice that he still had his Pocket Storage and his Umbrella. Although his food and water sources are running low on a separate bag, he only brings the necessary equipment and needs for the outskirts trip which are spare clothes, a portable tent, a cloaking field device, large amounts of K-corp Ampules, and spare weapons which are stored in his Pocket Storage.
"Shouldn't the outskirts be barren, or maybe this is what lies beyond the City or another Continen?t?" he thought as he went further on with no sign of danger. He then saw a road with people inside the carriage passing by getting attacked by hordes of small green humanoid creatures and furred creatures. "If I save them and have me in their debt perhaps I could extract some information," he thought to himself.
The Man in the carriage stood by trying to protect his family and goods, he was a merchant and his men which he hired we're ambushed and died by the same monsters but the other's aberrations of the same. He heads out and tells his family to run while he serves as a distraction for them to escape. Their family was heading to Orario to trade goods and for a trip for his children and wife. As he takes one last look at his family before resigning his fate for his family to survive, he takes a step outside screaming at the goblins and wolf creatures wearing Iron Armor and a small sword and shield banging them to create noise to turn the monster's attention to him. Suddenly a blur of a figure rushed with the speed that even an experienced fighter can't track slaughters the hordes of Goblins and Kobolds with ruthless efficiency. He was piercing them with lance-like Umbrella left and right like skewers, and hitting them so hard that only their lower halves remain with relative ease. And so after the chaos is over with blood and magic stones on the ground the figure walks up to him with a bloodied suit and tie.
"Are you alright Sir?" the young man covered in blood asked the Merchant seemingly confused about what happened. Some Adventurers are strong even outside Orario he knew that as a fact but what he saw there was a young man in a gray suit and tie seemingly unprotected with a lance-like Umbrella as his weapon as he impales and slashes several Goblins and Kobolds with relative ease at speeds compared to high-class Adventurer who have reached high levels.
"Y-Young Man may I ask which Familia are you from?" said the Merchant. "Familia?" Kagami replied confused at that term. "I think he might be referring to an Office or something," Kagami thought. "Oh, I'm a freelancer Sir" Kagami replied.
"Although I am a freelancer I still work with other people or take on assigned tasks to me by my superiors". The Merchant is seemingly baffled by Kagami saying that he is a freelancer which means that he doesn't have God's Blessing or Falna. He asked him where he came from. "I came from The City," said Kagami.
"Which one?" asked the Merchant. "District 19 but I moved to District 18 due to some circumstances" he replied to the Merchant. The Merchant doesn't know its place but he made a deduction that he was a foreigner from an unknown Kingdom. He soon went back to his family to tell them that they were saved and were going to continue their journey to Orario, Also setting up small graves for the fallen Adventurers he hired as guards before they departed.
He then offered Kagami a ride to the city of Orario in exchange for saving him and his family. He also offered a sum of Valis which is this continent's currency relative to Ahn from The City to him for an escort and offered to exchange the magic stones dropped from those he had killed after he saw how strong he was. He accepted as he currently has no money at hand. The Merchant said that they were 2 days away from their destination. From then Kagami sat beside the Merchant steering the horses while asking for information.