The green prompt blinked one last time before fading, leaving Ren Li standing on the podium. The crowd's chatter slowly returned, but he barely noticed. His mind was still racing, calculating potential profits, planning out strategies, and somewhere, deep down, wondering how he had ended up in this ridiculous, dangerous, and incredibly lucrative mess.
He was so lost in thought that he almost didn't hear the low hum of an engine outside
A sleek black government car rolled to a stop at the main entrance.
A holographic panel lit up in the driver's seat. A calm, computerized voice echoed inside the hall:
"Ren Li, please proceed to the vehicle immediately. You are requested for official questioning regarding your Career."
Ren blinked, coming back to reality. "Wait... official questioning?"
Before he could react, two men in black suits, sunglasses reflecting the fluorescent lights of the hall, stepped inside. Their presence was enough to make the chatter die down again. One of them extended a hand.
"Mr. Ren Li, please follow us," the taller one said.
Ren gulped. His mind immediately jumped to worst-case scenarios:
Hidden Career… OP Career… dangerous… government… what if they confiscate my system? Or worse?
Hidden is also known as "Overpowered". In fact, Hidden Careers are not mainly bad Careers but a new or really great Career that could help boost humanity's morale more.
For example, Ren possesses a mix of different Careers. Just that... his isn't really worthy of praises from the government.
I mean.. he was literally given a Smut and Kill Goal.
He swallowed hard, adjusted his glasses, and muttered to himself:
'Okay… stay calm. Just go with them. Don't say anything stupid. Think… money… power… survival…'
Ren stepped down from the podium, trying to keep his composure as the two government agents flanked him. His classmates whispered behind him, some gawking in curiosity, others trying to stifle laughter.
"Isn't he the one who got that… hidden career?" one student whispered.
"Yeah… Hidden Career or something," another replied. "I heard hidden Careers are… dangerous. Most of them are usually strong. He's lucky."
Ren's ears burned, but he forced himself not to look back. His focus was on the sleek government car waiting for him outside. The doors opened silently, and he was guided in.
Inside, the cabin was pristine and silent, the leather seats almost too clean to sit on. The agents didn't speak another word. One of them tapped on a holographic pad, and the car immediately sped up, gliding smoothly above the city streets without a sound.
Ren fidgeted nervously. "So… uh… where exactly are we going?"
The taller agent finally broke the silence.
"You've been assigned a hidden Career. The government needs to understand its scope, limitations, and potential risks. That is all."
Ren's stomach twisted. "Hidden… Career? You mean… my shitty Career? You mean they know? How? So fast!"
The agent's face remained unreadable behind his sunglasses.
"We know we're the government. And we need an answer before you take action. You are under no obligation to lie. But we strongly advise cooperation."
Ren's mind spun.
' Cooperate? How do you cooperate when you haven't even had your first mission yet? And how do you explain… EVERYTHING?!'
The car hummed along, passing over the city like a ghost. Neon lights flickered beneath, reflecting in Ren's wide eyes.
After a tense silence that stretched for what felt like hours, the car finally stopped in front of a massive building. Its structure was cold, angular, and undeniably governmental. A holographic banner above the entrance read:
"Department of Special Careers–Interrogation Division"
The agents ushered him inside, down long, sterile hallways.
Finally, they arrived at a heavy steel door marked simply:
INTERROGATION ROOM 03
The taller agent pressed a panel beside the door, and the red light above it flickered green. The doors slid open silently.
Ren Li took a deep breath, bracing himself.
'Here we go… first official government encounter. Let's see how much trouble a Supernatural Pornstar and Dungeon Assassin can get into…'
The agents stepped aside, motioning him in. The door slid shut behind them with a heavy thud, cutting off the hallway.
And just like that, Ren Li was officially inside the Interrogation Room, facing the government that might either help him… or erase him entirely.
After staring at him for a while, the two men left, and a young woman entered.
Ren Li lifted his head, and for a moment, forgot to breathe.
The woman who entered wasn't what he expected. She couldn't have been over twenty-five, yet she carried herself with calm authority.
She wore a dark navy trench coat with sleek silver trims, buttoned neatly over a crisp white blouse that hugged her form just enough to suggest elegance, not vanity. A faint badge gleamed on her left shoulder — "Department of Special Careers: Senior Inspector."
Her eyes studied Ren Li from head to toe, not with disgust or amusement, but with clinical curiosity.
Her hair, jet-black and smooth as ink, was tied into a low ponytail that rested neatly against her back. A few rebellious strands fell over her left eye, but she didn't bother fixing them. It gave her a dangerous allure — beauty wrapped in control.
Ren shifted awkwardly in his chair.
She stepped forward, setting a holographic tablet on the steel table between them. The device whirred to life, projecting faint green data lines across her face, accentuating her calm expression.
Her lips parted slightly as she spoke, her voice smooth... the kind that could lull you into false safety before tearing you apart.
"What did you get as the hidden Career? Classifications?"
Ren contemplated whether he should tell her and then told her.
"Supernatural, Lust and Hunter."
"Ren Li," she said, enunciating each syllable.
"Age, nineteen. Graduated from Job Ford University with a 2.8 efficiency rating. No prior violations. Average test results in dungeon simulations. And yet…"
Her gaze lifted, pinning him in place.
"…you awakened a Hidden Career that merged forbidden, strong and mysterious classifications: Supernatural, Lust, and Hunter."
Ren blinked. "Uh… y-yeah, that sounds about right.. Wait, forbidden what now?!"
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she folded her arms, tilting her head slightly... like a scientist studying a amusing experiment.
"Before we begin, allow me to introduce myself." She placed her hand lightly on the table. "Inspector Lin Yue, Department of Special Careers, Interrogation Division."
Ren's brain stuttered. "Lin Yue? As in—"
"Yes," she interrupted, her voice still calm. "As in the Lin Yue who oversaw the last two Awakening audits. And the one who detained five Hidden Career users who went rogue."
Ren froze, trying not to gulp too loudly.
'Great. Not just any inspector… the scary one.'
Yue's eyes softened by a fraction.
"Relax, Mr. Ren Li. You're not under arrest," she said, pulling up a holographic file that floated between them.
"At least… not yet."
Ren exhaled shakily, forcing a nervous laugh.
"Heh… comforting."
Lin Yue ignored the comment. Her fingers danced across the holographic panel, and a detailed report of Ren's Career appeared... but most of it was still encrypted. Even the government system struggled to decode it.
Her brow furrowed slightly. "Hmm. Your data field is… unstable. The system can't read half of it. It's like your career identity is still a mystery."
Ren blinked. "Mystery? What does that even mean? The game doesn't even have mysteries apart from how to stop it."
She looked at him, expression unreadable.
"You're right, Mr Ren Li. nevertheless, we can't ignore the fact that we know little about the game. Every day, the game brings a new thing to us that makes us want to know more. Today, it brought you... "
Ren Li swallowed hard.
But then, Lin Yue smiled at him and closed the tab.
" You're free to go, Mr Ren Li."
****
Ren fell onto his bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. He was very tired.
Today's awakening was really tiring, and even so much more for someone who had gotten an Hidden Career.
Supernatural, Lust, Hunter.
What did that all mean? And what did Lin Yue mean by mysterious?
'What's so mysterious about Lust?!'
His thoughts were interrupted when a glowing green prompt appeared in front of him, displaying a message.
[Buzz! Prepare for your interview in the next five seconds.]
Ren blinked a few times.
"So soon?!"
[4]
[3]
[2]
[1]
And at that moment.... he fell into a pyramid of darkness.