I slept like a baby.
Can’t say I ever had such a refreshing night of sleep.
Before I could even open my eyes, I already felt the movement above the basement, with more people than usual walking around.
It got me curious, so I got up and got ready to go upstairs, but when I got up, I felt a slight sense of reminiscence, as I used to sleep underground when I was with the Shadow guild.
I checked the calendar, and thinking about the day, asked myself if it would be really okay to go back to school.
It was Monday, so I had to get ready to go upstairs anyways.
As I stepped into the shower, I noticed that the insistent migraine that I had been feeling these last few days were completely gone, and it gave me an idea.
The first thing I was going to do for my day.
’System window’
And I felt the smile on my face as the message popped up.
[SYSTEM REBOOTING]
[3... 2... 1...]
[WELCOME BACK, PLAYER]
[NEW FEATURES HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE LATEST UPDATE VERSION]
[DO YOU WANT TO CHECK?]
[YES] [NO]
Different from the last few days, the system didn’t even give the grim vibe I felt every time I was going to open any window. It just felt... I don’t know.
Normal? As far as normal could go for a system that I gained after dying.
[NO]
I would check these new features at school or when I went back to the Black Market, but for now, it was time to shower, have breakfast, check the movement upstairs, and go to school.
A lot of stuff for a starting day already.
***
When I arrived at the first floor, I found Nikolai with holding a clipboard and taking some notes, while people moved around in a strangely chaotic, yet orderly manner.
They moved like ants in an anthill, each group performing a different task.
"What’s with all this ruckus?" I approached Nikolai, slightly punching him in the shoulder.
"Oh, you’re finally awake. This, my friend, is a token of appreciation for you having saved my life." He smiled wide, and took a brief pause before explaining. "But even more, because you didn’t save my life ’only’ once, at the warehouse."
"No?" I raised a brow.
"No. You also saved my life when you approached me after my test, and told me that it wasn’t over. Sometimes I wonder if you did it on purpose, knowing of something from your previous life that you can’t tell me or whatever, but I couldn’t give two shits about it. You’re helping me achieve even highest heights than my papa, because nobody has ever heard of a guild founded by a regular."
I couldn’t help but to smile. But there was a question floating inn my mind that made me very uneasy about all that.
"But... How are you going to pay them? I mean, I know you started doing business with some rich people as soon as you opened the Black Market, but... Isn’t it a bit too soon to think of such a large operation?"
Nikolai laughed as if I told him a very funny joke.
"I’m the son of a Don, Kurt. You really don’t expect me to have spent my whole childhood just sitting my ass idly by, right?"
I was left speechless, can’t say otherwise. It actually made a lot of sense with how much money he would carry in his holowatch for direct transactions.
I couldn’t even get close to imagine how much he would ’really’ have in his bank account.
"So you’re really creating a guild, huh?" I smiled and turned around.
"We gotta look out for each other." Nikolai moved closer. "Also, if you’re going to play the superhero around town, it’s better to have a cover, right?"
This time I was the one laughing.
"You’re planning too far ahead with Silence, bro. Why are you so sure that he’ll stick around for long enough?"
"I guess Nadia hasn’t contacted you yet?"
I frowned, but decided that he had already told me enough. As I walked towards the exit, my holowatch beeped and Nadia’s voice entered my ears.
"Morning sleepyhead. How’re you feeling? Going to school already?"
"Speak of the devil..." I chuckled. "Morning Nadia, good, and yes. I suppose you’re calling me to say something regarding Silence?"
"Oh, so that’s his name? Awesome! And yes, I just don’t know how you’ll react to what I’m about to show you. Are you ready?"
The streets were quite crowded due to the early hour in the morning, people going to their jobs, some members of the monitoring division walking around, from whom I made sure to keep away, it looked like it was going to be a good day.
Then why I had a bad feeling about what Nadia was telling me? But even though, I was more curious than worried.
"Sure, shoot."
"Turn your holowatch screen on, I’ll send you the link."
As I did it, the link icon immediately popped up on the main screen. I touched it, and it took me directly to a recording of a live news web page.
I pressed play, and the reporter, a middle-aged man with grizzly hair and a very suggestive mustache began speaking.
"Hero, vigilante, or just a cold-hearted killer?
The internet is in total upheaval after the appearance of an unexpected figure.
There is a video and a live stream showing this masked figure, mercilessly killing and harming members of the renowned Association’s monitoring division.
The association is announcing a reward for the whereabouts of this unidentified person."
I didn’t realize, but I had stopped on my tracks as I watched the recording. So I got back to walking, speechless and not knowing how to react, the only thing that left my lips was.
"So they already issued a witch hunt for Silence? It makes me wonder if the Association only thinks that the monitoring division is being targeted by Silence, or if they all are together in this bloody horror show."
"Yeah, that’s what I thought." Nadia’s tone was grim, but she tried to hide it with a smile. "So, do we have a plan to protect your school?"
As I listened to Nadia’s voice on my earpiece, I stopped on my tracks again, looking at a familiar face that was looking back at me, and I didn’t know if it was scary or just nostalgic.
"I’m looking at it right now."
"Kurt." Evellyn said with a shaky voice.
She raised her hands and I closed my eyes.