****(POV)
In a relatively cheap-looking bar, many patrons could be seen enjoying themselves. There was one man at the counter that was apparently trying to kill himself from alcohol poisoning. Sadly Brad was a Climber, so he was bound to fail.
Life was shit, wasn't it? Yes, it was. He felt like his life was akin to his glass: empty and pitiful. "Barman, another one! The strong kind meant for Climbers!" Tonight he would let loose.
The lanky, handsome man on the other side was about to comply when he received a call. The more he listened, and the darker his expression became. After hanging up, he turned toward Brad: "I'll ask you to leave. We don't want your kind here."
"Is that so? I'll ask you to shut your trap and keep pouring. I'm in a bad mood today." His kind? What did that even mean?
"How is your bad mood my problem? Get out and—" the barman was interrupted.
"You can get out. You're fired." A deep voice resounded.
The newcomer was an old gentleman that looked too fancy for the place. This man wore a black suit wherever he went, and today was no exception. He gestured for Brad to remain seated.
"Sir, why?! I was just —" He tried protesting.
"Just driving my most devoted customer away, right? Driving the man that saved my life twice away? Because some A-Rank shithead asked you to? You can go work for him instead. Now, get the fuck out of my sight!" He powerfully declared.
Hearing this tirade almost made Brad forget that he was depressed. He couldn't help but smile lightly. The old man sat next to him. Grabbing a bottle of scotch, he poured both of them some before asking:
"What's your plan now? Random Parties? There is that one application called <Climber>. You could always use that. Other than that, I'm guessing you'll have to run away."
"Not possible. This shit only works until D-Rank at best. Any decent Climber above level 30 finds himself a guild. This is how things work. I just have to find one that will accept me. As for running, I kinda like this city. It would be easier if I still had my gear..."
"Yep, I always told you the Golden Wolves contract is shady as Hell! Repossession of all the gear upon leaving, that's bullshit! Actually…you're pretty much homeless now, right? You can sleep here in the meantime."
"Thanks, old man. Here is a toast to new beginnings!" Brad raised his cup high up.
That is when they heard someone coming their way. He looked relatively young, had short brown hair, and an air of naivety to him. As he called out to them, he seemed slightly intoxicated. He spoke clearly but fast and with a changing tone.
"You guys are so loud! I heard everything. So you got kicked out of Golden Wolves, eh?"
"This is my bar. I'll be as loud as I want, young man. Now, I'll act as if you hadn't said anything and—"
"No, that's not what I meant, like at all! You see I, Jack, just got kicked out of my guild too. Well, technically, I'm suspended for an undetermined duration that can be up to 3 months. You guys know how long 3 months are for a Climber?!"
"I feel you, brother. Here." Both men nodded, with the old man pouring the youngster a glass. He smiled as he kept rambling.
"At first, I was devastated, but then it got worse. Now, it turns out that this guy that caused my suspension could very well be a" he approached and whispered "a spy!"
"I think you drank a bit too much, friend." Brad gave a slight smile.
"No, I'm serious. I have an informant and proof— A full mailbox full of proof! Who uses mail nowadays anyway?" Jack mumbled the last part.
"Oh? What guild is getting plotted against then?" He played along.
"My old guild…oh, you mean the name! Draconic."
That made Brad instantly sober up. Was the man really from Draconic?
Without the public altercation with Kasha, Josef could have never kicked him out no matter his pull at Adamantium Wolves. Could he perhaps use this man's connection to have her forgive him?
He had said something about a spy in the guild too. Was that real or false? Was he just rambling because of the alcohol? Could there really be a spy at Draconic? If yes, who knew?
"Tell me more about this spy." Brad made it sound casual, but he had already gestured to the owner to subtly evacuate the remaining clients.
"Josh, Josh Malum. He came out of nowhere. He has the trust of the guild master and is using it to slowly use guild resources for his own plans. Even his own identity seems to be falsified."
"What do you mean?"
"He's supposed to be a Fallen, but there are records of him being in this world long before the Tower appeared. His picture appears in the records of an asylum, delusional disorder or something."
"That's impossible! People would have noticed his absence in the Tutorial." Brad stated the obvious.
"I thought so too. He can fake everything, but not that, right? You know how there are random drops in the Tower from time to time? One is a Floor Access ticket. It allows one to bypass the usual 3 level difference between party members."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"It's possible for a low-level Climber to access the Tutorial with it if there is an instance going on. Just that no one does it since it's rare to get one and a waste."
"Why would he have gone through all that trouble? It doesn't make any sense. This is clearly a conspiracy theory! What would even be his goal?"
"Destruction of this world," Jack uttered with a cold face.
"Pfft. HAHAHA, Nice one!…. Wait, you weren't kidding?!" Brad couldn't believe this man.
"Draconic has access to some of the latest information. Right now, he seems to be looking for the one cursed by the Greenwood Lord."
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"You just lost your guild, and I need help figuring out how to make him talk or get rid of him directly. This is fate, I'm telling you!" Ensued a very long and uncomfortable moment of silence.
"You said you had proof, right? Show me!"
They slowly left the bar, the flashing <Gentleman's Bar> sign seeing them go. Jack brought the man all the way to his place, where a mountain of documents awaited.
As Brad browsed through it, he couldn't help but feel his blood freeze. Somehow this seemed too far stretched but the more he read and the more convinced he became. This Josh fellow was not ordinary.
When he saw the man's picture, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise. That was the man from the altercation, the one that had kept ordering dishes while ignoring him!
Was this fate, all part of Jack's plan, or was a mastermind pulling strings in the background? This informant was definitely suspicious.
As long as he was careful, he could help sniff out one of their enemies. Then he could use this merit to perhaps get a grunt position in Draconic. That would actually be better than his old B-Ranked guild elite position. He had made his decision.
In fact, Brad already had an excellent plan. He had an old acquaintance that could help. He normally wouldn't bother, but there was something in Josh's file to motivate him this time.
"I'll help, but we do things my way. I do not want him killed. We will interrogate him and learn if he has any accomplices. Is that clear? Plus, I'll need some funds for traveling and other expenses."
"So you have an idea? That's wonderful! I knew our meeting was fate! Sure, here I'll transfer you enough for a trip to…where are you going?" He was still drunk, wasn't he?
That is how Brad excused himself after exchanging contact information. He brought a copy of all the information with him before leaving for Metropolis-H.
He did so in a bus full of people. At least they had their individual tiny pods inside the large flying vessel. Still, the comfort was minimal. The trip would take days, but hopefully, it would be worth it in the end.
Now, he already knew how to convince the guy to kidnap and torture information out of Josh. The only issue was to make sure he could get out if he was legit. After all, he was going to ask a criminal.
Well, he just had to make especially sure that they signed a magical contract. Otherwise, he wouldn't trust enough to bring him. How catastrophic it would be otherwise!
****
After a day, he did reach his destination: the MTA of Metropolis-H.
Every time he saw a report about how they failed to catch the members of Gene Corp, he couldn't help but laugh. It was an open secret that they were connected, but without proof, what could anyone do?
As for trying to rat on them, that was 100% insane. Brad slowly went inside and went toward the reception desk. It was massive and hid almost completely the woman behind it.
"Hello, Sir. What can we do for you today?" she smiled brightly.
"Hey there, I'd like to schedule a meeting with the Janitor. As soon as possible, it's an emergency." Brad replied.
"Pfft. That's funny! We do have many janitors, but I'm afraid they are all in meetings already."
"That's a shame. Alright, have a great day."
"Wait, you were serious about that?!" She exclaimed in shock.
Had the code changed? Had his old acquaintance given him the wrong one as a joke? He felt quite stupid. Hey, at least this could be considered a vacation at someone else's expense.
He ate a very basic pasta meal and went for a walk across the city. Honestly, he could just never come back to Metropolis-C. He could Climb here too. His family and his fiancée would be disappointed, but so what?
Yes, that sounded like a good plan. Just as he was smiling to himself, he felt his entire world turn upside down. People came out of nowhere, blindfolded, and gagged him. He felt like a potato bag.
Well, it seemed like the secret code did work after all…
Creator's Thought
How would you react if a stranger brought out proof that your whole life has been nothing but a lie? Would you doubt? Would you be angry? Would you laugh? I guess it depends on the quantity, quality, and reliability of the research.
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