Chapter Ten - 151 - E-97

I had nothing to worry about. The meeting proceeded more or less as it had last time. It started with the 'tell me about yourself' and went on with the 'can you walk me through your resume.'

I padded things a little, here and there, made myself sound like less of a fuckup than I'd once been. Some of it was even true. I did have basic training with firearms and some light combat training, and yes, I had experience with guard work, even if it didn't show up on my resume. I didn't push it though.

I didn't need to be a perfect fit, I needed to be good-enough.

Damien was quiet for most of it, and now that I wasn't a sweaty, nervous wreck, I could tell that he was focused a lot more on whatever was flashing past on his glasses. It didn't look like entertainment, though. Too many numbers for that.

Then came the question I'd been waiting for. "I see that you've had your magical competency tested relatively recently," Serena said.

"Ah, yes, however, I think that I've maybe pushed into the next rank," I said.

Truth be told, I wasn't sure. I was operating under the assumption, because what I could do was definitely magic, and that meant D-rank, but the technical definition for the ranking was more complex than 'can you do a neat magic trick?'

It would suck if I didn't technically fall into the category because of some semantic fault. It would suck a lot worse if I just wasn't a D-ranker with all of the magical and physical advantages that brought and was just an E-ranker with a lucky trick.

My response had Serena sitting up a little, and the amount of flashing on Damien's glasses reduced considerably. "Truly?" he asked.

"I think so," I said. "I don't exactly have the means to test it."

"There are free clinics that would do the testing and registration," Serena replied.

"Oh, of course, that's how I received my E-rank certification, however this change was recent, and I didn't want to reschedule the interview to allow the time for that testing." It was still Monday morning.

Serena perked up. "I can retrieve a measuring device," she said. I knew for a fact that it was hiding one room over, and that they tested everyone. There had been a few completely normal people with faked E-ranker certs out there before. Corporations were good at verifying things when it was for their own benefit.

While she was gone, Damien looked me straight in the eyes. "What did you feel so much that it changed you?" he asked.

I paused, mouth opening slightly before I clicked my teeth shut. What did he mean?

Was this a test, or part of the interview? What did I feel? "I... don't know," I replied, truthfully.

He nodded, slowly. "Find out. It'll do you good. The city has free therapists for D-rankers and above. They're awful, but it's better than nothing. Or find someone to talk to. Speaking... unprofessionally, there's some men and women out by Bayside that are good for that."

"Noted," I said.

That was a rather nice part of the city, or close to it. It was also the party central, and where a lot of 'pleasure consultants' that worked around there as well.

Serena returned, carrying a small device on a metal platter. It was a strange box, with a slit for the hand to fit into and a few lights that I was sure did nothing. I'd seen it before. What I hadn't seen was the module next to it. A cylinder that seemed to contain some sort of gassy... thing? It looked almost like cotton candy floating in brine. And it had little eyes.

"Are you familiar with this?" Serena asked.

"Magic measuring device," I said.

"For lower-ranks," she replied with a nod while she set up. "Place your hand in the device, please."

She had changed. Not much, but I could tell she was a little more excited, the politeness was different now than it had been before. Less HR, more obsequious.

Shifting my sleeve up, I reached in, and placed my hand on the reader. Some of the lights flashed, and I felt a faint tugging through my hand and the cold metal-like surface, then it returned, feeling warmer.

The device repeated that a few more times, then spat out two numbers.

151 - E-97

"Is that good?" I asked.

I vaguely recalled my last measurement being... not too far from that, actually.

"Hmm," Damien said. "Have you taken any sort of stimulant, magical or otherwise?"

"No," I said.

He nodded. "We'll need a urine sample in any case, so it's fine. The first number is your potentiometer. E-rank is from one hundred to one fifty." So I was one over that? "The second is your magical feedback and return. Basically, how good you are at naturally absorbing and rejecting magical energy. You're still E-ranked."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Oh," I said, my heart sinking.

"But you're so close to D-rank that it's almost not worth pointing out. You'd need both at D-rank to be

at D-rank."

"Can I... increase the latter?"

"Do you have a magical ability?" he asked, bluntly.

I nodded. I'd come up with a plausible enough excuse already. "It's mental, more or less. I can feel luckier."

He blinked at that, then nodded slowly. "Uncommon, but not unheard of. Interesting. Keep using it. The fact that you have it at all means that you'll push through. When did you trigger through D?"

Trigger? From context clues, I figured he meant gaining the magic at all. "On Saturday," I replied truthfully... in a way.

He nodded once more. "Good. By next week I imagine you'll be a full-fledged D-rank. Some people explode into the lower tiers of D, others grow slowly but surely."

"How should we proceed?" Serena asked.

"Onboard her as a D-rank," he replied. "Give her the full starting bonus for E, and when she hits D properly, we'll give her that bonus separately." He looked at me. "It's more money for you that way. I'd rather not have you feel slighted."

"Thank you," I replied.

"Ah, now if you wouldn't mind, place the same hand atop this device," Serena said.

Damien shifted forwards, then placed his own hand atop the cylinder. The thing within swirled around, then moved upwards. Its cotton-candy body became a pale blue. "It reads emotional resonance."

"Okay?" I tried. It didn't seem dangerous. That definitely wasn't an Earthly thing, though.

I moved my hand close when Damien brought his back. The thing within swirled around, returning to a neutral, beige-ish colour.

When I brought my hand close to the top, it moved up, but only slightly.

"You'll need to learn to focus on the emotion that triggered you," Damien said.

I frowned. Now I was curious about what he meant. The emotion that triggered me? When I died? Anger, I supposed. Depression, sadness.

The creature wasn't doing much.

So I focused on the moment where I passed, and still nothing. Was it one thing in particular? I remembered laying there, crushed, waiting to die, hoping that I wouldn't.

Still nothing.

I recalled stating and cursing myself, my luck, my ill fortune.

Nothing.

And I recalled wanting to fix things. No, not wanting to fix them, I regretted not doing some things. Not talking to Lousie more before she died. Not getting a better job. Not finding love, or companionships, not making friends, not making something of myself beyond being a b-tier corpo mall cop.

The creature moved closer and its fluffy, fuzzy body turned a sort of lilac-white, then it descended again.

"Lucky," Damien said flatly.

I felt a cool chill down my spine. That had been... maybe too much.

With a sigh, I Reloaded.

This time, after waiting, bored, and after going through the same interview again with nearly the same results, I didn't mention luck, and when the test returned, I made sure to focus on nothing at all. An hour of my personal time wasted, in a way, but better than nothing.

"You should consider meditation," were his wise words.

I still didn't get his fixation on emotions.

The interview ended with handshakes and a small pile of forms for me to sign. I was to begin onboarding in two days, on Wednesday, which was the same as last time. As soon as I signed the paperwork, I'd get my sign-up bonus, and Serena assured me that Luna Corp would be an excellent fit for an enterprising young D-ranker looking for safe, steady growth.

I had read the papers before, and they seemed the same now, though Serena had added that the insurance policy for D-rankers was a whole lot better... as was the hourly pay and training.

I thanked them both, signed the papers, then handed them back. I was barely out of the room before I received a notification from my bank. $2,000 had just been deposited in my account.

Last time it took them a day.

So, they were far happier, and I could see why. There were maybe twenty D-rankers in the company, and having a twenty-first was a nice catch.

I was pleased with myself too. Finally, I could go home, then get ready for tonight.

And then I crossed her.

It was quick. She was in the lobby, walking past, not even glancing my way, and yet I swore I could catch her perfume in the air.

Louise.

Tall, yet petite, with a button nose and a constant little scowl, piercing eyes, and a walk that demanded that others move out of her way, all with the typical beauty of an accomplished C-ranker.

I stepped out of the headquarters feeling something.

I wondered what colour that little thing would be now?

***