Chapter 13: Light after dark...
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"May I come with you?" Toru's voice emerged hollow. His eyes looked empty, devoid of any emotion.
Kazuhiro halted and slowly turned towards the boy. "That's for you to decide." He stated, already partially through the door.
Struggling, Toru rose to face the entity. "I've got nothing anyways." His voice remained flat as he brushed away the remaining tears.
"Then, you are welcome to step through." Kazuhiro's words echoed through the desolate hallway.
As Toru moved toward Kazuhiro, a sudden rush of footsteps echoed down the corridor.
By the end of the hall, the Uchinaga twins emerged, racing towards the scene, their breaths heavy from the sprint.
Toru blinked, surprised to see Asahi and Akemi panting in unison, "What are you two doing here?" Toru's voice maintained its cool composure.
"We've," Asahi paused to inhale before continuing "heard a shot, holy shit." Asahi struggled to catch his breath, his eyes wide in shock at the surreal sight unfolding before them.
"Is that," both twins were frozen in astonishment, their gazes fixed on the enigmatic door that seemed plucked from a realm of fantasy, emanating a faint, ethereal glow at its edges.
Kazuhiro observed the familiar arrivals silently, his inscrutable demeanor unchanged.
"My job here is done. I've completed my mission and satiated my curiosity about this world." Kazuhiro voiced the reason behind the door.
Toru nodded, "And I chose to go with him."
Asahi and Akemi exchanged a brief glance, their determination unyielding.
" "We're coming with you!" " they affirmed in unison.
Acknowledging their decision with a subtle nod, Kazuhiro stepped aside, a silent invitation for the three to embark beyond the shimmering door.
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"It's dark in here." Asahi exclaimed into the void.
"Yeah, you are right beside me, yet I can't see anything." Akemi's voice carried a hint of frustration. " By the way Kazuhiro-san, I see no market, does that mean," Panic tinged, quickly infecting the rest, triggering doubts about the entity's intentions.
"No, the market's door should eventually reveal itself." Kazuhiro reassured them. A lingering sensation in his mind told him that something would happen in due time.
The group remained on edge but slightly eased their guard, choosing to trust Kazuhiro's words.
Asahi sighed, then remembered something. "Oh yeah, that reminds me, Toru. Where—" his words were abruptly halted by a firm smack to the face.
"You idiot! Can't you use that damn brain of yours to figure it out!" Akemi's exasperation cut through the darkness and stopped Asahi from continuing his question, her hand blocking a part of her brother's face.
"Akemi, those are my eyes." Asahi said,
"My bad." Akemi swiftly readjusted her hand, realizing her mistake, She now covered Asahi's mouth, which elicited an eye roll from him, though unseen in the darkness.
"What about Komuro-san? What happened to him?" Toru shifted the topic as he inquired.
"Haven't checked with the dude, though he made it this far, I'm sure he's going to be fine." Akemi's voice trailed off, a hint of assurance in her tone
"If you say so." Toru's concern was minimal towards Komuro, and was focused more on the unfolding situation.
Soon, a faint glimmer of light shimmered in the distance, revealing a double door amidst the black void, the light brought back minimal color to its surroundings.
Able to see again, Asahi was the first to voice out. "Are we supposed to go through that?" laden with uncertainty, as he squinted toward the distant door.
Kazuhiro observed the unfolding events with his usual impassive demeanor. He approached and the rest followed behind.
What the group later encountered was an expansive hypermarket, its aisles extending endlessly into the horizon, stocked with everything one would expect to find in a modern establishment with ATMs, cashier counters, rows of neatly arranged carts, and a plethora of products lining the shelves.
A sharp whistle cut through the pristine atmosphere." You weren't kidding, Kazu-san." Asahi's amazement was palpable as he took in the expansive sight.
"This, is unbelievable." Akemi's astonishment mirrored the vastness of the hypermarket.
While the twins were visibly amazed, Toru remained silent, absorbed in his observations of the surroundings.
Meanwhile, Kazuhiro's attention was focused on the unseen pop-ups that appeared in front of him, hidden from the view of the rest of the group.
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xxxx
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You've completed the Identity fragment, you are to be promoted to Supervisor.
You've reached the supervisor role, your daily task has been changed to suit your role.
Rewards for achieving the role:
+15 on all unlocked attributes.
+15 class tree points.
A new facility: Supervisor's Office.
A new feature: Hidden cameras.
Rank passive: 10% worker training boost
+1 Facility Chest.
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'An office?' He retrieved a device and navigated to the worker tab, noticing that there was now an arrow beside the office requirement.
"So, Kazu-san. Are we getting one of these once we get hired?" Asahi remarked, eyeing the device held by Kazuhiro.
"I might as well see where this leads me. You can stay here if you wish until I come back," he tapped on the arrow, which revealed a line highlighted in blue, guiding him toward the designated destination.
Kazuhiro followed the luminous line that snaked its way through the aisles of the hypermarket. The rest of the group watched as Kazuhiro navigated, eventually disappearing into the endless rows of products and shelves.
Asahi scratched his head, bemused. "What do you think he's up to?"
Toru's gaze remained fixed on the line that Kazuhiro was following. "Something that requires his attention, obviously."
Akemi's curiosity was piqued. "Should we follow him?"
Toru considered for a moment before shaking his head. "No, let's just leave him be, at least for now."
"If you say so." Asahi chose to heed Toru's advice and pulled out a manga to read for the time being.
Meanwhile, Kazuhiro continued to traverse the hypermarket, the glowing line leading him toward an uncertain destination.
As he progressed deeper, the surroundings shifted subtly. The aisles seemed to bend and twist, creating an illusion of endless corridors that defied the known dimensions of the hypermarket. Yet, he pressed on, undeterred by the uncanny transformations that unfolded around him.
With each step, the atmosphere grew more mysterious, such hallways weren't seen during his first day in this domain. That sparked the question, 'what is the Market to begin with?'
When he reached the designated office. The entrance to the office was unassuming, marked only by a simple yet elegant door adorned with a polished emblem. As he approached, the door slid open soundlessly, revealing a serene and grand interior.
Ducking under the door frame to get Inside. He was met with a large office space, fit for a being his size, and was impeccably organized, an oasis of calmness amid the cacophony beyond its walls. Soft lighting illuminated the room, casting a warm glow that differed from the harsh fluorescence of the hypermarket.
The decor was minimalist yet sophisticated, with sleek furnishings and clean lines that exuded professionalism. A large desk occupied one side of the room, its surface immaculately tidy, adorned only by a few essential items.
The walls were adorned with abstract artwork. A row of windows bathed the room with an unknown natural light source, albeit from a tranquil vantage point.
Kazuhiro approached the desk with measured steps, latee settling into the chair. The computer, a device seemingly small in contrast to his form, displayed the icons and tabs offered to multitask within the domain.
The icons displayed on the computer screen mirrored the ones present on the handheld device, if not offering a slightly expanded array of applications and features.
He navigated through various sections, exploring emails, settings, simple games, and the standard functionalities expected from a computer. However, his focus honed in on the worker's icon, and as he clicked on the application, a new tab was unveiled before him.
He was greeted by a highly diverse interface, presenting multiple options. He could monitor, filter, and manage the workers within the hypermarket. Additionally, there was the feature to create worker documents.
Despite the document being readily prepared, complete with a set of conditions, privileges and rules of the market, he noted that it required credits to print them out.
He meticulously examined the conditions outlined within the worker contracts, realizing the magnitude of responsibilities and privileges embedded within its clauses, he also took the time to read through the rules regarding about the place.
As he perused the document, thoughts raced through his mind, contemplating the implications of imparting such duties to others within this intricate domain.
'Reading the privileges set, they'll receive what I have received, though with limitations,' he mused internally, processing the contractual terms. 'They'll receive the device with the applications I possess, the ability to monitor their fellow workers, and access to various other functionalities. Moreover, they will also be granted linguistic abilities to communicate with otherworldly visitors as well as an extra 10 points on all standard attributes as a starting booster.'
With a keen understanding of the terms and the inherent expectations, Kazuhiro recognized the key conditions, which were completing a week's worth of daily tasks assigned by him and undertaking at least two world missions of varying difficulties. Failure to meet these requirements would result in workers being demoted or to be fired.
Considering the weight of these conditions, he decisively clicked on 'confirm purchase'. A faint sound emanated from the corner of the office, where a sizable standing printer resided. Beep. As the printer sprang into action, producing the documents.
Completing the printing process, the printer let out a final soft whir before falling silent, leaving behind a neat stack of worker contracts. Kazuhiro rose from the leather chair and approached the stack of printed documents with a measured pace.
With the task completed, Kazuhiro turned his attention to the group that had accompanied him. Carrying the documents in hand, he soon left the office.
From the halls to the aisles, he made his way to counters only to be met with a familiar beeping noise that came from the entrance.
Drawing closer to the entrance, where neatly lined cashier counters stood, Kazuhiro discerned the faint silhouettes in the distance. Among them stood the trio who had accompanied him. Beyond their grouping was a familiar visitor, their distinct presence acknowledged by him. Yet, beside that figure, an unknown newcomer stood.
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"AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH! "A piercing scream reverberated through. The owner of that scream was pointing frantically toward a distant approaching figure and screamed at the top of their lungs.
Approaching the commotion, Kazuhiro drew closer, observing the unfolding scene with a measured curiosity.
"Oh my, you must be the manager of this place. Nice costume." remarked an elderly lady. Intrigued, she approached kazuhiro, her demeanor welcoming and amiable.
"I didn't know a market opened near where we lived. Oh, How lucky for us! We won't have to travel miles to shop for ingredients. Ohoho," she expressed jovially.
The dog that accompanied her dashed to hdf, emitting panicked and incoherent noises. Unbeknownst to the others, Kazuhiro comprehended the canine's every word.
"Courage, behave. This is not how you should treat others. I'm so sorry for the trouble. I shouldn't have brought a dog here since I didn't see any signs about it." the lady apologized,
"There are no rules regarding to whom you bring here, and welcome. Please feel free to explore our wares. If you have any inquiries, don't hesitate to seek me out for assistance." the entity responded, bowing respectfully in greeting to the newcomer.
"My, such mannerism. I'll look around, and Courage, remain here and do not cause any trouble." she instructed and later ventured off to explore the extensive aisles of the market.
"Woo." With a timid whimper, Courage complied with his owner's command, though visibly on edge in the unfamiliar surroundings and the tall entity.
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"Never in my life have I ever expected to see a pink dog." remarked Toru, his gaze fixated on Courage, who seemed uncomfortable under the scrutiny.
" "Same." " echoed the twins simultaneously, nodding in agreement with Toru's observation.
Amidst the conversation, a sudden thud interrupted their musings, prompting the trio to swiftly pivot toward the source of the noise. Their attention shifted to Kazuhiro, who had placed some papers on the cashier's counter.
The entity stood poised near the counter, the papers arranged meticulously. The three approached, curiosity piqued by the contents of the documents that Kazuhiro had laid out.
"Once you've reviewed the contents of the papers and are content with their conditions, you are required to sign on the line indicated here." Kazuhiro gestured toward the designated space on the documents, "Upon signing, you will be officially hired and granted the opportunity to work within this establishment."
His words hung in the air, and the three approached the counter, eyes scanning the contents of the papers meticulously. Toru, Asahi, and Akemi leaned in, scrutinizing the terms and conditions outlined in the documents.
"Hm, a Linguistic skill. at least that would ease the burden." Toru felt a sense of relief at the prospect. He had experienced the challenges of being self-taught Japanese and understanding the complexities involved.
"That's cool, but! Attributes and classes! This is literally a video game." Asahi exclaimed, his excitement evident as he envisioned personal growth and measurable progress.
Akemi's concern surfaced, her frustration evident. "I swear if my class happens to be support because I'm a girl, I'd snap." she asserted, her grip on the paper showcasing her growing agitation at the potential outcome.
"The fact that our salaries are based on daily tasks, sounds plausible." Toru remarked, acknowledging the practicality behind the compensation system.
The twins nodded in agreement with Toru's assessment of the payment structure. Upon reviewing the documents and finding the terms satisfactory, Kazuhiro extended a pen, inviting them to sign the contracts and officially join and work within the hypermarket's domain.
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The three observed in astonishment as the contracts, now signed, disintegrated into ash, dissipating into the air with an ephemeral grace. In their wake, ethereal objects materialized, hovering before them in a display of spectral manifestation.
One object took the form of a familiar device, its luminescent surface floating in front of each member. Its design appeared advanced, emitting a faint glow that hinted at its capabilities.
Beside the device, a set of clothes was crafted, similar to what Kazuhiro had worn before advancing to a Supervisor. The attire shimmered with a faint ethereal glow that later diminished after a few seconds. It was perfectly tailored to fit their unique forms.
Courage, startled by the sudden apparition of the enigmatic items, dashed away in a panicked frenzy to alert his owner about the bewildering phenomenon.
Though startled by Courage's reaction, remained undeterred. With a mixture of awe and anticipation, they extended their hands toward the hovering items, each grasping the floating devices and garments that beckoned to them.
As they secured the objects, Kazuhiro took a few measured steps forward. His resonant voice echoed through the space.
"Welcome to the Market."
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Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone