At the Bar – The Ends of the Earth
After getting out of the car, Texas and Exusiai led Ren through the back entrance of the bar to avoid the crowd. Two black-suited bodyguards stood watch at the door, immediately stepping aside when they saw the two approaching.
"Welcome back, Miss Texas, Miss Exusiai"
"Hmph." Texas nodded curtly and strode past without a word.
"He's with us!" Exusiai added, slapping Ren on the shoulder and pulling him along.
"Understood." The guard nodded and resumed his duty, letting them pass without further comment.
But as Ren walked by, he noticed a flicker of sympathy in their eyes.
[Alex sympathizes with your misfortune. +20 Emotion Points.]
[Max sympathizes with your misfortune. +20 Emotion Points.]
'Huh?' Ren was surprised by the sudden notifications—and even more so by their content.
'Did I just join the right company?' He glanced at Exusiai, who seemed to sense his confusion.
"What's up? Oh! You're probably wondering if those two are our employees, right? Nah, they're just hired security for the bar, per the boss's orders. But heads up, Ren... our boss isn't your average guy. He's one of Lungmen's top influencers AND a musical genius few can match! So don't go disrespecting him, got it?"
"A... musical genius?" Ren couldn't quite connect the dots between those titles and being a powerful figure.
"Yep! He's a world-famous rapper! A pioneer who revolutionized the music industry! A business mogul who modernized Lungmen's logistics! AND the adorable mascot of Penguin Logistics! That's our boss in a nutshell!"
"Uh... I don't really get it, but he sounds amazing." Ren nodded along, his mental image of the boss warping from a sharp-suited genius to a tattooed, sunglass-wearing gangster—until the word "adorable" made him picture a tiny, bespectacled kid covered in tattoos instead.
"Right?! You'll understand when you see him!"
As soon as Exusiai finished, Texas stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway.
"We're here." She glanced back at Ren, as if silently telling him to brace himself, before pushing the door open and stepping inside.
"Just relax, Ren. The boss is a bit grumpy, but he's not as scary as he looks!" Exusiai gave him an encouraging pat before following Texas in.
Ren took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He didn't know what a job interview felt like, but this had to be close.
Then, a deep, composed voice rang out from inside.
"Hmm? You two finished the Bunny Squad's order already? I expected you to drag it out till evening, as usual."
The cold professionalism in the tone made Ren stiffen—until he saw the speaker: a penguin lounging on a sofa, spinning a wineglass with his flippers.
'A... talking penguin?!'
"Hmm? And who's this scrawny kid gawking like an idiot? Didn't know you had a thing for strays, Red."
"Why am I the one getting accused here, Boss?!" Exusiai huffed but still cheerfully poured the boss more wine, whispering, "But hey, Boss, you owe me one. I found you a real gem this time."
"Hah?! I don't swing that way!" The penguin squawked, hopping up indignantly.
"She means she brought a new recruit, Boss," Texas deadpanned, cutting off his dramatic spiral.
"Oh! Could've led with that!" The boss coughed, sitting back down and setting his wine aside. He clasped his flippers together like a corporate tycoon.
"So... you wanna join my company, kid?"
"Y-Yes! Exusiai invited me to try working here," Ren answered stiffly, unsure where to look. Staring felt rude, but looking down seemed insecure—so he settled on the boss's gaudy gold chain.
"Hmph. Physique's lacking. Normally, I wouldn't hire some no-name with zero records. But since my employees vouched for you, I'll spare some of my precious time to consider it."
"So, kid. What's your specialty?"
"Uh... summoning stone pillars. Does that count?"
The boss's brow furrowed. "Summoning stone pillars? That your Originium Arts?"
Ren hesitated before nodding.
'Originium Arts' must be what they call magic here. Exusiai mentioned it earlier.
"Then show me this 'stone-summoning' trick of yours."
"Here?!"
"Boss, you want him to wreck your office?" Texas interjected flatly.
"Oh? His ability's that flashy?" The boss adjusted his sunglasses, eyes gleaming behind them.
"Fine. We'll test it in the training room. I'd hate for my collectibles to get damaged."
"Woo! Let's go!" Exusiai cheered, leading the way downstairs.
Ren sighed, about to follow—until Texas spoke up.
"Don't worry. The boss talks tough, but he's a good guy." She walked ahead, her back radiating quiet reassurance.
'This company... might not be so bad after all.'
In the Basement Training Room
Ren summoned a stone pillar just like before, leaving both the boss and Exusiai awestruck.
"Impressive! Such a refined pillar! Truly befitting my tastes!"
"Wait, isn't this smaller than last time? Ren, you're not pushing yourself, are you?" Exusiai asked worriedly.
"No, it's just... there aren't enough geo particles here."
"Geo particles? You mean Originium dust? That makes sense—this room's insulated to prevent contamination!" The boss declared proudly.
Ren didn't have the heart to correct him.
"Hey, Ren... what's this brown aura around us? It showed up after the pillar did." Exusiai pointed at the faint glow enveloping her and the boss.
"Oh, that's a geo shield. It can block some damage—uh, I mean, it offers minor protection." Ren caught himself before slipping into gamer jargon.
"A shield? How durable is it?" The boss poked the light, his flipper phasing right through.
"I'm... not entirely sure."
"Then let's test it!" Exusiai whipped out her gun and aimed at the boss.
"HEY! WHAT THE—"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The rubber bullets ricocheted off him like he was made of stone.
"Whoa! It blocked all my shots without hurting the boss! That's awesome!"
"Yeah, real awesome. Know what'd be even more awesome? YOU, YOU PSYCHOTIC FIREFLY!" The boss pulled out his own gun and unloaded on Exusiai, who flinched—but the bullets bounced off just the same.
Click. Click.
Out of ammo, the boss hurled his gun at her head. It clattered harmlessly to the floor.
"This shield's no joke! Kid, you're something else. You'd make a better heavy defender than this walking pastry!"
Exusiai, meanwhile, was in awe.
"...I didn't feel a thing. Am I... blessed by some legendary fairy?!"
"Ren! Are you SURE you're not a god in disguise?!"
Ren just smiled wordlessly.
[Imitation Rate: Zhongli 25% ⇢ 26%]
'But I didn't even say anything...?'