Amidst the chaos and danger, Judy found herself facing an extraordinary challenge unlike any she had encountered before. The monstrous arachnid, once a Mage of the Depths, bore down upon her with relentless fury.
"I understand that you've entered into a contract with a mage, and perhaps there was a misunderstanding in the drawn-up contrac—" Judy's words were abruptly cut off as the spider unleashed a torrent of smaller spiders towards her, filling the air with a grotesque spectacle.
"Ugh, not a pretty sight," Judy muttered under her breath as she swiftly retrieved an item from her bag—a scroll crackling with latent energy. With a rapid incantation, the scroll sprang to life, intercepting the incoming barrage of spiders. In one deft motion, she swung her staff, lifting the horde of spiders into the air and obliterating them with a deafening squelch.
"You will pay for this!" the spider howled, its massive claws ablaze with ominous purple flames as it lunged towards Judy with deadly intent.
"SME, your priority is to locate the client," Olivia's voice resounded through the headset, a reminder of the urgent mission.
"Understood, Workforce, but right now, I'm in quite a bind," Judy responded with urgency. From her bag, she withdrew several vials and hurled them at the spider's legs, extinguishing the menacing flames and causing the arachnid to stagger and fall. In retaliation, the spider spat out a viscous dark web, snatching Judy's staff away and forcing her to leap back. As the walls of the church crumbled, more spiders emerged, their collective hissing amplifying the tension.
"They certainly seem angry... I need to locate Faith quickly, or else I'll—" Judy halted abruptly, her gaze fixing upon a figure bound to one of the spider's bodies, their face marred by blood and desperation.
"Olivia, can you confirm if that's the client strapped to one of the spider's backs?" Judy's voice trembled with urgency.
"...Confirmed, SME. That is indeed the client."
"Damn. I can't confirm any life signs from this distance..."
"Workforce is doing its best to confirm the client's status, SME, but given the situation's nature, we are authorizing the extermination protocols."
"Alright... as this call is recorded, can you confirm once more?" Judy implored, her heart pounding as the encircling spiders prepared to strike. After a few seconds of tense smile, a voice is heard from the headset.
"This is Workforce Coordinator, Olivia Eilath, Badge ID 22556. Authorizing Extermination Protocols."
"Authorization received, Workforce."
As the spiders closed in, leaping and circling around her, Judy reached into her bag once more, retrieving a tome bound tightly in chains. With a swift pull, she unraveled the chains, and in that instant, arcs of vivid blue and purple lightning surged forth, forming a protective aura around her. The tome levitated before her, crackling with energy as it hurtled toward the approaching horde of spiders. An explosion of lightning erupted from the tome, freezing the horde in its tracks, their legs twitching in the electrified air.
"Get Harmony on the line, Workforce. She's been itching to witness the Acedia Thesis in action," Judy shouted as she raised her hand, summoning her staff with a surge of purple lightning. She parried the spiders' attacks with ease, leaving lifeless corpses to pile up before her. Judy methodically carved a path through each swarm, her determined gaze fixed on the spider that held Faith hostage.
"SME Judy, Workforce can confirm that the client is alive. We need to prio—"
"Judy, exercise caution," Harmony's voice suddenly interjected, cutting off Olivia. "Acedia is still a thesis for a reason. Lightning is an element we haven't fully grasped."
"Ah, Harmony, how wonderful of you to join the call," Judy quipped, her face flushed with sweat and a weary smile on her lips. She had finally pushed through the last wave of spiders, arriving at the one that held Faith captive. Judy's arms and legs bore numerous bites and scratches, her clothes now in tatters. She raised her staff and uttered an incantation, summoning a surge of red lightning that enveloped her arm, causing her to wince in pain.
"Judy!" Harmony exclaimed in concern. Judy, however, raised her staff, which was now enveloped in the same crimson lightning, and hurled it at the spider holding Faith. The staff pierced the arachnid right through its many eyes, causing its body to explode in a dazzling display of crackling lightning that scorched the ground. The Mage of the Depths staggered back in shock.
"You..." it attempted to speak, but Judy turned her head, her right arm and hand still engulfed in crackling lightning.
"Yes, me. I'm a MagicPerformax Subject Matter Expert, dedicated to assisting my customers. My mission is to ensure my customers' satisfaction, so if you wouldn't mind terminating the contract you have with her, I believe we can all part ways content."
The Mage of the Depths hissed in anger as its eyes fixated on the unconscious figure of its former contractor. It seethed with resentment, spewing venomous words.
"You people are an abomination. There will come a time when your meddling will be your own undoing," it snarled, venom dripping from its words, before slinking back into the rubble, vanishing from sight. Simultaneously, the crackling lightning that had enshrouded Judy's arm began to dissipate, leaving behind a battered and bloodied limb.
"Workforce," Judy's voice carried through her headset as she approached Faith's still form, "Can you confirm if the Mage of the Depths has vacated the area?"
"No more presence detected, Judy. Excellent work," Olivia's voice responded through the headset. Kneeling beside Faith, Judy gently checked her pulse with her unharmed hand.
"Still alive," she whispered with a sigh of relief, her gaze shifting to the strange marks on Faith's arms, which were slowly fading away—a clear sign that the contract had been successfully terminated.
"Ugh... where... where am I?" Faith began to stir.
"Ma'am, that was quite the magical contract you entered into," Judy said with a reassuring smile. "But not to worry, MagicPerformax has got your back."
"I... made the right choice in becoming your customer," Faith replied with a faint, grateful smile. "When I'm feeling a bit better, I'll be sure to stop by and talk to... whoever it is that I need to. You deserve recognition."
"It would be an honor to have you at our office, Faith," Judy responded warmly. "Medical transport will be here within the next few minutes. In the meantime, is there anything else I can assist you with?"
So I noticed that you handle your chapters in small parts for example Employee skill up III to Employee Skill up IV each being a part of but there own separate chapter. Taking that into account placing an interlude in between them doesn't seem like the brightest idea for story cohesion. I would go with moving the interludes to the end of the Employee Skill Up arc but before the next actual chapter.
I hope I explained that well.