“What do you think you are doing?” He was still looking down on me. 

“Getting some water.” I made a forced dummy smile, I felt as if I had been stepping on thin glass since I got here. Or just making the wrong decisions, probably that. 

 

He gave me a discerning glance for a second before reaching his hand out. “Get up, you can’t be getting dirty on your first day…” 

“Ah… sorry…” I awkwardly got up using his help, he was nowhere near as bad as I thought he would be. I was feeling oddly lightheaded for some reason. I thought about things as he turned to the fountain and did some weird things, I didn't understand it — moving arms around and touching one of the cubes and stuff.

 

He glanced at me once again and froze for a second, before returning to a smile. “You might want to um… you know…” He gestured to his cloak hoodie, we all seemed to have the same uniform, but what about it. I reached it and… 

 

“Oh..” It had fallen, I quickly covered my head once again. “Thanks for that…” 

“Don’t worry about it, here.” He handed me a clay glass, it had water in it. I guess he was someone considerate and not an embittered person. 

 

I felt refreshed as I drank the water, and then I paused and gagged for a second, coughing in the process. “W-Wait, you saw didn’t you?!” He nodded and then followed with a shrug. 

“Well, I don’t particularly care to be honest, I was just surprised that’s all.” Ha… I was definitely stupid… 

 

“Sorry…” I couldn’t help but want to apologize, was I apologizing to myself, or to him? Honestly, it didn’t matter. 

“For?” He asked in confusion. 

“I have no idea…” It was awkward, I definitely wanted to smack myself right then and there! 

 

I shied away as I waited for his reaction of disappointment or anger, honestly I wouldn’t blame him⁠— 

 

“Hahaha!” He started to cheerfully laugh. “So that’s how it is, huh?” 

“Eh?” What does he mean? 

“Just come with me.” He grabbed my hand and took me to the nearby bench. 

 

We sat down, he looked at the sky and I… I just fidgeted on the spot, it was awkward, why would he even bring me to sit with him? I fidgeted with the clay glass on hand since I had no idea what to do with it. Where could I put the thing? If I placed it on the ground it would be an insult, no?

 

“Ah, sorry, let me have it.” He pointed towards the clay glass, I gave it to him and he just set it aside on the floor. I guess I was just overthinking...

“Why?” I couldn’t keep waiting anymore. 

“Why, what?” He was playing dumb with me. 

“Why bring me here…” I was never a social person and this was bothering me more than it should have.

 

He looked away for a second and thought to himself, maybe he was just wasting my time. I kind of just wanted to get back to my room, it was enough venturing for today. I sighed and stood up, it was just a waste of time after all. I had better things to do like getting yummy food. 

 

“W-Wait…” He grabbed my hand, making me shiver on the spot. “Sorry…” He seemed hesitant. “I just thought I should talk to you, but I am not very good at that.” Haha. “I can tell you’ve been through a lot to end up here.” Wait…

“End up here?” He caught my interest once again, making me sit. 

 

He awkwardly scratched his neck. “Well, the collector is a very particular person that doesn’t bring anyone on the job, and he did say you are special. So I suppose something had to happen between the two of you…” 

“Em… I owe him work… for some reason…” I muttered my true thoughts, running away felt as if I would end up being chased down. 

 

“Hmhm, I see… Don’t worry too much about it. Although if you didn’t end up here willingly I suppose I should warn you, since you are in collecting duty.” 

“Eh… Is it not dealing with things ⁠— including corpses and whatnot?” 

His eyes momentarily widened. “Nowhere close, but casualties do happen. All I can say is ⁠— don’t be afraid to defend yourself. Even if your status isn’t heroic, even if you are weak. You are dead as soon as you give up.”

“Ha…”

I wonder how many times have I felt the need to defend myself as of late? And more importantly... why did I do it? Wasn't I so insistent on wanting to die at the start?! And yet here I am... attempting to survive... What a hypocrite, to be honest, I think... I am just going to go to my room and reconsider things. 

 

“I see, thanks for everything.” I got off the bench.

“I suppose I should tell you what you are expected to do as the helper of the collector.” He said as he stood up, he had gotten my attention once again. 

 

“What does it entitle… to be a helper?” Was it going to be something bad?! Well, it didn't particularly matter.

“You see, you wi⁠— 

 

RIIIINGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

 

“Hurry, it’s the action alarm!”

“Ehh… what’s that!”

I was startled to say the least, seeing he was already sprinting towards the other side of the little park wasn't helping either. I saw him go into the opposite archway entrance. 

 

“IT’S TIME FOR WORK!” He continued running without stopping. I guess it was nothing to panic about and it was simply how things were done here. Except I had no such reason to rush, so I leisurely walked. I mean, it was time for work, but like. The collector did not tell me much if I was late it was his fault! Yeah! Besides, I didn't particularly feel like rushing. 

 

I made my way through the hallway and continued walking, turned around a corner and… There it was, yet another square room, except everyone from the dorms was here, and the collector was also standing there waiting for my arrival.

 

“Looks like my little crystal princess has arrived.” HEY! “Alright, it’s time to collect. Everyone follows their usual routine, I will be doing some collecting with our new worker!” 

“”Aye, Aye.”” They all started to walk out of the room through a doorway at the back. I didn’t notice it because everyone was blocking it. 

 

I stood there next to the collector. 

 

“I suppose you will get used to it as time goes by.” He absentmindedly commented as he walked out the door. Gesturing me to follow with his manly nod. Having no other choice I proceeded to follow him outside. We walked for a bit and…

 

It was another main street, full of people walking along the cobblestone road. I looked at the collector. 

 

“Will I be fine?” I got a slight trauma flashback from before.

“You are my property now.” It was reassuring, even if it sounded wrong. 

“Just to make sure, I am not going to stay with you forever, right?” It could be a scam, in that case it was my time to make another attempt...

“No, you work and earn your freedom.” Ha, he was still as cold as ever, at least he wasn't lying. 

 

I followed him into the main street and made my best attempt to walk alongside him, I wasn’t particularly used to crowds of people. So it was a slight struggle to keep up. 

 

“Sigh.” He grabbed my hand. I guess I was a little kid now… 

 

We continued walking for quite a bit, the street started to look a lot more worn and visibly eroded from the foot-traffic, it was also a lot more empty. The houses had stopped having windows just like before, we were in a rough part of town, I could tell. Kind of gave me a rough flashback of things. 

 

Turned and went into a stone-path that branched from the main street. We continued walking, the collector seemed to know his way around so that was that. I continued to follow him without saying anything, although it felt as if it was taking a bit too long. 

 

“How lo⁠— we stopped in front of a house before I could phrase my question. The walls were eroded and cracked, the color was sucked out of them by the sun, the wooden door was as dry as the grassless dirt. The place looked pretty much deserted, but with my eternal wiseness I continued to stare at the collector. He knew what he was doing ⁠— approaching the door and knocking on it. 

 

“Collector Code: XF0028A38 - District B. Open the door.” TFshawwhat? Did he just spit-out a windows blue screen at the door?! There was no answer in spite of his demanding tone. 

 

“Sent by the major! You must pay what you owe!” There was still no answer. “Leah, do you feel anything particularly different?” I shook my head, he nodded and turned back to the door. Standing on one foot and coiling the other one back. 

 

BANG⁠— Thud, Thud.

 

The poor door got split into two chunks with the sheer strength of his kick. Splinters flew everywhere and yet he was undaunted, it was oddly awesome. 

 

“Code Infringement⁠ ⁠— proceeding with protocol.” He gestured me to go in as he walked inside, and so I did. 

The wood on the floor creaked as soon as I took a single step inside, at that moment I felt as if everything was wrong, I was wrong… Icons started to pop up once again at the top of my screen, in a panic I moved away. 

 

SWISH!

 

I heard the sound of the wind being cut in the place I had just been. The collector clicked his tongue and punched a wall, his fist went right through it effortlessly. I heard a weird mummy-like sound. 

 

“You… won’t… get… away… with… this…”

“Shut up.” I heard a crack after those dying death throes. 

 

The collector sighed once again. “Looks like it’s not as flawless as I thought it was.” What the fuck was happening?! “Leah, come here.” I awkwardly approached him as he gestured me towards his hand, there was a skinny-boney man lying on the ground. Somehow or in someway he ended up in the same room as us, even though I clearly thought he was on the other side of the wall.

 

“Leah, touch the body.” Ee…

“Do I really have to?” He nodded. “Fine… you better give me nice food later…” For some reason, I did not feel much for a person dying or killing someone, but it was still disturbing on a mental level, not an emotional one. The fact that I wasn’t feeling much was disturbing. 

 

I touched it and nothing happened. 

 

“That’s what you wanted?” He nodded. 

 

Ding! 

[Title acquired: Nature at work — Some things are normal for certain races +50% race bonus traits ⁠— Universal.] What’s a universal title?

 

I looked at the title description, it seemed nice although I had no idea what my race bonuses were. I mean, did I have any? Were cores living beings? Questions to answer later I suppose. As I thought about my existence I heard a weird sound. The body on the ground was disintegrating just like Mr. Skeleton! 

 

“Good job Leah.” What? As I had a confused look on my face he leaned and grabbed a leather sack from the ground, it was like the one I got handed and the one from Mr. Skeleton… “We are done here. Let us go. Looks like my hypothesis was kind of correct.” Hah... Questions for later.

“Okay…” Was this… collecting?