Oliver walked up to the guard post before the mana beast processing plant.
A small group of soldiers was stationed before the building to prevent unauthorised entry.
However, Oliver had nothing to worry about. After all, he gained permission from the headmaster.
"Hello, can I enter?" He calmly walked up to them and asked.
"Who are you?" One of them asked.
"I am Oliver."
When he said his name, they looked towards a man carrying a tablet.
"Place your palm here." The man came forward and said,
Without thinking twice, Oiver placed his palm over it.
The tablet was a device used to scan the person's palm print and verify their identity.
*Beep*
The device chimed, and a green light flashed on its screen. Soon, his profile appeared on the device, displaying his portrait and affiliation.
"Oliver Thorne. Age 18. Affiliated with the military school. Note: Transferred to mana beast processing plant as punishment for injuring a fellow student…" The soldier who was reading it suddenly widened his eyes.
He had heard about this incident a few hours ago. And the main character in it was standing before.
'A student killed another student, and it turned out the dead one was a demon.'
The same thought appeared in the mind of every one of them.
'But why was he punished?' They looked at each other, a confused expression on their faces.
"Student, is this a mistake?" One of them asked.
"Doesn't seem like it?" Oliver replied with an amused expression.
But in his mind, he was thinking,
'So this was the justification he used to transfer me here. It was within the headmaster's purview to give a punishment transfer.'
"Student, should I check it with the school?" The soldier showed concern.
"No need for that. I asked the headmaster to separate me from the students to prevent causing further trouble. I asked him to send me to the mana beast processing plant to gain some experience."
"So, you came here on your own volition?"
"Yes." Oliver nodded in affirmation.
"Why?"
None of the soldiers could believe it.
The Mana beast processing plant was not a pleasant place. It was a space filled with blood and gore.
If the people butchering the beast make any mistake, for example, rupturing an intestine, the disgusting smell would cover the whole area. Perfume, shower, or even soap would do nothing to help cover up the stench once you leave after work.
So, why would anyone with half a brain cell ask to work here, FOR EXPERIENCE?
They looked at Oliver, wide-eyed.
'Is this kid one of those? A psycho?'
Although they hid their emotions perfectly, Oliver could hear their thoughts.
Oliver wanted to protest and scream–no. But would they believe him?
He decided to postpone convincing them.
"Can I enter?" He asked.
"Yes." The soldier snapped out of his thoughts and opened the front gate.
"Hey, kid. Go inside and ask for Mr Mor. He trains the recruits." As Oliver walked in, the soldier said from behind.
Oliver said thank you and quickly went in.
He was ready to upgrade his ability. This was the chance he was waiting for, all along.
—
The moment Oliver entered the building, the pungent smell of iron wafted into his nose.
Those who were unused to the smell would have immediately felt queasy.
However, Oliver was familiar with it.
During his decade-long escapade, he had bathed in the blood of all kinds of mana beasts and monsters. It didn't bother him one bit as he walked into the building.
"Can you tell me where Mr Mor is?" Oliver asked the person sitting at the front desk in a lethargic manner. The person was flipping through a magazine, reading something. But his eyes focused on Oliver the moment he began to speak.
"You are looking for Mor?" He tilted his head and asked.
"No, I prefer less."
"..."
"....."
They paused and locked their eyes.
The sluggishly moving man stood up with a mischievous grin. Slowly, the smile turned to a giggle. He seemed to have liked the pun Oliver had made.
"Follow me, kid." He said and walked towards a large hallway. "Let's get you some work clothes."
"Yes."
The place the man took Oliver was a locker room. Inside were uniforms that looked like hazmat suits. There was an eye shield, safety boots, a special breathing mask, and a full-body suit.
"You are a funny weakling who can't use mana to cover the entire body. So, you need to wear a suit to protect yourself from pathogens."
The man gave a lazy explanation.
He could have said more if he wanted, but he gave only the bare minimum to qualify it as an explanation.
"Are you ready for work?"
"Yes." Oliver, hidden behind his work suit, said.
"Let's go meet Mor."
"Yes."
The mana beast processing plant was a large building with no end in sight. The entrance Oliver took was the one for people. There was one more entrance, which was only for vehicles.
The lazy man took Oliver to a car and drove to the other end of the building. The explanation he was given was that the training facility for recruits was on the other side.
After a few minutes, they arrived at a separate block within the building. This area was cleaner. The walls were sparkling white, and the paint job appeared to have been recently done.
"Go inside." The man said, pointing to a small door.
"Yes."
The moment Oliver walked in, he saw a giant carcass of a mana beast in the centre. The beast was dead, but it was exuding a pressure in its surroundings. Its presence was making it difficult to think.
The beast was a four-legged mammal with a long, silver tail. It had two horns on its head and smooth white skin with a thin coat of hair. The entire beast looked like a lump of pure muscle.
Just like Oliver, many people were surrounding it and looking at it curiously.
"It's a silver-tailed cow." Oliver heard a voice from behind him.
The person who spoke was the lazy man who drove him there.
His voice caught the attention of everyone. All of them turned to look at him.
"Ah! Let me introduce myself properly. I am James Mor. You can call me Mr Mor from now on." With his signature lazy posture, he introduced himself.
While speaking, he was also stretching his legs.
"What more could I ask for?" Oliver joined Mor in stretching.