After too many exhausting meetings and checkups with doctors and hospital staff, I was finally discharged from the hospital.
Ruby and Inara led me to the parking lot, where a black SUV sat waiting for us. A man in the same black suit as Ruby opened the passenger doors and headed to the driver side as we stepped inside.
The windows of the vehicle were tinted pitch-black from the outside, but once I stepped in, the world beyond became perfectly visible. The glass was abnormally thick, surrounded by padded interior panels that made the SUV feel more like an armored transport than a car.
It was slightly intimidating, to say the least, but the plush seats made for a surprisingly comfortable ride as we cruised through crowded streets of Las Vegas.
How luxurious. I never thought I'd be escorted in an armored, European van. I feel like the president or something.
The car ride was filled with chatter as Inara and Ruby discussed their plans for the day, regarding some event IS Corp was preparing. I observed the outside scenery quietly, letting their voices fade into the background while I lost myself in the view before me.
The streets and buildings were decorated with brightly colored lights, and notes of festive jingles seeped its way into the car. They were faint, but warm, reminding me of the short-lived happiness of my childhood.
"A week from the 16th, huh… I guess it's almost Christmas already. It's been a while since I celebrated it. Maybe this time, I will."
Inara's soft voice wisped through the air in response.
"R-really? Christmas Eve is tomorrow. Do you have any plans for this year?"
"No, not really. I was thinking of just buying a cake and spending time with my mom."
"O-oh, okay… I-if you have any free time, I wouldn't mind spending tomorrow or Christmas showing you around the IS Corp headquarters."
I stared at the short girl with a blank expression.
"Huh? Why would you want to spend your Christmas with me?"
Ruby interjected as Inara twiddled her fingers, struggling to answer.
"It seems that she's smitten with you, Mr. Lee."
Inara's face grew bright red as if she'd caught a sudden fever.
"I am not! Don't be an idiot, Ruby! What's wrong with you!"
Inara kicked the back of Ruby's seat repeatedly as she continued to exclaim.
"I'm just paying him back for saving my life! Don't be mistaken! Why would I like a crude guy like him?! A-and he's ugly too!"
I shook my head.
Damn, this brat. She could have just said she didn't like me. I don't think I'm that ugly…
Ruby leaned her seat back and met Inara's foot with the plated back of her chair, causing Inara to yelp and reel back in pain.
"My apologies, Mr. Lee. It seems Lady Inara has made some distasteful comments. Worry not, I'm sure your unpleasant appearance is not the only reason she does not fancy you. She's a busy woman with many other priorities after all."
What the hell? She basically confirmed that I was ugly in a roundabout way…
Ruby continued speaking while shooting daggers at Inara with a cold glare.
"And as a matter of fact, she will not be able to make time on Christmas or Christmas Eve. She has an IS Corp leadership meeting and public holiday event to attend on those days."
Inara sighed and shoved her head into her arms, muffling a quiet response.
"Urgh, but I'm sick of going to those every year... Darn it."
I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my chair.
"Listen, I don't care to spend time with Ms. Princess over here for the holidays. I'll be seeing her plenty in the future anyways. I just want to get started with work already. The damn bills won't pay themselves, you know!"
Coincidentally, the car came to a clean stop as a massive building came into view. The building was nearly as wide as it was tall, and it was tall enough to dwarf the hotels and other corporate towers surrounding it. A large logo stood atop it, spelling out "IS Corp."
I leaned into the window, marveling at the monolithic structure with wide eyes.
Damn, this building's huge! How the hell do planes even fly with this thing here? There's no way it follows regulations…
As I silently questioned the legality of the building, the driver ushered us out the vehicle.
Ruby and Inara led me inside the building through a mob of security guards, and I was met with a grand scenery I had only seen in movies and TV shows.
The interior felt just as big as the exterior promised. The walls were nowhere to be seen and lines of ginormous chandeliers decorated the tall ceiling, leaving not even a sliver of darkness throughout the entire area. A wide reception table stood just beyond the entrance, blocking dozens of stores, restaurants, and lounge areas spread throughout the lobby.
We walked toward it and was greeted by a charming woman wearing a bright smile and a crisp white button-up.
"Hello, how are you doi… Oh my! Ms. Stern and Commander Ruby! It's a pleasure to see you both."
Ruby nodded as Inara took the woman's hand and exclaimed gleefully.
"It's great to see you too Jasmine! We got a new recruit today!"
The receptionist turned toward me and ran her eyes up and down my frame as she sized me up.
"Oh… That's.. that's splendid, Ms. Stern. Th-this is the new recruit?"
"Yes! He's going to be joining my new unit soon."
"Ahem, yes.. yes. I'm sure he's stronger than he looks. I'll be calling the examiner over to personally guide him to the testing room."
A frown crept up my face after hearing her remarks. It seemed like everybody was set on insulting me today.
I quickly turned towards Inara and whispered.
"Hey, why is this damn receptionist being so rude? Isn't she supposed to respect me as your guest?"
Her cheeks turned red as my breath grazed her ears.
"Th-the receptionists all have the ability to sense the strength or danger of an individual to some extent. It's convenient to identify possible threats before any incidents occur. Y-you must not seem as powerful to her since you just awakened recently."
"Oh… well, that damn wench probably has no idea I killed a rift guardian all on my own. Her ability must be defective or something. Either that or she's stupid… But anyways, what was the thing about the examiner she was talking about?
"Erm, th-the examiner's supposed to help gauge your rank and level as a shaman. Y-you need one to perform official shaman duties, so it'll be important for entering rifts."
"Oh, and I still don't quite understand ranks, and now there's levels too? What's—"
"Excuse my discourtesy, but you both know we can hear you right?"
Ruby cut me off as she stared blankly at us with a mix of confusion and slight annoyance.
"Mr. Lee, you and Lady Inara are standing directly in front of the receptionist. We can both hear you exceptionally well even if you whisper."
An awkward silence followed, and the receptionist clumsily looked off to the side, pretending to be unaware of our conversation.
Inara broke the silence as she hung her head down with flushed cheeks.
"Erm, it.. it was great seeing you Jasmine. And D-Damin, I will see you after your examination. I have some business to attend to. Goodbye!"
She hurriedly dragged Ruby off to the distance and disappeared into a crowd of people.
Damn it. Now I'm alone with this lady. Uhh, I guess I'll just wait for my examiner to come…
I awkwardly nodded at the receptionist and left to sit on a faraway couch, where I waited for half an hour until a large shadow loomed down upon me.
I looked up and instinctively flinched, reeling back at the sight of what seemed like a monster wearing human skin.
A large, husky man towered over me, being at least three heads taller than me and two bodies wider than me. He wore a black suit, which was larger than any I've seen in my two lives. It was tightly stretched around his muscular physique as if they were moments away from bursting through its seams. An aura of unimaginable strength emanated from him, making me feel suffocated from his presence.
He performed a half bow as he reached his hand out towards mine.
"Sorry, I'm late Mr. Umm… what's your name sir?"
I got up and shook his hand, unable to wrap my fingers past his monstrous palms.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Damin. Damin Lee. I'm assuming you're the examiner I'll be working with today."
His lips rose to form a gentle smile as he grasped my shoulder with his other hand.
"Yes, I am! My name is Joseph, but you can call me Joe. I'll be in charge of your examination today. Oh, and I hope you're excited! Not many people get to have a private examination!"