"Alright, let's head downstairs and look for some cases to solve," Captain Edmund said, raising his fist high in the air.
We stepped out of the office and walked toward the quiet hallway as we went inside the elevator.
While the elevator was going down, I opened my phone and checked my companions' ratings on the website. Their names appeared one by one, and their positions were neither at the top nor the bottom, but somewhere in between.
As the Captain said earlier, we had just returned to action and started accepting cases again. Perhaps they were still carrying the pain of losing their former teammates. Losing companions in battle is not something you recover easily, and maybe that is the reason their ratings were lower.
Despite that, I believe our team is solid. I had studied them from multiple sources before arriving here, so I was aware of their strengths and weaknesses and knew what each of them was capable of.
Theai has a Dryad System. She is strong in both offense and support. Her nature magic has a wide area effect and can deal heavy damage to groups. She can control the battlefield by growing vines to bind and entangle enemies, and her support abilities are very helpful to the team. In close combat, she fights using a vine whip with speed and accuracy.
Damian has a Summoner System that allows him to call forth different creatures to fight alongside him, each possessing unique abilities. If he eventually forms contracts with legendary or mythical beings, he could become extremely powerful and a serious threat. He can also switch between summons depending on the situation, making him unpredictable in battle.
Margaret has a Siren System. She controls water and lightning magic. Water is very versatile and can be used for both attack and defense. As she grows stronger, her water magic could deal heavy damage in group fights. She also has lightning, which is fast and can strike immediately, making her very dangerous in battle.
Then there's me. I have a Sorcerer System with time magic. I still don't know what new powers I will unlock in the future. Sorcerers are known for being versatile and powerful, but everything depends on control and strong willpower. Time magic is considered one of the most overpowered types of magic. If mastered, it can completely change the outcome of a fight.
Lastly, Captain Edmund wields a Grim Reaper System with dark and soul magic. Dark magic weakens and consumes, while soul magic affects something deeper than the body itself. I do not know the full extent of his power yet, but from what I can see, he could be one of the strongest Agents in this Corps, possibly ranked third.
The elevator opened.
Captain Edmund stepped out first, adjusting his coat and straightening his posture. "Let's rise to the top rankings again, squad," he said.
I'm going to improve and rise together with this squad. And I promise… those lives that were lost will not be in vain and will get their justice.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Grim Stalkers Squad," a male voice suddenly called out.
I looked up. It was the Golden Lamp Squad, along with their Captain.
"Malachi!" Captain Edmund shouted with excitement, stepping forward quickly.
He was about to hug him, but Malachi raised his hand and placed it on Edmund's head, stopping him.
"Yeah, not so fast, Edmund," Captain Malachi said with a small smirk.
He turned his gaze toward me, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"He must be your new recruit?" he asked, giving me a quick look. Then he turned back to Captain Edmund. "Well, I hope he's not too talented. I swear, your squad has very unique powers… but many of them ended up getting killed."
"Well, what can I say? I have very keen eyes. Your members are also good and talented, especially Luna and Alistair. If you want, I could swap Damian for them." He looked at us and pointed directly at Damian.
Damian immediately stepped back and raised both hands, a nervous smile on his face.
We all laughed quietly.
"No thanks…" Damian said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Captain Malachi smiled and folded his arms. "You're always funny, as always. I can't wait to beat you in the tournament." He pointed at Captain Edmund with a grin. "And don't give me a boring fight. Let's satisfy ourselves as always."
Captain Edmund smirked and cracked his knuckles.
Captain Malachi gave a small wave and turned to leave with his squad, walking past us and went out of the building.
We continued walking toward the Client Reception Area.
"My dear friend Andrew, what do we have here?" Captain Edmund said as he quickly stepped toward the front desk and placed his hands on the table.
The front desk officer looked up and smiled. "Captain Edmund, it's been a long time."
"I know," Captain replied. "And you know you're my favorite officer. You always give me good cases." He gave a quick wink.
"Well, I have the right case for you." Andrew reached under the desk, took out a folder, and handed it to the Captain. "Here you go!"
Captain opened the folder and flipped through the pages.
"Hmm… You want us to investigate a salon?"
Andrew leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Yes. A client reported that the owner of the salon and her workers might be witches."
Captain closed the folder and nodded slowly.
"We just encountered a witch earlier," he said, turning toward me. "We'll investigate this salon right away." He tucked the folder under his arm.
We walked out of the building.
The Captain told us to wait outside while he drove his car over.
After a few seconds, he returned with his car. He stopped in front of us and unlocked the doors.
The Captain started the car engine, and we drove toward the salon.
"So, you encountered a witch earlier, Captain?" Theai asked.
"Yeah. She can control moths. Thank goodness she didn't curse us," the Captain replied, controlling the wheel.
I looked down at my hand and noticed the small rash earlier. I frowned slightly and turned my hand over, checking it carefully. I didn't see any bites, though. Nothing seemed wrong. Maybe the worm was just dirty, or maybe it wasn't real. My thoughts kept lingering in me.
"Witches have special and unique magic," Damian said. "I wonder what kind of powers we'll face today."
"I just hope it's not the darkest kind of magic," Margaret said, crossing her arms and looking out the window.
"Yeah," Theai added with a small nod. "Let's hope we don't run into one like that."