BXBX NOVEL Chapter 60: The Fifth Floor
Chapter 60: The Fifth Floor
The large screen showed the seven shadowy figures. There was a silence.
All the Handlers had shocked expressions. This was an outcome none of them expected.
On the other hand, Muriel had the brightest smile on her beautiful face. She had been so nervous that her smile was a mixture of relief and joy.
"This changes things..." One of the shadowy figures said with a voice of clear surprise.
It showed just how monumental this moment was. None of them ever expected this to happen.
"This doesn\'t change anything!" A rough-sounding figure shouted. "That fool Ron lost his guard like a fool!"
"Come on, Mister Hawthorne, we all know that it wasn\'t that." A pleasant-sounding woman said. "A better strategy won. Adam perfectly used his weaknesses to his advantage."
Hawthorne slammed his hand on the chair\'s armrest and shouted. "Ron was idiotic, that\'s all. This doesn\'t change anything!"
"It changes everything." A handsome-sounding voice said. "I would say that was worthy of receiving an S-rank."
"Hah, are you nuts?!" Hawthorne screamed. "If that\'s all you need to get S-rank, we might as well give it to everyone!"
"Hawthorne, don\'t be like that. We all know why you don\'t want to give him an S-rank. It is because your precious Calamity would lose his status as the latest S-ranker."
"S-rank is something special!" Hawthorne screamed. "We will lose all of our faces if Adam ends up being another mediocre fool! From what I\'ve seen, sure, he seems like a like a decent recruit, but S-ranker? No way!"
"Calm down, you two." An old voice said, "We should ask his Handler, shouldn\'t we?"
All seven powerful eyes landed on Muriel. She felt pressure that she had never experienced before. Still, she looked very composed and professional.
"Sirs, madam\'s," Muriel bowed.
"What rank do you think your recruit deserves?" One of them asked.
"S-rank!" Muriel said without any hesitation.
"Hah!" Hawthorne scoffed. "You\'re a rookie Handler, aren\'t you? You couldn\'t possibly know what S-rank entails!"
"I know!" Muriel shouted. "S-rankers are the future of the New World. They will lead the new generation of mercenaries!"
"Do you think Adam is part of that future?" One of them asked.
"I don\'t only think that; I believe he will lead that future!" Muriel declared it with confidence. "He is special. It is not only the way he fights, but also the way he moves, acts, and talks!
"Everything about him screams greatness. I am willing to be my life on him!"
The seven figures of the Council of Mercenaries stayed quiet. They were all thinking about something.
"Handlers have special eyes. That\'s why they\'re the ones dealing with the recruits, not the hired players. That\'s why I think we should listen to her."
"Zephyr, come on." Hawthorne said with disdain. "Should we really trust a judgment of mere Original?"
Muriel\'s eyebrow twitched, but she continued to keep her calm facade. She had learned to deal with the racism and prejudice that came with being an Original in a world dominated by players.
While the Originals had a greater population, the players had the power of the System. It made them like gods in the eyes of many, but she refused to let that intimidate her.
"I guess we only have one thing to do." The man with the old voice said, "We\'ll have to vote. There\'re seven of us, meaning there won\'t be a chance of a tie vote."
"I agree."
"Fine, let\'s do that."
Muriel bit her lip and prayed. \'Please, please, please...\'
...
Adam stepped through a door and entered a cozy-looking cottage that resembled the First Floor\'s cottage, except there wasn\'t a fire crackling in the fireplace and it wasn\'t cold.
Through the window, the players were able to see a beautiful landscape with green grass stretching into the distance under a clear blue sky.
There was a beautiful forest right behind the cottage, a lake with clear water close to the cottage, and an enormous boulder situated beside the cottage. At the boulder, there was another door-a wooden door.
The flowers bloomed in vibrant colors all around the cottage, creating a picturesque scene straight out of a fairytale.
The players walked out of the cottage, took in the beautiful view in front of them, and felt a sense of peace wash over them. Some rushed over to the lake to take a dip in the crystal clear
water.
Adam stepped out of the cottage and covered his eyes as the sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky.
It looked like paradise.
"There\'s door!"
At that moment, a player shouted, and most of them rushed to the boulder. They attempted to open it, but the door stayed locked tightly.
"That\'s the way out!" Ron walked out of the cottage and shouted. "I have the key to open it, but you may not leave yet!"
"Is there something left?" A curious player asked. "I thought the tutorial was over!"
"I still have to give you all your scores!" Ron shouted. "I\'ll receive the scores soon enough, so stay close!"
Hearing that, the players started to feel nervous, especially those who weren\'t sure whether they performed well during the tutorial.
Some gazed in the direction of Adam, who was clearly the top recruit in their group. They were certain that he would receive a great score.
Adam took a seat on the porch and plucked a flower from the grass. He twirled the stem between his fingers with a calm look on his face. Even though he looked calm, he was also
nervous.
\'I did everything I could do. If that wasn\'t enough, there is nothing else I can do.\'
The time moved by-soon it had been an hour since they entered the Fifth Floor. Some players were swimming in a lake, some were checking out the forest, but stayed within shouting range, and others were near the cottage, hanging out with their friends.
Ron watched as they all had fun with his arms crossed, but then his ears perked up and a small smile rose to his lips. He entered the cottage, and from the door, a person stepped through
with a letter in hand.
"These are the scores of every recruit." The person, with a strange upside-down cross on his forehead and a cold glint in his eyes, handed over the letter. "Handlers will be waiting in the
New World."
"Alright." Ron nodded.
After the strange person left, Ron looked at the letter, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the cottage. He saw the players doing their things.
"Everyone, scores have arrived!" The shout was so loud that it echoed across the forest.
The players, no matter whether they were swimming or taking a nap in the grass, stopped whatever they were doing and gathered in the yard of the cottage.
Ron used his finger and sliced open the envelope, then took out the piece of paper.
"As a reminder, those with a D or better score will become mercenaries. Others, I am sorry,
but you have to try a different path. There are jobs for non-mercenaries as well. It isn\'t an end.
"Now, I shall begin."
The players straightened their backs and nervously waited for their names to be called.