Making preparations

General George Collins's instincts were on high alert after the young man of unknown origins had not only used magi but done it in a manner so that only he would notice.

"It seems I have made a fool of myself"

He never expected that a challenger would appear in an interview for the Rift Management and Damage Control branch since the majority of them were rushing to enlist in the Rift Task Force.

But compared to them, the person in front of him didn't have any of the qualities a challenger boasted.

A small physique, a weak aura, and no prior record of actual combat experience.

Clearing a rift must have certainly been due to sheer luck, he thought.

"In any case, you are hired, welcome to RMDC"

…

-That went well

Although I need to convince the middle-aged man that I could keep the secret about rifts, I had to be careful of not raising any further suspicions.

That's why, before even entering the room, I had made certain that my aura was similar to that of an ordinary person's.

Thankfully the military officer in front of me didn't see through my disguise and quickly dismissed me.

Now that the matter of finding a rift's location and securing valid information was taken care of, I needed to deal with my weak physique.

Upon changing to casual clothes and wearing a wristband to hide my crystal, I headed to the local track and field.

Although I had passed by numerous times, I had never entered the huge stadium.

The scorching sun was directly above the open stadium and despite being in the middle of winter, the daily temperatures were varying from 12 degrees Celsius in the night to 27 degrees in the day.

Inside were numerous people in tracksuits running and doing numerous exercises that I lacked the proper knowledge to identify their purpose.

-Well, let's just stick to running for now

My poor stamina was a major flaw given the unpredictable nature of rifts, where there was no guarantee I would be able to rest between fights like last time.

And so, I started running ... although it was more like fast jogging.

Considering that if I were to run at full speed, I would probably be on par with a gold medalist in the 100 meters.

After the first kilometer my breathing turned irregular and the air I inhaled started to feel cold.

Past the three-kilometer mark, things got a lot worse.

I was constantly gasping for air and even the brief moment of inability to breathe due to swallowing my saliva was enough to make me feel like I was drowning.

Upon successfully completing 10 laps my legs gave out and I collapsed near the grassy football field in the center of the stadium.

But that was not the end of my training session.

If I were to train in the same rhythm as an ordinary runner, it would take months to see any substantial improvements.

That's why I directed my inner energy to my legs and lungs.

After a few minutes of absolute concentration, my stamina had almost replenished, with my magi reserves being drained steadily in the process.

Therefore I resumed training...

...

"Huf Huf Huf"

I lost count of the laps I did, the sun was about to set and my stamina and magi had hit rock bottom.

Craving for water and something to eat, I mustered all my willpower to get up and headed to the nearby canteen, only to realize I hadn't brought any money with me.

Upon reaching my small apartment, I quenched my thirst by gulping two 1-liter bottles of water and made an effort to enjoy the instant noodles I prepared.

But alas, apart from a supply of carbohydrates and ending my hunger, eating provided me no further satisfaction.

...

It was my first day of work in the RMDC and given that I had arrived early in the morning, the building's main doors were locked.

The building was previously the fourth district's local law enforcement center but after the death of a teenager due to harsh treatment by the police and the following havoc caused by the violent protests, it was forced to close down, along with the imprisonment of the people involved.

But despite being unattended for months, the building's pristine architecture was evident from a single glance.

Since it would take at least 20 minutes for someone to arrive and unlock the doors to the large building, I had to find a way to pass the time.

"Ahh I wish I could only savor the feeling of a Marlboro cigarette"

Despite my efforts to constantly save money, my preferences in cigarette brands were quite costly.

But alas, in order to actually improve my stamina and vitality, I needed to put an end to my old habits.

Although my usual habit in such situations would be to look at the newsfeed or check my social media account, such actions had become extremely boring compared to the exciting reality of the new world that awaited me on the other side of the rifts.

Jogging wasn't an option since getting soaked in sweat would leave a very bad first impression on my new colleagues, not that I planned to keep working here for a long time.

Circulating my magi was also not an option since one of the things I noticed after constantly using magi on Earth was that, not only it took longer to replenish, but it also didn't seem to improve despite my constant effort.

All that left was practicing my senses.

For 5 minutes straight I was observing all the people entering and leaving the block but their negative emotions were not giving me any sort of stimulus.

-It would be funny if I could at least poke them with my aura

But an ordinary person wouldn't be able to perceive the fluctuations of magi in my aura even if it was happening right under their nose.

Then it came to me, what if I could imitate the possessed goblin's mental attack...

Although I had exhibited the capability to perform such a feat, it was only in a fit of rage after seeing the woman's corpse, with my murderous aura being simply redirected to the opponent.

Now the difficulty lied in whether I could turn my aura into pure killing intent while remaining calm.

Hence, using some pigeons as lab rats for my experiments, I began my efforts to become stronger.

...

The driver of the white glamorous limousine opened the door for the prince and third-born son of the Sullivan family.

His attire was consisting of a white collared shirt with grey chinos, one of the finest Rolex watches, and a pair of smart glasses worth more than the monthly wage of an ordinary person.

Rick Sullivan, as to not draw unwanted attention, decided to cover the remaining distance on foot.

Of course, his bodyguards were all within close proximity, but none walked along with him.

As the youngest of his family, Rick was always encouraged to overperform in order to hold some degree of power in the family meetings, which led to him becoming a veteran in the stock market and obtaining a degree in business management from the most elite college in the world.

That's why when rifts began to appear on Earth, his business instincts kicked in and he decided that obtaining information first-hand by working as an RMDC official was the right action to take.

As he neared the entrance of the building, he noticed a young man he had met the previous day, who saved him from losing face in front of his future co-workers.

"Jay Riemman was it? Seems like he managed to get hired", he whispered to himself.

Being in constant competition with his brothers and sisters, and unable to trust any of the personnel hired by the royal family, talking to himself was the only form of dialogue he enjoyed having.

While approaching the young man who was sitting down on the steps leading to the building's entrance, Rick was faced with a bizarre scene.

In front of the man was a group of pigeons that were lying on the ground and were violently spasming.

Some of them had ceased moving and remained still to the point that one would think they were dead, while others had shed their feathers and had their pupils dilated.

"Must be rat-poison or something"

But what Rick found even more surprising was the dark-haired man's reaction to the scene that unfolded before him.

His gaze was fixated on them during the entire procedure and had a grin on his face.

"Hi, Sir Jay, we meet again"

"I must point out that despite most of us dislike pigeons, you must certainly hate them, hehe"

"Actually I sort of like them", the man responded bearing an elated expression.

....