Chapter 3 - Night Shift Duties

"Win?"

Cana was dumbfounded for a moment. The word flashed on the screen, Victory, was the Arena's winning symbol meaning "K.O."

She only left for how long? 30 seconds? 40 seconds? 50 seconds max right? Cana lifted her hand and looked at her watch. It definitely hasn't even been a minute yet. But the result was? The opponent she had lost to 62 times in a row was defeated within a minute?

Cana even forgot to rush and snatch back her account card. She wanted to see if this person could have another duel again for her to examine his fighting skills properly. But in the end, she saw that the person had already logged-out her account out of the game. He stretched out his arms like he wasn't even a bit interested in the computer and looked around left and right. Turning his head left and right, and he saw Cana staring at him with big-wide eyes and hurriedly explained: "You haven't logged-out yet and when I sat down, the fight had already started. Don't worry, I helped you win the fight!"

"How long did use my account?" Cana asked.

"About 50 Seconds max!" Silver said.

Cana's mouth dropped open wide when he said somewhat regretfully: "My hands were frozen cold or else I could've finished the duel within 30 seconds."

50 seconds.... 50 seconds to beat an opponent that I lost 62 times in a row? What is this person?

Could he be a professional gamer from the Brilliant Build Team? Cana suddenly thought to herself. She knew that the Brilliant Build Club wasn't that far away from the internet cafe. But she thought to herself again. I would have recognized him if he was a member of Brilliant Build's Team! Unless it was the expert gamer that never shows his face in public, Silver.

Silver! Cana became very excited as soon as the thought of the name came into her mind, but thinking of how low-profile this expert gamer was he probably wouldn't admit it even if she asked him face to face. After hesitating for a moment, Cana suddenly thought of something and quickly ran back to the reception area.

"Who registered as Area 4 Number 37's guest?" Cana asked the girl in the reception area.

"Gray Buster" the girl answered.

"Gray Buster.... Silver Buster? It really is him!" Cana excitedly thought to herself. It looked like she really uncovered his hidden identity! This showed that he really was Silver, If she had seen the name Silver written, then she wouldn't have believed it.

"He he he...." Cana's laugh could only be called sinister in a creepy way. She had been prepared to use everything she owned to get his signature. Silver's signature, ah! Who had it? No one!

Just as she was thinking this, the receptionist girl even said without thinking: "He even forgot to get his I.D. card back."

"I.D. card?" Cana stared blankly for a moment after hearing this. Only then did she just realize that she turned really silly from the excitement. The Internet Cafe registration had a system for identifying clients. An I.D. card had to shown. How could someone use a fake card?

"Where is it? Let me take a look." Cana looked at the I.D. card in the girl's hand. Sure enough, Gray Buster was written on it. A huge wave of disappointment washed over her and then she had a strong urge to change the word gray into silver.

After finding out that he wasn't the low-profile expert she admired and dreamed of meeting, although she was curious about this person's strength, her interest for him had already vanished. Cana angrily returned to Area 4 Number 37 and handed over his I.D. card: "You forgot to get your I.D. card back from the counter."

"Oh, thanks." Silver answered, then immediately asked: "Do you work in this Internet Cafe?"

"Yeah, I'm the boss."

"Oh? The boss, that's good to hear. I just saw on the reception area, is your Internet Cafe hiring?" Silver asked.

 "Ah... Yes... Why?" Cana didn't think this guy would suddenly ask that question so openly. She was just thinking about comparing notes with him a little while ago. This would be the perfect excuse to get some information from him.

"I checked the requirements and think that I have all the qualifications. Work and pay aren't really a problem. How about it? Consider me for a moment, boss." Silver said.

"Oh, then you have to beat me in a duel in Fairy Trail." Cana said.

"What? There's this condition?" Silver turned around to check once more.

"You don't need to look for it. I'm adding it." Cana said. 

Silver stared blankly. Only now did he realize that his prior victory was a bit too professional. This elegant boss was curious about his strength and skill, but... Silver bitterly laughed while shaking his head: "I can't defeat you."

"Why?" Cana asked feeling startled with what he said.

"Because I don't have an account strong enough that can beat yours." Silver said confidently.

"Account.... what level is it? What equipment?" Cana asked.

"No levels, no equipment." Silver said.

"How?" Cana didn't believe it one bit. He had defeated the opponent that she couldn't defeat in less than a minute. If this type of person didn't have a leveled account, then how did he get to practice to this high level of skill?

"I gave away my original account." Silver could only say this to her.

"Oh, so it's like that... how generous of you." Cana sighed with sorrow in her eyes. This person's strength was undefeatable, his account wouldn't be weak. Powerful and strong accounts were extremely valuable. Giving it away was considered so valiant and honorable.

"Yeah, too generous." Silver forced a smile. The account he had given away was the Battle God: One Spring Leaf. To only use the word "generous" to describe himself was truthfully too petty.

"Is it to get ready for the new server?" Cana asked.

"New server?" Silver stared thoughtlessly and suddenly glanced at the calendar.

The next day was Fairy Trail's fifteenth anniversary. Fairy Trail, starting from the third anniversary then every three year onwards, would open a new server and on other anniversaries would release new characters. The registration for the sixth server had already started four months ago. Old players who weren't satisfied with the other servers would to enter Fairy Trail again looking forward to this special day.

 Now, Fairy Trail's sixth server was finally opening. The distant One Spring Leaf was an account in Fairy Trail's first server. Later, in Fairy Trail's fifth expansion, a lot of experts obtained the qualifications to complete the "Challenge Skill" becoming the first ones gaining access to all servers.

Now One Spring Leaf had already switched owners. His career as a professional gamer left with it, but it coincidentally met up along with the opening of the new server. Silver's mind stirred for a moment, then fifteen years of memories suddenly flashed through his mind.

"New server?" Silver mumbled.

"I remember that at the start of a brand new server, you can transfer to it right?" Silver suddenly asked Cana.

"Only level 1 accounts can." Cana said.

"Let me try." Silver fished out a first generation account card from his pocket and quickly applied for a server transfer on the Fairy Trail home page, Cana looked at account card so amazed: "Isn't that a first edition card?"

"It is. Silver smiled. Fairy Trail had a new edition every year. A first-edition card would be from almost fifteen years ago.

Cana looked at Silver very astonished: "How long have you been playing Fairy Trail?" Cards weren't living objects. People were. Even if a card had been around for fifteen years, it didn't mean the person had been playing for that long.

"Almost fifteen years." Silver answered confirming that he and the card were one.

Cana had thought that she, with five years of gaming experience, would already be considered a veteran. She wouldn't have thought that the guy in front of her had a full triple times her experience. Fifteen years. That was Fairy Trail's first generation of gamers. To continue playing up until now still having interest in entering the server, what type of drive was this?

While thinking about this, the home page had already displayed "Server Transfer Successfully Complete."

"Done." Silver pulled out the account card. He once again recalled the little details contained with the first-edition card.

"Are you saying you want to be a network manager?" Cana brought up this matter suddenly.

"Yes." Silver replied.

"Which one are you looking at?" Cana asked.

"The night shift one." Silver said.

"Oh, are you fine with that?" Cana surprised. The night shift went from 10 PM - 6 AM. The monthly income was greater than others by a thousand, but very few applied for the night shift. After all, not that many people were willing to have their day and night reversed everyday. As a result, everyone had to take turns getting the night shift. If there was somebody willing to take the night shift task, then everyone would be relieved for this.

"No problem, no problem at all. I like working at night." Silver said.

Cana carefully sized up this person in front of her. His hair looked like it hadn't been taken care of in at least a month. His face didn't look too healthy. Although it was white and clear, it was that sort of sickly pale. His two eyes gazed at her lifelessly. She had seen this appearance many times. The youths that frequently visited her cafe often looked like this. The guy in front of her didn't look too young, but was unexpectedly dejected and disdained.

Disdained was disdained. As long as he wanted to be a full-time cat, then Cana would welcome him. What's more, she was also curious about the strength of this person with fifteen years of gaming experience. She clapped her hands on the spot: "Okay, then your hired."

"Thank you very much boss."

"Look at the terms carefully. It'll be in accordance with those." Cana said.

"No problem boss."

"Then good, come with me!" Cana handled matters crisply. After hiring Silver, she immediately ordered him as an employee to clean and wipe up a pile of keyboards and move them to the storage area.

Cana's Internet Cafe was called "Smiling Internet Shop", considered as a fairly high-class Internet Cafe. There were five floors the first two floors had over a thousand computers and were for ordinary clients and the third and fourth floors were for VIP members. And the fifth floor was dorms and storage. And the inside was somewhat like paradise, and clearly luxurious --- a high-class area. And the inside was like a paradise hiding the VIP rooms and storage rooms. Silver busily moved the keyboards in boxes up and down having already inspected the room. The recruitment page wrote: Food and Shelter included. Silver had just left the club and hadn't thought of the next step yet. Food and shelter conditions, would give him time to settle down and think about what to do next. Only then did he feel interested in taking a position as a manager at the internet cafe.

At first glance, this room was probably the "shelter". Although the decorations were simple, it was clean and tidy. Silver was very satisfied with it. He continued pondering as he arranged the boxes with keyboards that he brought up.

"Good, that's where you'll be sleeping." Seeing that Silver just had finished the work, she pointed towards the bed near the window.

"What?" Silver stared blankly. He imagined that he would be sleeping in a bright and clean room. Even the sofa would be good. Here... Silver lifted his head to take a look. On the west wall of the storage room was a window that directly faced the street lights. When the storage room lights were turned off, the dusky light immediately shone through the window as if it were haunted.

"Eh, it's a little lacking. Just put up with it for now... In reality, my Internet Cafe isn't lacking any employees. With you, we don't have too many. Without you, we don't have too few. The recruitment fliers you saw were fairly old." Cana said.

"Oh, so it's like this! No problem, no problem. This is pretty good." Silver declared at once. His approving attitude made Cana feel very apologetic. This storage room truly wasn't a living space.

"Boss, you are very generous!"

"Cough, as if I cared about a single computer among thousands!" Cana said

"How is the flow of customers ordinarily?" Silver asked.

"Not bad. Enough for me to be satisfied everyday." Cana said. "Of course, there won't be as many in the night shift. Most of them are students from nearby universities pulling all-nighters. There's really not much to say. You'll see when it's time."

"Got it."

"In order for you to adapt to this workplace, how about starting today? I also want to observe and see your ability to work all night." Cana said.

"No problem. My energy's at full capacity." Silver gave her two thumbs-up showing that working all night was his specialty.

"Okay then. Let's go down. I'll treat you to a midnight snack." Cana said.

"Oh? To eat what?"

"There's not much at this time. There should be a small restaurant nearby that hasn't closed yet. Go look and buy a few dishes to bring back. I don't eat celery." Cana said as she fished out five hundred dollars from her wallet and gave them to Silver.

"It's raining though!" Silver said.

"It's just across the road. How much rain would get on you? Hurry up!" Cana said.

Silver had no other choice. He crossed the road and bought a few midnight snacks and dishes. He had just been hired but had already been ordered in quick succession. But he wasn't feeling depressed or sad at all. After speaking with her for only a bit, they were no longer strangers. This sort of natural friendliness made him feel comfortable and at home. Silver suddenly realized. Even after all this, he had never asked for his boss's name.