Microscopes

Dagon Brago was old. Very old. He may look in his fifties but in truth he had lived far longer. He'd been a child when the first invasion happened, back when hope was lost and heroes went by a different name. He was a child when the first invasion came, and he was a man when the second followed.

The reason he could stand and move so well despite this was because of his rank. His power. The rules that seperate an awakened from regular people.

The higher ranked a person was, the more mana they could accept into their bodies, and the slower they would age once they hit their peak. For low ranks, it may be an extra year or two. Maybe three if they were lucky. Mid ranks might get a decade or two tacked on to their regular lifespan.

But for the highest ranks. The few that were able to claw their way past A+ class. The 8 S- class humans and 3 S class monsters.

Well it was likely they'd live for a long time. Most agreed they could expect to live at least double their normal lifespan. Probably more as far as Dagon was concerned. And so far, Dagon had lived 156 years. He would likely live at least fifty more.

And even then, he doubted he would receive an answer as... surprising as the one he received today.

"You want to leave the academy... because you don't want to fight monsters if you don't have to?" Dagon asked, watching curiously as the boy, Jay Haze if he went if Ms. Grace's words, brother of Mary Haze, one of his best students, shrugged.

"I mean..." The boy scratched his neck. "Yeah. That's about it. No point in fighting monsters if I don't have to. I'd just die for nothing."

"That's..." Dagon frowned, letting the boy go. "Oddly logical."

"Thanks."

"And cowardly."

"Never mind then. Retract my thanks." The boy rolled his eyes... rolled his eyes? This little shit.

It had been a long time since he met someone so eager to piss him off.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" Dagon scowled, now curious if the boy's... odd state of mind was just a facet of ignorance. Dagon had never met the boy personally, simply recognized his last name because his sister shared it. So the idea that the boy didn't know him was possible. It would explain the blatant disrespect he had received so far.

But apparently, the easy explanation wasn't the right one.

"Yeah, you're Dagon Brago. The headmaster right?" The boy said, and Dagon blinked. Watching as the boy, still trembling under his gaze, asked the most absurd question Dagon had ever been asked.

"So can I turn in my resignation letter directly to you, or do I have to through like a whole process to drop out." The boy scratched his chin, and Dagon barked out a surprised laugh. A disbelieving smirk on his lips as he shook his head. "Now, now. Let's not be so hasty, Jay Haze. That's a big decision."

"It's not hasty." The boy frowned. "I just don't want to wait in a line. I have stuff I need to do."

"Like what?"

"Get a job."

"That's..." Dagon blinked, before shaking his head and glancing at the maze the boy was about to enter. "If that is the case why are you here? An arcade hardly seems an appropriate use of your time."

"I needed a cheap skill." The boy shrugged, pointing towards the maze. "I wanted to get it from the arcade's gift shop but I need 50,000 points. I only have 4 hours left to try and get as much loot as I can from this place before I have to leave."

The boy's face then twisted into a frown, "although at the rate I'm going I'm pretty sure it's a lost cause."

"Lost cause huh..." Dagon muttered, tilting his head as he tried to compartmentalize the boy. It had been a long time since he'd been this.. intrigued. Since he'd observed a toy this strange. The boy's body trembled but his eyes were clear. His words were absurd but he never once uttered a lie.

"How about this." Dagon said, walking ahead as he gestured to the maze. "Let's share a conversation as we walk through this game. I am dreadfully bored and it had been years since I felt so shackled."

Dagon observed the boy, his eyes seeing clearly the confusion and curiosity lacing the boy's features, "So you're doing all this because you're bored?" The boy asked. And Dagon didn't hesitate to answer.

"Yes." Dagon shrugged, "But I'm also curious."

"About what?"

"You." Dagon said, standing before the boy as he wondered. "I am oh so curious. Even your sister wasn't so brazen around me once she recognized me. So you either have confidence or a death wish."

"I'll tell you up front." The boy said flatly. "Out of those two options it's definitely the second one."

"See. That. You're joking with someone that could kill you before you could blink." Dagon pointed out, watching as the boy—Anomoly that he was, shrugged. "We're in a game."

"We won't be forever."

"I don't think you'd kill me for being rude."

"Is it think or know?" Dagon asked, because there was a difference. And that difference was important. And as the boy tilted his head in thought and met Dagon's gaze, before giving a self assured nod, he knew that the boy knew the difference too.

"...I'm not sure. Probably think." The boy said after a moment of reflection. "Yeah, definitely think."

He just didn't care.

"How tragic." Dagon grinned sharply, observing as the boy shivered and shot him a questioning look. The boy then huffed and began walking to the maze. "Whatever old man. If you want to help me out I won't complain. But I'll need your points at the end of this to get the skill I want."

"And pray tell," Dagon followed with a slight smirk. "What would I get in return."

"I don't know. Don't you want a conversation?" The boy scowled. "Isn't that enough payment."

"Of course not. I'm just settling my curiosity." Dagon scoffed. "I can do that elsewhere if I need to."

"But you haven't." The boy countered, walking down the empty halls as if he knew the path before hand. His icy blue eyes glancing back at Dagon.

"So obviously I'm interesting enough for you to waste some time on." The boy shrugged. Glancing away out of boredom over fear, and right then and there, Dagon decided he would comply with the boy's foolish wishes. To satisfy his curiosity.

"That remains to be seen, Jay Haze."

If only to see why this boy's eyes didn't tremble and shake when his body was so gladly willing to.

.....

After the initial shock of meeting the other guy's hero, and technically his principal or whatever, Jay found himself taking a liking to the old man.

He never seemed to lie, and was always upfront about his intentions. Even when they started walking through the maze, strolling through room after room as aimlessly as Ryu had done in the light novel, Jay could see the old guy was paying more attention to their conversation than their surroundings.

And boy was that impressive in its old right.

"So you want to make yourself presentable for job interviews." The man asked, without judgement, as he ripped the head off a nearby two ton Salamander. Bigger than a truck and skin of fiery, molten red-hot scales that scorched the air and burned those dumb enough to touch it. Its eyes were black and void.

The first moment Jay saw one, it roared, and its tongue, made of molten lava apparently, shot out.

Now Dagon held its decapitated head in his bare hand, grabbing the fiery tongue and using it as a chain. He swung the Salamander's head like a mace. Blasting a hole through another one's head like a bowling ball through a group of scaly pins.

"That isn't a bad idea. I may not have experience in the civilian sector, but first impressions make a world of difference." The old man admitted, as Jay nodded, almost numb to the crazy shit he was seeing at this point. Then the two continued their talks of employment rates, opportunities in Regalia, and civilian workers. All while Jay watched Dagon tear through the room like it was an afterthought.

It had kind of been like this since they stepped foot in the maze. Besides holding out his spear so Dagon could stick a few rats on it and get Jay's stats back to normal, Jay hadn't lifted a finger. Following Dagon aimlessly through the maze since Jay's system didn't dare reveal itself while the old man was near. Even for non audible communication. It stayed silent.

A decision which Jay agreed with wholeheartedly.

Because if there was one thing he learned about the old man so far, it was that his eyes were good.

Like scarily good.

"You seem distracted." The man said as Jay felt the pressure of this yellow slit eyes land on him. Jay shivered, not for the first time and definitely not for the last, before frowning. "Quit doing that."

"Doing what?" The old man asked a tad too innocently.

"That." Jay waved at his face. "Your eye thing."

"You mean seeing?" The old man raised an eyebrow, and Jay clicked his tongue. Ignoring the smugness of the old man's eyes, Jay glanced at the mountain of Salamander Corpses and sighed. "Whatever. How many coins do you have? I've got 10,000 from the treasure rooms. You should've gotten more."

"I have 30,000." The old man shrugged. "These creatures drop quite a hefty amount."

"Then the boss should give us the rest of it." Jay said, glancing at the giant, orange tinted door. "Once we clear the floor, click the save and leave option at the fire. It's been close to four hours anyways."

"Alright." The old man said, sitting atop his mountain of defeated enemies. "But before that let's talk a little longer. Since there's extra time."

"You're not going to let me leave easily, are you?"

"Of course not." The old man smirked. "In the time we've had to discuss I've gotten some idea of who you are and what you desire. It would be a waste to let you leave Voxx."

"Fucking how?" Jay scowled. "My potential's D+ rank. The most I could be is a doormat."

"Those potential tests aren't as accurate or important as you think they are." The man dismissed, surprising Jay as he pointed towards the corpses below. "And sure. If we go off the tests you took for your potential, you might not be able to accomplish this level of strength. But your mind is useful enough. As is your... peculiar mentality. It would be wasted in civilian life."

"Pretty sure mentality won't stop me from dying."

"No, but it could help you in other sectors." The old man shrugged. "No one says you have to be a hero that solely fight monsters or demons. Heroes work in guilds for a reason. Being a strategist or even an analyst isn't a bad option. Every guild worth their weight will be looking for some. Because do you know what's more important than a strong hero?"

"What?"

"One that makes it home." The man said, and Jay's eyes widened slightly. He watched as the man held up two fingers. "Both analysts and strategists help make that a reality. Analysts prepare groups before a raid, do research on dungeons, and provide details on what they could expect to find in a raid."

The man then lowered a finger. "Meanwhile strategists build a plan for heroes to follow before they go in. Sure, the leader of party has the final say, but both professions help increase the chances of a successful raid. They're highly valued."

"And let me guess." Jay huffed. "Voxx is the best place to become one."

"We have a great course for it. Yes." The old man smiled knowingly, "We also have connections to high ranking guilds. Finding one after graduation will be easy should you stay. So what do you think?"

"Hm..." Jay closed his eyes and mulled it over. "I guess it's a little tempting."

And Jay meant it. He was a little tempted. If he could stay in school life would be easier, both short term and long term. He'd get access to the dorms so he wouldn't need a place to stay, and if he graduated he'd be on the fast track to a good job.

But that 'if' was the problem.

Because for as good a deal as Voxx was, it wasn't appealing when it came with an asterisk.

That asterisk being that every year, without fail, at least one major problem would arise in Voxx. Like bombs in buildings kind of problems.

Jay didn't remember exactly what each event was, although he was pretty sure Silent Night had a lot to do with some of them, but in the end, it didn't really matter who was responsible. All that mattered was that each problem came with casualties.

And most of the time it was unlucky students or even teachers that got caught in the crossfire.

So yeah, Jay was tempted, but he also wasn't dumb. He wasn't going to roll the dice and see if he could survive Voxx's yearly heart attack.

Number 2 could deal with that shit-show by themselves.

"I think I'll pass." Jay said eventually, much to Dagon's disappointment, but not surprise. "I see." His lips thinned. "Is there a reason you said no?"

"I already told you the reason."

"Yes, but this answer was different than the last." The old man said, and Jay felt those reptilian eyes fall upon him once more.

"Last time you said you didn't want to fight monster if you didn't have to. I offered you a way that you wouldn't have to." The man said, and Jay felt something uneasy crawling up his skin. Tickling his bones and whispering in his ears. He was being analyzed—Beneath nearly inhuman eyes. And it left him uneasy.

"But you rejected it." Jay shivered beneath the man's silent gaze. "If it was just a matter of preference you would've said 'I'll think about it.' But you said no. That means there is a reason you do not want to go to Voxx specifically." The old man said. And his words seemed to carry weight to then. To heavy to ignore and to sharp to defend.

"So What is it?" Dagon Brago watched, not even blinking. "Is it fear? Is it laziness? Is it lethargy? What binds you? Tell me. I will not leave until I have an answer."

Jay shivered as the man's words fell on his shoulders and he felt the weight of the air increase. Mana in the air reacting violently to the headmaster's whims. To the point that Jay realized he was stuck.

He couldn't give an answer besides, 'Voxx would turn into a shit show eventually.'

In which case Dagon would have to ask why Jay knew that, and it would spiral. Until Jay had to admit he wasn't from this world and then he'd never get a day of peace.

Jay didn't want that.

But Jay couldn't think of an out.

Thankfully Dagon Brago, unknowingly, and certainly without purpose, gave him an out—An escape. An offhanded comment that was purely curious, maybe a little manipulative, but worked in Jay's favor.

"Don't you want to be more like your sister?" The man asked honestly, unaware that Jay hadn't seen his sister. Ever. The other guy hadn't seen her in a decade. She discovered the concept of freedom and left the second she could. She abandoned her brother.

And he killed himself, wondering why his sister didn't stick around to help him.

So yeah, Jay didn't have to think twice about whether or not he'd be anything like her.

The answer came naturally.

"What kind of question is that?" Jay laughed. Somewhere in his mind he noted the surprise that flashed across the old man's face, but he ignored it. Jay wasn't lying so it's not like the old man could call him out on anything. Plus he felt good right now. He felt free.

"Why would I want to be like her?"

It was like his mouth was liberated.

"As far as I'm concerned she isn't my sister." Jay rolled his eyes jokingly. The truth was like that sometimes—light. As light as a feather.

"Seriously..."

Jay felt the words escape his lips and before he knew it, he was smiling. Watching as the old man's yellow reptilian eyes widened, for the first time since their conversation. Like the old man couldn't see through the lie he'd expected to see. The lie that wasn't there.

"She could die tomorrow for all I care."

And that was the last question Dagon asked him.