Code Collector

"Interesting," Amanda Bryans immediately said after Allen walked inside their office. It was a large room that had a glass wall on the wall that was facing the door.

In the middle of the room were two desks that Amanda and Daniel occupied. On top of their desks were piles and piles of papers that seemed to be case files by how they were stacked in a specific manner.

Daniel stood and smiled, "Attorney Lee must have been very impressed by how he immediately hired you. You made a great impression on him."

Allen bowed, "Thank you."

"No need to be so formal," Amanda smiled. "Your desk is right there. The previous secretary has compiled all your duties and responsibilities. All you have to do now is to do them correctly. Is that fine?"

"More than fine," Allen smiled and nodded.

"That's great!" Amanda clapped her hands once and her expression completely changed from warm to dark. "Now get to work. We don't have all the time in the world."

The boy had no other choice but to oblige. Amanda's aura was too strong that it even triggered his passive skill, making him worry that he might intimidate the couple too. But after seeing Amanda and Daniel Bryans the desk he was assigned at, he sighed in relief.

The passive skill can be triggered when Allen faces a foe that was stronger than him. What he did not know was that it can also be triggered when he feels alarmed even when there was no actual threat. And for the skill to fully take effect, he has to take action or say something to counter the fear he was feeling.

The moment he turned around to walk towards his desk, the passive skill deactivated. At least Allen learned a thing or two about the skill.

As for their plan, his main duty was to find out the location of Elvis's wife. The man was sure that her location would be tracked by her parents. When he finds it, he will report back to Elvis and the man said that he will do the rest.

For Allen, he didn't know what would happen after. All he knew was that he was going to do this deal and gain something from Elvis. Even the man kept his end of the deal, which was bothersome and not like Allen at all.

"What if he talks about it and the next clients follow his example?" Allen groaned at himself. He shook the thoughts off of his head and got to work immediately.

Thanks to his Intelligence attribute, he could now mentally process things easier and quicker than before. The words on his resume that said that he was a competent worker wasn't too far from the truth after all. 

His job wasn't too difficult. In fact, it was easier than he actually thought. First, he was skeptical on the secretary job because he thought he would handle cases as well. But then he read the notes the previous secretary had left for him and he found out that he didn't have to do much.

Grinding for Codes was much harder than arranging schedules and forwarding messages. This desk job had grown on him that he now thought he could do this any day and was considering doing this isntead.

"This isn't so hard," Allen smirked. "I think I can do this."

–

"Do this for me please."

"Get me that file on the case."

"You need to get me that other file."

"Why are you so slow?"

"Where in the hell is my afternoon tea?"

"How come the files aren't sent yet?!"

"I thought you were competent. How disappointing!"

As the time passes, the Bryans got more hectic and Allen could see horns growing on their foreheads. Maybe this was why the previous secretary had left, they couldn't handle the pressure that was put on them by these two.

"I wanna go back to Haven," Allen whispered. "I want to go back to Haven…"

The boy repeated the words continuously like it was a mantra for his god. He kept saying those words as he worked, hoping it would pass the time.

Indeed, hours had passed by and it was time for them to clock out of work. The Bryans prepared their things by keeping folders on their cases and turning their computer units off.

"We're done for today," Amanda siad. Her smile returned to her face, and the deep Antarctic cold that was previously plastered on her face was long gone. "Should we get you some beer so we can celebrate your first day?"

"I don't think that's necess–"

"Nonsense!" Daniel Bryans cheered. "Let's go eat meat. I want to eat meat."

Allen looked at them in disbelief. Just a moment ago, they were almost going to kill him by continuously scolding at him for this work. Now, they were all smiling like nothing happened at all.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Amanda said. "That was our work ethic. We are very strict when it comes to work, but other than that, we're basically your friends!"

Allen was at a lost for words. Just when he thought he was the one who had different faces for different scenarios, these two greeted him with a tutorial on how to properly do it. They are natural when it comes to working and how they function as a couple and as leaders.

And by looking at how much their firm was succeeding, Allen thought that what they were doing was effective. He sighed and had no choice but to agree to what his new bosses offered.

"Maybe I can steer my mission to another direction myself," Allen said in his head. 

–

"What do you think about the Primordial Beast Bearers vs the Snake case?" Amanda asked Allen. They were now in a luxurious restaurant while eating dinner and celebrating the secretary's first day. "I want to see your insight on this particular case."

Allen forgot that the Bryans were part of the case that was hired by Louie, the Rat, himself. They think of their firm as the foundation of Hunters' rights, and was considering partnering with them.

Allen skimmed through the file when he was working earlier. Daniel Bryans was set to submit a report to the Primordial Beasts regarding the connection of the Snake and what cases could they implement while waiting for the culprit to be caught.

"Honestly, I don't have much knowledge about the case," Allen confessed. He saw the pursing on the couple's lips, making him retract his words immediately. "But I do think that the Snake could barely do anything against Drake Nelson."

The topic took Daniel's attention and he was now looking at Allen. "Interesting. How do you say so?"

"Because as they said themselves, the Snake had just awakened," Allen started, pretending to think deeply. His intelligence attribute was really a great help to him, and he was now considering prioritizing it. "If the Snake is just a newbie, chances are he can't ascend to Paradise, let alone face the strongest Hunter alive."

He wasn't defending himself by saying all those. He was merely stating facts, and even when he's not the Snake, he would be saying the same thing.

"He could also be pretty much dead after discovering the new powers," Allen continued. "The Snake is just too vague of a figure for now that pointing fingers at them would seem ridiculous. Sorry, no offense."

"You are a good debater," Amanda smirked. "You think critically and that's what matters in this line of work. But your input is indeed enlightening. Most people would agree that the Snake did it. Having someone on our side feels good."

"O-On your side?" Allen tilted his head while his face was filled with confusion.

Amanda and Daniel both placed their arms above the table to show off a tattoo of a snake and a man. It was a small tattoo that they hid under a fake skin, a tattoo of a man was fully naked while holding a sword on one hand while raising his arm to the side as the snake encircled his body.

"We have been waiting for the Snake to change the world we live in," Daniel chuckled and returned the fake skin to cover the tattoo. "This should be kept a secret. I don't know why I'm telling you all of this."

Allen just realized that his passive skill was triggered again. This time, since he spoke, he fully triggered it and the couple was now dancing on his palms.

"Y-You're both part of something?" Allen jokingly said, and the two looked at each other. "Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude or anything–"

"How did you know that we are part of Snake Society?" Daniel asked. "The society that awaits the birth of the snake to change the world."

Allen gulped, not feeling any good aura regarding the couple. He looked at them while they looked at him with curious eyes.

The boy said in his head, "What in the hell is happening here?"