Ch 3 Up(the)lift

On the selection day of Intelligence for 'Airburst Assistant'

Ravyn arrives in front of the only elevator with the logo "AB" in the mall. She placed the application form onto the scanning position of the elevator platform as described in the flyer instruction. When the scan was completed, the screen on the pedestal popped up a text like a date she came over to register. But this time, the elevator door opened with a welcome message.

[Identity matched: Registrant #018

Your trial will begin in 10 minutes.

Good luck with The Assistant Selection, Ms. Ravyn Nipha]

The purple-haired girl who had seen this platform for the second time was still thrilled with the technology that was considered cutting-edge in this era, like a child seeing a new toy.

…This thing isn't just for show then…

After she entered the elevator and the door was completely closed, the elevator lit up and a digital letter appeared above her eye level indicating the destination.

[Mr.C interview room]

Below it, there is something similar to a mirror but with a digital screen that detects signs of life in the elevator, making the scanning platform that fascinates her look completely dull. The girl sees her reflection in a color temperature scale, as if looking through an infrared camera with heart rate data, air & gas ratios, humidity levels, and much more on the side. She looked around perplexed but attempted to calm herself.

…As long as this elevator continues to descend normally like this, everything should be fine…

After a moment, the elevator slowed down and stopped.

*sigh*

Ravyn sighs with relief. But suddenly its direction changed to moving sideways and accelerating rapidly. She quickly grabbed the handrail and held it tightly.

"Woah! Wasn't that supposed to be arrival already?"

The girl exclaimed in amazement. She was moved further horizontally before the elevator moved upward again. The front of the mirror shows the pounding heart rate of the one person it can detect.

… One Pim, Two Pims, Three Pims! Four Pims!...

Ravyn prayed in her mind, hoping she would reach the destination safely.

Finally, the elevator stopped and the door opened. In front of the girl was a discreet middle-aged man sipping coffee in a western-style office room.

"Hello, please take a seat."

"Hello, and pardon my interruption."

Ravyn stroked the disheveled hair from the elevator ride and sat in front of the man who interviewed her.

######

On the roof of a skyscraper

"What?! She applied for an AB Assistant, you say? " asked a young man in a leather jacket.

"Exactly, Mr. Jae, we thought that you dedicatedly scouted a suitable person for us to the point that you were sent to jail. Head Charles even came down especially to test her himself."

The woman's reply rang into the communicator in his ear.

"I might have disappointed him. As for being arrested, it was just an accident…"

Jae tries to make amends before getting back to the topic.

"…By the way, when the results are announced, leave a message for her about that as well."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

The man in the jacket hung up, losing a little of his self-esteem.

…How come my splendid invitation lose to that small Assistant column in the application flyer? So, this is the path you chose... But for the Assistant Department of Intelligence, great profiles or good-naturedness won't be enough to get you in...

######

In the interview room now, there was a middle-aged man who burst out laughing, completely contrary to what Jae imagined.

"Exactly, Exactly! Haha, you are so well-informed. Don Helter and the Prism crew really gave us a hard time. So what next? Keep it coming, Miss Ravyn!"

"Even though Themeise is a port city full of big shots, almost all of them were under you guys' thumb. The group that appears to make Airburst's hand full is only the Donkey. I know where to find them."

The purple-haired girl looked straight at her listener with determined eyes. At the same time, Charles halts his coffee-sipping briefly when he hears the name of the gang that is this city's deadly shadow.

"I'm all ears."

He began stroking his golden goatee.

"Ly Company. They produce environmentally friendly products and packaging, do many social service activities regularly, and never have any dirty files. It seems breathtakingly clean, but take a look at this."

Ravyn took out the documents and news columns she had gathered, arranged them on the table, and took out a marker.

"Allow me…"

As Charles nodded, she began to schematically link them.

"On the surface, Donkey's movement is likely to be a formless and random pattern. But if you compare the occurrence of accidents with the trace of a strange power that Donkey used…"

She draws a line.

"…with the time of the attack during Ly's public statements, you'll clearly see the relationship, which was ingeniously plotted, using the people who participated in the company's events as bait. So I'm sure they are secretly working together. We can start tracing them from this point."

Charles thought for a moment, then replied.

"…This possibility analysis is not half bad. All of your information since we talked impressively matches with ours. If considered only the news and documents, for ordinary people who have very limited access to the media, you have my respect for being able to come this far."

*Click*

The interviewer put down the coffee cup before he continued.

"But it's a little too quick to conclude that it doesn't take the motives or interests into account. Of those, none of them has yet to appear from where we are constantly guarding and observing the Ly Company."

Ravyn realized how amateur she was and then thanked Mr. C for his criticism.

"There's one more thing I want to ask, Miss Ravyn. But you don't have to answer me if you don't want to… That time when you are about to be a famous artist, why would you give up such a great opportunity?"

…Scarily know the in-depth details of the applicants, I'd expect nothing less from this organization…

Ravyn wasn't too happy with the question but was impressed with the unfathomable potential that this place displayed.

"At that time, I wasn't being professional enough to get on the stage. So I paid for that lesson and learned it deeply in my heart. But what I thought was important was not me, who made mistakes, but who I am now that has chosen to step over those mistakes without falling into them again. And I am confident in showing my readiness from now on."

"It's a good spirit you have there. But that chance will only be given to the most suitable…"

Charles stopped his hand that writing in the notebook since the beginning of the interview.

"All done… Thank you for your good cooperation. We will contact you again later."

The purple-haired girl could guess the outcome of this selection from that response. She had some regrets, but her face was still far from being lost. Ravyn bowed to the interviewer in front of her before leaving.

... Abilities and determination are exceptional. As expected from the one scouted by that boy. But the fury that radiated from her after the first "Donkey" came out of her mouth was so intense that it was dangerous… If there's a time that this anger can't be pressed and affects the analysis or decision, she will create a huge problem for us…

The goatee Charles silently evaluated the latest entrant, staring at her back that was slowly moving away until she stopped. Ravyn sighed again before walking back into the same elevator that she had entered.

"Woaahh!"

Soon after the door closed, a scream echoed through the room, causing the goatee man to smile affectionately.

######

Charles sat contemplating the interviewed applicants and the information others had sent in the same room until the evening.

*Knock**Knock*

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

An employee who appeared to be from the same department opened the door with an envelope in her arm.

"Sorry for bothering you. Mr. C…" she said in a friendly tone.

"It's okay, I'm just finishing up here and there."

"This is an urgent document summarizing the reports of Ly Company that relate to Donkey"

The employee handed over an envelope of documents.

"Hmm... so they are not only just related, but also need to depend on each other too… They are hiding right under our nose all this time."

Charles thanked her before he chuckled lightly.

"Huhu… This is really getting interesting."

The middle-aged man got up and walked out. On his desk were piles of applications from experts around the world with X-marked on their corners. There were only two intact sheets stacked under a paperweight engraved with the words 'Approve'. The top sheet of the shortlisted application provides a brief overview of candidates from Airburst Assistant's investigation and screening:

[#018

Name: Ravyn Nipha

Age: 19 years

Work history:

-Used to work in the Lotus Herbal Store that had just shut down since a fire accident 3 months ago.

-Currently manages the stock of ingredients at Gentle'Sand Sandwich Shop.

Skills in the applied field: No data

Educational background: Pass the Tests of General Educational Development with outstanding scores in all subjects at the age of 12.

Notable Remarks:

-Physical abilities and body flexibility are at a level that is capable of dealing with Lost Wisdom users if proficient in using AB's Airtech (According to: 'Fusen')

-Remarkable guitar playing skills

-Almost got debuted with the duet group 'Pop Purple', but because of the fire that caused the loss of her only parent, she refused to go on the first stage and all activities until disbandment.]