“Not much to work with here,” I murmur to myself, scanning the emails from WorkForce.

Alliana, glancing over my screen, says, “I kind of expected it, Vaughn. Agents and TLs have become, well, more competitive? The recent exploration boom has led to a surge in field work pay, especially for those willing to handle incident reports.”

“It's tempting pay, TL. I'd consider myself lucky to land even one assignment, knowing you'd caution me against those flagged as risky.”

“It's just about keeping you safe, Vaughn. Remember, there'll be other chances, even if none arise today.”

I close my laptop with a resigned sigh, “Seems most are already claimed.”

Seeing my disappointment, Alliana quickly stands, giving my head a playful pat. “Chin up! We can always scout for more tasks. Want me to speak to the manager?”

Shaking my head, I reply with a hint of a smile, “No need, TL. I’ll get back to handling calls.”

She grins, patting my head again, “I had a feeling you’d say that. Like I mentioned, your time will come. For now, lend a hand to our agents. Seems Neil’s swamped.”

She gestures towards a flustered figure in the distance.

“Got it, TL. Give me a shout if you need anything.”

“You know I will!”

As I return to my desk, Neil’s eyes meet mine, and I overhear his attempt to calm a customer.

“What's going on?” I ask, stopping by his cubicle.

Neil sighs, tapping the mute button on his headset. “Got a jumpy necromancer here.”

“A necromancer?” I lean over slightly to view the customer information on his screen. “Lind...that name rings a bell. Is this an escalation?”

Neil hesitates, hinting at a challenging conversation. “I think so? Her profile has not been flagged for any escalations."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Do you want me to step in?”

He looks relieved. “Would you? Though, If Alliana catches you taking over for me again, she won't be too happy.”

“No sweat, Neil,” I reassure, taking his headset. “If I could ask you for something though, listen to how I manage this. It'll help you with situations like this in the future. I think you're looking to be a Subject Matter Expert in the future, right?"

Neil begins, “Thanks again, Vaughn. I just get anxious when a customer-”

“It's okay,” I interrupt gently. “Grab my headset from my desk. You can listen in real-time.”

“Thanks, Vaughn.”

Watching Neil hurry to my desk, I adjust his headset, clear my throat, and press unmute.

“Miss Lind, thanks for holding. My name is Vaughn, a supervisor at MagicPerformax, speaking on a recorded line. I’m going over your details now, but how may I assist further?”

“V-Vaughn?” A familiar soft voice queries from the other end.

“Yes, Miss Lind. How can I help?”

“My animate skeleton spell isn't working,” she shares in a muted tone. I scan her file and spot her subscription to our spell support package. While the name is straightforward, it's a top service of MagicPerformax.

“I understand, Miss Lind. No worries. Our records show you have the unlimited spell support package for six months.”

She sounds tentative. “Do I need to renew?”

“You're still good for another month, Miss Lind. Let's address your issue now.”

"Thank you, Vaughn. I was just about to say-"

Her words are interrupted by a brief pause, a faint pop in the background, and a discernible gasp from Lind. My knowledge of necromancers suggests their penchant for pushing the boundaries with their spells. Their intense curiosity naturally drives up the need for support.

"Everything alright, Miss Lind?" I ask, quickly pulling up her profile. Multiple requests for nullification scrolls catch my eye. Based on past interactions, it seems Lind has been ambitiously refining her spell, perhaps a tad beyond her capability.

She replies with a touch of embarrassment, "I'm fine, Vaughn. I assume you've looked over my history?"

"Don’t stress, Miss Lind. We’re here to help. Can you walk me through what happened?"

She hesitates for a moment before beginning. As she talks, I jot down points, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Neil doing likewise. Her current issue echoes her past challenges.

"Understood," I respond. "This isn't an uncommon problem, Miss Lind. Allow me a few minutes to consult my resources and find a solution. Can I put you on hold?"

"Certainly, Vaughn. Do what you need to."

With her agreement, I activate the hold function and rise from my seat.

"You think this warrants a fieldwork intervention?" Neil inquires.

I nod. "Considering the recurrence, a direct visit might be necessary. However," I glance back at her profile, "it might not require escalation just yet."

"Are you going to discuss this with TL?" he probes.

"We’ll see. First, let's check how we can help Miss Lind."