Orianna stares bemusedly at the job status box hovering before her. "A...Girl Scout?" She turns toward Drui, one eyebrow raised. "Is this an interdimensional translation issue?"
Drui blinks back innocently. "What translation issue? It says right there, your shiny new title - Girl Scout." She taps a finger on the colorful text for emphasis.
"Yes, I can read, thank you," Orianna replies dryly. She paces in a slow circle, leafing through the holographic job profile with flicks of her wrist. Leo watches curiously from her shoulder.
"Let's see...defeat a [hellhare], save an innocent, brink of death, Mala's approval..." Orianna mutters. She shakes her head, curls bouncing. "None of that sounds like cookie-selling qualifications to me."
Drui let out an unladylike snort, crossing her arms over her chest as she hovered nearby. "Cookies? Is that what Girl Scouts do on this planet?" She threw her head back with a laugh, the sound echoing around the cavernous room.
Sobering quickly, Drui floats closer until they are nearly nose-to-nose, her expression suddenly serious. "Let me clarify something straight away. The Girl Scouts in my realm are elite warriors – ruthless assassins and saboteurs." Drui emphasizes each word with a pointed finger-jab at Orianna. "One alone could raze a city. A small team could demolish an empire."
Orianna inhales sharply but Drui continues. "The wealthy and powerful clamor to have a troop under their command. So do not misunderstand what it signifies for you to bear that title now. The prestigious S-Rank is no laughing matter.”
Orianna arches an eyebrow. "Elite agents?." Schooling her features, she clears her throat delicately. "You'll have to forgive me. I'm unfamiliar with this career path." She chuckles a bit ruefully. "Clearly there's a disconnect between our worlds."
Drui clicks her tongue, features pinching in disapproval. "Ah yes, you mentioned such nonsense before...cookie sales and the like." She shakes her head, twists bouncing around her shoulders as she lets out another scornful laugh. "Though given Earth's lowly ranking, I suppose that explains your softness and ignorance."
Stung, Orianna opens her mouth to protest but Drui waves a hand. "No matter. Again, you have some mettle, at least, to slay that measly hare and safeguard another."
"Measly?" Orianna blinks in surprise. "That was incredibly difficult to defeat..."
"Yes, Extremely hard" Drui's eyes roll, casually floating several feet in the air to lounge on her back. "By Earth's pathetic standards…” She scoffs. "Even mediocre warriors from other realms would need a couple allies to take down a hellhare. But for a Girl Scout..." She examines her gloved fingers idly. "We can kill those in our sleep"
'Is being a girl scout really that amazing?' Orianna muses in her thoughts,
Drui withdraws slightly, features still stern. “Of course, for an ignorant weakling like yourself, I'll take on the exhausting duty of explanation...”
Drui flies in front of the blue screen,"I haven’t introduced myself, my name is Drui and i'll be your helper for the next three days" She claps her hands,"Again, for completing the requirements, you have proven yourself worthy of the class" She raises her hands,"As a reward you will be awarded three badges"
Before the badges arrived, a blue sash appeared over her pajamas. It glowed a bright blue and dimmed down once done being formed.
NEW!
(Uncommon)
Hellhare Slayer Badge
Upon inspecting the sash, Orianna noted a badge depicting a vivid white hellhare impaled on a blade. The embroidery read "Hellhare Slayer".
-Trait: Enhanced agility and strength (+5),
NEW!
(Common)
Savior Badge (Lv. 1)
Next to it sat a badge with two clasped hands, stitched with the words "Savior".
-Trait: Gain the Active Skill [True Blessing]
Heal others' injuries or small wounds
NEW!
(UNIQUE)
Survivor's Badge (Lv. 1)
Unlike the others made from cloth, the Survivor's Badge is a small golden badge shaped like a shield with a phoenix rising from flames etched across its surface.
Skill: Gain the Passive Skills [Rapid healing], [Hand Book] and [Mental Fortitude]
“Hm” Drui flies over closer to Orianna’s metal badge,”I wasn’t expecting for you to get that one”
Orianna lifts up her sash,”What? What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing” Drui taps the badge and turns her head,’Maybe she has a lot of luck’ she thinks
Orianna squints her eyes, but shrugs,’I know she won’t answer even i I pry’
Drui clears her throat,”Anyways, the more badges and the higher rank the better! Not only do they represent achievement, but the amount of skills you possess."
Orianna's eyes widen as she inspects the badges eagerly, her frustration with Drui momentarily forgotten. She traces her fingers over the badges, analyzing each detail. Finally she was receiving something good out of these unfortunate events.
"How do I use them?" Orianna taps her badges lightly
Drui lets out an exaggerated groan, stretching lazily in the air. "Ugh, do we really have to get into all that now? I'm beat after dealing with you."
Orianna suppresses an eye roll and places a hand delicately over her mouth, "Oh, this doesn't sound like the amazing, elite girl scout that I know."
Drui's cheeks flushed. "S-shut up! Girl scouts require sleep to be the best."
Sensing an opening, Orianna folds her arms. "You can't show me one thing? Just a little demo?" She bats her eyelashes for extra effect.
Drui held firm, lifting her chin. "Tomorrow. It's getting close to morning. I'm sure your mommy and daddy are waiting."
At the mention of her parents, Orianna's smile falters briefly. "Probably not," she murmurs under her breath. She quickly places her hands on her hips. "Fine, I’ll find out myself”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Her hands move back towards her new class screen,
!!NEW CLASS ACQUIRED!!
+-----------------------+
|
| Girl Scout
| Rank: S
|-----------------------
|✓ Defeated HellHare
| without help
|✓ Save someone
|✓ Survived Brink of
| Death
|✓ Mala’s approval
| (Stats)
+-----------------------+
Quickly her eyes scan the screen till she finds the word stats and clicks it. Immediately the screen changes:
+-----------------------+
|
| Name: Orianna (N/A)
| Class: Girl Scout
|-----------------------
| Health: 50/50
| Level: 1 (Daisy)
| Stats:
| Strength: 5 (+5) (Fair)
| Agility: 8 (+5) (Fair)
| Intelligence: 7 (Average)
| Mana: 0. (No talent)
| Stamina: 15 (Fair)
+-----------------------+
SKILLS:
Active-
[True Blessing]
[Hand Book]
Passive-
[Rapid Healing]
[Mental Fortitude]
’This is so much like a game’ she rests her hands on her head as if the world is spinning,’And what does that make my life?’ She takes a deep, centering breath before scrutinizing the display once more. Her gaze locks onto the words at the top, unwilling to travel further.
“Not Available?” Orianna frowns,”I understand I'm a foster kid but I still have a last name-Lindsworth” She pivots to Drui, gesturing in appeal, but she merely shrugged.
"Don't look at me," Drui replies, craning her neck to peer up at the paling night sky “I don’t control the system settings."
Orianna lifts up a fist, but it doesn’t stay in the air too long. ‘My best bet is to ask Mala in a couple days’ Fully determined, she then looks back at the stats. Her attributes seem painfully average. Nothing stands out that might give her an edge in these strange events . She can't keep the disappointment from her voice. "I guess it looks alright. Better than I expected, anyway."
She'd hoped somehow to finally gain an edge against the uncanny threats she’s gonna keep facing. But according to the floating display, she's painfully average - nothing to give her a special advantage.
Orianna turns away from Drui's amused stare, pretending to smooth her disheveled hair while she grapples with this unfairness. She takes a big breath. 'After all I did and got this power, which I nearly died in the process. This is it?' The familiar frustration that she can never catch a fair break starts to bubble up.
But the more she studies the display, the more a tiny flame of curiosity sparks within. Orianna recalls how effortlessly she had sailed over that rocky ravine on the way here. And during the harrowing fight against the hellhare, she’d somehow tapped into reserves of courage she never knew she had. ‘Wait, how did I do all that with such little numbers…’ She crosses her arms,’ Maybe-‘
Drui interrupts her thought and barks out a sharp cackle. "Ha! Those scores suit you perfectly, if you ask me.”
Orianna presses her lips into a thin line, biting back a retort. She didn't ask.
Drui looks up at the night sky slightly becoming a bright blue hue "Ah right, say map”
As soon as Orianna uttered the word, a blue holographic map appeared next to her status screen showing an aerial layout of her surroundings. She spots a house symbol not far from her location.
"How does it know where I live?" Orianna asks, intrigued.
"It can access your memories now. You and this system are linked whether you like it or not." Drui flips lazily onto her back, studying Orianna "Honestly, I thought that part was obvious."
Orianna ignores her and instead does a couple lunges and twists her back. ‘I don’t think I ever wanted to come home this bad’ The sooner she sleeps this off, the better. Maybe things will make more sense in the morning light.
“Let’s test how much faster I am, hm?” she looks at leo and smiles. Orianna takes off into the shadowed woods, leaves crunching underfoot. Leo circles overhead, chirping anxiously as he struggles to keep pace.
Effortlessly she leaps over fallen logs and small streams. Clearly proving her amped abilities. She can almost forget the strangeness of this night with the wind in her hair. This deep night forest that once unnerved her now feels welcoming, almost alive.
Up ahead looms the rocky ravine that made her bleed. With barely a thought, Orianna springs lightly into the air, easily clearing the gap. She lands in a crouch on the other side. Though aside from a few new scrapes on her hands and legs, she's no worse for wear.
Bursting from the shadowed treeline, Orianna stumbles into the clearing behind the estate, gasping lungfuls of crisp night air. Her muscles burn with exertion, but her spirits soar higher than ever after the exhilarating run testing her newfound abilities.
Up ahead, the familiar broad oak outside her balcony sways gently in the breeze as if beckoning her home. She's never been so relieved to see the sturdy old tree.
Orianna crosses the moonlit lawn and scales the oak’s wide, gnarled trunk with ease. Nimble as a squirrel, she swiftly pulls herself onto the lower branches, bits of bark and moss raining down behind her. Above her head, Leo perches amidst the rustling leaves to smooth his wind-ruffled feathers.
Reaching the top, she vaults easily over the railing and onto her balcony. She straightens up with a triumphant grin, and runs both hands through her wild dark curls. Shaking free twigs and debris gathered in her hair during the run through the shadowed woods.
Before following Leo through the still-open balcony doors, Orianna catches a flash of light and turns to see Drui hovering in the air behind her.
"Well, I'm heading back to my realm to rest up," she announces around a wide yawn. Drui gives an exaggerated stretch, twisting at the waist. "Can't have you wearing me out when training starts tomorrow, now can I? We’ll begin first thing when I return."
Mouth already open to respond, Orianna watches drui vanish without another word. Questions dying on her lips. Shoulders slumping, she trudges inside and slides the balcony doors firmly shut, the latch clicking into place like a cell door closing.
Now that she stands alone in the stillness of her room, the nonstop adrenaline that's kept Orianna on her feet abruptly vanishes. She sinks down, wrapping her arms around her knees as harsh sobs wracks her small frame.
"I almost died tonight, Leo," she chokes out between shivering cries. Leo chirps softly and nestles into the crook of her neck, a warm comforting weight. Everything occurred all at once, so she did not process anything till now.
Orianna swipes angrily at the tears still trailing down her cheeks. She wants nothing more than to pretend none of this ever happened.
After long moments, Orianna drags herself up and collapses onto her bed without bothering to change clothes. She clings almost desperately to the promise of oblivion that sleep offers. Leo curls up drowsily beside her as she wills her spinning mind to just let go, if only for a few hours.
“AAAAAAAAAAAH”
Orianna jolts awake with a gasp, her heart hammering. Disoriented, she sits bolt upright, wildly scanning her surroundings. Pale dawn light filters through the open balcony doors. How long was she asleep?
Another anguished wail reaches her ears. Orianna freezes. She knows that voice.
Scrambling out of bed, she rushes to the balcony railing. Far below, she spots a familiar figure - Louise, clad in her pristine white pantsuit, now streaked with dirt and debris. She’s on the ground distraught with tears.
Orianna's breath catches in her throat. Louise’s tear-filled eyes are fixed on the balcony with an expression of utter horror and despair. Orianna follows her gaze upward, a sickening realization dawning.
“My Beautiful Home!” Louise wails, her anguished cries carried on the morning breeze outside Orianna’s window
Orianna drags her fingers down her face “Shit…the balcony..”