This Is Not the Life That I Imagined

"Professor, I found all the victims. Unfortunately, all except for one had complete bodies. The culprits were a group of mutant animals," John reported, his voice even.

"Mhm. Got it. How is your gadget? Did you notice any problems?" She nodded.

"No, it works as expected."

"Good. What do you think is causing these mutated animals?"

"I think there's a dungeon nearby that's the source of the changes."

"Looks like you didn't forget what you learned. Go and search for it, and report back with your findings."

"What should I do with the dead body?"

"I'll forward you to someone in the planning department. He will take over from here and be your assistant for this mission. My part is done now; you can call or come to me if you have any questions. But anything related to your tasks or mission will be handled by the planning department from now on."

John frowned briefly before relaxing. "Understood. See you later, Professor."

"Be careful and good luck." The screen dimmed momentarily before 'Forwarding' appeared. A few seconds later, a familiar face appeared on the screen.

"This is Henry. I received your mission details and last report. Can you tell me how many mutated animals were there, John?"

John's eyes narrowed at the sight of the familiar 'piece of watermelon,' Henry. His unpleasant behavior after the test still lingered in John's mind.

'Even though he was a jerk, I can't delay the mission because of that.' John took a deep breath before answering. "Eight mutants."

"Hmm. Assuming there's a dungeon nearby… eight is too few. You need to locate the dungeon and determine its level before anything else."

"How do I handle the dead body?"

Henry's fingers danced over the screen for a few moments before replying, "I've reported it to the police. They'll come and take it shortly. After that, I need you to make a full-body scan of the mutants with your smart lenses."

"Will do." John accepted the assignment.

"Good. How have the mutants changed? Is it just their physical appearance and aggression, or do they have any new powers?"

"No, noth— Sorry, I misspoke. One of the mutants had an enlarged hand with immense strength." As John recalled the mutants, he couldn't help but think of the scattered bloody remains, which distracted him.

John had grown accustomed to seeing blood from a young age when he visited the butcher shop with his father. Although he felt a bit nauseous when he killed his first monster, he quickly got used to it. However, seeing another human dead body was something completely different.

Henry, unaware of John's distraction, acknowledged his statement. "Mhm. I've noted your observations and updated your mission. My name is now in your colleagues' list. Report after finding the dungeon. Record and scan any new mutant animals or any strange findings."

"Okay." John ended the call, leaning against the car and gazing at the half-moon in the night sky, waiting for the police's arrival.

John's mind wandered. 'Why am I training hard and taking on risky missions? I could have accepted Quinn's offer to return to a normal life. What's my goal in achieving greater strength? Is it just to protect myself and those around me?'

A cool breeze brushed his face as he continued to contemplate. 'I don't want to be a hero, and honestly, I don't care. However, if someone is in distress in front of me and I can help, I will, instead of turning a blind eye and moving on. So, what am I struggling with here?'

Since learning about talents, John had been following orders instead of pursuing his own desires, much like what he did in high school—studying, aiming for a good college, trying to talk to girls. But in college, he lost motivation. Though there was nothing wrong with his actions, he wasn't doing them for himself but to impress others.

It took years for him to graduate and discover what he wanted. It wasn't grand ambition but rather enjoying the little things in life and striving to improve, even if it was just by swearing a little less each day. From then on, his life improved as he started enjoying life as it is—he got a job, an apartment, bought games that he always wanted, and went for a swim whenever he wanted.

Then, talents, dungeons and all that shenanigan appeared, making him feel lost again. He reverted to going with the flow—training when told and doing what was asked. Again, nothing wrong with these actions themselves, but deep within he wanted to distance himself from it all. So, what was his goal?

A distant sound snapped John out of his thoughts, alerting him. He placed his hand on his sword, focusing on the noise. After a few seconds, he turned his gaze to the road. A police car and ambulance were approaching.

Shaking his head from any distracting thoughts, John waited for their arrival. A moment later, the police car's lights flashed as it parked behind his car.

The two officers stepped out, scanning the area with their eyes and placing their hands on their holstered guns.

"Are you John Howard from the Special Investigation Bureau?" one officer asked, eyeing John.

(The Special Investigation Bureau is the name by which the Bureau of Metaphysics Investigation is known to the outside world.)

"Yes," John replied simply.

"Can we see your ID, please?" After John showed his ID, which he got before the mission,the officers relaxed and turned their attention to the body on the ground.

"Can you tell us what happened here?" the officer continued, while the other signaled the ambulance staff to proceed.

"Didn't you receive a report already?" John leaned against his car, watching the staff load the deceased into the ambulance.

The officer looked at John for a few seconds before responding, "Sorry, sir. We'll be finished shortly."

Within minutes, they had loaded the body into the ambulance and drove away.

John shook his head, filled his quiver with arrows, drank some water, and ate a sandwich he'd brought. He wiped his hands and readied himself to enter the woods again.

Activating the Energy Sensor mode on his smart lenses, John began walking back into the forest. The leaves rustled, the breeze was soft, and the forest was bathed in the moonlight. It would have been a peaceful scene if not for the lurking dangers. John jogged, adjusting his path based on the sensor readings.

Before heading deep into the forest, he returned to where the fighting took place. Vigilant as he moved, he found everything the same when he left. "Should I scan all of the monkeys, or just one is enough?"

John began to scan the first mutant, then he moved to the second and the third. Comparing the readings, he found they were all the same. So, he didn't bother anymore and sent the date to Henry.

John breathed in slowly as he started recording the fight scene and what was left from the other victims. Finished this task, he now moved cautiously through the forest, continuing heading based on the sensor readings.