8 Undervalued and Underpaid

The hooded man approached the obelisk. Three slender figures followed closely behind. Their movements were less agile but the whole group maintained an even pace. One of the thin shadows seemed to have a large hunchback. If it were not for the group looking suspicious, one could say that they were just on a pleasant mountain trip.

Shin was immersed in thought. The image of the devastated city was still in front of his eyes. Although no person close to him would get hurt, the sight of the destruction made him unintentionally think about the people who lived there. He also wondered if his belongings were safe. Despite the fact that he decided to examine the foreign object first, the return to the city was also high on his list of priorities.

Bones clattered rhythmically. Skeletons did not think. If they were able to do so, they would long have realized that one of them was currently an unappreciated, undervalued and underpaid porter. There was no indication that the necromancer would ever begin to treat his undead entourage any better.

Shin deftly overcame the piled-up earth. He stood in front of the western edge of the obelisk. He could only give a rough estimate, but from what he could see, the monolith was taller than a skyscraper.

The masked youth threw a stone. A piece of speeding rock bounced off and fell a few feet from the edge of the construct. No trace of chipping could be found on the completely smooth, mirrored surface.

Undead surrounded him from all sides. He tensed involuntarily, extending the index finger of his right hand. The finger slowly approached the shining surface. Shin touched it gently with just the fingertip and withdrew it immediately after. He did not know what to expect, so he bet the worst. He was ready to fight.

The wave of information flooded his consciousness. Unlike the previous time, he did not feel severe pain. It was more of an unpleasant inch, where the only source of discomfort was his gently pulsating head. The boy exhaled.

"Inventory!"

Once again, a translucent window opened itself before Shin's eyes. Table full of empty cells filled his field of vision. The boy pulled [Black Skull] from his trousers' pocket and placed it in front of an empty slot. The ominous object turned into shiny dust and was sucked right into the interior of the table. The tiny black skull appeared inside the chosen cell. After he poked at it with his finger, it reappeared inside his hand. From the information that embedded in his brain, Shin knew that he could organize the items he acquired according to his own preferences at any given time. Unlocking the loot box was an unexpected gain. It seemed that more game-like systems would manifest in real-life as he leveled up.

A couple of hours earlier, in a military facility, north of the mountain.

Takashi, Haruki, Kouta, and Kenji. Those four people consisted the 16th strike team, an elite military unit of rapid response. After a short briefing, the members of the 16th strike team were sent to secure the object number D-126 in Saint John's range. Due to the number of similar incidents, the government had to carefully distribute its people. Where it could, it used public security officers to lock down the perimeter. Where it could not, military or special forces were sent. Despite the greatest efforts, the army and police were insufficient in number.

"Pack up. In three minutes I see you three in the hangar."

"Roger."

Takashi, the leader of the 16th strike team said. On his chest was a crest, the number 16 inscribed encircled by a black snake swallowing its own tail.

The next moment, the group already set off in a military jeep. Ultimately, they had to leave the vehicle. The obelisk emerged near the top of the mountain, where no car could ride up to. A long and arduous climb awaited them.

"So, what do you think it is?"

Kenji, youngest member of the team asked. He just turned 29 last month and was assigned to the group due to his excellent record. The question hung in the air.

"Not our business."

Answered Haruki. He already knew that in their line of work, some questions were better not asked.

"Come on, this shit gone global. It is sort of everyone's business. And we're only securing it right now. 30 hours have passed! Fast response, what a farce."

He persisted, looking for approval of Kouta. He did so because the man built like the grizzly bear was the most trusted member of their unit. Kouta shrugged, unmoved. He was not a very talkative person.

"We weren't able to cross the mountain faster. All the copters are currently in the air, roads are almost completely impassable, panic broke out in the cities and citizens riot all around the world. It's a miracle that somebody will secure this object at all."

"We're undervalued and underpaid, guys. And, most importantly, not equipped to deal with ordeals of such unprecedented scale."

People around the globe already knew that even a gentle touch of the obelisks towering over the local nature ended in an instant disappearance. Theories about alien abductions or of the aggression of hostile super-power have been circulating on the net. In many cities, there were acts of collective hysteria. Given the size of the incident, it was difficult to imagine that a man or organization was to be behind it. In fact, even the terrorists were in shock.

"Exactly my point. Shouldn't we be in a different place than in this remote area?"

"Maybe you're right. This goddamn mountain looks godforsaken. Nothing much to secure."

Nobody in their right mind would go there in the middle of a god damn apocalypse."

Five minutes is a lot of time. It's enough to do dozens of push-ups or to make a tasty sandwich. In this time, one can leisurely read about a thousand two hundred words or write one, lousy sentence. In about five minutes, a cloaked necromancer can familiarize with the newly unlocked inventory tabs. And finally, five minutes is more than enough for a team of trained soldiers to overcome four or so miles of difficult terrain.

Kouta was the first to notice skeletons since he was the tallest. At the sight of them, he did not even blink. Kouta was used to seeing corpses, what to say about clumsily made mannequins. Furthermore, one of them seemed to be wearing a backpack.

"Anatomical models? What are anatomical models doing here?"

Thought Takashi. For a second he thought that his dogs would love to play with bony fellows. He, who led the team, at the very forefront of the group, was the second to spot an odd sight. Someone was standing near the D-126. With a hand gesture, the leader signaled the rest of the company.

The soldiers' aura has changed, faded as if they completely blended into the background. They split up, surrounding the mysterious, cloaked man.

"Identify yourself!"

"State your name!"

Soldiers yelled in an unshakeable voice. Four rifles aimed at Shin almost simultaneously. A small black skull still rested in boy's opened hand. Skeletons moved, shielding their master. The roar of the fired bullet ripped the air apart.