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Cayce stood in front of the mission terminal at the end of the hangar. The mission he just returned from was quite dangerous, but had an excellent payout. He uploaded the files he had been sent to steal and after a few moments, an alert on the terminal notified him that the client had accepted the information and sent the due payment. With that, the mission was complete and logged to his list of successful mission records.

Seeing the payment was recieved, he powered on his assistant machine and slid it onto his left ear.

[ Mission: "Acquire designated research files" has been completed! ]

[ Recieved 450 CP ]

"Status"

The little machine whirred quietly as it performed a quick scan of his body before opening the requested information in a holographic screen.

[ Status ]

[ Agent: Cayce Tale ]

[ Rank: 82nd ]

[ Mission success rate: 84% ]

[ CP balance: 12,628 ]

[ Functionality: 46% ]

[ Mana: 1326 / 6430 ]

[ Armor status: Disconnected ]

The number he was looking for was the "CP balance" stat. The contractor's association acted as a middle man for the contractors and the ones who would hire them. This allowed the contractors to keep their identities a secret if they wanted.

The association provided the contractors a place to live, and used a unique currency: contractor points! This is what "CP balance" meant. The association would accept money from satisfied customers and in turn, award the contractors with CP in place of governmental currency.

Of course, the contractor could still choose to exchange CP for various types of money, but life in the contractor's association's bases required CP.

Cayce nodded in satisfaction and returned to his armor's dock to check on his repairs.

As he neared the dock, he found a young agent arguing with the mechanics who were working on his armor. Being a member of the association's top 100, Cayce's armor was typically given priority when it came in for repairs. For members outside the top 100, they got their repairs in order of request, but only after any top 100 armors had gotten their service. He suspected this young agent was arguing with the mechanics for this reason.

Cayce called out to the elderly man that led this particular mechanic team, "Old John, is everything alright?"

The old man looked up in relief to see Cayce approach. The old man had a bushy, white mustache that curved slightly as he smiled and he always wore his old fashioned, short-brimmed cap. Cayce would often talk with the more social mechanics as they worked on his armor and he always thanked them for their service, so he had a good relationship with the majority of them.

"Mr. Cayce! This youngster doesn't want to wait his turn! He's really giving us trouble for it, so we haven't been able to start work on your machine yet. I'm truly sorry for the delay, we'll get working on it right away!"

When the young agent saw Cayce, he seemed surprised and a bit anxious. He probably hadn't met one of the top 100 before, as they were spread across the whole world, and there were countless bases. He also hadn't counted on this agent returning to his armor so soon. Normally, agents would leave immediately after docking and only return when the maintenance was done.

Cayce returned the old-timer's smile, "It's quite alright, John. You guys have your hands full today, and I don't plan on going out any time soon. You can put me in the normal queue."

The old mechanic looked like he wanted to protest, but ended up agreeing and thanking Cayce. He really did have a heavy workload today, and many agents were getting impatient.

"Thank you Mr. Cayce! We will be sure to do our best work when we return to your machine!"

With that, Old John's mechanic team picked up their gear and moved towards one of the other mechs in the hangar, leaving Cayce and the young agent alone. Realizing that Cayce hadn't left yet, the young agent tensed up, not sure what to expect.

Cayce glanced sideways at the young man, "Some advice: I'd recommend you treat them better. They're the ones making sure your armor can keep you alive."

He then left the young man standing there in a daze. It should be noted that agents were sometimes hired by both parties of a single conflict. In other words, agents would sometimes accept opposing missions and end up fighting each other to the death. If possible, it was best to be on everyone's good side. That way, they might show you mercy if you ever met in opposing missions. The young agent gulped, realizing the danger of his recent actions.

Cayce made his way to one of the local food markets. The contractor's association had profited well and their bases were practically cities, having plenty of stores, residential blocks and entertainment centers of varying types. Cayce purchased some ingredients from a nearby shop and returned to his home to cook a decent meal.

He lived alone in a fairly luxurious apartment. He chose one near the hangar since he was constantly taking missions, but he made sure it was comfortable and to his liking. After entering, he set down a few bags of produce and closed the door behind him.

The main room was large, simple and filled with natural light that came steaming through a large window. The ceiling was high and the furniture had a sleek, minimalist look. The floor was made of polished hardwood and was incredibly smooth. A few houseplants were set in various sections of the room, adding to the room's comfortable feeling. Cayce closed the door then moved the groceries to the kitchen and began to cook.

Some minutes later, he set a plate down on the dining room table. The meal featured breaded chicken paired with soft rice and a mix of sautéed vegetables. He also poured a tall glass of cool water and opened the window so he could hear the sounds of nature.

As he ate, he listened to songbirds sing from nearby trees and a gentle breeze brought a refreshing smell through the room.

Once he finished washing the dishes and cleaning his kitchen, he sank into his main room's couch and re-equipped his assistant machine and powered it on.

"Hmm?"

[ You have been challenged to a ranked duel ]