Jackal Among Snakes

“So… Argrave of Vasquer.”

The lead interviewer scrutinized Argrave from behind his glasses, golden eyes moving calculatingly. Despite the suit he wore, he sported many tattoos. It spoke to an accommodating workplace, or a poor one.

“That’s right,” Argrave confirmed cordially.

“You’re applying for the position of Upper-Level Human.” The man looked to the other interviewers, on his right and left. They all wore fancy C-suite suits, with luxurious black fabric and gold buttons. “That would place you at upper management, here with us. I’m Durran, and this is Anneliese and Melanie. Our chief executive officer, Elenore, will still have the final say, but we thought this interview might provide us something to present her.”

“Nice to meet you all. Some of you I already know. All three of you, in fact. Upper management is something I’ve long looked forward to,” he answered cordially, bearing a hint of familiarity.

“Alright.” Durran shuffled some papers, taking one in hand. “Let’s start with your educational history.”

“Sure.” Argrave shifted on his seat. “As you know, I studied with Professor Erlebnis, majoring in Everything in the Known Universe, with a minor in Somethings in the Unknown Universe.”

“Professor Erlebnis in Germany, right? His thesis on Everything in the Known Universe is quite renowned.” Durran’s finger traced the paper he held until it stopped near the bottom. “But we couldn’t find any information about your educational background before that.”

“Ah.” Argrave scratched the back of his head. “I had a name change.”

“A name change?” Anneliese spoke up. “Was it due to any controversial or infamous event that could compromise the company?”

“No, I just got transported to another world. Nothing significant,” Argrave explained.

“Okay, that’s understandable.” Anneliese nodded, contented.

“You came up through the sales department. People there had nothing but positive things to say about you, from your demeanor to your performance.” Melanie looked through some papers, then focused on Argrave. “What other roles have you had before our company?”

“Well, I was the King of Vasquer, managing a population in the millions. After that, I became the Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians of the Great Chu. I’ve also been acting as the de facto leader of the Blackgard Union, managing several high-level deities with large portfolios of divinity.”

“So, you’re already well-accustomed to dealing with people that have rather inflated egos,” Anneliese said positively.

nodded. “Some of them

landed, and the interviewers laughed. Argrave thought the process was going rather nicely, but Durran’s

do you think an Upper-Level Human does in his or her day-to-day? What are their responsibilities

Argrave off guard. He took a beat to compose his answer carefully, and the interviewers

That’s one of the largest perks, but also the largest responsibility. Old age can’t claim them. Any wound that they receive can be recovered from. Aside from that, it comes with a tremendous advantage against divinity. They’re sort of like… like an envoy for humanity. Not divine, quite, but like divine. A guardian, a

mean by

one of two ways—with magic, or by strengthening the flesh temporarily by injecting it inside the body. While they’re both effective adaptations, it’s not really ‘using spirits.’ It’s jury-rigging divinity. But being an Upper-Level Human, we can finally utilize those vaunted existences properly. In a way, it could be said to

You think spirits are

enhance it, there’s only so much that one single spellcaster can do. The gods, though… with the Domain of Law, I can slow time. It might be a very small amount, but it can be done. Is there magic that can achieve such a thing? Sataistador was a

cheated

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hand. “I plead

most of this information is something we already know. You have quite the resume, Argrave. And fortunately for you, we here at

exclaimed excitedly. “I would also promote family members regardless of their skill. Fortunately, they just happen to be extremely

Argrave. “You’re going to start your role as an Upper-Level Human as soon as possible. It should be a

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with him?!”

was because, moments after his first bite, he had slumped against the table and fallen to the floor. Everyone had moved quickly—Anneliese quickest of all, who held Argrave in her arms—but rather than unconscious, Argrave seemed to be in a

held the Fruit of Being continually raised it back up to his mouth, taking fresh bites out of it as he zoned out. The movements were more like sporadic spasms, and his mutterings somewhat sounded like groans and coughs beneath his

see with your [Truesight]?” Orion asked her, calm yet insistent. “Need we pry the golden fruit from his hand, that it might not again grace his

the fruit—an infinitely-expanding universe of possibilities with neither end nor beginning. It was as though he ate the starry skies themselves, taking in the unknown and chewing it up with his

said, unable to convey much else sufficiently. “Rather, it’s growing in brightness, in intensity. Most notably, however, is what the spirits inside him are doing.”

glowing green as he

she paced around nervously. “The connection between us

obstacle for him

go through it all at once.” She looked at Raven, and

under Argrave, and picked him up. In his trance-like state, he was much easier to carry—his arm even slid around her neck, like it was natural. He had

without undue stimulus to interrupt the process.” She looked around. “I shall find a bed

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