Chương 123: CDM 2, Chapter 59: Pay It Forward

The same psychologist who evaluated me when a barbarian smashed my nose met me for my second evaluation. This time, she seemed far more interested in what I had to say. Where the first felt like a formality, this evaluation was more thorough and more serious. After the barbarian, I had no doubt that I would pass. After the ogre dungeon? I wasn't so sure. Some of my answers sounded too aloof when they left my mouth while others felt too emotional.

No, I didn't blame myself for what happened on that run, but yes, watching someone die in front of me was fucking awful. Should I not have said the experience made me more motivated to crawl again? That was true. I was more motivated to crawl than ever, but I worried it came off as being too interested in violence. Then we moved on to my encounter with the police, and my doubts swirled there too. Should I have been more honest about how scared I was during my arrest?

A normal person would be freaked out by that experience, but how much freaking out was appropriate? Swinging too far in either direction made you seem unhinged. And round and round my anxiety went. My first stop after my evaluation was Enforcer Chapman's RAID office. She was on the phone when I knocked, but she waved me in anyway, using my arrival as an excuse to hang up.

"Welcome back, Enforcer Gray."

"Thank you."

"You've been cleared to return to duty, but I think we should talk first." How was I in the shit with Chapman already? Jesus Christ.

"I misjudged your character," she said.

"That's not something I do often, and I'm sorry that it happened to you. I also misjudged your relationship with Enforcer McDouglas. What I saw as frat boy favoritism was actually a genuine effort to nurture an asset. He saw potential that I missed."

"It's okay." She shook her head.

"No, it's not. I hope that the work we go on to do together matches your talent. To that end, your first assignment is to write up documentation for the wild monster project you've dabbled with. Busting illegal harvesters with RAID was a big win for the program, and our superiors were pleased to hear that we proactively interfaced with the EPA even though that wasn't in the initial scope.

"By we, I mean you. I am very aware that my people make me look good in moments like these, so know that this deskwork isn't a punishment."

"I didn't take it that way, ma'am."

"Good. I want you to capture every step and nuance of the communication chain. When RAID goes nationwide, your documentation will be the starting point for bridging that gap with the EPA permanently. Next month, I'd like you to contribute to intern training, specifically with instruction on harvest inspections and eventually the RAID platform. Any questions?"

"No, ma'am."

"Then that's all I had for you," Chapman said.

"And again, welcome back." Sitting at my desk was strange, and I needed an extra few seconds to navigate my way around the CDM shared drive, but I wasn't too far out of practice. As a recovering English major, writing out the steps for spotting, logging, and reporting a monster sighting with RAID was relatively easy for me. The work still took time, but it passed quickly. At around noon, Enforcer McDouglas tapped me on the shoulder.

"Welcome back to the factory floor," he said.

"I'm taking you to lunch. Don't worry. I already cleared it with Chapman." A part of me wanted to confirm that was true before I left my desk, but I decided to trust McDouglas. We walked down the street to a burger place and claimed a booth. We put in our order, and McDouglas got himself a milkshake. He offered one to me as well, but my bravery didn't go as far as to chug a bunch of dairy in the middle of a workday.

"You're coming up on a fork in the CDM road," he began.

"I don't mind steering you in a direction you want. I think I owe you that much." My heart began to race.

"What fork is that?"

"Right now, one path takes you deep into RAID. Chapman's built to work a program like that, and you've demonstrated that you are too. Whether or not you like it is a different story, but your contributions are already obvious. You could stick with RAID for the indefinite future and climb the ladder that way."

"What's my other option?"

"That's why we're talking now. Where do you want your career to go? What lane would you choose if you could?"

"I'm still interested in that one thing we talked about a while back," I said. McDouglas chuckled.

"You haven't been at the CDM for a full year yet. You're ahead of the curve on that, I promise, but you're not jumping that far this early. Even with your YouTube hobby. Pick a different answer for now." I froze.

"Relax. Learning you were a Dungeon Diva via a CDM and FBI investigation was not what I expected, but you're not in trouble. Shows initiative. Anyway, like I said, pick a different answer for now."

"I really enjoyed working with Investigator Dempson. That side of CDM is interesting to me."

"More so than enforcement?"

"I weirdly like harvest inspections at this point," I admitted.

"I don't want to rule out RAID because it's a good opportunity, but I like being in the field so much better. Are there options I'm overlooking?"

"You're not overlooking them, necessarily. We'd be pulling strings, but they're expanding the Special Projects team. Their whole job is experimenting with new ways to improve CDM. RAID came out of there initially, like the pilot before the pilot, so to speak. That position is in DC, and the CDM would help you relocate.

"We have a whole department for instructional design. You would basically decide how best to teach something new, like the final RAID training program, for example. Seems like a fit for you. If you want a really unique direction, Chief Director Akinwale is hiring a new executive assistant. You would be his shadow, which will put you in some very interesting places. Any of those sound like something you'd want?"

"It all sounds amazing," I replied.

"Special Projects sounds especially cool, but I can't move to DC." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

"Because of Beth? You could just take her with you."

"She's still doing her apprenticeship, and a bunch of us recently got a house. I couldn't bail on everyone now." McDouglas accepted his burger and happily stuck a fry in his mouth.

"This isn't a hot seat scenario. Give it some thought. If you like RAID, hang tight because you're on your way. If I can help you get into something else, I will. Take some time and let me know where you land." I nodded.

"Thank you for doing that for me."

"No sweat. The other thing I wanted to discuss, well, you're going to be weird about it, and I'd like to ask that you not do that."

"I don't understand."

"I don't want you to argue with me. I have a gift for you, and what you do with it is up to you. Use it for yourself, sell it–your call–but you have to promise to be cool."

"Uhh…"

"Your choice," he said and took a bite of his burger.

"You can have it if you agree to not fight with me."

"Okay. I agree." McDouglas slid a rectangular metal box across the table. The shape and size reminded me of a business card holder, a simple, small design to keep the precious corners of the cards inside from getting bent. Hesitantly, I opened it, removing a piece of crystal shaped like a thick credit card. Silver swooping text on the front said, "Elevations."

"What is this?" I asked.

"Elevations is kind of like a spa for rich crawlers. They have a multiclassing package where they pamper you after the unlock. You'll be really tired, so it's really an expensive nap, but some people like it."

"Do you mean…"

"Yes, your mana crystal fee is covered with that card. You don't need to do or pay for anything else. Like I said, up to you what you do with it." My mouth went dry. The last time I checked, the going rate for the necessary amount of refined mana crystals was around $650, 000. I didn't want to hold that much money in my hands. I was far too irresponsible for something like this. No doubt the second I stepped outside, I would get pickpocketed or lose it down a storm drain.

"I'm level 11."

"Not ideal but also not the end of the world. Alright. I've given you plenty to think about. Let me grab the check real quick and we can get out of here." Nathan was out with Megan when I got to the basement. That's what we had started calling the first floor of the guildhouse. I stared at that damn crystal card for hours. The absolute smartest thing to do would be to sell it.

Half a million dollars would wipe out my debt with enough leftover that I could pay my proper share of the guild house and give Beth a nest egg. If she wanted to use it to start a bowyer shop, for example, she'd have that option. Enforcer McDouglas was right that multiclassing at level 11 wasn't a total disaster. I could still put together a decent spellbow build like I always wanted, but I had trod this ground already when I decided multiclassing was unrealistic.

I convinced myself that my skill was growing quickly enough that a pure archer build would be plenty badass for me. More and more, I felt strange not holding my bow. Just thinking about drawing the string gave me a dose of dopamine. Archery made sense to me. I loved that it had become a part of who I was. I should sell it then, right? No, that didn't feel right either. Taking a break from pondering the merits of multiclassing, I opened my laptop and browsed the CDM job openings.

McDouglas' suggestions were definitely fits for me, and I felt a sense of ownership over the wild monster tracking side of RAID, but I needed to see all my options. So I scrolled and scrolled. Most of the openings were IT or accounting-related. I saw a few positions in the legal department, and there were dozens of admin positions. I wasn't qualified for or interested in any of those. Stage 2 Rapid Dungeon Surge Response Agent–What the heck was that?

To address rising risks of dungeon surges and ongoing challenges with wild monsters appearing in or near residential areas, the Center for Dungeon Management is seeking experienced crawlers to find and eliminate these threats. This new function of the CDM will investigate sightings in all environments, from urban settings to deep wilderness, and take proactive action against monster threats. Minimum of level 10 but level 13 or higher preferred.

At least 5 years experience with the CDM or in a highly tactical role such as with military or law enforcement. Willingness to travel. Familiarity with hiking, camping, and general wilderness survival skills. Experience hunting wild monsters required. This was a brand-new job posting for what looked like an entirely new team. The EPA had struggled to keep up for as long as I had been paying attention to wild monster activity.

That, combined with the apparent jump in dungeon surge likelihood as well as the increase in wild monster attacks around the country, justified the CDM intervening. Seeing this opportunity helped all of my thoughts and conflicts click into place. I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

"Oh good, you're up," Nathan said as he and Megan entered the basement.

"I was worried we would wake you."

"No, I'm fine." Nathan paused in front of the couch to look at me.

"I don't know that Dorion face. Is something wrong?"

"No, not really."

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"I need to talk to Megan," I said.

"What's on your mind, Dor?" I looked at Nathan.

"Sorry, man. Can you give us a minute?" Nodding, Nathan scooped up his stuffed guinea pig.

"Come on, Lil' D. Let's go upstairs and check on the progress." When Nathan was gone, I motioned for Megan to sit.

"You're being weird."

"I know," I replied.

"Well, it's freaking me out." I took a deep breath and held out the metal card case. Curious but confused, Megan accepted it and opened it.

"What is this?"

"That night on the boat, we were pretty fucked up, but you said you really wanted to multiclass. It seemed really important to you, and I could tell that not having that chance for your life was painful for you."

"Okay… You said the same kind of stuff too."

"I did," I agreed.

"Since then, I've decided that pure archer is what I want, so when I got this, I thought you should have it."

"I don't understand."

"That card is good for a multiclass. You go to this fancy spot called Elevations, turn that in, and they walk you through the rest." Megan blinked.

"Huh? What do you mean, 'good for a multiclass?'""That card gets you all the mana crystals you need. All you have to do is go down to the place. I'll drive you if you want. Apparently you get super tired after you multiclass, so maybe you shouldn't drive."

"Dor… This doesn't make any sense. Is this some kind of joke?"

"It's real." Megan started to hyperventilate.

"How- How did you get this?"

"Nothing illegal."

"I can't take this," she said as she tried to press the card back into my hands.

"That's too much fucking money."

"I've thought about it, and I'm sure I want you to have it. You've become a really good friend to me, and this adventure we're on is possible because of you. I wouldn't have filmed a damn thing if you hadn't strong-armed me into it." She laughed and wiped tears from the corners of her eyes.

"It's not about the money," I continued.

"A blessing fell into my lap. I couldn't use it, but someone I care about could. So please, take it." Megan rushed forward and hugged me.

"Fuck, I can't breathe," I gasped. She loosened her grip.

"I don't know what to say. This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you so, so much."