Chapter Four: DEUS Operative

JIN followed the mysterious woman’s instructions, peeling away the casing at his wrist. Instantly, a small blue screen flickered before his eyes, its glow vanishing as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the emblem of DEUS.

At the same time, a calm, deep male voice sounded:

“Agent JIN, I have a new mission for you.”

“Follow the coordinates provided. Go to the DELPHI Club and find agents 'K' and 'J'!”

Without waiting for JIN to respond, the screen shifted once more, locking onto a location—the very place where he was to find the two agents.

Agents, it seemed, were operatives working under the DEUS organization.

JIN pondered this, noting the DEUS insignia on his portable smart computer. It appeared to be standard issue equipment for the organization’s agents.

He paused, then drew the laser gun from within his coat. Sure enough, the DEUS emblem was engraved upon its barrel.

So what was DEUS?

From the equipment, it seemed more a militarized organization. But was it governmental, or a rebel faction? No civilian group could possibly possess such lethal laser weaponry.

Everything was shrouded in layers of mist and uncertainty. JIN sighed, then pushed open the door and stepped out.

To understand all this, he had to find those who knew the truth.

The best candidates were agents 'K' and 'J.'

DELPHI Club.

A narrow corridor stretched downwards, its pristine white walls glowing with blue light that seeped from the frames, lending the place an eerie atmosphere.

Descending further, JIN began to hear music drifting up from below.

He pushed open the door and found himself in what appeared to be a bar.

Music played—a bit noisy but not chaotic. This was no rowdy hotspot. Around the crowd, waiters moved briskly, carrying bottles of liquor.

JIN glanced around. At the bar, a man lay slumped, clearly drunk, surrounded by a collection of empty glasses.

“Business is good here, isn’t it?” Rather than immediately seeking out the agents, JIN sat at the bar.

The barmaid looked surprised. Most patrons came here to drink themselves senseless or seek a wild encounter, rarely to ask such questions.

But after a brief hesitation, she decided not to refuse the handsome, tall stranger. She pondered a moment, then replied,

“Of course... People here always drink a lot. Everyone leaves thoroughly drunk. At our busiest, this place is packed.”

“Is there something special here that draws them in?” JIN idly swirled his glass, feigning casual curiosity.

“No, not really...” The barmaid frowned, then added,

“Honestly, DELPHI Club isn’t a great bar. It’s tucked away, the facilities aren’t particularly good, there isn’t even a place for dancing.”

“It’s just that people are under a lot of stress, life is so oppressive. So almost every evening after work, locals come here to drink.”

“Life is too oppressive?” JIN furrowed his brow, unable to quite grasp her meaning.

“Yes... Life here is just work and home, back and forth. Sometimes it feels like the air itself is tinged with decay.” The barmaid searched for words, finally settling on something vaguely poetic.

She paused, then cast a furtive glance at JIN. Leaning close, she whispered,

“I’ve heard... Some people believe... this might not be our real world...”

“Oh?” Interest sparked in JIN’s eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t really know the details...” The barmaid stuck out her tongue, lowering her voice even more.

“They say... it’s true... Every so often, a 'ship' comes to take us away, to the real world.”

“A ship?”

“Yes... a ship. But I have no idea how to board it... Life here has no joy at all. I feel like I’m just a walking corpse...” The barmaid’s eyes glimmered with longing. “If only I could get on that 'ship'... How wonderful that would be!”

JIN smiled, about to speak.

Suddenly, a retching sound echoed nearby.

JIN quickly turned aside as someone nearby, leaning over the bar, began to vomit heavily.

“Ugh! Not again!” The barmaid scowled in irritation.

JIN shifted seats, his gaze sweeping the bar. It landed on a woman with short white hair, her emotionless eyes scanning the room until they met his. He paused briefly, then looked away.

“Hey...” The barmaid called out to JIN, stepping out from behind the bar.

Her ponytail was high and neat, her posture tall and graceful. Her unadorned face was beautiful, the dimples at her lips lending a touch of charm.

“You’re looking for someone, aren’t you?”

JIN hesitated, offering no reply.

She tilted her body slightly, gesturing toward a corner of the bar.

JIN looked over and saw a man in a white trench coat with a black shirt beneath, raising his glass in distant salute.

“He’s been waiting for you a long time...”

JIN gazed deeply at the barmaid, said nothing, and walked straight toward the man.

“Rainman ‘JIN,’ is that you?” As JIN drew near, the man spoke in a teasing tone.

“I’ve heard the rumors, but it really did pour today!”

The man waved loosely, slouching into the sofa as if he had no bones.

He turned to JIN, flexing his fingers with a smile.

“I am K.”

“Sit, please.”

JIN took the seat opposite K, his long hair obscuring his left eye, his face shadowed with thought.

“What’s wrong?” K shifted position, grinning. “Why the forlorn look?”

A direct question? JIN dismissed the thought; the man would probably just assume he was a mentally unstable agent.

“K?” JIN asked tentatively. “Is there any special meaning to your code name?”

K laughed, habitually rubbing his nose as he replied,

“K is just K—no special meaning. Just as your JIN is simply a codename. We’re all undercover agents; the codenames are just for missions. We never know each other’s real identities.”

He straightened, as if recalling something, and asked,

“So you were testing my vigilance?”

“We’re both operatives of DEUS. I’m no less competent than you. You’ll get no personal information from me.”

He tossed his hair, believing himself strikingly handsome, and said,

“We DEUS agents are tasked with hunting down extraterrestrials who have infiltrated Earth and eliminating them swiftly. Our missions are the most secretive and dangerous, and our identities are kept strictly confidential.”

JIN smiled, asking, “So... what’s our mission this time?”

His mind had begun to keep pace, honed by years of light-energy enhancement—his wits and reflexes razor sharp.

No need for reckless questions. He understood his situation now.

With such an identity, JIN knew he could not slip up.

The secrets here—and his own—would be gradually revealed in time.