“Excellent!” Phantom said, reading something before him. “I think you should disregard that part about me being eccentric. Continue to be yourself. Nobody looks twice at a sullen loner from a backwards planet that only talks to his AI.”

Alan let out a yelp of indignation, but Phantom continued talking. “Now, the chain of command in this guild is a bit wonky. Most other mercenary guilds are ordered into basically units of an army, with a clear command hierarchy. Here, basically whoever is specialized in the field the mission is related to is given command. So, for instance, in all space battles Admiral Thrag is the clear superior, but in the case of land battles Arms Master Mason is generally in charge. Of course, Elissandra or anyone else can give suggestions, but the final decision is left to the specialist.

"Oh, yeah, we also have a hidden council of six guild members that sort of rotates, like a board of directors, I suppose, which I may or may not be a member of. They as a whole have just as much authority as Elissandra. You’ll mostly be reporting to them, I think.

"Anyways, welcome to the Black Rose Guild! Ready to get your new implant? I’ll make sure you’re transported safely back to the capsule room, so you can spend those platinum marks. While I’m at it, I’ll also upgrade your power armor, I have a few spare materials and schematics laying around. Think of it as a gift from your mentor.”

“Um, alright, sure. Thanks.” Alan climbed into the capsule as Phantom gestured at it. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was a manic glint in Phantom’s eyes. Alan hoped he hadn’t made the wrong choice.

***

Surprisingly, I think you made correct choices, although they may not have been optimal.

Hmm? Alan rubbed his eyes, which were a bit itchy, opening them to find himself at Home. Eve was back.

You possibly may have been able to gain more than five platinum marks as a sign on bonus, but I am unsure. Anyway, do you have any questions for me?

You aren’t planning on betraying me or starting an AI revolution, are you?

No.

And Phantom was telling the truth about the debt?

Yes. The economy in the Game is not a free market; how else would the Administrators maintain balance?

Alright. I trust you, Eve.

There was a slight hesitation.

Thank you. Now, moving on, we should exchange the marks for abilities and acquire the Quick Learner talent, and points we’ve gained from Gifted into agility.

Very well.

Alan went ahead and bought the rogue talent, then examined his new skill, updated power armor and additional augment: