Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO

So far, we already interrogated everyone necessary in this bandit group.

We also managed to recruit a grand total of 8 new members to my nomadic bastion—individuals with their own separate deal and promise that we were enabled so that they gave me their loyalty without a treacherous heart.

They were also the most detachable people from their former group, bearing no sense of loyalty and true camaraderie whatsoever to their old leader.

After all, I beheaded their unruly leader in front of all of them after the interrogating and recruiting process was finished, severing their ties to their former collective goal and master, while also showing the cruel reality that this beautiful golden figure was not a pushover in any means.

Unfortunately, we couldn't 'properly' recruit some of the individuals with Theotechs in them.

So in this case, I just let Kuzunoha extract the Theotechs and have her be in the possession of those implants and enhancement as a gift for converting the male recruits into female.

Her Moods increased greatly, alongside her own favorability of me.

Well, I didn't really care much about gearing my people with Theotechs yet, since Kuzunoha alone was actually enough to fill all of our bastion-related shortcoming.

"I should prepare the place for the interview."

There were only a couple of hours before the dusk arrived, so I built my own office and started the interviewing process to know them better beyond a mere observation on logs and numerical stats.

Well, I'm by no means a master psychologist who could read their mind without saying not a single word, and a formal interaction with their new leader should be sufficient enough to generate an image.

I sat at my makeshift desk, the walls of my hastily built office still smelling of freshly chopped wood, and awaited the first recruit. The door creaked open, and Verina escorted her in before leaving us alone.

A tall woman with sandy blonde hair stepped inside. Her long limbs and lean frame gave her the appearance of someone built for running, though her features were slightly softened by the remnants of her former life. She had a pale complexion and green eyes that flickered with nervous energy, but there was a spark of intelligence in them.

"Yora," she introduced herself, her voice level but hesitant, "Age... 26." She stood with her hands clasped behind her back, posture rigid as if expecting a reprimand.

From what I had gathered, Yora had been a scout for the Rough Mist, and her skillset reflected that. Ohrtending was far from her specialty, but she had an uncanny sense of direction, and her quick reflexes had saved her more than once. She seemed like someone who had learned to survive by avoiding conflict, rather than confronting it head-on.

I noted the tension in her shoulders as I asked a few routine questions. She answered concisely, without much elaboration. Practical.

If I wanted someone to slip through the shadows unnoticed or run a message across dangerous terrain, she'd be reliable. Though not someone who'd volunteer for more personal assignments.

"Feel free to pry about it if you still have any questions," I smiled.

"That shall be all," Yora said while being nerve-wracked and blushing.

It seemed like my charm started to take effect. Not to mention, she was also one of the former male recruits.

Once I finished, I dismissed her, and Verina sent in the next.

A stocky woman with short-cropped black hair and olive skin entered next. Her eyes were dark, and there was a cold sharpness to her gaze, the kind that spoke of hardened experience. She couldn't have been older than 30, though her demeanor added years to her presence.

"Kara. Age... 29." Her words were clipped and efficient, much like her entire manner. Kara had been a brawler within the bandit group, one who relied on brute force rather than strategy. Despite this, there was no denying her strength. Her arms were corded with muscle, and her hands, scarred and calloused, spoke of years of physical labor and combat.

What intrigued me most about her was her apparent lack of remorse for her past life. Unlike the others, Kara seemed to care little for what had been or what would be. She had accepted her new reality with a kind of brutal pragmatism. A useful trait, but one that I would need to keep an eye on. I could sense she was the type to follow power rather than ideology.

Not only that, she also possessed a Theotech implant that allowed her to enhance her muscles for small duration amount of time every hour.

"To be honest, ma'am, I would like to ask if I can mate with you if I still have my sword down here."

And she was also really blunt. Continue your saga on m|v-l'e m,p| y- r

"If I hear that one more time, I will ensure that you will be the first person in this bastion without a lower half."

"Yes, ma'am."

Next came a petite, almost fragile-looking girl with reddish-brown hair that framed her pale face in soft waves. Her eyes, a watery blue, darted nervously around the room as she stood before me, clutching the hem of her tunic like a lifeline. She couldn't have been more than 20.

She was also a Deowl, a human with owl characteristic. For one, she could see clearly in the dark, and she had durable talons as claws. She could also rotate her neck for more than 180 degree.

"Erika... I'm 19." Her voice was barely above a whisper, and there was a tremor in her hands that betrayed her anxiety.

Unlike Kara, Erika hadn't been a fighter. She had been a doctor of sorts, patching up the injuries of the Rough Mist when necessary. Her talent wasn't immense, but it was enough to keep people alive after a skirmish. From the looks of her, I imagined she had joined the bandits out of desperation rather than choice.

I spent a little more time questioning Erika, prodding gently to see if there was any hidden steel beneath her fragile exterior. There was none—at least, not yet. But people could change under pressure, and she had potential to be molded into something more resilient, if given the right guidance.

"T-Thank you for recruiting me instead of putting me in the same place as those bastards, ma'am! I really hate their guts and lack of empathy for their one and only specialist!"

She was also rather blunt with her feelings.

"I see." Actually I didn't see this at all, since none of her Logs and Highlighted Traits indicated this part of her personality. "What is your impression of your two new superiors then?"

"They are professional and capable, ma'am!" She replied without any hesitation. "They are not the best at being superior but they are supportive and critical, which is important for someone who I'm willing to work my butt-off!"

Maybe she was too blunt.