"You'll understand when you get inside the room."
That caught Assad off guard for a bit but then remembered that yet again his flaw actually started to annoy him as how many times has he forgotten about his flaw.
"Sorry about that but it's human for someone to ask themself what the talk between the almost employee and his employer will be about so don't judge me okay." Assad added with a calm smile.
"Tryna act like you're a sweet talker, not happening even for you." Shuren added.
"That's okay so what are we going to talk about?"
Shuren goes to her seat, pulls the chair, sits down and rests her feet on the table.
"It ain't much but also it's very much."
"I'm lost."
Shuren removed her feet from the table and sat up straight. Now she is sitting like someone fitting for the boss position even though she is not.
"Ugh forget it you wont catch on, anyway the reason I wanted to talk to you was because of this job that we were doing. I know you have many questions that you want to ask and so I'm your answer box right here."
Assad smiles as all of his questions might finally be answered. He has so many g does not know where to even start which one should he ask first.
"But before that I'm putting in a limiter."Shuren said, raising a finger,"you will only have three questions and that's all."
"Wait what?"
"Yea only three and that's all. I know I just said I'm your answer box but I am not answering that possible thirty four to forty questions that are flying in that skull of yours. So it's in your best opinion to only choose three good ones that are also answerable as well."
Assad looked at Shuren with widened eyes and his mouth also open, he had so many questions but could only choose three of them and also how did she just know that he had almost forty questions that he had prepared for her.
"Okay you're right so only three questions am I correct?" Assad asked.
"Yes, only three and that's it." Shuren added.
Assad grabbed his chin, what could be the questions that he needed the most right now. He does want the history of this parallel world that could help him to adapt faster. Many questions started piling up in his head. What triggered Mya's awakening? What was that white energy that Shuren used on the bullet and many more.
Assad let go of his chin and looked straight to Shuren's direction and looked like he had finally decided on the questions.
"I have three questions."
Shuren leaned back in her chair, the leather creaking softly as she maintained her gaze. With a smooth motion, she slid open the drawer next to her desk. Assad watched intently as she retrieved a brand-new pack of cigarettes, still in its plastic wrap.
With a flick of her thumb, she popped it open, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it in one fluid motion. The flame flickered in her eyes for a moment before she took a deep drag, exhaling a slow, lazy cloud of smoke that floated up toward the ceiling.
Assad couldn't help but wonder.
'How many does she even have? Doesn't smoking that much harm you? Damage your lungs? Something like that?'
Before he could rein in his thoughts, they blared loudly in his mind.
Shuren raised an eyebrow, wearing that same bored, unimpressed look she always had when someone asked a dumb question.
"No, it won't, my lungs will be just fine." she replied dryly, tapping the ash into the tray. "
Assad froze; this flaw of his was really starting to irritate him. It felt like a right to think things through in his head for future strategies or whatever, but now he couldn't, all because of this annoying quirk.
Shuren took another drag and casually added, "By the way, I have twelve packs stocked up. Should last me about three months. So don't worry about my health, Doctor Assad."
"Yea sure It's my job as your doctor, happy to help." Assad said with a sweat on his face.
"Anyway, better give me your first question or your chance will decrease,"Shuren said.
Assad froze for a second but then stood calm, time to think about his first question. It's pretty obvious what it should be? But is it the best choice wasting other good questions like that. There is no other choice he has to ask for it
Assad straightened up, clearing his throat.
"Alright… Here's my first question. Can you give me a brief history of anything or at least the key things I need to know about this world?"
Shuren paused mid-breath, lowering her cigarette as she stared at him, caught between disbelief and irritation.
"I knew it," she muttered under her breath.
Assad blinked in confusion.
Shuren jabbed her cigarette at him like it was a teacher's pointer.
"You look and sound just like a history grad on his first job, so of course your first question is some massive request like 'the entire history of the world.'"
She leaned back, groaning dramatically as if she already regretted allowing him those free three questions. Flicking ash into the tray, she finally leaned forward, resting her elbows on her desk.
"Okay, listen up. I'm not going to give you the full library version that would take two months and fourteen packs of cigarettes. I'll share the crucial bits of the stuff that'll keep you alive. But before I dive in, you better sit up straight and pay attention. Because once I say this? I'm not repeating it."
Assad quickly straightened himself, sitting up like a soldier.
"Good. Now let me give you the condensed version of the world you're so eager to learn about."
Shuren let out a long, tired sigh, then took a deep breath… rolled her eyes up to the ceiling… exhaled like she was trying to blow out her very soul… and then rolled her eyes back down to their usual spot.
"Where the heck do I even start?"
"First off, this is the Ruikha Empire, a massive landmass. It's big, but I wouldn't exactly call it 'continental-sized.' Think of it as 'walk for six months and still be in the same province' big. Now, you might be wondering, is Shuren sure of the exact size? Heck no. I'm not a cartographer. But I do know it's big enough that if you don't have a way to fly, teleport, ride a beast, or scream your way across the continent, you'll probably end up dying of dehydration halfway through."
Assad blinked. "Uh—right…"