Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime-Chapter 32: Sea of Opinions

Zephany shifted in her seat, her fingers trembling slightly as she navigated back to The Archive’s home feed. She usually avoided this part of the app—there was rarely anything worth reading. Missions, private messages, notifications, and profile updates were all she cared about. But today, curiosity got the better of her.

The feed loaded, and her heart sank.

Floods of messages scrolled past, a sea of opinions and speculation. Her eyes darted over the comments, each one more biting than the last. The Archive’s chat was filled with whispers, jeers, and questions.

> ShadowClaw: Did you guys see that? Team Bacon FAILED the Level 7+ mission!

> SilverFang: Seriously? Weren’t they supposed to be the rising stars? Crashed and burned.

> KnightWalker: It’s all over the rankings. Obscura and Eclipse dropped to Level 0. Brutal.

> Frostbite: Should’ve known. That Level 7+ mission was way out of their league. First-ever nulls to try it and fail.

> HexaShade: Obscura and Eclipse? More like Team Burnt Bacon.

> SkylineZero: But who are they really? No one knows. The Archive is airtight with privacy. Even the highest levels can’t access personal profiles.

> RavenMark: Maybe they were just lucky to get that far. I heard Level 7 missions are invitation-only.

> BlazeMist: I bet someone’s already betting on whether they’ll quit or try again.

More messages appeared on the public chat, gossiping about them. Curious words mixed with thinly veiled insults.

> ZeroGrim: Wow, Team Bacon really fried themselves. Level 7+? Hah! More like Level 0.

> NightFox: Guess even the so-called ’legendary duo’ has their limits. Thought they were unstoppable. Pathetic.

> RogueRex: They wanted to play with the big leagues, and look what happened. Crashed and burned.

> Glitch9: Obscura and Eclipse? More like Obscure and Extinct.

> LadyShiv: They really thought they could clear a Level 7+ mission? Maybe they should stick to Level 1.

> StormLash: Team Bacon? More like Team Burnt. Should’ve known a name like that spelled doom.

> HexHaven: This is why you don’t rush to the top. Crash and burn. Classic.

> VoidWolf: Aren’t they embarrassed? I would delete my account if I were them.

Zephany’s face heated, her fingers twitching over the keys. But she didn’t respond. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

Kendrick read through the comments, his eyes narrowing. The mockery didn’t sting as much as it once would have. He had grown used to it. Still, knowing that Eclipse was being dragged into it made his chest tighten.

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t let the words get to him. He had learned long ago not to waste his energy on baseless chatter. They didn’t know him. They didn’t know Eclipse. All they saw were ranks and failures.

But the weight of their judgment lingered.

Instead of reacting, Kendrick switched tabs, his focus back on the mission section. Zephany did the same. There was no point in lingering on the home feed. They had both grown used to the whispers, the curiosity. It was part of the territory when you reached higher ranks. But now that they had fallen? The attention was even worse.

Their profile ranks were visible, showing the humiliating drop to Level 0. Team Bacon, once climbing toward the top, was now nothing more than a reminder of failure. But personal profiles remained untouchable. No one could dig deeper into their identities, and The Archive made sure of that.

A small comfort.

Kendrick’s chat notification blinked.

Obscura: Are you okay with any missions?

Zephany’s response was quick.

Eclipse: Yes, you don’t have to worry. I’m always ready for a fight.

Her words were confident, but her heart raced. She wasn’t sure if she was truly ready. But there was no time for hesitation. Kendrick’s eyes scanned the screen, waiting for the next available mission. Missions at Level 1-3 were always a rush. It was a game of speed. First come, first serve.

And then it appeared.

Mission: Expose the wealthy businessman Mr. Lody for selling counterfeit paintings during the Varen Enterprises charity gala.

Mission Code: Null39st

Level 3: Mid-Risk Mission

Mission Type: Breaking into Secure Locations, Stealing Data, Exposing the Truth

Point Rewards: 200 Null Points

Access Granted To: Private data (sensitive personal details, private events, financial records)

Monetary Reward: $100,000

Without reading further, Kendrick clicked. The screen flashed.

Mission Null39st accepted by Team Bacon.

He let out a relieved breath. Fast hands paid off.

Zephany’s laughter broke the tense silence in her bedroom. She had barely finished reading the mission when the acceptance notice popped up.

Eclipse: Isn’t this tomorrow?

Kendrick quickly searched for more information about the gala, confirming the date and location.

Obscura: Yeah.

Then, as if on cue, her messages flooded in.

Eclipse: I’m volunteering myself to go to the venue. How about you? Will you come?

Eclipse: Who do I need to disguise as? Ah, wait! Never mind. I already have a plan for this one.

Eclipse: Should I help you gather evidence about him? But I think you can already handle it.

Eclipse: Wait! Isn’t this just a simple mission? They didn’t ask us to be there personally. The mission just says to expose him during the event. So doing it online is fine, right?

Eclipse: But isn’t that too boring? I better go to the event to see his reaction on time. That would be epic.

Eclipse: Have you gotten his information now?

Eclipse: What do I need to prepare?

Eclipse: Tell me your plan.

Kendrick’s screen buzzed non-stop. He leaned back, staring at her endless messages. A small smile tugged at his lips. For a moment, everything felt normal again.

Obscura: I’ll handle this matter. No need for you to intervene. But it’s up to you if you want to go just to witness his reaction.

Zephany hesitated. She had nearly forgotten her real job. Varen Enterprises had asked her to cover the gala for the news journal. Killing two birds with one stone sounded perfect.

Eclipse: Okay, I’ll leave it up to you then. I’ll just enjoy the show.

Their chat ended, both now focused on their respective tasks. Kendrick began gathering data on Mr. Lody, his mind already piecing together the plan. Zephany, meanwhile, started preparing her camera equipment and selecting the right dress.

Tomorrow was going to be eventful.

And Team Bacon?

They weren’t done just yet.