1% Lifesteal

It wasn’t that Freddy enjoyed watching Lucas get his ass handed to him by nearly harmless monsters—no, actually, he absolutely enjoyed that—but on top of enjoying that, he had to admit that watching the young man slowly make progress was fascinating.

At first, Lucas was afraid to swing the baton full force, but over time, he got braver—or more desperate; one of the two, anyway.

The issue with the improvised baton Freddy created was that it was excruciating to get hit by it. Lucas was a softie, and using such a sinister weapon against the monsters was a psychological challenge he struggled to overcome. Then there was the other part of it—when these creatures actually got hit, they got considerably more aggressive. That naturally made the man hesitant.

But as time passed, those mental barriers were slowly overcome.

After pummeling one of the nasty things for a few minutes, Lucas finally earned his first kill.

He immediately dropped to his knees, part from relief, part from exhaustion. Then, he clenched his chest. “Oh god!” he shouted. “What… What the hell is happening—ugh!?” he groaned and gripped his shirt tighter. “My heart is sizzling! I’m seeing strange shapes! I’m going numb! I’m gonna die!”

Freddy failed to hold back his laugh. “You’re not gonna die, dude…”

Killing ascended beings granted ether to the killer. This counted for mortals, too.

When a mortal human killed a monster, the ether would surround their soul and try breaking in. Naturally, without a star, there was nowhere for this ether to go, so it gradually spread through the body until it was absorbed. This ether didn’t really do anything other than gradually accumulate, which could possibly result in the human expelling it from their body and generating a prime vestige.

This exact thing happened to Freddy when he killed that “gugu gaga” bastard in the 19th district.

After a few seconds of clutching his chest, Lucas suddenly relaxed and breathed out in relief. “Oh it’s gone… I’m alive…”

“Okay then!” Freddy cheered and clapped his hands. “How about we head back now?”

Lucas paused, biting his bottom lip. “No. I think I can fight another one.”

“You sure?” Freddy asked with a raised eyebrow.

While it might have seemed like Freddy was forcing the poor guy into fighting these monsters, the young man was voluntarily participating. In fact, he seemed pretty desperate. While a handful of fights against these creatures would hardly be enough to cause the man to generate a prime vestige, the odds did go up with every kill, even if just a tiny bit.

Still, it was barely a difference. It was like trying to buy more tickets to increase the odds of winning the lottery.

There was no doubt that he had some sort of dire emergency in his personal life. Freddy was willing to show his sincerity by helping the young man out with whatever was bothering him, but Lucas was the proud type—he was the type not to ask for help unless he really, really had no other choice.

While Freddy was impressed with the man’s spirit and all that, he was starting to get bored. He had thought that a delve could turn into a fun adventure to ignite the spark of friendship, but this felt more like being the master of a cockfighting ring. It would be much better to buy the man some basic prime and have him ascend before bringing him out here. This was a waste of time.

But Lucas did look close to giving up. Thus, Freddy shrugged, brought another dog monster over, and threw it before Lucas. He walked over to a nearby boulder, sat down, sipped on his Dubious Concoction—trademark pending—and enjoyed the show.

Lucas took a deep breath and brought the baton down on the monster’s head without hesitation. The weapon landed awkwardly, failing to leave much of an impact. The creature snarled and got ready to jump at him, but Lucas didn’t hesitate to kick the monster away while he brought the weapon back up for another downwards strike. This time, it landed pretty hard, cracking the monster’s skull and killing it.

The boy clenched his chest again and breathed heavily until the feeling went away. Then, he looked at Freddy. “I think I can go against one more…”

Rather than bring another monster, Freddy sighed and asked, “What is it?”

“Huh?” the man blurted dumbly. “What is what?”

“You know when you suggested that you ‘theoretically’”—he made air quotes—”had some problem I could easily solve?”

Lucas tensed at that and broke eye contact. “That’s…”

“I get it,” Freddy said, nodding a bit and getting off the boulder. “Let’s stop here before you get seriously injured.” He walked over to the young man and put a hand on his shoulder. “Come have dinner with me.”

***

Lucas was scared. Plain and simple. Some strange man had set his eyes on him, and everything about the ordeal seemed suspicious.

While he was presented with many choices, Lucas was reluctant to refuse anything the man offered. A peak two-star could do practically whatever they wanted in this godforsaken city. Lucas had already been plenty rude. It was best to play along and smile.

That being said, he wasn’t calm at all.

All this talk of mutual benefits and help and friendship sounded a little strange. Too strange. And now, he feared he might know what the man was after.

He was after Lucas.

Sexually.

It made so much sense. The difference in status. The fact that he was being taken out to dinner. Be my “friend,” and I’ll “help you out.” It was just a euphemism for prostitution!

Of course, Lucas was not going to agree to something like that, no matter how much he really needed some money in a really short time. He shook his head to push the thoughts away. He wasn’t that desperate.

…

Oh fuck, he was that desperate!

Panic set in as they made their way out of the interspace. Lucas looked incredibly torn while the man walked confidently and calmly.

Lucas had expected the man to bring him to some fancy place to flex his wealth. But no. They simply walked into the closest restaurant.

They didn’t even change out of the delving gear.

It was a run-down place, but from what Lucas had heard, they had excellent food. Some of the customers were weak archhumans fresh out of delves, still wearing their gear, so the two of them didn’t look horribly out of place.

They sat on an empty table with two seats and grabbed the menu.

The place was a bit pricy by Lucas’s standards, but that really shouldn’t be—

“Damn, this place is a bit pricy,” Freddy said as he looked at the menu. “Oh well.”

That made Lucas pause.

It was common knowledge that people who grew up in powerful factions had absolutely no clue what regular things were supposed to cost. They were the type to think an apple cost twenty bucks or that a cup of ordinary coffee cost fifty dollars.

The items on the menu were maybe a bit over twenty dollars in price on average.

Just walking into a run-down place like this should be a mark of shame for any proud archhuman, but this man went as far as to declare it pricy?

Did that mean he came from humble origins?

But how would that make sense? Nobody made it to the peak of the second star by 23 unless they ascended when they were little kids.

Maybe he’s just a cheapskate…

But that wasn’t the case, either.

Freddy proceeded to order five of the most expensive items on the menu, and a wide assortment of drinks.

Lucas, who had been cutting down on food recently, dug right in. It was pretty damn delicious. But the food didn’t set well in his stomach. He felt his gut churn and twist.

He couldn’t hold it in anymore. “I know I’ve said this a few times already…” Lucas started, looking Freddy right in the eye. “But what do you want from me?”

Freddy sighed. “I already told you—”

“I will gladly accept your help. In fact, I’m in dire need of help! But this ambiguity is killing me! What do you mean by ‘friend’!? Tell me in clear terms what you expect me to do, and I’ll do it; even if I have to kiss your feet, I swear to god I’ll do it!” He got a bit heated, and some of the nearby people heard him, and now they were looking at him weird.

He blushed as red as a beat.

Freddy didn’t laugh at him. He gave Lucas a serious look as he took a sip of his drink. “I’ve only ever had two friends in my life,” he said, sighing with a morose look. “I truly suck at dealing with people.” He sighed. “I should know better. I was in the same position as you just three years ago.”

Lucas looked surprised at that, but he remained quiet.

“I get it. This whole thing probably seems weird and bizarre. But I truly don’t expect anything from you. If you want, I can still help you out with whatever issue you have, and afterward, you go on with your life, and I go on with mine. How does that sound?”

“I don’t get it… I really don’t get it.”

Rather than try and explain himself, Freddy just shrugged and took another sip.

A few moments of silence passed between them, and then Lucas finally opened his mouth. “My mother has a gambling problem,” he admitted. “She wasted all of her savings. Then she stole mine. Then she started selling our stuff. And now she turned to loan sharks. She is over 60,000 dollars in debt. We can't pay for that. I can barely sleep at night. Every day, I'm just waiting for someone to knock on our door.” He rested his head on his hands and slowly breathed out.

“Ah… Loan sharks.” Freddy chuckled. “Forgot to add that one to my list of things I can’t tolerate.” He leaned back and stretched a bit. “This really isn’t something I can solve easily, you know?”

Lucas scoffed and dropped his head. He felt bitter upon hearing that. “Was it all just talk then?” he involuntarily said. Panic set in, and he feared that he had offended the man.

But Freddy just chuckled. “I didn't say I'm not gonna do anything,” he said, sighing. “But this is a tricky situation. Your problem isn’t that you don’t have 60,000 dollars to pay off a debt. That’s easy. Your problem is that you have an addicted mother and sharks out for her blood.”

Lucas gritted his teeth. “Couldn’t you…”

“How about we continue this talk somewhere where nobody will hear us?”

Lucas nodded.

Freddy paid the bill, and they walked outside. It was already late afternoon, and the sun was setting. They made their way to a bench in a lonely corner of a small park and sat down.

Freddy pulled out his Dubious Concoction TM and took a large gulp. “I could give you the money for this without a problem. But that will signal that there’s more money for them to take. If I wanted to, I could also kill the sharks. But the problem is the people behind them. They are undoubtedly connected to one of the major factions, and those people would investigate who was messing with their business.

“But even if I dealt with the sharks, it won't cure your mother. She'll keep gambling and getting you into deeper and deeper shit.”

Lucas bit his lower lip and clasped his hands together, squeezing tightly. “She knows how badly she fucked up this time. She promised she'll stop.”

Freddy burst out laughing at that. “Oh, man, sorry for saying it like this, but hell no she fucking won’t!” He sighed and shook his head. “It's always the same story with gambling addicts. They always regret getting themselves into deep shit, but deep down, they're already trying to think of ways to get more money to keep gambling.”

“Then what am I supposed to do!?” Lucas shouted, voice quivering and eyes tearing up. “What am I supposed to do…?”

Freddy shrugged. “Lock her inside. Don't let her go out.”

“Wha—” Lucas turned his head away and muttered, “She’s not an animal, you know?”

“Hey, I’m here to offer solutions, not happy endings.”

“But that's going too far! Besides, she has to work.”

“What's the point of letting her go earn money when she'll gamble it away?”

Lucas wanted to rebuke that. But it was true.

Freddy cupped his chin for a moment and looked contemplative. “How about you guys move in with me until we can find a more permanent solution?”

Lucas took a long second to process what he just heard. “Sorry, I'm not sure I heard you right…”

“You heard me.”

Another moment of silence.

“I can't afford the rent.”

“I'm not gonna charge you for rent.” Freddy grinned widely. “Hell, I'm even gonna pay for the food. I'm a man of my word. If I offer to help you with your problem, I'll do whatever it takes. Besides, I have four giant guest rooms in my apartment. I could house four entire families, let alone just you and an old lady.”

Lucas trembled. That sounded ridiculous. It sounded suspicious. His doubts resurfaced, and he questioned the man's motives again.

It would be easier to keep his mother from going out if she didn't have to work. But for some reason, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he would jump out of the pan and into the fire if he agreed. “What's the deal with you, man…?” He couldn't stop himself from asking. “I just can't shake off the feeling that you're up to no good.”

Freddy grinned. “Trust me when I say I can't be any worse than loan sharks.”

“I sure hope so.” Lucas sighed deeply and finally surrendered. “I really hope I don't regret trusting you.”

***

Freddy walked by the young man’s side as they made their way to his home.

The sun was setting.

The bitter, biting cold couldn’t push through Freddy’s thick layers of armor, and even his exposed face didn’t feel much discomfort. He was already used to the climate here. And frankly, if he was being honest, he didn’t dislike it that much.

While most of Repentawa looked like a run-down shithole, as they approached Lucas’s house, it somehow managed to get worse. Potholes, abandoned stores, graffiti, buildings with peeling facades and people sharper than a knife.

There weren’t many people out on the street at this time. It was already getting dark, and in places like this, it was better not to be out at this hour.

“Oh man,” Lucas said, looking nervous. “My mum is probably worried sick.”

Freddy glanced at the young man with a raised eyebrow. “Did you not take that into consideration when you headed out to delve?”

“Yeah… About that…” Lucas chuckled nervously. “She doesn’t know.”

“Ah, I see.” Freddy chuckled, shaking his head. Then, with a sinister grin, he turned to Lucas. “I have an idea. How about I come in and tell her you died during a delve?”

“What!? Are you out of your mind!?”

“What?” Freddy chortled. “If we scare her a bit, that might convince her to stop gambling.”

“She would literally kill me if I pulled a prank like that,” Lucas said with a flat look. “I’m not joking, she’s physically throw me off the top floor.”

Freddy shrugged. “You win some, you lose some.”

Lucas chuckled at that.

While it seemed like they were having a relaxed chat, Freddy stayed vigilant and aware of their surroundings. So did Lucas, actually.

They had already passed two groups of men who gave them predatory looks. In the game of “should we, shouldn’t we,” the possible threat of the giant armored man won out, and they stayed their hand.

Eventually, they made it to a particularly run-down building and stepped inside. The outer door looked like it had numerous locks and latches installed over time, but every one of them was broken off.

Lucas pushed the door open, and they went inside. The place where he and his mother lived was on the sixth floor of the building, and after a short trip upstairs, they made it there.

Immediately, both men spotted something worrying.

“Mom! Mom!? Oh shit!” Lucas shouted as he sprinted forward.

The doors to one of the apartments were broken and wide open.

Freddy sighed and calmly followed the young man.

Lucas cursed and shouted once he entered the apartment, but thankfully, at the very least, it wasn’t because he found his mother’s corpse.

The words were written out across the wall of the tiny apartment.

YOU HAVE A WEEK TO BRING TWENTY THOUSAND OR SHE LOSES A HAND.

Lucas hyperventilated and sobbed hysterically while pacing around.

“Calm down…” Freddy tried.

“They took her!” Lucas shouted. “Oh god, they took her!”

“Okay, now let’s calm down and think rationally,” Freddy insisted calmly. “They’re not gonna do anything to her. They’re trying to get your money, not hurt your mother.”

“Oh god…” Lucas wept. “Mom…”

“Come on, let’s go,” Freddy said. “Bring me over to them.”

Lucas looked anxious at that. “Please be careful. They’re holding her hostage, don’t—”

“Do you take me for an idiot? I’m not gonna burst through the door fists swinging. Come on, get up and take me there.”

Lucas nodded and rushed outside. Freddy followed him.