I warped to the first floor; the man's presence was off. I didn't want or need a fight.
All thought vanished when I felt the tip of a blade pressed against the back of my neck.
I cursed inwardly, raising my arm slowly.
"Kneel on the ground."
I did as I was told, but this was bad.
Of course, out of everyone. I chose to rob a person able to kind of hide his presence from me, and had a teleporting ability.
There was a sigh behind me, before the man spoke.
"Now.. why were you in my house?"
I blinked, had this person not realized it? No. He was most likely just checking if I would lie.
I breathed in slowly, holding the breath for a few long moments before exhaling.
"I wanted to steal your dream pod."
I stated blandly.
I somehow got the impression the man raised an eyebrow.
"And why would you do such a thing?"
I nearly snorted, this man really loved his questions.
"To enter and stay in the dream realm of course."
The tip of the blade pressed harder into my neck.
"Okay! Okay!"
I shouted out, my tone filled with fear I didn't feel.
Because, I'm not the one in trouble here.
At any moment, [Fear] could be activated. And even if this person survived, the presence alone would freeze him for a few moments, allowing me to use several warps to get away.
"Morgan of Valor is after me for whatever reason! I needed to find a safe place!"
There was a hum-like noise behind me, the man clearly pondering my words.
Of course, he most likely thought I was lying, or perhaps that I was a notorious criminal.
Which of course, wasn't the case on either. I was a model citizen after all, even if I technically don't exist.
"Don't run."
I didn't even have a chance to ask what he was talking about, before the tip of the blade vanished.
I slowly rose up to my feet, careful not to make any sudden movements.
This person seemed to want something, most probably information.
"Don't do something stupid, and I won't stab you."
The voice came out dark and muffled, as if through a filter that didn't work properly.
I slightly shuddered, before I turned around, laying eyes on a quite comical, yet terrifying view.
Because instead of a master who exuded presence thick as water.
I was met by a young man in his early twenties, standing behind a chest filled with soul shards.
The man cleared his throat twice, before speaking.
"Welcome! To the glorious brilliant emporium!
We have soul shards, memories, and yes. Even dream pods. "
I stared agape, my eyes full of confusion and shock.
What was this man doing? Was he perhaps.. mad?
The man stared at me expectantly, his dark eyes unwavering in their intensity.
I coughed, my throat dry as a desert.
"How much for a dream pod..?"
I slowly asked, my eyes full of dread and wonder.
This man was not normal, nor was he weak.
He was far superior to me; his teleportation speed alone was enough to prove that.
The man rolled his eyes from side to side, as if calculating what he already calculated.
"Hundred awakened soul shards, and I will get you a brand new one."
I stared at the man, he was actually fucking insane.
"Where the fuck am I supposed to get that?"
The man shrugged, his face morphing into a mask of boredom.
"I allow weekly and monthly payments, nothing to worry about."
My mouth opened, then closed. I repeated the action two more times. My brain is struggling to understand the words coming out of this man's mouth.
Was he even hearing himself?
Me? An awakened. Hunting a hundred awakened beasts?
I scratched my chin, the thought wasn't as ludicrous as I thought.
I've already killed an awakened devil, twice now.
Mere beasts wouldn't be a problem, nor would monsters or demons.
They weren't threats, especially if I was given time to prepare.
Which I could always do in the middle of a fight.
I nodded twice, my now graying hair swaying with the motions.
"I could do that, but I still need a way for me to the dream realm."
The man scratched his chin, muttering something under his breath, then nodded.
"You can use mine for now, you will spend a week at the maximum, before returning here with an amount of soul shards you've gathered."
He paused, then snapped his fingers.
"You do have a storage memory, right?"
I shook my head negatively.
He sighed, probably thinking about the "charity" he was doing.
Then extended his hand.
I raised a brow, but raised my own, shaking it with the man.
A yellow light traveled between us, from shoulder to shoulder.
Then, the spell popped up, a notification glowing brilliantly.
[You have received a memory: Hunter's backpack.]
Memory rank: Awakened.
Memory type: tool.
Enchantments: [Space storage], [Weightless].
I let out a whistle, this was a very handy memory to have.
Not that I had an arm....
I snorted at my own poor joke, summoning the memory.
It was a simple backpack, made out of animal fur and leather. Comfortable, not lacking any grip.
I smiled softly, turning my eyes back to the man.
Then I noticed something I should have noticed as soon as I saw the man.
His stance was firm yet relaxed, his head slightly lowered, eyes focused.
Signs of a survivor, of an outskirts rat like myself.
My eyes gleamed, interest burning like a flame.
"You are from the outskirts aren't you? Like myself."
He raised both of his eyebrows, intrigued.
He nodded, but didn't continue on the topic.
I didn't either; such things were better left behind, but not the lessons they taught you.
Then I paused. This whole situation didn't make a lick of sense. First, I tried robbing him. He pressed his blade against my neck twice.
And now I'm basically working for him. That's not how the world works.
My eyes narrowed, instinct and suspicion growing within my heart.
I stared at the man's black pupils. He only raised a brow.
"What do you actually want from me?"
I questioned, my voice lacking any tone.
His brow fell back down, his own eyes narrowing.
He conjured a chair from God knows where, sitting down on it heavily.
"In a sense. We are alike. I recognized it as soon as I saw you. Earning for freedom, like a caged bird."
I snorted, this guy was a poet?
He paused, obviously fighting with himself about whether it was worth continuing.
Finally, he stood up. The chair vanished, and he exhaled heavily.
"Come back here within a week, and we can work out the agreement then."
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