As she noticed the hesitation flashing in his eyes, Anastasia looked at him closely before continuing.
"This option is just the only thing I can think of right now- the quickest method to get Credits right away. We could literally go there today. And before nighttime even comes, we could leave with all the Credits we need. That is if, of course, you and that furry little creature don't die under the cybernetic implants of some bloodthirsty maniac. I'm proposing this, but only do it if you absolutely believe in yourself. We can't afford to miss our chance to rain down some unholy retribution on the Drunken Butcher."
…!
She was clear. Let's only do this if we are absolutely confident.
So far, he had only bonded with the little furry beast hiding behind him. Other than its ability to make him invisible and the boost in strength he had shown by folding metal like origami, he wasn't too sure what else it could do.
A quick method to earn money…
Damian thought carefully, remembering the fights he used to watch. Most of them featured cybernetic humans or beast masters who built unstable robotic creatures to battle for them.
Many of those machines were made of steel and metal.
And Damian? He could deform steel and metal.
So, after a few seconds of thought…
"Let's do it."
He made the decision after weighing the risks and benefits. Anastasia looked at him calmly, then nodded.
"Then we've got no time to waste. Let's go."
She turned toward the door. Her hand hovered over the handle for a moment before she opened it. She looked back at Damian and spoke in a low, sincere voice.
"Thank you. I know you don't owe my sister anything. And honestly, I never thought I was alone in wanting justice- real retribution. For you to be bold enough to take these risks…thank you. I wasn't too sure about you when Ilyana fell so hard and even decided to marry you, but… maybe she did find a good man after all."
…!
Her words struck Damian as he froze for a second.
Then, she opened the door and stepped out, turning around only to beckon him from his frozen stance.
They walked back through the hallway toward the purple door. The bouncer who had been standing guard the entire time glanced at them, then shook his head as he looked at the time.
"That quick? Young folks these days really don't know how to take their time."
His heavy voice dripped with disappointment as he watched the two figures walk right past him and step out of the Riftstack Lounge without even a glance.
Anastasia passed by the booth she had been sitting in earlier. The Bluefire Spirit alcohol glass she had ordered still sat there untouched.
Until now.
She picked it up, brought it to her lips, and downed it in a single stroke.
Every day she came here, ordered that glass, and never drank.
But today?
After catching a glimmer of hope, she emptied it because she knew she wouldn't be coming back here again.
Hope had arrived, and she planned to utilize that hope to utterly brutalize an Interstellar Beast Master!
—
In the Dark District of the Hollow Stacks.
A place where the sun didn't shine, quite literally.
Even though it was early in the day, the steel ceilings and the endless descent into underground depths, paired with towering metallic buildings flickering with blue and purple neon lights meant no sunlight ever reached this place.
Damian and Anastasia moved quickly and cautiously. One wrong turn in this district, and you might just vanish forever.
They passed by notorious alleys where gangs operated openly, selling illegal implant mods.
They moved past brothels that were already packed with customers this early in the morning.
They kept descending until they joined the crowds of people buzzing with excitement, all heading toward a massive obsidian doorway leading to a freight elevator.
Dozens went down at once. When it returned, it loaded up again.
"Are you ready for this?" Anastasia whispered.
Damian simply nodded, calm and focused.
Down here, only people with nothing to live for or no fear of death entered the arena. Well, them and the bloodthirsty maniacs who lived for battle.
As for him…he only needed to win five or six matches.
Each victory would triple their Credits, starting from 10,000.
That was the goal.
As they neared the elevator, two Cybernetic Humans with eye implants blocked their path as one of them spoke coldly.
"Entry fee's five hundred Credits per person. Or, if you're short…we are happy to take other forms of payment."
A disgusting smile stretched across their faces.
Anastasia glared at them icily, then wordlessly waved her phone at their devices, transferring 1,000 Credits in total.
"Just the two of us."
Her voice was sharp, her eyes colder than ice. The two guards snorted distastefully but still stepped aside, letting them through.
And down they went.
Into the Rustblood Circuit Arena!
Even inside the packed freight elevator, the roars and screams of the audience echoed louder and louder from below. Fights were already underway even this early in the morning.
Perched invisibly on Damian's shoulder, the little beast looked around in wide-eyed awe. It tilted its head at the sounds from below, its glowing eyes pulsing with curiosity and excitement.
Kitsuul, this furry little six-tailed fox, had no idea what was waiting down there.
But she was about to find out!