The tender slice of meat didn’t last long. I poked it with my fork and carved through it with a sharp knife. Juices spilled out as I cut into the meat, and I couldn’t hide the smile that spread across my face as I devoured it.
This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten! I shouted in my mind, barely holding myself back from voicing my joy aloud.
Even though nobody knew me here, I had to maintain some etiquette—somewhat, at least.
“You look like a starving beast,” Daniel chuckled, poking the asparagus on his gleaming plate until it was riddled with tiny holes. “I won’t take it away, nor will anyone else. If anything, you can order more. Your body will need it.”
The last bit was certainly true. My body, to be precise, was in dire need of more food. Better meals, with a decent mix of proteins and a mountain of nutrients.
The server arrived at our table with two more plates. She said something I couldn’t quite make out, but Daniel smiled at her and pointed to my side of the table. I glanced at the plates as the server put them down before me and then threw my friend a confused look.
“Consider it a small gift: two slices of beast meat—both from 3-Star Vitear Bisons. The sides are ether-grown as well. They contain all the nutrients you need to get your physique into shape.”
I stopped mid-bite, my eyes widening slowly. “Is that why you invited me out? I… was already feeling bad for taking advantage of you, but… I thought you were just lonely and needed someone to talk to.”
Daniel grimaced at the last bit. It was probably true. Yet I understood why he had brought me here, and it made me sick to my stomach. But it wasn’t my friend who made me sick—it was me, growing more and more inclined to accept his help. I had already taken advantage of Daniel so much, and it didn’t seem like there was an end to it.
“You better accept it,” Daniel said, pointing his fork at me. “If you want to go hunting, you’ll need a better physique. And once you start using ether to temper your body, you’ll need even more nutrients than normal meals can supply.”
The look in his eyes allowed no rebuttal.
“I don’t want you to die just because you were too damn stubborn to accept a little bit of help. We are friends, and friends help each other!” Daniel snapped, his voice growing in volume as he lost control of his emotions for a moment. People at the nearby table glanced over, but Daniel didn’t seem to mind the attention he drew. “Either you accept my help, or I will call—”
He got his point across, and I waved him off. There was no need to threaten me.
“In the worst case, you can always consider my help the sum of the birthday presents I forgot to give you, you stubborn old man!” Daniel grunted, but his expression lit up a little. “We should eat lunch together every day and have some fun preparing you for your first adventure afterward. That’d be fun, don’t you think?”
Fun. Was that really it?
Daniel’s idea of fun was… unique, to say the least. Submitting his awakening as a Blessed had been “fun” for him, too. At least, he’d looked like he had the time of his life when he joined me at the register, answering the clerk’s questions when I couldn’t.
Never did I imagine Daniel would be this helpful. But, as painful as it was to acknowledge it, he was a major contributor in the decision to bind the Soilback egg. His promise to hunt with me, and his relentless pushes, played a crucial role. They were the reason I hadn’t given up on becoming… normal.
I’d gained deeper access to the ethernet and a bunch of files with crucial information about the world outside and within the Bastion, which is what I had planned to exploit after training and refining my World. There weren’t many other things I could do—other than visiting my parents and talking to the beast egg. Not in my financial situation, at least.
But Daniel had different plans.
“If you finish your meal in the next ten minutes, we might be able to make it to the station in time,” he said, glancing at the holographic screen on his bracelet.
“What?” I said, stuffing my mouth. “Where are we going?”
Daniel looked up and met my eyes. “Isn’t that obvious? We need to temper your body, for one. And you need weapon training.”
He studied me and laughed at the quizzical look on my face.
“Did you really expect me to take you outside like that?” Daniel asked, pointing at me.
Rude… but true.
I was—still am—frail and inexperienced. I’d never harmed a soul and didn’t know anything about weapons, combat, or how I’d react in the face of danger—or death.
***
It felt like I had finally lost control of my body as my back hit the mattress. My head disappeared into the cushion, which felt softer than should be allowed. Yet I somehow found myself turning over, staring blankly at the ceiling above.
How did I manage to return to the flat? I had no idea. Everything after today’s workout was a blur.
The days passed by quickly, yet I couldn’t tell how long it had been. I stopped counting and reserved the mind juice for less mundane thoughts.
“Daniel is such a sadist,” I cursed weakly, glimpsing at the muddy beast egg, which had appeared atop my chest at some point.
“Did you know that ether tempering is much worse than regular training? I’ve discovered muscle groups I didn’t even know existed.” The words escaped my lips as I lifted my sore arm to place it beside the egg.
Looking back at the ceiling, my eyes unfocused once more.
“I need more than 24 hours in a day. How am I supposed to visit Dad in the hospital, train with Daniel like there’s no tomorrow, and get enough sleep to recover? He’s a demon if he thinks I can keep going like this for a few more weeks.”
I had to wake up early in the morning to start the day with the refinement of my World, which meant I had to work my body to the bone to stimulate my World into producing a little bit more soul energy.
“I shouldn’t have told Daniel about the pre-refinement workouts. That asshat intensified the daily routine. Can you imagine that, buddy?”
Nobody answered my whispered plea, but it wasn’t like I expected the Soilback to jump out of its shell to beat the living crap out of Daniel. Though that would be really cool.
Waking up dead tired at dawn was far from great, but Daniel’s plan worked. There was no need for an additional workout when my body was still wrecked from the day before. My World produced an excess of soul energy, which I could make use of, expanding the World a bit faster.
“Every day, I feel worse, and I don’t even know how that’s possible. My body feels alien to me, and my World is sore. I didn’t even know that was possible… Well, now I know, of course.”
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Only my voice resounded, but I had already gotten used to that. Though, to be honest, I hadn’t really gotten used to it. It was still odd to talk to the egg when nobody answered. Nobody sane would do that—talk to an egg. Not unless it was their Soulkin, and constant communication was used as a method for the Soulkin to get used to its companion and to strengthen their soulshare early on, of course.
But as useful as it was, according to Daniel and the dozen or more theses I’d read, I was still cringing on the inside.
I continued anyway. Feeling awkward was a fair exchange for a stronger soulshare.
“Daniel hasn’t stopped paying for my meals, and we’re training more often in the gym nowadays. I don’t know if I want to know how expensive the gym membership fee is… It has everything.”
It really did. The gym had dozens of machines—each an ether device that recorded everything to provide professional tips—several underground arenas equipped with more weapons and armor pieces than I had ever seen, and an entire floor overflowing with ether. The ether room was intense, to say the least. It emitted tremendous pressure and forced me to my knees the first time we entered it, but… it helped me to grow stronger.
No matter how exhausted I was at the end of the day, I could feel myself growing stronger. My physique was improving every day, and so was my hunger. I was hungrier than ever, and Daniel supplied me with everything I could possibly need to grow.
“Do you know what’s the worst?” I asked the egg, groaning as I lifted my head to look at the clumps of mud. “I am hesitating. I… I think I stopped resisting his help.”
Even though nobody was listening to me, saying it out loud had a different effect. I was being honest with myself for the first time.
“Should I just accept his help and repay him later when he needs me?”
Rather than feeling guilty, I could accept Daniel’s help and make the most out of it—and help him once he was in need of a helping hand.