[1% LIFESTEAL] Chapter 176 - The Focal Point of Fate

[Author's Note]

I finally got a routine going, folks! I gotta say, babies are a lot of work. But I'm happy and fulfilled, and, after probably the longest week of my life, I can comfortably say that I can get back to work without much of an issue.

I'm fairly certain I can manage my old schedule without much of an issue as long as nothing major changes in my life!

:D

Cheers, fellas!

Hope you enjoy!

[END OF NOTE]

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The century Freddy had spent in solitude had changed him in many small ways. For starters, had he found himself in this situation before going through the dungeon, he would have likely screamed and floundered like a buffoon. But now, he actually managed to maintain a semblance of a passive expression as he shouted and cursed in his mind.

Okay, what in the flying, flickering, fate-forced fuck? 

This was not a coincidence, and he already knew it. It was fate. The way individuals with these cursed fates made subconscious decisions resulted in them always stumbling upon dangerous opportunities. It was as Insanity had said—they weighed more on the world. And, clearly, on each other. 

First it was Nahar. Then Madame. And now, he was being visited by some random no-name guy he’d talked to once and a former friend of his. 

While he understood why this was happening, he couldn’t help but find it painfully jarring. It was like his life was turning into one of those awful soap operas that ran on forever and sometimes randomly brought back old characters when things got stale. Not that his life had actually gotten stale, though. If anything, he was always knee-deep in one pile of shit or another, and they only seemed to be getting bigger as time went on.

His eyes briefly scanned the expressions of his visitors, and before long, he made some conclusions. 

First, Mark. The man was staring at Freddy with a kind of wary intensity, and although he was trying to hide it, it was obvious that he was geared for a fight. But what was missing from the man’s gaze was any sign that he knew who Freddy was. Which was… good? 

Frankly, seeing the man in this kind of state made Freddy feel thankful that Mark didn’t recognize him. Because what he saw in the man’s eyes was the same thing he saw any time he looked at a mirror—just as anyone with a fate borne of a desire for power, Mark had gone through, and no doubt, done some real nasty shit. Just as Freddy had.

And he had a fate, there was no denying it. Freddy couldn’t sense the man’s power—meaning, he was a three-star. Which—

Hold on a moment. 

A three-star? In that short a time? 

Freddy knew damn well what kind of torment it took to reach the third star in such a short time. This was no ordinary growth. Perhaps the man’s circumstances were even more bizarre than his own. 

But still, despite all that, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of happiness at the sight of the man. 

Maybe when the dust settled a bit, he’d tell him who he was, if anything, just to bring some closure to both of them. Or, hey, perhaps they could be friends again. 

“Uhm… Hello there!” the sleazy man repeated himself and waved sarcastically. “Anyone home?” He chuckled. “You’ve been staring at us for a while, there.”

“Oh. Right.” Freddy laughed as he looked back at the man. Putting thoughts of Mark aside, he was forced to hold back the sudden urge to kill the bastard standing in front of him. After all, this man was absolutely tied to Freddy’s kidnapping in one way or another. 

The man had come knocking, looking for Bloodshed.

While it was the Kraven Clan that ultimately got their hands on Freddy, the odds of this person being unrelated were non-existent. 

He gave Mark another brief look; this time, a rather anxious one. Nah, he decided. There’s no way he knows about this. “Sorry about that, lads. I’ve been waiting for some guests, and you… well… you two aren’t who I was expecting to see.”

The man quirked an eyebrow at Freddy’s phrasing. “Uh-huh. Well, I hope you’d be willing to make some time for us anyway…?” 

“Oh, sure, sure,” he said, enthusiastically waving them into the room, “come right in.”

While he had plenty of other things to worry about, Freddy had to admit that he was dying to know why these two were here. 

The two men settled at the table and Freddy called on the servants. Soon enough, the table was packed with food that would no doubt be thrown away again, which kind of miffed Freddy given how many meals he remembered missing in his youth. But alas.

“So. Gentlemen,” Freddy called as he straightened his back. “How may I help you?”

The snakey guy chuckled and shook his head. “Wouldn’t it be convenient to share some introductions, first?”

“Oh, right. Duh.” Freddy facepalmed in a mocking gesture. “Of course. Well, I’m Freddy St—FUCK!” he shouted suddenly and broke into another coughing fit. I really need to stop doing that!

The two men were eyeing him like he had suddenly sprouted a second head, so he rushed to explain himself. “Sorry about that. I have uh… Tourettes.” He eyed them for a moment to see if they bought the excuse before suddenly shouting. “Motherfucker!” to sell the story a bit.

That appeared to be enough, and the two of them shot him an awkward look.

He decided to continue. “As I was saying, I’m Freddy St—HAHAHA”—he smashed his fist into the table, cracking the wood a bit—”FUCKING KILL ME!” He deflated a bit. “Anyway. Freddy Cliff. Freddy Cliff.” He gestured at himself as if deeply ashamed. “I don’t know why it’s acting up like this; I’m so sorry.”

He needed to calm down. Frankly, while he had tanked the initial shock of who he was meeting with quite well, now that it was settling, he recognized that it was distressing him quite a bit. 

Why is Mark with this man? What do they want from me? 

His thoughts were a mess, and he couldn’t conceal the nervous shaking of his hands, so he opted to keep them hidden under the table. 

“Uhm…” The man coughed. “Don’t worry, we won’t judge you for it. Ain’t that right, Mark?”

Mark nodded, and the man continued. “My name is Harold Maskaart. My circumstances are a little bit unique, so I hope you’ll forgive me for keeping my background a secret.”

“Well,” Freddy started, “as long as the adjudicator approves of you being here… I can’t really complain.” He dripped a bit of venom into the last part. “Anyway, nice to meet you, Harold. And what about your friend… Mark, was it?”

“I’m Mark Afronte,” he said coolly. “Nice to meet you.”

Freddy eyed Mark and then returned his gaze back to Harold. “Special circumstances, too, I’m guessing?”

“Oh, no, Mark is just an asshole.” Harold laughed. “Don’t mind him.”

“Sure…” Freddy returned an awkward laugh. “Given that I am expecting other guests, I would quite appreciate it if you could tell me why you’re here.”

“Not a problem. Not much to it, really. From what we’ve seen, this is by far the most likely city to survive the incoming disaster, so we decided to hop on over and join the fray while the waiting lines are still short. And I must say, I am impressed with what you’ve managed to achieve here! Really, you are an astounding leader! 

“In fact, I have no doubt that this place will come out the other end as one of the most influential secondary territories in the entire empire! I am so confident that I am even willing to put good money into ensuring everything went as smoothly as possible. While I can see you’re a bit short on time today, perhaps we could discuss this in more detail at some point…?” He let the ending hang as a question. 

Freddy really disliked this man. The buttery words, the calculating gleam behind his eye. Even if it weren't for the man’s likely involvement with why Freddy’s life went to shit, he still wouldn’t want anything to do with him. “Huh… So you’ve abandoned whatever other place you happen to come from? Really, a bit cowardly of you, don’t you think?”

“That’s…” The man’s pleasant smile faltered. “Come on, man. No need to go there! We’re from Ottawa. It’s a big city, you know? Lots of people. And while I’m quite confident, I can’t really say that I’d make much of a difference by myself.”

“Well, I’m glad to have more hands on deck. Feel free to help as you see fit. But if that’s all you have to say, I don’t think there’s much reason for us to continue this conversation.”

Harold scoffed and smiled a bit too much teeth behind the lips. “I am well aware that you’re touted as a prodigy, but don’t let the ego grow too big. I’ll forgive your behavior today, but I promise you, a friendship with me would be far more valuable than my… neutrality.” 

Freddy gritted his teeth. And finally, his tempter grew too fiery to contain. “Get the fuck out of my room.”

Harold raised his hands with a warm smile. “Sure thing, Boss! We’ll be on our way. I hope we can have a conversation when you’re in a better mood.” He tapped Mark on the biceps with the back of his hand. “Come on. Let’s go.”

The two of them walked out of the room, and Freddy was left to simmer in silence. 

He simply sat there, feeling paralyzed. His whole upper torso was numb, and his heart beat uncomfortably loudly in his ears. Uninvited thoughts were rushing in directions he didn’t like, and he had to actively stop himself from making certain guesses.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a shadow shift in the corner of his room. Freddy flinched, turning to look in its direction, only to spot Matt Canstone materialize out of the shadow with a deep sigh.

While Freddy hadn’t expected that, he couldn’t really say that he was surprised. At least he now knew how the man was capable of keeping an eye on him without Freddy ever being able to tell. “Old habits die hard, huh?” he joked. 

Matt laughed with a hint of embarrassment at those words. “I apologize for my actions.”

“You better have a damn good excuse for being here.”

“Please, relax. I promise I haven’t been spying on you. But I was forced to, in this case.”

“Forced how?”

“My mistress had instructed me to keep you safe. And I feared things might come to violence with those two meeting you in private.”

“And why is that?” Freddy asked sarcastically. “I wonder why they might be inclined to attack me… Maybe because I was being rude? Or to…?” He bit his lip. “Or is it to finish…?” He wanted to say it out loud, but the words were stuck in his throat like nails. 

Matt gave him a sad look. “As you’ve probably already guessed, it was Mr. Afronte who had sold you out to the Kraven Clan.”

Freddy’s eyes closed involuntarily as the words struck him like a physical blow.

Suddenly, he recalled what the adjudicator had told him in a previous conversation. Nahar Kraven had been with “allies,” and one of them was apparently important enough that even the adjudicator couldn’t disclose anything about them. He didn’t know whether that was Mark or Harold. But it didn’t matter who it was.

And Mark… he was the only person who had known about Bloodshed.

“I see,” he muttered. “Do you know why he did that?”

“The man had suffered a severe injury by a particularly nasty deviant. It was the kind of wound that regular healing couldn’t hope to address. Without a lot of money, he couldn’t hope to get it fixed before he lost the arm.”

“So why didn’t Madame help him?”

Matt simply shook his head with a sad expression. 

Freddy scoffed. Because she had no reason to, of course. He’d gotten himself hurt, and she wasn’t a charity. It wasn’t her fault. “God fucking damn it,” he said as he sighed deeply and pressed his hand against his forehead. “And why are you here? What the hell does she want from me? How did she find me, anyway?”

“Not even I am privy to her methods,” the man said. “As for why; Madame would like to offer you an interview.”

Freddy paused at that and then scowled at the man. “Seriously? That’s it?”

Matt shrugged with a chuckle. “I am not sure you understand how baffling your circumstances are. I can’t even begin to guess how you’ve become so powerful in such a short time. It is hardly surprising she’d want you on.”

“And this is an offer, right?” He squinted. “You aren’t gonna pull the contract out on me, right!?”

“Oh, no, no, no, don’t worry about that.” The man chuckled nervously. “The circumstances were outside of your control.”

“Just tell me one thing before I give you my answer.” He turned to stare at Matt with a kind of darkness that made even the man who could morph with shadow tense uncomfortably. “Did she at least try to save me?”

Matt sighed. “We had actually gone to save you together with Mr. Maskaart.”

Freddy’s eyebrows jumped as he pointed at the door. “That fucker? Excuse me, what?”

“Things didn’t turn out as planned, however. He backstabbed us at the last moment in favor of extracting a deal out of the Kraven patriarch.”

Freddy’s back tensed as he yet again recalled the adjudicator’s words. “He’s a four star, isn’t he?” 

“Was. A Lord, at that. City Lord of Pittersville. But he suffered a demotion and a penalty, and was forced to drink soul poison, bringing him down to the third star.”

Freddy relaxed a bit. “Okay, then.”

“Not okay.” Matt released a nose sigh as he gently shook his head. “Mr. Stern, please, do not get into a confrontation with them. I am aware that you’ve had some success against enemies a star above you, but this is not the same thing. That man’s power might have been lessened, but he is not helpless by any means. His abilities and tempering will be at the peak of what the third star can offer. You are not his match.”

Gritting his teeth, Freddy got up and smashed a fist into the table, breaking it in half and sending all the dishes clattering to the ground. “Take my word for it—I’m gonna kill them anyway.”

“Just don’t do anything rash. Please.”

That got Freddy to calm down a little. The man was right. A couple of bottom-feeders in the Northern Belt weren’t comparable to actual, genuine elites from the empire, let alone someone who had managed to reach the fourth star. In fact, any of the four prodigies who had come to visit could easily do what he’d done during the assault on Valhalla. 

The Shadow Queen girl could probably do it with her eyes closed and both legs and arms tied up. 

Just as he was about to calm down a little, the door to his room burst open, and a frenzied Travis rushed into the room with bloodshot eyes, holding his giant sword. “Where the hell are they?” he asked.

Freddy frowned. “Travis? What the hell?”

“Freddy, listen to me.” The man marched towards him. “Some people came to Repentawa today, I know who they are.” He swallowed hard as he fought to catch his breath. “One of them is the bastard who got Thor killed.”

Freddy’s expression darkened. “What do you mean…?”

“They call him Basilisk. He’s—”

Freddy’s eyes shot wide open as he looked at Matt. “Is that him?”

Matt’s jaw set. “Please don’t, Mr. Stern. You will regret it.”

“Regret what?” Travis asked, then stepped over to grab Freddy by the shirt. “Regret what!? Do you know where they are!?” 

He got hold of Travis’s arm and pulled it off his shirt. “Twisted Pendulum.”