Chapter 47: Pleasure doing business
That was how, a few hours later, Damien Bloodbane found himself standing in front of the Powerful Mage Coffee Club with Fatty at his side.
Fatty, holding a steaming bun in one hand, looked at the seemingly peaceful café and suddenly felt something was wrong.
His instincts screamed at him.
Powerful mana fluctuations rippled from inside, far beyond his comfort level.
He wiped his forehead and forced a nervous chuckle.
"Uh… Boss, now that I think about it," he said, backing away slightly, "I, uh… just remembered! I found a job! A very urgent job. Need to go now! Super important! Big money! Responsible adult stuff!"
Damien Bloodbane rolled his eyes at him. "You're running away."
"Nooo," Fatty dragged the word out, stepping further away. "I'm making a strategic retreat from unnecessary danger."
"... You just ate a meat bun you found on the street."
Fatty winced. "Look, that was a different kind of risk, okay?"
He took another step back.
And another.
"I-I'm already late boss! I'll see you in school!!" Then he spun around and bolted.
Damien Bloodbane sighed heavily, watching his so-called "underling" disappear down the street.
Then he sighed again and stepped inside.
Instantly, joyful shouts erupted from within.
"THERE HE IS!"
"OUR ERRAND BOY RETURNS!"
"OI, DAMIEN! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"
"WE WERE ABOUT TO SEND OUT A MISSING PERSONS REPORT!"
"YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST DISAPPEAR ON US?!"
The entire coffee shop erupted into chaos, the old men practically jumping out of their seats as soon as Damien Bloodbane stepped inside.
General Maru was the first to approach, grinning ear to ear. "About damn time, kid! Thought you had finally run away for good!"
General Riki smacked a table hard enough to shake the cups on it. "You've got guts ignoring our bounty! Do you know how many random weirdos showed up here looking for you?!"
General Hong Fei snorted, arms crossed. "Tch. The brat probably thought he was too good for us after winning the last BGA fight."
General Xian Fei whistled. "Hah! Too good? Nah, he's back, which means he realized the truth—he can't live without us!"
"No, no, you idiots!" another elder barked, slamming his cane on the ground. "He's here because he finally realized that we're the only ones who actually pay him!"
"Smart brat! That's why he's my favorite!"
"Your favorite? You barely even talk to him!"
"Shut up!"
The arguing, shouting, and cheerful jeering overlapped so fast that Damien Bloodbane didn't even get the chance to respond.
He opened his mouth but before he could say a single word…
"GRAB HIM! WE HAVE WORK TO DO!"
General Maru and General Riki each grabbed an arm and dragged him toward the side room before he could even blink.
Inside the side room, the five familiar BGA Sim Pods stood lined up, their sleek metal frames humming faintly with power.
Damien Bloodbane leaned back, arms crossed. "Alright. What's the deal?"
The old men exchanged glances, their expressions positively gleeful.
"Less talk. Get in first, quick!" General Maru pointed at the one he used previously.
Damien Bloodbane didn't bother arguing. He sat down, the familiar hum of the Sim Pod activating around him. With a quick flick through the menus, he logged into his old account.
[Welcome, Hungry Monster.]
"Go to the inbox and take a look." General Riki said impatiently.
Damien Bloodbane tapped into his inbox, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the newest message.
[Incoming Challenge: Northern Titans]
He opened it.
A formal challenge notice flashed onto the screen, bold and official.
To: Hungry Monster
From: Northern Titans
You got lucky last time.
Rematch.
Do you accept?
Damien Bloodbane raised an eyebrow. "Northern Titans? What's the big deal about them?"
"Titans is the code word for the Military in BGA!" General Xian Fei practically shouted in excitement. "They're actually the Northern Army Corps!"
Damien Bloodbane chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "Heh. They're really mad, huh?"
General Riki snorted. "Mad doesn't even cover it. You humiliated them, brat. They probably haven't stopped crying since."
"This is a golden opportunity to beat them in their own game!" General Maru laughed excitedly like a little kid. "Imagine how pissed off they'd be if they lost a hundred mecha fights to some unknown punk outside the military!"
He slammed his fist on the table, his voice full of glee.
"They'd be scrambling to find you, searching everywhere, never even considering the truth…"
General Maru's grin widened, his voice rising into a near maniacal cackle.
"That the ACE they're looking for… belongs to the Mana Awakened Department!"
He threw his head back and howled with laughter.
"HAHAHA! EPIC! EPIC!!!"
Damien Bloodbane grinned, fully grasping the irony of the situation. The military's best mecha pilots, desperately searching for a mysterious ace—only to never suspect he was from the Mana Awakened Department.
It was brilliant. And honestly? Kind of fun.
His finger hovered over the ACCEPT button, but before pressing it, he turned his head slightly.
"So… what's in it for me?"
The room fell silent for a beat.
Then—
"$10,000 per fight." General Maru's voice was dead serious.
Damien Bloodbane raised an eyebrow. "Per fight?"
General Riki chuckled. "You think we're gonna make you do this for free?"
He leaned forward, his tone filled with mischief and amusement.
"I don't just want you to beat them. I want you to break their spirits. I want them waking up in cold sweats, screaming your name in their nightmares. I want them so desperate that they start bribing fortune tellers to divine your whereabouts. I want them pacing around their offices, clutching their heads, asking, 'WHO THE HELL IS THIS MONSTER?!' while their subordinates avoid eye contact and pretend they didn't hear another chair being thrown through a window."
General Riki's grin widened.
"And for that… we need you to win at least a hundred fights."
Damien Bloodbane blinked. "That's… a million dollars."
For a second, even he was impressed. Just how rich were these old geezers?
General Maru crossed his arms impatiently. "Are you in or not?"
Damien Bloodbane paused for a moment, considering it. Then he smirked.
"Make it $100,000 up front."
General Maru didn't even hesitate.
SLAM! He smacked his fist on the table. "DEAL!"
Ding!
[Funds Transferred: $100,000]
Damien Bloodbane smiled. His money problem was solved.
"Pleasure doing business."