NOVEL NEXT Chapter 42: Raising the flag?
" It's a pleasure to do business with you, sir."
Just as expected, the tool that was more than common even in the world that suffered through the apocalypse, a tool that no one in that world would bat an eye for, was more than valuable on earth. In the future, scientists from my homeworld would definitely figure out a way to create both this simple tool and all the other kinds of insane stuff. This was something I had absolutely no doubts against.
To a certain degree, the fact that I was willing to pull out and share those items, even if it only in very limited quality, was a variable that would contribute to the development of local, earthy magical technology. While with the first few things that I would introduce to this world it could be quite problematic, as soon as the scientists would get their brains going, reverse-engineering those items definitely laid in the scope of what my brethren were capable of.
But for now, given how I was absolutely the only source where those items could come from, I was the only one who could decide what their price would be. And the young master of the Baskar family was more than happy to be the first person to receive such an insanely valuable item from me, especially after the same man that caught my attention before attested to its capabilities after a short test.
"The pleasure is mine. On that note, I hope I will be able to count on your help from now on. While I can't promise you any tangible benefits right away…"
Instead of trying to openly bribe the organisation, it was better to keep our relationship vague. I had no doubts that as soon as they would find a way to make use of me, they wouldn't back down from anything to obtain the most of me they could. That's why any action that would reveal even a single of my cards would be putting me at the disadvantage in the long term.
"I think I understand, but just to avoid misinterpretations that could put a wrench into our further cooperation, let me reiterate what the agenda of the Baskar family will be."
Smiling kindly in response to my cut-off sentence, the young man clearly didn't want to leave the negotiations on any even remotely ambiguous tone. The usefulness of the tool that I offered them was simply too great to make use of this kind of shady tactics that they might employ when dealing with others.
"For now, we will help you to officially take over the lands that you desire and make sure your grand appearance there will be befitting the respect that your sect desires. As for the future, in case you will need our help, further negotiations will be required. In case of some urgent scenarios appearing, my family will do its absolute best to provide support within the limits of what we are capable off…"
This time, it was the young man who cut his sentence off, unwilling to say the less pleasant part of it out loud.
"The price will be multiplied accordingly both to the efforts used and the danger of the potential rescue. That's completely understandable and acceptable."
Reaching forth with my hand, something that was almost eradicated from the human culture with a relatively recent outbreak of a pandemic, I shook the palm of the man in front of me, before pulling out my umbrella.
Who could've known that by the time our talk would be finished, the sunny weather of the typical bright day in what used to be a central Europe could turn into an ugly, dark and wet area fully conquered by the outpour of rain?
Well, anyone who spent a considerable amount of time in this location.
Nodding my head as I left the mansion, I couldn't spare myself a single look towards the booth of the local bodyguard. Now that I approached the place from the outside, its location was perfectly visible, giving out how little the old defence systems were worth in this new reality that all the humans had to face.
According to the settlement with the Baskar organisation, I had to take my time with my walk. And instead of trying to sabotage my very own plans, I simply took a stroll through the rainy streets of the town that once used to be my home.
In just a few moments, I left the high-end area of the city, entering what used to be the main shopping district of the city.
No matter whether I looked to the left or right, I could see familiar places with loads of memories that I made around those places. A clothing store - now closed - where I went on the first quasi-date with Martha. A fast-food chain - unsurprisingly, doing even better than before with the influx of strangely addicting meat of the magic-infused animals - where I and most of my friends would go after the tiring classes.
But despite nearly half of the shops in the area turning into abandoned ruins, there were some others that sprouted like never before. Potion shop, enhanced weapons shop, full-marks marriage hotel where one could practice the dual cultivation with girls happy to help under the pinkish lights that illuminated the entire building…
As long as one was capable of joining the ongoing trend of cultivation, all those places would be the new hanging-out spots, offering tools and materials to further one's strength. But for me, this entire damned place was just a symbol of both the power of the families like Baskar and how much the world has changed in the past year.
Given how I was supposed to be the absolute trash in this new, cultivation-based world, this was my very first time when I took pleasure from walking through this place. Not because in this new cover of mine, no one would scoff at my presence here. I was happy because just by comparing what was offered all over this place with what I could easily obtain in any of the worlds that my basement-located multiverse system could take me to, I could easily understand how I accidentally climbed all the way to the absolute peak of the world.
That is, on the basis of the items I could obtain alone. In terms of strength, even if I were to master my recently obtained abilities, I could find it troublesome to deal with the real powerhouses of the new era. And that reason alone was more than enough to avoid meeting with them at any cost.
But for now, my stroll took already long enough. Suddenly redirected my steps as if I saw some kind of middle-school friend that I was fully unwilling to waste my time on, I turned around and entered one of the small, side-alleys. In just a few steps, I managed to leave the shopping district behind me. Now, all that was left, was to go back to my house, create a huge commotion and just let the Baskar men do the rest by spreading all kinds of rumours that I wrote for them.
All that was left, was to reach for the place where my house used to be, without anyone stopping and recognising me on my way there.
Wait, did I say that out loud? Nah, I wouldn't be that stupid. While I didn't really believe things like raising up flags existed in a harsh, real-world…
"Wait, Krist?!"