CHAPTER 30: WIN-WIN

Midnight Whispers

In the dead of night, in an abandoned city where only silence reigned, a young man moved from rooftop to rooftop with the grace of a cat. His steps were as silent as a ghost’s, his movements so discreet that even if the city had been full of people, no one would have noticed his presence.

Under the pale glow of the moon, his sharp, elegant features were revealed, framed by messy cyan-colored hair that gave him a rebellious edge without diminishing his beauty. His mysterious and solitary aura blended seamlessly with the city’s desolate atmosphere.

Only an abnormally large rat broke the tranquility of the scene.

"So, what happened? Strange that you only knocked them out."

I didn’t even bother turning my head toward the animal that had just spoken.

"Well, today’s their lucky day."

The rat—or rather, the voice within it—let out a brief, mocking laugh.

"Since when do you show mercy? You must’ve discovered something that put you in such a good mood," it sneered, laced with sarcasm.

I smirked slightly before responding in a teasing tone.

"You can’t compare me to yourself—I’m a very charitable person."

My expression darkened immediately, my smile fading into a more sullen look.

"No, I didn’t find anything worth my interest. On the contrary, I miserably failed to deal with the parasites inside them."

Victor, still in his rat form, twitched his whiskers in thought.

"What do you plan to do? At their pace, it won’t take more than three days for them to cover the 200 kilometers and reach Invictus Fortress."

I shrugged, nearly making the rat lose his balance on his perch.

"I’ll improvise once I’m on the road. A lot can happen between now and then," I replied, a nonchalant air plastered on my face.

Victor flicked his tail, whipping the air. Over time, I had learned to decipher some of his movements, to interpret his mood through the way he swayed his tail. Right now, he felt betrayed.

He didn’t believe me. Not surprising—Victor was too cunning to be deceived so easily.

Unfortunately for him, I had no qualms about ignoring a rat’s resentment.

Speaking of which...

"By the way, Victor, how does your resonance work?"

He flinched before his tail began thrashing wildly.

Well, that question must have offended him.

"Insolent brat! Why not ask me to hand over my business while you’re at it? Or better yet, all the money I’ve saved for my retirement?"

I smirked, a mischievous glint in my eyes.

"I can’t refuse if you’re offering so generously."

"Tsk! Even if I die, you won’t get a single coin from me."

"You’re just as likely to die as I am if we fail." Before he could retort, I continued, adopting a more serious tone.

"I need to know everyone’s resonance if I want to create a plan that maximizes our chances of survival."

Victor didn’t answer right away. A silence settled between us, broken only by the wind howling through the ruined buildings. Finally, after an irritated sigh and a few mumbled curses, he stopped acting so coy and spoke in a more composed tone.

"Win-win."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"It allows me to form contracts with anyone, as long as both parties benefit from the deal."

A slow, sly smile spread across my lips.

"So, a scammer’s power?"

Victor let out a silent growl before continuing as if he hadn’t heard me.

He must have had enough of my jokes.

"I’ve made two contracts with this rat. The first states that in exchange for the food I provide, it must wait at your place and alert me as soon as it sees you. The second, which allows me to be with you right now, stipulates that I can borrow its body in exchange for mine."

My eyes widened, and I had to summon all my willpower to suppress a laugh.

"Wow. So there’s a rat occupying your body right now?"

Victor didn’t react to my mockery, but I could tell he was gritting his teeth internally.

Despite my sarcasm, I had to admit—his resonance, though lacking any apparent offensive capabilities, had limitless applications.

The simple fact that his power allowed him to swap bodies with an animal defied many natural laws. It was as if Victor’s contracts could make the impossible possible, as long as both sides got something out of it.

If he used it in business, Victor could become wealthier than he already was.

I shivered at the mere thought of the most immoral ways his ability could be exploited.

After a few more sarcastic remarks, we continued our journey in silence.

The modern buildings and paved roads gradually gave way to a military outpost. Or rather, what remained of one. With no one left to control the entrances and exits, it was a base in name only.

As the towering walls of Astoria stood proudly before us, I feared we might be walking into an ambush. But my worries were unfounded—no Calamity attacked us, and no other group of infected Initiates came to kill me. On the contrary, we passed through the massive gates without the slightest trouble.

After putting five kilometers between us and the city, I stopped and turned around to scan my surroundings.

Nothing.

No bodies, no swarm of insects, no giant serpents. Not the slightest trace of what Brenda had described. As if what she had witnessed had been nothing more than a mirage.

And yet, instead of feeling relieved, I felt a heavy weight settle in my chest. Something was wrong.

I was convinced Brenda had told the truth.

Why? After all, she could have hallucinated under the parasite’s influence.

But no. I had to remember—only those who had survived the Awakening had been infected. The rest of the population, those who hadn’t yet reached the minimum age, had been spared.

It was only during my last experiment that I finally understood why.

The parasite couldn’t survive in a normal human body. The ether concentration was too low. It could only thrive inside an Initiate.

Yet, at the time of the incident, Brenda hadn’t been an Initiate yet.

Sigh.

Things were evolving faster than I had anticipated.

As dawn began to break, I reached my limit. Fatigue crept in after running all night. Even an Initiate was still human, after all.

"Hey, Victor, how many kilometers before I reach your position?"

"Not much distance left. We’re almost there."

Barely had Victor finished speaking when—

Pain.

A sharp ache bloomed in my abdomen, making me stumble as if I had just been punched.

Instantly, I tensed and scanned my surroundings.

I saw no one.

I barely had time to react before I felt someone slam into me.

Oh...

That sensation...

It wasn’t entirely unpleasant.