"What did you call me here for?"
One day after the small party with those from room 7600, Mares was once more in Talho's office. He made no effort to hide the despise in his voice, and as usual, Talho showed zero interest or reaction. He wasn't even looking at Mares.
"What do you know about the services we provide?" He asked the long-haired while sliding through some projections that were being made by the arm of his chair.
"Services?"
Mares replied dubiously. He knew that businessman was not talking about the battles in the arena, otherwise, there would be no reason for that question. Talho nodded and went on.
"Besides entertainment, brutes like your lot can be used in a lot of other ways to make money."
'YOU ARE THE BRUTE, YOU SHITHEAD!' Even if the man she was cursing could not hear her, this didn't stop Esen from trying. Mares was also annoyed at being treated in such a way, but visually his only reaction was a slight frown between his eyebrows. That, as usual, Talho ignored or didn't notice at all.
"Bodyguards and manual labor are the most popular. Sometimes some richer folks also like to pay for private battles. I also tried to implement a prostitution system, but most of the clients were killed." There was a rare smile on his face as he seemed to remember something funny. "Some of them were killed before actually even having sex, but most of them died during the act." He added for no seeming reason, and Mares frow got worst.
There were several things Talho had just told him that made him despise the man much more than he previously did. If before he was going to kill Talho at some point because he was an obstacle for him to get out of the coliseum and planet eventually, now he also added that he simply couldn't stand him. It wasn't some heroic or altruistic reason, he simply despised the sly-eyed alien to the point he preferred the universe without him.
But he did not even once let leak any killing intent, passing unnoticed by Talho.
"Why are you telling me this?"
He decided to cut the businessman before he kept talking more.
"Put on your mask. You were hired under the bodyguard services."
Mares first reacted by raising his right eyebrow with a questioning look.
"Who hired me?"
"Someone that paid a lot."
Talho's reply had an uninterested tone and was enough for Mares to know he would not give him more information. Not seeing other better options, he took his mask, which now he always kept on his cloak, and put it. In the meantime, he and Esen were thinking of various things.
'Do you think is that lady?' Esen remembered clearly Qiulei's words that she would meet Mares soon again.
'I don't see why she would need me as a bodyguard though.' Mares also had thought of the orange-haired, but knowing she was much stronger than him, he felt like it shouldn't be her.
'Hmmm, wonder what you will have to do…'
The white-haired was curious as to what type of thing Mares would do as a bodyguard. She also imagined him in those formal suits she had seen in his memories before.
'Hihi, nice…'
If she had her physical body, she would be drooling now.
Mares hold a laugh seeing Esen acting like that.
Talho didn't look at the long-haired. He got up from his chair, walked to his side, and snapped his fingers. A circle of light formed on their feet and took over their bodies, making it look like a white pillar appeared in Talho's office.
In the time that was only enough for him to blink, Mares noticed his surroundings have changed.
"Teleport formation?"
He knew the coliseum was covered with spatial formations, especially on the underground. Still, he didn't expect to be directly teleported outside the room. The two didn't seem to be anywhere near the coliseum now. It was the first time in more than a week since they got on this planet, that they went out of the Coliseum.
"The cheapest type. There is your contractor."
To Mares and Esen's surprise, it truly was Qiulei.
"Here he is lady, as promised." Talho said, giving the orange-haired a slight bow.
Qiulei nodded to him and commented while looking at Mares.
"I believe it must be very unusual for sir Talho to come along. Is the person I hired so important?"
There was a tone of sarcasm in Qiulei's voice. She was not subtle in her attempt to inquire about information about Mares, though Talho's presence alone already told her enough.
"Of course, I have to come, lady, since my renamed client is you. I have to show this much respect."
Talho said with the same smile that made Mares think of an old willy fox.
"Can you both stop beating around the bushes? Let's just go."
Mares however lack the patience for this type of talk, where both had clear second intentions but acted like they didn't know each other's goal.
For the first time, the silver eyed saw the tiniest amount of annoyance showing up on Talho's expression. It was a satisfying scene for him and Esen, and even for Qiulei.
"Hu, I should have expected you to be this direct. Come with me, boy. Once again, thank you sir Talho."
Qiulei nodded her head for Talho one last time and turned around. Mares said nothing and simply followed along, no longer paying attention to the coliseum's owner.
Mares and Esen took the chance to observe their surroundings. In the distance, they could see a forest, but around them currently seemed like they were in a desert. The ground was a pale red and was covered by what looked like stalagmites of the same color as the ground.
"What is the job?"
Mares asked after enough moments of silence.
"I am a teacher. My favorite student and only disciple, as well as her colleagues, are going to get some life experience, and we needed someone to overlook them, just in case."
Mares nodded and didn't ask any more questions. Qiulei observed him for some more moments and sighed.
"You could ask for more details, you know?"
"I only have to watch over them as they hunt void beasts or something, right? It's simple enough." He stopped and seemed to think of something. "Are they going to loot the beasts?"
The question took Qiulei's interest.
"No, for a few reasons, they are not going to get the beasts' cores. Are you interested?"
Mares nodded.
"I want the cores."
He doesn't elaborate, and also wasn't asking. If he was going to do that job, and with that type of opportunity appearing in front of him, he wouldn't leave space for negotiation.
"Very well. The void beasts' cores are yours then. That will be added to your payment, as well as this."
She threw something at him, which the long-haired instinctively took and looked at. It was a sphere the size of a baby's head. It was completely gray and it had two circles, one on the top and one on the bottom.
'Know what this is Es?'
The white-haired put on a thoughtful look but had to shock her head in defeat.
"What is this?" Since Esen didn't know, he had to ask directly to Qiulei.
"Put your astral energy on it." She didn't explain the function, instead instructed him.
This made Mares more curious, and he did as was told. His silver astral energy traveled through his hands and made contact with the sphere. It was as if a sponge was thrown into the water, it rapidly absorbed the energy. The sphere lost its gray colors, instead, it became half black and half blue. What surprised Mares the most however was what happened after.
The sphere structure changed; it became liquid looking. It took over Mares' right hand until it solidified again when it got around his wrist. Now it looked like a glove, with the top of the hand being blue and the back being black.
"What?"
For the first time since he ever talked with Qiulei, the orange-haired watched Mares' astonished expression. She didn't try to hide her smile of amusement with the scene.
"This is a multi-weapon. Get your sword and your spear, and put them below the palm of your hand."
Curious to see where this would go, Mares does as he is told. First, he got his sword and as soon as the weapon was under his hand, a light went off on the circle on the palm. The light went around the whole body of the weapon. At the moment the light went off, the multi-weapon, as Qiulei called it, undid the glove form and became a sword with a blue hilt and black blade.
As he holds the hilt of the new weapon, Mares could feel certain that what he was holding was much better than the original sword.
"A multi-weapon is a technology that analyses other weapons, taking their forms. The best part is that it only reacts to the first astral energy registered in it meaning it will only ever recognize you."
Mares unconsciously let out a whistle. He had a thought, and the sword again turned into a glove that perfectly fit his right hand. Without wasting a second, he took the spear and made the same. The multi-weapon took the form of it, the body of the spear becoming black and the head of the spear being blue.
"Satisfied?"
"Very much. What's the name?"
It was Qiulei's turn to be surprised.
"Excuse me?"
Mares takes his eyes off his spear, which turns once more into the glove and seriously looks at Qiulei.
"A good weapon must be named."
The professor giggles.
"Suit yourself then. Choose the name that better fits you."
She then looked at the large group of people they were getting near.
"But now, let me present you, my student."