Gleam Karma Cultivator Isekai

Chance straightened, wiping his mouth with the back of a hand, and shook his head. Luckily, nobody was in the kitchen. He wasn’t exactly in the mood to explain what had happened.

A small slip of paper on the counter caught Chance’s eye. He walked over to it, raising his eyebrows as he realized his name was written on the front – and in a language he could read. A gold coin tumbled out as he unfolded it.

“My weekly stipend, huh?” Chance asked, taking the coin. He glanced out the window. The sun had started to set, but there was still at least an hour before night started to fall over Gleam.

Chance’s stomach rumbled. Somehow, despite his little adventure with Yamish, he was hungry. He walked back upstairs and knocked on Yeo’s door, but there was no response. After a short pause, he tried Bella’s room as well to equal success.

Shrugging to himself, Chance headed back downstairs and rifled through the icebox. It had been a long time since he’d actually cooked anything for himself, but it probably wasn’t too difficult.

Unfortunately, he didn’t recognize a single ingredient in it. Even worse, there was no traces of anything that could even resemble milk. Chance shut it with an irritated grumble. “Right. Guess I’m going out again.”

***

The street that Yeo had taken him to eat the previous day was still, unsurprisingly, completely packed. He shoved his way through the crowd, making his way down the road in search of a new restaurant to try out.

Part of him wanted to just go back to Hound’s, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d somehow just get pulled into another Ward if he went there. Instead, his eyes alighted on a small sign with a steaming bowl of soup made of red and orange energy glimmering above it.

Chance stumbled out of the crowd, nearly getting squished by a massive, eight foot man dragging a cart behind him, and pushed through the door. A tiny metal bell chimed to announce his presence.

This restaurant was even smaller than Hound’s. There were six tables lined against the tight walls of a small room, and a small window in the back where he could see into the kitchen. A young, dark haired waitress beside an old wooden podium glanced up at him from the book she was reading.

“Table for one?”

“Yes, please,” Chance said.

She grabbed a menu and tossed it down on the table behind her. It was hidden behind a small wooden barrier, giving it just a tad more privacy than the others. He sat down, giving her a polite smile. “Thank you.”

“Let me know when you’re ready to order,” the waitress replied with a shrug.

“Actually, I was wondering if you had a recommendation,” Chance hedged. “I’m new to the city.”

A mixture of annoyance and amusement played over her face. “Do I look like a menu to you?”

Chance rubbed the back of his head. “No. But I can’t read the menu.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “From the boonies? Or wait – you’ve got to be off planet.”

“You’ve got it,” Chance said. “I haven’t quite had a chance to figure out how to read the local language.”

“Well, it’s a slow day, so I suppose I don’t have anything better to do,” the waitress said with a sigh, casting a longing glance at her book before turning back to him. “What planet are you from, anyway?”

“Earth. Are there a lot that send people here?”

“Dozens,” she replied, grabbing the menu from the table. “Madeleine’s is a soup kitchen, by the way. If you don’t want soup, go elsewhere.”

“I kind of guessed by the sign. Soup would be perfect. Do you have a recommendation?”

“Chef’s Special, perhaps?” she asked, giving him a slight grin. “If you’re going to ask for my advice, that is.”

“If you think it’s good, sure. Wait – how much is it? I don’t want to find out I can’t afford it.”

“Wow, you’re really fresh if you’re worried about food prices. Two copper.”

More expensive than Hound’s. Probably fine, though.

“That’s fine, so long as you’ve got change,” Chance said.

She snorted as he handed her his gold coin. After a quick dig through her apron’s pockets, she pulled out several silver coins and a handful of copper ones. “You should really carry some smaller currency around.”

“Didn’t have any yet. Sorry,” Chance said, pocketing his money.

The waitress shrugged. She walked over to the kitchen and poked her head through the window. “Chef’s Special.”

Chance settled down to wait and the waitress returned to her podium, picking her book back up. A few minutes later, the bell on the door chimed and two armored men walked into the restaurant.

They sat down at the booth across from Chance and the waitress wordlessly deposited two menus before them. He couldn’t see weapons on either of them, but judging by their outfits, he suspected they were probably just hidden somewhere.

“Chef’s Special,” the cook called, setting out a large bowl of stew on the counter. The waitress grabbed it and deposited the bowl in front of Chance.

“Enjoy.”

“Thanks,” Chance replied, picking up a spoon and taking a cautious sip. It was a lot spicier than he’d expected, but the broth was delicious and had little chunks of seasoned meat floating inside it. He grinned to himself and dug in.

Several more people entered and left the restaurant over the course of his meal. All of them looked battle seasoned and, with every passing one, Chance felt more and more out of place. Just as he was finishing off the last of his large meal, the door chimed once more.

Chance nearly choked on his soup. He scrunched down over his bowl as Bella walked in alongside a tall, black haired man. By some stroke of luck, the wooden barrier managed to keep him hidden from vision and they sat down at the booth directly behind Chance.

“It’s been a while since we sat down like this,” the man drawled. His voice was smooth and confident, but it dripped with so much conceit that Chance took an immediate dislike to him.

Hold on, slow down. I didn’t like Yeo on first impression either, and I’m eavesdropping. This is really none of my business.

“I wish it had been longer,” Bella replied, her voice ice cold. “What do you want, Vex?”

“Why, can’t old friends stop for a chat?” Vex asked. “It was fate that we met again.”

“You are by far the furthest thing anyone can have from a friend. If I could kill anyone on Centurion with a thought, you’d have been rotting in the ground four years ago.”

“What a shame,” Vex said. “Alas, you should have thought about that before making a contract with me.”

Chance could practically feel Bella’s hatred radiating from where he sat. He heard her grind her teeth, then sigh. “What in the hells do you want, Vex? I won’t do anything to help you.”

“And yet, here you sit.”

“Because I don’t have a choice,” Bella growled. “Your cursed magic isn’t giving me very much freedom. Trust me, I am doing everything in my power to put the fork in my hand through your eye.”

“Do keep trying,” Vex said with a small chuckle. “It’s quite amusing. It sounds like you’re regretting some decisions. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Eat shit and die, murderer.”

“What a mouth,” Vex mused. “Oh well. I just wanted to check in on my little girl.”

A loud thunk made Chance wince.

“Now that really was impressive,” Vex drawled. “And what a strike. You managed to put the fork all the way through my hand. I didn’t actually think you had enough mental fortitude to resist my will. Noted.”

“Never speak of them again,” Bella hissed, pure fury radiating from her words. “Just tell me what you want or kill me.”

Chance nervously glanced around at the other patrons, wondering why nobody had noticed Bella and Vex’s exchange, but there wasn’t a single trace of them. The restaurant was empty. He repressed a curse. He’d gotten pulled into a Ward. Again.

“There’s no benefit to killing you now. Not after all the work I did to get you to this point,” Vex said with a laugh. “I’m just checking in on my investment.”

“Don’t you have better things to do with your time?”

“Please, Bella. I’m not wasting any time here. I’m not even here – this is just a little scrap of my will. Now, I heard you managed to lose your Shikari license. That’s quite impressive, considering everything I’ve done for you.”

Vex chuckled, but it cut off midway. There was a clink as he discarded a utensil and rose to his feet, and Chance cringed as the man stepped around the table and stared down at Chance. His eyes were purple voids, devoid of human emotion.

“What have we here? How did you get into my Ward, little rat?”

“You brought a Shikari into the ward?” Bella asked, rising herself and walking over. “Sounds like you’re losing your touch, Vex. Good. Maybe someone will–”

She choked as she caught sight of who was sitting at the table. “Chance?”

“What a coincidence,” Chance said, trying to keep his face placid as his heart thundered in his chest. It didn’t take a genius to tell from Bella and Vex’s conversation that the dead-eyed man was incredibly powerful. “I’m afraid I’m a little busy right now, though. I was eating.”

“Answer my question,” Vex said, his voice dangerously calm. “You were not pulled into this Ward. How did you get in?”

A heavy pressure settled on Chance’s shoulders, forcing him down into his chair. He gritted his teeth as his bones creaked in protest. “I don’t know. I was just sitting here. Maybe you should be more careful with how you make your Ward.”

“No matter. I must have been distracted. Look what your antagonism causes, Bella,” Vex said. Black water slithered down his hand and formed into a dagger. “Now I have to deal with a witness. Luckily for both of us, that isn’t too much trouble.”

“This is a trick,” Bella said, turning to Vex and clenching her hands. “Stop playing your damn games, Vex. What, do you just take pleasure in making me watch people I know die?”

“Yes,” Vex replied. “But, to my annoyance, this is not a game.”

Chance desperately tried to move, but his body wouldn’t budge. He couldn’t even call on his Essence. It was like Vex had complete dominion over his every motion. With a sigh, Vex raised the dagger.

A hand materialized around his wrist, its fingers uncomfortably long. Yamish unfolded in the air behind Vex, in his typical upside down cross-legged position.

“This one is mine,” Yamish breathed, his hand tightening around Vex’s wrist. Vex’s face didn’t change as his bones cracked and snapped beneath the floating man’s grip.

“Is there a glaring hole in my Ward somewhere?” Vex asked idly. “Why are there so many uninvited visitors today?”

“Your Essence is distasteful,” Yamish said. “And, for a mere shard of a full being, you speak with far too much aplomb.”

“Why should I fear what cannot hurt me?” Vex asked. “You have enough strength to understand my true power. I am a god.”

“No,” Yamish said. “I think you are delusional.”

Black mist poured from his palm, twisting into Vex’s body. He stiffened and his eyes twitched in the first show of real emotion that Chance had seen him make. “What is this?”

“A warning,” Yamish replied. “I hope your true self is wiser with the other pieces of his soul. This boy is mine. Bought and paid for. Remember it well.”

Vex didn’t get to reply. A faint chord rang through the air, like someone had plucked the string of a harp. Then he was gone, leaving no trace of his passage. The pressure vanished from Chance’s shoulders and drew in a ragged breath.

“Thank you.”

And I’m just not going to address the whole ‘mine’ bit. That feels like a can of worms I’ll deal with when he isn’t saving my life.

“Another favor,” Yamish said, shaking his head and rotating to stand like a normal person. “But, perhaps, this one will not be counted. A creature of his ilk should not have been in Gleam. This Ward will drop shortly, so our time is up. Until we meet next. Remember the rules.”

Then Yamish was gone as well, leaving only Chance and Bella staring at the air where he’d been floating. With a subtle pop, the restaurant was full once more and dull chatter filled the room.

Bella still stood across from Chance, an incomprehensible expression on her face. Her mouth worked like she wanted to say something, but she couldn’t pull her eyes away from the spot where Vex had been standing a moment before.

“Uh… weird seeing you here,” Chance said awkwardly.

“How long were you following us?” Bella asked, finally finding her voice.

“I wasn’t following you,” Chance corrected. “I was eating. You sat down behind me.”

Bella glanced around, then slid into the booth to sit down beside Chance.

“How much did you hear?” she whispered into his ear, keeping her voice low so the other patrons wouldn’t overhear them.

“Probably more than I should have,” Chance admitted. “But I don’t really know what’s going on. That Vex bloke seems like a terrible person, though.”

Bella’s shoulders stiffened and her hands balled into fists. Given her previous interactions with him, he half expected her to either hit him or storm out. Instead, she slumped and buried her face in her hands.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I don’t know how you got wrapped up in this,” Bella muttered, her words muffled by her palms. “I did everything I could. I tried so damn hard. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t think I follow,” Chance said slowly.

Bella glanced around, then shook her head, making her curly hair bounce slightly. “This isn’t the place to talk about this. Come with me.”