Absolute Cheater - Chapter 431
Chapter 431: Higher Dimension III
Asher set the cup down at last, its faint clink against the table sounding louder than it should have in the muted café. His gaze was steady, but inside, thoughts churned. A wheel that grinds the weak. Factions that devour the bold. A refuge beneath the Tide.
His hand flexed once against the wood before he finally spoke.”And if one wished to leave Mother’s Rest?”
Ben’s eyes narrowed a little, as though measuring the intent behind the words. He leaned forward, cane angled across his knees. “Then they’d be marked. Every soul that steps out of sanctuary becomes a beacon, lad. The great factions don’t like wanderers. You either swear your oaths, or you’re hunted as a stray dog. There are no half-steps here.”
Asher’s crimson eyes glowed faintly, his lips curling into the ghost of a smile. “Hunted… heh. I wonder who would chase who.”
Ben smirked at that, though his expression carried a hint of unease. “Careful, boy. Confidence is the first thing Lavis Star breaks. You’ll find plenty who thought the same—ashes now, scattered across forbidden zones.”
The door to the café creaked again, this time without the chill. A group of armored figures passed outside, their banners etched with lightning bolts, voices booming as they marched toward the square. Their presence left a tang of ozone in the air.
Ben glanced toward the window. “Stormbound Pavilion. Always on the move, always making noise.” He shook his head. “They’ve been circling Lavis Star these past months, looking for fresh talent. The wheel’s turning again.”
Asher watched the banners fade into the distance, his jaw set. “Recruiters?”
“Aye,” Ben confirmed, lowering his voice. “This city is a staging ground. Every ascended who awakens here is dragged into the tide of factions, whether they wish it or not. You were right to ask about refuge—but the truth is, boy, even Mother’s Rest won’t protect you forever. Not with that kind of presence clinging to you.”
His gaze hardened, flicking briefly to the crimson glow still faint around Asher’s form. “You carry something that will draw them all. Light, Night, Storm, Tide—none will ignore it.”
Asher leaned back, arms folding across his chest, voice calm but edged. “Then let them come. If their wheel wishes to grind me, I’ll break the spokes.”
Ben chuckled low, shaking his head. “Spoken like a fool—or a legend. Time will decide which.”
The café quieted again, but the silence was heavy, filled with unspoken things. Outside, the banners of factions flew in the wind, and somewhere beyond the city’s walls, the sealed red zones pulsed faintly, like wounds in the fabric of the world.
Ben finally pushed himself up with his cane. “Come. Enough talk. If you’re serious about walking this path, you’ll need to see Lavis Star for what it truly is. Not from a café table.” His voice dropped as he glanced toward the distant horizon. “There’s a place where the ten factions’ banners all converge. If you’re to choose—or to defy—you’ll start there.”
Asher rose, his crimson gaze narrowing slightly in anticipation.
Asher leaned back in his chair, fingers tracing the rim of the glass before him. His gaze fixed on Ben, weighing his words.
“Why are you guiding me?” he asked at last, voice even but edged with curiosity.
Ben chuckled, the sound low and slightly raspy. He adjusted his robes, leaning forward with both elbows on the small café table. “It’s my work here,” he said frankly. “Newbies drop in from different places, sometimes clueless, sometimes arrogant. My role is to guide them through the basics—help them understand the factions, the rules of this dimension, and get them registered with whichever group they choose.”
He tapped the wooden surface with two fingers, a rhythmic beat. “In return, I earn a commission from the factions. A finder’s fee, you could say. The stronger the recruit, the better the cut.” His eyes glimmered knowingly as they studied Asher. “And you… you’ll fetch a pretty sum, no doubt.”
Asher raised an eyebrow, not offended but calculating. “So you profit from where I end up?”
Ben grinned and waved his hand as if brushing away dust. “Profit, yes—but don’t mistake it. I’m no slaver or handler. Whether you go with one faction or none at all, that’s your choice. My job is to lay out the table and tell you what’s on the plates. What you eat—or don’t eat—isn’t my concern.”
He leaned back, sipping the steaming brew in front of him before continuing. “But since you’re asking directly, I’ll tell you this much. Choosing a faction here isn’t just formality. It’s survival. Every law here runs deep, every group fights to expand its roots. Alone, even the strongest burn out fast. Backed by a faction? You carve out a place in this dimension, and no one dares move against you easily.”
Ben’s tone softened a touch, the grin fading into something almost thoughtful. “That’s why I guide. Some fools stumble in, make enemies fast, and vanish within weeks. Others? With the right start, they become pillars of this place. I’d rather help people reach the second outcome—and if I make a cut along the way, well, I won’t complain.”
Asher sat silent for a few moments, processing. Then he inclined his head faintly. “Reasonable enough.”
Ben smirked. “Reasonable, yes. But I suspect you’re not the type to be easily convinced. So, Asher… tell me. Are you here to carve out power, or just passing through?”
Asher tilted his head slightly, watching Ben’s smile curve into something sharper, almost testing.
Ben tapped the rim of his cup again, then leaned closer, lowering his voice as if the shadows around them were listening. “I’ll be straight with you. Whatever you want, I can see it in your eyes—it’s not just coin or a roof over your head. You’re carrying ambition.”
He held Asher’s gaze and added, “And ambition doesn’t fit well under another man’s banner.”
Asher stayed quiet, letting Ben speak on.
“That’s why,” Ben continued, “I’ll give you a piece of advice most won’t. Don’t rush. Don’t leap at the first hand that offers you a sigil and a name. Spend a few days here—observe, breathe, and taste the air. This place runs on ecstasy, power, and schemes. What shines bright today is often ash tomorrow.”