A Bet

The giant man rocked on his heels, arms crossed, watching the lifeless body in front of him with something that looked suspiciously like satisfaction. After a long moment, he nodded to himself, entirely too pleased.

"I think that went well."

The halfling hmphed, arms crossed. "You think maybe we should have told him he needed to endure the void without losing himself?"

The man waved a dismissive hand. "Ehh, people get real fidgety when you tell them things like 'don't let the void consume your soul.' Then suddenly, it's all panic and screaming. Better to let him figure it out naturally."

Then, as if struck by a delightful thought, he grinned.

"Honestly, I can't wait to meet him again. Do you think he'll recognize me? Or will I have to introduce myself like, 'Hey, kid, remember that time I stuffed a void seed in your chest and you screamed a whole lot?'"

The halfling let out a slow breath, rubbing her temple. Insufferable.

"Even if you're right… you're already old. Are you sure you'll be around?"

The man gasped, clutching his chest in mock offense. "Wow. Ruthless. That almost hurt. It's like you want me to die." His grin stretched, wolfish. "Are you saying you'd miss me?"

She gave him a look. "You're assuming he survives."

The man roared with laughter, throwing his head back. "You're assuming he doesn't! That's why you always lose bets."

The halfling rolled her eyes.

Then, after a pause, he pulled something from his belt pouch—a second void seed, identical to the one now buried in the dying man's chest. He twirled it between his fingers, watching the swirling darkness within as if debating something.

Her expression immediately soured.

She had already argued against giving Wes a seed in the first place. It had been reckless. A C-Ranker? There had been so many better options. Stronger, more refined souls. Candidates with the potential to endure the process.

But this idiot had insisted.

And now, with the first mistake made, he was back at it again.

"How about a bet?"

The halfling's golden eyes sharpened as she glared at him. "No."

The man ignored her completely, his grin widening. "If he survives, you use your lucky Ideal Mana Law on him. If he doesn't, you get to pick the next candidate for the seed."

She exhaled slowly, jaw tightening.

That wasn't nothing.

Her Ideal had a reset period, a long one—years before she could use it again.

She had pupils, apprentices, people she had planned to use it on, all with potential far beyond some half-dead human.

If she agreed and somehow lost this bet, she'd be wasting years on Wes instead of someone who actually deserved it.

And yet…

Her golden eyes flicked toward him, then back to the void seed twirling between his fingers.

He was grinning. Too much.

Like he already knew something she didn't.

Her lips parted, the acceptance at the edge of her tongue—

Then she hesitated.

Why?

Why did he look so damn pleased with himself?

That single second of doubt made her grip tighten.

She was about to pull back. To reconsider.

Then, as if sensing it, he tilted his head, eyes gleaming with mischief.

"You know what?" He spun the void seed effortlessly in his fingers. "Even if he does survive and you have to use your Ideal, you still get to pick the next one."

She froze.

Her golden eyes flicked to him, then to Wes's body, then back to him.

"I still get to choose?"

The man nodded, entirely too smug. "You use your Ideal, yeah, but you still get to decide where this last seed goes. So really… you win either way."

Her jaw locked.

So far, he had won every bet.

And she was the lucky one.

She studied the motionless body on the ground, then the void seed spinning between his fingers.

There was no way Wes survived.

And if by some insane stroke of fate he did…

She sighed, her expression reluctant.

"Fine."

She had already resigned herself to burying another body.

But as she turned, casting one last glance at the void seed pulsing in Wes's chest, that nagging feeling wouldn't quite leave her.

The man still looked too damn pleased with himself.

Her grip tightened around her satchel.

They would know in a year if he survived the cycle.

But it could be a hundred of years before he was actually reborn.

Some would come sooner. Others later.

None of them chosen by chance.

Each one called back only when it was time to prepare.

To ready themselves for the final war.

She sighed, shaking her head.

Out of everyone in the universe, she had been paired with this man to choose the champions.

As if on cue, the giant man grinned wider, tearing open the void as they stepped through, leaving Earth behind.