บท 74: Chapter 74: Next Steps
As Darm listened, his face became more and more expressive, much like the other guards standing nearby, who were equally stunned by what they were hearing.
"What does he look like, exactly?" Darm asked, wanting to confirm everything.
"We don't know what he looks like, but this is his usual appearance," one of the bounty hunters said, showing Darm an image. "He's been in the bounty business for just over three months, and in that short time, he's become a living legend."
"His name is spreading across planets in the entire galaxy. We've come all this way just to see if we could meet him. If we could, and maybe get in his good graces, the benefits would be enormous," another added, their tone full of admiration.
"We're off to the Bounty Hunter Bar now to see if the info we got is legit," one of them said. "If it's fake, I'll kill the guy who sold us this nonsense!"
With that, the group left, leaving Darm and the other guards in a bit of a daze. The image of Kassadin in his purple and gold armor, his face hidden by a golden mask, lingered in Darm's mind. His heart pounded as he recalled the day this same Kassadin had told him that, if the day ever came when his name became well-known, Darm could come find him for help.
At the time, Darm didn't think much of it. After all, how often do people go from zero to hero overnight? But now, in just a few short months, the name Kassadin was echoing through the galaxy.
"Darm, we've met him, haven't we?" one of the guards beside him said, pulling Darm out of his thoughts.
"Kassadin… Yeah, I remember now," Darm muttered. "It sounded like the kind of name a big shot would have."
"This is your chance, Darm!" another guard said, his voice rising with excitement. "You should try and get in contact with him. Whatever goal you have, I bet he can make it happen with just a word."
"Yeah! Guys like him can do in minutes what would take us a lifetime," another added.
"But what if he's already forgotten about me?" Darm replied, keeping his hopes tempered. "He's a big deal now."
"Maybe, but you won't know unless you try," the guards urged. "Do you want to spend your whole life as a guard? Kassadin's worth over thirty billion now. Thirty billion! You'd have to work a hundred lifetimes to earn that much!"
The group kept pushing Darm to go for it, reminding him of the mundane reality of their current jobs. As guards, they had little chance for upward mobility. Only a select few were ever promoted, and those who were were sent to more lucrative positions.
"Alright, I'll give it a shot," Darm finally agreed, feeling their enthusiasm rub off on him. Who wouldn't want to grab onto an opportunity like this, if it could mean a complete turnaround in life?
"If it works out, don't forget about us!" one guard teased.
"Yeah, take us with you when you make it big," another laughed.
"Let me find him first before you guys start making plans!" Darm said, rolling his eyes. But despite his reluctance, he began feeling hopeful. Pulling up the guard system's records, he looked for any recent information on Kassadin.
Kassadin had entered Xandar a little over three months ago, and according to the records, he had never left the city. After entering, he checked into the Elite Hotel, and that's where the trail ended.
The realization left Darm feeling slightly defeated. The Elite Hotel was way beyond his means — even a single night there was too expensive for him. The fact that Kassadin, who Darm had once thought was down on his luck, had gone straight to the Elite Hotel upon arrival made him feel small in comparison.
But now that he had the information, Darm was determined to try. If there was even a small chance Kassadin would remember him, it could change everything.
Meanwhile…
Over the past two months, Harvey had completed 114 tier-two bounty missions. After the final disaster-level mission, his accumulated wealth stood at over thirty-two billion.
While it wasn't a mind-boggling sum in the grand scheme of things, it was more than enough for his current needs. More importantly, the missions had allowed him to evolve seventy-six times, bringing his total evolution count to an astounding 457.
With the disaster-level missions completed, his evolution rate would inevitably slow down, but his power had grown exponentially. As long as he didn't encounter some of the more absurdly powerful beings in the Marvel universe, he was confident in his ability to handle most threats. If things got truly dire, he could always push himself through the pain and evolve by consuming metal, even vibranium if necessary.
His reputation had also spread far and wide across the galaxy, setting the stage for the next part of his plan.
He planned to continue spreading the influence of the Void throughout the cosmos, and when the time was right and his strength had grown even more, he would bring the Void to Earth. The year was currently 2009, and the superhero boom on Earth was still a year or so away. That gave him plenty of time to grow.
"Kassadin, welcome back. Your fruit tea is ready," Sonya, the Elite Hotel's villa manager, greeted him with a warm smile as he returned.
Over the months, although Sonya didn't know what Kassadin did for a living, she had gotten used to his comings and goings. By now, she knew when to have things prepared for him in advance.
"Sonya, I'll be leaving soon," Harvey said, reclining in a lounge chair as he sipped the tea.
If he was going to take the next step in his plan, he couldn't keep staying at the Elite Hotel. He needed a private, permanent base, somewhere he could build or buy, where he could modify it as he wished and operate more freely.
Sonya blinked in surprise at his announcement but quickly regained her composure. "It's been a pleasure to serve you, Mr. Kassadin," she said with her usual professional grace. While she had enjoyed his stay, she knew her role. Kassadin was a guest, and parting was inevitable.
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