Street Cultivation 3: Chapters 47-48 (Patreon)

We are close to the end of SC3. It will take time for the non-patron readers to catch up, and I scheduled the Amazon release further out from that, but you guys are going to see the final twists and culminations relatively soon. This is what I've been writing toward for quite some time.

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Chapter 47: Community

Over the course of several weeks, Rick began to find the other side of withdrawal. His fever subsided and his body only trembled involuntarily on occasion, or when he was particularly stressed. Unfortunately, the urge to drink more Formula T was as high as ever, grinding at him every eight hours. He also thought he was far more restless than he had been before, seeking energy to burn.

Lisa's arrival had been immensely helpful, though she kept a professional distance at all times. That seemed impossible, given that she had come across several states just to help him. Yes, he was more than paying her back in the form of all the excess Formula T, but she hadn't known about that. She'd come solely because she cared.

Several times when she'd helped ease the withdrawal symptoms, he was so grateful he could have kissed her. Rick chalked that up to being delirious, or in any case he didn't want to make any decisions while he wasn't thinking clearly. She gave an odd smile when he thanked her that he didn't really understand.

As he finished his meditation, Rick got to his feet and ate everything she'd left for him. She said he shouldn't have any serum or philosopher's elixir, since it might inhibit his recovery, but there were plenty of other supplements to help him. Some to reduce withdrawal symptoms, some to rebuild his lucrim portfolio, and some to make sure his body modifications remained stable during the time of heavy transition. He hadn't even thought about the last one, but Lisa seemed to have a handle on everything.

Once he'd eaten, Rick returned to his training. His physical condition was still good, but there was something oddly off. Not just the occasional feeling that he didn't have enough strength, but odd twitches that inhibited his movements. Despite all his footwork training, occasionally he clumsily used too much power and smashed himself directly into a wall.

Overall, however, he felt much stronger. His base lucrim generation rate still lagged at the edge of six digits, but everything else had improved.

His defensive cores seemed to have taken the ordeal as an opportunity to grow, and if the Triune Golden Spheres had languished, at least the rest of him was stronger. Strangely, his foundation seemed to have dissolved into the Dark Blood Kettle, but he didn't feel weakened by it, so he assumed that it could only be a good thing.

Most likely, the fact that he'd been able to rebuild himself was due to what Teragen had done to him. That assault had dissolved the boundaries of his portfolio so that he could rebuild it more efficiently, so it was good timing that it had happened at the same time he'd been trying to get off Formula T... unless Teragen had predicted that as well.

The door to his room clicked open and Rick leapt, raising his fists before he realized he was being unnecessarily jumpy. On the other side, Melissa raised her hands cautiously. "Easy there, brother. Let's not have any sibling on sibling violence."

"Sorry. I'm just tense." Rick gestured for her to enter and then shut the door after her. "Are you doing okay?"

"I should be the one asking that, but yes. Having Lisa and Katenka to help me honestly makes my YLAA work a breeze. But more importantly..." Melissa triumphantly raised something in one hand, a vial containing a dark gray liquid, and imitated a victory sound effect. "This is done!"

"I, uh, don't know what that is."

"Yes, the announcement would have been a lot more dramatic if I'd ever told you that I was working on it. The thing is, I wasn't sure it would work. I abandoned the idea a while back because Lisa said it didn't have much commercial application, but it's very well-suited to you in particular. Here, take a look."

Rick accepted the vial and flinched slightly as a shock went through his fingers. The gray liquid felt just a bit like Melissa's aura, as if it was acid that could eat at him on a spiritual level. "So you're using me as a guinea pig for this, huh?"

"Yes, and all those supplements are actually just chopped carrots." Melissa grinned briefly, but then tapped the vial. "I'm actually proud of this, Rick. The problem with giving you anything that provides an instant boost in power is that your body might end up dependent on the rush of that instead of the Formula T. But this is actually negative power, filtered through my ether void."

"So it's like a bottled version of what you do to help increase efficiency?"

"It's more than that. If you carry a void flame from me, it should be stronger. Somebody who takes it will be less harmed by my Manifest Destruction. Hopefully your defensive cores will be able to adapt to it too. Now, I'm not saying it will transform your life, but I think you're one of the only people who could get some real use out of it."

"Thanks, sis." He opened the vial and tried not to show any hesitation as he drank the gray liquid.

Almost the same instant it hit his throat, it flowed through him on a spiritual level. His vision went completely black for a moment, then he saw the world in negative. Only slowly did it fade back to normal, his body thrumming with the echo of the void.

"Uh, Rick, you okay?" Melissa was looking at him in concern, so he smiled.

"My head is... completely clear. I think it will only be temporary, but I feel scoured clean. I don't know about the deeper effects, but in the short term, this is great."

"Wonderful! I'll work together with Lisa and make you some more."

"I appreciate it." Since he wasn't weak or restless for once, Rick sat down on the bed and tried to enjoy the momentary peace. Melissa sat down beside him, but didn't say anything. It might ruin the vibes, but he decided it was best to ask her about one of his concerns. "Did Lisa send this with you for a particular reason? I feel like she's been avoiding me."

"Oh, pooh. One, this was my extra special formula. Two, she's really busy, still trying to run her business remotely."

"If you say so. I feel like whenever I thank her for helping me, things get strange."

"That is... something else. It's because you talked a lot while you were unconscious." Melissa saw the shock and horror on his face and smiled. "Relax, bro, you didn't say anything humiliating. While you were semi-conscious, you were actually so grateful that it was a bit silly. Like, Lisa would give you the normal supplements for the day and you would tell her that she was a great friend and that you couldn't repay her for her kindness. You did it more than once."

Rick dropped his head into his hands. "Oh god. I guess it could have been worse, but..."

"I thought it was sweet, actually. But it does make thanking her now a bit funny." Melissa smiled at him and rubbed his shoulders and back. "She came all the way out here to help you. Don't get yourself worked up about that sort of thing."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Melissa leaned closer and lowered her voice. "There is a little bit of tension between the two of you, though. Do you know what you should do?"

"Don't."

"You two should totally bang."

"Har har." Rick pushed her head away and ruffled her hair. "Don't joke about that while she has a boyfriend. I screwed up enough with her, I don't want to be an asshole."

"Oh, but she doesn't have one right now." Melissa regarded him so seriously that he wondered if it was a joke, but her expression remained somber. "I guess I shouldn't talk about her life. But seriously, don't worry about any of that. Actually, you should ask her to give you a lucrim massage. When I touched your shoulder earlier, it was super, super stiff."

"Well then, I guess my shoulders should bang."

Melissa laughed and for a while all was right with the world. By the end of the day, some of the trembling and craving returned, but he'd gotten an excellent day of training in meanwhile. Just going through all the old exercises without any distractions helped him immensely to remember the proper forms even when the withdrawal hit harder.

Soon, however, he would be out of time. Every message from H was getting more urgent and Rick was starting to worry that his mentor - his former mentor - would come to drag him back. He'd been given the location of the immortals' battle, which fortunately wasn't absurdly far. Apparently it would take place at one of Josiah Craw's estates, this one deep in the American South.

One day Melissa skipped into his room with a large brown package. Rick was puzzled until he saw that the return address was the office of the Peakless Wildlife Refuge. Melissa beamed as she handed it over.

"I got responses from them, but I was keeping it a secret! I don't know exactly what they sent, but I'm sure it will be able to help. So come on, unbox this stuff!"

Rick opened the package and removed the protective wrapping. Though the interior was nothing special, it was clearly divided into three different compartments. The largest one had some sort of... fuzzy ball? When he picked it up, puzzled, it was shockingly soft in his hand, but he wasn't sure what it was supposed to be.

"There's a letter here..." Melissa picked it up, then giggled. "Apparently that thing is from the tail of something called an 'elysian rabbit' and it's supposed to reduce the stress from lucrim-based conditions. So it's a bunny stress ball. Isn't that hilarious?"

"Uh, no." Rick's eyes were wide as he felt his fingers squeeze into it. "This thing is actually amazing. I don't know how it works, but the rabbit's fur must channel aura or something. I was feeling way more jittery before."

"Are you pulling my leg? Give me that, if this thing is... oh my god, that's amazing. Getting an elysian rabbit is now officially one of my goals. I know you need it, but this fluffy is mine for now. You'll have to content yourself with the other presents."

"I think I'll manage." Rick started by taking the letter, reading over it quickly. As he'd expected, the ball was a gift from Wemilat, who went on to emphasize that the fur had been harvested humanely from a rabbit that had died of old age.

Setting it aside, he moved to the next compartment. Adsila had given him several vials that she explained had been developed from the jackalope extract he'd helped them with so long ago. It would allegedly improve his offensive core, which frankly needed the help.

The third compartment contained a dark brown flask. Rick picked it up carefully but didn't feel any power. He assumed it was a gift from Delsin, but there was no explanatory note. As Rick unscrewed the lid and sniffed it, Melissa finally took note.

"What's that, some sort of special elixir?"

"Not sure." Rick took a sip and immediately coughed violently. "Nope, it's whiskey."

"Well then, I guess he wants you to replace your power addiction with alcoholism. Seems like wise mentorly advice to me!"

After Melissa left, Rick paced for a while. Squeezing the stress ball actually did help reduce the tension inside him, though mostly it only made him realize just how much of it he'd been carrying. Part of the problem was that this time, he wasn't trapped between an enemy and a wall. For everything to work out, he needed to walk back into danger.

While he was shoving food into his mouth for dinner, Katenka emerged across from him. She hadn't been present for a few days, but judging from her expression, she had good news. "Bftgage and Ythsil are doing well. They're vomiting all sorts of colors worrying about your fight, but I convinced them that it would be better for them to focus on the future."

"That's probably for the best. How did the bond thing land with them?"

"We still need to actually set it up and clear some hurdles, but those who heard about it were enthusiastic. This could work..." Katenka trailed off, her pale eyes meeting his. "If we survive this conflict. Well, if you survive, but I don't want to see any of you hurt."

Rick couldn't help but smile. "Have I softened the demon's heart? Melted the cold ice of-"

"Oh, you're so funny. But really, you don't see this sort of thing in the Burning Snow or in Siberia. People might be loyal to their family, but very rarely beyond it. For all that you complain about how your society pits people against each other, it can produce real unity as well."

"This time, I'm not going to argue with you." Suddenly no longer hungry, Rick set down the meal bar and took a drink of water. "Thank you, Katenka. If I didn't thank you while I was unconscious already. I wouldn't have been able to do this without you."

"I just hope that you can do the rest. Call on me if things get bad. Any lucrim you borrow from me, I promise that you won't regret it."

So now he was accepting promises from demons. Strange how his life had changed. Rick was about to say more when there was a knock on the door. Katenka glanced toward it with a slightly unusual expression, then vanished.

As it turned out, it was Lisa. She carried a bottle that gleamed a dull gold, which surprised him. "Uh, hi. Can I come in?"

"Sure." Rick guided her in and closed the door. "What is that?"

"This is Formula T completely purged of the addictive component. Now, personally, I wouldn't advise that you take this, because it could still form a habit and it's relying too heavily on outside sources of lucrim. But... given upcoming events, I thought... well, if you need an extra boost, it's here."

He almost thanked her before remembering himself. "That's very kind of you. I'm... sorry that I'm always running straight into these things."

Lisa smiled sadly at him. "But I suppose you'd be bored with a more normal life, huh?"

"Actually, no. Being in the Showdown, I've seen so much striving... I want to keep working and I don't think I'd ever be happy as an accountant or something. But I don't want to live throwing myself constantly into danger, never connecting with anyone. It's impossible to build anything that way."

"Huh." She regarded him thoughtfully, her smile submerged. "It seems you've been through even more than you've told us. I'd... like to hear even more about it, when you have time."

"Yeah, maybe we could." Rick looked down at the bottle in this hands, then handed it back to her. "I don't think I should take any more of this, but I do have another use for it. How much do you have? Can you send some with me?"

"Oh, I purified it all. Sure, I can send some."

"And... you've been offering a massage for years, but I've never taken you up on it, except that one time I was unconscious. But, uh, I think I could use it now more than ever. If that's okay."

"Of course." Lisa smiled surprisingly broadly, then turned away. "Why don't we get started?"

Rick had been afraid that having her touching his back would be awkward, and there was certainly something sensual about her skilled fingers working over his muscles. But as she massaged his back, he realized just how much tension he was carrying. Not just during the brutal period of withdrawal, but from years and years of that life.

Setting everything else aside for the moment, Rick relaxed into the warmth.

~ ~ ~

Rain battered the top of the skyscraper and Rick wasn't himself. He could feel the rain stinging against his bare back and the aura pulsing through his body, but something was wrong.

Something was very wrong. Part of him knew that this couldn't be real, but he didn't remember why that mattered or what reality really was. He knew that if he looked up, he would see someone on the other side of the roof, yet he kept his eyes closed. What was the essential thing he needed to remember?

The Dark Blood Kettle surged within him and suddenly the fragments of memories filtered back. This was a dream. Of course it was, it was exactly the same dream that had gotten him into the mess. Around him, the city lights and then the skyscraper began to go out, dissolving into the shadows of pure unconsciousness.

As his mind cleared, he realized something more important: if the Dark Blood Kettle could react to the dream, it was a lucrim technique. Not a mystical dream, or prophecy, or destiny. He'd been confident that it was just manipulation from Alger, but this confirmed it. In fact, it suggested that the man might be getting desperate, using another dream to try to lure Rick back in.

When he woke up, the room was still dark, but he felt surprisingly rested. More than that, he felt strangely settled, the complete opposite of the disturbance he'd felt after the first dream. It was just another trick.

More than that, he was suddenly aware of just how many people had helped him. Not to gain something from him or to force him into a specific role, but because they were his friends and allies. For a long time, he'd been struggling alone against a hostile world. That was no longer true.

There was no point trying to sleep further, not when he was so awake. Rick got his phone and checked his portfolio after all their work.

[Name: Rick Hunter

Ether Tier: 10th

Ether Score: 547

Lucrim Generation: 99,100

Enhanced Generation: 256,100

Current Lucrim: 22,125]

[Rick Hunter's Lucrima Portfolio

Dark Blood Kettle Foundation: 25,200 (Lv VII)

Triune Golden Spheres: 157,000

 - Defensive Sphere: 54,000

 - Absorption Sphere: 51,000

 - Sensory Sphere: 52,000

Offensive Lucore: 15,400 (Lv X)

Defensive Lucore: 41,700 (Lv XII)

Bunyan's Step: 16,800 (Lv X)

Demonic Fusion (Katenka): 33,000 (Stage I)

Graham's Stake: 49,650 (Lv IV)

Economic Bond (Bftgage & Ythsil): 2300 (Stage II)

Total Lucrim: 184,050

Enhanced Total: 341,050]

Though the Triune Golden Spheres had diminished slightly due to everything he'd done, he felt good about the rest. His Bunyan's Step and offensive Lucores had finally broken through the barrier to being classified as Level X, and he felt the difference. Despite still falling beneath six digits without his bond or Spheres, he wasn't the fighter he'd been a month ago.

When Melissa and Lisa came to check on him, he'd already finished breakfast long ago and was going through final polishing exercises. Melissa raised her eyebrows, noticing the difference immediately. "Did you get called to the fight?"

"No, but it's time to go." Rick stood up and smiled at both of them. "Melissa, can you get me another of those void elixirs? I also need a void flame... as big of one as you think is safe."

"You got it, bro!"

Lisa, meanwhile, watched him thoughtfully. "Are you doing this alone?"

"Mostly. Melissa... I'll depend on your void flame, but I think you might want to stay back for this." He met her gaze and an unspoken understanding passed between them. "But Lisa... would you be willing to do something for me? Something that shouldn't be dangerous even if this goes bad."

"And do you think this will go bad?" Lisa asked. Rick had to shake his head.

"I hope this will end without any violence at all. But I don't expect it."

-

Chapter 48: The Immortals' Tournament Begins

There were two constants: the whirring of the helicopter blades and the angry admonitions from H. Rick simply sat in his seat, looking out the window as they neared their destination.

H was saying all the same things he'd heard before: that Rick's discipline was lagging, that he'd be left behind other fighters, that family matters needed to be managed, that he needed to decide if he wanted to be in the Showdown at all. Now that Rick was certain that H was merely one of Alger's tools, none of them stung. Part of him wanted to just bluntly ask the other man exactly what he'd been ordered to do, though of course he kept his mouth shut.

Though Rick had expected a city at first, as they passed over empty southern plains, he realized that of course Josiah wouldn't live near anyone else. As the helicopter began flying lower, he saw nothing but a single highway stretching forever in both directions, surrounded by desolate fields. Not even the crops Rick was used to, but patchy gray and brown wasteland.

Finally something else came into view: an isolated bus station. For about a mile around it, there were street lamps, a few still flickering in the morning shadows. Just as those began to disappear behind them, he spotted it: an enormous mansion off the side of the road. The driveway out to the mansion looked half a mile long and it was all finely ground rock.

"Almost here." H finally stopped his ranting to turn back to him. "Take off that stupid jacket and put on a proper combat suit before we land. You'll be representing Josiah in his own home, so you need to put in a good appearance as well as a good fight."

Rick cooperated, carefully removing his favored red jacket. It had been a comforting bit of familiarity, but it wasn't what mattered. He slid it into his backpack along with the other things he'd prepared. If they were searched, he might have a problem, but it all should be explainable enough.

His fingers twitched, wishing for the elysian rabbit fur Wemilat had sent. Bringing it along would have reduced his stress, but he didn't want to risk losing it. Most of what he carried was the modified Formula T, plus he had a vial of Melissa's void elixir in his pocket. That would have to be enough.

As they landed beside the mansion, however, there was no sign of any guards. Rick did spot servants in archaic uniforms moving around closer to the house and in the garden. Past them, he saw a pool surrounding an octagon of stone in the center: no doubt a traditional combat ring. So that was where the fights would take place.

"Yo, Rick! You're finally here!" Raggest burst out from the front of one of the mansion doors, rushing toward him. "I thought you weren't going to make it!"

"He nearly didn't." H managed to halt Raggest's charge with a concentrated glower. "I don't want you to distract him with any hare-brained schemes. We need time to prepare."

"Naw, I'm sure Rick has been training. Besides, I think now that he's here, we're probably going to get things started pretty soon. Everyone is bored of eating and staring down each other."

So it was happening already. Rick had assumed it would be soon, but the unknown number of days spent among the immortals had been an uncomfortable variable in his plan. Hopefully everyone would be limited with all their fellow immortals watching, but he couldn't be sure if H wouldn't try one last scheme to capture him in the name of power.

Though the mansion looked large enough to house all the immortals' entourages, he didn't see any of them... except Alger stood on the roof, twirling his cane and looking down with a pleased expression.

Learning the truth had made Rick less concerned about H, but he shivered when he saw Alger. The strange man had been manipulating him for so long, even reaching into his dreams and toying with his deepest fears. And now he stood there, twirling his cane merrily as if he was having the time of his life. Rick impulsively tried to check the man's lucrim portfolio, but came up with absolutely nothing.

"I thought you'd run off!" James Travis emerged from the garden, smirking at Rick. "Guess you're not so much of a coward after all. Or did you find your confidence because you have the home field advantage in fly-over country just like this?"

Instead of responding, Rick just examined the suited man carefully. The insults didn't even touch him, but James did make him uneasy because he wasn't sure what the man actually wanted. Other than hating him for some reason, James didn't seem connected to the rest. He might be irrelevant, but he could also be a piece of the puzzle that Rick had entirely missed.

"You look like you've slacked off while you were away. Let's find out." With no more warning than that, James leapt forward, fingers flying in a stabbing movement.

Rick caught his wrist.

The force from the charge made him take a single step back, but he stopped all the rest of the charge's momentum. A shockwave from the rushing force swept past him a moment later, blowing his hair and clothes but otherwise having no impact. James's eyes widened and his entire body jerked back out of range, not that Rick had planned to attack him.

As if drawn by the strike, others were emerging from the mansion and surrounding grounds. He saw that the Siberian competitor looked impressed and the Nokan competitor watched impassively. Qing Shan was there along with her candidate, smiling as if she approved. James pulled his wrist back and rubbed it slightly, even though Rick hadn't applied any force.

Above the roof, Alger's smile only grew wider.

"Jolly good show!" Josiah Craw stood on a balcony on the third floor of the mansion, looking down at them. He wore outdated clothes that could just as easily be his best coats, leisure robes, or the equivalent of a stained t-shirt. "Now that you are all here, perhaps you can prevent yourselves from starting fights and ruining my grounds. My poor shrubberies..."

"Immortal Josiah." Qing Shan spoke quietly, but used some aura trick to amplify her voice. "I suggest that we move the day of the competition forward so that our youths may expend their energy in proper combat."

"An excellent suggestion, yes indeed! Tonight, please avail yourselves of my hospitality. Tomorrow morning when the cock crows, we shall do battle." Josiah smoothed down his mustaches, pleased with himself. "There shall be no crude brawling, no melee. No, I believe this should be decided with a tournament of single combat. With eight of you, a single elimination tournament shall be set up by lots. Good day!"

With that, he turned around and vanished into the mansion, leaving all the rest of them to eye one another. Rick thought that all eight candidates had appeared one way or another, but he didn't really care about them. Most likely, he would only fight one of them, chosen randomly.

Instead he looked toward the immortal's vacant balcony. Yes, it seemed entirely possible to him that Josiah Craw was a dupe in all this. If Alger could induce dreams and travel so easily across the world, influencing a lonely old immortal to serve as a proxy wouldn't be beyond his power.

Though servants came offering to take Rick's things, he declined and went to find a room on his own. There were servants everywhere, which made him uncomfortable. He supposed that he should be glad they weren't all black, though he could easily imagine Josiah grumbling about the American Civil Wars. Fortunately, he was soon left alone.

It seemed that everyone was allowed to ask the servants for anything, including any food they wanted, but Rick wasn't hungry. He was just about to begin scouting the mansion properly when H appeared in his doorway.

"Do you still have enough Formula T?" he asked. "You need to be at your best tomorrow."

"Still got more than enough." Rick gestured with an opaque thermos at his pack that only contained Lisa's serum. "But if this fight is really so important, maybe you could give me something a bit stronger?"

"A reasonable suggestion, though you'd better not waste it." H seemed to have been prepared for exactly that, because he handed Rick a thin aluminum can without markings. "Don't take this until the morning just before the fight. But not immediately before, because it will take you a while to get used to the kick."

"Thanks." Rick honestly smiled as he took it, though that became more difficult when he felt the tingle of the power pulling at him. He quickly set down the can on the table in his room. It didn't tempt him badly, but he looked forward to giving it to Lisa so it wouldn't be on his mind.

"Can I trust you not to get into any idiotic fights or otherwise cause problems in your last night before the tournament?"

"Absolutely. After everything I've been through, I just want to sleep."

Though H looked a little skeptical, eventually he grunted acceptance and left. Rick remained for a while, repositioning the can on his desk before he shoved it into a drawer. He'd put considerable effort into fighting with only his own power, so he wouldn't go back on his decision now.

Instead he investigated the mansion to prepare for the next step, which was the most uncomfortable part of his plan. He quickly ran into Raggest leaving his room, which was good timing. This time, he hit the younger man on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Raggest, can we talk?"

"About what?" Raggest tried to push past him, but stopped when Rick stayed in his path. "That Chinese fighter keeps insulting me, so we were going to settle things before the tournament."

"That's... never mind. We need to talk about Alger." Rick knew it was a huge risk to say anything, since he might tell Alger, but the younger man was something close to a friend. An innocent, oblivious friend. It would be wrong to just leave him. "He's just using you. If you don't believe me, look into the Formula T. It's made to addict you."

"Does it really matter? I'm going to keep taking it anyway." Raggest gave him a long look as if he was talking nonsense. "Besides, I'm not going to get addicted. If I do, I'll get over it. Are you getting cold feet, man?"

"Listen to me, dammit! Alger has been manipulating me and he's manipulating you too. He doesn't want what's best for you, and if you tr-"

Though he saw the blow coming, Rick was too startled to do anything more than brace against it. The fist struck his jaw and his head rocked back, unharmed but surprised. Raggest rubbed his knuckles and scowled. "Don't give me boring lectures, Rick. If you want to teach me a lesson, beat me in the tournament."

With that, he pushed past, tromping down into the house. Rick stayed in the hallway, rubbing his jaw and thinking. Before he came to any conclusions, he saw Raggest stomp out into the garden and confront the Chinese candidate.

Then he didn't really have a choice.

Rick headed to Raggest's room, trying to look casual and making sure there were no servants watching. His backpack felt heavy and suspicious, but he tried to ignore that. This was nerve-wracking as it was, but arguing with Raggest had proved pointless and he wouldn't feel right just leaving him. All that would convince him was direct proof.

Unsurprisingly, Raggest hadn't bothered to lock his door or secure any of his things. Most likely he'd spent almost his entire life controlled by Alger, avoiding any hardship except trials specifically designed as training. Rick was briefly paranoid that Alger might be watching, but didn't see any sign of anyone.

Soon he found the place where Raggest stored all his Formula T, then began carefully replacing all the contents. His backpack contained a few personal items, but almost all of it was the Formula T that Lisa had scrubbed of the addictive component. Without it, Raggest should slowly start feeling the effects of withdrawal and figure it out. After the tournament he'd start really feeling it, and perhaps even manage to escape Alger.

Lingering was a needless risk, so Rick headed back to his room. He laid back on his bed and just stared at the ceiling for a while. Part of him wanted to call Melissa just to talk to her, or to check if Lisa was in position, but it was better to leave them out of this. Katenka manifested briefly, but they only shared a nervous glance before she swirled away.

Tomorrow should go well, but there were too many variables. He still hadn't decided how exactly he intended to leave the competition. Simply stepping out of the ring to forfeit might anger immortals who would come after him, while throwing a fight or pretending to be injured could prove him a liar. There was also the possibility that H would be able to tell that he wasn't using the Formula T anymore - Lisa didn't think it would be possible, but Rick didn't want to underestimate his old mentor.

Regardless, it would be decided tomorrow.

~ ~ ~

Though Rick didn't remember falling asleep, he awoke to light across his face. He scrambled to sit up, wondering when the "cock's crow" was. When he emerged from his room, he found that some of the other fighters and immortals were still eating, so apparently not yet. More to calm himself than to prepare, Rick went through his exercises one last time.

He drank the vial of Melissa's void elixir and felt the empty clarity rush through his body. After that, he took his bike chip, the concentrated Formula T, and a handful of small items along with him in a secure pack. Everything else he left behind, possibly to abandon.

As the servants began to set up everything around the combat arena, Rick realized that he hadn't seen Raggest at all. Perhaps it would be best to talk to him again. If he'd missed a dose of the addictive component, he should be feeling just a little jittery, and perhaps he'd be more willing to listen. Since there might not be another chance to talk to him, he wanted to take the risk.

When he went to Raggest's room, a growing horror clawed through Rick. The younger man looked shellshocked, groaning and twisting on his bed. He'd smashed the table in his room into kindling and several empty bottles lay around the room.

"Rick... something's wrong..." Raggest clawed his way up, tearing through part of the bed. "I'm so thirsty... and so weak... what's happening to me?"

"Raggest, listen to me." Rick looked around for listeners, took a deep breath, and spoke as clearly as he could. "This is exactly what I was saying about Alger. He wants to own you. The elixirs he's been feeding you were all designed to be addictive, so you can't fight without them."

"What?" Raggest stared at him with bloodshot eyes, actually listening this time. He tried to take a step forward but tripped, only keeping himself up by grasping Rick's shirt. "But the... the elixirs make me stronger... I can feel it..."

"I'm telling you this for your own good." Rick realized that he sounded condescending, but he had to get through Raggest's skull. "Alger is using you. Even when you think you're sneaking out, he's set up everything in your life. Do you really think that it's normal for you to run into something special or legendary every time you go for training?"

"You... you're just jealous..." Raggest's fingers gripped his shirt with strength born of withdrawal. "Good things come to those who work. You're not bad, but... you're not me..."

"Raggest... look, it's up to you what you want to believe. But I hope you can make it through this." With that, Rick forcibly pulled off the other man's hand and stepped away. "I hope to see you again when neither of us is under Alger's control."

In response, Raggest simply groaned and curled up against the side of the bed. Rick realized just how much he had underestimated the effect of withdrawal, either because Raggest was more addicted or because he took the symptoms harder. It made him regret trying to reach the younger man, but he didn't see what else he could do. When he tried to help Raggest up, his hand was knocked away.

All he could do was walk down to the combat arena and end things.

When he arrived, he found that most of the others were already waiting. Instead of anything so pedestrian as stands, there were thrones set up around the octagon, one block for a faction on each side. He noted that Alger was sitting alone, looking bored and irritable. James Travis sat with a pair of immortals Rick didn't recognize at all. Qing Shan made eye contact with him, but he couldn't see what message she meant to impart.

Everyone looked at him as he arrived... and their eyes remained on him. Rick was puzzled until he realized that Josiah Craw wasn't simply standing in the center of the arena for no reason. There was a screen of lucrim showing the tournament brackets, and as Rick walked to get a better angle, he had a feeling he knew what he would see.

The first fight was him against Raggest.