The woman's blue eyes stared intently at the young man's bag. She knew there were singularities inside it simply because the symbols engraved into the cloth were blinking.
The young man took his time. He watched her cautiously; despite the recent change in the woman's attitude, he could not trust her. He was in a hostile place, full of dangers and things he did not understand, and the greatest danger right now was her.
Yet he couldn't help noticing the expectation in her gaze. It was as if those vast and beautiful eyes had swallowed the sky along with all its clouds.
He knew himself well—he had never been good at trusting others.
A sudden memory crossed his mind, mixed with nostalgia, sadness, and tenderness. A memory that didn't quite feel like a memory. As if it didn't belong to the world he now stood in.
When he was a teenager, his grandfather had told him never to trust beautiful women. If they treat you kindly without knowing you, it's because they want something from you.
Heh… though sometimes being deceived by a beautiful woman could be more pleasant.
At that moment his mind returned to reality, his heart tightening painfully in his chest.
He pulled the first sphere from the leather bag.
It shone with a deep brown tone, and it seemed to contain a galaxy inside it, judging by the mysterious way it glimmered. At first glance, it clearly represented an elemental power: earth.
Inside, as if a sandstorm were endlessly swirling, golden particles danced in a spiral.
The woman's eyes widened in surprise. She swallowed and fell silent.
The young man noticed that her expression had barely changed, yet her eyes had betrayed her—and that worried him.
Now he couldn't back out.
He didn't know where he was. He didn't know what other creatures lurked in that territory. He had no food. No water. His body was still weak from the battle.
He glanced at the sky and saw several enormous vultures circling above them. The mere presence of the woman kept them at bay.
He tightened his fingers around the sphere.
In that place, she wasn't just a threat.
She was probably his only chance to stay alive.
The young man extended his hand and offered her the earth singularity.
The woman raised both hands and received it delicately, as if she were holding a snowflake about to melt.
He slipped his hand back into the bag.
Small sparks of energy leaked from another sphere, one that held a yellow galaxy within it.
Again, simple logic told him that it must be a lightning singularity… or something similar—electricity, thunder, lightning.
He had never been good with science fiction or fantasy.
When he was a child, he barely had any toys. And once he was old enough to lift an axe, he began working as a lumberjack.
He quickly jumped from job to job.
Of course, he never lasted long in any of them.
His sticky fingers always ended up getting him into trouble.
The yellow energy vibrated between his fingers—unstable, unpredictable.
He smiled faintly.
He had always been like that himself: something that seemed useful… until it burned whoever held it for too long.
The woman pulled out her own leather bag. The symbols engraved on it glowed purple, blinking rhythmically.
It was full.
She pulled out another one—empty and dark.
Carefully, she placed the brown singularity inside.
The symbols immediately began to blink, as if recognizing it.
But when she looked at the yellow one, she froze.
This time, with more effort, she frowned. Her fingers tightened slightly around the empty bag, and for a brief moment her breathing slowed.
A nearly imperceptible spark crossed her pupils.
It wasn't fear.
Nor doubt.
It was calculation.
Even so, she remained silent.
Not a single detail escaped the young man's eyes.
He knew he was being cheated.
The singularities themselves screamed treasure.
But…
He had to survive.
He reached back into the bag.
When he pulled out the third and final singularity, both of their pupils lit up.
The galaxy inside it was red.
An inferno of flames swirled within the sphere, dense and alive.
It felt warm and radiated light—not because it was more special than the others, but because fire itself demanded to shine.
The woman, almost hypnotized, raised her hands to receive it…
But the young man stopped.
He looked at her seriously.
"The earth singularity is for my life. The lightning one is for food and water."
He slightly raised the red sphere between them.
"This one is for helping me reach a safe place. Do you understand?"
The blue-eyed woman hadn't expected such a reward.
She quickly regained her composure, though a faint flash of greed crossed her gaze.
"I don't think that's fair…" she paused, evaluating him. "These singularities are level three. Extremely valuable. Are you sure?"
Upon hearing level three and valuable, a playful glimmer appeared in the young man's eyes.
Without answering, he placed the sphere in her hands.
The woman understood.
She stored it carefully in her bag, as if it had always belonged there.
Then she turned slightly and pointed with her arm.
Suddenly, what looked like a shadow peeled away from her body. Within seconds it took shape.
A massive Bengal tiger emerged before them.
The young man instinctively stepped back.
It looked just like the ones from the animal documentaries he used to watch late at night.
Not because he was particularly interested in animals or found them fascinating. He would simply leave the channel playing and fall asleep within minutes.
But this one wasn't exactly the same.
Looking closer, he noticed two small golden horns on the top of its head between its ears.
At the end of its tail was a mass of spikes of the same color, faintly glowing under the sun.
Magic.
That was the only word that came to mind.
The tiger seemed calm, almost like a domesticated dog. It didn't approach him, but it watched him with contained curiosity.
"Is this beast a singularity?"
The woman answered naturally.
"Yes. We'll use it as a mount and reach our destination quickly."
The young man continued observing the tiger.
Animals in this place now seemed far more interesting.
If he managed to get one of his own, even the vultures wouldn't be able to touch him.
With seriousness, he asked:
"This magnificent singularity… what level is it?"
The woman replied casually.
"Well, this one is level two."
Both of them approached the tiger.
The young man did so cautiously, watching the beast's every movement.
The animal merely flicked its tail, as if it knew neither of them posed a threat.
The woman placed a hand on the tiger's back, ready to mount.
But she stopped.
Without looking directly at him, she asked in a more serious tone:
"The fourth sphere… what element is it?"
The young man remained silent for a second.
He knew that question was not casual.
"That information will cost you a level one singularity."
The woman slowly turned her face toward him.
For a moment, his stomach tightened.
Had he gone too far?
Maybe he was pulling the rope too tight.
But he didn't know how to negotiate any other way.
The young man held her gaze.
Information is power, he thought.
In his previous life he never had the opportunity to study.
As a child he believed that working and earning money were the only things that mattered. That strength and effort moved the world.
With time he understood something different.
Knowledge moved the world.
Education decided who ruled and who obeyed.
But by the time he realized it, it was too late.
His life was already crooked.
The only thing left to him was learning how to use information as currency… or as a weapon.
The woman sighed softly.
She reached into her full bag.
The purple symbols shone brightly as she pulled out a sphere of the same color.
The galaxy inside it was smaller, but it vibrated with contained power.
She tossed it toward him.
The young man caught it.
It weighed less than he expected.
Without a word, he reached into his bag and pulled out the fourth sphere.
Deep blue.
Like the ocean at night.
Inside the sphere, an entire sea seemed to stir, with invisible currents silently swirling.
When the woman saw it, her blue eyes shone even brighter.
"Water…" she murmured.
Her lips curved slightly.
"I'll make you a proposal. Keep the thunder one. It's perfect for Rusett. He'll pay you more… and might even spare your life. Give me the water one."
The young man didn't respond immediately.
He observed her. Measured the weight of her words.
"I'm willing to do business," he finally said. "But you're asking me to betray my capital."
He paused briefly.
"If you want that singularity… you'll have to give me a level two."
The wind moved through the trees.
The tiger flicked its tail.
The woman's blue eyes narrowed slightly.
Greed burned in her chest.
And the young man did not retreat.
He held her gaze.