Chapter 147: Necklace

’This isn’t normal! Did I just see that right? That was a complete one-shot! And of all things, a Rotting Polar Bear against a Green Anaconda that was obviously at a severe disadvantage—a tropical jungle beast fighting inside a snow biome! I won’t even be able to explain this if I try telling other people about it!’

Jake’s jaw hung wide open in complete shock. His eyes were wide, blinking in disbelief as he unsteadily pushed his feet forward, stepping through the deep snow toward Filmos, who was standing there in equal disbelief.

"Did you see that?!" Filmos suddenly burst out, clutching his hands together in pure excitement as a huge smile broke across his face. "That’s my very first official monster kill!"

Jake, on the other hand, was genuinely happy for his friend, but his expression leaned heavily toward deep suspicion and confusion. That brief showdown wasn’t even a real fight!

"That’s... that’s really not normal, right?" Filmos asked, his voice wavering slightly as he looked back at the green serpent, then at Jake.

Jake gave a slow, rigid nod.

"Yes... definitely not normal."

"But considering how much you hyped up the beast shop’s reputation earlier," Filmos continued, his eyes lighting up with sudden realization and hope, "then this just proves that they are completely credible, right? I actually own this kind of beast! If I can hunt a few more monsters like this and sell their beast cores—as well as all the raw materials their carcasses leave behind—then I can easily earn money and finally ease my financial struggles!"

Jake opened his mouth to say something, a dozen lingering questions and concerns swirling in his mind. But seeing the immense joy and renewed hope radiating from his friend’s face, he quickly shook those dark thoughts off. He really didn’t want to be a killjoy right when Filmos finally saw a way out of his dark situation.

"That’s amazing, bro!" Jake said, slapping Filmos on the shoulder with a grin. "How about we team up and hunt together for a while?"

...

After spending at least three full hours grinding inside the freezing C-Rank dungeon rift, the two young tamers finally made their way toward the glowing exit portal, loaded down with a surprisingly massive bounty of beast cores and valuable creature hides.

As they stepped through the rift’s swirling vortex, the biting frost of the snow biome dissolved instantly, replaced by the mild evening air of Suran City’s outskirts.

"Man, I still can’t get over how easily your Anaconda dissolved those Frost Wolves in the second sector," Jake said, slinging an arm over Filmos’s shoulder as they walked down the paved road leading toward the transit terminal. "My Troll usually takes at least five minutes of heavy trading to break through their thick fur, but your guy just sprayed that venom and melted their front guard in seconds!"

Filmos let out a soft, relieved laugh, holding up his Pocket Sanctuary Card and looking at it with deep affection before sliding it safely into his jacket pocket.

"To be honest, I’m always nervous. Every time we encountered a new pack, I kept expecting the venom to fail or for the cold to slow him down, but he just kept reacting before I could even shout a command. It feels like he knows what I want to do before I even think it out loud."

"That’s the beauty of that seventy percent soul bond contract," Jake chuckled, shaking his head in envy. "You two are practically synced up at the mind level."

Filmos looked down at his digital watch, his expression softening as the constant knot of anxiety in his chest finally began to loosen. For the first time in months, he felt a genuine sense of control over his own life.

"I really can’t thank you enough, Jake," Filmos said softly, stopping in his tracks to look his friend dead in the eye. His voice carried deep sincerity. "If you hadn’t dragged me all the way out here to Suran City and forced me to take a leap of faith on that shop, I’d probably still be panicking in that pub, trying to figure out how to survive another week."

"Hey, don’t get all sentimental on me now," Jake smirked, though his eyes showed genuine warmth as he punched Filmos lightly on the arm. "What are friends for? Besides, you’re the one who actually had the affinity to form a seventy percent contract with an A-Rank rank potential beast. I just pointed you toward the door. That’s bound to happen."

"Still, I owe you big time," Filmos insisted firmly. "First thing tomorrow morning, after I cash in these beast cores, I’m paying back every single credit you lent me for the shop purchase."

"Take your time with that, genius," Jake laughed, turning back toward the station platform. "Let’s just focus on getting back to Hibiscus City safely before the late-night public shuttles shut down."

...

Finally back at Hibiscus City, Filmos returned to their rundown house, hoping for at least a little bit of peace after such an exhausting day.

But as he approached the front door, who was he even kidding?

This was the exact household that had brought him into the world drowning in debt. Right... even before he could properly speak or walk, he already had massive financial debts registered under his name. His own parents had used his identity and future as collateral. Now that he was finally at the right age, he was forced to pay them a set amount every single month, or he would be beaten black and blue.

Why would they beat him? How could they possibly expect a kid with a broken, ragged body to earn money for them? But that was just how these vicious syndicates operated, and his parents were more than happy to play along.

The moment he pushed the door open and entered, Filmos’s eyes widened in sheer horror.

The entire place had been completely rummaged and ransacked. Drawers were torn out, clothes were thrown everywhere, and his few personal belongings were scattered across the dirty floor.

The very first thought that struck his mind was a wave of pure terror, driving him to rush straight for his room.

’No... please... no... Not that...’

The frantic thought screamed in his head. But the moment his shaking hand reached for his room’s doorframe, his knees immediately buckled under him.

The drawer where he kept his most precious possession was thrown open, completely empty.

"No! No! No!"

His eyes almost popped out of their sockets in sheer panic. The veins around his neck bulged as blood rushed to his face. Filmos aggressively turned around, his chest heaving as he stomped into the living room to look for his parents.

"Why did you give it to them?!" Filmos roared, his voice cracking with pure rage and despair.

His mother, who couldn’t care less about his breakdown, lazily rubbed her eyes as if she had just been awakened by Filmos’s loud noise.

"What is it now?" she asked, her voice completely flat. Reading her son’s frantic, furious expression, she casually realized what he was talking about. "Oh... That? They liked it. You should be thankful. They lessened your debt by at least three percent."

"Debt? That’s YOUR debt put on my name!" Filmos raged, his hands trembling uncontrollably as tears spilled over his eyelids. "You didn’t need to give them that! I have the means to earn money now! I was going to pay it! Just... why?!"

Filmos’s eyes grew completely wet as the anger drained out of him, replaced by total collapse. He surrendered himself to a worn-out couch nearby, his upper body dropping low as he buried his face near his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Quit sulking," his mother sneered, waving a hand dismissively as she turned away. "It was just a stupid old necklace. Why would you even care so much about it?"

"Shut up!" Filmos screamed into the empty air, his hands clutching his head.

Unable to breathe inside the suffocating house for another second, Filmos bolted out the door. He rushed wildly into the dark night, letting his legs drag him wherever his exhausted feet would take him.