Hours passed with Zion lying helplessly in the bed, alone with his thoughts.

In the end, exhaustion caught up to him and pulled him into a restless sleep.

He woke early the next morning to the sound of the mechanical doors sliding open as the girl from before entered the room.

She picked up fresh bandages and replaced the old ones. Just as she was about to leave, she paused by the trash bin in the corner and spoke.

"The numbing will wear off in a few hours," she said, tossing away the soaked bandages. "Sir Calder will want to see you after that."

'Calder?' Zion thought, noting the name. 'That should be the one-eyed man's name.'

He nodded slowly, his eyes remaining on the girl until she left again.

Zion lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling as the minutes ticked by. Just as she'd said, the numbness began to fade gradually.

At first, it was a faint tingling in his fingers. Then, a sharp stabbing pain spread through his arms and chest.

He clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay calm, breathing steadily as he felt sensation return.

Zion flexed his fingers once, then again. This time, they responded.

'That feels so much better,' he thought, relieved.

He tested his arms next, moving slowly and carefully. Pain immediately spread through his body, forcing him to stop.

Minutes passed as he adjusted, pushing himself a little further each time.

By the time footsteps approached the door, Zion had managed to sit up slightly, his back resting against the headboard.

The mechanical doors slid open a moment later. The one-eyed man stepped inside, his gaze briefly sweeping over Zion.

Zion straightened his back as much as his body allowed.

"Good morning," he said. "Calder, right?"

The man paused, then nodded.

"Right," Calder replied, a faint chuckle escaping him as he reached for a chair. He dragged it closer and sat down in front of the bed, resting his arms on the backrest.

Zion met his gaze, a serious expression on his face.

"I know it wasn't for nothing," he said, his voice steady. "But you saved my life. For that… thank you."

Calder tilted his head slightly, studying him for a moment.

"Don't mention it," he said casually. "But it does bring us to the important part."

Calder leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the backrest.

"Medical care, shelter, time, and risk. Worth around five hundred thousand credits, give or take," he said, pretending to calculate. "And your life… how much was it worth to you?"

Zion took a deep breath at the numbers, then slowly let it out. "I don't have enough to pay you off…"

Calder smiled, nodding.

"Anyone could've told me that after seeing you," he said. "No offense."

Zion raised an eyebrow.

"None… taken?" he mumbled, tilting his head slightly. "But if you know that, then what do you want from me?"

Calder's eyes narrowed just a fraction.

"I can wipe out all of the debt," he said, smirking slightly as he pulled three vials out of his pocket. "And I'll even add in these three body-enhancing herbs plus a way out of this planet which is swarming with Sovereignty vermin because of you."

He paused, locking eyes with Zion. "But you'll have to do something for me in the future."

The room fell silent as Zion processed his words.

His gaze drifted to the three vials in Calder's hand. It wasn't the first time he'd seen body-enhancing herbs, but he'd never personally held or used them.

"Why would you offer this to me?" Zion asked.

Calder chuckled and set the vials down on the small table beside the bed.

"I figured your nanosuit has pretty high potential from your fight and the strange amount of unique weapons you have," he said calmly. "So I prepared these since I knew you would survive your injuries."

Zion's eyes narrowed slightly.

"So you already had all of this planned?"

"Wouldn't say 'planned'," Calder said simply with a small smile. "Rather, an educated guess."

Zion leaned back against the headrest, careful not to move too much.

'A single low-rank liquid herb vial can go for hundreds of thousands,' he thought, a flicker of desire flashing past his eyes. 'But this offer… I can't imagine what I'll have to do for it.'

Zion's gaze lingered on the vials for a few seconds longer before he looked back at Calder.

"I want to know what you're asking for," he said calmly. "Without that, I won't be able to make a decision."

Calder didn't answer immediately.

He leaned back in his chair, studying Zion with a faint smile from under his hood.

"It's not something you'll need to worry about now," he said, letting out a soft chuckle. "Think of it as an obligation… with a long deadline."

Zion frowned slightly. "How long?"

Calder raised his hand, spreading all his fingers. "Five years. Tops."

That only made it stranger for Zion.

"You can't possibly imagine I'll agree without knowing what it is."

For a moment, Calder was silent. Then he sighed, as if conceding a small point.

"Fine," he said. "I'll tell you this much."

He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice just a fraction.

"It involves eliminating someone."

'Eliminating someone?' Zion repeated internally, raising an eyebrow.

It wasn't entirely unexpected, but from what he knew about Calder, the man was far stronger than he was at the moment.

"What kind of someone?" Zion asked, locking eyes with Calder.

Calder's expression changed for a split second, a glint of anger flashing across his face.

"A peak B-rank. And worry not— he's done enough to deserve it."

Zion's eyes widened. "A peak B-rank?!"

"Yes," Calder replied coldly.

"And you're not telling me who?"

Calder shook his head. "Not yet."

Zion exhaled slowly, his mind churning.

The benefits were immediate growth, a solid connection with Calder, and a way out of this planet. But killing a peak B-rank? Even he wasn't sure if he could do that in five years.

'Uriel, what do you think? Is it achievable?'

Uriel responded instantly, having calmly followed the entire conversation.

[Affirmative,] the AI said. [Though host should be careful, as there is likely a personal grudge behind this and other parties may be involved.]

Zion fell silent, his gaze drifting to the three vials on the table.

'All these benefits,' he thought. 'They would also help me get revenge on the Sovereignty far faster…'

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