Noah paused outside the door, listening to muffled voices within. Rex’s distinctive growl carried through the thin walls, though the words remained indistinct.
Last chance to change my mind. Walk away. Keep the money. Move to another city.
But the thought of actually stealing money from them, even if they were loan sharks, irked him. He was going to become the richest man in the world, he was going to travel various worlds later on.
If i can’t handle some small-time punks, how will I be able to survive in fantasy worlds?
Time to end this properly.
Last chance to change my mind. Walk away. Keep the money. Move to another city.
But the thought of actually stealing money from them, even if they were loan sharks, irked him. He was going to become the richest man in the world, he was going to travel various worlds later on.
If I can’t handle some small-time punks, how will I be able to survive in fantasy worlds?
Somewhere between dodging extremist fireballs and watching Lola incinerate three Adept-level mages, his perspective had changed.
These loan sharks—Rex and his crew of neighbourhood predators—they were practice rounds. Training wheels for the kind of dangers that awaited him in realms where magic could rewrite reality and power determined who lived and who became cautionary tales.
Time to end this properly.
The voices inside died instantly, replaced by the kind of loaded silence.
"Yeah?" Rex’s voice carried through the door like gravel mixed with barely contained aggression.
"Noah Carter. We need to talk."
The door swung open to reveal Rex himself.
The loan shark’s expression cycled through surprise, suspicion, and finally interest as his gaze settled on the briefcase.
"Well, well." Rex’s smile held all the warmth of winter concrete. "Look who finally decided to stop playing hide-and-seek."
His calculating stare dropped to the leather case, and Noah caught the exact moment recognition flared in those dead eyes.
Money. Enough money to make this conversation very different from their previous encounters.
"Got something for me, Carter?"
Noah lifted the briefcase, letting its weight speak volumes.
"Everything I owe. Plus interest. Plus the inconvenience fee you mentioned."
Rex’s eyebrows climbed toward his receding hairline with genuine shock. This wasn’t the script he’d been expecting. Broken men didn’t walk into his office carrying solutions in leather briefcases.
"Is that so?" Rex stepped aside, his movements suddenly less predatory, more businesslike.
The dynamics had shifted, and both men felt it. "Well then. Come on in. Let’s talk business."
The office interior looked like a discount furniture store had been detonated inside a tax preparation service.
Mismatched chairs surrounded a desk that had seen better decades, while filing cabinets lined walls that desperately needed new paint.
This is it. The moment everything changes.
Noah settled into the offered chair, placing the briefcase carefully across his lap. The leather felt warm against his palms, a tangible reminder of just how dramatically his circumstances had shifted.
"Alright, Mr. Rex. Let’s settle this properly. What’s the exact amount I owe?"
Rex’s predatory smile widened as he moved toward a battered laptop perched precariously on the edge of his desk.
His fingers clicked across keys with surprising delicacy for someone whose primary business involved physical intimidation.
"No problem, Carter. Let me pull up your file."
Of course he keeps digital records. Even loan sharks have gone corporate.
Papers rustled as Rex extracted several documents from a manila folder thick enough to suggest Noah’s debt had generated substantial paperwork. Interest calculations, penalty fees, late payment charges—each sheet representing another layer of financial quicksand he’d been drowning in for months.
"Principal amount, accumulated interest, processing fees, collection costs..."
The numbers danced across the screen while Noah forced his expression to remain neutral. Inside, his heart hammered against his ribs with anticipation mixed with carefully controlled anxiety.
"Total comes to eleven thousand, four hundred and fifty dollars."
Rex leaned back in his chair, studying Noah’s face for any sign of panic or desperation.
"$11,450. That’s everything."
The way Noah responded made it sound like he was genuinely concerned his resources might fall short.
Can’t let them think I’m swimming in cash. The last thing I need is for them to decide that the price has just doubled because I can afford it.
"That’s... everything?"
Noah’s voice carried just the right note of financial strain.
"You’re sure that covers all fees and penalties?"
Rex nodded with the certainty of someone who’d performed this calculation countless times before.
"Every penny, Carter. Pay that, and we’re square."
Time for the reveal. But carefully.
Noah opened the briefcase, revealing neat stacks of bills that represented his escape from this particular nightmare.
He counted out the exact amount, setting each stack on Rex’s desk with the reverence of someone parting with their last resources.
The remaining $550 stayed in the case.
As he closed the briefcase, Noah let his voice drop to a whisper that carried just enough volume to ensure Rex caught every word.
"Damn it...I don’t have money for rent..."
The words escaped as a whisper that wasn’t meant to be heard by anyone.
Rex’s thick fingers moved through the bills, his lips moving silently as he verified the count.
Eleven thousand, four hundred and fifty dollars exactly.
After completing his audit, Rex stood with the satisfaction of someone whose evening had exceeded expectations.
His smile carried genuine warmth for the first time in their acquaintance, the kind reserved for customers who paid in full, on time, without requiring creative persuasion techniques.
"Well, Carter," he extended a hand that Noah accepted with inward reluctance.
God knows what he does with this hand.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you. You are officially on a clean slate, fresh start, all that motivational bullshit."
The handshake lasted exactly long enough to seal their transaction without implying friendship.
"If you ever need any more loans, do not hesitate to contact us again."
Rex continued with a smile on his face
That’s definitely not happening again.
"We appreciate customers who honour their commitments."