There's no such thing as a free lunch!
Even though Luke had just treated them to a meal, Phinks knew it wasn't for free.
If Luke ever ran into trouble again, he'd definitely be there too!
But if he could enjoy such delicious food, he'd be perfectly happy to do it!
But when it came to this obviously magical and mysterious power, it was clearly beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Even Phinks knew that gaining such power would come at a hefty price.
But if it was within his means, he'd agree without hesitation!
"Yes, there is indeed a price to pay."
Luke nodded gently at Phinks. "And this so-called price is..."
Phinks straightened his back, and even Feitan leaned forward slightly, listening intently.
"You have to beg me sincerely."
Luke made this request lightly.
Feitan: "...?"
Phinks: "...?"
Both of them blinked at his words.
Phinks even rubbed his ears, wondering if he had misheard.
But then…
"Another request like that."
Uvogin muttered softly, drawing Phinks's attention a little.
He saw that Uvogin didn't seem surprised at all, and even Machi looked calm.
Phinks couldn't help but gradually show a look of astonishment.
"Just begging... Is all it takes?"
Feitan, standing beside him, wanted to ask the same question.
For power like this, shouldn't the cost be something like one's body, soul, or something of the sort?
That's what he'd seen in the storybooks he'd found in the garbage dump.
It was called signing a pact with the devil in exchange for great power.
Feitan had even gone over it in his mind, deciding that if he really had to sell his soul, then so be it.
But what they didn't expect was that the price and conditions they received from Luke were just... begging?!
"Are you kidding me?!"
Phinks couldn't help but ask out loud.
"Just beg? No other price or conditions at all?!"
Phinks felt like this was a little too easy!
So easy that it made him feel uneasy and a bit apprehensive.
He and Feitan had truly lived rough lives in Meteor City, experiencing the harshness of reality firsthand.
Unlike Uvogin, who could barely carve out a small territory with Machi and manage to gain a foothold, Phinks and Feitan lived a more precarious life, often not knowing where their next meal would come from.
And while they had to steal others' gains, they also had to guard against other dangerous figures like those veteran scavengers who might plot against them.
In short, the two of them survived by sticking close together, enduring much harsher lives.
Because of that, compared to Uvogin, Phinks and Feitan were more like barefoot desperados, who didn't care about rules or consequences.
If there's a way for them to change their current lives and become stronger, as long as the price isn't too high, they won't hesitate.
It's precisely for this reason that Phinks is wary of Luke's seemingly simple and generous terms.
Such terms are practically free!
It's almost like they'd previously asked Luke for food!
But Luke made it clear: "No, it wasn't the same."
Strictly speaking, commissions and requests are not the same thing!
When Luke developed the ability "Standing on the shoulders of giants," he also gained a general understanding of his own abilities as a Master Inventor.
That was: although he could use his ability by accepting others' commissions and requests, there was still the matter of the level of sincerity behind the commission or request!
In other words, if it were just a casual commission or request without much intent, then the aura consumed to support Luke's invention would be greater.
But if it were a request made with strong sincerity and intense intent, then the aura consumed would be much less.
Simply put, it depended on how strong the requester's intent was.
The stronger the intent of the request, the less aura was consumed, and vice versa.
If the other party's intent in their request was very strong, and Luke paired it with his ability, standing on the shoulders of giants, the two abilities would stack, and he might even be able to forcibly invent some extremely overpowered tools that normally would require an immense aura to create!
That's why he told Phinks it had to be a sincere beg, not a casual request.
A sincere word carries far stronger intent than a mere casual request.
"Is it really just begging?!"
After confirming that there were no additional conditions or costs, Phinks' eyes practically flashed with golden light.
If such power could be obtained through such trivial means…
"What a steal!"
Phinks screamed inwardly, instantly wanting to open his mouth and issue a request to Luke.