"These two guys, clearly just came later to mooch food, yet they're acting so arrogant..."
Uvogin muttered as he swallowed his saliva.
His words were filled with envy and jealousy toward Phinks and Feitan, who were devouring food without restraint.
The two of them, however, completely ignored Uvogin's grumbling. They were already so entranced by the aroma that they couldn't tell east from west.
That thick, crispy, golden fried pork cutlet, just one bite, and it melted silently in the mouth.
And the fragrant bean sprouts mixed with fried noodles, picked up with chopsticks, were slurped into their mouth.
Now, Phinks and Feitan, who only cared about eating, finally experienced the joy that Uvogin and Machi had once felt.
"So refreshing!"
After they swallowed the last bite of food, Phinks let out a long sigh: "Seriously, what kind of life was I even living before?!"
He suddenly felt the urge to cry.
Compared with what he had eaten in the past, this was what real food was!
But when he thought of Uvogin, who was still on the side, he forced back the tears that threatened to well up in his eyes.
Along with that soaring happiness from enjoying a perfect meal, his emotions settled a little.
"The food you gave us was truly delicious. Thank you."
Phinks placed the black coconut fruit in his hand and solemnly thanked Luke.
"So, you actually know how to say words of gratitude."
"If you say anything else, I'll rip your tongue out!"
Phinks glared at Uvogin, then returned his gaze seriously.
"This is indeed the first time I've ever said thank you to someone... Never mind, I'm Phinks."
He introduced himself: "Phinks Magcub."
That was his full name.
"He's Feitan, he's..."
"Feitan Portor."
Beside him, Feitan muttered his full name in a low voice.
"That's right."
Phinks patted his chest, declaring: "You treated us to such delicious food. We appreciate it!"
He flashed his signature, classic, ferociously kind expression at Luke: "If you need any help in the future, just let us know."
"We're both quite well-known around here."
"For example, if some guys try to steal the things you've searched and gathered, or if anyone forces you to do things you don't want, like threatening you to cook for them..."
"Hey, hey, hey!"
Upon hearing this, Uvogin was immediately displeased: "Who are you targeting, you idiot?!"
"Oh, so this big, muscle-brained idiot can actually tell who I mean."
Phinks feigned surprise and said sarcastically: "Since you know who I'm talking about, you know what's going on."
"I acknowledge him, but you're still excluded! Our grudges aren't settled yet!"
"I'm going to fuck you up!"
Just as Phinks and Uvogin were about to engage in another heated exchange, perhaps even a live rehearsal, Luke interrupted them: "My name is Luke. If you need something to eat, come find me."
"It's a deal!"
At the mention of food, Phinks beamed: "I won't be polite with you."
"No need to be polite with me."
Looking at Phinks' expression, Luke chuckled as well.
In terms of age, he wasn't much older than Uvogin.
For now, it was simply a matter of whoever fed me was my family, as long as someone gave him food, he would get along with them.
Of course, Uvogin was an exception.
"By the way, how did you do that?!"
Phinks, still savoring the aroma of the fried pork chop, was deeply curious about Luke's miraculous feat.
"How? Very simple, just by using a certain special power."
Luke raised his hand, flipped it, and collected the syringes and the remaining modifier.
Yes, the Master Inventor, his golden finger, even came with an extra storage space, specially for storing his inventions.
This includes Luke's previous inventions, like the Mochi-Maker, which are also stored here.
"Special power..."
Phinks' eyes widened; this was his first real encounter with such a force.
Even Feitan stared at him without blinking.
Even though Uvogin and Machi had already seen it before and had some expectations, they still found it mysterious to see it again.
"Can we learn this kind of power?!"
Phinks asked bluntly.
His face was filled with a desire for this kind of power.
No matter how clueless he was, he knew that if he could master this special power, then surviving in the Meteor City area wouldn't be a problem.
Even venturing out into the world wouldn't be a problem at all!
"Of course, anyone can learn this kind of power."
Luke said with a smile.
"Then..."
Phinks felt his voice dry.
"But to learn this power and become stronger, you'll definitely need..."
"I understand!"
Phinks took over. "There's definitely a price to pay!"
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.