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Description
"You are Titan, right? You are really swell, I hope you win the contest!"

After leaving his house for a walk the next day James had a glad surprise. All over the city, people recognized and spoke to him. He was starting to like this Patron candidate thing. Before that, he wouldn't even consider the possibility of someone calling him 'really swell.

"Thanks!" he answered to the kid, "I will try my best."

The stranger left and Titan continued to walk around the market.

"You do know that he was lying, right?" a voice sounded. James looked at his right. A muscular, tall man with short, black hair was sitting on a bench. At his feet there was a big, brown bag. "He doesn't really want you to win that much. The best case scenario, he actually meant that you are 'swell', but solely because of the fact that you have come this far in the Patron tournament."

James analyzed the man carefully. He was certain that he had never seen him before. Why would he be randomly attempting to make him believe that? What was wrong with him?

"And who are you?" he answered with evident annoyance.

"Someone actually interested in your victory. A former hero. You can call me Stephen." That only brought new questions to the table.

"...And why should I believe you after you told me that the kid was lying?" James replied.

"Because while he was only passing by, I can make you feel the most real thing you have ever felt in your life," the man answered, confidently, "open the bag, look for a weight."

James hesitated for a moment. The man certainly didn't look trustworthy. On the other hand, though, what could he possibly do to defeat him, if he was actually looking for a fight? There wasn't a lot of danger as far as he could guess.

James opened the bag. There was, as a matter of fact, a small weight in it. James lifted it, and offered it to the man.

...Something was weird. It wasn't too noticeable. Not even like the container. But he could feel its touch. He knew that.

How was it even possible? It wasn't big, for sure... What was going on?

"I see that you noticed." The man said. "Its name is heraclium. A man-produced metal. Heaviest material in the world, not counting you, but extremely malleable with high temperatures. And it's about to get heavier. Hold it tight, we don't want it to destroy the floor."

He laid his hand over the weight... Then it changed. James struggled to hold it aloft... It was incredible. The first time that he had any trouble lifting anything that wasn't a part of his own body.

And it felt fantastic.

The man laid his hand over the material and it became light again... Relatively.

"I told you. The most real thing you ever felt, isn't it?" Stephen said with a smile.

It probably was. Never before had his strength been tested in any way... It was incredible. He wanted to try it again.

One question remained unanswered, though.

"That's true, I admit... But I still don't know why you are interested in my victory," James said.

"As I told you, heraclium is a man-made material. Right now, it's extremely rare, and basically unknown to everyone save a few. I know the people that created it, though, but they need funding, since the process of its creation is extremely expensive. If you become a Patron you can convince the Council to fund the project, since having Diesel City be a city of heraclium is in your best safety interests," the big man replied. The concept of a city like that, in which he could live as a normal person, run go anywhere without fear of an awful death underground, where he could feel what he touched, seemed unfathomable to James. Something he had wished for in the past.

It was starting to look real, though.

"...That certainly answers it," James said, getting out of his daydream, "but you wouldn't just bother bringing this here just to motivate me. What do you want?"

"As I said, I ultimately want you to win," Stephen replied, "but right now what I'm expecting is the chance to see you in action. If I'm not mistaken, the Council hands over assignments after every elimination. I believe it will remain that way. In the next round, communicate the assignment to me. From that point I will be able to find you. That way I can send useful reports about the nature of heavy materials like heraclium or... Well, yourself, in action." It seemed simple enough. "Oh, and by the way: I actually should have said this before, but as for now, heraclium production is less than legal, to put it boldly. No one can know about this conversation until you win. Do you think that you could keep this meeting a secret? And I mean to everyone. Friends, family, anything. The project is barely standing right now and we can't take this actually leaking out."

James hesitated for a while. This was getting really shady... However, he was right, and if that was illegal, telling his normally trustworthy mother would actually be really dangerous, considering her past as a heroine.

...It was better to keep it a secret. After all, apparently no one was getting damaged out of this. James had a good feeling about this whole affair.

Description
"You are Titan, right? You are really swell, I hope you win the contest!"

After leaving his house for a walk the next day James had a glad surprise. All over the city, people recognized and spoke to him. He was starting to like this Patron candidate thing. Before that, he wouldn't even consider the possibility of someone calling him 'really swell.

"Thanks!" he answered to the kid, "I will try my best."

The stranger left and Titan continued to walk around the market.

"You do know that he was lying, right?" a voice sounded. James looked at his right. A muscular, tall man with short, black hair was sitting on a bench. At his feet there was a big, brown bag. "He doesn't really want you to win that much. The best case scenario, he actually meant that you are 'swell', but solely because of the fact that you have come this far in the Patron tournament."

James analyzed the man carefully. He was certain that he had never seen him before. Why would he be randomly attempting to make him believe that? What was wrong with him?

"And who are you?" he answered with evident annoyance.

"Someone actually interested in your victory. A former hero. You can call me Stephen." That only brought new questions to the table.

"...And why should I believe you after you told me that the kid was lying?" James replied.

"Because while he was only passing by, I can make you feel the most real thing you have ever felt in your life," the man answered, confidently, "open the bag, look for a weight."

James hesitated for a moment. The man certainly didn't look trustworthy. On the other hand, though, what could he possibly do to defeat him, if he was actually looking for a fight? There wasn't a lot of danger as far as he could guess.

James opened the bag. There was, as a matter of fact, a small weight in it. James lifted it, and offered it to the man.

...Something was weird. It wasn't too noticeable. Not even like the container. But he could feel its touch. He knew that.

How was it even possible? It wasn't big, for sure... What was going on?

"I see that you noticed." The man said. "Its name is heraclium. A man-produced metal. Heaviest material in the world, not counting you, but extremely malleable with high temperatures. And it's about to get heavier. Hold it tight, we don't want it to destroy the floor."

He laid his hand over the weight... Then it changed. James struggled to hold it aloft... It was incredible. The first time that he had any trouble lifting anything that wasn't a part of his own body.

And it felt fantastic.

The man laid his hand over the material and it became light again... Relatively.

"I told you. The most real thing you ever felt, isn't it?" Stephen said with a smile.

It probably was. Never before had his strength been tested in any way... It was incredible. He wanted to try it again.

One question remained unanswered, though.

"That's true, I admit... But I still don't know why you are interested in my victory," James said.

"As I told you, heraclium is a man-made material. Right now, it's extremely rare, and basically unknown to everyone save a few. I know the people that created it, though, but they need funding, since the process of its creation is extremely expensive. If you become a Patron you can convince the Council to fund the project, since having Diesel City be a city of heraclium is in your best safety interests," the big man replied. The concept of a city like that, in which he could live as a normal person, run go anywhere without fear of an awful death underground, where he could feel what he touched, seemed unfathomable to James. Something he had wished for in the past.

It was starting to look real, though.

"...That certainly answers it," James said, getting out of his daydream, "but you wouldn't just bother bringing this here just to motivate me. What do you want?"

"As I said, I ultimately want you to win," Stephen replied, "but right now what I'm expecting is the chance to see you in action. If I'm not mistaken, the Council hands over assignments after every elimination. I believe it will remain that way. In the next round, communicate the assignment to me. From that point I will be able to find you. That way I can send useful reports about the nature of heavy materials like heraclium or... Well, yourself, in action." It seemed simple enough. "Oh, and by the way: I actually should have said this before, but as for now, heraclium production is less than legal, to put it boldly. No one can know about this conversation until you win. Do you think that you could keep this meeting a secret? And I mean to everyone. Friends, family, anything. The project is barely standing right now and we can't take this actually leaking out."

James hesitated for a while. This was getting really shady... However, he was right, and if that was illegal, telling his normally trustworthy mother would actually be really dangerous, considering her past as a heroine.

...It was better to keep it a secret. After all, apparently no one was getting damaged out of this. James had a good feeling about this whole affair.