Recuperating What's Not Theirs

By now it had been 10 weeks since Ciemnosc began this mission on his part with the whole operation in his mind, and 11 weeks since he became the 3rd member of the workshop back at the Rocaloi Academy. The training regimen and the mining continued nonstop as if they were jailed men and women of young to slightly old ages, but completely free and with even sex, good food from the hunting teams, and also teachings about Spirit Sense which were the best.

While the teachings were incredibly short, they seemed like water to the thirsty in an endless desert. Ciemnosc didn’t even need to ask to know how weird or even inexistent the Spirit Sense was unknown as with the other major organizations, there really wasn’t anything good for the Spirit Sense as it seemed to always be the obscurest within all sorts of cultivation and ‘sub’ cultivation for that matter.

But Ciemnosc didn’t shower them with what he did with his teammates, only showing them the most obvious and clearest things about Spirit Sense that he has come to know very easily— but fully unknown to any other —and taught them to these clueless students who couldn’t be any more content with more, new knowledge.

All in all, the results from mining and training were showing off appropriately, and even Ciemnosc’s teammates ended up having a stage breakthrough just weeks after their breakthrough into the Conflagrate realm. While Missa was close to breaking into the 6th stage on the other hand.

Breaking through the Spirit Gathering realm’s stages wasn’t difficult, only needing a lot of pure energy or not that much anyway, depending on the cultivator himself or herself, or, in this case, in the students that were only short of a few different and ‘unknown’ pieces of knowledge.

But without a large quantity of Inferior Powerful Stones, gathering enough pure energy to fill their bodies and feed their Natal Spirit was going to be long and arduous. The main reason the Self-Mutilating Honores Sect had their core disciples stuck at best to the middle stages of the Spirit Gathering realm was their low distribution rate of such Inferior Powerful Stones, forcing them to either duel or risk their lives for an even greater amount of Powerful Stones.

And the reason why they had the most in the peak of the Spirit Gathering realm was exactly because of those opportunities to gain those Powerful Stones but with their lives probably being lost, and the Powerful Stones returning to either their hands or to just one single disciple. Whatever happened to that disciple didn’t matter, and the sect could even get back their Powerful Stones if that one winning disciple died.

Ciemnosc was, of course, not going through with such a simplistic and primitive method. Of course not! He was going to simply make these students work for their own part, and with that came the mines that were being hard worked since week 4. And the results of such were actually good, better than anything else.

Because unlike not only the 4 major organizations but also the Rocaloi academy itself, in which they used ‘mortals’ to dig deep and far in the darkest, scary mines of the Powerful Stones, aka their one and most reliable source of income. Ciemnosc’s students weren’t getting from tens to hundreds every day of Inferior Powerful Stones every 3 days or even a whole week. Ciemnosc’s mines were getting all in between the few thousand every day!!

While the major organizations and the Rocaloi Academy do receive tens of thousands of Inferior Powerful Stones every month with, perhaps and with luck, about a dozen or so of Supreme Powerful STones, Ciemnosc’s mines were already mining for about 200,000 Inferior Powerful Stones in a month! A single month!

And that was when it was the usual which was those few thousands of Powerful Stones being mined every day. But there were times that there was either a rich and ‘loose’ small section and a couple hundred more could be mined from just one single small section.

Powerful Stones were much too complicated to take out. Being dumb and careless was the same as wasting money, and the students knew that their base needed the most possible amount of Powerful Stones. Should there be an emergency and understanding that they could even survive it, what else would they need but Powerful Stones to raise up again and prepare?!

Hence, the way that the students were mining wasn’t just better in quantity and efficiency. There were basically 0 mistakes in the mines, and barely a precious Inferior Powerful Stone was ever wasted even in weeks. Though only about 2 months and a half had gone by now since the start of the operation and their mission at the frontlines, there were already riches in their hands, and some leading students were already rumored to go into meetings for the distribution of such.

As for the training students, those who were sent in the next batch for the mines with groups, they were very well accustomed to and preferred to be around, even more when going to do something such as mining, as well as those coming from the mines to train this time. The least amount that a student had for the number of times they managed to train under Ciemnosc’s training regimens, was basically 3 times at the very least and about 7 or 8 for those who had practiced the most under him.

There wasn’t any science to it, as volunteers were also wanted in the mines and were given some special treatment whenever they went back to the mines. In a way, it also worked differently for each student, for each cultivator.

Some could do well with the knowledge and practices that Ciemnosc made his troops go through daily, which was the majority. While others were much better when directly and ‘just’, working their bodies and clever intelligence for even the smallest things. Cultivating wasn’t the same as physical training and bodybuilding for ordinary people, but they were somehow still similar; a few things worked for some, and those ‘few things’ might not work for all, and that was it.

But even when Ciemnosc was ‘asked’ if more mines would be opened, all of it was refused to both ordinary and leading students of his troops. Ciemnosc was already seeing that the mines were quite efficient in enriching his pockets and allowing for these people all in the Spirit Gathering realm to have a bountiful ‘salary’ in the future.

In the past, he couldn’t find any such mine from his side of the Little Lake back then. And now he could only imagine what it would be for him to have the same few million troops under him and these many ores that could be turned into mines right away. But he had to hold on to the precious stones and wait until he received more recognition, then send a request and just be accepted for more support. It all could be much more simple.

In any case, some few Inferior Powerful Spirit Stones were already being distributed in very small quantities of 1 or 2 per week. It was too little, and it could only help a small percentage of progress in the steps of those between the middle stages and late stages of the Spirit Gathering realm, while it was an ‘okay’ help to those in the early stages.

Of course, there was no luck when it came to Supreme Powerful Stones Ciemnosc didn’t even spot a single ore of Powerful Stones with a Creature nearby, let alone one that was abundant and could be the only type to beget his base with such Supreme grade of Powerful Stones.

But things were already getting calm and maybe too at ease for Ciemnosc’s taste, desire, and… vendetta!

On this very day, in the 11th week, since he became part of the workshop and the 10th week since this mission started, Ciemnosc was now meeting with a few ordinary and all leading students of his troops - in his base.

The main tent was now crowded as a lot of people were inside and surrounding it. It wasn’t large enough to hold thousands of leading students all at the same time. And most had to remain outside while those who were a few ordinary students were actually prioritized to be inside with a few other ‘most valued’ leading students of the base according to the other ordinary students and the evaluation from the leading students.

At this moment, those outside gathered behind a monitor each, surrounding the main tent and all in a group in front of the large monitor that allowed for even a couple hundred people to see - that large and big, and that advanced have Ciemnosc’s little trinkets have become for the past few months…

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What was once the temporary base was no longer such but a clearly empty plot of land, one that only had 2 tents in the middle of it all, while it was basically at the western southern side of the entire base now; it had a well enough new perimeter that got smaller after the temporary base was lifted up and everyone began living in their own dormitories.

Though there wasn’t a single construction for now, in the near future once the base had achievements of its own, there would of course be changes to this plot of land that was lonelier than the poor even longer-living Obsidiafying realm Creatures at the peak of this world.

“First of all, congratulations to all students here present, from now on I declare you leading students. You may want to find your own large number of students that are comfortable with you, to accompany you and form part of your ‘company’ or ‘battalion regiment’.” Ciemnosc spoke, directly letting down a few pieces of paper, documents, which held the names and even portraits of those ordinary students within the main tent, who in return went silent.

Holding their stomach or part of their collars down their uniform shirts. The ordinary students now having become leading students, were too stunned to believe it. But after just a few more seconds of repeating Ciemnosc’s flat tone of his spoken words and processing them, they looked at their Chief in Command’s face, uncaring and expressionless before almost kneeling and began to thank him as if it was their blessing for marriage.

“Many thanks, Genius Ciemnosc!” - “Chief! Thank you very much, I won’t disappoint you!” - “Thank you, thank youuu~!”

The few leading students within the main tent were confused, albeit also with reasonable expressions on their faces. And as they watched each other silently within the main tent, they could tell that the same thing was going in their minds: ‘So the reason no more leading students were being appointed wasn’t because of shortage of ordinary students, but for a more precise situation… could it be?!’.

And it was in- fucking -deed so, Ciemnosc didn’t let the new leading students feel too much complacent with themselves before opening his slightly pale mouth once more and speaking to everyone inside and outside the main tent this time.

“I wasn’t just wording my congratulations. You must do best to do as I said, you still have the rest of the afternoon, evening, and the entire night before the early morning to get used to your new troops,” Ciemnosc said, slowly coming to place both his palms against the small rectangular white table at the middle, his face becoming a tad bit serious but still deadpan.

Rustle, rustle rustle…

“Tomorrow in the morning, we begin a long march.” Said Ciemnosc while taking out a map so long it covered the entire rectangular table, albeit small, still a table where several people can sit, talk and eat with tranquility. On that map, a small part of the Little Lake was shown, their base as well, and a lot of points could be seen detailed on it, with a long trail starting from their base to go all around the base’s north where those detailed points were shown with ‘urgency’.

Naturally, the urgency was just theatrical. They were all summarized into a set of villages all around or nearby the mines that were taken by the enemy’s forces, there were many of those and it wasn’t just for showing how smart the Genius is.

“Any questions before I begin?” Ciemnosc asked around as he placed his hands on the map, uncaring if it could get damaged or not. Seeing nobody even shaking their head, he blinked as he tilted his head to the right his face turning a bit ‘sour’. But then lowered his gaze and chin to look at the map. Starting by pointing at the base with his right-handed index finger, Ciemnosc followed the trail as it is marked on the map.

“We start marching, of course.” His voice was really quiet but somewhat soft as well. “We begin at this place, we will take all of the villages under their control as ours, and then make sure that it is secured before leaving for the next. The villages are to be treated with respect anywhere we go, but not as our important guests nor as family. If they bother you, or they are to compromise this operation’s mission’s operation, do as you see fit - don’t make me frown at you.”

“...” The rest became immediately ‘deaf’, as they could only become really damn serious when hearing Ciemnosc, not daring to ask anything now after being given a chance and not taking it. Ciemnosc continued uncaringly though. “After everything is secure, we send a messenger to the Rocaloi Academy, and they will take care of the mining and also of the defense of this part on the map on their own.”

Some leading students had their eyebrows sinking a little at this, their noses wrinkling a little as well. But kept quiet, and Ciemnosc mentally nodded before continuing with his finger tracing the black line on the map again. “This one is next, we do not stay for more than a day if necessary, and we must take it all under our hands on the very same day we attack. I have done enough preparation and espionage. We’ll rely on my information of then and improve if necessary.”

“We will move all the way…” Ciemnosc continued tracing the long, snakey black line on the map until the last detailed point on the map was reached by his right index fingertip, finally coming to a stop in the middle of the base’s north but a little more to the west. While the other detailed points were all north of the last detailed point and formed a beret hat with the long black line and the detailed points themselves; with a long trail of the marching troops returning to the base.

“... Up to here,” said Ciemnosc, pointing at the base once again, therefore raising his head while the leading students’ sides of their heads and hands were sweating already.

“What, too difficult?”

Hearing his question, the leading students slowly began recomposing themselves, the cold of this year’s season returning them to real life as they felt that sweat become a little cold. Looking at Ciemnosc after gulping enough times to regulate themselves and their overly human brains, they shook heads and nodded alike in favor of his plan.

Creak.

“... The reason why we are not keeping the mines is that when I was chosen to come here and take the frontlines, I was kind enough to ask for keeping them all to myself. While giving some of the production to the Rocaloi Academy and supplying ourselves with the rest.” Ciemnosc commenced to talk, this time directed to the leading students who kept silent, especially the new ones who felt the weight of their mantle even harder than the rest.

On the other hand, his teammates were all fine, with Missa and Fatima even placing their delicate and caring hands on his left and right shoulder respectively as he went on. “But now you’ve seen the difference between ordinary people mining what should be our work and cultivators doing what they should.”

“It’s incomparable,” Ciemnosc shook his head quite a bit charismatically while opening his darkest eyes to look at them, his darkest pitchest black hair swinging a bit, dancing as if in accordance with the obscurity of the afternoon itself within the main tent as well. “We can gain much more than what they already used to gain, and this little pause will make them want those mines even more…”

“While one: we don’t cut off the resources of the Rocaloi Academy, and two; we gain our own resources with our own hands and efforts, distributed among my troops depending on merit; if it’s willed like so.” Ciemnosc’s eyes narrowed as if lazy to lift his suddenly way too heavy eyebrows.

“So, instead of sharing profit and cutting off the academy’s source of income, we’ll just make our own.” Ciemnosc wasn’t asking nor was he considering their opinion; he was just explaining. Telling them how it was going to go because that was not just okay within all reason but also incredible in terms of getting their own source of income without worrying about anybody else’s but their own hands.

To which Ciemnosc went on to elaborate further right after, his eyes and tone the same. “As soon as our first scout is sent to the Rocaloi Academy, the second will arrive a few days after, and the third another couple days after. By the end of the month, the entire Rocaloi Academy will know your deaths, suffered through this one event to recuperate all of the Rocaloi Academy’s belongings back into their own hands. Our own hands, if you will it.”

“I don’t give a fuck what your thoughts are on the current ‘difference’ between the academy and this military branch of it, which is brand new, and to be honest - all thanks to me,” Ciemnosc spoke, not a single expression on his deadpan, extremely handsome face.

“By the end of this encounter, there will be too many hands and little to build. When we start exploring the Little Lake, we will only have to worry about taking it and not just about how we are massacring them, and more than anything to whom to thank that it was all possible.” Ciemnosc spoke, his words were so cocky though. But his entire self didn’t seem to even ‘exist’ right in front of them so there could not be a fault found in his image right now.

“And if the Rocaloi Academy has put their lot on me, then I’m going to pull them all I want unto the rest of the world and show them how it is all done.” Ciemnosc’s last words, unlike before and however, got the blood of the leading students seething already, and the looks in the eyes and the warmth in the hands of his teammates to become all too ‘mind opened’ and… admiring.

But then, Ciemnosc suddenly said something without the slightest of pressure nor meaning; not even hidden meaning behind such words…

“Right now, it’s the last chance, choose whether to go back to the academy or remain as my… Ciemnosc’s… subordinate. You are also deciding for those under you.” Finished saying that, Ciemnosc turned around and laid his back ‘bare’ in the open for everyone else to see. He was awaiting their response, to which even if they did not understand what their response would bring to their future, not clearly deep in their hearts they did indeed know…

PUTONG PUTONG PUTONG…

It didn’t take long and, starting with his 4 teammates all kneeling at the same time and so harshly loudly just a few seconds after Ciemnosc turned around, the noises of the rest of the leading students following up resounded even from outside the Chief in Command’s private zone.

Even if today was to be a relaxed night, it wasn’t going to be a silent and peaceful one.

…