Quick Studies

Rocaloi Academy's entrance. 10 hours after departing from the base.

Trckrr, trckrr, trckrr, trckrr, trckrr.

Ciemnosc was driving his commanding vehicle through the snow, effortlessly pushing it away and not needing anyone or anything to propel him further in case he got stuck. Inside it, Ciemnosc looked ahead with barely any emotion. His lifeless dark eyes showed not a single trace of light and even the night sky above paled compared to the color in his retinas.

“...” Driving a little further into the Rocaloi Academy, Ciemnosc stopped his commanding vehicle and waited in silence while the academy seemed to accurately determine his identity. Only after a couple of minutes was Ciemnosc finally received, whether or not because the academy was having a lot to deal with presently. It was quite some time before he, the Genius, was welcomed.

“Welcome back, Ciemnosc.” A voice that reached from ‘nowhere’, directly behind the academy’s grand array, resounded. It was slightly old, belonging to some supervisor, who spoke in good nature towards him. “I hope you didn’t mind the long waiting. Some things are getting slightly difficult to do nowadays, heh heh. Please, come back in and go towards the headmaster’s residence without delay.”

Ciemnosc nodded in his commanding vehicle towards a certain direction within the grand array, making that one supervisor think to himself whether he sensed wrong right now and even his Obsidiafying realm peak cultivation was already beginning to fail him. He was so old, after all.

Watching Ciemnosc go in, the supervisor woke up and let the gap in the grand array that had opened just now, close and the outside world returned to being completely oblivious to the Rocaloi Academy.

Once inside, Ciemnosc could see the difference between months ago, half a year ago or so, and now. The students were still vibrant, having not many faces who were either sour or a bit crestfallen. There were the occasional beaten-up faces here and there, but other than that, it wasn’t as bad as it is within the major organizations where death between disciples and, or, believers is common among other things.

But while more than 200,000 students had gone out and not come back these few months, and some students’ lives have also been given even before these 6 months, the academy’s precincts seemed more crowded in a way.

There were a few stalls here and there now, the pavement had quite a wide marking, seemingly indicating for students to become aware of the possible large, huge vehicles that may come to drive through the academy. In the distance, changes to the structure of the pathways and platforms around the mountain were visible; though maybe only by Ciemnosc’s eyes from so far away.

It was around the mountain where most people were working the most and where there seemed to be a lot going on. While, on the other hand, everywhere else was mostly tranquil and without much rush or hurry.

If there is something frankly good about all this, something positive and that no major organization would have at these kinds of ‘times’ in history would be how the students are seemingly not looking for either escaping or rushing into their deaths but instead followed their usual daily lifestyle and continued to progress in their cultivation life.

There was a massive intake of new students before when Ciemnosc basically ‘brought’ those remaining few hundred thousand around the ‘true west’ and then into the academy. But even then, the academy only seemed a tiny bit busier.

Right now, as Ciemnosc drove at a slightly faster than walking speed because he had to, he could see about 20% more crowdedness all around the ‘new streets’ of the academy. It was a wonderful sight, and for Ciemnosc, he wondered how many he would be able of snatching away from the academy’s unsuspecting hands. He didn’t min shamelessly grabbing a few tens of feet when giving an inch.

Finally, Ciemnosc drove into what seemed a little secluded section of the academy. It wasn’t prohibited or ‘high class’ like other cities have their zones and how major organizations differentiate their ‘city-like’ lifestyle within their specific organization’s territory. This section of the academy wasn’t approached by students due to their respect and veneration for those who reside within it such as the headmaster, and even the old headmaster.

Arriving there, he took about 4 minutes to drive through the place before he reached his destination. The residences around here weren’t particularly rich in appearance, though some indeed have gardens, it wasn’t one that a cultivator would have and was all ordinary as there were some servants around as well.

These servants, similar to the major organizations which they at least had in common among all other things, were those who entered the academy but had the worse of aptitudes necessary to truly enter the Rocaloi Academy. But the academy is not a place of do or die, nor has it ever been. Hence, the academy ‘adopts’ these people, giving resources to their families until the servants either die or finally manage to cultivate.

Their talent for cultivation is disastrous though, well, at least in the academy’s eyes as well as in every other organization in the world. Including the so-called ‘major’ organizations. But to Ciemnosc, his eyes as he looked at a few, especially some who were older than 150 years old and didn’t manage to cultivate, many imaginary sighs went out…

“... Come inside, Genius Ciemnosc. I’m in my garden…”

Just as Ciemnosc finished looking around a bit to the pure servants because no one in their right mind would dare do a little number on a person who lived within this section of the academy. Ciemnosc heard a voice from one of the many houses, this one was at least somewhat larger, it had ‘wings’ to speak of although short, and its length from extreme to extreme was almost a third longer than anywhere else.

Coming out of his commanding vehicle, Ciemnosc had an expressionless face as he looked directly towards the residence whose garden was hidden by the short wings at the sides. The grass was clean, very short and light, bright green, a delicacy for anyone’s eyes in the mornings.

Opening the door without much shame, for he just had none. Ciemnosc entered the headmaster’s house, noticing that all arrays have been inactive for about half an hour, which was more or less since he arrived at the academy’s territory and was to wait a little bit of time before being allowed in.

“...” When walking into the headmaster’s home, Ciemnosc could feel most of the arrays around him start reactivating. But his body wasn’t tensing up nor were his eyes changing its lifeless, expressionless light. He could tell they were activating right after he went through them in their inactive state, but all Ciemnosc thought of was how incredible it must be to be an Obsidiafying realm ‘powerhouse’ that can do such things with only their Spirit Sense and some method with their Power Energy.

That was the least Ciemnosc could decipher even without the direct reading with his Spirit Sense or looking around with his semi-trained eyes, the simple fluctuations of the pure energy powering these array formations and the Power Energy driving it all along a strand of Spirit Sense were easily caught by Ciemnosc’s most primitive senses.

And it was from the same source that both the Power Energy and Spirit Sense were ‘controlling’ all these arrays without the need for an intricate Identification Token-like tool or device. Ciemnosc felt obsolete and slow when he realized that his current incredible ‘trinkets’ were going to be useless in the future when he too reached such a height.

Stolen novel; please report.

Despite the arrays ‘suspiciously’ activating one after the other, Ciemnosc could tell they weren’t targeting him, not specifically at the very least. And that each time another activated, they scanned all around him, especially behind and where he left his commanding vehicle parked.

But knowing that Ciemnosc was coming alone, the boy in question didn’t even need to know math to figure out the headmaster’s reasons for such precautions.

Step, step, step… step.

“Ah, you arrived, boy.” A voice came into Ciemnosc’s ears as soon as he stepped out of the house from the backdoor. Everything was white and seemed so soft within the building, a bit empty, and spacious but not ugly and desolate and also not rich-like or proudish.

Stepping out, besides the voice and an old man wearing a long white cotton robe-like shirt covering most of his body and long-sleeved, Ciemnosc could see the beauty consisting of the normal of the headmaster’s garden as if it was during a typical morning despite being night already.

Some of the tips of the blades of grass on the ground were exuding some liquid, while some of them shone, it was just in a very smallish quality. Yet, they somehow looked like the stars that should be above, not giving clear light below but visible as long as one looked up; but this dark deep blue sky was as starless as always.

“I hope you don’t mind coming into my silly decorated abode.”

Ciemnosc heard the headmaster speak, and so, he turned his head to look at the headmaster who was now walking hurriedly towards Ciemnosc. The garden wasn’t more than 20 meters long, and about 7 meters wide, Ciemnosc had just stepped out of the house while the headmaster was almost standing at the other end of the garden, so the old man had to walk a silent walk for a bit of time before reaching him.

In Ciemnosc’s eyes, the hands of the headmaster reflected. In his right hand was a long but thin jar with its neck so long it looked like a swan or a cob whose neck became even longer, remaining fully straight. While on the other ‘hand’, its lip and mouth were twisted and slightly elongated to make it easy for either irrigation or serving… tea?

Yet, all Ciemnosc could know that was in the jar was simple… ordinary… water.

In his left hand, the headmaster held a few seeds that were so small they might as well be a mix of dirt and sand that became one, together but didn’t become one at the same time.

“Is this alchemy?” Ciemnosc asked, his neck revealing as long as it could and his head raised a little while moving backward also a little. The headmaster was slightly speechless, he stopped walking forth while looking at Ciemnosc with some embarrassment between looking at both his hands and at Ciemnosc’s face.

“Well… I just wanted to see if they could grow in 10 years with normal water, a normal environment, and tranquil, daily care as if… as if…” The headmaster gave a little smile, embarrassed and looking so humble with his almost bald head and his long beard; all white.

But the headmaster seemed complicated, troubled and even hesitating to just say a few more words. Ciemnosc looked at the headmaster, old man, without hurriedness or impatience. But he also didn’t just wait and let the old man finish at his own pace; a little push wouldn’t not come in handy.

“As if they were normal plants.” Ciemnosc finished the words in the headmaster’s stead. But instead of growing ashamed, the headmaster looked at Ciemnosc, wide-eyed and yet with tranquility as if Ciemnosc had taken burden after burden with just those 6 words. His wrinkled mouth and chin moved, ever so slightly. “Exactly.”

“But if I recall correctly…” Ciemnosc didn’t finish his words, outside of his mind which were ‘which I do’, since he knew he couldn’t be bad to those who aren’t bad towards him. And continued after a little pause, he placed his hands behind his back as he walked to stand a few steps before the old man.

“Those are carnivorous plants, capable of reaching the Spirit Gathering realm in weeks if they are fed with just a single Obsidiafying realm Creature that does not correlate with the Fire element. And their seeds are really good for any baby, humanoid or monstrous, to eat despite not having teeth. They can melt with just the slightest of pushes, making their ‘breeding’ process of these types of plants with the nature around them or within the bodies of any Creature a forced step to not become extinct.”

“...!” The headmaster looked at Ciemnosc in surprise, delighted at the boy’s incredible knowledge that he even forgot most of it… He looked at Ciemnosc and Ciemnosc didn’t seem to be finished, so the headmaster spoke but only to make the boy continue.

“That’s right, Ciemnosc. Then, do you know why these carnivorous plants have such low gains when it comes to anything with the Fire element despite being capable of mutating into having that Element’s properties? And don’t feel shy, tell me more of the reason their seeds are so vulnerable.” The headmaster laid the cards on the table, and Ciemnosc began playing all too smoothly and confidently, easily picking them up as if passing by.

“The carnivorous plants that can cultivate, just like any other plant or herb in the cultivation world are known for eating it all, anything they find. But despite their incredible lust, they are not cannibalistic, and their loyalty, if gained, is immeasurable too. They have been indeed an amazing read in my beginning times in… this world.”

Ciemnosc seemed a bit lost, his chin slightly pointing upwards and his left hand facing the headmaster while making some gestures, as if to explain with body language added to it but notoriously not at the same time. His voice was soft, somewhat quiet.

“When they eat anything with any bit of flames or that can even cause sparks, it is for them as it is for ordinary people to eat rotten food and rusty items. Diarrhea is the most normal case. But while dying is possible, it is more possible for carnivorous plants to gain detection and a better understanding of any living being with either affinity to the Fire element or that is using flames, bursts of fire, and so on for whatever purpose they might have.”

“When they eat, they don’t absorb pure energy or Power Energy, they only eat whatever they get a hold of and begin shredding it with the help of their root, which is tougher than even their teeth but slower. Only there are many more hidden roots than teeth in their mouths. When their victims slowly start decomposing, they finally start cultivating the Power Energy or pure energy that remains within their ‘stomachs’.”

“Like this, their ‘dantian’ spreads the converted energies into its own strength. Allowing it to become stronger and stronger, though their limit is the Spirit Gathering realm. They are the ones that all stories, fantastical ones, of the past are overused as the most terrifying ones because the beginning of this world was the toughest when these precious types of plants were like the mightiest warriors to the first cultivators for hundreds of years.”

“Their favorite food are those who have any sort of Water element or Earth element in them, or that have an affinity of such. Because it makes their roots and bodies grow stronger rather than larger than anything else. The Wind element-based ‘food’ can only grant them a couple more teeth here and there, and some agility at best since they are too shallow when it comes to that Element. While the Fire element…”

The headmaster was captivated by Ciemnosc’s current explanation, his charming voice already having charmed himself, he only wanted to become like those other students at his base who cannot help but talk of how engrossed they become when hearing him. He somewhat felt young and like he was the child while Ciemnosc was the old one, a rare, most of rares - of occurrences.

Ciemnosc moved his gaze back down to the headmaster, who looked with quite some pride at him as if he was his grandson and made him even more prideful after becoming so intelligent and just a role model to follow for all.

“The Fire element makes them seethe, the records from the last experts on the subject atone their ignorance and the world’s still shallow progress as the root of not knowing what it is… But it is written that the emotions and different sensations when eating something belonging to the Fire element are too much that they are wrongly understood as painful to themselves, while the experts instead claim that the carnivorous plants they all experimented with weren’t feeling pain… but extreme pleasure.”

“Yet, they do not gain anything in particular, and the experts concluded their research, hundreds of thousands of years ago that it is another ‘thing’ they don’t know of that is enhanced when they eat such food. But there just was no way at all to figure out what.”

Ciemnosc looked confused as if this involved him somehow. Such determination had the headmaster engrossed even more, the frown in Ciemnosc’s eyebrows was like the uncomfortable itch of one’s mentality being satisfied with boundless knowledge!

“The experts tried it all, even I did some tests too only to find nothing.” Ciemnosc crossed his arms, faced to his right, and continued. His frown deepened a bit more to the point his nose wrinkled up slightly. “They could only tell that their carnivorous plants became smarter, even managing to understand language, sometimes grunting out words about it and taking care of sickly babies.”

“There were some who ev- no, nevermind, let’s not go there…” Ciemnosc was going on in the same way as before suddenly ‘waking up’ and his eyes bulged big time for a few seconds there. The headmaster knew what he was getting to, into the section of ‘golden’, and laughed uproariously but was still impatient to hear the answer to his second question.

“Hahahahahaha, yo- you boy do know it all, heh? Ahahaha!”

Seeing the oldie laugh, Ciemnosc gave the damned, awful creature a side eye with narrowed eyelids, before continuing and finishing his words at last.

…