Calm Days
Ciemnosc walked to his bedroom, already within the dormitories and without any expression on his face. As he opened the door to his bedroom, behind it was already Missa who was looking at him with an envelope in her right hand as she used her left arm to get him in. It was dark in the door's hallway, but when turning to the right with Missa to the dining table, it was warmly illuminated by a few torches.
The barrels filled with liquor were repaired, not needing to call anybody as the team had worked to restore those things, and the dining table itself was slightly illuminated. While a candelabrum lighted their faces with more clarity and an even warmer light. Already, there was food on the table, which was very well illuminated too. And as Missa sat on her chair beside Fatima, Ciemnosc went over to sit on his own.
“...” Right away, and for a time, there were only munching sounds in silence as Ciemnosc’s teammates began eating their dishes. They were looking at him every time they brought a mouthful to their lips, even as Fatima and Missa fed each other. It was all done as if robotically, and nobody talked about the absolute anything.
Ciemnosc, with the envelope in his hands, opened it. And after several mouthfuls of his own dishes, he began elaborating with a semi-full mouth. “I want to study my closeness to Creatures. And also see for myself if there are many ways to make or help an animal or insect evolve into a Creature. I also don’t want to spend too much time doing nothing, and this profession is just one that I’m lacking compared to the rest.”
“Aaah.” - “Oh~, so that was why…” - “I see, it makes sense!” - “Ñom ñom ñm- ñmkay!”
As his teammates responded, Ciemnosc opened the envelope and gave it a fleeting glance before throwing it away. It landed on the chimney nearby and burned right away. Nobody in the bedroom needed to open it in need. They could all just use Spirit Sense for a quick understanding since the letter wasn’t encrypted by arrays in any way. Thinking of this, Ciemnosc couldn’t help but think how careless the academy is with delivering such information within the academy grounds.
“Mn, I start tomorrow. I’ll only be going to the new students’ department 3 days a week anyway. I can focus myself on my Creature-renting services most of the week.” Ciemnosc said to his teammates were still looking at him, feeding themselves, each other, and their eyes not really leaving him. He added, “I can give a discount in the future if you wan-”
“Good!” - “Something built with Little Ciemnosc’s hands will be magnificent. Gimme a 60% discount at the very least, okay?” - “I’ll let you see me and Fatmia do it. You know we never let anyone see us making love, right?” - “Mn, I’ll also send you some pictures we took together; naughty pictures.”
“...” Ciemnosc shook his head and lowered his head to eat. Missa and Fatima, the real devils of this team, smiled and finally parted their eyes from his body. Gallah and Leen also smiled and continued to eat. While Ciemnosc himself just ate everything, gobbling it down so fast he won the nonexistent competition of finishing their dozen dishes first or so.
. . .
The next day, on the 1st day of the 2nd week of the 11th month since the start of the war. Ciemnosc could be seen walking to the foot of the mountain again, and as it seemed like news traveled fast, there were many who were confused if he was going to go teach again when it wasn’t the day to do so. Only the 3rd, 5th, and 7th days would such things happen anyway.
But then they saw him move towards the mountain itself rather than the foot of the mountain and it was even more true when he took out his commanding vehicle and began to go through the new roads on the pathways circling the mountain. He had the largest vehicle around as armored cars were basically only for those who were to go to war, while their mini versions were for those of ‘high status’.
As such, everyone around the mountain’s pathways stopped and looked at the zooming armored car that was safely driving in the driving zone only. Even in the curves and sudden ups and downs, it was going perfectly smooth as if attached to the pathways. But of course, only armored cars had the opportunity to be built with Synergized Equatrend Mobilizers, and only with such marvels can the armored cars have such extreme mobility and control.
The mini versions and other vehicles on the other hand were not. But the academy’s staff and students were quick to adapt to them and, with their cultivation, they were of course much better at driving than ordinary human beings. It was sure that there would be no accident, and that was just to be one of the many differences between cultivators and those ordinary folk when the former did the stuff of the latter.
As Ciemnosc drove, he went from the ‘snobby’ side of the mountain to a much more particularly ordinary one where basically anyone would be coming to the mountain for whatever reason they might have.
When he was sighted around, he was also seen storing his commanding vehicle right at a place where a large Creature-renting services area was reserved since yesterday night. Then, that was when Ciemnosc went over to that site, took the things that clearly identified this reserved place away, and began to walk around where the fragile and uncomfortably shaky platform hanging from the pathway to inspect it all.
It was a normal-sized Creature-renting service space. Ciemnosc couldn’t ask for more as this was his first time starting something like this, so he had no previous experience that the academy could allow itself to give him more than necessary. It didn’t matter that he was the Genius of the academy, for if he wanted to suddenly quit, it would be truly embarrassing for him and the academy.
But Ciemnosc, of course, wasn’t planning on leaving the Creature-renting service. Not any time soon or even later, and not as just a normal-sized one. But for that, he obviously needed first to have many Creatures already trained. But luckily for him, he had been the Chief in Command of a base that could reunite more than 5,000,000 Powerful Stones every month, so he was anything but short of money.
After a few tens of minutes of checking around, not only for the dimensions he was looking for but also for the type of material he would be making use of and of how the structure attachment to the pathway and mountain would be, Ciemnosc went back down the mountain to the Finances MAangement building and began spending a tiny bit of his pockets, which was about a few hundred thousand Inferior grade Powerful Stones.
… In the next few days, Ciemnosc made a very large platform first, one that was by far the largest among all other normal-sized Creture-renting services areas, but that was within the limits since the normal-sized was practically specified for the building itself where it would be built and not where it would be built. In any case, Ciemnosc took measures that were even higher than a medium-sized Creature-renting service building for his own but less than a large-sized one.
Within those days, he had to of course make the entire structural support of the platform. And it had to be the most secure one for the weight it would have to support was immense to which he wouldn’t be requiring any array formations in this case. It wasn’t like this was a special mountain, so actually using array formations to construct around it was misusing them and just the same as using gold to buy bronze coins.
By the end of the last few days of constructing, with his own hands of course, though he did need help from others bringing the materials quite a few tens of meters up the mountain. Ciemnosc had finally covered the space he was initially thinking of, and it made a slightly protruding image from the mountain if one were to look at it from afar and from a slightly different side.
Now, all that was left was to make the building itself and the places where the Creatures would be both rented, and trained and living respectively. But for that, Ciemnosc would leave it for another day, as the 3rd day of the week would arrive tomorrow, and he would be giving the students another class. He could continue the next day after that, then give another class the day after, subsequently finishing his building by the 6th day of the week and spending the next 3 days learning how to train and training these Creatures he bought…
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
… Once again, the 3rd day of the week arrived, and Ciemnosc, who had been busy working on constructing, was now walking in the early morning towards the department he was teaching in.
When he arrived a few hundred meters from the department, Ciemnosc could already see all the students that were supposed to be attending his classes. Though there were those who attended his class before and were more woken up from before yet still unnecessarily horny… like he once was. There were also those who either left his classroom the other day, or didn’t even present themselves back then.
The former was tranquil and, if anything, they were just busy thinking what kind of amazing shit they were going to hear and be taught today. It could be seen that their notice of the importance of knowledge was already beginning to get into their heads. And many who hadn’t cultivated yet, from 5-year-olds to 20-something-year-olds— regularly —, were completely convinced to keep attending these classes of the young boy.
The latter was, however, not only feeling aware that the change in their other classmates was not without any grounds but that they might not get to receive these teachings, these simple words of knowledge for their offense. The anxiety on their faces wasn’t unfounded, while they were mostly asking other people a ton of things about the previous class. Such a thing had been ongoing since the day after Ciemnosc’s first class ever; and that was something to say for the students who did attend it were being pestered when it was ‘studying time’ the rest of the days.
It went from ‘pretending’ to ‘studying’ for real. While the minority was indeed bothering the majority of students, the former was only going through what they heard from Ciemnosc before. It was his words that were different from almost any teaching books that their department had, and those were the very same as the rest of the academy. There was nothing different in-between all departments except for the specialized class that each would have differing from one another.
And that was only for the cultivators who were already between the Link Consolidation realm and the Phrenic realm, not the Spiritual Ligament realm or the Spiritual Condensation realm. For Ciemnosc’s students, and all of the students that were already tested and confirmed to become students, those who didn’t have cultivation were in the majority of those that did or didn’t attend his class.
All Ciemnosc could do was teach them, perhaps give some advice here and there as he did last time, as long as they were all truths he could confirm and not something he would ‘think’ is right… Like other teachers apparently do.
“Good morning, teach.” - “Good morning teacher.” - “It is now a good morning because of you, teacher.” - “... Honey, do you still love me?” - “Who…?”
As Ciemnosc stepped near the gates of the department, he was greeted by his students… just the notion of it felt weird to think, let alone the actual things happening as he walked through the few thousand students waiting for him to enter first. This time, Ciemnosc even saw some of the most enthusiastic for him waiting at the main entrance, like the little girl Sha among others.
‘Nobody is inside?’ Ciemnosc thought weirdly as he scanned with his Spirit Sense. The first long hall was completely empty, and so were the artificial gardens and some sections of other long hallways annexed by the artificial gardens even. After he entered the main building, he directly went towards the main classroom, which was to the other end of the entire department, and that obviously had to be underground, or it would’ve taken too much space above the ground for future - possible projects.
Behind him was everyone else. There were fewer minutes left before the start f the class today, so the students parading their teacher didn’t even feel shy as they became Ciemnosc’s tail willingly.
Tumtom.
Ciemnosc opened the doors and, stopping once to look back at himself, only to see many faces already focused on taking seats in the room they couldn’t even see. He perplexedly turned around and went on his way towards the podium. The little girl and some young women accompanying the little one rushed to the front, even overtaking Ciemnosc, and sat at the very front, the young women’s eyes like stars as they looked at the mighty fine fella of a teacher they had walking. Damn, even his walking was charming!
Clamor, steps steps steps, murmur…
“...” It took approximately quite a few minutes for the few thousand students to accommodate themselves. Ciemnosc had to thank they weren’t being rude or too noisy despite the obvious murmurs becoming like a market in the middle of the street, as he often heard from his Sister’s mouth. And when everyone was done and ready, Ciemnosc spoke before the official start of the class and as a little reminder.
“It would be less time-wasting if you would just sit here before I arrived, at least most of you.” Hearing his words, everyone in the classroom, as if having formed a pact, went silent and said nor showed any embarrassment about their teacher’s words. Ciemnosc then added, his tone flat. “Now, if anyone has to say something about their… ‘homew-’”
“Teacher, is it possible to have more hours of your class if we ask the academy’s staff?” A voice sounded, interrupting Ciemnosc. But it was for a good cause. Listening to Ciemnosc’s teachings was the good cause and nobody could say no to! Right?!
“It is possible, but that’s up to me,” Ciemnosc responded, not minding being interrupted or asked that. Instead, he just looked at one person who was going to raise their hand before and pointed at them, also speaking to them with the same tone. “What were you going to say?”
The student he pointed at was a laid-back girl with curly hair, a pair of ponytails and big, round glasses that accentuate her innocent beauty as she looked around 10 years old. She sat straight up and looked at her fellow young kid-fellow and began, her voice soft and timid but clear enough to be heard through almost the entire classroom. “I already made my beardog eat the fruits you said and had him listen to me more, but when I took him out for a stroll… he had a breakthrough?”
“How old was he, and since when did he not advance?” Ciemnosc was a bit speechless, but he continued with the advice-giving session as he spoke in the same way as always as a teacher; now. The girly responded right away as if having thought of the answer for so long already, “11 years! He has been stuck in the Link Consolidation realm for so long! He is now close to the Phrenic realm, and daddy says he will protect me until the end of the world~!”
“... Mn, well. Make sure to keep feeding him fruit every few days along with his usual meat diet, or it might regress again. His nature is that of the earth and water. Bloodthirst isn’t his forte despite the conclusive research of other experts. As long as he eats meat from aquatic animals or Creatures or that are incredibly tough to chew from the land, you won’t need to feed him more fruits. And given his extreme liking towards you and not towards other family members, you may have an affinity for either of the 2 Elements.”
“But I have been tested 4 times, and they all said I have low talent, potential, and zero affinity with any Element. Even pure energy rejects me a little bit!” The little girly said, pouting at the end as she was looking for some comfort. But, instead of giving it, Ciemnosc spoke clearly and concisely with the same tone as always, his eyes looking at her with neutral affiliation.
“Nature cannot be tested. Pure energy rejecting you isn’t because of the low cultivation future others tell you to have but because you are completely outside of the expectations that all that there is has for you. While you keep on listening to others, your body is emanating an affinity towards one of nature’s Elements. Yet you deny it because of what you were told.”
“Even when the academy does have accurate testing devices,” Ciemnosc continued, leaning his left elbow over the podium as his voice was heard all around. “They don’t have the means nor knowledge to look for the truths behind what those devices barely manage to use in order to identify a person’s opportunities. Only one’s heart and brain, together, can really go through such reading of another person if that person in question cannot do it to themselves.”
“Oooh…” The girl, and those hearing him who felt like they were their own main characters, wrongly of course, listened more attentively as they leaned over towards the front; towards Ciemnosc as if to hear more and with more intensity as if that would make them badass.
“Try doing the same as your beardog. Eat some Earthly-related Creature or any kind of herb or plant. Then cultivate, you may have a meal of these affinities and then eat another bunch raw right before starting to cultivate. It may sound disgusting, but unless you want to become what they have told you to be, you’d want to do this.” Ciemnosc concluded without responding only towards the little girl, as he then directly turned his head away to nod upwards at someone else.
“Teacher, thank you for your words before.” Kevin stood up directly, and the older young woman to his left with a pale face stood up, her hand and forearms holding her body as if she was feeling like ants crawling all under her skin. Kevin continued once he helped her big sister up, “This is my big sister. I managed to convince her of going for any of the 2 methods you taught us, teacher.”
“After convincing her, she directly went into secluded cultivation for 2 days. When she came out, she was so weakened that she couldn’t even talk. Teacher, she… she crippled her own cultivation…”
Clamor! Murmur murmur!
Ciemnosc looked at the pair as the big sister tried looking up at him, and even though he was way below at the podium, she had difficulty doing just that. His eyes were serene, darkest, and lifeless as always, and they were rather calm as they looked at the seriously injured ‘girl’ up there.
…