Reading Of Nature

The next day, in the early morning, and a small dining room.

Heian Ciemnosc was eating again several dozen dishes that were all of the most incredible taste he had ever had, but instead of being accompanied by the beauty red-haired chairwoman, an oldish man took her place. What's worse, his injuries from the day before were still there and needed another day of healing to recuperate. His body was too weakened and busy with so much pure energy. It wasn't just his might and mobile capacities that were toned down a lot.

Disciplinary Elder, uncle Forso, and actually Elyor’s Uncle walked in after Alyona left the kitchen with a little smooch on Heian Ciemnosc’s right top corner of his head. He brought several panels, some were clearly different from the one he used the day before, and Heian Ciemnosc could only somehow believe these panels were for recording - whatever that recording was about.

As uncle showed himself, he looked at Heian Ciemnosc before bringing a chair over. The methods of those at the Third Step were naturally different, but Heian Ciemnosc was already used to it. He was that amazing, to begin with. Disciplinary Elder Forso walked, and without a single air breeze, a chair moved backwards and gnashed with its feet against the floor before accommodating itself right beside Heian Ciemnosc, who was eating with a very full mouth.

Seeing Heian Ciemnosc eat, uncle Forso now understood why so many rumored Momy Squirrel and Baby Squirrel since the young punk had awoken. Heian Ciemnosc’s cheeks were so inflated he looked like a squirrel trying to attain atavism and begin cultivation. Sucking up as much pure energy as possible and becoming a Creature, Preternatural, or Monster.

Ignoring that, uncle Forso took his seat and talked as Heian Ciemnosc looked, who in return showed great interest. “Here, Heian Ciemnosc. I have been, sigh, going over ‘past’ history, trying to recollect every battle I’ve witnessed, participated in any way, and commanded.”

“Today, we’ll start with a few battles I witnessed and participated in. I couldn’t participate or command an extraordinarily large one, so I will show you those later. For now, let’s see…” Uncle Forso showed up a panel with its foggy green screen turned off, and when it turned on, it simply gained light but no new color. Uncle Fiorso added, feeling pride and silly with himself, “These are not like this. It’s just my personal taste. The world is different from the strange mix that what you have seen is. Anyway.”

“Let’s start… with this one!” Uncle Forso showed Heian Ciemnosc a list of at least 10,000 different files on a small portion to the left of the screen as the uncle sat to his right. The uncle had seen Heian Ciemnosc nod and again like a broken machine and chicken pecking rice all at the same time. He was already content seeing the young boy’s evident enthusiasm, much more so when the gal left, and he thought an inexperienced boy like him would feel sad.

“Haha, in this one. Mn, I lost 3 legs in this one… Don’t look at me like that! I took one of the most costly and fancy pills right at the beginning after I had to face off against the enemy’s commander. It was a grave mistake on my own. No cultivator or citizen in the cultivation world is a coward when they lose their leading figure. And it was already an all out situation, which you will understand later. Sigh, one can only imagine what I saw back then when millions of people went against me, and more than that amount of projectiles, Arts, and Energy attacked me.”

On the screen, whose ‘board’ was a dark green glowing light, had several hundred little dots here and there, which were clearly separated by 2 groups. Of the groups, one had a weapon like those in every ship, and the other was what seemed to be the flow of pure energy. In the Sinvonnia Kingdom, not many in the millions of years might have seen it. But in the real world, anyone, even citizens, have done so.

Each group had such distinction, but these 2 ethnicities, so to speak, were mingled together, unlike what Heian Ciemnosc thought it would be. Seeing the cooperation between the two, he felt like his brain was either rotten with his experiences or too low, having underestimated the universe once more.

“Here, these ones.” Uncle Forso pointed at a line in the middle of each group, walking forward and beginning to make some talking to their troops. Heian Ciemnosc couldn’t hear it, but something in his heart that didn’t need him to be a cultivator worked on its own and made it seem like he was there. Seeing Heian Ciemnosc’s situation, he smiled dumb-time and softly continued, “They are this battle’s commanders. We had to fight in space but had no spaceships whatsoever. Only some platforms with array formations, powered by Stones so that the citizens could be part of this without dying because of the poisoning.”

“Ah, right there,” uncle Forso pointed at the frontline, where the commander on the bottom of the screen was the first to come out, and the troops at the front moved to the side to let him out. His right finger pointed at the small dot at the right as if touched and pushed softly away by the commander. The uncle was like a child showing his excitement. Heian Ciemnosc also smiled, feeling strange as he felt like he was the one feeling what the uncle felt.

“I’m the one on the right. I was also the one whose left shoulder was pushed away.” The uncle said, not showing that much excitement anymore. And as he continued to narrate, the screen began moving at intervals of slow and quick speed. “Our commanders faced each other off, or at least attempted to. But our commander was struck with a Relic. Our enemy wanted to win, and there was no need for honor, only survival.”

Heian Ciemnosc looked as the line commander of the bottom group became paralyzed and shook on the screen. He could almost feel like he was there, the moment it happened shocking everyone, and the reaction of a brave man who brought his group-dot forwards to intercept the enemy’s upper commander. Like a sharp spearhead, it drilled through the board and stopped the enemy’s commander just in time, just before it could clash with the bottom commander.

“I struck with all I had but had my tens of thousands of powerful men and women die in a moment with the enemy’s commander.” Uncle Forso rubbed his right temple and then his forehead. He looked like he was hurting, and Heian Ciemnosc felt that too. “But it was to save this commander, and nobody gave me any looks when I simply rushed forward. I… I didn’t know, back then, the existence and meaning of honor, loyalty, and sacrifice. Until they followed me half a step behind without me noticing.”

“And when we were slower than the enemy, I yelled to the top of my lungs.” Uncle Forso narrated, but he didn’t sound excited nor brave as he looked, and Heian Ciemnosc felt he was on the screen board. “They exchanged their lifeforce and blood essence for making us all faster, one of us was really good with array formations, and he drew one with his own tendons, veins, and tongue. The latter… he cut it in thin pieces to make up another half a meter to complete it.”

“... All in the span of a couple seconds,” uncle Forso said, turning to look at Heian Ciemnosc heavily. The latter understood, maybe not as Disciplinary Elder Forso, but he knew what it all meant. Uncle Forso returned to look at the screen, holding the panel like it was the most fragile treasure. “I stopped him. I saw tens of thousands become blood, lose their stomachs, heads exploding, and their efforts to defend all becoming… worth it.”

“All my men, women. Everyone instantly perishing due to me. I understood then. I had to die, too.” Uncle Forso’s voice turned hoarse, crestfallen, and… vulnerable. “So I fought. I could tell the rest of the army was behind me, crushing their bodies and lives too to join me, but it would be too late. So I began exerting all of my capabilities to defend the commander. And after a brief, deadly encounter. I managed to plunge my hands, at the same time, into my enemy’s head. Blasting it to pieces thereafter and losing a leg.”

“But that was only the beginning. The two armies faced each other. The enemy was enraged and seething, fighting everything they found or saw and caring not for their own well-being. I then suffered another leg, haha. I got ganged up by many more. We were all in the late realms of the Second Step. We could only survive so much in space. With my many injuries, I was sure I was to die soon, so I simply fought.”

Heian Ciemnosc saw the screen with rapidly moving, darting, lifeless eyes. His hands never stopped putting food in his mouth, his jaws and tongue working hard to thoroughly taste the food before gulping it down to his tummy.

The exhilarating image of all those tiny dots at the bottom rushing forth and their frontline was like waves, trying to compete for who would reach their enemy first, struck him in the heart as he felt something else. And when the 2 armies faced each other, clashing with unknown, incredible speed yet keeping their lines stable and solid, Heian Ciemnosc could feel the death of every being there. Every strike, hacking down, sweep of their weapons, thrust, and smash.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Heian Ciemnosc never lost track of uncle Forso’s tiniest dot, which went through the enemy ranks when the enemy tried surrounding him. The Disciplinary Elder kept moving, not letting even his fellow troops catch sight of him as he went through the sea of enemies, taking all of the enemy’s rage. But it didn’t last for long.

At some point in the battle, the enemy army suddenly turned their aim from the uncle to the still one commander alive in this battle. The enemy charged at that commander, almost ignoring the then one-legged uncle Forso. The uncle didn’t say a thing, but Heian Ciemnosc could feel everything happening as if the uncle was still narrating it with hoarse words.

Uncle Forso’s tiniest dot moved shakily through the backs of the enemy army, moving at a slower speed but killing many more and more enemies. He became frenzied when he neared the commander, who was now wholly surrounded now, and facing still half a million others just a realm or 2 below his cultivation base. It was only a question of time… and it happened just 2 seconds before uncle Forso could reach him… again.

“I couldn’t save him and even lost the leg I healed just hours before.” Uncle Forso’s appearance completely changed. Heian Ciemnosc kept eating nonstop. Uncle Forso then said, adding as the battle was coming to its end. “I also couldn’t retrieve anything except the commander’s left hand. But… I could save his son.”

The screen had a small dot, who was at the rear and moving to kill off remnants of enemies as the army advanced - rushing madly into the enemy ranks as it drilled like a sharp spear, but faster and scarier than that, just like uncle Forso did but terrifying too.

The small dot moved through the enemy army, destroying several dots one after another and forming snake-like paths everywhere it went. Disciplinary Forso added afterwards his feelings were unknown except for himself and Heian Ciemnosc.

“That was a couple thousand years ago when the boy was a few hundred years old. So promising and talented before falling into carnality. But, at last, over a thousand years ago… Who would’ve known I would end up saving a young woman, and she to end up surpassing me, the young lad, and anyone else I ever met?” Uncle Forso seemed lighter now, giving Heian Ciemnosc history of previous events and little glimpses of the making of the Crimsonbreaking Faction.

“Now, there’s something strange.” Uncle Forso said, keeping the panel to the side and holding another one. “Elyor never dared nor saw Alyona as a girl or woman. I thought he was scared of her and hoped he could make a move soon. But when it was just a couple of years later, and I saw her start building something she would have never imagined back then, I saw her true thoughts. Even if just for an instant.”

“The girl saw him as a subordinate, capable and loyal. And the boy saw her as his boss, capable and admirable…” Uncle Forso’s eyes were a little lost, then continued. “I saw such a beautiful relationship there, just like I did back then… Somehow, I just… felt proud of my nephew and honored to also follow her. Well, look where it got us, hahaha…”

Uncle Forso chuckled after laughing out loud for a bit, then lit up the next panel and continued. “Oh, this one. Elyor became the commander next, under my wing of protection and my desire to keep his father’s legacy alive. Guess how many protested? And well, thanks to what I did in that battle and what his son did towards the end, they practically forced him up the ladder…”

. . .

Time passed. Over the next few days, Heian Ciemnosc continued to go to the hangars and hang out with the troops and crews. He became slightly more into their minds like his toes peeking into their comfort zone.

After the day of the mission, Heian Ciemnosc was allowed to pilot the other 2 styles of Fighters. He showed excitement for the next 2 days as he flew them around the hangars with some expertise. He still crashed nonstop and bumped into Frigates. He even bashed against a Destroyer once, almost getting himself killed in the process.

One day after the mission, another mission started. But this time, and after the world once again heard the Crimsonbreaking Faction was at it again, there was no battle, and the Faction instead made a deal with the mission’s targets and objectives. Because of their quick maneuvering and decision making, due to the Carrier’s crew expertise and Alyona, respectively, they managed to arrive at the mission before anything could be sold or lost.

Thus, the Crimsonbreaking Faction made another 3 million, getting almost half the Carrier’s population a Stone. Though that was just figuratively. In that mission all Heian Ciemnosc did was look around while piloting a Bulldog. In space, it felt much better, free and unrestrained. He also circled the Carrier’s perimeter after the mission and deal concluded like an idiot, and everyone watched as if it was some kind of ritual.

But soon, the days passed, and Heian Ciemnosc had his last day of learning under Elyor and the elite crew. Not that there was ‘just’ crew around, but they and he were learning from them together. He was even shown around a Frigate’s panels, little rooms and modules!

And every time he crashed, it was a repairing learning session where he was taught and disciplined entirely. The male Sky Elves were like cousins, and the girls were like the assistant teachers everyone liked, only they treated Heian Ciemnosc in ‘special’ ways, such as tussling his hair or patting his head whenever he did a complex process the same time as an experienced pilot or crew would.

It didn’t mean they weren’t rough, tough and strict with him. There were times his butt was spanked in public after doing some things, such as crashing, teasing an assistant te- no, 2 of the elite commanders, and so on. He didn’t enjoy it, but he understood the need to know the rules, so he accepted it and swore to one day ‘be bad’ to them when he grew up, and his cuckquean was satisfied enough.

Heian Ciemnosc got to know a few First Step younglings with talent and/or potential who were incredible. He was pleasantly surprised to see strong similarities in them to the people who had once followed him, except for Schnell and Missa, who were clearly in much better ‘quality’ than any person in the First Step he had seen. Which was rare, and he now understood, as anyone and anything from the Sinvonnia Kingdom would be downgraded, not in prowess or foundation, but from its or their nature.

Once or twice a day after the first mission, Heian Ciemnosc raced the people of all Steps. There was only a shortage in, or almost nonexistent, the number of Second Step cultivators around. Uncle Forso explained a little over the matter.

He told Heian Ciemnosc that even though there are many organizations, impossible to count, most organizations choose another neutral or affiliated one so that they can send their new recruits there after going through typical procedures. Only the First Step organizations didn’t need to do that. And would only give those they found with tremendous potential and/or talent a pass to a better world through such neutral organizations.

These organizations were a School or an Academy, mostly. While a tiny amount of them were either Cults or Empires. The Schools and Academies were the best ones for accepting anyone, and only some very few Cults or Empires were open to anybody, but those who were, were extraordinary.

A School is centralized and focused on one single aim. It can be an Elemental School, Energy School, Body Tempering Schooll, Nature School, and Craftsmakign School, etc. They are one of the 2 most popular learning, neutral organizations. But are also openly biased toward their teachings and focus a crazy lot on them. They may or may not surpass an Academy in that regard, but they mostly do, and those who are one-pathers which are a School’s

An Academy, on the other hand, focuses on every thing in all that exists and there is. They value history the most among the organizations whose aim and reason wasn’t majorly for building a home in a Kingdom or Kingdoms. But that difference was for Heian Ciemnosc to know on his own. In any case, Academies were the most knowledgeable, historical, and allrounder of all organizations.

They were also the best in discovering a student’s potential and mindset. It is seen many times when Academy students change to a School after learning more about themselves. And unlike in the faraway past, there’s no conflict between them due to that, even forming alliances and agreements between the two types of organizations.

Though Schools are more prone to become an organization’s or a circle of organizations’ private School or Schools, either accepting only some outsiders or none at all, they are predominantly public, so to speak. As are all Academies. And if it wasn’t because of the current ‘best’ Academy Heian Ciemnosc was going to, that might have changed a little.

Cults were pretty closed, and they could make their Believers permanent with their teachings, not needing to force anybody, and converting them into their beliefs, ideals, and ambitions.

Empires were incredibly good at charming others, as one of the Academy’s biggest rivals, along with Dynasties and Nations. They were by far the type of organizations to hold the most extensive amount of land, people, and resources, unlike an Academy.

These latter 2 were also not public or neutral. It was ‘not public’ because it didn’t need to be public or private, to begin with. So such a dilemma was already discarded. And it was ‘not neutral’ because those organizations were themselves, needn’t other organizations, nor worked for organizations unless there was an immortal alliance. As for ‘jus’ alliances’ and agreements, Empires weren’t like citizen civilizations, without cultivation or relation to it.

… As Heian Ciemnosc made his way to the little hangar where he started many races with others and where Elyor curiously asked him to go after his last day’s training, he was in a good mood and could now even trot from time to time without feeling his head dizzying like mad.

He was told that next, he had to go with Hong Mei. Oh boy, was he excited.

Heian Ciemnosc then opened the door with his phone-like device and entered it. Never did he imagine.

Heian Ciemnosc: (⊙０⊙)

…