The List, First Harvest

Fwooooooosh!

Heian Ciemnosc accelerated to his maximum speed as soon as he chased after the dragon. But even then, he could not find any shadow from it. Without his nature reading capabilities, he would've lost track of it long ago. As he flew through the skies so freely and without any other goal inside his mind, Heian Ciemnosc felt free and reeled in the sensation. It was like finally letting go of all constrictions. As he felt the might of his dark Soul, nonexistent Spirit Image, and Spirit Sense, he breathed in and out insanely peacefully.

Heian Ciemnosc looked only below, as he would grow dizzy anytime he looked to the sides, where the endless lighting-up sky appeared to the ends of this Semi-Dimension. Just now, as he peeked to the sides, his Spirit Sense caught onto something, and he immediately locked it before shouting to the air in front. “Wait! I need to… I am going to do something!”

Whoosh! Without caring to see if the dragon noticed him or not, Heian Ciemnosc directly nose-dived to the ground, his speed still at its maximum as he locked his stare onto a vulture, 3 meters tall, preying on a 40 meters long rat. It posed on a large tree’s branch. Heian Ciemnosc was far from the jungle, and he could only see forest and prairie everywhere. The vulture had obscure brown feathers everyplace except around its neck and lower section. The rest were white with a yellow touch.

“?!” When it sensed something, the salivating vulture parted its gaze from the rat and looked up. The rat noticed the vulture, and without looking who the predator was, it turned to run away for its ‘little’ life. Heian Ciemnosc’s figure reflected in the Vulture’s eyes, making it confused as to why would a puny monkey with such weak strength target him from the sky! The guts one needed to do this and not feel shame before a vulture’s face!

Criiiiiaaaaeerrh~! The vulture roared. It was nothing else but its usual threatening call. Since its main dish had fled, it could only take a little snack, and then another, to comfort itself and fill its greedy belly. However, the monkey from the sky didn’t even flinch. The vulture had the strength of a Broken Crystallization ream 2nd stage cultivator. But it could only become stunned when its sound waves did not affect its next prey.

Whoo-shua! Pam! Whoosh! Swish! Crack! Crack! Crack! BAM!… Pam, pam, pam, pam…!

Heian Ciemnosc directly descended atop the vulture, his fists clenched and landing on the vulture’s chest just as it was about to swing its wings to charge against him. The vulture was astounded even as it was punched down, its body slowly moving to fall on the ground as its mind barely registered what happened during that time. Its chest finally began to hurt, and it could feel its body flying backwards just as it had moved upwards for a few meters.

The vulture landed on the ground, but it quickly stood back up. Heian Ciemnosc's hands had been covered by a dark Power Energy layer, turning the vulture’s body into an easy-to-punch feathered bag of meat and bones. Only his fists were wrapped by it as they landed on the vulture’s chest, easily overpowering any defenses the latter had. Even without his dark Power Energy, his 32,000 kg of bodily strength would’ve been enough.

Heian Ciemnosc saw the vulture turn around and flee towards a massive tree, trying to lure him so that it could distract him and take another way as soon as it passed such a tree. However, even if Heian Ciemnosc wanted to play along, his Spirit Sense would be this dumb bird’s fatal mistake. However, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t wait for his enemy to do as it pleased. He stomped against the ground and covered his body, except trapezius muscles, neck, and head with dark Power Energy.

Dark Power Energy-based electric, shapeless limbs and snakes surrounded Heian Ciemnosc’s clothes as he flew forward, his speed rapidly reaching that of the vulture. Over a few seconds later, his rate surpassed the vulture as he quickly reached before its back. Instead of punching it again and giving this dumb bird a chance to escape again, Heian Ciemnosc rolled on its back, his body ‘falling’ on it and rolled as his hands grasped not feathers but direct skin, making the vulture cry in pain as its speed halved at once.

However, it had just started. Heian Ciemnosc held the vulture’s body above his head. The difference was quite clear, even with its wings opened. Heian Ciemnosc suddenly became annoyed at noticing something and sent the vulture towards his right knee. Heian Ciemnosc lifted it and broke its limbs one by one, like a barbarian fighting with weaklings until his sadic heart was satisfied. After breaking the vulture’s neck, Heian Ciemnosc flew to the massive tree and charged straight onto it. The tree shook as Heian Ciemnosc started beating the fucking hell shit out of the vulture without signs of wanting to stop, ever.

The vulture quickly became a pile of muddy flesh and blood, with its organs skillfully taken out before they could become too battered amidst the beating. Heian Ciemnosc was content with his work since he wasn’t even breathing raggedly, looking at the vulture as if staring at a useless subordinate as a tyrant. At last, he seemed to have decided and moved to inspect the mushy section belonging to its head. When Heian Ciemnosc took the peak out from the pile of gore, he examined it but still became disappointed.

‘Sigh. There are few too few vulture sub-species in the Semi-Dimension, and I had to find one not related to them?’ Heian Ciemnosc shook his head while looking at the massive tree dismissively. He took out a note and looked at it, his ambition and desire to cross one name off from the list dissipating immediately. ‘Oh well, for later.’

Whoosh~! Heian Ciemnosc looked at the list, shrugging his shoulders, taking flight in the same direction as just now. The only difference was, in the distance, a tiny dot belonging to a dragon’s shape, stagnated in midair, was seemingly waiting for him tens of thousands of kilometers away. Heian Ciemnosc grinned a little seeing this, knowing this dragon had to have a Spirit Sense, maybe hundreds of times larger than his.

He resumed his flight to wherever this dragon was taking him. After all, if such a powerful entity existed within this Semi-Dimension, the Fourth Step organizations would’ve roasted it into a banquet Periods ago. Thus, it could only be obvious this dragon had some sort of deal or agreement with such. A place like this would need a big boss here or there to keep things from growing into baths of blood that could sink rivers. And the rivers were impossibly large. The smallest one Heian Ciemnosc had found so far was 3 times longer and broader than the Sinvonnia Kingdom’s Little Lake.

What Heian Ciemnosc didn’t know was that, as one of those who were fighting already, just a few hours after the 1st phase began, his ‘battle’ against the vulture was seen by hundreds of thousands of eyes. They couldn’t be recorded so others could see it, impeding any dirty moves after the 1st phase ended. After all, some teams were placed the fuck away from each other just so the strongest wouldn’t show their all to their potential rivals. Letting others record it would make such action senseless.

Even if a cultivator of a Fourth Step wanted to record it with their Soul, the images where said person was watching would immediately close, and he would be blocked from seeing any further. Thus, even if some wanted to risk it all for some fame and money after they saw every battle’s conditions, be it cultivator vs cultivator or up against Fauna or even flora, those thoughts went away fast. The initial foraging was pretty simple but hot as well.

However, Heian Ciemnosc’s battle quickly gained fame, even as only a small portion of all pairs of eyes watching could glimpse into that battle, let alone those fewer lucky ones who witnessed the whole thing. A not-even Second Step cultivator… broke a fight against a vulture in the Broken Crystallization realm 2nd stage… and effortlessly massacred the latter!

The live feature ended as soon as Heian Ciemnosc tried looking for the vulture’s peak, not allowing anyone to see what he could get. This was all a grand array formation’s work, automatic and needing no one to operate it. It was almost intelligent, but in the end, it just couldn’t be, even if a Semi-Soul was implanted into the array. That only worked with tools, weapons, or armor.

… Heian Ciemnosc kept flying for another couple hours before finally seeing the dragon’s tiny dot image from a distance. A few tens of minutes later, he arrived before the dragon’s tail and spent a few more minutes reaching its head, flying slowly to analyze the territory surrounding them. Just as Heian Ciemnosc was calmly looking around, he heard it speak to him mentally. “YOU SEEM TO HAVE A POTENT SPIRIT SENSE. I WAS NOT WRONG. IF YOU CAN DO ME THIS FAVOR, WHAT WE NEED WILL BE GIVEN TO US. YOU WILL SEE.”

“...” Heian Ciemnosc fell silent after, once again, experiencing this thunderous exchange. After not responding for a while, Heian Ciemnosc mustered enough balls and courage to exclaim for his well-being at this mighty figure’s face. “Do you mind talking less loud? Why are your mental messages too much? It’s making things difficult for me. And why did you come to me? I don’t think I have the reputation for solving everybody’s problems just yet.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“...” The dragon fell silent, but it didn’t react in any way. Heian Ciemnosc watched as the dragon seemed to ponder many things until it finally seemed satisfied and nodded to itself. Its head faced Heian Ciemnosc and spoke with its mind still but in a slightly less loud voice. However, it wasn’t thundering and rumbling his head with every spoken word. That was something. “You tiny. Little fella. Is good enough. For me to look after. Let alone talk.”

“You desire something. I desire something as well. This place can give us what we both need. Want… Or desire.” The dragon’s eyes were downright engrossed in the prospect of attaining that which made it look for Heian Ciemnosc. The letter looked at the former and nodded, not bothering to wonder if the dragon knew what he was looking for. He also didn’t wonder why it waited for him.

“Do you wish to… Or not? Tiny thing, saaay. I will not wait. But I am not hungry… Yet,” the dragon said as it patiently waited for Heian Ciemnosc’s response. Even if it could stand by hundreds of years, he would waste his time with a coward. Yet, Heian Ciemnosc’s following words to his inquiry satisfied it. “Of course, I want to help myself. But… do I need to give something more?”

Heian Ciemnosc looked up at the dragon as he spoke, still unconvinced this was a mere ‘hey, I found something cool! Wanna share?!’ from an unknown, awfully mighty powerhouse hidden in this Semi-Dimension. The dragon went silent for a long time, its eyes staring at Heian Ciemnosc despite his tiny figure before its head. It spoke, at last. Its voice was slightly dragged on and louder. “You… Not human… But smells so nice… It’s good. I wish you to enter. Place here.”

The dragon’s size suddenly decreased at a visible rate. In Heian Ciemnosc’s eyes, however, its body was instantly downsized once, twice, thrice… and so on. From having small mountains the size of its eyes, its body became that size. But it only continued to shrink under Heian Ciemnosc’s bewildered eyes. His mind was also rumbling, this time without any voice talking to him. ‘Only a Godly powerhouse can accomplish such seamless body changes!’

“Here. Look.”

Heian Ciemnosc heard the dragon speak and did as told. The dragon’s body was still gigantic, at least the size of a medium-sized hill, not in a civilian’s eyes, but a cultivator’s, of course. At last, it moved to the side. As they were both floating in midair, Heian Ciemnosc saw a little door raging with soundless and seemingly slow-motioned carmesí flames peeking out from it. It looked like a 3D book’s dynamics, but it was all authentic, and Heian Ciemnosc could feel the door’s potent nature.

“I’m. Asking. For the last. Time. Are you... Willing. Or…” The dragon obstructed Heian Ciemnosc’s vision from further inspecting the door. It was standing there, peacefully in the middle of nowhere in these prairies. Heian Ciemnosc looked the dragon straight in the eyes respectfully. The dragon’s gaze and actions didn’t change as he finished his words, this time with an uncaring tone as if an immortal spent some of its time chatting with an ordinary person. “Not?”

“...” Heian Ciemnosc didn’t respond but took out his list. The dragon’s eyes didn’t move, but he didn’t need to read it, nor its Spirit Sense. It had thousands of items written on it, but only 8 shocked the dragon’s mind. The first 4 were still acceptable. Anyone would desire these at some point as an alchemist. But the last 4 were… too much! Too greedy, confident… and ambitious. The dragon… liked that!

The first item was a Haunting Eye. Second item: Gliding Disc. Third item: Storm’s Tongue. Fourth item: Ignitis Fur. But then, the last ones were of a similar category, yet perfectly different altogether. Those were the Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind Cores!

Such need for all of these wasn’t unheard of, but what one wanted to do with these often ended in tragedy. One had to either be terribly injured or aspire for more than one can chew to need all these world’s marvels. Their quality and purity may differ, but even the worst would be fought all-in by any existence, let alone anyone below the world’s peak. The dragon was aware this kid was no coward now, but exactly someone worthy!

“Your blood essence, a bout will be enough.” The dragon said, its nostrils almost bumping Heian Ciemnosc’s whole front body. Its eyes, however, weren’t greedy or lusty.

‘!!’ Only now did Heian Ciemnosc notice that the dragon had never dared look into his eyes. It was… an instinctive reaction! Looking at the dragon’s actions, Heian Ciemnosc became even more confused. He always had a ‘something’ defining the connection he had with Fauna and flora instinctively. ‘But why is someone so powerful treating me like this? What is this all about? Am I just that good smelling?’

“But, what do you need it for? I had no idea someone as powerful as you would be interested in this. And… what do I smell like? I can never get a whiff of myself and always wonder what my scent would be like.” Heian Ciemnosc asked once and again, but the dragon didn’t grow impatient and said without much sternness. “Your scent isn’t… normal. I feel pure energy and nature in you. But cannot sense nature coming from you. Within you. Only around you. It enters and leaves. Passenger. I am but Mother Nature’s one of many talented individuals hidden from the world. But I never knew one like you.”

“Your blood essence is… intriguing.” The dragon finished his words, not offering any more after that, leaving Heian Ciemnosc feeling like someone was teasing him. Heian Ciemnosc breathed slightly heavily and let it out likewise before prying open his right wrist. His left handed-nails made ‘pshift-click’ sounds as his dark claws appeared and formed a little wrapper, connected from every underside dark claw, forming a little platform.

From these dark claws, dark blood sped out, traveling from his body to his nails, then to his dark claws. Finally, it came out of him and into the air. When the dragon witnessed the process, it was engrossed. Its eyes shone radiantly, and it became like a cute puppy, but its devastating power and aura remained. When it saw Heian Ciemnosc’s dark blood essence appearing before its eyes, it grew utterly silent. However, it wasn’t madly obsessed with it, watching as Heian Ciemnosc accumulated enough dark blood essence for a baby’s fist.

“Here,” Heian Ciemnosc didn’t ask if that was enough. Looking at it, it was the largest amount he would take outside his body except for when he helped create Elena’s Destructive Wind of Darkness. He looked up and covered the dark blood essence bout, with a glassy, pure energy layer. The dragon said nothing and caught it with its mouth, its eyes narrowed. Heian Ciemnosc looked at it and frowned, not understanding.

“Did you just want to drink it all?” Heian Ciemnosc asked. The dragon looked down at him, gratefully but not suddenly his best friend forever, and shook its head. “Of course not. I’m keeping it. When you phase into existence. I will eat and achieve what I cannot without help. Thank you. But now, you must.”

The dragon slightly ‘nodded’ its head, although it looked more like a slow jerking motion of its neck, gesturing towards the door, once again available to Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest, simply to-die-for adorably eyes. Heian Ciemnosc nodded, his head relaxed and thrown backwards. Looking at the door, he softly nodded. “I understand.”

Whooooosh~... thud- ta tak.

The dragon descended, and its body fell flat on an empty plot of land without any living being within it. And rested its head on its forelimbs. Its half-narrowed eyes looked at Heian Ciemnosc, still in midair. It barely needed to move its eyes despite Heian Ciemnosc floating a few kilometers high. It spoke to him one last time before closing its eyes and as its tail coiled and formed a circle around the door. Only now did Heian Ciemnosc notice this dragon’s tail was just its body and not an actual tail. It had hindlimbs even at the end of its lower body.

‘...’ Heian Ciemnosc felt dumb not to have noticed the dragon’s intention. But Heian Ciemnosc didn’t voice it out, just as he didn’t praise the dragon for already communicating better, even though it was still complex to communicate with it. Before finishing this job, he didn’t want to inspect the dragon’s body to know as much as his Spirit Sense would allow it.

‘Let’s hope this does bring us what we want. I definitely won’t take anything away.’ Heian Ciemnosc thought as he descended. His Spirit Sens squirmed all around the door, fearless. If he hadn’t had this strange, sudden encounter with the dragon, he would have been so reckless to send his Spirit Sense out like that. If damaged, it would be really painful for a good while.

Tap- step, step, rustle. Heian Ciemnosc’s feet descended on the grass. When he felt the ground’s hotness and seemingly lovely warmth, his eyes twitched and slightly widened. He took his shoes away and stepped again. This time, the warmth was greater. Heian Ciemnosc was like a kid discovering a marvel no other person knew about. He grew addicted to the sensation of warmth as his right arm extended forwards.

His palm on the door, Heian Ciemnosc didn’t try pushing in but felt it as he closed his eyes and directly opened his inner eyes. Looking at his dark Soul and dark flame, he sat cross-legged and prepared to spend some time meditating like this before entering. Soon, his left arm also extended forwards, and now, both his palms were on the door, granting him the warmth he had barely gotten to feel before. Other than when he was with his wives, of course.

However, the warmth he felt with them was nothing compared to right now. However, Heian Ciemnosc knew it was a him problem. His body was just like that. It felt as if… like… a ‘change’ that needed to be completed. Even then, he would retain his coldness and freshness… but Heian Ciemnosc could at least be overwhelmed by their heat and passion when those times arrived. It wasn’t his life goal, but he was definitely not spending a day without meditation about it.

…