Days In The Interconnecting Rupture Dimension

Heian Ciemnosc returned to the Team's tent shortly after meeting Riquel. There, he was welcomed into the 'living room' of the tent by a wet-haired Cara, who met him with pajamas and then brought him to the sofa. His rewards were about to start. Cara had taken her delicious shower and prepared some snacks Heian Ciemnosc did for the Team, which Cara saved for situations like these and leaned against him as they cuddled on the sofa while watching pre-recorded stuff from their medallions. It was fine as long as there wasn't communication.

Rustle, paff paff. Heian Ciemnosc and Cara lay on the sofa, with Heian Ciemnosc below as Cara rested her body atop his. They watched cartoons, ongoing wars, catastrophic battles, and all that while the others in the Team rested… in their bedroom sections in the tent. Making slight noises that exposed their talks about life. Heian Ciemnosc passed his right arm around Cara’s shoulders and enjoyed the night together as they could finally relax.

There was no intimacy, loveliness, or lust. Just Heian Ciemnosc and Cara wasting their time doing something different than usual. It wouldn’t last long, especially with Cara being this close to the Third Step. But, tonight, they had time to rest.

… The next morning, Heian Ciemnosc woke up on his bed, sitting cross-legged with the tent pulled still by some Fauna. He washed his body with dark Neutral Energy before dressing himself in his dark coat and a gray shirt. He exited his bedroom section and found his teammates not inside the tent, probably making their own plans for the next few weeks.

Thinking of the situation in the next couple days, Heian Ciemnosc walked to a messenger and requested information about the operation’s first phase. After waiting for 15 minutes, with his clearance high for belonging to Beto’s Team, Heian Ciemnosc received the information he wanted to be documented from the returning messenger and walked away to visit his old First Step cultivators. In the meantime, he learned about the situation on the battlefield.

They were already halfway through the journey, with their speed enhanced a couple times by array formations, which consumed a great deal of Neutral Stones but which the enemy’s Covert Space bags helped replenish and allowed the army to utilize.

For starters, the first Teams’ relief acted in the early morning and immediately sent the remaining 150 enemy groups of scouts into a frenzy to try to escape, but were cornered beforehand. Apparently, the enemy Teams had rearranged mini-refuges to flee to in case they were discovered, and the Teams directly confronting them were slowly taking them down.

Heian Ciemnosc wouldn’t want to be in their place and felt glad he, Riquel, and Yun Tang were part of the first part of the method the heavenly leading figure selected. It wasn’t only because it sounded more tedious but because the risk of the latter half of this method seemed higher.

Heian Ciemnosc didn’t know how the other Teams had it, as he was only a member from one of the elite Teams, but he was sure their ambush was mostly successful. They would always be in a better position if they were the ones ambushing. However, the latter half was a complete enemy wipe out, but the enemy wasn’t some measly rogue cultivators who fought a war that didn’t belong to them for money. The enemy was hella prepared and wasn’t here just to steal something. They were more than ready to kill.

And just several hours after the reliving happened, 2 casualties were recorded from other elite Teams. One had to know that no such thing occurred in the first half of the tactic. Heian Ciemnosc continued to read more about this, intending to study it, make up for any possible outcome, and examine the enemy’s modus operandi from afar until he arrived at the First Step’s section in the Crimsonbreaking Faction.

One thing had to be understood, however. And that was… The 2 casualties were from other organizations close to or vassals to the Obscure Orb Sect, Phosphorescent Flower Sect, Interchanging Dust Dynasty, and Crimsonbreaking Faction. None of the casualties or heavily injured were from those organizations. Even though these were just other Fourth, Third, and some other Second Step organizations’ cultivators, the difference between others and the renown were simply Universes apart.

Step, step. Heian Ciemnosc showed up at the door of the First Step cultivator’s dining tent. It was already late morning, so those who still enjoyed eating food had already left, leaving only one group behind— the youngsters Heian Ciemnosc brought around the harvestable fields on a trip.

“Boss!” - “Boss is here? What for? We’re still full of his food!” - “Maybe he has come to show us how?” The youngsters were excited, surprised, and curious. Why would such a mighty figure, mightier in their eyes after hearing about the success of the cleansing of rats on their road to success, come here out of nowhere? To relax? Was it fun for a non-pedo adult to stay among children during their resting time?

“The Second Step moving camp doesn’t have a kitchen big enough,” Heian Ciemnosc said and nodded in greeting before moving to the back of their dinner. The First Step cultivators’ faces changed, showing surprise and startledness as they wanted to follow behind him and watch him prepare food but felt too shy and under status to do so or even ask.

“You can watch,” Heian Ciemnosc’s calm voice reached them from the kitchen. The youngsters looked at each other for one last time for several seconds before rushing into the kitchen. More than a hundred flies swarmed to the same small room compared to the dinner and watched as Heian Ciemnosc kept his clothes on but put on a smallish hat usually worn by servants. They were impressed by Heian Ciemnosc’s willingness and dedication.

‘Hm, not bad. I could pose as a chef in a civilian city when I return, just for fun.’ Sara shook her head from within Heian Ciemnosc’s inner being as he planned to become an impostor, leaving the risky life of being a cultivator and living forever before dying of old age. She didn’t know when that would happen. Heian Ciemnosc had a strangely longer lifespan than even non-Human Races. He would definitely live longer than 2,300,000 years if he wasn’t killed.

Pfump! Tank- cli clank! Sliide~... thud, thud, thud.

Heian Ciemnosc wasted no time and immediately took hundreds of ingredients out, with some materials that required more than cutting, cooking, or kneading to prepare. The curious youngsters looked as their young leader held a girly’s hands tightly, their mental mouths salivating even before seeing Heian Ciemnosc finish something. This was the syndrome Heian Ciemnosc inflicted upon every person he showed his culinary arts to, similar to but less hectic than his dual cultivation method.

Heian Ciemnosc ignored them and started moving around the kitchen. It was enough for 200 people to fluctuate between the slightly tight spaces and several different instruments to delight one’s palate. Because money wasn’t needed in the first place, the result was that this kitchen could be considered a civilian’s godly paradise for those on the job.

Heian Ciemnosc moved the ingredients with his Soul energy, but whatever he had close to him, he worked with his hands. The First Step cultivators looked as Heian Ciemnosc handled a lettuce-looking ingredient, opened, with many different fruit-shaped squishy things coming out of it like larvae, but were just seeds. Then, he cut the lettuce-like thingie with his bare fingers, separating and creating the right spot for each breakpoint. Heian Ciemnosc placed it in a free-standing Stone stove, where Neutral Energy Inferior grade Stones went below and made the youngsters’ mouths uncontrollably salivate at last.

It wouldn’t help their cultivation base directly, but using Neutral Stones would clear their minds up and make them feel sensations akin to an incoming breakthrough. It was good. Hella good.

The seeds had to be smashed flat, so Heian Ciemnosc used his fingers and pinched them from the top to the bottom, carefully and at his own gradual pace. The youngsters shouldn’t know how difficult it is to do without using a machinery tool specialized in cultivator dishes. But some understood how much force was needed to do so and looked at Heian Ciemnosc with extra ounces of respect.

Heian Ciemnosc proceeded to throw the seeds into a frying pan with so much oil he could place his hand there flat, and it could reach up his wrist. However, instead of boiling away, the seeds began devouring the hot oil, decreasing its volume with every half a second until it was left dry.

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“...” The First Step cultivators were amazed. Never did they imagine something could exist that did this to a boiling liquid. Of course, they weren’t aware it was only Heian Ciemnosc to know about it. This wasn’t something he learned or discovered while improving his culinary arts. This was something that was in his head, simple, as if he had always known those things would work like that if he did that. Heian Ciemnosc wasn’t a person to distrust his instincts and was only one of the many things he ‘remembered’ and went along with.

Time passed, and Heian Ciemnosc continued to work many things at once, several dozen, from hundreds of different ingredients, making more than 3 varying plates from each. The First Step youngsters didn’t understand it until Heian Ciemnosc was nearly finished, but that was only the first batch. Afternoon came and left like the passing wind or a fake innocent, sweet girl in a club.

“... Uhh, there’s a package for… Heian Ciemnosc, the black monster… What is he- sniff- sniff! Oof! What is that? Is he the one doing that dish? Alone?” A Second Step cultivator arrived with a messenger outfit over his uniform and spoke before asking. Then, he stretched his neck, wanting to whiff more of the tremendous dozens of different smells coming towards the kitchen’s entrance, but the younglings around didn’t let him in.

“Yeah, yeah. Black monster is busy. He’ll attend to you when he wants.” - “Hey, stop blocking the way.” - “Hey! I saw you take more scent than the accorded! Do you want to fight?!” - “...”

Speechless, the messenger waited another 20 minutes with the kids. He felt humiliated, but only for the first 10 seconds, as he became gladdened to be sent here after looking for Heian Ciemnosc everywhere for half an hour. Now, even if he spent an hour like this, he wouldn’t mind. He was one of the few ‘brave’ messengers who elongated their job until the next relieving.

Step, step, step… The messenger had also become used to be one more among the crowd watching Heian Ciemnosc move, although he could only see some fog and mist and didn’t want to ‘intrude’ with his Spirit Sense. But then, he heard footsteps coming towards the kitchen’s entrance, and a scary thought overwhelmed the messenger. ‘No! Is it over? No! Continue, please! I beg you!’

“It was a lot of work. You came at a fortunate time. Otherwise, I would have to have let you stand there a little longer. What is it?” Heian Ciemnosc showed up before the hopeless messenger with some sweat around his forehead. However, Heian Ciemnosc’s pale skin wasn’t sweaty. It was from the fog around the kitchen. He had put a few flora to make things more than delicious, and this was a little side-effect.

“These are from the revised goods. You can now use them however you wish. Um… is this only for these kids?” The messenger’s shoulder dropped, but his heart couldn’t avoid asking the question. He looked at Heian Ciemnosc and cautiously questioned. Heian Ciemnosc cleaned his hands with a young gal’s handkerchief and returned it to the blushing girlie before nodding at the messenger. “Some are. But most of what I’m preparing is for the Second Step cultivators. Why?”

“Ah! Can I reserve some? I’d like to show my Team what you can do.” The messenger responded, ready to take hundreds of Supreme Neutral Stones just for that. Heian Ciemnosc looked at the fella and shook his head. “Everyone will get a plate every week from now on. Right now. I’m just starting to do these and will bring them out in 2 weeks. I can’t reserve these for anyone.”

“Well, if they’re paying, me and my Team can-” The messenger sheepishly pointed at the salivating First Step cultivators but was interrupted by Heian Ciemnosc’s casually shaking his head. The messenger’s shoulders dropped further down, but remembering Heian Ciemnosc’s words, he looked up and nodded at the latter before turning around and flying away.

“Boss, are you starting scheming to become globally accepted in the Faction?” A youngster said after the messenger left, not wanting to let Heian Ciemnosc’s possible plans come to light so soon. Heian Ciemnosc looked at the youngsters somewhat exasperatedly. He shook his head, said nothing, and returned to the kitchen to continue working. He had too much work to do today. The Crimsonbreaking Faction’s numbers were ‘a few’ tens of millions.

If Heian Ciemnosc wanted to feed them all his plates, he had to work hard already so he could only spend some time repeating it and spend the rest cultivating. He checked the Covert Space bag the messenger left him and grinned. ‘Oh? These are more corpses than my Team gathered. Was this Riquel and Yun Tang’s doing? Maybe the Dynasty’s commanding officer also had a hand in this. Not bad~.’

Heian Ciemnosc formed a victorious grin as his Spirit Sense clearly went into the Covert Space bag. The youngster noticed this, silently pressuring their leader to ask the boss on everyone’s curiosity’s behalf. “Boss, is that something good? More ingredients?”

“... Oh, would you like to try?” Heian Ciemnosc’s footsteps halted. He thought for a second as a devious smile formed from the left corner of his mouth. He half-turned his head, not letting the leading youngster see his face well enough.

The youngster tilted his head to the left and blinked once and then twice. Then, against his desire to say yes and discover the Covert Space bag’s contents. His instincts acted first, and he responded. “Now that I think about it, I shouldn’t. Sorry for bothering you, sir.”

“Oh,” Heian Ciemnosc slightly nodded and returned to the kitchen. Somehow, the leading youngster felt like he had escaped a bullet and breathed a sigh of relief. That’s when he noticed he was coldly sweating all over his arms and lower back.

… Time continued to pass. As the first day came to an end, the First Step cultivators thrashed the wall to the kitchen off, and Heian Ciemnosc placed some barriers with his dark Neutral Energy so the smell wouldn’t escape. But the youngsters could still see and hear what he was doing in the kitchen. They dinned together, watching Heian Ciemnosc do his magic until their second serving of Heian Ciemnosc’s fabulous dishes was in their tummies, transforming into medicinal properties and pure energy dancing in their abdomen.

When the late night was close, Heian Ciemnosc stored his servings and cleaned up the kitchen with a single wave of dark Neutral Energy sweeping everything to one of his Inferior grade Covert Space bags. As for the First Step cultivators, they had finished eating and left the dinner so they wouldn’t feel tremendous regret and would do something drastic. Like begging Heian Ciemnosc to take them as his pupils or adopt them.

Thus, as Heian Ciemnosc left the kitchen and other First Step cultivators entered that had nothing to do with him, Heian Ciemnosc returned to the Team’s tent. Behind him, although flabbergasted, the First Step cultivators still ate their simple and tasteless dinner calmly. Some decided to check the kitchen as they had their meals prepared beforehand, and others directly entered it to cook their own. They didn’t notice it at first, but there was a lingering, great aroma everywhere. It was too thin and smoked away fast as others cooked, but it still made it to the self-proclaimed cultivators chefs’ noses and senses.

Arriving at the tent, Heian Ciemnosc was only 200 meters away when he heard laughter and turned to look towards the source of those laughs, only to find Cara and Riquel walking towards the same tent in a good mood. They also noticed Heian Ciemnosc and went towards him with Riquel’s left arm on Cara’s shoulders. Heian Ciemnosc looked at them quizzically. Weren’t they just fooling around? Something’s brewing…

“Hey, Heian Ciemnosc!” Cara greeted him first, waving her left hand at Heian Ciemnosc as if she wasn’t suspicious. Followed by Riquel, who was all smiley and seemed more manly now than ever. “Hey, Heian Ciemnosc. Did you go out to do something? Ah! Cara knows best to pilot a Fighter, but she can’t beat me in races. Isn’t that strange?! She lost many bets because of that, kukukuku…”

“Mou…” Cara blushed as Heian Ciemnosc looked at them without much expression. They didn’t mind, though. Everyone who knew Heian Ciemnosc for months would become used to his personality quickly since he wasn’t grumpy or obnoxious, only cold sometimes. Heian Ciemnosc looked at them and walked beside them towards the tent. “Hey, Cara, Riquel.”

“Ah, have you made food for them, Heian Ciemnosc? She just told me your talents at cultivating and… learning is as good as your culinary skills. Is that true? If so, I’d like to try!” Riquel said, initiating a chattering mood as Cara picked his arm and pulled him closer. Riquel’s hand projected forth from her left shoulder, and she looked at him as he and Heian Ciemnosc chatted.

“Oh,” Heian Ciemnosc nodded, “It will be 80 Supreme Neutral Stones per plate. I won’t offer drinks. Those are still only for my closest teammates or people.”

“80 Stones?! You’re what?!” Riquel’s face became fully shocked and nefarious. He didn’t hesitate to tell his mind to the world. “Are you cooking Dragons or something?! Seriously! Even if you found a phoenix’s feather, you wouldn’t sell it for that little. Let alone after turning it into a dish! How can you be like this? Come on, for old time’s sake, let me have a free test.”

“No. Cara can give you, but not from utensils or from the plates’ edges. But I won’t give you any,” Heian Ciemnosc said, making Cara, who was having fun seeing Riquel’s facial expressions disproportionately change, narrowed her eyes at Heian Ciemnosc’s crafty words. Riquel’s eyes went round, and he asked without bothering to hide the licentious glints across his black eyes. “So, like… mouth to mouth is fine?”

“Is that all you could think of?” Heian Ciemnosc remarked heartlessly, making Cara blush slightly and Riquel jealous. The latter’s manly need to overtake went to his head, and he internally swore as he looked at Cara. “I will be counting on you!”

“Sigh…” Meanwhile, inside someone’s inner self, Sara sighed and contemplated about life as Heian Ciemnosc worked as a direct wingman for close coworkers. He wasn’t just maturing. He was now learning so many different skill sets and was meticulous. All a woman could dream…

Suddenly, Sara felt like Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes were on her, and in the physical, real world, Heian Ciemnosc looked up before grinning. He and the other two walked into the tent, with the rest of the Team already waiting for their dinner.

…