Kids' Tables

"Ciemnosc!" - "Mhm." Valeria and Fu Lan respectively reacted as they first heard his footsteps, then saw a mighty handsome 'teenager' move towards them while looking all too normal and at ease when it came to them. They each gave him a light smile before approaching him, taking one arm each, and stood there with him out in the open not trying to hide in the slightest their familiarity with him.

“Ciemnosc, tonight you must not forget to know the faces of everyone that Fu Lan will introduce you to, and you must see them all.” Valeria suddenly said as the 3 of them had a little bit of a chat and were too merry to bother about anyone or anything around themselves.

“Mm, why?” Ciemnosc asked, not knowing who he didn’t know of the other major organizations that he had already seen, and also confused as to why wouldn’t it be Valeria who explained?

“Well, you have it easy. You see, I have to go with my Master and meet a lot of people, basically everyone in this grand hall. Talk to them, meet them, he even proposed for me to smile, but anyways, I have to go out there and let it be known which monster from the Self-Mutilating Honores Sect I am and to let their memories know my face.” Valeria elaborated, her pair of black eyes having meaning intended towards him as he slowly nodded his head a few times in return.

“As for the loser over here, she will be available to show you which is which in the battlefield near Little Lake. Or where it will soon become one and so on. So, as I said, don’t you dare play around and not listen to hear, alright?” Like a worried sister, Valeria spoke to Ciemnosc, while Fu Lan felt like the babysitter of the childish brother-in-law but still didn’t feel wronged by her.

Step- step step step…

“Mmoooh, okay then.” Ciemnosc said and nodded again, this time in understanding and no longer ‘pouty’ like before, gave Valeria a few understanding glances and then waved at her after another group hug of the 3 of them together, both his and Fu Lan’s eyes on her strong back.

“Well, are you ready or…?” Fu Lan asked once Valeria went back to her Master, elder Tin, who immediately looked at where Fu Lan was and saw Ciemnosc already in the banquet. Ignoring him, seemingly, elder Tin brought Valeria away to meet the leading figures of the major organizations first and perhaps ‘the rest’ later on as the night goes on.

“Mmm,” not responding with words but simply walking over to the table that they were both flirting near, Ciemnosc picked up a brand new glass and poured some dark pink liquid onto his glass after observing the different types of drinks and the food on top of the table.

Then, picking up some plates with the best scent and memorizing of the flavors he has tasted over the weeks but much stronger, belonging to Creatures he had either experimented with and then eaten or simply got his corps’ fellow set disciples to hunt for and then ate but of higher realm.

“Munch munch munch… Okay, let’s go.” Once all of Ciemnosc’s shaky feelings as if he was about to go savage mode or something was gone, and he felt his hunger satiating somehow, he turned around to face Fu Lan who seemed to actually enjoy watching him eat food, especially the drink right after taking a bite of anything he had in his hands.

“Mmm, okay. Did you like it all?” Fu Lan was grabbed by the waist by Ciemnosc’s left arm as he walked with her to her right, her bright azure eyes wholly opened and looking into his darkest eyes while leaning her head over a bit. Ciemnosc blinked at that, understanding something, before asking with glad surprise. “Were these made by you? They’re good, indeed. Valy is lucky to have such a wife in the future, eh.”

“Bwuaf, don’t say bullshit.” She smiled, content with his expression as he licked the corners of the very same lips with his eyes remembering the taste of it before finally responding to her. She looked ahead and said, her very pale creamy skin glistening with beauty, “It was prepared by both of us, we spent a couple of days doing it, so it isn’t on par with cultivators dedicated to cooking as their vocation just as you are for everything else.”

Praising and being praised back, the way of the rich, perhaps. But Ciemnosc didn’t mind. Only, he continued to walk with her a little bit, her arms and hands now holding tighter onto him with her nature of showing him around going from a task that her little girlfriend left her to something she was now willing to do. Still boring and, ugh, but willing to do it nonetheless.

“...There, see those surrounded by a few peak Spirit Gathering realm beautiful women?” Walking for quite some time, they arrived at a certain point that they had already gone past. But this time, they stopped at it to notice a small group of people that were clearly from the Preferential Light Justice Sect but not the same that came to the tournament.

“Aha,” Ciemnosc replied, and then the other group seemed to notice them as they then began walking with a couple of girls taking the lead as they did. Fu Lan began patiently and unhurriedly explaining as she let go of the bird’s wings to her right as he did not need her babysitting him despite his actual short and cute age.

“That one is Lena,” Fu Lan spoke, and her eyes set on a certain young woman, towards the one who led the other group’s entourage towards themselves. She had clean white skin, and pure blue hair, clear gray eyes, and was 1.82 meters tall. Fu Lan added, “She is the leader of the Preferential Light Justice Sect infiltrated into our organizational territory.”

“She came with the sect master Yolin so she isn’t ‘accompanied’ back to where she came from once this is all over, also making it impossible to track down the exact positioning of where their hidden encampment is. She is a master in fighting with needles, which are rumored to be too small but also clearly visible, either to the capable or her victims before they fall.” Fu Lan finished speaking.

However, as she did, she felt the need to add a little bit more, so she continued with a hushed tone. “You don’t have to worry about them, and she can only accurately assassinate someone when being around 50 to 30 meters near her target. She definitely won’t try taking your life here, but you must still fend off for yourself once this is…all over as well.”

“The other one is Yeri,” Fu Lan said once again, gesturing to the beauty a few steps behind Lena but one step farther up than anyone else in their group. She was a beautiful blonde, with white skin but light brown eyes, and 1.78 meters tall, though she was at the front, those behind her with slightly blue hair color and slightly red, pink, green, and blue eyes color looked disgruntled at that fact.

“She is Lena’s right hand, and only hand.” Fu Lan realized the quirkiness of her words but didn’t stop it and continued, “She is well versed in throwing daggers, be very careful if you ever get surprised by her. Her personal-assassination ambushes are what’s the deadliest anyone under the Conflagration realm can face, and you’re not even in the Phrenic realm.”

“Also, you should really do your best to enter the Phrenic realm in your cultivation as soon as possible.” Fu Lan commented, Lena and Yeri’s entourage just a few meters before them, “If nothing goes wrong and what everyone who believes in your power says is all true, then you would have enough prowess to be seen as a Spirit Gathering realm core sect disciple.”

“You will then finally come to be the corps’ true leader and nobody will object to you. Still, good luck in asking anything of the sect after ‘taking a side’ with another major organization, sigh.” Fu Lan concernedly shook her head a little bit and then lowered it with a little sigh, closing her very pale creamy eyelids that Ciemnosc got to see before both stopped talking as those walking caught up with them.

“Since you’re so lovey dovey with the ‘second best’ Fu Lan of the Self-Mutilating Honores Sect, your face is as handsome as the one described to us by our spies, and you do seem that young - and weak… You must be Ciemnosc! A pleasure to meet you.” Lena immediately began speaking, throwing her right hand towards Ciemnosc, with her last few words being exclaimed loudly yet contained.

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‘Uh oh…’ While Ciemnosc was thinking of how much of a bad thing it would be to have all of his most obvious enemies so close to him and yet not a single fight going to break out in his favor as he was indeed a really weak ass still at the Phrenic realm 7th stage while Lena and Yeri were at the Spirit Gathering realm 10th stage. He was becoming more noticed by the other major organizations’ parties that were ‘new’, indeed…

“Nice to meet you,” Ciemnosc copied her words and extended his left hand to her, clasping each other’s hands as Ciemnosc, sure enough, felt her first tighten her grip on him. However, not only was she futilely unsuccessful, she became sore from trying for just a few seconds before giving up but still maintaining a nice, beautiful face as a proper lady or ma’am.

Crguugh, wuugh.

Then, she tried sending some ice into his body with mere sheer coldness at the center of his left palm. But all Ciemnosc felt was some foreign coldness trying to slip into his body, yet being ‘countered’ but more like ‘eaten up’ the moment it became close to his skin, let alone touch it or even penetrate it or go into his body; and all of that was innate reactions and functions from his body alone.

“Ahem,” Lena heard Yeri’s exclamation and woke up, no longer pettily trying to gain something back. Afterwards, she smiled with ease at him before respectfully bowing at Fu Lan whom she now felt was too unfathomable if the kid beside her as a Link Consolidation realm 7th stage was already this…terrifying, in truth.

“Well, it is also you who got all of my beautiful sisters killed, right?” Smiling once again, she redirected her gaze to Ciemnosc, who looked at her tummy level to the side, his lips moving a bit, contemplating. Finally, he looked back at her after quite several seconds, responding to her, “Yeah, but not only that, also some of your ‘beautiful’ brothers too. Did you forget those numbers, hmm?”

“Te-heh,” uncaringly, Lena didn’t even respond and simply chortled out superficially. Yeri looked unperturbed as well, along with their group behind Lena and Yeri who had always set their gaze on Ciemnosc’s body and face, clearly remembering every inch of his.

“...” Lena suddenly thought of something as she looked at Fu Lan and smiled in anticipation. Her tone became familiar in a fake manner, but that didn’t stop her from sounding a bit convincing, she was a pro in this. “But you won’t have to worry about any of that, from our side, am I right?”

‘Uoh, shit…’ Ciemnosc was already having a bad presentiment. Fu Lan was now slightly frowning and deepening her frown furthermore as she heard Lena’s words, who still didn’t stop at ‘just that’ at all. “After all, the deal we made together, you and my Preferential Light Justice Sect, with my respectable sect master, will be met, unlike some other sect which is…anyway.”

“I hope you enjoy yourselves tonight, I heard there will be an alchemist event going on amidst the evening, don’t miss it. Or else, it wouldn’t have had any point for the event to even occur. A pleasure to meet you, Ciemnosc.” Lena spoke, not letting any of the two of them, Ciemnosc or Fu Lan, speak another word anymore, then left with her hips swaying and her group departing.

“Wow…she didn’t even let me say something cool or counterattack her with their sect’s racism and classism. She’s good,” Ciemnosc commented once a few seconds passed by and the situation felt cold despite the cold bitches already leaving. Fu Lan wasn’t mad at him, it seemed though, but she was really pensive as if contemplating with her own little head.

“Let’s go, there's still 2 more for you to meet, and the land mission leader couldn’t come back as he had to remain in his posts. He was even forced back by strong and competent Preferential Light Justice Sect disciples, losing a couple of thousands of their numbers, but that is going to be growing when you go back - make sure you don’t lose that chance too.”

Step, step, step, step, step.

Finished saying that, Fu Lan grabbed Ciemnosc’s right wrist this time with her left hand, and walked towards another spot, which he remembered to be one of the 3 with little but elite groups of the major organizations he hadn’t seen before. But Fu Lan then suddenly stopped, her little head no longer focused on thinking as she stopped in place for a few seconds, before continuing on walking towards some brown elegantly clothed core believers.

“...Ciemnosc, our very own sect, has denigration, scorn, and contempt for the other races in the world as well. While they are also fascists who let not a single Craftsperson become renowned by all means necessary. It is the practice of utmost nature within our sect, but we at least do not choose our own leaders and geniuses based on their aspect.”

“Even then, that does not make us any better, just different in the way we can grow. There are these kinds of things everywhere, Ciemnosc You can’t just think you or anybody else is really capable of putting down such thoughts? I think even grand eld-”

“Enough then,” without showing any politeness from before, noticing the change in tone of Fu Lan, Ciemnosc interrupted and kept quiet; as did Fu Lan do so as well.

Step, step step step…

“...That one is Kinski,” after walking for some more, they arrived quite near to where the Moribund Yearning Cult’s elite was. Their image was gloomy and drab-dingy. Though they seemed unapproachable, to Ciemnosc, they actually looked kinda cute. Kinski, whom Ciemnosc has heard of before and thanks to his valuable ‘asking’ methods, was quite something alright.

Brown skin, tall, and extremely cloud-dark eyes. A slender body figure and very dark brown hair, and while he didn’t emanate some sort of ‘I’m a tyrant, fear me’ feelings to those near to him or that looked in his way, Ciemnosc did feel a kind of resemblance, one where a leader and person of similar thoughts could scan the other in their imaginary radars.

Fu Lan didn’t forget to add a few words herself, “He is good at commanding his fellow cult believers, even making them fully prepared suicidal attackers with the intention of blowing up even just trees or bridges for the sake of continuing a battle, even up to winning it. Nothing stops him from being this ruthless, cruel, and efficient leader. While he is rumored to have incredible protection from his cult, that can’t be confirmed by our sect’s intel gathering.”

“Mnn,” Ciemnosc ‘replied’, but not really minding any of their previous clash in words and…maybe even sides within their own sect? Anyways, it was not the place nor the time to be thinking of these. Ciemnosc shook his head a little and watched as Kinski stood before them.

“You must b-” Kinski’s voice was ‘suave’ so to speak. His mannerisms were normal not elegant nor filled with rudeness or a mix of them like that Lena had been. Though he did look ‘incredible’ while holding a cup of red liquid with his left hand, yet keeping it below his waist level. But right then, Ciemnosc interrupted him with a quick set of words spilling out of his mouth. “Yes, yes, yes. I am indeed the commander that humiliated your cult twice, successively; Ciemnosc.”

“...” Kinski was taken aback, but it was just that and for just a few seconds at most. He recuperated and looked down, slightly, at the little boy who cared not for the large disparity in cultivation realms before nodding so slightly it was barely discernible for even a cultivator themselves. He then departed back to his spot while ignoring anyone’s pair of eyes and continued to laze around.

“...” - “...” Ciemnosc looked at Fu Lan, only to see her looking back at him already. She shrugged her shoulders and merely walked him away towards the last remaining group to visit, but Ciemnosc was already feeling exhausted, he couldn’t even tell how much worse it would be for poor Valeria to be walked around nonstop and have to be polite to the enemy she silently vowed to end up killing for the sake of the sect.

Spending their walk in silence, but not uncomfortably, Ciemnosc and Fu Lan came to arrive before a place where arrogant people dressed in all kinds of colored robes and elegant clothing underneath with decoration flames all around their bodies were leaning over the walls and a table still with food and drinks to be taken from.

Seemingly ‘owning’ this spot, the Eagerburning Flames Sect didn’t even bother walking up to them as they were looked at from the distance by Ciemnosc and Fu Lan, who were just…too lazy to even care about these kinds of people and were already walking away with their backs to them. The other side’s sect disciples were, of course, taken aback as the one who appeared to be their leader jolted his head back, and his under chin fat showed for quite some seconds.

“Saw the one at the center? Leaning over as if he could do whatever he would wish to do wherever he goes?” Fu Lan said, exposing the young man from the Eagerburning Flames Sect’s elite group, which was a chubby fella with creamy white skin of regular height and soft brown hair at the 10th stage of the Spirit Gathering realm stage.

“That one is their leader. His name is Kolles, and though isn’t bright like Kinski nor like Lena, he’s quite the strong one. He could beat Enaro slightly easily while we could beat Enaro easily, just so that you understand that fact in case you didn’t notice it before.” Fu Lan commented, her face indifferent as she didn’t mention anyone else from that other side’s elite group and walked him away towards the center of the grand hall, where all Obsidiafying realm cultivators were close by to one another and where Valeria was walking all the way around nonstop in.

“Didn’t you like Enaro? Or was th-” Ciemnosc was trying to ask, his suspicion and thoughts laid out but…Fu Lan directly stormed her words out of her mouth. “NO! That was just jealousy, to induce jealousy of ‘Valy’, ugh! Kids can’t learn fast enough it seems…”

Step step step step step step…

Fu Lan directly walked away as if hiding from whatever kinds of other words he had to say or any other glare he could set on her. But Ciemnosc…his words were just about to ask that, he wasn’t ignorant, he even saw his Sister get richer customers showing her body off while being grabbed by others, poorer and of an obviously much lower class than them…

…