SC1 16.2 – Breakthrough
From Unfortunate Sanno’s memory, I learned that drinking culture among the locals was similar to drinking culture in Japan. One of its fundamental etiquettes was toasting or a good cheer wish, and you should never drink before toasting with your drinking buddy because it was considered very rude.
The toasting itself was simple. If you did it with your friend or drinking buddy with equal position, you could do it with one hand and the position of the glass was equal. While if you did it with someone you respected like your teacher, or someone older, both parties would hold their glass with both hands, and the one with lower position would put their glass slightly lower.
Seeing Yui attentively listened to my explanation, I couldn’t help but smiled. Then, I asked, “Do you get it?”
“Hai!” Yui said while giving me a firm nod.
“Let’s give it a try.”
I immediately raised my glass with both hands and Yui followed me. After that, we lightly touched each other glass, and Yui positioned her glass slightly lower than mine.
Clink!
““Cheeers!””
We said the good cheer wish together, and then happily took a sip of our drink. Overall, Yui did it rather clumsy, but it was good enough for a first timer. The most important thing was that she looked very happy and had a big smile in her face after sipping her lemon and ginger.
“In a drinking gathering, someone with lower position also have to pour the drink for someone with higher position when his glass or cup is empty. It’s a sign of attentiveness.”
“Hai.”
Wasting no time, Yui took the bottle of my sake while I raised my cup with both hands. Then, while she had a super serious but also cute expression all over her face, Yui carefully poured me the sake.
“Thank you.” I happily said before taking a sip of the sake.
If this was Japan, I would definitely end up in jail for asking a minor to pour me alcohol. Fortunately, this was not Japan and no police officer patrolling the area, so I guessed it was fine.
Then, I continued with my explanation, “In some occasions, someone with higher position also pours a drink for someone with lower position. It’s a sign of affection.”
Wasting no time I took the teapot with both hands, while Yui hold her glass precisely like my example.
“Thank you, Uncle Deitoro,” Yui said after I poured her the lemon and ginger. Then, she took a sip from her glass before turning her gaze to me. “Uncle Deitoro, can Yui have sake too?”
“No, definitely no.” I firmly said.
“Why Yui can’t have a sake?” Yui asked as she gave me a curious look.
“Alcohol will negatively affect your growth,” I said in a drop dead serious tone. “Until your 20th birthday, you cannot drink alcohol unless it’s being prescribe by a healer and has specific medical purpose. Got it?”
“Hai,” Yui firmly replied. “Yui won’t drink alcohol before Yui’s 20th birthday.”
“Good,” I happily said. “Now, in drinking gathering, we will also have a snack to accompany our drink.”
Wasting no time, I took out a plate of deep fried broccoli from my spatial ring and put it on the table. “This is broccoli karaage, a testing dish I make a few days ago.
I coated the bite-sized broccoli with sweet potato flour seasoned with coarse sea salt and garlic powder, and then deep fry it. Have it a try.”
“Hai.” Wasting no time, Yui reached out for a piece of broccoli karaage, put it in her mouth, and munched it. Then, she happily said, “It’s tasty.”
“The crispiness and the saltiness that hit your palate here and there, it’s addictive, right?”
“Hai,” Yui firmly said before taking another piece of broccoli karaage.
“You can sprinkle it with seaweed flake or chili flake to elevate the flavor,” I said as I put two sprinkle bottles made of bamboo cane on the table.
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Then, I sprinkled a piece of broccoli karaage with chili flake before munching it. Without delay Yui followed my example. She curiously sprinkled a piece of broccoli karaage with seaweed flake before munching it, and in an instant astonishment filled her eyes.
“The seaweed flake really increases the broccoli’s tastiness.”
“Yeah.” After a smile I added. “Broccoli karaage is best to be enjoyed when it’s hot, so don’t let it cool down.”
“Hai.”
Without delay Yui took another piece of broccoli karaage and sprinkled it with chili flake and happily munched it. I couldn’t help but had a smile as Yui enjoyed it so much. It was easy to tell she was a hearty eater.
The daily diet in Tadaoka Household must be giving her a hard time. The food was not adequate enough both in quantity and nutritional value, to the point her body became very skinny. However, she never complained about it. Not even once.
Fortunately, now she lived with me. I would ensure she became excellent warrior that could control her own fate, while having excellent cooking skill to satisfy her foodie nature. Then, before I realized it, broccoli karaage in the plate had already gone to the last piece.
It was not a healthy diet for a four-year-old kid eating a whole plate of fried food at night. However, it was only an occasional event. Not to mention, Yui’s daily routine took lot of physical toll from her small body. So, I guessed it was fine as long as she didn’t do it every night.
After taking another sip of my sake I asked, “Yui, do you like the broccoli karaage?”
“Mhm. Yui likes it so much. Can Uncle Deitoro teach Yui how to make it?”
“Do you want to know how to make it?”
Yui firmly nodded. “Yui want to make it for Big Brother Sanno.”
“Sooner or later, I will teach you and Yunno how to make it,” I happily replied. “As for now, let’s have a night rest.”
“Hai.” Yui obediently replied.
After brushing our teeth, we then went to sleep. Inside the resting hut, we found Kato and Yunno were fast asleep. Wasting no time Yui carefully slipped into under the blanket, and nestled herself next to Yunno. A moment later, she already fell asleep peacefully.
I immediately took my mask off and calmly waited for my eyes to close on its own. However, I felt a sudden but nostalgic sensation from my essence circuit and essence sea. It was a sign that I would undergo a breakthrough. It seemed the deadly fight against Shouji had stimulated my breakthrough.
Wasting no time, I got up silently and returned to dining hut. Normally, you would need someone to guard you when you underwent a breakthrough. It was very dangerous if you were disturbed in the middle of breakthrough. The backlash from a fail breakthrough could kill you.
But I knew my breakthrough would be quick and smooth, so I carried it out unguarded. After checking the surrounding area using Essence Pulse and was sure I had nothing to worry about, I sat in mediation position and put Dragon Breath in full rotation. Then, like a hungry and giant sink hole, my essence sea and essence circuit dried up the essence in the area up to radius 5 km.
Three minutes later, I had completed the breakthrough to Level 2. Well, my essence sea and essence circuit was already at Level 99, so my breakthrough basically was only a level up for my body. In short, my body became stronger and could withstand the use of essence in higher volume.
The breakthrough also fully healed the wound on my left belly, while my internal spatial storage doubled its size into six units of 40-feet shipping container or equivalent to 406 cubic meters. It was like having a personal warehouse that followed me wherever I go.
However, overall the breakthrough brought me no joy. In my previous life, I treated my breakthrough to Level 2 casually, while the other kids celebrated it jubilantly. At that time, I just didn’t have the drive to become warrior.
As for now, even though I had the drive to become as strong as possible, I still had no mood to celebrate my breakthrough. After experiencing the power of Level 99, the breakthrough to Level 2 was tasteless as hell.
‘Well, a journey of thousand miles starts with a single step,’ I casually muttered. ‘And at least, Level 2 will enable me to use Shadow.’
Shadow was a skill to generate a clone, the signature skill of Black Dragon Warrior and the reason why they were feared by other dragon warrior on the same level.
Without delay, I executed Shadow to create my first clone. Slowly but surely, a gentle rippled appeared on my shadow, and then my clone slowly popped up from it. Like any clone being generated using Shadow, he had physical form precisely like me. It’s just that he was only a Level 0. His internal spatial storage was also only as big as a 40-feet shipping container, and it wouldn’t become bigger even if he breakthrough to higher level.
“Your name is Deitoro-01. You will play the role as Warrior Deitoro when circumstance demands it.” I said as I handed over a set of clothes to first my clone. “I will get you the Akatsuki robe and red demon mask later.”
“Understood.”
Wasting no time, Deitoro-01 put his clothes on while I made another clone.
“Your name is Sanno-01. You will play the role as Tadaoka Sanno when circumstance demands it,” I said as I handed over a set of clothes to my second clone.
“Understood.”
Then, I made another four clones and I reached my limit. Fortunately, six clones were more than enough to meet my current need. Even when I was Level 99, I had only three clones to ensure they had enough training resource to match my level. As for now, I needed additional four clones to help me train Yunno and Yui.
“Your name is Otter, Civet, Badger, and Weasel. You will play the role as my vassals.” I said as I handed over a set of clothes to my last four clones one by one. “I will get you your mask later.”
““““Understood.””””
“For now, you all just stay in my shadow until I call you.”
Wasting no time, one by one my clone stepped in into my shadow, sank, and disappeared without a trace. When they were staying in my shadow, their body would be in sleeping state while their mind and memory would merge into one with mine.
This was the first time in this life my mind merged with my clones’ mind, so I felt a little dizzy. Fortunately, it was only for a moment. After taking a few deep breaths, I went to sleep.
*****