Chapter 578 - Ice Cream & Consequences

Congratulations! You have successfully bested 2 Silver-Tier cultivators in culturally sanctioned duels!

You have earned 2 additional Ranks as an Elite Disciple!

Strength, Vitality, Finesse, Quickness, Perception, and Spiritual Energy have all increased! (Note! All attribute enhancing modifiers are in FULL effect!)

Your ultimate master highly approves of you putting a certain clan of stuck-up elites soundly in their place!

-_____________________________________________________________-

Eric Silver - Level 99 PRISTINE GOLDEN PHOENIX (Adventurer)

(3rd Tier Core Saturation at 85%) You and your progeny may now ascend to Light Gold without any planetary sacrifices needed at all!

Rank 5 ELITE DISCIPLE (Eve’s Chosen)

Level 75 Master Necromancer (You like living, so you have voluntarily locked away your ability to raise the dead!)

Actual Cultivation Path (Free of System Influence :D) – NONE (Yet!)

Your Official Power Equivalent: Rank 43 SILVER – (WOW!)

Physical Characteristics

Strength – 4230 (With Burst of Strength, you can shred pretty much any object, even those reinforced by higher order concepts, if they don’t exceed your WRATH! Super Punch man would be proud! Tungsten-reinforced bank vaults? You’re bursting them with ease!)

Vitality – 4230 (Your Vitality is worthy of a Silver-tier behemoth!)

Finesse – 1912 (You’re now as deadly as a Bronze-tier sniper. Even without all their perks!)

Quickness – 3409 (You’re over 170 times faster than an Olympic Fencer. ABSURD! Good thing Battletime makes pesky things like relativity, inertia, and air resistance strictly optional for you!)

Appearance – 42 (If this were pre-apocalypse, you would star in all your mother’s movies!)

Mental Characteristics

Scholarship – 46 (You’re still yourself, but your thoughts are clear and your memory is sharp!)

Perception – 1862 (A deadly marksman who always spots his prey. No one’s sneaking up on you!)

Willpower – 181 (You were forged in fire, and it shows!)

Charisma – 23 (No comment. This isn’t your path. You didn’t choose the slice-of-life option, so there’s no going backsies this late in the game!!)

Potency Pools

Arcane Potential – 1584 (An Archmage would be proud to make you his prodigy!)

(Mana Pool = 19011)

Spiritual Energy – 236 (A lymphatic system evolved for channeling Spiritual Energy above all else serves you well, Contender!)

Qi Pool = 2837

Psionic Potency – 619 (Despite your flaws, you’re worthy of a Psion Knight’s regard.)

(Psion Pool = 7431)

Soul Reserves – 1813 (You could be a Master Necromancer... You ARE a Master Necromancer!)

Stamina – 42308 Points

Health – 48499 Points

Resistances & Recovery

Physical Resistance – 1686 (At this point, you could charge the Imperium’s Dreadnoughts at sub-light speed and THEY would be the ones to blow up on impact! NOTHING short of Deep Silver opponents or essence-infused attacks is damaging your flesh! With Battletime further cushioning the blows? You’re ABSURD!)

Physical Regeneration – 423 health per second (After triple-heart shots, it’s clear you DO need this!)

Elemental Resistance – 941 (Resistances this high means you’re basically immune to elemental magic, unless Higher Order concepts are in play! No Silver-tier master lacking essence-infused spells is stopping you, Hyperion Blazer!)

Qi Resistance – 886 (Shockingly high!)

Mental Resistance – 789 (Even Silver-tier faerie enchantments, persuasion, and illusions will be revealed to you, unless Essences and Higher Order concepts are in play!)

Psionic Resistance – 619 (Dense Neurons mean squid-brains and Psion Lords like Song won’t find you easy prey at all!)

NOTE – Contrary to popular belief, you DO have access to your System Interface abilities and powers!

NOTE – Social Perk use is LIMITED! No more social crutches for you, Contender! Your friendly silver brain worms (who love you truly!) can’t help your painfully Dense Neurons decipher monkey-behaviors in this realm!

-____________________________________________________________-

“We did it, Bunbun! We totally did it!” Eric shouted for joy as he tore through the air at Mach 6, finding fierce satisfaction in going all out as he took advantage of the ruptured force dome and raced away as fast as he could.

“Yes we did, fearless leader!” Bunbun cheered in his mind. “And you won’t believe how much sweet, sweet lucre we made! And are still making!”

Eric blinked. “Still making?”

“You better believe it! The audience is going wild, because the massive vid-globe that most everyone is staring at, including all the vidcams is still playing through the opening moves of your and Lady Suun’s battle. That’s why we needed to lock in what odds we’ll automatically take in those bets, in deference to all the mortals still putting down their hard earned credits. No take-backs for us if we lost, or for them, even knowing that we already won! But besides the real-time wujen mirrors and spirit globes that the elite cultivating clans populating the highlands closest to NanDushi are using to view the fight, most everyone else is on delayed time. So the spirit pearl bets are a lock, and the gold bullion is still rolling in!”

Eric whistled as he made a beeline for the train tracks cutting through the massive city that, at Eric’s speed, quickly became rural countryside, with cozy towns for the well-to-do close to the train lines, yet not so close as to grate with the noise of constant grain shipments. Eric, still high on the sweet rush of victory, couldn’t help but be dazzled just a bit by the spectacular view he had of the pristine blue sea, for the first fifty miles out, anyway, and shifted course heading straight for home.

“That’s fantastic, Bunz! Though I’m surprised with the flare from my Bloodfire Strike that it’s not clear who already won.”

“Lol, no worries there, champ! As striking as you looked, in that moment, for most it was a flash and very few people have a clue what it even means. But we still made out like bandits! Over a million credits worth of Jade Consortium backed gold notes and… for the real prize… exactly 1364 Spirit Pearls!”

Eric hooted for joy. “Fucking epic! How much are the Spirit Pearls worth?”

“Roughly 10,000 credits, but it’s sort of like comparing apples and pears. Xi Xiun recommended we keep them separate, since exchange rates are fairly volatile and they’re hard to use interchangeably, unless you’re a member of the Jade Consortium, which we will be very soon! Right, Fearless Leader?”

You’re darn right, we will be! We’re up almost 15 million already, and 20% of whatever the proceeds of tonight’s fight was. I’ll stop by tomorrow and finish signing us up.”

“Sweet! Speaking of our new friends… Xi Xiun is giving me a very pointed look. I think he was maybe expecting you to stick around?”

Eric winced. “And risk Hanna and Sophia putting together the pieces of this puzzle? No thank you. I’m enjoying this slice-of-life adventure way too much to risk it all for a few shallow moments in the limelight. Especially since I already know all the bullshit that fame can bring you, if you’re not careful.”

“Oh wow, that’s actually a good point, fearless leader. All those years of dealing with your sister and mother’s fame and seeing firsthand how badly it could mess anyone up. And now you get to start over. Sort of. But after that display… ooh! You’re going for the protect the secret identity at all costs theme, tonight.”

“Damn right I am!” Eric acknowledged with a grimace a bit more tense than he had intended as he caught sight of what would normally be his train stop, then glancing to his left and seeing so perfectly the pristine manor just a couple of miles beyond, surrounded by lush fruit groves and Hanna’s near mystical garden.

Eric swallowed the unexpected lump in his throat as he quickly darted for a nearby copse of trees and closed his eyes, allowing both his crimson arts and his ES space to remove all traces of the battles he had fought from his person.

Not as good as a shower, he knew, but hopefully it would do.

Then he stiffened. “Fuck.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, buddy,” Eric assured while glaring at the silver-mirror image that was Ernest Edgelord, and not the still surprisingly young looking Eric Silver… or Eric Carpenter, that he had become after getting caught in the dream of his own reset for Freetown that really did make him look closer to 16 than not. Yet what was most chilling was realizing just how little a difference between the two personas there was. His body was absolutely identical, refusing to let any disguise adversely impact his balance and mastery over his own body and movements in the heat of combat. As far as his face went… save for trading golden locks for fiery hues and emerald green eyes for sapphire blue… he looked exactly the same. Even the muted points of Ernest’s ears were all but hidden by his thick mane of fiery hair.

It was only the look of furious mad glee upon features that he so carefully kept free of twisted wrath when embracing his isekai adventure that truly set them apart. A division of temperament as much as appearance, yet he knew damn well that had he not been gifted a certain prize...

“Honestly, Bun, it’s a miracle that anyone believes this joke of a disguise at all.”

“Well, good thing her imperiousness gifted you with a Gold-Tier treasure ring of uber sweet disguises that clearly charms the mind as much as it actually changes your appearance! Right, Fearless Leader? Even if you totally lack the artistic ability to make any tweaks that don’t have you looking like a Skydragon abomination. So, best to go with the default options. Which, let’s be honest, however it was before you ascended so sharply in power, now they all look pretty much like you. Except for the female versions which, yeah. All look like Elonia. No exceptions, since your mother’s bloodline’s so strong.”

“You got that right. Or maybe I should take a few art classes and see if that doesn’t open up a world of possibilities with the ring. Still, we’d be idiots to push it any more than we already have.”

“I’m not saying you’re wrong, Eric. About playing it smart, and maybe learning to sketch a portrait? Couldn’t hurt. But yeah, it probably was a good thing that you ditched that party before the celebrations really got started! Ha ha.”

Eric smirked at that while doing his best to calm his heart rate and post-battle excitement. He took a steadying breath, now looking just as he had the very day John and Hanna had welcomed him into their home. Presently, he was wearing dress shirt, formal pants, and comfortable leather shoes, as if he was just coming home from school… or perhaps just after spending the evening studying after class with his friends in the city.

He couldn’t quite hold back a worried grimace, wondering if anyone would really buy it, and his belly was roiling with totally unnecessary anxiety.

It was only when he was making his way to the front door of the manor pretending it was little more than a warm country cottage, that he began to have serious doubts, and debated heading inside at all.

“What’s the word on our status, Bun?”

“Wonderful news, fearless leader! Xi Xiun has already set up our Jade Consortium account with sweet lines of credit in terms of bullion and spirit pearls both. Yay! And you can totally come in whenever you have time, and Xi Xiun will happily put the finishing touches on your Jade Card!”

“Sweet!” Eric was about to turn around just as the front door opened, and he caught sight of none other than a surprised looking Sophia, whose eyes widened before narrowing way too intently as she stared his way.

His lips curved into the politely surprised grin of a preoccupied student focused only on doing well in his classes. “Hi Aunty Sophia. What’s for dinner?”

Sophia scowled at him for a long moment as Louise’s exasperated voice could clearly be heard from the other room.

“Aunty, did you get the ice cream? Come on, you’re missing the fight!”

Eric affected a curious look through the doorway, innocently ignoring Sophia’s too intent gaze.

“What fight is this?”

She snorted, then shook her head. “You’re late, Eric. Again.”

“Sophia!” Louise scolded.

“Never mind. Make yourself useful and get us a few bowls of ice cream. I’m looking forward to seeing a certain upstart boy get put in his place.”

Eric shrugged innocently before turning to the freezer and carefully preparing four bowls of ice cream that most definitely included chocolate, vanilla, peach and mango, before heading out with tray and a friendly smile just in time to catch sight of a certain redheaded youth in blue jeans and leather jacket who had just sent a certain jade beauty crashing to the ground, and was now rather ruthlessly applying a vicious choke. And why didn’t he remember slamming his knee into Suun’s spine?

Eric winced internally, surprised and dismayed by how well the globe overhead had caught and preserved his furious, snarling countenance, grinding the desperately struggling woman’s face right into the ruby sands that would have shredded any mortal’s flesh.

“Oh my gosh, he’s actually winning!” Louise said with breathless excitement, only in that moment seeming to register Eric’s presence. “Your actually back at a decent… ooh, you brought ice cream. My favorite! Thanks, Eric!”

“Good to see you, Eric. You’re just in time for the fight. Well, the final minute, anyway.” John said.

Hanna welcomed Eric with a warm hug. “It’s good to see you, dear. And thank you so much for the ice cream.”

Sophia scowled as she grabbed her own. “Slip and twist, Suun! You’re better than that arrogant showoff. There’s no way you should—no, don’t panic… fuck!”

Eric forced a strained smile on his features as he passed bowls around to everyone, though Ella and Maja were giving him twin looks of hurt betrayal, so he winked and rubbed their heads. “It’s alright, I’ll make us even bigger bowls.”

His thoughts were whirling as he made his fellow foster sisters ice cream on autopilot.

Was there a delay? Was this a repeat? He hadn’t been moving that fast, had he? Or maybe he had? At his speed, well over a hundred and seventy times an Olympian, even while holding back… and if other Silver Tier elites had been placing bets in that hyper accelerated state… maybe they had all effectively stepped out of mortal time? And if there was any sort of processing delay, such that whatever method of data transfer they had wasn’t instantaneous in a spiritual energy-rich realm—even muted as the spiritual energy was in their current location—maybe there were serious limitations and ‘live feed’ was actually anything but.

Unless, of course, you were an elite Silver-tier cultivator using cultivation arrays that let you glimpse events in live time and place Jade Consortium wagers from the comfort of your own inner sanctum.

Whatever the case was, it seemed like Eric had arrived in plenty of time to catch the entirety of his match with Crom, which had Sophia hooting with excitement after looking quite put out with his first victory, even if Louise and the others had applauded his triumph against Suun.

“Finally, that brat’s going to get put in his place!”

“I thought the boy put up a good fight,” Hanna said, giving her kung fu sister a curious look. “I’ll grant you that he definitely wore a smirk begging for a good smack, but he looks like a boy no older than our Eric.”

Eric stiffened at those words, though when a hot-eyed Sophia turned around fast as any serpent to glare his way, he was calmly eating a spoonful of his treat.

“Sorry, I don’t have anything to add. I’ll pay attention to this fight, if you like,” he innocently offered.

“Kid’s a Contender, and a threat,” Sophia coolly said. “I got word that several members of the Toya clan were viciously assaulted and robbed. And I know Suun. She can be a bit prickly, but only when people fail to show her respect. As is any Silver’s right. All the more so, after dedicating not just years but decades of her life serving as NanDushi’s champion, along with her husband, against incursions and all matter of threats. Spearheading the Toya Clan’s honor, when she could have been focused solely on her own cultivation. And her only reward for all that diligence and effort is to be mocked and manhandled by some monstrous beast of a wildcard Contender who risks throwing our entire city in turmoil is beyond appalling, sister!”

Eric blinked in surprise. Because the last thing Suun had seemed was like she gave a shit over the plight of the common mortal. And she had been all too ready to throw wild accusations or, indeed, challenge him to duels at the slightest perceived insult.

Much to his dismay, Hanna actually dipped her head. “Fair point, sister. The Toya clan deserves credit for their service, standing as bulwark sentinels against whatever trouble might come our way… and oh my, Crom looks ready to strike the challenger dead, after nearly killing his wife!”

“It’s a miracle she survived. Her husband should want a pound of his flesh,” Sophia muttered with a dark glare.

Louise stiffened in the middle of cheering as the redheaded Contender raced away from the roaring monster of a body cultivator with a laugh.

She lowered her gaze. “This one apologizes, master.”

“Aunty Sophia in the house,” the inquisitor said, still glaring at the TV. “And you can root for whoever you like. Of course you’ll favor the charming boy near your own age, living life like we’re all characters in a tale. Not the centuries-old expert who’s seen and endured more than you could possibly fathom, desperate only to buy enough time to see his wife safely escorted out.”

Eric blinked at this bit of outrage, inhaling to protest the implied accusation, before realizing that he dare not say a word. Not one single word, as Hanna nodded her agreement.

Yet it was John, of all people, who came to the young Contender’s honor.

“I don’t think he was doing anything to prevent her from being healed. Far from it, actually.”

Sophia snorted. “Of course you’ll take that odd young hellion’s side. He’s an underworlder infused with power that has nothing to do with cultivation, sprung fresh upon our world, just like you were.”

John chuckled at that. “Point to you, Sophia. And with the way Crom’s utterly obliterating that kid—”

His words cut off in shocked surprise, as did Sophia the pair now gazing as breathlessly as Eric now was, oddly dismayed by what he saw.

Hanna winced. “He slipped right past Crom’s guard with that kidney punch!”

“That right hook out of nowhere stunned Crom pretty bad,” John clinically noted. “I think he lost a tooth.”

“Impossible!” Sophia hissed, sounding strangely outraged. “His is the Dao of the mountain! He is the definition of resilience! More real than any realm of shadows and dream. If he dared step foot in your underworld, your former reality would crumple before him. No blow could—” Her words cut off with dismay.

“He’s not letting up,” Louise said with an odd mixture of horror and awe. “That boy’s chaining multiple… no, dozens of punches, keeping Crom airborne, not even letting him fall back to earth!”

Long moments of breathless silence filled the family room, save for the odd booming crack of what sounded almost like entire mountains rupturing in titanic explosions, but was really just the sight of a monstrously powerful Silver-Tier cultivator’s teeth shattering after suffering a palm strike to his chin.

Eric blinked. “So that’s why my palm was throbbing after the—” He cleared his throat, heart pounding so loud he feared his entire step family could hear him. “So, who’s up for more ice cream?”

“Quiet!” Louise hissed. “Oh my, he’s actually beating up… no, it’s impossible! That’s Crom! Champion of the Tora Clan and NanDushi! Everyone loves him! He’s our city’s trump card! If he falls…” her cheeks paled. “Oh no. If he actually kills—”

“He wouldn’t dare!” Sophia snapped, seething with a rage that had Eric wincing internally. All the more so, when Hanna nodded alongside her.

Then Hanna’s anxious countenance filled with relief as the television rang out with words that echoed strangely, even where they sat, miles from the city.

“Well done, Contender. Your point has been made. Welcome to NanDushi. Now, if you would be so kind?”

“Oh wow, look, aunty! He’s actually bowing! He’s not a complete idiot!”

Sophia glared at the television. “Not even he would be stupid enough to insult an elder.”

Eric blinked at this. “I’m sorry, what’s an elder?”

“I’ll explain later, darling,” Hanna said with a gently raised hand, looking as riveted as the entire family was at the scene playing out that, for Eric, who had embraced a state of hyper Battletime until flowing into the dreamlike slice-of-life mortal’s pace that was his norm when relaxing with his foster family, felt like it had played out ages ago.

He winced internally, deciding that he really needed to refill his bowl with more ice cream.

Especially if it got him out of the room before—

“Wait, he’s Evelyn Kahn’s disciple?”

Eric refused to let Sophia’s panicked voice upset his quest for the perfect bowl of deliciousness… presently being topped by decadent ribbons of homemade caramel sauce that was so damn delicious with chilled confectioneries.

“Who’s Evelyn Kahn, aunty?”

“She’s the empress,” a breathless John explained.

“Daddy? Why are you so pale? And we don’t have an empress.”

“Your father means the underworld empress, darling.”

“Oh… wait, he’s here to conquer us? Dad! What do we do!?”

“We sure as hell don’t sit here doing nothing!” Sophia snapped as a happily whistling Eric pulled out a slice of chocolate cake to go with his massive bowl of ice cream, putting it all on a tray with two bottles of chilled fizzy before heading out into the living room, like his heart wasn’t pounding in his chest.

Sophia’s wild eyes caught Eric’s clueless blue orbs, before she turned to her kung fu sister. “I have to make an emergency—”

John cursed allowed. “No, that elder did not just hand that kid NanDushi!”

The entire family stared at the screen in horrified dismay before Ernest Edgelord’s animated voice. “… and to share with everyone absolutely unbeatable deals!”

Louise blinked in stunned disbelief. “Wait. That kid’s just been given an open invitation to seize NanDushi in a sanctioned coup… and he’s using this as free airtime to pitch his…

Legendware! For the hero in all of us!”

Hanna and Sophia exchanged looks of stunned disbelief. “Did that boy just take on two Silver Titans to pitch his clothing line?”

Hanna solemnly dipped her head. “I do believe he did, sister.”

Sophia flinched. “And did he just project a killing art sufficient to pierce Elder Lou’s Sacred Barrier?”

Hanna swallowed. “I do believe he did, sister.”

An awed Louise then lurched back in her seat, nearly but not quite knocking into Eric’s plate of tasty scrumptiousness.

“Want some more ice cream, sis?”

“Heaven’s mercy, Eric! How can you eat with that hideous disgusting head now on display? It looks like it should be filling the entire stadium, and everyone’s screaming!”

She turned to her wan looking mother. “Mom? What is that thing?”

“It’s a kraken,” Sophia hissed between clenched teeth.

Louise blinked. “Wait! Isn’t that the abomination that you and mom were whispering about? And please don’t look at me that way. I didn’t mean to overhear you two!”

A glaring Sophia jerked a nod. “Rumors of eldritch abominations approaching the mainland is a priority threat that we must ever be ready to face.”

Louise stared at the screen. “But he killed it, right? Wait… where did he go?”

Eric, instincts screaming as he sensed John’s far too intent stare, suddenly afraid he knew exactly why, kept his eyes firmly glaring at the television as his thoughts raced, realizing that his best play was just to get ahead of what he knew was coming.

“Well, I better not be working under him,” he said with an only slightly forced sigh, earning an odd look from Hanna and a glare from Sophia. Though it was Hanna who spoke.

“What are you talking about, Eric?”

“Legendware!” he huffed. “After all that work doing the photoshoot for Rachel for the sake of her clothing line, which I mostly agreed to, because how the hell else am I going to get a successful business venture started when I’ve only been here for a handful of days? And she pulls this on me?” He sighed as the entire family stared at him, taking another thoughtful spoonful of ice cream.

“Eric, what are you talking about?” Louise hissed before stealing his cake and looking quite cute with her chocolate icing scowl.

“Hey, get your own… okay, stop glaring at me, guys. It’s just… why did Rachel bother with the photoshoot if she’s just going to hire this guy to represent her clothing line? And I don’t even want to think about how huge a share of the profits he’s going to get. Because there’s no way a Silver’s working for cheap, right? But maybe if he’s a publicity hound and just wants a legitimate way to make friends with the rich and powerful without tearing apart the city… sure, a handsome badass supermodel persona will work like a charm, I bet.”

John gave Eric a pointed look, but all he said was, “Will this be a point of contention for you and Rachel… or you and this obvious Contender?”

Eric gave a rueful chuckle, before shaking his head. “Not a chance. Honestly, it’s downright scary, seeing what that guy can do, just as an observer. If I ever feared my head getting too big…” He sighed and shrugged. “Well, now I know I’m far from the biggest fish in this pond. And as far as the clothing line goes, maybe it’s best that I find my own path forward in class. Even if my own future venture bombs spectacularly, at least it will be my own business idea, and not someone else’s.”

John looked strangely relieved to hear that. “Good. It’s good to hear you say that, Eric. Because if there’s one lesson I learned after more than century of mercenary work, it’s that no matter how strong you think you are, no matter how spectacularly your last mission went…”

Eric dipped his head. “There’s always someone stronger.”

“Exactly. The up-and-coming prodigies who fail to understand and accept that are rarely prodigies for very long.”

“Why’s that?” Louise asked, before wincing under her aunt’s pointed stare.

“Because they’re soon dead, child,” Sophia scolded while Eric translated a PG version of their conversation to a wide-eyed Ella and Maja who, at least, were more than happy to share and enjoy his ice cream sundae.

“Well I’ve had a long day trying to wrap my head around economic concepts, so I’m calling it a night,” Eric declared after finishing the last of his sundae, doing his best to project a tired demeanor that had Hanna and John both looking at him with a surprising amount of concern, while a pair of animated newscasters were eagerly going over the fight and entertaining all sorts of wild ideas as to what it actually meant, that a complete unknown wildcard had actually managed to get the best of NanDushi’s most revered defenders.

Hanna’s understanding nod warmed his heart. “Of course, dear. You’re taking on a challenging curriculum, and you still have to find your stride. Get some rest. I’ll bring up so stew later, on the off chance you’re up and hungry.”

Eric flashed the grateful smile any son would give such an understanding mother, even if he couldn’t help but note that she had left the door open for a soft interrogation or ‘family talk’ later, but he would hardly complain. In truth, all he felt was a bit concerned with his stepmom’s pallor, looking so different than the energetic vibrant woman she was after every morning’s cultivation session.

Yet he couldn’t help but feel a certain warm excitement, knowing that, if everything went well, he might soon have the greatest of gifts to give the woman who took him in and made him truly feel like family.

“Thanks, mom. Goodnight, everyone.” Ignoring his sister’s surprised look and Sophia’s too intent stare, Eric made his way up the stairs as fast as any teenager might, and no faster, his thoughts racing with the bitter and the sweet. All that he had accomplished that day, his glorious triumphs… and just how much of an idiot he had been, somehow managing to antagonize not just a pair of tyrannical monsters… but the supposed defenders of NanDushi.

Even if they had been arrogant, self-righteous pricks, who would happily pound him to dust for daring to find his own path forward that didn’t depend on him swearing servile deference to all the corrupt powers-that-be.

Or maybe he was bullshitting himself, just a bit. Because the trio of arrogant young masters he had happily goaded for prizes could have told Suun absolutely anything, and Crom was a man furious for the sake of his wife.

“To fucking hell with sore losers and self-righteous assholes. At least I made damn sure I didn’t kill anyone, on the off chance they were heroes to someone, somehow. Because you can fix misunderstandings and maybe even earn mutual respect… but not if you’re dead,” he muttered to himself before flashing a fierce grin.

“And I earned two sweet levels of the best sort, embracing peril tonight, because sure as fuck, they weren’t pulling their punches. And I’ve never encountered essence users fusing their powers to Dao understandings that gave them half a dozen cheat powers.”

He flashed an admiring smile as he took in the welcoming room with its hardwood desk, windows overlooking the wooded garden, and a super inviting bed just big enough to comfortably sneak in a giggling girlfriend that he probably never would, in this time and place. Though it had no computer, he still felt like it would have been the exact bedroom he would have wanted, had his childhood been anything close to normal.

“Maybe it’s time to see how far I can stretch my own powers,” he mused to himself as he sunk into soft, down-stuffed covers, closed his eyes, and did his best to meditate with absolute crystalline focus on everything that had transpired that day, and all the insights he had gleaned during his fights…

Before falling right to sleep.