Chapter 13: Pudding

Feng Biao woke to the noise of someone moving about loudly. He opened his eyes to see Song Zhilan pacing about as she brushed her teeth.

"What time is it?" Feng Biao asked groggily.

"4 in the morning. You can go back to sleep, wake-up call doesn't begin for another two hours."

"No, that's fine, I'm not good at going back to sleep if I wake up," Feng Biao said as he shook his head.

"Suit yourself," Song Zhilan said while returning to the sink in the restroom.

As Feng Biao stretched, he decided he would take the initiative in a conversation this time. Following Song Zhilan to the restroom, he began to brush his teeth as well.

"Song Zhilan I told you who my Divinity was, would you mind telling me who yours is?"

Hearing the sound of spitting and rinsing Feng Biao received an answer when Song Zhilan looked at him.

"If you don't know I'm not really interested in telling."

"That's kind of rude, no?"

"Mysteries are the very spice of life."

Seeing that Song Zhilan was actually serious about not telling him Feng Biao decided to just go ask his PDS, now that he had rested his Divinity had recharged and he felt it wouldn't harm him to ask a simple question.

"I cannot give you personal information about a Primordial Marked."

"Why not?"

Before Feng Biao could get an answer he felt Song Zhilan peering over his shoulder.

"I was alerted a creep in my vicinity was asking about me without my consent."

"You get alerts if somebody asks about you?"

"All Primordial Marked do, so I really don't recommend asking a PDS information about any that aren't as nice as me."

"Song Zhilan I'm a bit confused. I don't understand what this whole divide between Partial, True, and Primordial Marked seems to be about."

For a moment Song Zhilan paused, she looked at Feng Biao with a look he couldn't quite understand.

"I guess the slums are less divided?"

"Not really."

"Then you should be able to understand this analogy," Song Zhilan said as she coughed and retrieved the whiteboard she had left near her bed. Crude drawings were quickly drawn on the canvas.

"If Partial Marked are fishes, True Marked are sharks, and us Primordial Marked are space whales," Song Zhilan said pointing towards a scribble representing a fish, a scribble that looked identical to the first with a fin added on top of its head, and a larger version of the three with stars in the background.

"Space whales exist?"

"No, idiot, ok I guess that was a bad analogy. And some sharks can grow into space sharks. Now that I think of it sharks are fishes too..."

"I think I got the idea, you guys are way above everybody else, barring a few exceptions within True Divinities?"

"Yeah, way, way, way above. The difference between True Marked and Partial Marked can sometimes be indiscernible. In your case-," Song Zhilan cut herself off before she finished her sentence, but Feng Biao shook his head.

"I told you last night. I'm fine with being considered at the bottom of the rung. I'll climb up."

"Well that's not impossible, but climbing up to the top would be."

"Why's that?"

"What Rank are you Feng Biao?"

"Mortal."

"Then barring special Divine Abilities you should only have 10 Divinity."

"Yeah."

"Well if you were a Partial Marked you would only have a total of 5 Divinity at the Mortal Rank. I had 20 Divinity when I was at the Mortal Rank. That difference grows between Ranks."

"I'm guessing that's not the only difference?"

"No, but let's segway to my main point."

"The inherent difference in ability and potential between us has caused society to value me more than you," Song Zhilan said clearly growing more impassioned.

"Is that so bad?" Feng Biao asked.

"No, it makes sense, I'm going to grow much stronger than you Feng Biao. I'm already stronger, but I will continue to grow and grow. Why wouldn't I be valuable to people in this world?" Song Zhilan said suddenly deflating.

Feng Biao got the gist of it. Primordial Marked had higher potential than any other Marked. They seemed to be protected by the HCF as a result.

He couldn't really understand why Song Zhilan seemed to resent the idea she was seen as a treasure. The entire topic of the divide between her and him seemed to bring up emotions in her he couldn't quite translate.

Feng Biao decided to stop prodding and make a quick snack for himself. He opened the mini-fridge in the room to find nothing but packets of pudding.

"Song Zhilan why do you have nothing but pudding in here?"

"Because I get hungry."

"I'm hungry right now."

"Then eat some pudding."

"Pudding isn't food."

"By what definition? It's edible, tastes like heaven, and fills you up!"

Feng Biao chose to stop arguing and instead eat some pudding. Picking up a packet Feng Biao examined it to find it was unlike any pudding he had ever seen.

He had eaten chocolate pudding in Lucky Duck, he knew the taste, it wasn't actually something he had enjoyed. He found the Mooncakes Wang Hao occasionally made to be the most superior form of sweet.

Still, this pudding was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was glowing? Yes, on careful examination he could tell every now and then a light would emit from its center. Now that he looked harder at it was this even pudding?

It was white and it looked like it had an orange top. Examining the label he saw the words "Super Deluxe Pudding" in a stylized font. If it called itself pudding, it probably was just pudding after all, right?

Grabbing a spoon and inserting it into the pudding he felt his hands shaking as the spoon neared his mouth. Something deep inside told him if he took a bite something would change forever.

Unable to resist the temptation he let the pudding enter his mouth. In an instant betrayal, complete and utter betrayal. He had the inkling it might happen but he could only feel delighted in the pangs of guilt that assaulted him as it did.

He could no longer rate Wang Hao's Mooncakes as the greatest sweet he had ever eaten. Feng Biao couldn't stop himself from consuming every last speck of the pudding. He almost wanted to lick the container but was able to contain himself by just flipping it and letting the last remaining drops slide into his mouth.

"Told you that pudding was the best."

"Yeah, how much do they cost?"

"About one per packet."

Feng Biao greedily grabbed another thinking that whatever the "one" Song Zhilan was referencing could only mean something not too valuable if it was used to purchase pudding. What she had actually meant was it cost an astounding one Mythological Shard per pudding packet.

A single Mythological Shard being worth an amount of money grossly in excess of any that had ever shared direct relation to Feng Biao. As he blissfully ate pudding with Song Zhilan an exorbitant amount of money was wasted in less than an hour.