Cultivation

Adam didn't know what to think after Hyuk left. He had never thought others would care about him.

So what was this…?

"He's too good to us." Eva's words struck him.

That statement couldn't hold more truer. There was a sense of reliability Hyuk managed to attain.

This was despite his nature…

The elf girl took this moment to wrap her arm around his elbow, but was pushed away hurriedly.

The witty gamer didn't feel like 'doing it'. He took a deep breath, then decided to speak what he felt.

"I think we should keep some distance for the moment. We should focus on our independent cultivations as well, right?" Adam made a wry smile while going back to his room. He left her there…

Eva was unable to call out to his leaving back.

She was felt helpless when he expressed such disinterest in her. As if she was an afterthought.

No attachment. No clinginess.

He just had his way with her and discarded her when he felt like it. At least, that's how she saw it.

Wasn't this… a betrayal?

She staggeringly limped while deep in thought. Her eyes lifeless like an undead; moving like a drunk.

She followed after Hyuk.

Meanwhile, Adam felt nothing about what she was going through. He fell on his bed in relief.

Memories of what just happened were replaying.

If he was a girl, maybe this would be the time for his heart to flutter. Too bad he was heterosexual.

And they both were dudes…

This could have been the start of a romance~

Well, that wasn't exactly wrong, because a true and hearty 'bromance' had been born at this moment.

He was the happiest he had been his entire life.

'What is this feeling…?' Adam was always against codependence, but relying on someone was nice.

It made him feel calm and at peace.

Maybe some could consider it laziness, but he felt like he deserved some time to rest and relax.

Especially the latter part.

Relaxing had been so nice once he opened up his network and became just a smidge more sociable.

At least, that's how he saw it.

Even though Adam did nothing to deserve such affection, he finally considered Hyuk a true friend.

And the others his family…

His consciousness sank into his dreamworld, and a pop up appeared. One that he was too lazy to see.

Adam slept soundly for the first time in a while…

But perhaps he would have wanted to see this blue screen, as it concerned the nature of his system.

['Empty' Semblance has evolved into 'Empty Serenity'. Your relaxed heart has formed this.]

[A new trait has been passed onto the Taboo System. Initiating co-op features of the system.]

[Offline cooperative play initiated…]

Those who were in different parts of the mansion right now (and even outside it) reacted to this.

The first one to see this message was Eva, who had followed after Hyuk. Her eyes became sharp.

Especially when she noticed Hyuk react as well.

His eyes shifting a bit to the top right made her certain he got these particular messages as well.

[You have been selected for 'Online Play'.]

[Taboo System is installing into your body…]

[Installation complete…]

[You may choose two Game Genres you wish to have:

— Character Action

— Role-playing Game

— Stealth

— Real Life

— Turn-based

— Fighting Game

— 3D Platformer

— Civilisation Building

— …]

A long list that could be scrolled down was made in front of her, but Eva didn't make her choice now.

Instead stopping the man stood before her.

"Don't you dare choose 'that'. It's mine…!" There was an animalistic ferociousness in her red eyes.

The elf girl grabbed Hyuk's arm before he could choose a particular genre. One he had interest in.

"What are you going to do with it, anyway?"

"That's only for me to know." Eva didn't back down from him at all, even if she was taught by the man.

But Hyuk noticed something deeper.

"You're… jealous?" The moment he said these words, the woman reacted and let go of his arm.

She didn't say anything, but that was admittance.

To think that she'd be jealous of a man…

"Is it because of what happened there earlier?" A teasing smile formed on Hyuk's face while talking.

"I'm… more desirable than you."

"That so? I didn't ask you though." Hyuk whipped his ass out in a way that made him seem sexy.

In a feminine way…

Thanks to his particular accursed charm skill, the elf girl found herself out even more on-guard.

"Are you an enemy…?" She narrowed her eyes.

"If that's all you can say to the man who raised you into a beautiful 'woman', you need a therapist."

"Says you?"

"Yes, says me. And what's wrong with me?"

"You got my hopes up, then made the guy I love avoid me." Eva blamed all her problems on him.

If only this man hadn't given him weird thoughts…

"That's what this is about? I'm helping your relationship bloom." Hyuk looked a little hurt.

"We were already making love. Your help is unnecessary." Eva found this situation a step down.

"You weren't 'making love'. Adam was just using you to relieve himself. You were… just a mere human cauldron." These words seemed to both confuse her and make Eva think he didn't 'get it'.

She was fine was being an object to him.

"I'm-"

"Fine with being treated as an object?" Hyuk's words made the elf girl's face harden in suspicion.

She'd never told him these feelings clearly before.

"How did you know?" Depending on the answer, she roils have to rethink their relationship again.

Her hand pressed on the 'Game Genres' she wanted from the list. Taking two of them in total.

Hyuk realised what she did, but thought nothing of it. He was more attentive to what she was thinking.

"Do you know what 'Cultivation' is?" He spoke with a meaningful expression. His tone has softened.

"Stacking energy… 'Enlightenment' on how to use what you have… 'Insights' into concepts you've never properly understood… and trying to become immortal?" Eva flipped her hair with a prideful look.

For she was already every man's end goal.

What would an immortal need to cultivate for?

"You're wrong." As a Martial King, the androgynous man knew this wasn't always entirely the case.

"Then what is it?" Eva gave a textbook answer like how he taught. So what was wrong here?

"After coming to this world… Hmm… The best way I can describe it… is like cooking a meal for yourself."

"Huh?" Eva didn't get what he was trying to say.

"Energy… Needs a kind of 'creativity' and 'intensity' etched into it. Cultivation is the process of that."

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

"Let me tell you why Adam isn't clinging to you." He leaned in before continuing: "He doesn't want to."

"Yeah… Like I didn't know-"

"You're missing the point here. Even as we breath and talk, our thoughts are being constantly etched into whatever we cultivate. And what we cultivate in turn affects our future cultivation." Hyuk waved his finger, then rested it on top of his chin cutely.

He continued:

"Adam is practicing dual cultivation, but from how you acted… it looks like he isn't entirely interested in the arts. Why do you think he's acting this way to you?" Hyuk blinked at her with a look of interest.

"…Because he lost interest."

"How does a man who thinks having free sex is acceptable lose interest in a beautiful woman?"

"My personality…?" Eva finally guessed this, which caused the Martial King to start laughing at her.

Her face twisted in anger.

"Sorry, sorry~ Ahem… I didn't expect you to be so self-aware. Anyway, that wasn't the answer."

"Then what was it?" She held it in.

"Farting."

"???" Eva looked at him with speechless confusion.

"…I didn't… fart… I'm partially an elf. Elves don't have waste. They are immortal and perfect-"

"I didn't mean it like that, but you got the gist of it now. The only difference is that HIS 'heart' farted."

"…You're screwing with me." There was no way she'd believe this nonsense. What about cooking?

What did this have to do with creativity and stuff?

"When you cook a meal, you make sure to cut out unwanted components out of the materials. There are those who are poisonous pufferfishes after having its venom removed." Hyuk followed this up.

Making his absurd claim have more ground.

The Martial King continued while holding his belly:

"Even the body expelled waste components on a daily basis, so why can't the heart and mind?"

This question cleared up what he meant by such an absurd claim, but the meaning still escaped her.

"So… Ahem… You're saying that 'I' was a waste component in Adam's heart?" Eva frowned at him.

But he didn't deny that.

"If he believes his feelings of lust and attachment to you is wasteful, his heart will 'fart' you-"

"Stop using that analogy." Eva's bright red eyes glared at him. She didn't go along with his remarks.

"Fine... Anyway, the Breath Circulation technique is the recipe, and Life Force is the frying pan. Adam made an omelet. He created a Pure Mana on his own. You, on the other hand, haven't even started cultivating. Your mind is immature." Hyuk spoke.

His smile had faded away.

"I… just want to be objectified by him. Is that so wrong?" Eva felt like she'd always been born to be owned by someone. Her feelings drove her to want to be with Adam, even if he didn't like her much.

"My student…" Hyuk addressed her with this title for the first time, and sighed: "Don't lie to me now."

The man already knew what she wanted was 'pure love', not attention. A thing they had in common.

She too was a true 'Love Seeker' like himself.

"…I only want 'him'. You don't know what it's like to obsess over someone. You care about 'everyone' and call them your friend. For me, if I don't have him… then I have nothing." Eva covered her face.

Her cries shook his heart. Hyuk was unable to deny a seeker of love who was holding onto affections.

It made him make a mistake he'd surely regret.

Hyuk went straight through her personal space to hug. He leaned into her ear, then started to speak:

"Even objects have feelings."

He pointed at his sword and continued:

"Even this." The blade was ordinary, but he believed every sword had its own inner 'spirit'.

Just like all things in the world.

"I don't fucking care." But Eva pushed him away.

Hyuk didn't stop there, he looked at her deeply before picking his next words extremely carefully.

"Fetishes are sometimes psychological, and are seen as 'releases' for the inner desires. The darker aspects we don't tend to accept." Hyuk spoke with an expressionless look, which caught her attention.

He started to monologue, and Eva silently listened:

"Those who put emphasis on 'control' tend to want to subject that onto their partner. It's why all types of 'Master-Servant' role-play exists. Those who have too much control also like giving it to another."

"Your situation is unique."

"Adam definitely has suppressed feelings of wanting to 'affect others'. Likely due to his low sociability. Thus, he likes to tease his partners more than control them. Likes to tease them and see their reactions. That's the 'type' that he is."

"You just recently had a type of kink play with him earlier. His mind was brought to a high point, but he eventually has to get back to reality and feel the lows as well. If you wait that moment, then maybe…" Hyuk stopped his words there. He left.

Leaving behind a now enlightened elven girl.

The man had expected that she would do what he hinted at: To seduce him when he started to 'fall'.

Feeling lonely after such an intense interaction.

But she reacted differently from what he thought.

Hyuk had forgotten that humans weren't originally kind creatures. Even children are fuelled by desire.

Slaves to their emotions.

Unable to escape doing things because 'they felt the urge to', rather than discussing with reason.

Eva made her way downstairs.

'All objects have feelings…' She thought, then thought of a possibility: 'Maybe he feels nothing.'

'Maybe my man never cares for his partner.' She wanted to test this out, but Adam was avoiding her.

After hearing all Hyuk said, she made a decision.

'I will MAKE him have interest in me…' She looked at the two genres she chose and smiled to herself.

[Sex Simulator]

[Dress Up Game]

It was at that point she made eye-contact with the woman taking care of a child, who was right there.

Even though the person in question was unaware, it felt like Eva could instinctively sense their relation.

Georgiana Arcadia was the 'donor' that she was based on. A person with a special Class of her own.

'Maybe she will help me.'