June 8th, 2032 - 14 Days Remaining

When Kaze arrived at Lamers Park, Jake was waiting at the gazebo. The man lit up when he saw the emperor striding into the area with arrogant grace.

"Kaze! Bro, I—"

"Status report. The coffee. Ten words or less." Kaze snapped.

"Uh… Lavender cappuccino… on time… really… awkward… Evalyn looked… really angry." Jake said nervously while counting on his fingers.

"I'll forgive the pause word until we can get you proper speaking lessons." Kaze said dismissively, "But well done; her reaction was a sign you did well."

"Thanks?" The man replied, "But can I ask you something?"

"Ask without restraint. You have my blessing." The emperor replied with a nod.

"What does the word regent mean?" Jake asked, "When I told Evalyn I was your regent, fulfilling the request of his excellency, I thought it was a cheeky joke. But she took it very seriously and scolded me for saying I was your regent. Does it mean something other than an aid?"

Kaze laughed and shook his head. "No, it only means aid. The foolish woman was just bitter that she ensnared herself, yet again, by challenging the veracity of my words."

"I see...." Jake replied in confusion.

"You needn't concern yourself with the enigmatic woes of strong women." The emperor continued, "Now come; I must give you a cultivation technique before leaving."

"Wait… you're going already?" Jake asked with a downcast expression.

"Must you always act out a tragedy?" Kaze scoffed, "Your unparalleled devotion to weakness has made your early death preordained. You're a distinctive waste of future potential."

The man's eyes trembled in confusion. "W-What did I... I mean, what can I do to rectify... whatever it is that I've done?"

The regent's reply left the emperor with a bittersweet smile. He was satisfied that the man was speaking in action but disgruntled he had to explain something so "juvenile."

"You must never show weakness, Jake." Kaze lectured, "If you do, people will constantly challenge you, trying to use, abuse, or kill you for their gain. People latch onto examples of weakness more than demonstrations of strength. The number of bodies required to repair the damage from a single showcase of weakness would shock you."

The regent's mouth fell to the ground.

"Now be quiet and come. I must give you techniques." The emperor ordered while sitting down.

"I'll give you the Divine Arrow, a divine-grade technique as promised, but you won't be able to use it.

So I must give you the Sky's Breath cultivation technique. Excessively painful as it may be, it shan't hurt you."

Jake's eyes widened in shock, and he stood frozen.

Kaze closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"He is but a boy in a weak, peaceful world. I mustn't harm him." Kaze muttered, "I must build him up, make him strong, and once he has a divine physique, I'll be able to vent my frustrations."

He stood up and walked to the grass.

"Jake, follow my lead." Kaze instructed while entering the lotus position.

Jake obeyed in a trance, entering the pose. After failing miserably at Jackson park, he stretched over the weekend and practiced.

"Good, now close your eyes." Kaze continued.

The man complied, and the emperor touched his forehead, sending a profound technique crashing into Jake's brain.

"Gahhhhhhhhh!" The blonde-haired man yelled as the profound blueprint imprinted on his mind. The information disparity between an earth and sky technique was incomparable. Moreover, the emperor had to transfer prerequisite knowledge.

"Control your breathing." Kaze instructed, "This is only the technique; what comes next is harder."

Jake grit his teeth and wove through the information, building the mental blueprint.

"Good, you've gotten it. Now I must go—" Kaze began before stopping with wide eyes.

The previously geeky man had a thin blue aura wrapped around the man, only noticeable because it reflected off his light blonde hair.

He took deep breaths to make it past the pain as his meridians ripped open like muscle fibers, and his small dantian expanded.

The cultivation grades moved in stages from mortal to god on a path. Mortal, earth, water, sky, heaven, divine, sacred, celestial, ancient, paragon, and immortal.

Each stage had a far wider gap in potency. Even with a divine-grade healing technique, a divine-grade cultivation technique was all Kaze could handle.

For someone like Jake, a sky-grade technique was something one should only hold for a few seconds. Yet the man was gritting in pain, pushing forward with determination.

Kaze closed his eyes, and images of his past self during the first apocalypse flashed past his eyes. He took a deep breath and collected his thoughts.

"I cannot let his determination go to waste." He whispered, "So only a little. Paradox of Healing."

A faint golden light passed over Jake's twelve major meridians, mixing with the blue and creating a green hue.

Jake gasped for breath, gaining control of his breathing as sweat passed his eyelids. He continued cultivating for another fifteen minutes before a sharp pain made him gasp and stop.

He kept his eyes shut for a moment to catch his breath. When he opened them, Kaze was gone.

"Did he…." Jake whispered with a light laugh while falling to his back, "He won't be there forever, and not very long if I stay weak and useless."

The man rubbed his fingers through his short hair with a strange expression. He had tasted a sliver of true confidence and refused to let it go.

Jake stood up and called for a shuttle to his home, determined to cultivate until he passed out.

—

June 8th, 2032 | 5:25 pm

"Thank you, love." Kaze said to a private sky cruiser attendant, "Thank you for greeting me with such a charming smile."

As he climbed in, the beautiful brunette blushed and averted her gaze for a second. She couldn't let herself get flustered.

The emperor used an illusion technique to transform his appearance into an older man in his early thirties. While illusionary techniques were a weak point, as he never hid his presence, it was enough to fool mortals and Sky Plane cultivators.

Kaze's fame as Scrawn Fu made it impossible to move around unhindered. If people knew who he was, he wouldn't be able to operate and would get investigated [too soon] if he caused issues.

"Of course, sir. My name is Marilyn, and I'll be your personal attendant. I hope I perform my duties satisfactorily." She said with a slight bow.

Marilyn used two fingers to tuck a strand of her sleek, hazel hair from her slightly unbuttoned white button-up and tucked it behind her ear with a slight smile.

Kaze narrowed his eyes slightly with a charming yet predatory look, making her shiver. She was trying to retain control, but it was difficult.

"Come, let's get seated." She requested before leading him to the back of the private cruiser and seating him.

"What would you like to drink? Bottle service is available." Marilyn asked with a smile.

"I'll take some champagne. Thank you, love." He replied with a charming smile.

She nodded and walked away, swiveling her hips in her black, tight, professional skirt.

"There's a price to this." Kaze chuckled, "I wonder what promises she made."

Evalyn called her wealthy uncle to make the arrangements. She promised to pay him back in interest, but he said he was booked at that moment.

However, he switched his tune when she revealed she was transporting someone handing out cultivation techniques, and he immediately began making phone calls.

While she didn't want to make promises on Kaze's behalf, she considered it [asshole tax] and planned to tell him that she [shed the weakness unbecoming of her charming countenance].

Marilyn returned with a portable bar cart. The tray in front of him was intentionally too low, so she dropped it, and her hand brushed against his inner thigh. It was a ruse to excite him and seek to explore the complimentary "amenities." However, it flipped instantly.

Kaze gently caught Marilyn's hand and glided his fingertips up her palms. As his fingers moved, a golden aura glowed on his fingers, hypnotizing her.

He stopped in an area on the lower part of her palm.

"Ahhh~" Marilyn gasped in surprise as a wave of ecstasy washed over her. She looked up at the man to see what was going on and froze when she saw the wildly charming smile he gave her.

"That the tray is far too low, sweetheart." Kaze remarked charmingly.

"Y-Yes, I'll fix it." Marilyn stuttered with a blank mind, as he still hadn't completely released his hand.

"Oh, there's no need for that." He said with a slight smile, "I don't accept sexual experiences with someone instructed to please me."

She blushed and looked away. "I… ah~"

Kaze smiled as she turned away. However, she didn't pull away her hand.

"Now, it would be a different story if you were to enjoy your job." He remarked in a hypnotic voice.

Marilyn's heart pounded as she looked at him. Kaze flashed her a charming smile, and she gave up trying to act in control.