“OH COME ON!” Ares complained, “NOW YOU’RE JUST BEATING ME FOR THE FUN OF IT!”


    “Ha, maybe I am.” Zhang chuckled.


    Aejaz was incredibly satisfied and his jealousy of the previous night was somewhat abated.


    “Can you let me down, you old coot!?”


    Punch


    “What happened here?” Zhang asked while cracking his knuckles.


    Allie was the one to explain what happened. As she did, Zhang was slowly becoming more and more enraged and almost left mid explanation before Allie assured him Crayn was already dead.


    When she was finished, Zhang followed up with a question, “Is this ‘Bret’ still alive?”


    “Mhm.”


    “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll find him.” and with that said, Zhang took off at an insane speed while using his divine sense to scout ahead.


    Patience is a virtue.


    Ares called out in futile desperation, “WAIT! LET ME DOWN FIRST!”


    Off to the side, Enyo whispered something to Allie before she and Aejaz started walking back into the inn.


    “Guys? Enyo? Aejaz? Please let me down… We can talk about this! Allie? Allie my saint, Allie my saviour! Please help!”


    “Sorry Ares. Sis’ told me not to. She said you deserve it for ‘sleeping around’, whatever that means.”


    “Allie? Allie… Wait! I’ll give you head pats! Allie? … Fuck…” Ares ‘patiently waited’ until the bartender happened across him and let him down. “You’re a good man.”


    “Clearly you aren’t.”


    “Oh haha. Here, this is for ruining your inn a couple hundred times over.” Ares handed over a spatial ring with 8000 pieces of low-quality stardust.


    “... This, this is a lot. Thank you. Your ragtag group has really done a lot of good for this town. There’s been a lot of people asking me to thank you guys as you’ve brought home a lot of mothers, wives, sisters. and daughters. It’ll take a long time for those scars to heal, but it’s better than being helplessly stuck in an impossible situation like they were before. If you’re ever in town, drinks are on me.” The bartender thanked Ares before walking back into the inn.


    Ares hopped up to the outside of the window of Aejaz and Allie’s room and saw them hugging. When they caught sight of Ares with his Omniscience, staring at them like some kind of demon from hell, they separated with red cheeks and couldn’t look him in the eyes. Ares did the ‘I’m watching you’ gesture before jumping back down. you ruined my moment with Enyo, I told you I would remember! Also, that’s what you get for leaving me tied up you schmucks! Ares knew what he wanted from Enyo for leaving him in that state too, so he headed up to the room and went inside. He found her without her helmet on. “Enyo!”


    “I see you’ve escaped.” Enyo smirked.


    “I certainly have, and I’ve returned with a grudge.” Ares walked over to Enyo’s bed.


    “... What are you going to do?” Enyo was a little nervous, she could tell Ares was going to retaliate!


    “Hm? Me? Nothing! It’s what you’re going to do.” Ares sat on the bed.


    “W… What do you want?”


    “Well, I’ll have you know, dangling like that is really tiring on the old shoulders…”


    “You… Want a massage? I… I don’t know…”


    “Hm, what if I promise to give you one as well in return then?”


    “Deal!”


    Ares just gawked at Enyo, stunned by how quickly she did a complete 180. Was that what she was after from the start?! What a conniving woman! He chuckled and sat up as Enyo moved behind him.


    ??


    Enyo was surprisingly quick to start and did so with no hesitation. Ever since the straddling incident, she’d been wanting to find an excuse to touch him but never found one. This was perfect! When Ares asked for the massage, her mind started jumping for joy and she endlessly praised Ares for his bold request. It also encouraged her to be a bit bold herself, she removed her upper armour and brought her chest up against Ares'' back. She was only wearing a thin black top under her armour; Ares was going to enjoy this.


    Ares felt Enyo’s supple, spongy breasts and he could’ve sworn he died and went to heaven. His shoulders had actually been a little stiff before, and although Enyo’s massaging technique wasn’t amazing, he still felt much looser as a result of her ‘work’. He closed his eyes and let out a low groan of satisfaction.


    That groan was enough to make Enyo excited again and she leant closer, pushing up against him further, and whispered into his ear, “Do you like it?”


    Ares leant his head back on Enyo’s shoulder and whispered into her ear, “Mhm. Harder.” Enyo put more strength into her fingertips and now the massage was perfect. Ares jolted in pleasure and couldn’t hold back another low groan that was music to Enyo’s ears.


    Enyo became more daring in response as her hands slipped down lower, over his chest and finally caressing his legs. She kept an eye on his crotch and bit her lip when it rose. Not enough, more. She moved her hands closer to make Ares harder, and even teased him by breathing down his neck. When she was happy with the rock-hard state of his dick, she licked her lips and made her move. “My turn,” she spoke in a sultry voice and slipped around to Ares'' side. He let out a short ‘Mm’ reply and was about to move back on the bed, but Enyo stopped him in his tracks. “Stay.” She got off the bed and stood in front of Ares before turning around and slowly sitting down on his lap. She could feel Ares passionately throbbing against her ass and she ‘accidentally’ grinded against him to reposition herself closer to him.


    Ares let out a sharp breath and had to take a moment. He brought his hands onto Enyo’s shoulders and gave her an experience that was unforgettable. She involuntarily let out a sweet moan as he had his way with her, which set off sparks in Ares’ mind. The gratification he felt when he pleasured Enyo had just become his new obsession. He dug deeper to send Enyo into a state of pure bliss and exhilaration so he could hear more of her melodious cries. Through ragged breaths, Enyo murmured,


    “Rougher.”


    Ares had to restrain himself so as not to go completely berserk and pin her down on the bed. He calmed his mind as best he could and then went back to Enyo’s shoulder with renewed vigour.


    “Rougher,” Enyo begged.


    Ares’ mind went feral. One of his hands grabbed at Enyo’s hair near her scalp and carefully, but forcefully, pulled her head back onto his shoulder. That hand then glided down the side of her face while making sure to run his thumb over her lower lip on the way down as a promise of what was to come when they inevitably went further one day, and paused at her neck. His hand wrapped around and gently stroked her throat, occasionally clamping down and putting pressure on her, never enough to choke her, but enough for his warm hands to leave her gasping. His other hand had slid down to the side of her chest and was constantly teasing the thought that it was about to lunge at her breast and run wild, groping her until she squirmed in pleasure.


    She wanted it. That thought tickled her brain and she was willing to beg him for it. She rolled her head on his shoulder to look up at him, as he stared down at her, like a deer in the headlights. “Touch me.” She didn’t even have time to blink before she yelped and whimpered as his hand roamed across the fabric of her clothes and over her soft breast, untamed and free. His strong hands clasped her breast and squeezed, drowning her in euphoria and causing her to moan unrestrainedly as she let him take full control. Her body was now his plaything and she loved every second of his exploration. She brought her arms up and over his shoulders, draping them behind Ares’ neck to give him better access to whatever he wanted. She would give him everything without him even having to ask. He could have it all, it was all his to take. And take he did with a fierce, burning desire in his eyes as he gazed down at her like a starved beast, still gripping down on her throat whenever he wanted to watch her go meek. Her shy nipple couldn’t stay hidden any longer as his hand finally tracked it down and reached toward it, ready to teach it not hide from him, to let it know how to behave and to punish it accordingly for trying to play cat and mouse with him.


    ??


    BANG


    The door swung wide open and Zhang sauntered in. “Alright, Bret’s dead. We’re…”


    Zhang stared blankly in disbelief upon finally catching sight of the lewd indecency on full display across the room. “... Leaving?”


    “...”


    “...”


    “...”


    Enyo panicked and was flustered as she hurriedly rushed to put the helmet on while picking up her armour and running to hide in the bathroom.


    Zhang gulped. “I’ll… Uh… Give you two… 15 minutes… Meet us outside… After.” He closed the door behind him, blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes, and still couldn’t believe what he saw. Weren’t those two at each other’s throats the last time he saw them!? Well… Ares was technically at her throat again… Zhang shook his head and made a mental note to ‘discuss’ this with all the other Elders when he got back.


    Surprisingly, Zhang was a gossip.


    Back in the room, Ares’ eyes were twitching, and so too was his unsatisfied rod. Fucking bastard! I swear to God, when I increase my cultivation, I’m going to fucking neuter all of you fucks! He took a deep breath and calmed his raging nerves. He still had pent up lust and wanted to take care of it, but Enyo was currently occupying the bathroom. He heard the shower turn on and his mind went off on a daytrip, prolonging his erection as he started tidying up the beds so they could leave the room spotless.


    ??


    Enyo was just as unfulfilled as Ares and planned on trying something she hadn’t ever put much effort into before. She took off her clothes, revealing her muscles and flawless skin, before getting into the shower. She turned it on and her hands roamed south. She had tried masturbation a few times but got bored fairly quickly. It was enjoyable, but not something she was all too concerned with doing regularly. Now though, she wasn’t her robotic old self, and she even had a man to think about and experiences to remember. She could see in a nearby mirror the marks Ares’ hands had left on her breast and throat and her excitement came right back. She fondled her erect nipples as the water rolled down her hair and chest, but it was a different liquid dripping down her thighs. Enyo ran a finger over the liquid then brought her hand back up to her face and was curious. This is what Ares was going to taste and she wanted to know for herself what it was like. She rolled her tongue around her finger and licked it clean, enjoying the flavour.


    Enyo was slowly realising she was a sex-freak.


    She loved every second of discovering her sexuality and that revelation just made her all the more exhilarated. She had never been this wet during any of her other attempts at fingering, and it already felt way better than it ever had before. She spread her legs apart and went to work with her index finger. As the pleasure kept mounting, she added her middle finger into the mix and made faster and harder movements, movements that brought her to her knees when she found the perfect spot. She didn’t stop though. She brought her other hand over and furiously rubbed away at her swollen clit, putting force into it, and reaching an orgasmic state unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her knees shook and the pleasure overwhelmed her, causing her to have to lie down as she violently kept abusing her slopping cunt. The water was pouring down on her chest as she went stiff and mute with her mouth wide open while she climaxed and squirted intensely, gushing out against the wall. She writhed, spasmed, and let out a sweet cry as the final throes of her orgasm came to an end, still occasionally twitching as she struggled to breathe, and her fingers slithered around inside her vaginal walls. Enyo learnt something about her body as she lay there in euphoric bliss, she was a natural squirter.


    It took her a few minutes to catch her breath and return to normal. She was in a much better mood now and took her shower quite happily while playing around with her breasts. She was going to have a lot more fun back in the sect in her downtime. She could even sneak in a few more ‘massage’ sessions with Ares to get fresh marks. They drove her insane.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    She got dressed but didn’t put her helmet on. She walked out into the room and found Ares leaning back on his bed with his arms behind his head. Ares opened his eyes as Enyo came closer and stared right at her with a feverish gaze of longing. As she walked by on her way out of the room, she winked and rolled her hand across his shorts, making sure to drift across the erection he wasn’t even bothering to hide, and gave it a little tap. “All yours.” She nodded at the shower before leaving.


    Ares didn’t want to let the sensation of Enyo’s touch go to waste, so he immediately went into the shower and threw his clothes off. He turned the water on and noticed that he’d been left a present on the wall’s tiles. Enyo hadn’t cleaned up after her session. She wanted him to know exactly what she thought of him.


    Ares’ tool was just barely under 8 inches long when fully erect which was both a great source of pride as well as frustration. He was above average, sure, but being just shy of the eighth inch irked him to no end. He wrapped his hand tightly around his sturdy dick and began moving slowly. Ares had done this on occasion before, it felt good, and he had urges, but he never had anything to visualise in his head, so it had been relatively uninteresting for him. Plus, he lived on the streets, his chances to do it were few and far between. He had just been going through the motions to satiate himself. Today was different.


    He leaned his shoulder blades against the wet wall and stroked all the way along the length of his shaft. As the precum started to come through, he turned his face to the side and took in the scents that Enyo had left behind. It wasn’t enough for him, so he turned and grinded his cock up against the wall a few times to soak his tip in as much of her squirt as he could. It still wasn’t enough so he coated his hand in it as well to use as lubricant. Ares was just as much of a freak as Enyo. One hand wrestled with his vigorous cock as the other came down to caress his genitals. He was tender with his balls but merciless on his veiny, pulsing cock as he dragged his hand along it, occasionally clamping down tightly. He held it firmly as he thrust it through his hand that could barely hold the entirety of his girth, imagining he was pounding an entirely different tight hole. He could feel himself on the verge of cumming. His arm was starting to grow numb and tired with how eagerly he was masturbating, but he fought through the pain slowly amassing in his shoulder. He put his back up against the wall again to keep him upright.


    His legs started to buckle and he slid a little further down the wall. He no longer had a choice and had to repurpose the hand fondling his balls to steady himself against the wall to supplement his weak knees. He couldn’t resist using the side of his face to temporarily hold himself up against the wall while he licked clean his hand to taste what Enyo had generously left for him. The taste was addicting. He knew she wanted him to go crazy over her. To lust after her. She was getting her wish. He stood back up and put forth one last surge of passionate stroking and moaned aloud as he finally came. He wanted so desperately to keep stroking his thrashing dick but had to put both hands against the wall to prevent himself from collapsing thanks to having gone weak in the knees from his orgasm. He leaned forward and let the pressurised water fall beside his head so it could beat down on his flailing cock as it jetted out ropes of cum.


    Ares took deep breaths and eventually was able to stand unaided, albeit shakily. He put the palm of his hand underneath his balls and gradually brought it up, up along his shaft, over his glans, above his waste, across his pecs, and then all around his neck and face to slather himself in what was let of Enyo’s liquids, savouring every drop of her nectar. He stood still momentarily and looked at the ceiling, thanking a god he didn’t believe in for the incredible thing that was life. He cleaned himself and the wall, got dressed, and left the shower.


    ??


    Ares was familiar with the concept of dopamine, but this was a new all-time high for him. He was simply ecstatic, on top of the world even! He hummed as he descended down to the first floor of the inn and found everyone else sitting at the table waiting for him.


    “Someone’s in a good mood,” Aejaz commented.


    “Today’s been a great day! Minus some… Interferences.” Ares glared at Zhang.


    Zhang felt a tinge of guilt for busting into the room unannounced. “Ahem. Anyhow, I have a message for you from Appa. It says, and I quote, ‘I love you and I miss you and I want to see you and I love you’, end quote.”


    “Hahaha, awww, how cute. I can’t wait to see Appa again.” Ares was happy to know Appa was still as childishly endearing as ever.


    “Yes, well, we’ll be leaving now, so you’ll see it again soon enough. Venti City should only take us just under a day to reach. The competition will take place tomorrow and take up the entire day. We’ll set off the next day, and it will then take us roughly four days total to return. That’s six days overall. The day after we get back to the sect will be the tier ranking assessment that will also be used to decide who’ll compete in the regionals. Any questions about the itinerary?”


    “Yes, actually.” Enyo had a burning question, “What will the room situation be like in Venti City?”


    Zhang mumbled under his breath, “I think I’ve seen less energetic rabbits.” He sighed. “Originally, I had planned on one large room being enough for everyone, but it would seem we’re going to need more than one.”


    Ares smiled innocently. “It’s fine, I happened across a treasure trove of stardust, so I don’t mind paying for the three separate rooms.”


    “Three?”


    Ares’ smile widened innocently. “Oh yes, three.” You thought it was fucking funny to watch me get tied up and beaten, Aejaz? You didn’t get me down after? Did you think I was done tormenting you yet? And you Allie? It’s comeuppance time! “One for Enyo and I because we’re good friends and get along very well.” Off to the side Enyo nodded fervently in agreement. “One for you.” He pointed at Zhang before turning to Allie and Aejaz, who were conveniently sitting next to each other and already panicking. “And one for the happy couple…”


    “... Excuse me? Could you repeat that last part?” Zhang thought he misheard. Correction. Zhang hoped he misheard.


    “And one for the happy couple. I even caught them hugging earlier, surely it’s better to let them do that in private, no?” Aejaz and Allie were as red as tomatoes dipped in blood and painted crimson for good measure. “And, what if they want to hug more… Intimately?” Ares knew they weren’t at that stage yet; he also, innocently, didn’t care.


    “Ares, you bastard! How could you!?” Aejaz let out a forlorn cry from the bottom of his soul.


    Zhang’s head slowly rotated to face Aejaz like a demon fresh out of hell.


    “Um, dad?” Allie tried to save Aejaz. “He’s really sweet to me and I like him and he likes me so…”


    Zhang stared at Aejaz who wanted to bury his head into the ground and hide like an ostrich. “YOU AND I ARE GOING TO HAVE A VERY LONG TALK.”


    Ares and Enyo were sitting next to each other and snickering at their kin.


    Aejaz decided that this was a good time to try his newfound ‘I can be anyone!’ philosophy and went for broke. “So… Uh… Dad?”


    Ares burst out laughing and rolled off his chair. Enyo’s chest was heaving as she cry-laughed under her helmet with her head on her arms on the table. Allie’s mouth was agape in shock at the level of courage and bravery Aejaz just displayed in his commitment to her.


    Zhang’s anger dissipated and was replaced by confusion. “Y… YOU…” Zhang facepalmed and shook his head to remove all the excess thoughts. “Aejaz and I are going to go ahead and have a chat. There’s a path leading out of the town, if you all follow it, you’ll catch up to both, or one, if I don’t like what I’m about to hear, of us.” Zhang grabbed Aejaz by the scruff of his collar.


    “DON’T HURT HIM!” Allie shouted before Zhang left with Aejaz in tow.


    ---------------------------------


    Aejaz was being dragged along the floor, still by the scruff of his collar, as Zhang walked along the path. “How long have you liked Allie?”


    “Since I met her at the Cultural Appreciation Day festival, sir.” Aejaz remembered that day with a clear fondness on his face that Zhang gave him bonus points for.


    “When did you tell her?”


    “In Baja Forest… I told her I didn’t think I deserved her and that I needed to change before anything else.”


    “And she said?”


    “That I was being too hard on myself. She wasn’t sure about… Us, but said she was willing to see how things would go after we got to know each other better.”


    “How have things been since?”


    “Things were good for a while. We were getting really close, and we were happy with each other’s company.”


    “Were? Are you not still?”


    “Yes, we are... It’s just… I’ve been reminded that I still need to change before we go any further. I want to be able to protect her, but I can’t do that as I am. She doesn’t blame me for what happened in the town, but I do. I should have done more for her and I’d never forgive myself if anything were to happen to her while I’m alive.”


    “And? How are you going to change?”


    “I’m going to ask Ares to train me. He knows what he’s doing. I know he’ll do it if I ask him as that’s undoubtedly what he’s expecting after my disappointing performance in the town.”


    “Prove it to me that you can defend her. I already know you can make her happy, that much even a blind man could tell what with how she was trying to defend you.”


    “Uh, how do I prove that?”


    “That’s up to you. You have until the end of the day.” Zhang stopped dragging Aejaz and kept walking with his back turned.


    Aejaz had a determined look in his eyes. “With all due respect, I won’t need that long.”


    Zhang’s eyes went white and hollow for a brief second and his eyebrows raised. Where am I? Why am I here? Zhang was confused as he didn’t recognise his surroundings. Wasn’t he supposed to be heading to the town to pick everyone up? As a knife pressed up against his spine, his memories came flooding back. “... What was that?”


    “I stole your memories and made you forget everything that happened in the last 30 minutes.” Aejaz circled around his flank with a sly smile.


    “Why couldn’t I detect you sneaking up on me? That should be impossible.”


    Aejaz let the Concealed Serpent slide down his sleeve and land perfectly in his hand. “It’s my personal treasure, it hides cultivation and presence.”


    “Tsk, you’re lucky I didn’t turn around.”


    “You’re right, but you’re also not. That’s not an excuse you’ll be able to make forever.”


    “And why’s that?”


    Aejaz focused really hard and one of his arms disappeared into thin air. “My assassin bloodline can let me turn invisible; this is the best I can manage right now.”


    “... Ok, I’m impressed, and I don’t say that lightly. One day, you may be just as big a problem as your brother with a skillset like that. Momentary confusion, untraceable presence, and invisibility. If you learn how to fight… You may become a legendary assassin yet.”


    “Maybe, but I think Ares also has some other unique ideas for me to try that are more direct. Either way, what remains true is that I’m not in a position to be worthy of your daughter yet, and I know it.”


    Zhang sighed. “Fine, you’ve passed my test at least. It’s up to Allie to make her own choice about you now.”


    “.... So… Can I call you…”


    “NO! Besides, I’m sure your biological father would be mortified to hear you say that.”


    “... I really don’t think he would…”


    “And why not?”


    Ares told Zhang about his family history.


    “What’s the name of your clan?”


    “The ‘Fleeting Glimpse’ Clan. They even have a sect ‘cos apparently they’re a big deal.”


    “A big deal? Do you seriously not know that they’re the most prestigious assassin organisation in the business? They may not be directly stronger than some of the people in the higher domain, but their teachings and techniques are considered the best-known arts and skills in the world. People will come down from the higher domain to study under them. They’re completely uncontested in this domain and all the ones below it as far as assassination goes. Even the assassination sects in the upper domain struggle to match their fame and prestige. The main family and their bloodline are universally worshipped and lionised by experts in the field. So yes, Aejaz, they''re a ‘big deal’. I guess I understand why you’re so proficient in assassination without having even being taught anything, it just runs in your blood. If your family had kept you around, they would have been overjoyed with the potential you have, but it seems like you want nothing to do with them, right? Their loss honestly.”


    “Mhm, thanks. I don’t want to deal with them after what they did. I got along with a few people there, but I have a family now. Ares, Appa, soon Enyo, eventually Allie… Ahem… Maybe,” Aejaz tacked that last bit at the end when Zhang gave him a cursory side glance. “I need nothing and want nothing from them. It kinda sucks that I might end up an assassin in spite of everything that happened, but that’s life, I guess. Like Ares has told me countless times, ‘you can’t dodge everything.’”


    “Ares is surprisingly smart for such a young man. He seems to understand a lot of core concepts of the cultivation world and he’ll go far if he sticks to them. Killing that snatcher is proof. It’s an unprecedented feat. In all the years I lived I’ve never heard of someone murdering someone with a cultivation that much higher than their own. Well, there have been stories about poisoning and heart-attacks, but that doesn’t count. You have a good resource in Ares, use him for all he''s worth because God knows he’s the kind of person that’s going to get a kick out of using you whenever he can.”


    “Ha, tell me about it. He’s already using me to help get Enyo used to having her helmet off.”


    “She seems very comfortable around Ares.”


    “Yeah. I have no idea what’s been happening in that room, but they are really making some serious strides.”


    “‘Serious strides’ is the understatement of the year.” Zhang activated gossip mode and recounted the scene he walked in on.


    “SERIOUSLY!? What the hell… I thought they were still just hugging! They haven’t even directly admitted how they feel to each other! What wacky nonsense is this? They’re doing things backwards!”


    “Is that so? I think they’re doing something weird, sure, but also somewhat smart. They get to be ‘honest’ through their actions while building up the tension between them so that it all culminates in a single moment. Everyone goes about things in their own way and they seem to have found something that works for them and makes them happy, weird though it may be. Still though, it seems they’re going to be a very… Active, couple. Ah, to be young. Reminds me of the time I had two wives simultaneously. I’m not bragging, mind you. I’m saying this so I can segue into a threat. If you ever find a second woman, I swear I’ll gut you.”


    Gulp


    “Ha ha ha, who needs a second woman when you have someone like Allie… Right? Uhh… Might have… Someone like… Allie…”


    Zhang rolled his eyes. “Well, it seems they’ve caught up.”


    Sure enough, Ares, Allie, and Enyo all came up behind them. Allie separated from the other two and ran over. “Dad! You better not have hurt Aejaz!”


    “Not a hair on his head.” Tsk, there’s not really any ‘might’ or ‘maybe’ about it, this silly little girl is in love.


    Aejaz smiled and waved. “Hey Allie.”


    Allie smiled back and steeled her determination. She launched herself at Aejaz and hugged him right in front of Zhang. “Hey ‘Jaz!”


    “Alright alright, I get it,” Zhang groaned. “Three rooms.”


    “Thank you!” Allie was very pleased with Zhang’s acceptance.


    The group walked for a few hours until Ares called out, “Ready!”


    Zhang was confused, but could tell by everyone else''s ecstatic faces and Enyo’s general demeanour that they were looking forward to whatever it was that was now ‘ready’. “Should I even ask?”


    “Hm? Oh! Dad! Ares is the best chef ever!” Allie had genuinely never tasted better food and had come to the conclusion that she probably wasn’t ever going to.


    “Really? That’s quite surprising.”


    Ares brought out the table and Zhang, like everyone else who had seen this trick of Ares’, was perplexed as to where it popped out of. Ares brought out the food bowls after and gave a rundown of the meal, “It’s a simple dish today, but a good one nonetheless! Spaghetti carbonara! For drinks, I’ve made a Lemon drop mocktail. Dessert is tailored: Enyo, honeycomb, Aejaz, cotton candy, and Allie, the banana split I’ll be teaching Aejaz how to make. The split has chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio ice cream with cherries on top and a butterscotch sauce.”


    “YAY!” Allie was really looking forward to this as she had been waiting for this for the last week and it sounded mouth-wateringly perfect.


    “Zhang, I wasn’t sure which one you’d like, so I made four different types of tart: chocolate, custard, raspberry, and lemon.”


    Zhang was floored. The meals all looked so unbelievably high class and the desserts were tailored! Ares was the last person he would have ever expected to be a chef of all things. The most surprising thing of all, however, was that he somehow managed to hit the nail on the head with Zhang’s love for tarts. Chocolate and custard were certainly great, and he wasn’t going to turn his nose up at them, but Zhang seriously adored the two other fruit tarts on offer. Each of his two wives used to make one of the two for him and they would always pester him to pick a favourite. Zhang felt like he was reverse ageing just being in the presence of the tarts. “How did you know I liked tarts?”


    Ares shrugged. “Intuition and a lucky guess.” Ares looked around and smiled warmly when he saw Enyo eating. She was feeling comfortable enough to remove the helmet and eat in the presence of others, this was a huge step up.


    “T… This is impeccable.” Zhang had given the main dish a go and his taste buds screamed in joy. Ares was truly a first-rate chef that could put even so-called ‘professionals’ to shame. Zhang couldn’t comprehend how one person could be so well versed in so many things. Ares was an outstanding cultivator, forger, rune dismantler, technical creator, Rud infuriator, AND chef. These were all notoriously difficult fields to excel in and yet he was way above the average in each. Ares and Aejaz were a really special duo with bright futures ahead of them.


    Naturally, everyone else engorged themselves in the food too and were equally as fond of it. Allie in particular wolfed down her dessert unbelievably fast like she was worried it was going to grow a pair of legs and try to split the scene. None of the food was heavy, but still managed to leave everyone full when they were done and the drinks really hit the spot. It felt like their stomachs were resting atop clouds and being soothed by an angelic lullaby. Ares was truly a master of his craft. He frequently created recipes using ingredients he was only barely familiar with and the dishes were, without exception, of the highest quality. His recreations and re-imaginings of the classics paid homage and did the original flavours justice while adding his own creative flare. He was a God-sent chef if ever there was one.


    The cooking pillar was an open pillar and Ares was starting to dedicate some time here and there to learning it. His food was starting to provide health benefits now. Even Enyo’s favourite honeycomb had been changed, although not the flavour, she’d been adamant about that. Instead, he made it so the honeycomb wasn’t fattening or unhealthy as per her request. She could now gorge on it whenever she wanted with no repercussions to speak of except getting full, and all it took was a little knowledge and a little mana on Ares’ end. Ares was beyond pleased with what he was learning from the pillar and he couldn’t wait to explore arts and unique arts. Most of it relied on a physical presence at the time of cooking, however, which he couldn’t really do when utilising the Primordial Blade, so he put that aside for now and focused more on the destruction pillar.


    When they were finished, they began travelling again. It took them a while to reach Venti City, so they arrived as it was starting to get dark. The general atmosphere was quite similar to Red Sun what with the brick streets and oil lanterns hanging off the side of houses. They stopped off at a Café as Ares didn’t have any more ingredients on him and needed to stock up before he could cook for anyone again. They ate what should have been a satisfactory meal but instead felt somewhat bland after having eaten Ares’ cooking earlier. Ares refused to let this happen again and immediately went to go buy ingredients while everyone else went to the inn, he was somewhat of a snob when it came to food and very rarely ate anyone’s cooking but his own. Ares made sure to stock up on plenty of ingredients and headed back to the inn.