Playboy Cultivator in the Apocalypse

"Debts?" Kiera asked in perplexity, "Who would [you] owe debts to?"

"Jacob Hays and Veronica Stone." Kaze replied boldly, "Jacob provided me resources in my greatest time of need; it's not an exaggeration to say much of what exists at Immortal Skye is because of him. Veronica has aided me in testing and preparing him for a position of power; therefore, today I will give them what I promised."

Jake felt an electric thrill bolt through his body like lightning, energizing him. He couldn't believe his ears. "I only recorded a video and bought you some clothing...."

"Nonsense," the emperor scoffed, "One cannot overstate the value of clothing and appearance for building one's reputation. More importantly, lest you have forgotten, you recorded that video as an unconditional favor for me.

I'm not sure what that word [favor] means to you, but its value is immeasurable to me."

Amy and Martha joined the cabinet members in their confusion; what he had given everyone was beyond value. So hearing that what he had given them wasn't enough was bewildering.

"I-I see…." Jake swallowed, "Does that mean that… you're giving me…."

"I will not fault you for not speaking openly, as you now understand the nature and value of your reward." Kaze smiled mysteriously, "Today, for aiding my rise of power, I will bestow Divine Arrow upon you."

"W-Wh-What!?" Martha gasped, "T-That's impossible! Divine Arrow is Duke Ranker's legacy technique!"

"Are you perhaps mistaking the technique for another?" Crux asked hesitantly, "The Ranker family Divine Arrow only passes it to the first son of the Ranker family through direct transference; it has been that way for tens of millennia."

"It's also one of the five sacred techniques of the Sky Plane…." Amy said nervously, "You're talking about the pinnacle of cultivation…."

A hush descended upon the cabinet members, stunned by the profound narrative unfolding. It only took a moment for them to grasp the value of the technique—or so they thought.

"Does someone claim Divine Arrow a sacred technique when its name clearly states otherwise?" Kaze chuckled, suppressing a desire to ridicule Duke Ranker for his offensive claims about the technique. "I suppose it matters not, as I'm uncertain what you call [Divine Arrow], as technique names are merely appellations, monikers."

He turned to the east and waved his hand, creating an arrow and pulling it back on an invisible bow he held.

SwoooOSH! SwoooOSH! SwoooOSH! SwoooOSH! SWOOOSH! SWOOOSH!

Everyone's hair flung erratically in the air as a cyclone descended in the area. Wind, water, and debris swirled in a hyper-compressed globe ten feet from the emperor's position. It contrasted perfectly with the sunset, giving it a fiery appearance.

Their imaginations went wild, imagining him releasing the arrow through the forest, shooting a Category 5 hurricane across it, and ripping everything apart.

"That is Divine Arrow!" Crux cried in amazement. As someone who had seen the technique, she could confirm.

"A-Are you certain?" Martha asked in horror.

"Yes—only far more beautiful." The Pantheran princess replied, "This is so clean and reinfied; it makes Duke Ranker's demonstration look sloppy and childish."

Amy and Martha gasped, hearing her insult a Duke! It made them tremble and reflexively take note of the people around them. However, they froze when reality caught up to them.

"You're free to insult the leaders of other countries and planes to you, please." Kaze chuckled, cutting off the technique and stopping the wind, "Or you may respect them.

However, you shouldn't [fear] them. If Duke Ranker treats a technique requiring only compressed wind as sacred, you will all be capable of matching him before we ascend."

Silence spread among the people present; the cultivators were shocked, and the cabinet members were confused at their reaction.

While the technique had immense power, it was a [principal technique], meaning that it used a basic elemental form to an extreme. In this case, the technique was controlling wind masterfully, compressing it into circular 1,000 mph winds (1609.34 kmh), and then firing it. As soon as it was released, it would expand as it moved.

That wind control mastery was an elemental input of sacred techniques and above, so upper-plane wind cultivators instinctively created and modified arrows like that. Just as Evalyn had instinctively juiced up Artic Seed with a sacred technique's rotational pattern, Kaze could make Divine Arrow a raging blue fire tornado of death or accelerate it with gravity.

So while Kaze felt it worthy of Jake's loyalty and favor, he scoffed at the notion that it was a sacred, ancient, all-powerful technique. It would take everyone a very long time to truly understand the power differential between them and someone who made animated, flying ice dragons and bent space and time to move around conveniently!

"How powerful is that technique?" Sage frowned, "I was hoping you'd show us."

"How strong is it? This technique is known for decimating armies!" Martha laughed.

"The third most powerful person on the Sky Plane uses this technique." Amy added nervously.

"And you're giving it to me?" Jake asked with trembling eyes, "I…."

"That is what I told you from the moment we met, was it not?" Kaze scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Do not insult me by being shocked that I stayed true to my word."

"S-Sor… Understood." The blonde-haired man replied in a haze, reflexively working on his habit of saying sorry. However, it was hard not to be emotional: "It's funny, you even made me a regent; I just thought that was a nickname."

A regent is someone appointed to govern a kingdom, state, or territory in the absence or incapacity of a ruler. With the emperor and his general away, Jake was the literal regent of Immortal Skye.

"Then let this be a reminder that I never engage in glib or banter with political matters, no matter how far in the future they may be." The emperor smiled slightly, "From the start, I've been grooming you to be a leader; there is still much to do, but I know your talent suits it."

Jake swallowed back tears. "Thank you, Emperor Lexicon."

"Thank me after you have the technique," Kaze chuckled, walking up and poking him on the forehead. "As you will not feel gracious until then."

"AGaHHhhHHhhHhHHhHHH!" Jake screamed, falling to his knees. While everyone felt empathy, they weren't shocked.

After Kaze taught the cabinet members heaven techniques, they understood the pain of implantation of upper-level techniques, such as the searing pain that Jake experienced. The only way to ease this pain is through Spirit Fortification, a mental strengthening process that gradually eases trauma and heals the mind's capacities over time. Until then, this is what they would expect.

"Jake's fine, Veronica." He smiled, turning to the concerned black-haired pixie, "The pain will ease up shortly. In the meantime, let's discuss your reward for helping Jake with training."

Veronica gulped nervously, wishing that he'd just ignore her. "Okay…."

"As promised, I have let you sit on the cabinet, given you a heaven technique with the other members, and now I'll give you an offensive technique of your choice." Kaze explained, presenting his palms, "You have two options—however, they are not equal.

The first technique is [False Gratification], a divine Spirit Technique that floods a victim's brain with dopamine when you talk, making them think they've won after every sentence.

The other is a shadow technique called Shadow Pincer, a heaven-grade technique."

"Wait, Emperor Lexicon!" Crux cried, "You're offering her a rare, legacy technique; do you expect her to be capable of using it? For anyone beyond you, Lady Skye, and the little one, such an action borders on the irrational."

"With a sassy [shadow cat] on site, I'm sure it's possible." He smirked, making her frown, look at Veronica, and huff. "I will only accept under a direct order to do so; she's unworthy."

Veronica and the others got yet another demonstration of value from her words.

"As you have heard, Shadow Pincer is not to be underestimated." Kaze smiled, returning to Veronica, "This attack strikes enemies with an invisible Guided Arrow you create behind them or to their side.

Like all shadow techniques, it uses an illusion to mask it. With a dark enough shadow, an enemy won't notice the arrow until it pierces them. Crux is pointing one at you now to mock you."

Veronica turned to her shadow, which looked normal. However, as the shadow moved, a horrifying warping tentacle stared at her. "I-I see…."

Since everyone was in a festive mood for demonstrations, he glanced at the proud and victorious cat woman with a devious smile.