Playboy Cultivator in the Apocalypse

General Michaels swallowed nervously after hearing Kaze's bold threat of force following his words.

He was beginning to realize that cultivators were sensitive snowflakes regarding language, and he needed stringent workplace training sessions for anyone who came into contact with the emperor.

"Forgive me for my language." The general sighed, "That's soldier speak, for I'm not hostile; my job demands me to ask about your actions. If you don't mind me asking, who is she?"

The emperor closed his eyes. "This woman was with the cultivators that appeared on June 2nd.

She's a lone oddity tasked with finding sleepers, and she only defended herself when you foolishly attacked her.

I asked her to help solve one of your pressing problems to prove she doesn't mean you harm."

Crux listened, pretending to sleep with a complex expression. She couldn't understand what the two were saying, but she understood the context.

"I see." General Michaels said pensively, "Does that mean that she's your ally?"

"Not currently, no." Kaze replied, "I'm seeking to make her one, as she's an invaluable ally, as she's arbitrary and connected to the people that brought hell on Earth. She could provide bountiful benefits for everyone."

General Michaels stood. "If she's unhostile, not threatening us with cultivators, and solved the Manrock Bridge problem as a sign of good will, there's nothing further to discuss."

"I'm glad you've grown sensible." Kaze replied seriously, nodding at the man.

The general was taken aback by the sentiment. "I'm not the smartest man, but I can see value and danger when I see them. You're brimming with both, and she's laced with the latter."

"That's wise, because you're right on both fronts." The emperor chuckled bitterly, looking at the woman with annoyance.

"I'll take my leave. Let's speak in three days; our negotiations for your requests should pass through the government at that time."

"Until then, General Michaels." The emperor said tersely.

"Good day." The general replied, walking out of the door and nodding to Evalyn, who stood with the soldiers.

Once he had left, she knocked on the door and entered the room, looking at Kaze with a worried expression.

"Rise, Crux." Kaze ordered, using another language the blonde felt eerily capable of understanding, "Remove your hood once Evalyn shuts the door."

The cat woman smiled wryly, lifting her body slowly on the bed and unveiling her hood.

When Evalyn saw her, she experienced a violent wave of deja vu and mixed signals. "I-I… feel like I know you from [somewhere], but don't know where."

Crux didn't understand the blonde, so she didn't speak, but she nodded.

Just like Kaze, she didn't attach Evalyn to the person in her dreams and didn't get deja vu at sight.

The man in her dreams was a kind pervert, and Kaze was a charmer. That was a major difference.

However, the blonde in her dreams was a ruthless woman with a sadistic sense of humor, and the one before her was a worried kitten.

Their only similarities, at first sight, were their hair and eye colors. But even if the two looked identical, it wouldn't convince Crux.

Even in her dreams, the Ice Phoenix's presence made a person's blood boil.

"Crux, meet your leader; Evalyn, meet your second in command." Kaze said dryly, using two languages fluidly, "Neither of you had met, but you have centuries of history together.

There's no need to speculate over why you're cognizant of each other's existences, as we will never get such an answer. So it is what it is."

Both looked at him with complex expressions, then looked at each other again.

"Crux, thank you for protecting me." Kaze grimaced, "I am indebted to you. For that reason, I ask what it is you wish to do, as I'm honor bound to not make decisions freely."

"Then why would you expend so much Qi and strain your corrupted body to placate these ants?" Crux scoffed, annoyed he only attributed honor-bound actions to her goodwill.

"What should I have done?" He scoffed in annoyance, "Let the military send rockets to kill Evalyn while I played catch up with you? Are you mad, woman?"

The cat woman's face heated up in embarrassment, and she turned away. "So you put yourself in danger out of trust and to help me, is that right?"

"I put myself in danger out of foolishness and foolishness, but yes." Kaze replied curtly.

Crux looked at him in disbelief and then back to the blonde, whose name only sounded familiar, not impactful. "Evalyn Skye?"

Evalyn stared at the cat woman in disbelief. While the woman couldn't speak English, she pronounced her name perfectly as if it were natural. "Yes, I'm Evalyn Skye."

The shadow cat heard Evalyn say her own name, and it finally triggered deja vu. It made her cringe with a wry smile, turning away in aggressive frustration.

Her options were staying and abandoning her country, clan, and honor-bound duties and threatening the life of the person she felt oddly loyal to.

As Kaze mentioned, she might find leaving a far worse betrayal with enough dreams.

"Why am I loyal to humans, mortal no less?" Crux asked bluntly.

"Sixty-seven years after Evalyn arrived, her assembled forces saved your clan from complete destruction." Kaze replied frankly, "Most died, so you joined her for revenge and became loyal."

The shadow cat's eyes widened and shook in fear. "Who—"

"Andrew Killian betrayed your clan." He interjected coldly.

"Lies!" Crux snapped violently with murderous eyes.

"You're in a secret alliance to gain the southern Rine region." Kaze replied, unwavering, "It isn't public knowledge, so Killian rescinded the offer to stabilize the area after heavy losses.

It's possible to stabilize because your half-sister Lyna has Killian blood, yes?

Their forces slaughtered everyone at her wedding with the Arch Duke Winsor Killian, as they learned where the Pryon Clan's prized Dark Essence Crystal was located."

"L-Lies…." The shadow cat whispered.

"Must I expose its location to you to prove that I speak no falsehoods?" He asked ruthlessly.

Crux's eyes trembled in disbelief. "Y-You have that information?"

"Of course." The emperor replied seriously, "Evalyn led the forces to the location to retake it before they reached the end of the pass.

I was there as a mercenary; that's how we all met."

The royal divine beast stared at him in disbelief, unwilling to accept what she had heard. Unfortunately, she couldn't deny it.

Only five people in her clan knew that they had a Dark Essence Crystal, and only two knew where it was. Even fewer knew of Lyna than the Dark Essence crystal.

Crux knew he wasn't blatantly writing because she knew he was telling the truth.

Kaze glanced at the clock. It was 8:41 pm on June 26th, the same day he met her in Meridian City.

"I cannot control fate's whims or the butterfly effect's potential atrocities." He began straightly.

"However, if you stay and teach Evalyn, I pledge to leave the Mortal Plane in forty years when the last gate opens and save your clan if they're still alive."

Crux's eyes widened in confusion at his statement. "You're asking me to wait forty years?"

Kaze shook his head. "I'm not taking you to do anything. I will great bestow power upon you regardless to repay my debt. I only pledge my support and greater power if you stay.

Either way, I must heal my soul without worrying about you or further investigation from the Sky Plane cultivators. So you must choose now."

Evalyn listened patiently, understanding the gravity of the conversation. She stared at the cat woman, whose image haunted her.

Horrifying flashback fragments cut through her mind periodically. Yet, while they left her shaken, the woman herself did not. It was uncomfortable.

"Why are you staying on the Mortal Plane?" Crux asked straightly, "Surely a life protecting yourself and your people from cultivators is equally troublesome as dealing with your current situation.

Resource scarcity alone would drive you into discomfort."

"Oh, that. I'm building an army of engineers and trade workers." The emperor replied with a slight smile.

"I'd like to bring Earthian technology to the further planes.

Cultivation society is dreadfully underdeveloped and lacks so many conveniences even after millennia.

The weakest are often the most intelligent and creative. That's a tragedy in it of itself."

Crux's mouth opened in disbelief before her face turned red and her eyes filled with murderous intent. "You're asking me to wait forty years, risking my clan's destruction so that you can bring conveniences with you!?"

Kaze scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I haven't asked anything of you and offered you power regardless of your decision.

Yet you wish me to sacrifice my life for your family's woes? I'd expect such behavior from mortals, not a proud royal."

Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she turned away in annoyance. "Why are you so rude?"

"Why are you acting so childish?" He asked mockingly.

Crux's eyebrow twitched, and then she looked at Evalyn again, studying the blonde who watched with a blank face in the corner.

"This one still seems naive." The shadow cat commented, switching the topic and getting back on track simultaneously.

"She is." Kaze replied, "She's made unfortunate strides in the last week, but now she's in the stage of a troubled teen with temper tantrums."

Evalyn's eyes flashed with murder, somehow understanding enough of the language to understand how offensive he was toward her. "What did you just say to her!?"

"Exhibit A." He sighed, ignoring the blonde, who shut her eyes to stop the frost she noticed developing around her.

"You will help my clan later, yes?" Crux asked after sighing.

"That is what I said, yes?" The emperor scoffed breathlessly, "Do not make me repeat myself to reassure you as if it will change your situation.

Regret will forever shroud you regardless of your decision."

She ignored him and continued. "And you won't negotiate on giving me time to think?"

"Correct. Your encounter with me has proven fortuitous regardless of your decision here today." Kaze replied dryly, touching her forehead.

Waves of profound information crashed into the woman's mind, making her scream in pain.

Evalyn jumped up to help, but he lifted his hand to create a spatial barrier and motioned for her to remain still.

When Crux finally eased up, she trembled in disbelief. "S-Sacred techniques. M-Multiple s-sacred techniques."

"Correct. With this, you can protect your clan better." Kaze explained.

"If you stay, I shall grant you Celestial techniques and aid your family in forty years.

Now it's time for you to make a decision. I must fix my soul before training my troops tomorrow."

After a few minutes under the emperor's pressured gaze, the royal divine beast considered it seriously.

Crux was convinced they were the people in her dreams, understood the value of his propositions, and also found herself holding a double-edged sword.

Everyone would chase her now, hoping to get sacred techniques for which she didn't have scrolls, which would put her family in danger.

Thus, she was fated to protect her family relentlessly if she used them. At the same time, she couldn't use two cultivation techniques simultaneously; it was impossible to hide.

She gave Kaze a wry smile and then looked at Evalyn. "Forty years. I'm only doing it for your pledge to help my family."

"Good enough." He smiled, "Now let's get your quarters set up."

Crux winced, looking around. "Can I… stay here for tonight? I don't want to worry about killing important people again today.

Naturally, I won't effect your cultivation."

"As you wish." Kaze nodded. He turned to Evalyn, "Crux will be your new teacher starting tomorrow, so prepare yourself. She'll be staying here tonight."

The blonde stared at him in disbelief. "She's staying here, in your room?"

"Yes?" He replied in confusion, "She requested to, and I've granted her wish."

"I see. Do not break the rules against non-essential cultivation." Evalyn ordered dryly, standing.

While she had no sexual desires, the thought that someone else from his past showed up and he'd sleep with her instantly evoked horrifyingly irrational yet powerful, bitter, and wrathful emotions.

"Calm down." Kaze scoff-laughed, "She's staying here to feel comfortable."

"With you?" Evalyn asked in confusion, "She doesn't remember either of us well, yes?"

"Correct." He replied dryly, "Crux has decided to stay, and cannot prevent my desires, so she fears killing people in my home and offending me.

You cannot understand the mindset yet, so please leave. I must cultivate to fix my soul."

Evalyn's eyes lit up, hearing he'd be fixing his soul, but her emotions mellowed from the rest of the conversation. So she nodded silently and left the room with a neutral expression.

Once she left, Kaze sat in the middle of the room in the lotus position. "Get some sleep, Crux; I'll see you in the morning."

Without waiting for the woman's consent, he created a dome spatial barrier around himself and began the process.

"Cleanse." Kaze whispered, gritting his teeth for the eight hours of torture that awaited.