Mage And Wolf
Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Chapter 82

It has taken me over a 30 minutes at the herbalists storage to collect all the spices I need to make a proper lunch. The food here has been very bland so far.

Lunch is Peking Duck, a technique that they’d never heard of at the kitchens when I went to get ingredients, hot and sour soup, curried cauliflower and carrots and a side of mashed spiced pumpkin.

Before I was a warrior, I spent a lot of time in the Pack kitchen, and Lycans take their food very seriously. So I’ve got a reasonably good idea what I can substitute for the missing ingredients this world simply does not have.

Elder Song joins us halfway through cooking lunch, citing the new smells as a reason he absolutely must be here.

"The more the merrier, but if we’re inviting more, tell them to bring another duck" I inform him.

"Oh this is amazing. Why have I been cooking when you’re capable of this? Elder Ming, stop monopolizing my Disciple, she’s got chores just like every other disciple!"

"Now, my dear Po, don’t be rash. The Master himself has insisted she continue her alchemy work, for the good of the Sect."

"What was today’s project?" Elder Song asks "Did you make my aphrodisiac?"

"No, you old lecher" Elder Ming reprimands him "She made the Soul Forging Pill today. In only her second attempt no less" Elder Ming holds out one of the pills for the other Elders to inspect.

"Not bad at all" Elder Song praises "With that we should be able to keep ahead of the other Demon Sects. How many in this batch?"

"4 pills, all equal quality" Elder Ming informs him proudly, like a parent boasting of her child’s accomplishment.

"That’s truly unexpected. For such a low cultivation base to have so much energy available" Elder Po looks over at me concerned "You’re not over extending yourself are you?"

"Well I didn’t pass out afterwards, that’s a good sign." I answer. With so much Death Energy clinging to the residents of the Sect, I’m in no danger of running low, I gather more than I could possibly use, even without taking from the mark of the Goddess on my chest.

"We really should make time for cooking in your schedule" Elder Po says, rubbing his stomach. "Using grade 1 beast meat like that monster duck is a good exercise in energy control"

"That’s well and good, but which of you will give up time to make it happen? She hasn’t come to see me in days" Elder Song complains.

It’s like I’m a pack omega again, having my schedule determined in front of me without my input. This won’t do.

"How about I do a late lunch every day? 6 hours of alchemy, 6 hours of martial training with cooking practice in between?" I suggest. Right now it’s been a total of 19 hours or more a day, barely leaving me time to meditate.

"6 until noon, then 2 until 8? That’s good. That leaves you time to make breakfast too." Elder Po nods sagely.

"Great plan, but that’s short on time to make the Soul Forging Pill. You’ll have to get up early on those days." Elder Ming insists.

"Alright, that’s all settled, time to master the skills of the Sacred Thunder Sect"

The Elders spend the entire night debating the merits of knowing multiple arts versus ingraining a few styles to the bone. No clear position is decided, so it seems my training will continue as is.

The next morning brings more oatmeal and fruit, with two sets of Core Forming Pills created. Elder Ye is waiting outside the room when I finish, not so subtly trying to get her hands on whatever today’s project was. I stored one from each batch on my rings, but Elder Ming has 9 and she’s teasing Elder Ye with them.

"Come now Ming Ming, we’re friends aren’t we? Surely you can spare a single Pill so my second disciple can break through right?"

"When did we become friends?" The big woman grumps. "We’re barely coworkers"

"Dear Sister Ming, surely you don’t mean to be so hurtful, we’ve been together for over" Elder Ming claps a hand over her mouth to prevent the other Elder from blurting out her age.

"Putting an age to an immortal woman is not polite Elder Ye"

They’re still at it when I bring out lunch. Elder Po and Elder Song are watching the back and forth with rapt attention, and they’ve been joined by Sect Master Sun, who has his full focus on the kitchen.

"Greetings Elders. Greetings Sect Master" I say, bringing out the covered tray.

"Today we have Afghan style mutton shanks, lemon garlic potatoes, greek salad and a side of hummus with fresh roti." cooking lunch is fun, they have no idea what flavor I’m going for, so as long as it’s good, they don’t care. Plus, good is relative. The kitchens here favor mildly seasoned stews and hard bread. Better than that is easy.

Everyone just stares at the food as I finish bringing in the platters, like reaching for something will break the moment. Or perhaps they’re waiting for the Sect Master to be served? I dish him up a bit of everything and set the plate in front of him.

It’s enough to break the stalemate and everyone’s talking at the same time now, about food, about cultivation, about the need to give her a Core Forming Pill. Elder Ye really wants to see her disciple break through right away. I wonder if she’s got a bet going with another Elder?

So goes the next week. Everyday is more Core Forming Pills. Apparently they’re amazingly effective at lower levels, even if they can only be used once per level. On the 8th day is decided I will get up early and spend the entire day making 2 batches of Soul Forging Pills. There are signs that some of the strongest Inner Sect disciples might break through to Immortality soon and the Sect will spare no expense to make it happen.

"I know we’ve asked a lot of you already. The amount of curse you have taken on this week is enormous and might permanently effect your cultivation, but it’s absolutely imperative to the Sect that these two disciples gain Immortality and become Elders. What do you ask in return" Sect Master Sun pleads.

What do I need if I’m stuck here? What do I need if I’m headed home in a year or less? I know I can ask a fortune and receive it, but a fortune worth of what exactly? I’m on the verge of breaking through to Fortification 7, not exactly a powerhouse, so the scaling between me and the power of truly good stuff is going to be difficult.

The idea comes from Elder Song’s memories. A True Transmission token. Once every week the token can be filled with the user’s energy allowing them to move instantly between a set point and points they’ve been to in person. Either to return to the home location, or to leave the home location for a place of their choosing. The token binds to its user, so only one person can ever use the treasure, and it’s considered a high honor for an Elder to be awarded one by a Sect.

With it I will be able to return home at will, or return myself to the Sect should any serious danger befall me.

"Do you know what you’re asking Young Miss? A True Transmission token would mark you as a Demon Cultivator for life" Elder Ming informs me.

"What do you think the Light Sects would do if they found out I cultivate Death Energy and help Demon Cultivators achieve Immortality with cursed pills?"

"Other than try to kill you?" Elder Song jokes.

"You have a point Young Miss. You’re one of us, no two ways about it." The Sect Master agrees. "What you’ve done already, just making the cursed pills, would have you excommunicated from no small share of the Light Sects. Helping an evil sect gain Immortals is unforgivable to them".

of the 4 seem in agreement that my terms are reasonable, but only Elder Po has remembered this is not my home world. He’s keeping his silence though.

"Then it’s settled. A True Transmission token for 8 Cursed Soul Forming pills with a quality high enough for mana veins." We shake hands and glowing chains bind our wrists, startling us both, before the Sect Master shouts.

"Was that a divine pact?!"