Gary Stew had his knife gripped tight in one hand, and Cooper Trooper clutched in the other. He was about to bring the backside of his blade down onto Cooper Trooper's shell.

  Uchronia performed a chant, rapping the verses together at a rapid-fire pace.

  "Greater Haste!"

  She tapped Gus and Alwin, imbuing them with the buff. A soft, shimmering glow enveloped their bodies.

  Gus rocketed off the treetop, a crackling stream of yellow electricity trailing behind him.

  "Lightning Paw!"

  Was that an evolution of the skill, Lightning Legs, that he had devoured from Lei Mao?

  With the extra boost from Uchronia, Gus appeared right next to Gary Stew in an instant—sudden like a lightning bolt.

  "Hand over Cooper Trooper you two-bit chef," Gus growled.

  Gary Stew’s eyes twitched at the comment. "A monster who thinks rotten scraps pass for a gourmet dish, dares to insult my cooking?"

  He slashed widely with his knife, attempting to carve Gus into minced meat, but the yellow FluffPaw was too quick. Each strike cut through a crackling afterimage as the real Gus sidestepped out of the way with Lightning Paw.

  "Stop shaking Cooper Trooper around so much!" Gus roared.

  With another surge of Lightning Paw, he lunged at Gary Stew. His normally yellow paws began to glow red as he swiped at the Monster Chef.

  "Flash Fry!"

  Flames burst from his claw mid-swipe, the air distorting around him as he brought his paw down.

  Gary Stew leaped backward from the attack, curling his arms around Cooper Trooper in a protective cradle.

  "Stop! What are you doing? You're going to burn the egg!" Gary Stew shouted.

  "Fish sticks!” Gus froze mid-attack, the flames subsiding as he ended the skill.

  "Timeout. We need to make sure the egg is safe." Gary Stew looked down at the egg in his grip, inspecting for any damages. Thankfully, there were none. Unless you counted trauma from being manhandled.

  "Agreed," Gus said.

  Gary Stew walked towards the ingredients table, while Gus watched on. Tracking his every movement as he placed Cooper Trooper down with great care.

  Meanwhile, Uchronia had hopped down the tree and was sprinting her way toward the clearing.

  Several members of the Crimson Gold Sect had heard the commotion. They emerged from their tents, converging on the disturbance, with their swords raised high.

  On the other hand, Alwin was still on top of the tree yelling out, "For my grades!"

  He was having an internal debate with Niwla and Winal about how best to rush to the fight—slime style or turkey style.

  It was mostly Alwin and Niwla bickering with Winal just staring blankly at the scene. His mind was still shattered from the Uchronia incident.

  At the center of the clearing, the hut doors swung open. Two young masters stepped into the sunlight, swords sharp, tempers sharper.

  "Gary Stew! What is the meaning behind all of this ruckus!" Huang Jian shouted.

  "Exactly! What is the—" Hong Jian cut off mid-sentence when he spotted Gus. "Guards! Deal with this intruder!"

  "And then we'll deal with you for letting a monster slip through your watch!" Huang Jian added.

  "You, Gary Stew!” Hong Jian pointed at him. “Turn this beast into a suitable Immortal Dish for us.”

  "Don't worry. I was thinking about adding an appetizer before the main course."

  Gary Stew twirled his knife as he approached Gus. Several members of the Crimson Gold Sect had closed in, surrounding him. Swords gripped tight in their hands, faces tensed. Their eyes flickered between the two young masters and Gary Stew, awaiting further instructions.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  "Now, what should I make out of you?" Gary Stew grinned.

  "Probably something braised because of all the exercises I do. My meat is tough like me."

  "I was thinking more on the line of meatballs."

  "That's a good option too," Gus admitted. "But just meat alone won't cut it, you need vegetables to balance out the flavor as well."

  "I know. And it looks like there's a special delivery incoming just for me." Gary Stew smirked.

  Uchronia was running at top speed toward them. Guards near the outer edge of the encirclement turned around only to find a Potted Plant somersaulting through the air. A giant leaf covered in a layer of spikes emerged—Great Thorned Leaf—mid-flip. They screamed out in pain clutching their faces, as she smacked them, several thorns embedded within their cheeks.

  She landed right next to Gus and pointed a leaf at Gary Stew. "Hand over the egg, now! Or else."

  Gary Stew stroked his chin, ignoring her threats. "Maybe I could do tacos, but do cultivators even like tacos? Do people in this world even know what a taco is? Only one way to find out." He shrugged.

  "Guards, start harvesting the veggies but don't damage the produce. If not, I can't guarantee a quality meal. Leave the butchering to me."

  Gary Stew dug into the two opened spice bottles—salt and pepper—and ran his fingers down the length of his knife. "I'll use some basic seasoning first before I use anything fancier."

  Black flakes and white crystals coated the shimmering edge. Just the sight of it caused Gus to lick his lips. Knowing him, he was probably wondering how he would taste if turned into a dish.

  "Essential Seasoning Slash."

  Gary Stew brought the blade down. Gus sidestepped out of the way with the help of Lightning Paw while Uchronia didn't even have to move. The attack wasn't targeted at her, it would be a waste of energy to dodge nothing.

  The Monster Chef kept slicing away at Gus, who zipped between each swing, trails of electricity dancing in his wake. However, the whole time, he had his tongue stuck out, attempting to catch the flakes of spices that lingered in the air.

  Uchronia was forced to keep an eye out for the cultivator guards who had begun to swarm her. The man that she had smacked earlier led the charge against her. His face contorted with swollen rage as several thorns were still buried in his cheek, trickles of blood oozing out.

  They began slashing away at her with their swords. In turn, she vaulted high above their swings, performing flip after flip to dodge their attacks. Her root-like legs landed on the flat of their blades only for her to launch off of it again, spinning into frontflips, backflips, cartwheels, or whatever she fancied at the moment.

  But the tide kept pushing. Step by step, the chaos drove a wedge between Uchronia and Gus. Before both of them knew it, they had been separated. Gary Stew was hot on Gus' furry electric heels, while Uchronia was now surrounded by ten cultivators from every corner.

  Huang Jian and Hong Jian were sitting down in front of a makeshift table fashioned out of the stump of a great tree. Two guards flanked their side, protecting their young masters. Another cultivator disciple rushed in—not to join the battle, but to serve his master. He set a pair of ceramic tea cups atop the stump and poured hot tea from a jade-handled teapot. Steam lifted up into the air as they sipped in unison, enjoying the performance in front of them.

  With Uchronia isolated from Gus, the cultivator squad upped the intensity of the fight. From regular haphazard slashes, they began attacking Uchronia in sync.

  With their blades held up high in the air, they brought the weapon down on the trapped Potted Sprout in unison.

  "Crimson Gold Sect Intermediate Technique: Flaming Saber!" shouted one-half of the cultivators.

  "Crimson Gold Sect Intermediate Technique: Lightning Blade!" the other half shouted.

  Crimson hot flames blazed out from one side, while arcs of golden lightning jolted out from the other. Both sets of skills came crashing down on Uchronia, fire mingling together with electricity.

  Before the blades could connect she used her own skill. Not just any skill. Her Core Skill.

  "Alternate History."

  In a flash, a second Uchronia popped out next to her. They exchanged nods before the second one shouted out, "Great Barrier Leaf!"

  Gigantic leaves—similar to Great Thorned Leaf, except not as thorny—sprouted out from her body, surrounding the both of them in a dome-like shield.

  She must’ve called upon a version of herself that specialized in defensive skills. That was Alwin’s best guess based on his paltry understanding of her Core Skill.

  "Barkskin!" the original Uchronia shouted out from within the protective barrier.

  Immediately, the vibrant green leaves began to dull. Their glossy exterior was replaced with a cracked, brown layer similar to the skin of a tree.

  The cultivators' blades connected with the leaves. Flame and electricity clashed with wood, sparks flew and fire billowed against the solid defenses. The barrier trembled and shook from the impact of the blades. Brown turned to black as the wooden leaves began to char away.

  Oh no! She was at a massive elemental disadvantage.

  Gus wasn't faring any better. He was at a mindset disadvantage.

  Gary Stew had caught onto Gus' antics. While reapplying the spice layer to his knife, he left a pinch of salt and pepper in his fingers. During his rampage of slices, he'd flick the leftover specks into the air.

  Gus couldn't resist the temptation of yumminess. He licked at the air, distracted by the speckless of flavor falling down on him. Small scratches began to appear all over his body.

  Yet, he still never learned from his mistake. Gus literally licked his wounds not because he was in pain, but because he just wanted to taste how delicious he was.

  The situation was growing dire. Uchronia's defenses wouldn't last forever against those attacks, and Gus' appetite would be the downfall of him...again.

  But, there was still hope.

  The argument between Alwin, Niwla, and Winal had concluded. The winner? Alwin.

  He told Niwla to shove it and simply took control of the main body again, ignoring his co-pilot's protests.

  "For my grades!" Alwin shouted." For real this time!"