Res took one last look at the completely enthralled Granny and then left the shop. He took in his usual first breath of the fresh morning air. Instead of the usual smell of grass, he was assaulted by the smell of metal, leather, and … pastries? Sniffing like a rabbit, he made his way down the main street and followed the intoxicating smell.

Finally, he found the bakery from which the smell wafted and entered it. Res bought so many pastries that the owner even gave him a linen bag. Content with his new lot in life, Res left the shop while chewing on a delicious strawberry pie. On exiting the bakery, he bumped into the chest of a giant. He had to strain his neck to look the colossus into the eyes and estimated the man to be about two-and-a-half meters tall. To finish off the intimidating look, his arms were tree trunks and his grim snarl promised pain.

Through all that, Res could still see the glint of innocence in his eyes. Res was shoved back by the giant who shouted: “You want to fight? Alright, I’ll fight you, dickhead.”

Jason took on a lecturing tone: “Yes, a classical novel situation. The thug bumps into the protagonist and they start a fight in which the main character wins. Go, Rocky!”

Instead of going along with the provocation, Res extended the bag of sweets to the bulking man. “I only wanted to give you some of my pastries. Sharing is caring. Such a muscular and attractive man like you is hungry.”

The giant froze and sized him up again. Finally, the man’s expression switched to that from a killing machine to that of an innocent teenager. “Yes, Brutus is hungry and Brutus likes sweets. You are very smart if you think that Brutus is handsome.”

At that, the giant, Brutus, flexed his muscles. Res acted like he was frozen in awe and gave out the occasional “Ohhhh” and “Ahhhh”.

Jason sent emotions of disgust at Res: “Bro, that was pussy-like. You are boring.”

He couldn’t respond as the giant Brutus put a hand around his shoulders. As if they were best friends, Brutus led him to some crates at the side of the main road where they sat down. In the next five minutes, Brutus devoured the bag of pastries but still left one in for Res. After he had finished, Res asked: “So, Brutus, what are you doing here?”

“Brutus is working.”

“What is your job?”

“Brutus is working for the council as a strongman.”

“What were you doing today?”

“Brutus had to fight this district’s residents and then interrogate them.”

“About what?”

Brutus lowered his voice and whispered to Res: “There is a new gang leader. He is a powerful cultivator. Some street rats have stopped paying the council’s taxes. They have the aether practitioner as an ally. It is rumored the man has even taught two of the street rats of cultivation. Last night, there was a big tornado and the guild leaders think it was a demonstration of power. Brutus needs to find out where the practitioner is.”

Cold sweat ran down his back. It didn’t help that Jason laughed in his head: “Bro, that’s too funny. Bro … Please ask him after the names.”

Out loud, Res asked: “Do you know the names of the rebels?”

“Yes, but you have to promise not to tell anyone.“

Res put on a serious face. “I promise not to tell anyone.”

Brutus nodded sagely and continued. ”A girl named Julie told us what had happened. The other two boy’s names are Aron and Brent.”

Res felt like he needed to hit himself but stopped the urge. ”You always talk about ‘the council’. What is that?”

“It is very big. Very powerful. If Brutus would say something bad about the council, he would die. Brutus can say that council is crime. They have lots of crime in the council. Selling pretty ladies for money, killing people, stealing people, and asking for money. Everything.”

“It was nice talking to you, Brutus. I admire your strength, but I have to go.”

“Ok, one day Brutus will join Akila’s guard and then Brutus will have lots of gold and then Brutus will buy you pastries.”

Before Res could stand up, a powerful voice boomed across the main street: “Brutus! Why are you not at your station?” Brutus whirled in the direction from where the voice had come from and executed a mock salute. From the crowd emerged four brawny and bald men similar to Brutus in stature.

“Sir, sorry, sir. Brutus interrogated a man without violence.” When the icy stare of their bare-chested leader landed on him, Res had to suppress the urge to run away.

A snicker resounded in Res’s mind. “Do they think because they are muscular, they can run around bare-chested? That’s sexual harassment. A true alpha doesn’t flaunt his strength.”

The leader pulled a sheet of paper out of a pocket and held it up to his face. The longer he looked at Res, the more his eyes lit up. Finally, he shouted: “Sensei the tornado wrestler, I hereby challenge you to a duel. I will bring honor to my mistress, Akira.”

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Jason broke out into fits of laughter: “Sensei the tornado wrestler … I can’t … haha … That’s the lamest alias I have ever heard.”

Thousands of scenarios flittered through his mind and he settled on a tried and proven method. He tried to recollect the city layout and answered: “You got me. Prepare yourself for a glorious duel.” Brutus’s puppy eyes stared at Res in betrayal, but Res only shifted into a battle stance.

“Hahaha, you are a worthy opponent if you don’t run from Akila’s guard. Because you follow the rules of honor, I allow you to make the first strike.”. The leader of the bare-chested giants puffed up his chest.

Res made as if to attack the giant of the man and … turned on his heels and ran. Furious roars resounded through the street as the hulking leader gave chase. He wouldn’t fight a battle he couldn’t win either way. Res sped down a narrow alley and entered another of the main streets. He wove through the throng of people while behind him they were flung aside by the force of the leader’s charge.

Jason took this opportunity to show his superior foresight: “You can’t run away from all your problems. Too bad you have no experience in any martial art.”

“Shut up Jason and help me get out of this situation.”

The gap between him and his pursuer shrank and his stamina began to run low. “Look, it sounds like you have ruffled some feathers in the council. The fact that they can show themselves in public, means they have some deal with the royal family. That means they also have a deal with the guards, so you can’t go to a guard station. You could always go on another sewer dive.”

From a bend in the main road, a procession of guards flanking an ornate carriage emerged. His mouth widened in a mad grin. “If a lion chases you, run towards an elephant.”

The horsemen in front of the carriage blew horns and shouted about a princess from Osma. Res didn’t let himself get deterred by that - He had a lion in tow. Res spotted a slight gap between two soldiers and focused on that break in rank as if his life depended on it. The enormous bull of a man was within grabbing distance and Res could hear his wheezing breath. The soldiers that formed the perimeter stared in horror as Res slid through their ranks. Before they could start their attack on the intruder, the form of the giant thug rammed into their ranks. Contrary to expectation, the soldiers didn’t budge an inch and instead retaliated.

“They are aether users too, huh?”, Res grinned as he made his way to the other side of the guard circle.

“Bro what are you doing? Are you crazy? Those are mid-A-Tier cultivators. They could kill you with a slap.”

“Can I strengthen parts of my body if I circulate aether in them?”

“Without techniques, it would be like using parchment as fuel for a fire. You could maintain it for two seconds and then you would be out of aether.”

“Two Seconds, huh? Let’s hope this works.”

Res ran to the other side of the perimeter of guards. The ornate carriage stopped and a young woman in warrior’s attire stepped out. “Bro, that’s a fine female specimen. Her sword … It is … ”

Usually, Res always brushed off Jason’s comments, but this time Res had to agree. Emotions he had never felt burst to life, and he staggered. It felt all so wrong. Why was he … James interrupted his train of thought.

“There is nothing wrong here. She is just beautiful.”

“No, I have seen more beautiful women than … ”

It felt like someone foreign had taken over and was pushing him to ... Again, his objections were cut off by a burst of lust. The woman’s brown hair cascaded down her shoulders like a merry spring stream. Her intelligent green eyes took in the scene in an instant. Her cute, slightly upturned nose contrasted with the sprinkles on her marble-white skin.

He tried to shake off the feeling and James shouted: “Bro, we could stop for a chat.” Res shoved the matter out of his mind and searched for any ways out of this mess. Judging by her deadly swinging step, she knew her way around a blade and he couldn’t run past her. Jason whispered: “I wouldn’t mind being cuffed by that lady. It’s like she is made of sugar and steel.” At Jason’s comment, an absurd plan sprang up in Res’s mind. With a flourish, he pulled the last pastry out of the linen bag and presented it to the woman as if it was a precious gift.

“My lady, I have made this wonderful pie for you.”

The previous deadly gaze vanished from the young woman’s face and was replaced by confusion. A mischievous grin spread on Res’s face and before she could recover, Res threw the last pie in her face. The tasty delicacy landed with a loud smack in the young woman’s face. Res couldn’t hold himself back and he howled with laughter as he ran towards the guards that now faced him.

Yesterday, he had found out that all one had to do to pull on aether was to become one with your surroundings. He tried to find the essence of the surrounding people, their intention, and himself. With a lurch, he could grasp the power and flung most of it under his feet. Accompanied by a cry of joy from Jason, Res was catapulted over the ring of guards. With a thump, he landed in a heap on the stone-cobbled street outside of the guard perimeter.

As fast as he could, he got on his feet and vanished into the crowd. When he was already deep within the crowd, a female voice resounded through the street: “I will kill you!”

After fifteen minutes of running, the tension leaked out of Res and they both laughed. “Holy Shit, bro. That was some next-level shit. How you smacked her with that cake – Absolute Mad Lad!”

After both of them had quieted down, Jason asked again: “Martial Arts?”

Res nodded: “Now there is no way around it.”