Cliches are cliches for a reason. Usually, they start with a trope that people enjoy reading about. They are cliched because of how popular they are. Some lose their popularity due to being overused, but the underlying reason why they're popular never truly vanishes. Cliches speak about human desires. This particular cliche, unfolding live before my eyes, resonates with people's sense of overcoming something.

Or at the very least wanting to overcome things.

Everybody has a person that they dislike. Whether that be a boss, coworker, or even a family member. Obviously, you can't beat them to death, so instead, one lives vicariously through the eyes of the main character beating up the big villain that pushed them down. You can hardly get more cliched than that.

And I can't lie, it's one of my favorite ones. Watching the events unfold live had spectacle to it. Imagination can often surpass reality, but there's something quite unique about seeing something in real life.

I took a sip of the tea and felt a sense of calm flush over me. My emotions weren't suppressed or altered. Instead, they were less muddied and clearer. The meat pastries were indeed an excellent combo with the tea. It seemingly melted once chewed upon, an odd sensation for sure but not unwelcome.

I had to close my eyes to savor the taste and exoticness of the food. Unlike the food I created, real food held a quality that I just couldn't put my hands on. Outside of the tea shop, some low-level cultivators had gathered and watched the unfolding show. The higher ones simply went about their days as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

Currently on the ground was a boy that could only be described as a certified protagonist. The white hair and red eyes were a dead giveaway. Though it was a bit unexpected for a cultivator story. His robes were cheap, and he looked much weaker than the other boy. Yet, there was a fire in him that seemed unwilling to be quenched.

I blew out a cloud of steam after eating a particularly hot meat pastry. The other boy looked slightly older, with black hair, green eyes, and expensive robes, and a fur jacket. He looked like the young master kind of antagonist.

"I said I'd have your money by the end of the month." I could hear the grumblings of the red-eyed boy as he picked himself from the floor. Blood trickled down his forehead, and his face was marred by a purple bruise that had already started to swell.

"You said that a month ago and the month before that and the other one before that. You're 6 months late on your payments. If you don't pay up now or find some way to pay back the money, not only will I be kicking you out of my complex, but I'll beat you near death as well. You get that, Tenma?"

The black-haired boys' voice was low and void of anger. He seemed more annoyed than anything else. So this wasn't a young master bullying the protagonist situation then. What a shame, I was looking forward to it. I'd even planned to be the old grandpa and help him out. Probably give him a random sword or some bullshit.

Ah well, you can't always have what you want. My attention slid away from the situation below. My meal was more interesting. There was no point in getting involved with something like this.

I would do the same thing as the black-haired boy, honestly. 6 months behind payment is a lot of money. I'd be pretty annoyed too.

God, these things are amazing. Another bite of the pastries only reaffirmed my beliefs. Props had to be given to whoever made these.

I heard a shriek outside before the sounds of smashing emerged soon after. A quick glance showed me that the boy, Tenma as he was called, had been thrown against the side of one of the shops. Though the walls of the shop looked unscathed.

"Come on, Sentena. Just one more month. I promise I'll have your money by then. Just give me another chance, please." The desperation in the boys' voice was palpable. I would have felt bad if it wasn't so fake. He was saying what Sentena wanted to hear. Most likely, he would try to escape before the end of the month. At least he would if he had any sense in him.

"One more month Sentena. If you don't pay in one month. I'll appeal to the elders and have your cultivation resources turned over to me." The silence was tense. Clearly, it was a big deal, but at that point, my attention was no longer on the boys.

It had switched over to the quickly approaching figure. The qi was what I noticed first. For all others, I had to actively try and sense their qi. This just met the minimum requirement to naturally pop up on my radar.

He was a streak of red flames rushing towards the streets. The other cultivators notice the arrival and immediately left the area. Only a couple seconds later, he arrived in front of the bloodied teen. Then emerged from an inferno and stepped out. He stood tall and confident and looked like a spitting image of Tenma.

"Brother." The sheer relief in the boys' voice was amusing. The fear and concern on the others were just as entertaining. His guards stood at the ready, but a quick glance at their cultivation let me know that it wouldn't be much of a fight.

"My bother's debt is cleared. Now scram." His voice was deep and seemed to echo throughout the street.

"I can't do that. I need this money to pay for my siblings' acceptance into the sect." Huh, the more you know. He looked terrified as he spoke. He was well aware of the power discrepancy.

There was a little snort of laughter from the brother." My brother doesn't have the money to pay for it now. He'll pay you in the future. You can leave now."

Sentena looked incensed but said nothing. The gap was just too big. He could only stand there, incapable of doing anything. The brother gave him an amused look before picking up the boy and flying away in an inferno. Another look brought notice to the fact that he was also using a sword.

I finished my last pastry and tea before getting ready to leave. I created a copy of the local currency from nothing and left a bit more than the price as a tip to Eren.

He seemed to perk up when he noticed the extra cash and was even more polite than before. My exit back unto the street was met with a little more fanfare. The patron even came out to thank me for coming. Apparently, it wasn't often that you had someone order the two most expensive things on the menu.

A quick glance around showed me the dejected figure of Sentena walking away down the street. His guards walked with him. Looks of dejection were also present on their faces.

I quickly flew up into the sky and watched from above. I had only explored a fraction of the city, but I wasn't in a rush. I could always come back.

With barely any thought, I created a sword and lobbed it into his inner world. He wouldn't notice till later on. My reasoning for it was simple, I held respect for anyone trying to help their sibling. Before their untimely deaths, my siblings had done the same for me.

Without a second thought, I transformed into Tena and teleported to the city above. There was still no one present, but I wasn't bothered. I Went towards the massive courtyard where the storm was kept. With a wave of my hand, I created an immaterial sarcophagus and placed it in the middle of the storm. I was sleeping, after all.

I delved into my mind and accessed my creation powers. In the next instant, I dialed the time flow rate to 1-0.1. Every ten days on earth would be 1 day here. Hopefully, this way, I could explore this era more.

Without much thought, I allowed myself to be pulled from reality. This time the journey would be direct. From this universe to mine, no stopover in the void of the fulcrum. It came as no surprise that it felt as if I was traveling for weeks before I opened my eyes.

What was surprising was the beeping of a heart monitor and the hospital robes I was in.

My body felt weak and fragile. My hands shook and looked as skeletal as they had before. It reminded me of when I'd been in the middle of my treatment for cancer. My powers had gradually made me healthier. Now I was reminded of that gaunt being I'd been before.

"Ah, so you're awake."I looked to my right and saw the face of Leonardo Davinci. "

You've been gone quite a while, Benjamin. We didn't know if you'd come back."