Truthful Transmigration

Having returned home, John was pleased to see that the world hadn't fallen apart over the last few years. In fact, it showed very few signs of needing him at all. That was… wonderful. Some people couldn't handle a world that would continue without them. They were the sort of people that became the Triptych and wanted to take over the world.

While John couldn't say what he was doing was entirely dissimilar from that, he didn't want to. He was just trying to create a stable system that wouldn't result in world wars anytime soon. For that, the world needed… economic stability, more or less. There were many other factors, of course, but that was a good basis. Then human greed became a factor… and how much it was possible for cultivators to consume.

John wasn't completely innocent on the consumption factor, but he tried to avoid using conspicuous quantities of anything. Yes, he could absolutely absorb an olympic sized swimming pool of spirit water to power his cultivation… or he could take a bit longer and only focused on the natural spiritual energy that rapidly replenished.

The problem with cultivators was that they were in a rush to reach infinity. The fact that nobody had achieved didn't seem to dissuade anyone. Even if they didn't want to push themselves, anyone relevant would always encounter enemies who were growing stronger as fast as they could. It was like a nuclear arms race, but the nuclear weapons were people. Like the Triptych. Like John and Aldara, realistically. Even if they didn't leave behind massive craters, they were still widely destructive.

John hoped that things could change. For that, maybe they needed better long distance communication. Something that couldn't be eaten, preferably. No matter how fast a spirit beast was at carrying messages, they were limited in scope and speed. They could be intercepted, so some of them would be- either by humans or other beasts. Even ignoring security issues, losing a message was troublesome.

Even if that was achieved, John knew that it wouldn't solve the world. Nor would killing off everyone who openly disagreed with him. Even so, he could only do his best.

-----

"The original would have been made with cows," John said. "A different sort of bovine. I've grown pretty attached to these, though."

"Okay," Rukiye said.

"You don't sound excited," John pointed out.

She shrugged. "I've had 'burgers' before. They were fine. Even mine weren't amazing despite my skill."

John clicked his tongue. Maybe it was his fault, producing subpar results with his own cooking. Maybe he was too eager to share one of his favorite foods when he didn't truly have access to the best materials. "These will be the best ones you've had," John said. "And the most accurate."

He'd managed to reproduce all of the important sauces, as well as finding vegetables that fit the purpose. Finding some form of lettuce was easy. Finding good lettuce was more difficult. Likewise, tomatoes were relatively unique. They were necessary for two different components- both direct and in the form of ketchup. Fortunately, that problem had been solved long in the past and he had some of his own. It wasn't a terribly popular crop, and they weren't individually massive like the ones Earth had bred over generations, but he got the right balance of sweetness and acidity and various other flavors. John had been perfecting his methods for many decades, after all. It started after Matayal's death, more or less following the rise of the Six Elements Crossroads.

Despite her outwards disinterest, Rukiye was clearly paying attention as John gathered everything. If he was just cooking for a couple people, he could pick the very best ingredients- and customize the orders to taste. And since cultivators could get their nutrition anywhere, he made sure to infuse the food with the right elements. For his own personal growth it wasn't really better than spending time in meditation- but cultivators needed to have hobbies or they would only focus on battle.

"Behold!" John held up the burger. The cheese was white- or at least whitish. It was one of the most flexible parts of a burger to begin with, though it needed to be something that melted well. As a cultivator, he could cheat that part by heating individual elements precisely. He often did. "Perfection!"

Rukiye wasn't the sort to refuse food put in front of her. She was perfectly capable of ordering food from the kitchens- or finding a spot herself- but John had invited her to the meal.

He even made fries. No soda, but honestly he could live without. That was the most excessive part in some ways, offering no nutritional value. There were plenty of other sources of sugar in the world anyway.

John couldn't help but take a big bite. Rukiye started off more conservatively. However, she never stopped. Soon enough, her food was gone.

"Good thing I made seconds!" John said, revealing covered plates where the temperature had been carefully maintained- he even stopped the cooking process and prevented anything from getting soggy.

"Didn't you say that a cultivator must not overindulge?" Rukiye said, even as she pulled a plate in front of her.

"One must also properly take advantage of moments of celebration," John said.

"I see. And what are we celebrating?"

"Hmm. Good question." He couldn't really say it was a return home, because this wasn't Rukiye's home. Not yet, at least. Pushing that onto her wouldn't do her any good. "You never told me when your birthday was, so it will have to be all of those. Though I don't have any cake. Or pizza."

"Why cake?" she asked. "And what's that other thing?"

John grinned. "Oh, you'll find out. It's a wonderful dish."

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"... Does it also have a lot of cheese?"

"It does. Is that a problem?"

She shook her head. "No. I like cheese."

-----

The first generation of John's apprentices were now Ascending Soul Phase cultivators. In fact, it wouldn't take terribly long for them to reach the peak. Unlike Viriato, none of them had been stuck at that threshold in particular- they had simply needed sufficient time. Relatedly, Viriato had stepped into the Ascending Soul Phase himself with some proper guidance from John to make sure he wouldn't destabilize himself.

There were other batches of disciples after the first generation but Ayhan, Barakat, Lir, Sthithulf, and Fulton had been the best of those he picked up as street kids, cultivating however they could in the seemingly low energy environment. Now they were a solid core for a sect, each one sufficient to be a sect or clan head pretty much anywhere else. Even if the Ascending Soul Phase was relatively common, power varied wildly within a specific phase depending on various factors. John had recently proven that to Rukiye, after all. Sparring with an Exalted Soul Phase cultivator every day was difficult and somewhat disheartening, but clearly good for her growth.

Everyone was eager to meet Rukiye. John had kept people from overwhelming his new apprentice right away, but that could only last a few days. He kept things to his core disciples at first, though he would of course allow Rukiye to socialize with anyone she pleased at a later time.

"Greetings, junior sister," Lir commented. "You must have great talent, for John to have brought you back- and none other."

"I…" Rukiye hesitated, but John knew she did have some confidence. "I am sure he saw certain factors he could work with. But I doubt I would have gotten this far with a lesser teacher."

Perhaps it was awkward to say that she had only come along because he promised to let her try to kill him. John suspected people already knew, though, because of his gossipy friends.

Others introduced themselves, moving the conversation along.

"An interesting cultivation path," Fulton commented. "The darkness allied cycle… were you already a Soul Expansion Phase cultivator? I sense you keep all six elements to some extent."

Rukiye shook her head. "I was already an earth and water cultivator. I decided stability was more important than an easy path."

"That's not wrong," Ayhan commented. "And going for a core cycle has its own pitfalls if you intend to enter a full cycle."

John hadn't personally experienced it, of course, but he was aware how difficult it would be to implement light and darkness as the final two totems without prior experience. Both would be similarly difficult to his final one, and without a proper stimulus he didn't know if he would have actually made it by the present day. Which would probably have ended up with him dead- and maybe most of the people living on the continents.

Everyone had their own perspectives on cultivation. John kept his apprentices from flooding Rukiye with too much all at once, though she was interested in the opportunity to spar with them in the near future. After all, she didn't encounter many cultivators more than one or two elements elsewhere. Three was a rarity. The core cycle only worked if one expected to reach the Consolidated Soul Phase or greater, which simply didn't work in previous generations. Though for as long as Rukiye would be able recall, Ascending Soul Phase cultivators were relatively common, and even a few Exalted Soul Phase cultivators existed. Sixty percent fewer, now.

-----

John wanted the best for Rukiye… and that meant giving her some space. He wasn't worried about her running off somewhere- though she wasn't that foolish in unfriendly territory. More relevantly, the chances that actual harm would come to her in the Lunson or really anywhere on the continent were negligible.

There hadn't been any other option except to remain together on the whole trip, but she needed to be given a chance to have time to herself. John still paid attention, but less directly. She wasn't going to suddenly stop cultivating, though that might actually be the best result for her. Interacting with a variety of people somewhere safe was something she hadn't really had the opportunity to do… ever, perhaps. Since she was barely of an adult age even now, she would have been an even younger child when the war first began. Her mother had likely gone to the front lines some years before John arrived to find Rukiye.

A therapist would be good, but John hadn't really gotten that profession going. Cultivators were able to sort out their own issues to some extent, so John hoped that she would manage. He would be there to support her when she needed it.

At this point, John was pretty sure she wouldn't kill him- but maybe she would change his mind. He was far too used to his own world. Maybe to her, it would look like a luxurious bubble feeding off of outsiders. They were requiring tribute as part of the war resolution… even if John thought it was reasonable. John hadn't highlighted all the destruction from the war, but their path to Lunson had taken them to a few places damaged by the war, mostly in the Shimmering Islands.

Without watching out for her, or having to constantly engage in diplomatic meetings with foreign sects, John found himself with entirely too much free time. He was sure a flood of unimportant petitioners would arrive- but if they really needed anything their problems would have been dealt with while he was gone. The same was true with Aldara, because her empire functioned without her present. She might need to be alive, but John couldn't say his own existence was less relevant, even as much as he might hope that to be the case.

Related to Aldara, she hadn't returned from her journey yet. Perhaps she was going to finish everything, or she had more delays. There was plenty of news- ships arriving from every conceivable port of origin carrying both goods for tribute… and for trade. After all, there were benefits to the new structure. The Sovereign Primacy had their own internal trade, but John honestly thought it had been a bit chaotic. It lacked intention. Or maybe it had just fallen apart by the time he got to see it, which still said something about the state of things.

Every elemental region could benefit from trade with others. Not every group perfectly matched their surrounding region. The Tenebach clan was a darkness clan in an earth element region, and they naturally wanted different resources than their neighbors used and produced. It was a detriment when trade wasn't flowing, but in some ways a benefit when it was. Living locally would be cheapest, but the clan had thrived regardless. They built their own stability, rather than hoping to stumble upon it.

It was a shame that Aldara wasn't accessible. John would have liked to compare results- including the things that wouldn't be public news. Like complaining about specific individuals and how stupid they were. He'd like statistics on how many people got themselves killed by trying to resist 'tyrants'… in the name of the first tyrants they had submitted to. He'd also appreciate her assessment of whether the world could hold together.

He thought it could. It was a world of six elements in balance, after all. People were part of that… though elements didn't tend to care if any particular people lived or died. Just some form of life. Thus, it was up to humans to make sure things worked out for the best.