Celene rushed to the venue where the feast was being held. She leaned against the doorframe, panting heavily as she surveyed the scene before her.

  Though she couldn't yet make her way to the front, the whispers around her confirmed that her intended target had arrived. Scanning through PsiLink, she witnessed a torrent of abuse being hurled at Nathan, with people calling him by the most unsavory names and epithets for showing friendliness toward Lachlan Rourke.

  Celene swallowed hard, steadying herself with the reminder that this had all been anticipated. The negative marketing that both she and Nathan had aimed for had to start with a wave of antagonism. How to turn the tide would depend entirely on Nathan's conduct.

  Finally managing to squeeze her way to the front, she positioned herself to the side, enduring disapproving glances from The Amber Path Coalition's senior management. After this, if tonight's results didn't improve, she was certainly going to be fired. Her head spun slightly at the thought of such a future.

  She tilted her head to look at Nathan, who was intently focused on the dish before him, and reinforced her faith in him. She kept reassuring herself that if everything fell apart, Nathan would still take care of her. She couldn't count how many times tonight she had had to pat her chest and tell herself this, each time based on what might have seemed like foolish speculation.

  Finally, she turned her attention to Lachlan Rourke, the young man who sat arrogantly with his legs crossed on the table, distanced from the other guests. He maintained his contemptuous, disdainful attitude toward others.

  Region Commander Axel Rourke, Lachlan's father, had always been a controversial figure among the people of Maelivar. His assigned jurisdiction encompassed Maelivar, which created military conflicts with Duke Kael.

  In a world where Cultivators possessed immense destructive power, conflicts ranging from small to large scale were inevitable. A single individual could create intractable problems for an entire nation. Therefore, Duke Kael's policy had always been to maintain control and deterrence over cultivators. This was also to combat criminal organizations involved in merchant guild robberies or assassinations. However, Commander Axel consistently blocked Duke Kael whenever he raised these issues. Axel's excuse was that the military had other matters to attend to, rather than dealing with such trivial concerns.

  What angered the citizens even more was that Maelivar still had to pay tribute in both money and military supplies to Axel Rourke's army. Duke Kael could do nothing about it since he had no Marshall backing him. As a result, both the citizens and leadership of Maelivar were at odds with the Regional Commander and anyone associated with him.

  To add fuel to the fire, the central officers under Axel Rourke's command were draining resources from Maelivar.

  To show respect, cities would not send their youth to participate in events like The Shifting Trials in other cities. The leadership understood that they should let others' young generation have opportunities to grow. Only this way could the necessary balance within a nation be maintained. Above all, it was to avoid unnecessary animosity. If a Duke's child were to meet with misfortune, leading to intense confrontation, the results would only get worse and worse. Physical injuries would be minor compared to creating vulnerabilities for neighboring countries or other forces lying in wait.

  But the military didn't fall under the jurisdiction of city nobility and leadership. Axel Rourke held no bestowed title and belonged to the military side. However, the Marshall's power was sufficient. The king turned a blind eye to these matters. This led to Axel's generals behaving excessively. Among them was his wayward son, Lachlan Rourke.

  Three years ago, when Axel Rourke was still stationed in the west, Lachlan Rourke had already participated in a similar event in the city of Daliphon with young men under his father's command. This year, he appeared again in Maelivar, leading to intense protests from both the upper echelons down to the youth. Duke Kael could only intervene by limiting the military's participation slots to five people, far less than the ten allowed at the Daliphon event.

  The small flame of anger and frustration erupted into a volcanic rage in the citizens' hearts when they learned that Lachlan Rourke was a bastard. In just the two short weeks since his arrival in Maelivar, he had been carousing, drinking, and causing havoc while the City Guard could only arrest and release him the same night. The most infuriating incident was when a girl committed suicide after being used by him. The girl's family, being commoners, were forced into silence.

  Discussions on PsiLink had to be careful, not too direct with curses for fear of bringing trouble upon themselves. When faced with accusations, Axel Rourke would simply brush it off with a casual remark suggesting that soldiers were just having a bit of fun after the tensions of the battlefield. But which battlefield, the commander never specified.

  Thus, when Lachlan appeared at the dinner party, everyone's expressions were particularly vivid. Most wanted to leave or throw things at Nathan, but seeing the Merinor family's young miss gritting her teeth and enduring, they all forced themselves to hold back. They could only express their anger through eyes that wanted to tear Nathan apart. After all, they hadn't been able to do anything to that cursed Lachlan.

  Celene shuddered involuntarily, her emotions complex and varied.

  The main target up on the cooking platform only wished his goosebumps would be enough.

  Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.

  Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.

  Triggered [Tingling Sense] x 65. One credit given.

  ...

  Triggered [Adrenaline Boost]. One credit given.

  Triggered [Adrenaline Boost]. One credit given.

  Triggered [Adrenaline Boost] x 65. One credit given.

  Nathan estimated that nearly a hundred notifications had popped up in his Passive System already. [Adrenaline Boost] had several times nearly ruined his cooking process as his heart rate suddenly increased, making his hands shake when the skill activated. Chilly Chill immediately suppressed these emotions.

  He felt as if he were surrounded by monsters rather than people.

  He knew that among those present were even Tier 3 cultivators. Their hatred was truly something a Tier 1 like him couldn't bear. He suspected it might be coming from the six guests sitting right here.

  He was unaware that in this situation, he was actually receiving some positive evaluations from those around him. To them, he was still just Tier 1, yet he could withstand the hostility emanating from cultivators' spirits. That alone was an achievement proving his capability.

  Regardless of the constant turmoil churning in his gut, he struggled to maintain his pace and rhythm, his hands remaining steady despite everything around him feeling like an earthquake. Because right now, the Shardscale Drake meat was the most important thing. For no other reason than it being eye-wateringly expensive.

  Shardscale Drake was a Tier 3 monster. Hunting it required an entire complex process. It was the reason for the inflated price of tonight's dinner. Just a shoulder cut already cost nearly a thousand Standard Mana Stones.

  Monster meat was usually purchased by Alchemists to make pills, but only in small quantities. Therefore, the market normally didn't have much supply because nobody kept the meat for anything else. The skin, monster core, or monster teeth were the valuable parts that had already been consumed. This created conditions for the selling price to reach unreasonable levels.

  The reason Nathan had to choose Tier 3 meat was because of the quality of essence still preserved inside. Meat that hasn't gone through processing would lose quality very quickly. With cooking being secondary in this world, preservation techniques could be considered at level zero. He could only choose Tier 3 meat because even after losses, the essence inside would still be sufficient.

  As for why not use the monster core instead, it was because [Cooking] had no knowledge for processing this essence-rich item. Either the skill wasn't high enough level, or simply because monster cores weren't meant to be eaten. Nathan's ability to eat one when defeating the Vermilion Ape Leader was due to the influence of Berserker and [Titan's Descendant].

  Nathan completed the meat grilling process to eliminate the gamey smell. The fire from the specially crafted stones proved incredibly helpful, allowing easy temperature control. He assessed that this dish would taste significantly better than before.

  With the challenging phase complete, he moved through the remaining steps quickly. Being a dish with considerable fat content, the aroma mixed with other ingredients wafted up in clouds, drifting into the noses of the distinguished guests and observers. The discussion volume gradually decreased, replaced by sniffling sounds from those affected by the tantalizing smell.

  The most important course of the evening was complete. Nathan divided the dish into eight portions and served them to the guests. The meat, charred on the outside but juicy within, was placed on elaborate plates that seemed assembled from colorful scales. Beside it were streaks of sauce to enhance the flavor.

  He swiftly collected the two empty plates from Emrys and Lachlan who had cleaned them spotless. Though initially indifferent, after eating, Lachlan had to change his expression. He ate ravenously like a hungry wolf, though he still maintained enough dignity not to ask the chef for more.

  "Dragon's Pride," Nathan introduced after stepping back slightly, capturing the attention of all eight guests. "The name might make everyone here wonder if I've gone mad. A drake isn't a dragon."

  Instead of the previous light chuckles, this time everyone remained silent. Clearly, their hatred for Lachlan had spread to Nathan.

  Nathan kept his sigh internal, calmly continuing.

  "But a Drake's dream is to become a dragon, as they are, after all, descendants of this noble species after many generations of hybridization. One could say that pride runs in their blood despite being looked down upon. And surely among us all are those who share a Drake's stubborn nature, hoping one day to match the nobility of dragons. I, as today's head chef, hope all guests truly achieve that goal."

  Nathan's slow but powerful words made everyone feel a degree of empathy. This was indeed the emotion every cultivator carried. Just as dragons looked down on drakes, cultivators were all looked down upon by those stronger and more noble. And everyone understood that in this world, variables were numerous. You could be the mountain peak today, the sun that everyone must bow their heads to avoid its glare, yet still be overthrown and replaced at any moment. Stories of lowly drakes becoming dragons after many trials and evolution were not few. So Nathan's metaphor wasn't wrong at all.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Clap! Clap! Clap!

  Everyone turned their heads toward Lachlan Rourke, who was applauding frantically. The newfound appreciation for Nathan dissolved like smoke in the wind.

  If anyone had noticed, they would have seen Nathan's face fall, but it returned to normal in just a fraction of a second.

  "Well spoken!" Lachlan said loudly. "But if you say it like that, aren't you implying that everyone here is a Drake, those lowly and cowardly lizards? Not noble like Dragons?"

  Mother of... This crazy beast! He's twisting everything I said. Nathan truly wanted to roar. He considered whether making a scene here would achieve a similar effect of getting reputation. In just one second, he'd thought it through, concluding that people would judge him more negatively. He had invited them here, but was letting them be spun around like tops.

  "So according to you, Lachlan, who here is a dragon?" Nathan casually asked. "I certainly wouldn't dare claim to be one myself."

  "Obviously, it's me," Lachlan lifted his chin and answered without hesitation.

  "Oh, so that's how it is," Nathan smiled.

  Everyone who heard this became even more irritated with Lachlan.

  Emrys cast an appreciative glance toward Nathan.

  Celene's jaw dropped in disbelief. In just a few sentences, Nathan had dodged the bullet aimed at him, even managing to bend the danger back toward the one who had fired it.

  Lachlan absently looked around, realizing what the chef had just done. The hatred he had wanted Nathan to bear had ultimately returned to himself. Rather than Nathan implying it, he was the one pointing out that everyone else was inferior, and he was noble and deserved submission. With the existing hatred, this only made him bear more animosity.

  "Very good!" Lachlan clapped once more, laughing loudly. "You really are an interesting one!"

  And you just shut up, will you?

  Ignoring the troublemaker, Nathan addressed everyone else.

  "Now then, please enjoy. Don't let the food get cold from waiting too long."

  Lachlan smirked when he saw Nathan once again taking a jab at him, criticizing him for prolonging the time.

  Emrys grinned, seeming to realize that this friend of Zeryn's wasn't simple at all.

  With a bit of reasoning, no one here deserved the title of dragon more than Nathan based on the previous story. Whether a weak or disadvantaged dragon. Simply because he was a direct disciple of an elder from the Verdant Spire Sect. Unlike young ladies and young masters who automatically received family nurturing, disciples like Nathan had to struggle to win their positions as heirs and receive cultivation.

  The Kingdom of Caelindor was at peace, so Lachlan couldn't possibly be someone who had matured through war. Speaking of hardship, rising up, or status, there was no comparison. As for psychology or etiquette, there was no need to speak of it. Ten Axel Rourkes wouldn't be enough for Alaric Tethras to fight. Organizations like the Verdant Spire Sect were only held in check under the Emperor's feet. So bearing fangs and claws at Nathan wasn't really intelligent.

  Nathan remained unaware of everyone's current thoughts, focusing only on their reactions. He kept glancing at the clock, as if hurried. The time extension didn't seem to be as minor an issue as it appeared on the surface.

  Dragon's Pride entered the guests' mouths. After one bite, those who had maintained their composure before no longer showed any restraint. The dish should normally be savored slowly, but this course forced them to eat quickly. Not just because it was indescribably delicious, the most refined meat dish they'd ever tasted, but also because of the essence spreading through their bodies. The essence had been subdued, not naturally fierce, quietly ruling within each person's body.

  By this point, they finally understood what Nathan was trying to do. Not just eating, but also providing cultivation resources, like consuming pills.

  "Truly a unique experience," one guest praised appreciatively.

  Dishes at other establishments almost always eliminated the monster's natural essence to make it easier to eat and digest. Nathan's dish had far exceeded that ordinary standard.

  "I'm very glad you enjoyed this dish. Shall we proceed to the next course?"

  Everyone could hear the urgency in Nathan's voice, so no one objected.

  Lachlan shrugged when Nathan looked his way, his eyes seeming to say, "If you want to start something, just say the word, I'll accommodate you right away."

  Seeing his opponent unusually quiet, Nathan immediately collected the plates. Then, he brought out the fourth course for everyone. Inside dark-colored bowls was clear soup through which one could see the bottom. Regular people looking at it would think they were being served plain water. But the aroma rising up indicated something entirely different.

  "Nature's Balance. A dish with Harmony Root as the main ingredient. We are part of nature, so balance is something we should aim for."

  Not paying much attention to the introduction, everyone raised their spoons to taste the dish. Everyone judged this to be the least impressive dish so far. The taste was still good, but it didn't carry the explosive sensation of the previous courses.

  One round passed, and Nathan brought up the final dish.

  When the plates with triangular pudding were brought out and placed on the table, the eyes of six people from The Amber Path lit up brilliantly. They knew the performance had reached its climax. The supreme attack from the young chef had arrived.

  Nathan was somewhat hurried now. Though outwardly he remained composed thanks to Chilly Chill's effect, his mind was running at full capacity.

  When the small palm-sized puddings placed in crystal plates were served, everyone turned to look. The pudding looked ordinary, nothing outstanding. If anything, it might have been the light reflection from the plate that gave it some vibrant colors. The pudding's surface was smooth, floating under Nathan's movements.

  He placed the portions before everyone, but before he could introduce it, there was already a gulping sound from Lachlan's direction.

  The pudding on the plate had vanished.

  Nathan's mouth corner twitched continuously, seeming as though even calmness had its limits.

  Lachlan's disrespectful action once again caused everyone to mutter. They cursed this attention-seeking person with ugly words. Only when the entourage shouted out wanting to find who had just spoken did everyone fall silent again.

  "Even after eating, one can still listen to the introduction, right?" Lachlan snickered.

  Nathan smiled and nodded. Then, he spoke.

  "Universal Resonance is the name of today's final course. Unlike the previous names that were tied to ingredient characteristics, this name carries a completely different meaning. Ah, though if you consider the main ingredient being Universal Root sharing the same word, it makes sense too."

  "Then why does it bear this name?" a middle-aged guest asked.

  "Well, you'll have to wait until everyone has finished eating to find out."

  Since they weren't worried about essence dissipating like with the Shardscale Drake meat and had reached the event's final segment, the small pudding was savored rather than eaten quickly. Everyone truly felt that good food should be eaten slowly.

  "I suppose you're all wondering what's so special about this, aren't you?" Nathan circled around once, asking those who had eaten his dishes, naturally excluding Lachlan. This bastard keeping his mouth shut was already helping him tremendously.

  The guests smiled awkwardly. That was indeed their thought. Besides being delicious and allowing simultaneous cultivation, it wasn't particularly special. Three thousand Standard Mana Stones didn't seem worth it. As everyone had secretly thought, it was mainly about giving The Amber Path Coalition some face. If asked to participate a second time, they'd rather stay home taking various Advancing Pills and then go to a restaurant. Such extravagant spending wasn't wise.

  "As you say," Emrys answered straightforwardly on everyone's behalf. "Just this alone won't let you compare to the reputation of other young people."

  Nathan cheerfully turned toward Emrys.

  "Then, Miss Emrys, how would you evaluate tonight's dinner?"

  Emrys appeared thoughtful, her false eyelashes sparkling under the lights as she blinked, then said.

  "A wonderful experience, I must say. Eating and cultivating simultaneously isn't something new. But eating well while being able to cultivate is rare. I never thought I would experience such an explosion of flavors while simultaneously benefiting as a cultivator."

  "Such exaggerated talk," Lachlan spoke up mockingly.

  Nathan quickly moved forward, blocking Emrys's view of Lachlan.

  Hearing comments from the guests, people began to realize why this dinner was special. They huddled together, whispering praise for Nathan. However, they weren't overly enthusiastic or appreciative. There was talent, but it wasn't exceptionally outstanding.

  Celene beside them struggled to hold herself back from objecting. She couldn't interrupt while Nathan hadn't finished his work.

  "But I'm surely saying what other guests are agreeing with," Emrys continued. "That's all there is to it. Nothing special."

  "And not worth the money," Nathan finished for the young miss of the Merinor family.

  Emrys nodded slightly.

  Nathan turned to everyone, still maintaining his cheerful, excited expression.

  "Let's play a little riddle," he said, not waiting for anyone's opinion. "The first dish, Dawn's Whisper, what was it made from?"

  "From Dawn Lotus Fish," the female guest answered.

  "And what characteristics does it have?"

  "That would be expanding blood vessels to absorb sunlight and purify the body."

  "So how do you feel about your blood vessels now?"

  The diners froze for a second before hurriedly checking. Their blood vessels had become much more unobstructed than at the start.

  "Dawn's Whisper's effects need time to seep in, so you can only feel it clearly now," Nathan explained.

  "Then Heaven's Embrace and Dragon's Pride respectively provide mana and essence?" the guest next to the female guest quickly asked.

  Nathan nodded, answering.

  "That's correct. A small monster containing much mana, and a large monster containing much essence."

  "Then I guess your next question is what effect does the Nature's Balance soup have?" Emrys smiled charmingly as she joined in.

  "I assume you already have your own answer?" Nathan asked.

  "That's right," Emrys twirled a lock of her hair. "Harmony Root isn't just widely used by Alchemists but also by Artificers when crafting various fuels. So I know a bit about it."

  "Just spit it out instead of dragging on," Lachlan irritably scolded.

  Emrys, wanting to see where Nathan was leading everyone, ignored the insult.

  "Its effect is neutralization, a type of stabilizer. An ingredient in cultivation medicines. So the fact that everyone still doesn't feel uncomfortable after taking in mana and essence must be due to Nature's Balance."

  "Miss Emrys is indeed well-learned," complimenting the young miss of the Merinor family once, he turned back to face the other guests. "Thus, everyone has evaluated tonight's performance as not particularly impressive because of the effects felt in your bodies. It's simply mixing Advancing Pills with food."

  Everyone remained silent, mainly not wanting to openly confront Nathan. People below also nodded, understanding the effects that tonight's dinner brought.

  Celene pressed her lips together, taking a step forward, judging this to be what Nathan needed right now.

  "Then what was the fifth course for?"

  Her question made everyone who had been thinking also exclaim something similar.

  Nathan tilted his head in appreciation of that girl. Emrys furrowed her brows. She hadn't asked about the fifth course because she had judged it to be purely a dessert. Universal Resonance was just a grand-sounding name but didn't represent anything. Perhaps Nathan just didn't want to end things too plainly. It seemed she had judged wrongly, so she remained silent to observe the developments.

  "Does anyone here know about Universal Root?"

  The guests appeared thoughtful, not too impressed by this herb.

  "Universal Root doesn't have very high practical applications, and current cultivation is rare. Though the nurturing process is easy, it's quite hard to find. Its characteristic is simply carrying comprehensiveness. But comprehensiveness is hard to balance, hard to use. As a cultivator, cultivating many aspects isn't always good. Not everyone can be a Grand Elementalist."

  Nathan used Zeryn's knowledge to speak. He believed his analysis about diversity versus specialization wasn't wrong. Evidence being that no one spoke up to object.

  "Therefore, using Universal Root is very risky, requiring very high processing ability. At best you just waste ingredients, at worst it can cause poisoning."

  Everyone hearing this straightened up, their eyes immediately becoming guarded.

  "But not fatally," Nathan quickly said. "You don't really think I want to make a name for myself by killing people, do you?"

  Sighs of relief rose up, mixed with a few laughs.

  "So what did I use it for? Where does the strange thing lie? Why am I so confident? Why is The Amber Path Coalition so daring?"

  Nathan raised his index finger, pointing toward Lachlan, forcing this provocateur to stay quiet.

  Lachlan glared with wide eyes, about to react when Nathan already started counting down loudly.

  "5...4...3...2...1. Everyone, please enter the cultivation state!"

  Though not understanding why, everyone closed their eyes and entered a meditative state, including Lachlan. For cultivators, this was quite easy to do.

  The air around the guests heated up. Not just that, the Tier 2 cultivators could even sense a strange wave dispersing from them.

  No one dared to disturb them, while Nathan let out a relieved breath. The work wasn't over, but the majority was complete. He quietly stood waiting for the individuals before him to wake up.

  The senior managers of The Amber Path Coalition all stood up, their faces proud and expectant.

  The other guests increasingly realized something strange. If it were just cultivation, the diners up there wouldn't maintain it for so long and concentrate so deeply. They could stop midway and continue cultivation later. After all, the amount of essence and mana introduced into the body wasn't so much as to be regrettable.

  After fifteen minutes of silence, the diners opened their eyes.

  Their gazes, including Lachlan's, toward Nathan were no different from those of The Amber Path Coalition's senior management. Full of greed and anticipation.

  This was no ordinary form of cultivation. What they gained was something everyone yearned and strived for - an increase in Aspect Affinity.