The Nihility Chef

As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the glass ceiling, Samael stirred awake. The soft glow illuminated the luxurious penthouse, casting a warm light over the room.

Knock Knock

"Who is it?" Samael yawned, his voice still heavy with sleep.

"It's me, the manager," came the reply from the other side of the door.

Samael glanced to his side, where Alice lay still asleep, her breathing steady and peaceful. "I'll meet you in the hallway. Be quieter—Alice is still asleep," he said, his voice low.

A Quick Note:

Samael and Alice have been sharing a bed since they were children, a habit born out of their close friendship. Their relationship hasn't progressed beyond that—yet.

Samael got up, strapped on his Tengu mask, and stepped into the hallway. "What is it?" he asked, his tone calm but curious.

"Young Master, the Midas Pavilion is holding an auction today to celebrate the re-opening of Tianjiao Academy. They've invited you and Miss Alice," the manager explained.

The Midas Pavilion was the most renowned business organization in the world, unaffiliated with any single race and home to individuals from all walks of life.

This auction might have something I need, Samael thought. And it'll be fun, too.

"Alright, I'll go. When does it start?"

"14:00, sir," the manager replied.

An hour later, at 09:30 AM, Samael and Alice sat in a private room, enjoying a quiet breakfast. The peace was shattered when a man came crashing through the wall, landing face-first on their table.

Bang!

Food flew everywhere, but before it could hit the duo, they incinerated it with a wave of aura, leaving only ash to drift into the air.

Samael's eyes narrowed as he looked through the hole in the wall. His family's establishment was being wrecked by a madman.

Why doesn't the Forte Family have stronger security? you might wonder. The real question is: What sane person would dare attack them?

Alice, sensing Samael's anger, couldn't help but grin. Someone's about to get mollywhopped, she thought gleefully.

"Don't forget your mask!" she called out, snapping Samael out of his thoughts.

He touched his face, realizing the mask was on the table. Panic set in as he quickly put it back on. I almost became the laughingstock of the city, he thought, shuddering at the thought.

Samael stepped through the hole in the wall, his dense body leaving cracks in the floor. The man who had caused the chaos finally looked up.

If you had to describe him in one word, it would be tough. He stood around two meters tall, his physique massive and imposing. He wore a red robe that revealed his colossal shoulders, his pectoral muscles bulging beneath a black undershirt. His short, spiky blood-red hair contrasted with his light blue-tinted skin, and his cold, gray eyes seemed indifferent to the world around him.

"Who are you?" Samael demanded.

"Alexi," the man replied, his voice booming like thunder.

"Why did you smash this store?"

Alexi explained the situation.

It turned out that one of the waitresses had met Alexi a few days prior and, after a misunderstanding, sought revenge by spilling food on him. When Alexi revealed his strength—Tier 7—the waitress panicked and called her supervisor, who was promptly beaten. This chain continued until the manager was kicked through the wall into Samael and Alice's private room.

What the fuck is this? Samael thought, exasperated. It sounds like some cliché plot from a face-slapping protagonist. I can't be bothered to deal with this nonsense.

With a sigh, Samael said, "Bring the waitress who started this mess."

The waitress was roughly thrown in front of Samael. She was slightly above average in appearance, her heavy makeup smeared with fear. She kowtowed before Alexi, her voice trembling. "S-s-sorry, sir."

"Do you accept the apology?" Samael asked, his tone indifferent.

"No," Alexi retorted, his voice firm.

"For fuck's sake," Samael muttered under his breath. "I just want to live in peace, but I keep running into these pseudo-protagonists who think they can rule the world. Come over here and get beaten up."

Alexi's eyes flared with rage. He was a half-titan, his mother a titan and his father a human. His mother had abandoned them after seeing his "small" stature, leaving him and his father to fend for themselves. Despite his human appearance, Alexi inherited titan traits: blue-tinted skin, immense physical strength, and a larger-than-life physique.

Growing up, Alexi's strength often caused accidents, leading to bullying and discrimination. The villagers eventually killed his father, blaming him for bringing a "freak" into their midst. This trauma awakened his bloodline and physique.

He inherited a pure Tyrant Bloodline from his mother, granting him a 150% affinity in Lightning, Metal, Ice, and Earth. He also possessed a body-refining technique that amplified his already formidable strength.

His physique, the Kuangren (Madman) Frenzy Body, allowed him to use his killing intent to create illusions that attacked the mind. The more he killed, the stronger the illusions became—a fact reflected in his blood-red hair.

Despite hating his titan lineage, Alexi embraced his strength, slaughtering the village in retaliation and continuing his rampage on his journey to Tianjiao City. He had killed hundreds, if not thousands, earning the title of Kuangren.

Alexi charged at Samael, his fist aimed like a hammer at Samael's head. Samael dodged effortlessly, grabbing Alexi's wrist and slamming him into the ground. The impact shattered the floor, sending shockwaves through the building.

Alexi's skin turned an ugly purple as blood rushed to the surface. He quickly got up, condensing his killing intent into a demonic totem. Behind it was a hellish scene: countless broken bodies piled high, the sky dyed red, and rivers of blood pooling on the ground.

Samael glanced at the illusion, unimpressed, and delivered a devastating right hook to Alexi's jaw, shattering it. He then stretched out his hand, swallowing the illusion whole with his Swallowing Nihility Body.

Info of the Day: Transcendence Realm

After Tier 9, cultivators break through to the Transcendence Realm. In this realm, they temper their bodies with elements of their choice, pseudo-transforming into those elements.

The more elements you choose, the longer it takes to temper your body, but the stronger you'll become. Additionally, cultivating with multiple elements makes future breakthroughs easier.

However, you should choose elements you have a decent affinity for, or you risk being stuck in this realm forever—unless you abolish your cultivation and start over.

The highest recorded number of elements used in the Transcendence Realm is 12. But with Samael's Swallowing Nihility Body, he might just beat that record.