Time Twister 66 Lunch

The people continued to ignore the presence of Xander, however, they didn't dare speak badly of him. For one, this person had single-handedly caused panic and several large riots to occur in the country, without even moving a finger. Second, his family background is also another underlying factor, as both the Cloverfields and the Morningstars were quite protective of their own. Lastly, the experience that they had earlier in the lobby…it was quite frightening for them, much more powerful compared to Divine magicians and the like.

They were only instructed by the people above them to ignore his presence, and do not agitate him whatsoever, so they did that to their very best. Even the Cloverfields in the Nema government remained mum as well, which was already explained to Xander and the trio. They didn't mind, because they need their people to be in key positions of governments.

After a few more minutes, the President of Nema, Mr. Valores, along with his a.s.sistants, as well as the Head General, Mr. Cabal, and his personal aide arrived from the top floor. The people enthusiastically greeted them, and they returned the greeting as well. Xander was merely looking quietly, not a ripple in his face about what he was feeling, intriguing Syn. The trio, on the other hand, was calm, as they tried to stop becoming too curious about Xander; they were always on the losing end.

President Valores, followed by General Cabal, headed towards Xander, in which he gently raised his hand, outstretched, greeting Xander like an old friend.

"Mr. Cloverfield, it's great that you were able to attend the lunch."

Xander raised his hand slowly, causing General Cabal to actually be in high alert, along with the presidential a.s.sistants-c.u.m-bodyguards. Even Syn was curious about what Xander was going to do. However, Xander merely grasped Valores' outstretched hand, initiating the shake, responding to the president, while looking at him in the eyes directly.

"President Valores, h.e.l.lo again." Xander curtly and respectfully greeted back, before moving his eyes to look at the General. He lightly tsked, before mumbling,

"I see that General Cabal is here as well. My, my, you have enough backing to stay as the head general? No wonder this country will lose the war if more people like him are placed in such vital positions."

This was only audible to the president, Syn, and the general. When they heard this, both the president and the elven queen were surprised, with the latter thinking of what Xander had insinuated about 'will lose the war'; could he have foreseen the situation already? The general, however, instead of a.n.a.lyzing what Xander said, merely laughed it off.

"Just because you acted like you saw the future earlier, do you think we would believe such a situation easily?"

"So, General Cabal, are you calling me a fool then, for believing him?" Syn asked the general, her voice cold and commanding, her demeanor carrying a hint of royalty in it. President Valores, on the other hand, attempted to diffuse the situation, pacifying both parties.

Xander merely smiled at the provocation the general said to him. He was trying to force him to use his powers to foresee the future, thus he can have a legitimate reason to attack him for using his magic energy in front of the president of Nema.

He miscalculated one thing, however; he never needed to utilize his magic energy to activate his divination using s.p.a.ce-time elements.

Xander calmly spoke, his voice echoing in the whole floor.

"I have a fun story for you, Mr. Cabal. In 1 minute, you will gain a report from your military aides, concerning the full-biological scan you requested for your son, 58 years old, a few days ago. The results will come back positive. You will request the president if you could be excused.

After 12 days, your son will die, unable to prolong his suffering. After 7 more days, your grandson, 27 years old, will also test positive for the same test, giving him 3 years to resolve the situation or die like his father.

You decided to test your two other sons who were Master magicians, aged 15 and 19. The results will come back positive. Unlike your eldest son, who was a Mythic magician, the disease did not break out yet, giving you time to find a cure.

But you will never find a cure. The same disease that plagues your son and grandson is actually a bloodline curse, targeting the males of the family. It was cast by a formidable enemy of yours, someone with a higher rank. You didn't realize you were subjected to bloodline curse, because you merely disregarded her last breath's attack, allowing it to hit your body.

This is the strongest kind of magic curse, one built upon one's life essence, flesh, and blood, mixing life and death elements. The bloodline you carry, Mr. Cabal, will end in 5 years. 10 years later, you will be removed from your post due to built-up negligence during military operations for the country. 15 years later, your wife dies in an accident in one of her missions. 25 years later, you attempt a coup; it fails. You remain in military prison for the rest of your life, experimented, and abused." Xander paused, looking at his watch before looking at the general's face, whose face as long turned pale.

"It's such an interesting story, isn't it?" Upon uttering these words, a man in military uniform was running from the stairs leading to the lower floor. He stopped in front of the general, saluting, before saying,

"Sir! The report you requested!" He stretched out his hand, carrying a form of some sort, enclosed in an old-fashioned binder. However, the general was merely catatonic, not even recognizing the salute.

"Sir?" The soldier asked once again, before looking at one of the military aides accompanying the general. However, they were also dazed and shocked, looking at him like he was not even supposed to be there.

"…dismissed." The general said, grabbing the doc.u.ment. Upon opening it, he saw the final results: Positive. He glanced in Xander, both in a horrified and defeated sense, but the latter was merely smiling like a child, like nothing he mentioned affected him one bit.

"…President, may I be excused?" He looked at his best friend and leader, requesting something that he had never asked before. President Valores was not a stupid man; he realized that the reason for the general's sloppy performance over the past few weeks and the latest fiasco can be attributed to his son's condition.

"Granted." He then hugged Cabal, his best friend who was merely holding himself together to not lose face for the country. Syn was surprised, turning her head to Xander. She couldn't help but develop a sense of greed as well as the covetousness of Xander's ability. She had thought he can only see far into the future, but even events near to the present can be detected.

She, however, squashed this thought, because she knew that if Xander can sense the future, he would also sense the change in her att.i.tude. Thinking back to her actions earlier, she felt a little stupid. It felt like everything Xander did was pre-planned.

In truth, Xander's actions were not pre-planned. After all, he couldn't see his own future or the people whose futures have been affected too much by his actions. For example, he cannot see Faykes' future, even if he canceled the binding contract between the two. The guards, on the other hand, he could still see, but past a certain point, it becomes hazy, the same haziness present in Syn's future.

Xander watching the drama, said carelessly,

"My, my, Mr. Cabal. Tick tock, tick-tock. The more you follow the script, the more it becomes true, you know. After all, it hasn't reached the stage of being incurable, you know."

"Anyhow, President Valores, when will lunch begin? I am quite famished." Xander immediately followed up, disregarding the look that the general was giving him. After all, it wasn't his problem, why should he solve it? Out of the kindness of his heart? Well, maybe I can give him a false hope for trying to screw with me, haha!

The president, on the other hand, saw the look his best friend and comrade had been sending to Xander, as well as to him. He sighed, but he couldn't prioritize his relationship first then the country's stability.

He clapped his hands, gathering the attention of the people in the lobby area of the 3rd floor, and said,

"The food has been ready, shall we all eat? After all, we cannot function without nutrition." Of course, the idea of a normal lunch was appealing to anyone in the Elite stage and below. However, past that, people didn't really have any need for food.

This caused a problem for a lot of businesses dealing with foodservice industry, so they transitioned as well, using edible plant and magic beast materials, ensuring that the food they served can provide elemental particle and energy to the consumers. However, this had a major problem: rarity. There wasn't enough plant and magic beast material that can be served in the long-term.

They began experimenting with increasing elemental particles' concentration in cooking, managing to infuse certain elements into the food being served, even if the base material wasn't an elemental-rich material, but rather normal animals and plants. The food, depending on the material used and the quality and control of cooking, could benefit nearly anyone below Divine cla.s.s. A new field of work had appeared as well: Magic Chef. They needed perfect elemental control as well as dexterity.

Concerning things that could benefit Divine magicians and above would be edible materials that are naturally produced by nature, with a stronger, higher concentration compared to what is commonly served. For example, his seeds of life, his seed of creation, the seed of chaos, and even the seed of destruction.

The fruits he harvests from sprites and sentient beings were the same as well; once they surpa.s.s the age to DemiG.o.d cla.s.s, the fruit they produce would qualitatively and quant.i.tatively change as well. The food that Xander had been replicating from the restaurants and stalls he visited had this quality as well, improving anyone below the DemiG.o.d cla.s.s. Restaurants can't offer food that can boost DemiG.o.ds because the raw materials are highly regulated by their respective governments, and frankly, they are too rare in Eteria or too strong to be hunted down.

Xander avoided replicating the fruits he got because he could feel a subtle difference in the flavor of the fruits. The effects they bring to the consumer remain the same and also stay for the same period of time, but the flavor felt off and it felt like something was missing in the fruits.

He would rather eat the freshly-picked fruits stored in stasis in his pocket dimension. Once everyone was seated, where Xander was seated to the right of the President while Elven Queen Syn sat beside him. Originally, she was supposed to be on the opposite side of Xander, but she moved to Xander's side instead. The attendants and the like were respectfully standing behind their lieges, acting like statues.

President Valores clapped once, ensuring silence from the members present.

"Everyone, welcome. We are all here today to clear up the situation between the government and that of Mr. Cloverfield, who was placed under great scrutiny by our military personnel. Rest a.s.sured, these rebels of ours will be dealt with, to ensure that no more chaos will ensue in the country."

Everyone clapped, even Xander and Syn. Of course, this was just a formality. President Valores continued to speak,

"Let us enjoy the meal prepared by our most diligent magic chefs. Monsieur Le Grand, please introduce the food you have prepared for the guests."

A well-built man that Xander had seen earlier in the kitchen came up from the side, wearing all-white.

He bowed to everyone, before speaking.

"h.e.l.lo dear guests, we have a Seven-course meal prepared for this occasion. The first meal, the appetizer, is served: Vafkgran Deviled eggs, produced by Master-cla.s.s Goldenclaw Chicken."

"The second meal, the soup, is served: Calderan Waterbird soup, produced by a Legendary-cla.s.s Calderan Waterbird."

"The third meal, the first main dish, is served: Dragon Turkey slathered in honey-garlic b.u.t.ter and devilflame chili, produced from a Legendary-cla.s.s Dragonscale Turkey, with the chili plucked from a Cla.s.s 4 Plant material, Devilflame Bush, cultivated exclusively in the country."

"The fourth meal, the palate cleanser, is served: Ginger tea with a honey dewdrop, produced from a Cla.s.s 4 ginger root, as well as a byproduct of Master-cla.s.s Dewberry Bees."

"The fifth meal, the second main dish, is served: Salted Fish and Chicken fried rice, produced from high-quality grain, Master-cla.s.s Goldenclaw Chicken, and Legendary-cla.s.s Vermont Cutter Fish. It is garnished with Cla.s.s-2 vegetables."

"The 6th meal, the dessert, is served: Cream Brulee, produced from high-quality milk, as well as eggs from a Legendary-cla.s.s Firedream Chicken."

"The 7th meal, some post-meal drinks, are served: a 1200-year old fruit wine, produced by the famed wine artisan, Cerna Franz."

All the dishes were introduced, before being placed on a very large table in front of them. Xander, following what he knew of fine dining, ate the food sequentially. He had no problems with the dishes served, and even ate quite a lot, causing others to be curious. After all, a master cla.s.s magician didn't really need to eat. Xander didn't mind them. What he did mind, however, was the 6th and 7th meals.

The creme brulee tasted quite bland for him, and the drink was just disappointing. After taking a bite of them, he made a face, and under the eyes secretly eying him, he brought out his own wine bottle and fruits, placing them on the table. He then opened the bottle, causing those who were eating to be mesmerized by the intense, concentrated flavor present in the odor released. Xander didn't pour the wine bottle to his gla.s.s, but rather, directly drank from it, stopping others to have designs for it to ask for a taste. After all, it used different Mythic-cla.s.s fruits and was fermented and developed for 1,000,000 years under time acceleration.

The wine didn't cause intoxication, but rather it improved the circulation of his cultivation skill and the absorption of elemental energy from the surroundings. Between the drinks, he was biting from the fruits he placed in his plate, which once they were bitten off, released another strong, pure aura, stirring the cultivation skills of some by just smelling it. Xander quickly finished two of the fruits in the span of a minute, causing those eying the fruits to waver, almost wanting to come close and beg for them.

Even Syn and President Valores were quite tempted to take a bite. Syn kept taking side glances at Xander's plate, then briefly looking at Xander before smiling, and then repeating it all over again. Xander acted like he didn't recognize the hints those close to him were showing. After all, that was his food.

He quickly finished the fruits, improving once again his magic seeds size and compression, while strengthening his internal pathways. The wine had a few more milliliters left, so he asked Syn and the President if they wanted some.

They both nodded their head furiously, handing him their wine gla.s.ses, afraid he might change his mind.

Xander internally rolled his eyes and gave each one roughly 10 mL of the drink. The two, once they received it, placed it close to their noses, smelling the aroma that seemed not to dissipate. They then drank it immediately, causing their magic and elemental energies in their bodies to rapidly increase and circulate madly.

They unconsciously released their auras, surprising those in attendance, as well as the attendants behind them. Xander was unaffected by their breakthrough and continued to eat another fruit he 'got' from his bag, looking at the two, bored. After a few minutes, the auras receded, the eyes of the two magicians opening up.

President Valores clenched his fist and was surprised that he managed to take that 1% more of universal fusion to reach DemiG.o.d-9. Syn, on the other hand, was surprised because her current fusion improved by 1%, raising it to 93%. Syn was excited, then looked at Xander endearingly, using the softest and girliest voice she had.

"Brother Xander, may I know what's the ingredients of that wine?"

"Hmm? Sister Syn, you want to make the same wine?"

"Yes, the taste was just truly immaculate."

"Oh, ok. Well, according to my friend who gave this to me as a gift, first you need Cla.s.s 7 fruits; at least 2 for each element you want. For example, this one is a 44-element fermented fruit wine. So you need a total of 88 Cla.s.s 7 fruits. Then, you need to ferment it for exactly 1 million years." Xander said carelessly as if he was just reciting something another person told him to remember.

When Syn and the surrounding people listened to the conversation, the room visibly froze. Numerous thoughts were running in their minds.

Cla.s.s 7 fruits… 2 for each element… requires 1 million years to ferment… 44-element fruit wine…

They were barely holding on the urge to come close and beat Xander to death, and extract the wine inside his stomach. Such an item could already be considered a heritage! And a kid emptied 95% of the contents! Some of them were looking at Xander with unfriendly, angry faces, and even the trio supporting Xander couldn't help but be mad, because the kid never offered them wine, ok?

Xander, 'acting' confused, looked around and saw the unfriendly gazes, so he turned to Syn,

"Sister Syn, what's a Cla.s.s 7 fruit? My friend never explained to me what it was, and just gave me a bunch of fruits to eat with the wine." More sounds of hearts shattering echoed in the dining room.

Syn was attempting to smile, but she just couldn't smile properly after hearing what Xander just mentioned. He didn't even know the value of a Cla.s.s 7 fruit, yet he dared to drink the wine like drinking water? Why hasn't your body exploded, hey?

After taking a few calming breaths, Syn calmly explained what Cla.s.s 7 fruits entailed. Xander, after hearing it, 'acted' surprised and horrified, before being relieved.

"Ah, so I wasted a bottle of it then…" Xander said sadly, uplifting the emotional states of these people. At least you recognized that you were being wasteful, brat!

"…thank goodness I still have several more at home. I usually use it as a palate cleanser or feed my contract sprites and magic beast with it, you know? They said the wine tasted great, but they got bored after several times drinking the wine. Now, at least I know what to do with it then." Upon hearing the latter statement, they really wanted to beat him to death. Even the trio, Syn, and President Valores had the same sentiments. Why the h.e.l.l would you use the wine as a palate cleanser? We could still understand that you gave them to your contract sprites and magic beast, but they actually had the gall to get bored drinking it? How much had you been giving them in the first place, d.a.m.n it!

"W-what do you plan on doing to these bottles?" Syn asked, stuttering a bit. Her poor heart really can't handle too many surprises today.

"Oh, give them as birthday gifts, wedding gifts, or even give it to my dad and mom once they come back home from their work as a treat, hehe," Xander replied to President Valores, surprising him and the rest of the guests. It sounded… practical and prestigious?

Then, they realized another point Xander was conveying: This kid grew up alone, with his parents either both at work, not giving enough attention to the child. Nema people were very family-centric, indicating it as the backbone of the economy. Compared to the ideals of Eta, which believed the individual is the backbone of the economy. From the files they had from Xander, he had a fairly normal childhood but yearned to be independent at such a young age.

Xander's next words awoken them from their thoughts.

"So, President Valores, shall we do the pictorial and the press statement already? After all, we are already done with lunch."