Ding-a-ling!
The crisp sound of the doorbell suddenly rang through the manor, interrupting Victor's conversation in the chat group.
"Perfect timing."
He immediately recognized who had arrived. Without needing to guess, it was Erina Nakiri keeping her appointment.
"Krul, please answer the door," he called to his petite vampire maid.
Sure enough, moments later, Erina Nakiri entered the manor alongside her devoted secretary, Hisako Arato. A small delivery truck loaded with premium fresh ingredients followed them through the estate gates.
"I sincerely apologize for the delay, Mr. Victor," Erina said, bowing gracefully with obvious contrition. "I promised to complete the preparations within an hour, but I exceeded that time by several minutes."
Though the delay was minimal, Erina treated punctuality as a sacred principle. Even a few minutes represented an unacceptable failure in her eyes.
Victor, however, remained completely unbothered by such trivial concerns. He waved his hand dismissively. "A few minutes is nothing to worry about. If anything, your timing is ideal."
The antique grandfather clock in the main hall indicated half past eleven. Giving Erina another hour to work her culinary magic would allow them to begin their meal before twelve-thirty, precisely the optimal lunch hour.
"Krul, escort our guests to the kitchen," Victor instructed.
Before Krul could respond, Erina interjected smoothly, "That won't be necessary. I'm quite familiar with this manor's layout and know exactly where the kitchen is located."
After all, this estate had once belonged to her dear friend Asuna Yuuki. Erina had visited countless times over the years, occasionally even staying overnight. She likely knew the property's every detail better than its current residents.
"One moment, please!"
Kanae suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention with her gentle yet earnest voice.
"I've heard remarkable things about Miss Nakiri's culinary expertise. If you wouldn't mind, I'd very much like to observe your cooking process and perhaps learn a few techniques."
"Of course! I'd be delighted to share," Erina replied without hesitation, her eyes brightening at the prospect of demonstrating her skills.
"Thank you so much!" Kanae's gratitude was sincere and heartfelt.
"Why not make it two students?" Victor suggested, placing an affectionate hand on Krul's silver head. "As you can see, this is my little maid. Unfortunately, her culinary skills are... rather lacking. She recently prepared noodles and forgot to add salt entirely. I was hoping you might be willing to teach her as well."
The request was entirely reasonable. Krul had once ruled as vampire royalty, cooking had never fallen within her royal duties. For a former queen, producing edible food without creating an outright disaster was already impressive progress.
But her status had fundamentally changed. No longer vampire nobility, Krul now served as Victor's personal maid. How could any proper maid fail to master basic cooking skills?
Victor's expectations weren't unreasonable. If Krul could achieve even one-tenth of Erina's culinary mastery, he would consider the lessons successful.
"Absolutely!" Erina accepted the additional responsibility without complaint.
Subsequently, Erina led both Krul and Kanae into the spacious, well-appointed kitchen. Victor, having nothing else demanding his immediate attention, decided to follow and witness firsthand how a master chef practiced her craft.
Upon entering the kitchen and donning her professional chef's uniform, Erina underwent a complete transformation. Her entire demeanor shifted dramatically, as if she had become an entirely different person.
The pampered heiress vanished, replaced by a focused warrior entering battle. Her bearing radiated sharp professionalism and unwavering confidence, this was Erina Nakiri in her element.
While preparing the elaborate meal, she carefully instructed both Kanae and Krul, sharing techniques and culinary wisdom. With all ingredients pre-selected and Hisako providing capable assistance, Erina had ample time to serve as both chef and mentor.
Time flowed steadily onward. As the hour progressed, enticing aromas began filling the kitchen, complex layers of savory, sweet, and aromatic scents that promised extraordinary flavors.
Approximately one hour later, their collaborative efforts reached completion. The kitchen now contained over thirty distinct dishes, each a masterpiece of visual presentation and aromatic appeal.
Together, they transported these culinary treasures to the dining room, where Shinobu and Kanao Tsuyuri had been patiently waiting.
When the feast appeared before them, no one could restrain themselves any longer. They immediately began savoring every dish with genuine enthusiasm.
In less than thirty minutes, all thirty-plus dishes had been completely consumed by the assembled group. Such prodigious appetites left both Erina and Hisako utterly astounded, they had never witnessed anyone devour such quantities with such obvious relish.
"Here, consider this your payment for today's exceptional service."
Victor leaned back with satisfaction and handed two small bottles to Erina.
"These contain ten Subduing Tiger Pills and ten Longevity Pills each. The Subduing Tiger Pills strengthen physical constitution and grant tremendous strength. The Longevity Pills, as their name suggests, extend one's lifespan, each pill adds ten years."
"Thank you so much!"
This time, Erina accepted the payment without hesitation, her excitement barely contained.
She had personally experienced the miraculous effects of Victor's alchemical creations before. She understood their incredible value, each individual pill represented life-changing potential.
What a pity they couldn't be mass-produced. She had attempted having them analyzed by advanced medical institutions, but even the most sophisticated equipment failed to identify their constituent ingredients.
Nevertheless, the pills in her possession were sufficient to ensure the Nakiri family's prosperity for centuries to come!
Time passed swiftly, like an arrow in flight.
A full week had elapsed since the three Kocho sisters had moved into the coastal manor.
This particular morning found Victor on the hillside behind the estate, deep in cultivation.
Crack!
With a sound like breaking glass, the bottleneck that had constrained Victor for more than ten days finally shattered.
Immediately afterward, overwhelming spiritual power erupted from his body with earth-shaking force!
Sudden windstorms arose, sending sand and debris flying in all directions. The tremendous pressure tore grass from the earth and bent ancient trees nearly to their breaking point.
A visible column of spiritual energy shot skyward, forming a brilliant beam of light that pierced the heavens!
The majestic aura was so intense that even the women far away in the manor could clearly sense its overwhelming presence.
At that crucial moment, a defensive barrier suddenly materialized around the cultivation area, containing the devastating spiritual storm within its bounds.
"Victor has achieved his breakthrough!"
Inside the manor, the protective barrier prevented the three Kocho sisters and Krul from observing the dramatic scenes unfolding on the hillside. To their eyes, the rear mountain appeared perfectly calm and peaceful.
However, the magnificent spiritual pressure radiating through the barrier left no doubt about Victor's success!
The three sisters felt genuine joy for his achievement!
Krul shared their happiness, though for different reasons. The stronger her master became, the greater the likelihood of successfully resurrecting her beloved brother in the future!
After what felt like eternity, the pillar of light gradually faded and everything returned to tranquil silence, as if the earthshaking phenomenon had been nothing more than an elaborate dream.
Only the thoroughly disturbed landscape proved that the dramatic breakthrough had actually occurred.
Within the now-dissipating formation, Victor opened his eyes and released a long breath.
"Finally... I've made the breakthrough."
After carefully examining his current strength, Victor felt genuine awe despite his mental preparation.
He could now sense that he possessed the power to effortlessly defeat hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of Foundation Establishment cultivators simultaneously.
More than that, he felt confident he could literally split the earth in half if he so desired!
"Is this the terrifying might of a Golden Core realm cultivator? Truly incredible."
What made it even more astounding was that Golden Core represented merely one step on the infinitely long path of immortal cultivation!
Beyond Golden Core lay numerous additional realms, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Void Refinement, Body Integration, Mahayana, and countless others stretching toward true immortality. Each successive realm brought exponentially greater power.
The Golden Core stage was barely worth mentioning among the highest levels of cultivation mastery.
It was difficult to imagine what a true cultivation world would be like, realms where "Golden Core cultivators are numerous as dogs, and Nascent Soul masters walk everywhere."
He silently resolved to visit such a world someday when the opportunity arose.
Of course, that would require significantly greater strength first. He wouldn't dare venture into a true cultivation realm until reaching at least the Tribulation Transcendence stage.
"It seems my cultivation journey still stretches far ahead."
Shaking his head to dispel these contemplations, Victor stood and brushed imaginary dust from his robes.
With a casual application of his movement technique, he returned to the manor in an instant.
"Victor! Master! Congratulations!"
Seeing his return, Kanae and the others who had been waiting anxiously in the manor immediately offered their heartfelt congratulations and blessings.