Rue smiled at the watcher. "You know that I’m a void dragon, right? Void lock is one of my favourite skills."

The watcher nodded. "Indeed, Supreme Lady. Karl informed me of the basics of your history just now. Would you perhaps like a raspberry tart?"

Rue laughed and shook her head in dismay. "You know, those don’t grow here, right? They’re a mortal realm plant, though there are equivalents in this world."

"I can substitute the Mountain Tartberry if you prefer."

That was the Immortal Realm equivalent of the raspberry, and they grew them in the Tiny World now, for the sake of the Mystic Chefs. So, there were plenty available, even if the Watcher hadn’t been able to simply will them into existence using the kitchen function of the [Pet Space] spell.

In some ways, that spell was absolutely broken and overpowered, but in others it was so incredibly mundane that it could be overlooked.

The space didn’t have particularly strong defences, even when it was made as a separate space. So, it wasn’t a great defensive pocket dimension. It couldn’t create weapons, eject unwanted visitors, or even cause damage.

That was up to the occupant.

However, if the creator knew of a food product, it would create it in the kitchen, up to the caster’s level. And, the beds were extremely comfortable, guaranteeing proper sleep for nearly any species.

"He’s the same Karl, isn’t he? Just cosplaying as a human to fit in with the locals?"

"I can’t say, Madam. I don’t know what other Karl you might have met in the past."

That wasn’t a no, Rue decided.

Given his knowledge, and his skill with the System, Rue was quite certain that she had managed to stumble upon her old mentor entirely accidentally after having come to see what the Darklight Host had for sale here.

She had originally gone to a different world in the Immortal Realms, but had moved here a few thousand years ago when she started looking to set up her own Sect after reaching Supremacy.

Karl finished his sales, and came to join Rue in the meeting room, while Lucille took over the counter at the store, assisted by the Dark Elves and one of the Elders.

Karl sat down across from Rue, who smiled at him. "Why don’t you switch to your natural form, instead of this human disguise?"

"My natural form is in some debate at the moment. However, it’s not the Tengu form that you are most familiar with. That was a disguise chosen so that I would not be recognized when I returned from helping you get motivated."

"That was a mission you were sent on, right? As the Avatar of the World Dragon?"

"No, by the Temporal Dragon Misty."

"So, it really is you. How are you only now a Void Immortal? And your aura feels so young."

"Oh, we have so much to talk about. But I will give the abridged version. I actually came from your future. I didn’t live the entire period between then and now. From my point of view, that was last year, or perhaps the year before.

It hasn’t been long for me."

"So, between then and now, a few years, you went from Mythic to Void Immortal?"

Karl nodded. "I reached tribulation about six months ago."

The dragon blinked slowly. "You went from a new Immortal to this in six months?"

Karl shifted into Tengu form so he would have a long beard to stroke in a sage gesture.

"As you know, I am a wise and knowledgeable Elder of the Darklight Host. Surely, it’s not a surprise that I advance quickly?"

Rue laughed until tears rolled down her face.

"I spent thousands of years as a newly advanced Immortal Dragon being picked on for being born Mortal. And what do you get? Six months to Void Immortal and your own Guild Branch in the Immortal world, with no signs that anyone tries to suppress you at all."

Karl shrugged. "Oh, they did. I mean, not the New Home Merchant Clan, they’re very nice.

But other Clans came to try to suppress us for taking in newbies from the Mortal Worlds and treating them as equals.

We killed them.

Now, we still have a few purists who get snobby about being born in the Immortal Worlds, but power speaks louder than lineage here, so nobody takes their grievances too seriously." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Are you really that powerful?" Rue asked skeptically.

Karl laughed and shifted to cat form, and activated [Bestial Raiment] to bring out his battle armour and Guild Tabard.

"This is how they’re more accustomed to seeing me in combat. I’ve got multiple forms of Epic Golems, including the Spirit Bear Tyrant, who has the stats of a dungeon boss, while being immune to physical damage.

The Dark Elves in the front room are constructs that I made to help run the shop, and they’re also Epic Golems."

Rue whistled in appreciation. "A blood stripe for Peak Immortal challenge kill. I take it that’s how your Guild managed to acquire this plot of land? I seem to recall it belonging to some nobody Guild."

"Yeah, they were disbanded after their Guild Master was killed in single combat against me. I didn’t even bring the beasts, and he still lost."

"I knew that I saw Cara earlier. It’s been so long, but that face. There’s no way that I could forget the Chaos Badger. She looks a bit more rough than I remember. Perhaps I just forgot about her having a scar after all these years.

Still, she hasn’t changed a bit.

Though, the magical food is a new thing, I don’t remember that. Is it something that the watcher makes?"

"Those cupcakes were made by a Mystic Chef in the Blackwoods Pack, now part of the Darklight Host Guild. It’s become her tradition to give them to friends, and people with empty pockets."

Rue laughed. "She just casually mugs people and stuffs food in their pockets if they don’t have anything to steal, doesn’t she? That’s totally something that I can see a badger doing."

"She will be pleased to know that you appreciate her sensibilities. She is a firm believer in alleviating poverty with cupcakes."