Krist had been meditating for a long time. When he finally opened his eyes, the sky had dimmed to a dusky orange. He blinked in disbelief, shaking his head. "This can't be right it like I wasted a lot of my time," he muttered, glancing at the time on his watch but before he could get a look at the time.
"You should give it a chance before calling it a waste of time," came a calm voice. He looked up to see Delaney sitting cross-legged, still immersed in meditation.
"That was... surprisingly relaxing," Krist admitted, standing and brushing the dirt off his clothes. He instinctively checked his watch. His eyes widened in shock.
"Holy shit! How's it possible that hours have passed? I could've sworn it's only been an hour!"
Delaney opened his eyes slowly, his expression serene. "That's what happens when you meditate in nature. Time fades away, and your mind clears itself.You lose track of time, but your mind gains clarity. You should try it more often."
Krist shook his head, muttering, "Damn, I need to go." He began walking toward the border, Delaney following behind him.
"Did you feel anything?" Delaney asked.
"No, not really," Krist replied, pausing for a moment. "But… my mind felt free for once. It was kind of nice."
Delaney gave a small smile but said nothing more.
"Still, I don't think I'll be doing this again," Krist said, shaking his head. "Feels like a waste of time."
They walked back to the house, entering through the back door. As they stepped into the living room, Krist turned to Delaney.
"Uncle Delaney?"
"Yes?" Delaney glanced at him.
"That chocolate stuff… Can you spare some for me?" Krist asked.
"What chocolate stuff?" Delaney raised an eyebrow.
"You know, the one Uncle Blake got high on."
Realization dawned on Delaney's face. "Ah... that one," he said with a slight nod. "Sure."
Krist relaxed, but Delaney kept walking toward the front door without stopping. Realizing this, Krist hurried after him. "Uh, aren't you going to give it to me now? I'm leaving soon, and it'll be easier if I take it with me."
Delaney stopped, smiling to himself. Without a word, he pushed open the double doors and walked outside. A pickup truck was waiting in the driveway.
"Get in. They'll drop you off," Delaney said.
"What about the chocolate?" Krist asked impatiently.
Delaney smirked. Walking to the back of the truck, he opened the trunk. With a wave of his hand, twenty-two crates of chocolate materialized out of thin air. Krist stood frozen in disbelief.
"How the hell did you do that?" he asked, wide-eyed.
Delaney held up his hand, displaying a ring on his finger. "It's a spatial ring. No big deal," he said nonchalantly.
"Krist gawked. "You're kidding me. A space ring? You can summon stuff out of nowhere, and you think that's no big deal? Are you a magician or something? This better not be some trick that disappears when I leave."
Delaney chuckled. "It's not summoned. The crates have been in the ring all along," he explained, closing the trunk. He tapped the truck twice, signaling the driver, who honked impatiently.
Krist climbed into the truck, still muttering to himself about magic tricks and spatial rings. The vehicle pulled away, leaving Delaney behind. As the truck disappeared down the road, Blake emerged from the shadows beside Delaney.
"What do you think?" Blake asked.
Delaney sighed. "If it weren't for the risk, we could let him start cultivating. But his father was clear—if he ever finds out, we have to explain everything and let him choose."
Blake frowned. "If he waits for his dad to find a way to remove the seal, he might as well never cultivate. No one's reached the final stage of cultivation in centuries."
"That's exactly why we should let him start," Delaney argued. "Maybe he'll find a way to bypass the seal."
"Everyone who's studied him says he won't get past the fourth plane," Blake countered.
"And I say he'll be the strongest at every stage. He might even surpass his limits," Delaney replied.
"Being the strongest at a low plane means nothing if he can't ascend to a higher one," Blake said grimly.
"Sometimes, the only person who can solve a problem is the one who has it," Delaney replied before walking back into the house.
In the truck, Krist pulled out his phone and saw 49 missed calls from Maya, Mia, Evelyn, and Harrison. He quickly sent a text: "Sup, bro? Why are you all calling? Did you find something useful?"
Harrison replied almost immediately: "Where are you?"
"On my way home."
"Good. We'll meet you there."
Krist stared at the cryptic response but didn't press for more. When the truck arrived home, the gates opened automatically, recognizing his uncle's license plate. Krist directed the driver toward the massive workshop behind the mansion instead of the main house.
As they unloaded the crates, Krist's mind raced. His uncle he had the resources—maybe even the kind that could help him win. If what he needed wasn't in the house, it had to be in his parents' office.
Once inside, the dust and silence were overwhelming. Memories flooded back as Krist walked through the workshop. His steps led him to his father's office. Everything was as he remembered—except for one thing. A framed picture of his parents caught his attention. In the image, his father held a sword in one hand while his mother smiled beside him. On impulse, Krist picked it up.
Something about the desk caught his attention. He ran his fingers across its surface until he found five faint impressions. Acting on instinct, he pressed his fingers into the slots. The desk responded as if made of sand, allowing his hand to sink in. Twisting his wrist counterclockwise, a hidden mechanism activated.
The room's screen lit up with the words: "Welcome, Krist Black. System Access Granted."
A section of the wall shimmered, growing brighter before forming a door-shaped light. Krist hesitated, then touched it. His hand passed through harmlessly. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and disappeared into the light.
Krist found himself in a small room with an elevator. He pressed the single button, and the elevator began descending at an agonizingly slow pace. Frustrated, he tapped the button repeatedly, but nothing changed.
"Great. Looks like I'm stuck here for a while," he muttered, leaning against the wall.
Suddenly, a robotic voice announced: "Super Speed Function Activated."
Before Krist could react, the elevator accelerated. His body was lifted off the floor, and he tumbled through the air, screaming.
"WHAT KIND OF SICK JOKE IS THIS?!" he yelled.
After 52 seconds of free fall, he slammed back onto the floor as the elevator came to a sudden stop. Groaning, he staggered to his feet. "Who the hell designed this thing?"
The doors opened, revealing a vast underground chamber lit by soft, ambient light. The walls were lined with sleek black panels, and at the far end, a glowing console caught Krist's attention.
His heart raced as he approached it. The console looked familiar—far more advanced than any system he'd ever seen. He remembered his father forcing him to learn its intricacies years ago. Krist had scoured markets for years, hoping to find one like it, but he'd never succeeded.
"Dad… was this what you were hiding all along?" he whispered.
With trembling hands, he powered it on. What appeared on the screen left him frozen.
All he could say was, "Holy f***."