The clock on Kai's terminal showed 20:00. In three hours, he would be risking his life against Nexus Corp's defenses in the Industrial Triangle. He needed to be physically and spiritually prepared, but first, he had to fulfill his alliance obligation to Anya.
Ellie and the children were asleep, lulled by a rare afternoon of fresh air and quiet play. Kai secured the apartment and settled in the center of the tiny living area, placing the three small packets Anya's delivery drone had dropped off.
The samples were genuine: the dark, moist Rivermoss Root, the pale, shimmering Cloud-Kissed Fungus, and the crimson, tightly curled petals of the Nightshade Bloom. They radiated a low, but clean, spiritual energy—real cultivation resources.
[NOTIFICATION: CULTIVATION RESOURCES ACQUIRED (TIER 1 – LOW GRADE).]
[FORGE (TIER 2) ACTIVATION RECOMMENDED: ESSENCE STAMINA PILLS.]
Kai opened the encrypted comm-channel to Anya.
"I have the ingredients. I am commencing the Forge now. You will monitor the process through the private channel. This is the truth you paid for, Anya: the science of the Star-Forge."
Anya's voice was instantaneous, tight with anticipation. "I am monitoring. Do not waste the Essence, Kai. I am investing heavily in your skills."
Kai ignored the financial pressure and focused. He was no longer limited to converting massive artifacts. His Tier 2 Forge could now perform small-scale alchemy.
He arranged the ingredients on a clean metal tray. He activated the [FORGE] command in his mind, and the faint, cosmic blue light of the System materialized, enveloping the three herbs.
[FORGE (TIER 2) ABILITY ACTIVATED – CULTIVATION ALCHEMY.]
[TARGET: ESSENCE STAMINA PILLS (Quantity: 3).]
[COST: 5 E-PTs per pill (15 E-PT total) + TIER 1 HERB ARRAY (REQUIRED).]
Kai released 15 E-PTs from his account—Essence gifted by Anya—into the Forge matrix. The energy immediately began to circulate, not violently, but with the precise, controlled flow of a high-end laboratory apparatus.
The Rivermoss Root was vaporized first, its raw spiritual energy filtered through the Forge's celestial code, eliminating impurities. The vapor was condensed into a smooth, liquid energy.
The Nightshade Bloom followed, its energy providing the binding agent, its inherent toxicity neutralized by the Forge's precise purification process.
Finally, the Cloud-Kissed Fungus, a rare stimulant, was introduced. The three purified essences spun together in the shimmering blue light of the Forge, compressing into three perfect, miniature black pills.
[FORGE COMPLETE: ESSENCE STAMINA PILLS (TIER 1) CREATED.]
[REWARD: CULTIVATION ALCHEMY MASTERY +1. HOST QI REFINEMENT BOOST (MINOR).]
The pills materialized in the center of the metal tray. They were cool to the touch, perfectly spherical, and emanated a faint, clean herbal scent.
Anya's voice, which had been silent during the process, returned, thick with awe. "The energy signature… it was cleaner than a Tier-5 Nexus purification array. You eliminated the spiritual impurities entirely. The process is flawless."
"It is," Kai confirmed, carefully placing the three pills into a small, sterile container. "This is the truth, Anya. The Star-Forge is not just an archive; it's a celestial purification engine. It takes garbage and turns it into pure, spiritual gold."
"I understand the process," Anya replied, her tone shifting back to dangerous practicality. "Now, prove the yield. I have already risked my resources. I need to know the payout."
"Come get your pills, Guild Leader. But you will have to pass the security measures I have implemented for my family's safety. You have five minutes."
Kai disconnected the comms and quickly set up a subtle, localized Qi-based alarm field around the entrance—a Tier-1 defensive spell he had intuitively learned using his refined Mid-Stage Foundation Qi.
Exactly four minutes later, the alarm field subtly chirped. Anya entered, not through the door, but through the poorly sealed vent shaft in the ceiling, dropping silently to the floor. She moved like a shadow, betraying the skills of a veteran agent, not just a gamer.
She walked straight to Kai, her eyes narrowed. "You set a Qi-alarm field. Did you think I would steal the pills?"
"I know you would," Kai corrected, meeting her gaze steadily. "You would steal the knowledge, not the pill. But I needed to confirm your stealth capabilities before we enter the Industrial Triangle."
[HAREM MEMBER #1 (ANYA) – TRUST LEVEL: 55%. RESPECT LEVEL: 50%.] – Trust built through challenge.
Kai presented the pills. Anya picked one up, examining it with a professional eye.
"A Tier-1 Stamina Pill. If this is truly impurity-free, it will grant a 30% mental acuity and stamina boost for eight hours—ideal for our infiltration," she confirmed, clearly analyzing the energy signature through her own hidden devices.
"It will. Now, the mission details," Kai stated, getting straight to business. "The Industrial Triangle Array Core is protected by data-drones, not Cultivators. Zero-Seven's injury forced Nexus to divert their strongest Qi forces to perimeter defense. Our advantage is technology and stealth, not raw strength."
He tapped the Veil Shield on his arm—now a Tier-5 artifact. "My shield will scramble their Tier-4 trackers, but the factory is too large for a full Stellar Leap teleportation. We go in on foot, using stealth and calculated disruptions."
Anya nodded, slipping the pills into a secure pouch. She looked at Kai, her blue eyes intense. "You are relying entirely on the Veil Shield's stealth capabilities. If their array detects your Foundation Qi signature, we are trapped."
"Then we don't let it detect the Qi," Kai said, pulling out a detailed, digital map of the factory floor, a schematic he had rapidly constructed using his powerful DATA stat and Nexus's public structural reports.
"This is the route. The Core Crystal is located in the sub-level maintenance vault. It's protected by a magnetic field, not a Qi field. That means the defense is entirely physical and digital."
He handed her the map. "You have the Essence Stamina Pill. Your job is to bypass the digital locks on the central maintenance hub. Use the pill thirty minutes before insertion. My job is to clear the security drones and retrieve the Core Crystal. We meet at the central hub in forty minutes, and we leave immediately after the Forge is complete."
Anya smiled—a small, predatory grin. "A simple smash-and-grab, optimized by celestial power. I like it, Kai. You are a far more profitable ally than any high-tier Cultivator."
She reached out and placed a cool, confident hand on his shoulder—a brief, but powerful, contact that was purely physical, yet felt highly charged.
[HAREM MEMBER #1 (ANYA) – ROMANCE POTENTIAL: 35%. TRUST BUILT THROUGH SHARED HIGH-RISK STRATEGY.]
"I will see you at the Industrial Triangle, Civilian Kai. Don't be late."
She quickly retreated, moving silently back toward the vent shaft. Kai watched her go, feeling the heat of her touch lingering on his shoulder. Their relationship was a dangerous fusion of business, shared power, and increasing physical proximity—the perfect foundation for a powerful Harem partner.
He had 45 minutes to prepare. He checked his own E-PTs (85 remaining after the pill forge) and secured the Tier-5 Veil Shield onto his arm. He took a deep breath, letting the steady circulation of his Mid-Stage Foundation Qi calm his nerves.
He glanced at the children's corner one last time—the sleeping bodies, the sound of their calm, clean breathing. The Core Motivation was locked.
He knew what was at stake. Tonight, he wouldn't just steal a Core Crystal; he would steal the future safety of his family, one Foundation leap at a time. The Stellar Forge was ready for its next mission.