“Eric, thank god, you’re alive!” Said the boy with a heartfelt smile. “Jeezus, whatever the hell you did, don’t do that again!”

Eric smirked. “Yeah, trust me, I don’t plan on repeating that anytime soon.”

His friend’s gentle smile filled with concern as he handed Eric a pewter cup full of water that tasted like sweetest ambrosia to Eric’s parched throat.

“What happened?”

Eric flashed his friend a sad smile. “I played the fool, is what happened. Pushing myself too far, and nearly destroying my cultivation base in the process.”

Samuel winced. “Jeezus. Eric, you have to be careful! It’s not like we have any teachers or trainers. I know you’re in a rush, but...”

Eric sighed, shaking his head. “I know. I was a fool to push myself too hard, too fast. Because as much as I want to get ahead… I’m not going anywhere without those peaches and the promise they hold. I’d be an absolute, unforgivable fool to do so, and I just have to accept that playing the fool will only set me back further.”

He clenched his jaw, hating the sense of abandoning his sister and an entire alliance whose victory had been snatched away by sabotage, darkest assassins belonging to a tribe of treacherous humanoids who took so much glee in divesting humanity of all wealth and hope, and clever enough to cling to the letter of galactic law such that their status as merchants and traders gave them privileges few competing races could match.

Yet the frustration he felt, the desperate itch to do something… was the very compulsion he needed to overcome if he was going to be able to maximize his potential, and truly make a difference in the months and years to come.

Which meant that he had to accept that he had fucked up, that his sister might be forced to pay a price for his folly, and if he didn’t take his medicine and accept the next few months of steady gentle cultivation he knew he had to embrace, he risked months of delay becoming a lifetime of regret.

He flashed his friend a sad smile. “Learn from my mistakes, Sam. All that bullshit about not pushing yourself too hard, cultivating at a gentle pace and only as hard as your natural talents allow that we read in all those Wuxia and Xianxia novels? Spot on. All of it.” He chuckled bitterly. “As I learned all too well.”

Sam winced. “So you got put into the arrogant young master forced to learn his place role. Ouch.”

Eric smirked, before chuckling softly. “You know what? That’s pretty much exactly what happened. Now let’s just hope I can stop playing the overconfident fool who was lucky as hell in Gilton, and evolve to the redeemed hero without too many months… and yes, Sam, I said months… repairing the damage I inflicted upon myself to the point that I’m as good as new.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “Shit, Eric...”

Eric said nothing, just pointed in the direction of the swaying trees. Trees laden with a rich abundance of shimmering spirit fruit that Sam had made quite clear were absolutely priceless, a single peach being a profound boon for any recipient.

And they had an entire forest full of that bounty.

Sam swallowed. “You know what? You’re right. A few months’ investment for a major payoff is a win in any merchant’s, or rogue’s book. And it’s not like I won’t benefit from every day we spend in this little pork-filled paradise.”

The boy flashed a sheepish smile. “Somehow, I don’t think I’d have a chance in hell of loosening all the sludge and blockages in my meridians if it weren’t for the radiant sunlight, so rich in Fire Qi, loosening all the crud in my soul.” He smiled fondly up at the shaft of light he was standing under at that very moment. “So, you know what? Let’s do just that. Stick around for just as long as it takes for both of us to ascend as cultivators. Strong, whole, and worthy of the fruit dangling so damned temptingly from a whole shitload of magical trees.”

Eric laughed at that, nodding in rueful agreement. “It’s a damn good thing people really can live on meat alone, isn’t it? At least if you’re smart and eat plenty of fat, organs and marrow, as well as lean muscle meat.”

Sam winced. “Yeah, about that. If there’s one drawback...” The boy’s eyes widened when a slab of salt formed before his eyes.

“I found a salt-lick the other day during my hunts, and whoever said that salt wasn’t the spice of the gods that even we carnivores need, has no idea what they’re talking about.”

But Sam was all but hooting. “Sweet! This, plus the goblin spices, bastards too cheap to bring salt themselves, is just what we need! You get to healing, bro. I’ll get cooking, and we’ll both be young masters by the time our fortunate encounter with fate has played itself through.”

Eric chuckled, doing just that, his smile turning to a pained grimace as he oh so gently began to cycle Qi that he sensed would rather he just leave it alone for healing that would, naturally, take years… assuming it didn’t end up refreezing solid with fresh waste that anyone living life at his pace, daring his path, would quickly develop, assuming they even had years before their madness, and burning their candles and both ends, inevitably spelled their doom.

He shook away the chill he felt, finding it all too easy to visualize that tragic ending becoming his own. Especially if he quit now, so close to achieving his goals, injuries aside.

There were no titles earned as an hour’s cultivation turned to a night’s contemplation and a week’s careful cycling. There was only the heartfelt relief of lingering pain turning to the almost pleasurable burn of stretching too tight muscles as naturally fire-rich Qi eased away infinitesimal amounts of plaque, and more importantly, the spiritual energy continued to reinforce and strengthen the walls of his damaged meridians.

As one week became two, he was filled with hope, sensing definite improvement, his path forward now clear. If he felt any despair, it was in the time it was taking. He was more than stable now, feeling the full flow of his Strength in the form of Spiritual Energy flowing through and reinforcing his mind and body, and could comfortably embrace the basic cultivation techniques he was now close to mastering with ease.

Were it not for the spirit fruit dangling so temptingly from the trees all around him, were it not for the need to leave this realm with every possible advantage he could, knowing that he would soon be so potent that he could never return again, he would have happily left, knowing daily cultivation would be more than enough to keep his meridian channels free of any knew residue from necromancy and System enhancements both.

But the time it would take to fully heal would be months. And to wear away the now remaining blockages that had crystallized more than a bit with his imperfect use of his Essence-Infused Basic Fire Cultivation technique?

That could well take years.

He gave a frustrated shake of his head even as Sam positively glowed with health and vitality, having finally broken through to the point that he could feel the flow of spiritual energy caressing all six of the meridians defining his inner circle Dragon meridian pathway.

Even if it was just a trickle, his young friend was well and truly cycling spiritual energy now. And so long as they both cultivated under the golden light of this realm, they’d both progress far, far faster than they could hope to, back in a world that might now be infused with arcane forces and fields, but was definitely no cultivator’s paradise, possessing no spiritual energy beyond the barest trickle, mostly emanating from living things, more than any radiance given off by their sun.

“Up for another pork chop?”

Eric grinned at his friend, all but beaming as he laid out their lunch with a speed and grace noticeably greater than it had been, even a week before. “Congrats on the breakthrough.”

Sam positively beamed. “I know. Incredible, right? Best of all, even if I never enter a pod, I can still see my improvements! I just focus on that System Interface you linked me to with our party-up that never went away. In fact, it’s now acknowledging my growth, and is showing me my complete character sheet. And get this, I’m already a Rank 2 Basic Cultivator!”

Eric smiled at his friend who was all but glowing with excitement. “You know what that means, right?”

Eric nodded. “Good. That can only mean that you’re completely System compatible, as I suspect anyone who manages any cultivation breakthroughs at all is. You’ll be able to enter any System pod and not only survive the process, but thrive with whatever classes you might pick.”

Eric took a bite of the sauce-covered rib before him. His eyes lit up at the taste. “Outstanding! This, Sam, this is a fucking masterpiece of tasty porcine goodness. And I say that after we’ve been eating pig for months! And how the hell did you make this sauce?”

His young friend positively beamed. “Bone marrow, spices, and pig brain. Also a bit of mashed liver. And you were right. Adding organ meats in careful proportions is absolutely key to super tasty meals that really pack a punch!” He then winked. “And maybe I did find some wild sage, mint, and oregano, after making damn sure there were no pigs nearby, and I had line-of-sight on hour home. But I didn’t want to wreck your pure carnivore fantasy, so I’m keeping the greens on the down-low.”

Eric dipped his head, more than a bit impressed, sensing a spark of something flashing in his friend’s eyes. “Now that I think about it, you do have a suspiciously herbal-smelling garden growing by the entrance. And growing pretty fast, thanks to all the spiritual energy saturating our little corner of paradise. Smart thinking, little bro! Carnivore fantasies aside, I crave a little green from time to time, myself.”

Eric winked at his smirking friend. “You know what? I wouldn’t be at all surprised if a chef Profession lies in your future. Not that you’d necessarily want to take that over Necromancy, if it’s true that you can unlock both Class and Profession with our Non-System-Standard Terran Potency Paths, as the System likes to put it. But damn if I don’t think you’d make an incredible chef.”

His friend gave a satisfied nod. “My mother was a cook, and a damn fine one. Said she was determined to teach me everything she knew as a cook… and otherwise.” He sighed, expression turning solemn. “I can’t tell you how much I miss her.”

Eric winced, instantly understanding. “I’m sorry,” he softly said.

“Don’t be. I lost her when the world ended. This? This world of magic and wonder with pocket realms full of cultivation goodness?” Sam chuckled softly. “As far as I’m concerned, we all died the day the world ended, and this is sort of a second life of adventure, glory, and peril, all rolled into one, where we get to prove ourselves before being reborn in gentler times once more.”

Sam flashed a child’s vulnerable smile. “Between you and me, I think my mother just went on ahead. I’m sure she was reborn as a beautiful little girl to parents who will love and protect her always.” He swallowed, wiping away a tear trickling down his cheek. “That’s what I see, anyway, when I dream of her. And who knows? Maybe it’s true.”

“Maybe,” Eric gently said. “I think she’d be proud of you, Sam, wherever she is. Proud of the fine young man you’re growing into. A loyal friend, budding cultivator, and talented scion of your house.”

Samuel laughed softly through tears unbidden. “Alright, shut up and eat your lunch before I sog it the fuck up,” he quipped, Eric more than happy to do just that, feeling closer than ever to the boy he increasingly felt a brother’s affection for as he cleaned up and readied himself for a fresh hunt, assuring they’d have fresh organ meat Eric would make a point of putting in the goblin’s storage, free of any taint.

But it was only when he was losing himself in the thrill of the hunt an hour later, stalking his prey, heart racing with a hunter’s adrenaline as a massive tusker caught his gaze, that he realized what an idiot he was being.

A revelation that didn’t stop him from casting his javelin with its superheated shaft with what was now blinding speed and consummate grace, the squeal of a furious boar struck from behind becoming a confused cough when it collapsed, Eric’s weapon having sheered right through the base of the spine, even as the javelin shaft, a white-hot 4000 degree iron shank on an essence infused but normal temperature wooden haft meant that the weapon plunged right through the creature, a deep fatal wound made all the worse as blood instantly began boiling inside the stunned porker, flesh bloating and crimson spray shooting out of entrance and exit holes as the pig was boiled alive from the inside out.

Before a second white-hot shaft instantly ended the beast’s pain less than five seconds later, Eric refusing to torment the massive proud beasts, even if he was well aware that they’d gladly kill him if given half the chance. Still, they were beasts simply following their nature, as was Eric, following the path of countless hunters before him, casting spears to bring down their prey over a span of time including hundreds if not thousands of eons. Time unimaginable, the true heritage of man that Rica herself had latched onto for a class more ancient and transcendent than any hackneyed orc abomination could hope to achieve.

A thought that brought a bittersweet smile to Eric’s lips, now aching for the strikingly beautiful huntress who had speared his heart well, for all that he feared he’d never see her again.

“I miss you, Rica. I hope you and Ria thrive and prosper in safety and happiness, and that Nelly’s family watches your back as you watch theirs. Be well, beautiful, wherever you are.” He whispered the ache in his heart with a tear-filled smile, before collecting his kill and preparing to head back to camp.

Before freezing solid, eyes going wide, as it finally clicked, what should have been obvious from the start.

It wasn’t infusing basic cultivation with the potency of his kills that had laid him low.

It was being a fool, trying to burn too much plaque at once, tearing free spiritual calcifications, when a gentler approach around his meridian gates was what was called for.

In fact, it was the hyper-rich infusion of the energy of his kills, and the blood-linked potency of his own soul infusing his cultivation, that had allowed him to stabilize and preserve his cultivation base at all.

A feat that had cost him seven years and seven months of his life…

And might have cost him no life force at all, if he had been far higher level, with a sufficient potency pool stored up between levels to pay the massive price of Potency required to repair the damage done sufficient that it wouldn’t deteriorate further under the incredible spiritual pressure even a Rank 10 Basic Cultivator put out, like a spiritual combustion engine.

And if that was the case… controlled Potency-infused basic cultivation would now help him more than ever, so long as he was smart and aware enough to always end his sessions before experience point margins became the blood red withdrawal of dipping into his own life-force reserves.

He shuddered at the thought of ever making that mistake again, having already paid too terrible a price to think about with all his follies this past half year. If it had even been that long.

Over thirty years of his life lost.

Yet daring to walk that crimson path again was the key to his survival, his ascension, to fully repairing himself and maybe actually reaching Rank 11 and, finally, pristine Rank 12 Basic Cultivation and what might not be months or years… but a handful of weeks.

Though he’d never be so stupid as to try to winnow it down to days, ever again.

Short glorious weeks that might still give him time to be such a thorn in the side of a unified orc alliance that they shattered under the force of his furious blows, retreating from their genocidal campaigns against his own people. His sister’s people. His family.

Eric clenched his fists, filled with the fires of fresh resolve as he sprang through the forest undergrowth in bare feet as warm shafts of golden sunlight caressed his face, now more eager than ever to hunt down his prey, filled with a new sense of purpose and hope.